Ver. 2. ἐγὼ. The Apostle finds it necessary to express pointedly his own personal judgment on the effect of cir- cumcision in consequence of false reports which had been circulated that he had
184
μὴ πάλιν ζυγῷ δουλείας ἐνέχεσθε.
‘v,
2. ἴδε ἐγὼ Παῦλος λέγω ὑμῖν,
. ὅτι ἐὰν περιτέμνησθε, Χριστὸς ὑμᾶς οὐδὲν ὠφελήσει - 3. μαρτύρομαι δὲ πάλιν παντὶ ἀνθρώπῳ περιτεμνομένῳ, ὅτι ὀφειλέτης ἐστὶν ὅλον
τὸν νόμον ποιῆσαι.
4. κατηργήθητε ἀπὸ τοῦ Χριστοῦ, οἵτινες ἐν
νόμῳ δικαιοῦσθε, τῆς χάριτος ἐξεπέσατε: 5. ἡμεῖς γὰρ πνεύματι ἐκ
πίστεως ἐλπίδα δικαιοσύνης ἀπεκδεχόμεθα.
6. ἐν γὰρ Χριστῷ
Ἰησοῦ οὔτε περιτομή τι ἰσχύει, οὔτε ἀκροβυστία, ἀλλὰ πίστις δι᾿
ἀγάπης ἐνεργουμένη.
7. Ἐτρέχετε καλῶς - τίς ὑμᾶς ἐνέκοψεν ἢ
1ενεκοψεν NABCDEFGKLP; ανεκοψεν rec.
given some sanction to the new doctrine. (See ver. 11.)
Ver. 3. μαρτύρομαι. This verb, which in Attic Greek denotes the calling of wit- nesses, is applied in Pauline language to the Apostle’s own testimony.—tepirép- νησθε, περιτεμνομένγῳ. The use of the present tense intimates that the warning is not aimed at isolated acts, but at the introduction of a systematic practice in- volving a virtual transfer of allegiance from Christ to the Law.
Ver. 4. κατηργήθητε. This verb is applied with comprehensive force to any destruction of growth and life, physical or spiritual, beneficial or deleterious. Joined with ἀπό it denotes the loss of some essential element of life by the severance of previous intimate relations, ¢.g., annulment by death of a wife's obli- gations to her husband (Rom. vii. 2), and emancipation from the control of the Law by spiritual death (Rom. vii. 6). Here, in like manner, it denotes the paralysis of spiritual life by severance of union with Christ. This paralysis produces a deadening effect on the whole spiritual nature, and results in the continuous craving for legal justification which is expressed by δικαιοῦσθε. --- ἐξεπέσατε. Α5 the | aged κυσίν verb ἐκπίπτειν corresponds to the active verb ἐκβάλ- λειν, this aorist corresponds to ἔκβαλε in iv. 30; so that the combination of κατηργήθητε with ἐξεπέσατε contains a special allusion to the doom of Ishmael, who suffered the loss of his inheritance at the same time that he was cast out from his father’s house. Disloyal chil- dren of God, who prefer bondage to filial freedom, have ιν their own act forfeited the birthright of sons, and been cast out from His favour and blessing.
Ver. 5. πνεύματι. In the absence of an article this dative must have an ad- verbial force, and should be rendered in spirit. The Holy Spirit is uniformly
esignated τὸ Πνεῦμα. --- ἀπεκδεχόμεθα.
This verb expresses eager expectation rather than the attitude of patient wait- ing attributed to it in our versions. True faith in Christ inspires a confident hope of acceptance (δικαιοσύνης) before God.
Ver. 6. Circumcision conveyed no spiritual blessing in return for its bind- ing pledge of obedience to the Law. In 1 Cor. vii. 17-22 it is placed in the same category as marriage and slavery, outward conditions of life which are neither good nor evil in themselves, but are the appointed portion of some, who should therefore loyally accept the burden or the blessing. Paul not only paid due respect to the Law himself, but even cir- cumcised Timothy, when he desired to take him with him as his minister in Christ amidst Jews, that he might avoid needless offence. But he warned his dis- ciples at the same time that in resorting to it for salvation they were really denying the faith, and forfeiting their birthright of Christian freedom.—8v ἀγάπης. The rendering of our versions by or through love confuses faith with love, as though faith was the result of love or worked through its instrumentality. But the clause really describes a combination of two distinct graces: there may be intense faith without love (cf. 1 Cor. xiii. 2); but faith ought to work in love, {.ε., in a spirit of love. Love is the atmosphere amid which faith should put forth its energy. This force of διά has been already noted in the case of διὰ νό (ii, 19).—évepyoupévyn. The middle voice is here employed to describe the inner working of the spirit of man, the active is used for recording God's work for man in ii. 8.