The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 94

might deliver us from the mrinifcstation of sin in this pi·esent evil world. 'l'his world is thought of, not ai; it might have been, but ns it actually is. It might havo been n good ~vorld _; i_t is i~s'.end Rn evil world. Its e~il character consi.sts, not only in it~ opposing itself in 1_ts oprn1onli and practices to men s good, but especially in its opposing itself to Go,l. It 1s a world that, in its wickedness, forgets God, casts off God. "The Lord shall not see;"" \\'bat is the Almighty, that we should serve him?" Now, Christ died that' we might be delivered from this tyrannous world, and introduced into the liberty, 1f not at once of a perfect form of society, yet of a personal condition, and Church condition too, in which God has something of the place to which he is entitled. And all this is to be thought of as according to the will of our God and Father, '].1he Father has the primacy throughout. It ,vas in his will that salvation 01·iginaled. lt was his will that was cai-ricd out by Christ.. "Then said I, Lo, I come: in the -,-olume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, 0 my God_: yea, thy Law is within my heart." 'l'he outcome is the doing of the l?ather's will by man as it is by the angels. III. DoxoLOGY. "To whom be the glory for ever and ever. 'Amen." The foun- dation of the ascription of glory to God is the glory displayed by God in salvation. There was a glo1ious display of wisdom in the planning of salvation. There was a glorious display of justice in the satisfaction made for sin. '!'here was a glorious display of power in the overcoming of sin. There was especially a glorious display of love in its overflowing on sinners. In view of such a 1lisplay it becomes us to ascribe glory to God. Vi'e cannot take it to ourselves. Our language must ever be,· "Not unto us, 0 Lord, not unto us." In what God has done for our salvation there will be found snbject for our doxologies to the ages of ages. To every ascription of glory it becomes us to add our "Amen." • May our " Amen" become ever deeper, • and may the circle of such "Amens" evermore increase.-R. F. • • Vers. 6-I0.-Occasion of the Epistle. I. THE APOSTLE EXPBESBEB AMAZEMENT AT THE CHANGED BEARING oF: THE GALATIANS TOWARDS THE GOSPEL. "I marvel that ye are so quickly removing from him that called you in the grace of Christ unto a different gospel; which is not another gospel: only there are sorne that -trouble -you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ." Only in this Epistle are wanting'prefatory words of acknowledgment. In the case of the Corinthians he has words of warm acknowledgment, ·because, notwithstanding irregularities, they were in the main attached to the gospel. But all of attachment to the gospel that the apostle bad formerly beeI!. thankful for in the Galatians was now so endan_qered that he can only approach them with a feeling of utter amazement. 1. The fundamental natnre of the change. They were removing from him that called them in the grace of Christ unto a different gospel If this was a different gospel, then we have a description of the gospel of Christ going before. It is the grace of_ Christ. It is the good offer of pardon and salvation, not on the ground of our merits, but purely on the ground of the sacrifice and merits of Christ. That gospel had heen preached in Galatia, and in and by it God had ca1led them unto himself, unto fellowship with himself, unto holine~s and happiness. But now they were moving away from him that called them in that g"Rpel unto a different gospel. The difference was ~hat it was no more the pure grace of Christ, but a mixture of grace and works. Their departure from the gospel .was not completed, the process was still going on; but it was so fundamental a departure tbat the apostle marvels at their guilt. 2. The suddenness nf the cl1an_qe. '!'hey wern removing so quickly from him that called them in the gospel uuto a different gospel. From the point of their being called up to the present point, their Christian career had certainly been short. 13ut that does not. seem sufficient by itself to ac~ount for the abruptness with which the apostle breaks m here. <;tod ~ad called them rn th~ gospel, and they bad continued in the gospel up to a certam pomt. From the experience of his second visit and from information received, he was thinking hopefully of them; when all at ,one~ he is informed of apostasy in rapid progress. 'l.1hey were acting with characteristic Gallic mobility. Fickleness is the name applied to it, when the form ie evil. A Gallic tribe might be to all appearance contented and prosperous, when, sud,lcnly impelled by the love of change, it would move away to another locality. '' Alwoat all the Gauls," says Cresar, in his account of his Gallic wars," are given to on. 1. 1-24.]' 'l'llE EP1S'l'LE '.l.'O 'l'HE GALATIANS. 59