Ver. 3. Howbeit even Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, had not been compelled mg 4 circumcised, The last verse related the steps taken by Paul to disarm opposition. He was, however, no less resolute in his resistance to any en- croachment on Christian freedom. The presence of Titus with him attested his determination; for the circumcision of Titus had been demanded, and resisted evidently by Paulhimself. It is a strange misconception of critics to argue as if this struggle over Titus took place at Jeru- salem. The demand for the circumcision of all converts was made at Antioch and pressed against the authority of Paul and Barnabas (Acts xx. 2): the express object of the deputation was to protest against this demand, which they did with entire success. The Greek aorist ἠναγκάσθη answers here to the English pluperfect, as often elsewhere (cf. Winer, xl., 5).
2---6.
‘39
ἠναγκάσθη περιτμηθῆναι "), 4. διὰ δὲ τοὺς παρεισάκτους ψευδαδέλ-
φους, οἵτινες παρεισῆλθον κατασκοπῆσαι τὴν ἐλευθερίαν ἡμῶν ἣν
ἔχομεν ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, ἵνα ἡμᾶς καταδουλώσουσιν ' " 5. οἷς οὐδὲ 2
πρὸς ὥραν εἴξαμεν τῇ ὑποταγῇ, ἵνα ἡ μείνῃ πρὸς ὑμᾶς.
ἀλήθεια τοῦ εὐαγγελίου δια-
6. ᾿Απὸ δὲ τῶν δοκούντων εἶναί τι (ὁποῖοί ποτε
1 καταδουλωσουσιν ΝΑΒΟΡΕΕΑ; -σονται L; -σωνται Κ, 2 ous ουδὲ NABCDcorr.EFGKLP; om. Ὁ.
Ver. 4. The narrative returns here, after the parenthetical reference to Titus, to the subject of vv. 1, 2, and the verb ἀνέβην, already repeated in ver. 2, must here also be supplied to complete the sense: But it was because of the false brethren privily brought in that I went up, men who came in. ... Theaddition of the article, rightly inserted by the Revised Version before false brethren, shows that they were a particular body of convicted offenders against Christ, of whose guilt the Galatians had been al- ready informed. The force of παρεισ- ἄκτους is well illustrated by Strabo, xvii., p- 794, Where it denotes the treacherous introduction of foreign enemies into a city by a faction within the walls. In the next clause παρεισῆλθον describes the stealthy entrance of these secret foes ; κατασκοπῆσαι marks their hostile intent, and likens them to spies who are bent on discovering to an enemy the weak points in a military position: the freedom of the Greek Churches in Christ is further de- clared to be the object of their hostility. This description brings the Epistle into close touch with the Acts: for it is there stated that Paul and Barnabas were driven to go up to Jerusalem by the factious oppo- sition of certain foreign emissaries from Judza who attacked the freedom of the Greek converts from circumcision and disturbed the peace of the Church; also that these men were altogether repu- diated and condemned at Jerusalem by the Apostles and brethren, and finally that the document embracing this sen- tence of condemnation had been placed by Paul himself in the hands of the Galatians. There can be no doubt, in view of this close correspondence, that the false brethren whom the Epistle de- nounces are identical with the Pharisaic emissaries who stirred up strife at Antioch. --καταδουλώσουσιν. All the best MSS. agree in reading this future indicative in- stead of the subjunctive after tva ; possibly the author meant to express thereby the assured hope of success, and not merely the intention of the conspirators,
Ver. 5. εἴξαμεν. Paul here couples Barnabas with himself in recording the determined resistance offered by both to the demand for the circumcision of all Christians preferred at Antioch. Bar- nabas was at that time a staunch sup- porter of Greek freedom. The verse obviously refers to their attitude at Antioch before going to Jerusalem.—rq ὑποταγῇ : by our submission. Here, as in 2 Cor. ix. 13, ὑποταγή denotes a voluntary act, not one imposed upon a subject. The same rendering appears more appropriate for expressing the due attitude of wife and children in τ Tim. ii. τα, iii. 4. The middle voice ὑποτάσ- σεσθαι is five times rendered submit in the Authorised Version, and the force of the original is impaired by its exclusion from the text of the Revised Version.— ἵνα... The motive for firmness was the maintenance of the truth of the Gospel, 2.6., of the freedom to which the uncircum- cised were entitled in Christ. —mpés ὑμᾶς: for you, i.e., with a view to your welfare. The rendering of our versions, with you, would be properly expressed by ἐν ὑμῖν.