The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 95

change." .The Gallltlnns themselves were a striking example of this love of change. 'l'his charncteristic would be in favour of their reception of the gospel at the first. Dutwould they not as easily move away from the gospel? In view of Gallic mobility, the apostle of Christ needed to be as vigorous as tl10 Homan captain was. 3. The unsatisfactoriness of tlte change, He had said "different gospel" with a certain accommodation. It professed to be a gospel, and he objected to it that it was another kind of gospel. 'l'hat, however, might seem to contain an admission by him, which he does not wish to make, of there being many gospels, among which a sdeclion might be made. So he hastens to deny that this other kind is a seC()nd gospel. He lets it be known that there is only one gospel of Christ. What was being palmed upon them was only misnamed gospel. It,was not improving the gospel to add circumcision to it. It was only perverting H, making it no more the gospel of Christ. And this per- version was being palmed upon them by men who had not their real good at heart, whose real character was that of troublers, harassers. They would put upon them a yoke which Christians did not need to bear. And they were men who followed in the track •of the preachers of the gospel to break the unity of the Christian communities. • Il. THE APOSTLE PRONOUNCES AN ANATHEMA ON PERVERTERS 011' THE GOSPEL. "But though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach unto you any gospel other than that which we preached unto you, let him be anathema." Anathema is a thing devoted to destruction, or on which a curse is laid. An animal laid on the altar was anathema, i.e. doomed to death. Christ was anathema for us, i.e. given over, alld the curse of God fell on him. He supposes two cases : it is implied that they are not actual. T~e jir-&t is the case of a genuine preacher of the gospel-himself or any of his ,associates. He ( others assisting) had preached the gospel among the Galatians. He had b\len the instrument ot' 0-od in their conversion and in forming them into Churches. He had given them many proofs of his earnestness. If he-which God forbid !-should be so far left to himself as to turn his back on his previous history as a Christian teacher, if he should profess to have got new light, if he should say that they could be saved on any other· ground than the grace o'f Christ,-then (protecting their liberty even against himself, and protecting the interests of Christ) his feeling with regard to hims,elf, acting in the way supposed, would be, "Let him be anathema." The second is the case of an angel from heaven. This calls up an image of extraordinary saintliness, greater than that of any of the best men, who are all C(!I!J.passed about wi'th infirmity. What an ,influence is here supposed to back up a message ! If an an1el should come among them, fresh from the presence of God, with the atmosphere of heaven around him; if by the saintliness of his life he should succeed in establishing himself beyond all parallel in their affection and confidence; if in this position be should teach that they could be saved on any other ground than the grace of Christ;-then (protecting their liberty, and protecting the interests of Christ) he would say, "Let him be accursed." It might seem that this is asseveration made strong as strong can be; but its strength is yet added to. Reaffirmation of a former anathema. "As we have said before, so say I now again, If any man preacheth unto you any gospel other than that which ye received, let him be anathema." At a former time (it may have been on the occasion of his second visit) others had joined with him in pronouncing an anathema which ·only differs from the foregoing in three minor particulars. 1. lt is put in the most general form. "If any man." 2. .An actual case is supposed. "If any man preacheth." Wherever they had the opportunity, Judaizing teachers were doipg what is denounced. 3. They had affixed their seal to the gospel. lt had not only been preached to them, but also received by them. They hacl from their own experience of it known what it was. The anathema in this form the a1Joijtle for himself reaffirms. Being substantially the same as the foregoing, it is thus brought about that a threefold anathema is uttered against perverters of the gospel. Nor is there anything in this inconsistent with good feeling. Let us suppose that one miin has in his power the lives of a thousand persons. Dy applying a match he may be able to throw away all these valuable Jives. Better far that he himself shoulJ. perish than that by his wickedness a thousand persons should perish. It was not dissimilar in the case of the Galatians, A good work had been going on among them. By the preaching of the gospel many had been brought to the Saviour. If the gooJ. eo THE EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS. [on, L 1-24.