The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 112

tinns by writing bis two Epistles to them, from men (comp. Acts xiv. 4, H; and Dis- so also St. Paul everywhere in his minis- sertation I. in the Introduction). terie.l work addressed himself in the first Ver. 9.-.&.nd when J'ames, Cephas, and instance to the Jews. Nevertheless, in the J'ohn, who Hemed to be pills.re, peroeived the main, Peter was the head of the Churoh or gre.ce that waa given unto me (1tal -yvdvTu the circumcised, Paul of that of the uncir- T¾,v xd.p,v T¾,v lloll,i<Tdv µo, 'Id.ttmJJo, 1tal K71.pii, oumci~ed. But how completely the sub- ttal '1..,,1,.,11s, o/ llorcoiivnr ,rdiA.01 fT11a1); and stance of Peter's doctrine was one with that perceiving of a certainty the grace that waa of ~e.ul's is strikingly evinced by bis two given unto me, James and Cephas and John, Epistles (see 1 Pet. v. 12). It is difficult to those reputed to be pillars (gave). This is the feel that St. Paul could have written e.s he order in which the words stand in the G1·eek, here doee, if he was a.we.re the.t St. Peter in which the participle -yv&.,,.,. (" perceiving had been oonstituted by the Lord Jesus to of a certainty") stands co-ordinate with the be his own vice.r upon earth, supreme over participle lll&vns (" when they saw") of ver. the whole Church and all its ministers. 7, so that this latter partioiple hss "James, Ver. 8.-For he the.t wrought effectually Cephas, and John" for its subject equally in Peter to the apostleship of the circum- with the former, and vers. 7 and 9 appear cision (b -yap ;,,.p-yti<Ta.s nfrpcp ,is iiroO"ToX¾/11 as forming one sentence. The expression, -ri;s r,p,,.oµf;s); he tJuit had wrought on Peter's "the grace that was given unto mo," occurs l>ehalf for apostleship of the circumcision. In also 1 Cor. iii. 10 ; Rom. xii. 3; xv. 15; in form, the sentence is an absolu,te statement which passages, as well as here, it is used of fact; but its bearing in the context would with a definite reference to the office of be fairly represented by rendering it rela- apostle he.ring been conferred upon him tivdy, "for that he who," etc.; for it was together with the qualification nnd sid for the perception of the fact here stated wliich its efficient discharge. TLis definite refer- led that assembly to the conviction the.t ence to s hesvenly gift connected with Lis Paul Lad been entrusted with the e.postle- official character is prominent in the apostle's sllip of the nncircumcision. The dative use of the word " grace," also in Rom. i. 5 ; ncfrpcp can scarcely be governed, e.s the I Cor. xv. 10; 2 Cor. xii. 9. The" grsce that Authorized Version presupposes, by the was given unto him," therefore, sums up the preposition in <v<p-yt/O"a.s, this verb not being facts of his having been put in trust of the a separable compound; it is rather the gospel of the uncircumcision, snd of God's dativw; commodi, as in Prov. xx:xi. 12, 'Ev•p-y•• having wrought on his behe.lf in his dis- -rip dv1ipl ,ls d-ya.lld.. When operation in e. charge of that trust, which sre presented in subject is meant, the preposition iv is added, the two preceding verses. There is not 116 Eph. i. 20; ii 2; eh. iii 5. The worker much difference in the meaning of the psr- is God, not Christ (comp. I Cor. xii. 6; Phil. ticiple -yvdVTu in this verse as compared ii. 13). God wrought on Peter's behalf for with the participle lo&VT« in ver. 7; for as sposileship of the circnmcision; that is, - we find the verb " seeing " used with refer- towards, in fartherauce of, his work as their ence to objects not discernible by the bodily apostle, by constituting him their apostle, sense but perceived only through the Ly making his ministry effectual in turning medium of evidencing facts, 88 in ver. 14 of their hearts to Christ, and by miracles this chapter, and in Luke ix. 47; xvil. 14; wrougLt by his hands, including the impar- Matt. ix. 2; Acts xi. 23; xiv. 9; xvi. 19; so tation through him of miraculous gifts to also the verb l-yvow is sometimes used of his converts ; for such were "the signs of perceiving, becoming apprised of, eome fsct, tile aposlle" (2 Cor. xii 12). The ea.me was as Mark vi. 38; viii. 17; Luke ix. 11; John mighty ill me toward the Gentiles UvfipYTID'• xii. 9, when there is no clear intention of r.al hwl ,ls -ra fllP1J); had wrought al.Bo on my emphssizing the ides of certain knowledge. Leho.If towards the Gentiles. Comp. Acts Sometimes, however, it seems as if the xv. 12, "They hearkened unto Barnabas and writer l1sd such intention, as in Mm·k riii. Paul rehearsing what signs and wonders God 17; xv. 45; Luke viii. 46; Phil. ii. 19; and had wronght (i1roi?JO"<v) among the Gentiles probably it was in this more emphatic sense by them;" where likewise, as here, the tllat the apostle here substituted "knowing" aorist tense is used of action they were tllen for the foregoing "seeiug." "Ja.mes, and looking back upon as past. The absence Cephae, snd John." 'fhis James is, no of Barnabas's name in this verse, though doubt, the same James as appee.rs in Acts mentioned in the next, is significant. Bar- xv. Lolding so prominent and appareu_lly nabas was not an apostle in that highest presidential e, position in tile great mcetmg sense of tile term in which Paul was an of Yers. 6-21. 'fhe "James" of tLe old apostle, and which alone he is now thinking triumvirate of the Gospels, "l'eter, James, of; c.ltllough he was associt\ted with Paa], snd John" was now no more. 'fhis Jo.mes, both in ministerial work an<l in that lower whoso ~sonality has been discuuHed 11bove furw of llpostleship which both had received In note on ob. L 19, is named first, before eve11 OH, U, 1-21,] THE EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS. 77