countries over which Christianity was extensively diffused, each considerable town, or village even, had its own several " Church " presided over by presbyters of its own, and in organization independent of the others. W o read, for example, of "the Churches of Ga.latia," "the Churches of Mace- donia," and" the Churches of Judma," but never of (say) "the Church of Galatia," or " the Church of Judma," or the like. At the same time, no city, however large its entire population, or however numerous the believers dwelling in it, is spoken of as having more than one Church; for example, there was only one Church at Corinth, only one at Antioch in Syria, only one even in Jerusalem, although in this last city, as St. James told St. Paul (Acts xxi. 20), there were "tens of thousands" (p.vpia.8£<;) of believers. Three centuries later, as we learn from Bingham (' Antiquities,' ii. xii. 2), in the peninsula now called Asia Minor, "not much larger" (the author says) "than the Isle of Great Britain," there were, "as appears from the ancient Notitim of the Church," four hundred "bishops," some of them in towns of quite small size. Now, whatever may be thought of the sense of the word" bishop" in the days of the apostles (cf. Phil. i. 1), theie can be no question that, in the fourth century, each several " bishop " betokened a separate Church presided over by him. There were, then, in the fourth century, four hundred Churches in Asia Minor. Considering the size of Galatia, a considerable number of these may be supposed to have apper- tained to this district, some of them from the days of St. Paul. History of the Galatian Churches as gathered from the Epistles. Of the previous history of these Churches, as also of their subsequent history in the apostolic age, our informl!.tion is extremely slight. The only particulars which we possess relative to the evangelization of this region are drawn from the Epistle itself. In the fourth chapter the apostle reminds his converts that his preaching the gospel to them at "the former time" ( ver. 13) was occasioned by a bodily illness. But whether he meaJil.S that it was illness that led to his coming among them, or that befalling him whilst already there it necessitated a longer stay than he would otherwise have made, is not quite clear. But the former seems the more probable interpretation. The great salubrity of the northern part of this great inland plateau of which Galatia formed a part is well known (see note on the passage). Next, the apostle makes most grateful acknowledgment of the quite extra- ordinary enthusiasm of personal attachment which the Galatian converts had then evinced towards him (see eh. iv. 14, 15, and notes). He also adverts, in eh. iii. 2, 5, to their receiving the Spirit, and to the Spirit being supplied to them-expressions which show that in their case, as was indeed very generally the case when the apostle himself first brought the gospel to a new neighbourhood, its testimony had been sealed by the impartation of charisma. Further, the form of expression in eh. iv. 13, "the former time (To 1t'poT£pov)," implies that thei-e had been another visit afterwards before the writing of the Epistle, and probably only one other. That there had been in this second visit a palpable diminution in the fervour of personal X INTRODUCTION 'l.'O
nt.tnchment which had so gladdened his heart in his fll'st visit, is not necessarily implied in the manner in which he expresses himself; for the phrnse, "the former time," qualifies no more than the 1-eference to his illness; bnt since three or four years lrn,d intervened, such a change was hardly to be wondered at, especinJly when we consider the ohangeableness which is t.he reverse side to the Celt's enthusiasm in his friendships; though St. Paul, who held the love of his disciples so dear, would natm•ally feel pained and disappointed if their reception of him then really did show any coldness. The reference which, shortly after the writing of this Epistle (as I ,entnre to think), the apostle made to these Churches in 1 Cor. xvi. 1 will have to be considered more fully further on. Their history as gathered from the Acts. Comparing with these indications that which we find bearing upon the subject in the Act.s, written probably four or five years later than the Epistle, we find, in perfect accordance so far as it goes with the Epistle, mention made by St. Luke of two visits paid by St. Paul to" the Galatic Land." The first took place in the early part of that great missionary journey which the apostle, after his separation from Barnabas, made in company with Silas. Starting from Antioch, he first visited the Churches already subsisting in Syria and Cilicia. Then going, as appears most likely, through the passes in the Tam-ns which were called the Cilician Gates (see Conybeare and Howson). most probably in the spring of A.D. 51, the two holy evangelists came to Derbe, Lystra; and Iconinm. In this neighbourhood the apostle adopted Timothy into com- panionship with them in the work. They then "went on their way through the cities [apparently those of Lycaonia and Pisidia], delivering unto them the decrees for to keep, which had been ordained by the apostles and the elders which were at Jerusalem" (Acts xv. 41-xvi. 4). The lapse of sorre time seems indicated by the manner of expression in A.cts xvi. 5, " So the Churches [apparently of the parts jnst now referred to] were strengthened in the faith and increased in number daily." The sacred historian then adds, " And they went throngh Phrygia and the Galatic Land, having been forbidden of the Holy Ghost to speak the word in Asia [that is, the Roman province so called] ; . . . and came over against Mysia." That is all that St. Luke says about Galatia here. Evidently his main interest in recording this whole jonrney lies in that introduction of the gospel into Europe which in especial it was designed by Heaven to effect-a subject which occupies his entire attention from tbis point down to the eighteenth verse of eh. xviii. Hastening on., therefore, to that most especially interesting part of this narrative, he abridges the earlier part; of it into the brief statement which has now been cited. In Acts xviii., beginning from ver. 22, St. Luke proceeds to relate some particulars of another great missionary jonrney made by the apostle. Ho is not now accompanied by Silas, but appears to have Timothy wibh him, together with, no doubt, other associates in the holy enterprise. After "salutiug the Church" of Jerusalem, probably in the year A.D. 53 or 54, TllE EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS. :xi