<ieremonio.l Judo.ism. The principle plo.inly here affirmed to be "Abraham's seed," be- le ·pregnant with o.n objeotivo opplice.tion cause, being clothed with Christ, they sharo oletJ; ne.mely, e.e to the me.nner in which his position. The same result is e.rrived at they were to eetimo.te e.nd treat eo.ch other either way. And heirs e.coording to the and every bn ptized believer, notwithste.nding promise (Kai [which worcl is r~jected by nny circumHto.ncee of extrinsic diversity recent editors] """' ,1ra:y-ye">-..lav 1<">-..'l)pov&µo,); who.tev~r. heirs in pursuance of a promise. "Heirs," Ver. 29.-And if ye be, Chri~t•a (,l ai not of Abraham, but of God ; for the notion t,µii, Xpurroii); and if ye a-re Oh-rut's. The connects itself with that of the sonship to 6~ simply mo.rke a fresh stnge in the argu- God, which has been predicated in ver. 26 ment, as e.g. Rom. viii. 17, ,l 6~ -re1<va, ""' of believers in Christ; and theoe two unitP-d 1<>..'l)povoµo,. For the preceding verse is no conceptions form the topic of the first s~ven digression, requiring ue to render this 6~ verse.a of the next chapter. This is in "but," but simply an amplification of the accordance with Rom. viii. 16, 17, "We are notion of putting on Christ in ver. 27 ; children of God; and if children, also heirs; and the present clause recites the.t previous heirs of God, joint-heirs with Christ." It conclusion, to serve for o. premiss to a further goes upon the same lines of thought as the conclusion. "Are Christ's ; " comp. 1 Cor. statement made above in ver. 16, that the iii. 23, ," And ye a.re CLrist's, e.nd Christ is promises were spoken, not to Abraham only, God's." This genitive: here, ns also there, but also to hie seed as well; the seed bein:; denotes the closest and most intimate ap- conceived of by the apostle, not as inheriting proxime.tion conceivable, '' Christ's own;" from Abraham, but as holding an inde- covering, in fact, the notion of being clothed pendent position of their own at his side. with Christ; and expresses what that" one The benefits accruing to them ho.ve been and the same man" is, which according styled "the inheritance" in ver. 18, which to ver. 28 in Christ Jesus all had become. verse also serves to illustrate the spirit of Comp. Titus ti.14, >..abv 1rep106rrtov, "o. people the clause now before us, by affirming that of hie very own." Then are ye Ab1·aham'a the inherito.nee was a free gift of God con- seed (6.pa. -roii 'A{Jpaa.µ. <T1repµ.a i<T-re); then veyed by a promise, and not one to be either seed of .Ab-raham are ye. " Ye," Gentiles gained or made sure by obedience to a though ye be. In ver. 7 the apostle has ceremonial law as the Galatians were in affirmed that they who are of faith are sons danger of supposing. The article is want- of Abraham; in ver. lG, that the promises ing before "promise" here, us it was also were made to Abraham and "his seud, in ver. 18 ; because the apostle is not which is Christ." We have seen that in thinking immediately of the !erma of the that ver. 16 "Christ" uppeara to mean tl.iat promise, but rather of its distinctive chnrncter branch of Abraham's offspring which was, as a promise, betokening n free gift of God. so •to speak, to proeced from Christ and The inheritance is no doubt the adoption was to be called by hie name. If, however, of sons, both in its firstfruits in this life " Christ " Le there tnkC1n to , mean the and in its complete manifost~tion hereafter individunl Son of Abro.hnm, Jesus, then in the bliss and glory of heaven (cf. Rom. those who believe in him and have been viii. 23, 30; 1 Pet. i. 4). Lnptized into him are to be understood as
HOMILETICS. Ver. 1.-Ec(Jinning of the polemic part of the Epistle. The apostle bas finished his ta,k of self-vindicat.ion, and now proceeds in regular theological methOll to expound. ;rnd defend the <loctr1ne of justification' by faith without the deeds of the Lo.w. •• 0 foolish Galatians I who bewitched you, ••• before whose eyes Jesus Christ was evidently set forth in you, cruci\i_ed?" • I. THE APOSTLE'S SEVERE REPROOF. "0 foolish Galatians! who bewitched you?" Reproof is allowable and necessary, especially when it is prompted oy lcive to God and truth and by a tender interest in the welfare of men. 1. IJe point~ to the "witcheries" of the false tea,chers as the only way of accounting for the sudden and inexplicable change of sentiment in Gala'tia. There must have been some extrnordinary po\~er of delusion or of fascination at work to throw them so completely out of the line of Christian thought. Whether it was the witchery of logic or the witchery of sanctity, it was most effective in deluding the G,\lalians. 2. Th~ Galatians were "foolish" in ,1 ,'clr/ing to such ensnaring delusions. They were not answerable for tl,e conduct c,f their :1elu<lers, but tbcy showed an uncolllmuu 'folly. 'fhe Celtic natnre is quick, Lnt unstable. '!'he change was a senseless one. 148 THE EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS. [OB, W, 1-29,