The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 93

he could say that they were at one with him. In the whole of his warm remonstrance against giving way to Judaism, there was not one expression which they wished him to tone down. 3. The Oliurches addressed. "Unto the Churches of Galatia." At the dawn of history the home of the Celtic race, known to the Greeks aa Galatians, and t~' the Romans as Gauls, was the continent west of tl,e Rhine, with these adjoining islands. In their migrations hordes of Celts poured into Italy. They also followed the course of the Danube, turning southward into Greece. Three tribes of them, crossing the Hellespont, after wide devastations, were confined in the heart of Asia Minor. The tract of country which they occupied, about two hundred miles in length, and watered by the Halys, was called after them Galatia (land of the Celts). The head towns of the three tribes were Tavium, Pessinus, and Ancyra. '!'he original inhabitants were Phrygians, and in later times there were additions of Romans and of Greeks an.cl also of Jews. But the predominant element was Celtic, and the Celtic lan::::uage was spoken along with Greek. To peoples, then, with more or less of a Celtic origin this Epistle to the Celts is invested with special interest. Paul came into contact with this new race in his second missionary tour. There is a singular meagreness of information regarrling his visit. All that is recorded is that, being overruled as to his intended route, he passed through the region of Phrygia and Galatia. As meagrely it is said, in con- nection with his third missionary tour, that he passed through the same region in order, stablishing all the disciples. The result of bis evangelizing was the formation of several Churches. 'l'bey are (as was pointed out by Chrysostom) addressed here without title. What there is of characterization is thrown into the salutation. II. SALUTATION, Notwithstanding what he refuses to them at the present juncture, he heartily wishes them well. 1. Blessing invoked. "Grace to yon and peace." He invokes grace on them, or the bestowment of the Divine favour, not because of merit in them, but because of merit obtained for them, As the result of grace, he invokes peace, or the absence of inward misgiving, and as far as possible the absence also of disturbing influences from without, Judaism included. 2, From whom invoked. "From God the Father, e.nd our Lord Jesus Christ." He first invokes bless-ing from God the Father. He goes to the very fountain-head. The fatherhood of God is the ultimate reason for our being blessed. It is impossible to go higher than that. Where is there hope for the child who disobeys his father's command? The hope lies in what the father is. He naturally pities his child, and desires to bless him. So where is there hope for us in our state of disobedience? The hope lies in what God is. He is the Fountain of all fatherly feeling. As the Father, he was moved with compassion toward us, and desired to bless us notwithstanding all our unworthiness. It was the fatherly feeling that moved to redemption. It is the fatherly feeling that moves to bless in connection with redemption. This, then, is the height to which we must lift up our eyes, from whence cometh help. He also invokes blessing from our Lord Jesus Ghrist. As the Father was formerly bound with Christ by the preposition " through," so now Christ is bound with the Father by the preposition "from." Such freedom is significant. He who is the (Jhannel is also the Source of blessing. He is Jesus, the higher Joshua, who saves his people from their sins. It was through him that effect was given to the fatherly feeling in God, and that the Father approaches man with blessing. He is the Christ who was anointed of God for this end. He is our Lord, as the successful Accomplisher of salvation placed over the house of God, to whom it belongs to dispense blessing. It is to him, then, as sovereign Dispenser of blessing that we must look. Central truth made prominent by being throum into the salutation. " Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us out of this pre- sent evil world, according to the will of our God and Father." The language has evi- dently a sacrificial colouring. The worshipper came with his sins before God. The oblation he presented to God was an animal. With bis sins taken over, the animal paid the penalty in its death. So the oblation which Christ presented to God was himself. With our sins taken over, he really and fully suffered the desert of them in his death, especially in the biding of the Father's countenance. What gave this self- oblation infinite value was the dignity of the Sufferei ; and also bis perfect trust in God, and all-absorbing love for men, and never-failing hope for their salvation in the mysterious forsaking which made trial of b:m. The object with which Christ gave imnself was, not only that he might deliver us from the yuilt of sin, but also that he  F,3 'l'HE EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS'. [err. 1. 1-2-1.