The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 38

PAUL TO THE GALATIANS. EXPOSITION. to those he is addressing, he at once pro- CHAPTER I. ceeds, in ver. 6, to assail his readers with Vers. 1-5.-The introductory greeting. words of indignant reproach. The style of this greeting, compared with Ver. 1.-l'anl, an apostle (Ilav;\or lt1r6- those found in St. Paul's other Epistles, crT0Aor); Paul, apostle. The designation of gives indications of his having addressed "apostle," as here appropriated by St. Paul himself to the composition of the letter in explanation of his right to authoritatively under strong perturbation of feeling. This address those he was writing to, point~ to a. transpires in the abruptness with which, at function with which he was permanently the very outset, he at once sweeps aside, o.s invested, and which placed him in a relation it were, out of his path, a slnr cast upon his to these Galatian Churches which no other apostolic commission, in protesting that he apostle ever occupied. Some years later, was " apostle, not frem man nor through a indeed, when St. Peter had occasion to man." It appears again in that impetuous address these same Chmches, together with negligence of exact precision of language, others in neighbouring countries, he like- with which the mention of" Goo the Father" wise felt himself authorized to do it on the is conjoined with that of "Jesus Christ" score of his apostolical llharacter (" Peter, an under the one preposition" through," as the apostle of Jesus Clirist," l Pet. i l); bot medium through ,vhich his apostleship had there is nothing to show that St. Peter had been conferred upon him. We cannot help any personal relations with them at present. receiving the impression that the apostle Under these circumstances, it is perhaps had only just before received that intelligence best in translation to prefix no article at all from Galatia which ea.lied forth from him before "apostle." This designation of him- the letter, and that he set himself to its self as" apostle" St. Paul subjoined to his composition while the strong emotions which name in almost all of his Epistles subsequent the tidings had produced were still fresh in to the two addressed to the Thessalonians. his mind. That these emotions were those 'l'he only exceptions are those to the Philip- of indignant grief and displeasure is like- pians and to Philemon, in writing to whom wise evident. He will not, indeed, withhold there was less occasion for introducing it. the salutation which in all Christian and He had now, in the third of his three great ministerial courtesy was due from him in journeys recorded in the Acts, assumed addressing what, notwithstanding all, were openly in the Church the position of an still Churches of Christ. But all such apostle in the highest sense. In several of expressions of affectionate feeling he does these Epistles (1 Cor. i. I; 2 Cor. i. I; Eph. i. withhold, and all such sympathetic reference I; Col. i. I ; 2 Tim. i. 1), to the designation to matters and individuals of personal in- of apostle, St. Paul adds the words," through terest, as in almost every other Epistle he (6u1) the will of God;" i.e. by means of e.n is seen indulging himself in, and which are express volition of God explicitly revealed. not even then found wanting, when, as in In what way God had revealed this to be the case of the Corinthians, he he.a occasion his will is clearly intimated in this letter to to administer muoh and strong rebuke. No the Galatians, in which the words," through such sympe.thetio reference, we observe, is Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised found here. As soon as he has penned the him from the dead,'' which ta.ko the place 111lutation, itself singularly oold in respect of the formula., " through the will of God.'' QALATIANB, D  2 THE EPISTLE TO 'l'HE GALATIANS. [en. 1. 1-24.