of tho apostles, except James, the Lord's brother, be ar,eounted as such. After that I was discharging the work of my ministry in Syria and Cilicia, having been all the while, from the first, pers~nally unknown to the Churches of Judam.; they only were bee.ring of Ille that, without any communication with them, I was preaching the gospel.'' Oh·. U. 1-10. Here St. Paul, with reference to the relations which he held to the other apostles, brings out the fact, that when he went to Jerusalem for the purpose in pa.rt of comparing hie statement of the gospel with that which was presented by . "those of reputation," particularly on matters bearing upon the position of Gentile believers towards the Law, what he heard from them in no way modified the doctrine which he taught; they, however, in the most public and marked manner, recornized 0
its truth, recognizing likewise his ministry to the Gentiles as co-ordinate with theirs to the circumcision. Ve?S. 11-21. . The apostle then draws attention to a remarkable occasion, on which he had made good, to the approval of the Church at Antioch, his position as an apostle compared with that of Cephas, and had by reasoning vindicated his teaching on a matter closely relevant to his present controversy with the Galatians, showing that conformity with the Law of Moses inferred no superiority in a believer, and its neglect no inferiority, for that the cross of Christ had for God's people annihilated the Law. "l identify myself," he had then said, "with the crucified Christ: his death to the Law is my death to the Law ; his life in righteousness and joy is my life therein too." Ch. iii. 1-14. With this thought fresh on his mind, the apostle next addresses himself directly to the case of the Galatians. "Ye too have beheld Christ crucified, and yet now-- I Is there witchcraft at work? Tell me, through what received ye the Spirit? Was it not through faith simply resting in the Redeemer? And now are ye perfecting, forsooth, the work of the Spirit by mere carnality? Ye suffered bravely the evils which ~ewish bigotry brought upon you because ye would bave none of the Law: will you now stultify that confessorship? Your own experience of the out- flowing of spiritual gifts and of Divine blessing (ver. 9) was in connection with simple faith in Christ; ye were thus proved to be justified, as Abraham was, by faith. No such blessing comes ever through ceremonial works of the Law; the Law works only a curse; it' plainly tells you so; tells you so that ye may find blessing in Christ who bore its curse on our behalf." • Vers.15-'-18. "The promise solemnly given to Abraham and his seed, of blessing to come to all nations thr<;>ugh Christ, cannot be set aside by the Law given hundreds of years 'later." . • Vera. 19-23. "No doubt the Law had a function divinely assigned to it; but Hs subordinate position was shown in the very mode of its communication, beiog given as to beings kept at a distance from God, and making their sin fast till faith should be revealed." Vere. 24-29. "The Law was our childhood's keeper, till faith should come. Now faith is come, we are become sons of God having put on Christ. Ye Gentiles are Christ's, and thus Abraham's seed, and, according to the promise, heirs of blessing." Ch. iv. 1-7. The apostle here resumes the position of eh. iii. 24, of the Law being the custodian of God's people's childhood. "We were then treated as mere children, no way our own masters, under the A, B, 0, of a worldly religion. But now, through the incarnation and redemption of God's Son, we are made sons in enjoyment of our inheritance; and, what proves our sonship, God has poured into our hearts the joyous free-hearted Spirit of adoption." Vere. 8-11. "In those days, we at any rate were God's worshippers; but as for you, ye were idolaters : and yet ye, of God's free choice and constrainiog grace adopted xxii INTRODUOTION TO
in among his people, must needs be setting yourselves, forsooth, .in opposition tp hia appointments, and must be going back again to that miserable A, B1 O, with your • days, and months, and seasoM, and years ' ! " : , , , , ,, Vers. 12-20. Here follows a passage broken into small bits by strq~g emot~c;m, Earnest entreaty; earnest assurances that he had no quarrel with them,:""""h!l Jia.~ too tender a remembrance of th'lir affectionate love to him for that: could. they suppqse him to be other than loving to them t Others, who were paying t!;iem court, had no such tender care for their welfare as he, " 0 my darling children," he •Orie~, "my soul is in travail for you, that Christ may be formed within you, not the. J,awl Would I knew how best to deal with you I " Vers. 21-31. Casting about for some line of thoug):tt to get hold of t):tem, the apostle bethinks himself of the story of Sarah and Isaac in connection with .Hag~i;;i,.nd hhmael, as presenting a kind of allegorical prediction of the two covenants;. p9rtra;ying the supernal Jerusalem and freedom and secure joy on the one side, and f?in11\ 11nd servitude and imminent expulsion on the other. ," , . , , Ch. v. 1-4. This leads on to the warning. "We now are free: do no~ llc,"Siri, get held in a yoke of slavery; else ye will find yourselves, as Ishma.el, dissevereqJrom Christ and fallen from grace." ,,, , , , ,. • Vers. 5-12. Disjointed sentences follow, intermingling ~rse statements of.sw~etest doctrine with bewailmcnt of the sad interruption in their once happy ,C!).re_er;, war!li!lg against the contagion of evil; confident hope that they will not disappoint ):ii~ "'ishQs; threatening of judgment upon their troublers; indigna~t refutatiqn of .•those. men's slanders touching himself; an outflashing wish that they .would just_wa,~~In;ii,.nifest what they really were by self-eviration. . , , ,, Vers. 13-24. The summary in the first .verse,•~ Ye pave been Jmi;lci fr~e; m~n,7 ~~ here repeated, to form a new starting-point for e;l(lior~a.tion co:i;i,c~~re~.i11,'aJ;ili;ner,an\l more equable mood, and embodying a. beautiful contrast between th~; ,fles~ ~nd,.its works, and the Spirit and its fruits. . ,. , • ·1 , •
Ver. 25--ch. vi. 10. Warning against vain-glory and combat~veiiess, Exhorta,Uon to cultivate mutual tolerance and helpfulness; one's own improvement ,in pll!CI! of censoriousness; liberality in maintaining their teachers; diligence to, so~, n,ot to ~nf~ own flesh, but to the Spirit; perseverance'in be·neficence. .. , ., 11 ,. , , ,. , ,,,, .. Ch. vi 11-18. Conclusion. "Those who wish you circ~~cised do_notC?~re apput the Law, but only to curry favour with the Jews ~n4 escape persl/puti9n., B,ut ~y .~9lt:, boast 1s the cross of Christ; and in Christ circumcision and uncircumcision a.~e, ~qthing, renewal of heart everything,: joy be with those.,who feel aµd,~t J;,y this :i;ulel: Let none dare to "harass me any more; forJe,sus' mar~. upon me evidence his presen~.~ith me. The Lord be with you, brctli_r~n I " •