The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 65

his MRSt.er. And who (we mav further ask) character of the servloe; as if it were," That may venture to determine what part the I should be a shower-forth of the glad Lord Jesus took personally, that is, by per- tidings." The norist would he.ve recited the sonal intercourse, in the process of illumi- entire servioe as one whole. "Among the nation of whioh the apostle here deole.res Gentiles." Dean Howson very justly ob- himself to he.ve been the subject, or how serves, "We should mark how emphstio muoh of it was effected by the agency of in sll e.coounts of the con version is the refer• the Third Person of the holy Trinity, co- ence to his work among the Gentiles. operating with the intense action of Saul's Thus,' The Gentiles, unto whom now I send own earnest, questioning, light-imploring thee, to open their eyes nnd to turn them mind, especially during those three days fro~ d~kness . to light,' e.re named by spoken of in Acts ix. 9 ? " For, behold, he Chr1St himself 10 the first communication prayeth I" (Acts ix. 11, 12). It seems only from heaven (Acts x.xvi. 17, 18). To Ana- reasonable to believe the.t therevele.tion of his nias the direction is given, 'Go thy we.y: Son whioh (the apostle se.ys) God vouohse.fed for he is e. chosen1vessel unto me, to bear to him, pre,ced.tJd his very first public appee.r- my Na.me ~afore the Gentiles [and kings, anoe in the synagogues of Damascus as e.n and the children of Israel].' . . . To which evangelist, and the.t this revelation was not we me.y properly add what we.s se.id to him deferred, as eome imagine it we.s, until after at Jerusalem, when he first went thither his withdre.we.l into Ambia. Indeed, that from Damascus, ' Depart; for I will send it did precede it appears to be conclusively thee far off to the Gentiles' (Acts :uii. established by the statement of the verse 21)" (' Speaker's Commentary,' in lac.). now before ns and the next following ; for Immediately (,;,a,.,,). The construction of the course of action described by the writer, the sentence imperatively requires us to both negatively e.nd affirmatively, in the connect this adverb with the two affirma- words beginning with, " I consulted not,'' tive clauses which the writer adds to the is represented as ensuing "immediately" two negative ones whioh he first interposes, upon the "revelation in him of God's Son." and not with these two negative cle.nses The.t the locality where this revelation was alone, while, however, its import is felt to made was Dama.scll8 or its vicinity is indi- attach itself to these also. The turn of ce.ted by the words, " I ,-eturned to Damas- thought seems to be this: "I felt e.t once cus," in ver. 17. This circumstance be- that I needed not to advise with any mortal tokens the consciousness in the writer's man ; no, not even with the older apostles; min<l that the story of his conversion was and accordingly I abstained from doing so ; not unknown to his readers. That I might I immediately went away into Arabia, e.nd preach him among the heathen (Yva ,bayy,>..l- then forthwith ce.me be.ck to De.me.sous." (o,µa., airrov iv 'TO<S tev«nv); that I might I conferred not ( ob ,,,.pouav•B<}l-1/V); I con- show the glad tidings of him among the Gen- sulted not. The ll8e of the Greek verb tiles. In this instance, as well as perhaps constructed with a dative as meaning "ad- in some others, the Authorized V ereion vise with," "seek counsel in personal inter- falls somewhat short of representing the course with," is well illustrated by severe.I exe.ct force of the verb ,bayy,>..l(,uea.i by pe.ssages cited by the critics: Diod. Sio., reudering it" preach," which more nearly xvii. llG, " Consulting the soothsoyers con- answers to ICT/p6uua,. In Luke viii. 1, where cerning the sign;" Lucian, 'Jup. 'fre.g.,' in the Greek we have the two verbs to- § 1, "Consult with me; te.ke me as your gether ( ICT/p6uuu,11 ,cal ,bayyeJu(oµevos ), OUI' adviser in business;" Chrysippus (sp. in translators were compelled to ll8e another Suide.s, sub -verb. v•o-r-r&s ), "Consulting n term; &nd e.ccordingly tkey render •uayye>..- dream-interpreter." Bengel takes the pre- ,(oµevos, "showing [Revised Version, position ,,,.pbs in the compound verb ss • bringing 'l tbe glad tidings of [the king- meaning "further, i.e. the Divine revela- dom of Gocf];" whicb shade of thought we.a tion we.a enough for me.'' But the instances whe.t the evangelist intended to suggest. just cited of the use of the verb render this The 'l'erb surely always retains Bl)me tinge doubtful. On this point, see Ellicott's of ilJB original element of "glad tidings," 'Commentary,' in loc. In eh. ii. 6 the verb though this may often have been more or requires to be taken differently (see note). Jess attenuated, as in the case of the word With flesh a.nd blood ( uap,cl ,cal a1µa-r, ). The ,bayy,>..wv, gospel, itself, by '.its becoming phrase, •• flesh and blood,'' oecurs in four a set term. In the present instance, the other places in the New Testament: (l) 1 apostle's posture of feeling at the time when Cor. xv. 50, "Flesh and blood cannot inherit the "joyful tidings" were first brought home the kingdom of God, neither doth corruption t<, his own heart seems to suggest a return, inherit incorruption;" (2) Heb. ii. 14, at least here, to the original import of the " Since the children ar<l"'she.rers in flesh snd word. The present tense of the Greek verb blood [the Revised Greek text reads 'blood (,bayyo,.i,,,,/1-"') points to the continuoua e.nd flesh'], he 11,lso himself in like manner OIL L 1-24,] THE EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS. 29