The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 47

awsy from graoe ; " Rom. v. 2, '' Tbrongh exp~seea himself in lcmguo.go, the gram• whom we have also he.d onr aooe11e by faith mat1cal analysis of which is obscure and into this grace wherein we at.and." The in some degree unoertl\in. For (1) the genitive, "of Christ," denotes the Author, as relative "whioh " may be taken os reciting in "the peace of God" (Phil. iv. 7); "right- the term "gospel" only, that is, the gospel eousness of God" (Rom. i. 17; iii. 21, eto.), which is properly so called; in which case Th~re is a pathos in the word "grac_o," as re- we may road the sentence thus: "But the ferring tot he sweetgentlenessof Christ's yoke gospel is not [never can be] other ''-other, llB contrnstc,i with the yoke of ceremonial- i.e. than it is as already preaohed to you-: ism which the GalRtians were so foolishlv (2) the relative may recite the "other [or, hankering after. The C'Onstruction, "Called ' new'l sort of gospel" of ver. 6: and then we yon in the grace of Christ," is similar to sho~ld have "But this other-fashioned gos- "C111lod ns in peace" (1 Cor. vii. 15); "Ye pel 1s not another gospel really," or, "is not were cnllcd in one hope of your calling" the real gospel reappearing in another form.'~ (Eph. i,. 4); "Calloo us ... in sanctification" The former method presents undoubtedly, of ( 1 'rhcss. i.. 7). The verb "aall," implying the two, the harsher way of construing; but :is it does the bringing into a certain state, oonst1:uctions as harsh do occasionally pre~ suggests the sense here given to the clause, sent themselves in the apostle's style when in preference to our taking it as meaning writing under strong emotion. The exact "called you by the grace of Christ." Unto o.nalysis, however, is merely a matter of another gospel (,ls h,pov .-bayyeA,ov); wnu, grammatical nicety; the substance of the another (or, a new) sort of gospel. The ad- thought is quite clear. But there be (El µr, jective <'-r•pov, as contrasted with ~AAo used ••• •low): only there are. This construction, in the next verse, appears io intimate the of el µ¾, followed by e. finite verb, is found· cha.ng-ed quality of the object, its strange also in ll'Iark vi. 5, Elµ¾, ... i8epd.1reutr•, "Save new-fangled character. The adjective docs that. , . he healed them." The force of •l µr,, sometimes take this shade of meaning. "except," in this passage as well as in some Thus I Cor. riv. 21, 'Ev i-repo-ylul,rrtrois ,ea.I others, may be described as partially ez- ~" x••¼trw hepo«, " By men of strange ceptive;. that is, it denotes a.Ii exception tongues, and by lips of strangers;" 2 Cor. xi. 4, ta.ken, not to the entire foregoing sentence, IlveVµ.a ETEpov ••• OJa.r,EAJov €Tf pov," Different but to part ofit only. Thus in Luke iv. 27,· spirit ... different gospel; '' 1 Tim. i. 3, 'En- " There were many lepers in Israel ... and poli,lio:tr1<a~,,.,, "Teach. a diffe.rent doctrine." none of them was cleansed, save Naaman The reader will find a brief but instructive the Syrian:" where the pronoun "them" description of the difference at times observ- recites the "lepers in Israel," but the "save" able between iinpos and ~ s in Bishop refers to "lepers" only: Rev. ix. 4, "That Lightfoot's note on the passage: who cites the they should not hurt the grass, neither any Septuagint rendering in Exod. i 8 of the green thing, neither any tree, save the Hebrew "new king," which it gives Satr,A<vs men who,'' etc.: where the "save" points ,'.,.,pos: and a passage in Xenophon's 'Cyro- back only to the words, "that they should p:edia,' nil. 3, 8, •• If you accnse me . ·.. . not hurt;" so again Rev. xxi.. 27, •• Save they another time when I serve you ... you will which are written in the Lamb's. book of find me ( frepq, 01a,c&v'I') another sort of a~ life,'' points back only to the words, "there tendant." The phrase, "another sort of shall in no .wise enter into..it.'1 In u.ll such gospel," so far as giving the new form of cases the rendering "only" or ".but only,'! doctrine the title of ••gospel" at all, is would exhibit just the a.mount of exception .paradoxical and sarcastic. The paradox is which appears intended. In the :present corrected in what follows. The substantive, instance the wost probable explanation is " gospel," is borrowed, not without a tinge of this: the gospel can never be other than .it irony, from the pretensions of the innovators: is; except that among (i.e. only among) they, of oourse, would -be ready to designate those who proclaim it (i.e. profess to pro- their mangled form of Christian doctrine as claim it) there are some who so misrepresent still "the gospel" The epithet which the its import as to oompletely reverse its cha- apostle adds gives his own view of ita cha- racter. There be some that trouble you (-r,vr!s racter. Eluw ol Tapd.uunVTt:S Vµ'as); there are certain Ver. 7.-Which is not another (& o~,c r,,..,..,, who (111'6 diBquieting you.. The !?rm ,?f ex- luo). Already, in these very words, the pression is the same as m Col. 11. 8, Take apostle means to assert that essential unalter- heed lest there shall be anyone that maketh ablenese of the gospel, which, with solemn spoil of you.'' The sentence a~ it stands emphasis, ho in the two following verses differs from the supposable substitute, "cer- more fully affirms. Thus much seems plain. taiu persons are disquieting you,'' by But, owing probably to the impassioned directing attention more to thi: pers~n• eagemeilll of tl,e moment, he here, as not referred to than merely to their action unfrequ.,ntly elsewhere from the like cause, viewed in itself: it mnrks them out as on. L 1-24,J 'l'HE EPIS'l'LE TO 'rHE GALATIANS. 11