The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 184

maturity with the Spirit. The Introduction of the flesh would be the annihilation of the Spirit. Judaism ministers to the sensuous element in our nature by making relil(ion a thing of rites and ceremonies; but this is to go back upon all the progress we have made in life, light, and blessing. v. 'l'HE USELESSNESS OF THEIB PAST BUFFERTNGS, "Did ye suffer 80 many things in vain ? if it be yet in vain." 1. It is a sign of sincerity to suffer for our opinions. There is no record in the Acts of a persecution in Gnlatia; but the Jewish element was strong enough there as elsewhere to resent by violence the contempt put upon their Law by the Gentiles being freed from it. There is a possible reference to these sufferings in the Epistle (eh. v. 11). 2. You stultify all your past sufferings if you rW!defrMA the gospel. All these sufferings represent so much wasted endurance or misery. 3. The apostle's reluctance to think their sufferings were in vain. "If it be yet in vain." He hopes better things of his converts. He knows that God keepeth the feet of his saints, so that they cannot altogether lose the things they have wrought. Vers. 6-9.-Second argument-the case of Abraham. The natural answer to the previous question is" through the hearing of faith," and this as naturally s11:cgests the case of" faithful Abraham." The Jews boasted of their relationship to Abraham, and therefore an example taken from his history would have special force. I. THE JUSTIFICATION OF ABRAHAM WAS NOT THROUGH CIRCUMCISIO~, BUT BY FAITH. •• Even as Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness." No exception could be made to these words, for they were the very words of Moses (Gen. ::r.v. 6). The apostle dwells longer on the Old Testament, because the Judaists would naturally appeal to it. 1. Abraham was not accepted/or his virtues or his piety, or his circumcision, but because "be believed God, and it was counted to him for righteous- ness" (see homily on eh. ii. 16). His faith was accepted as righteousness, not as an act, for it had no merit in itself, but as a fact, for it was not by works, bat by faith, he was accepted. Bis faith was the mere instrument of bis justification, uot the ground of it; for Scripture always represents it as being" through" faith or" of" faith, never on account of it. 2. The transaction here referred to occurred hundreds of years before the Law was given on Sinai, and even some time before circumcision was appointed as a" seal of righteousness." If he, therefore, could be justified without circumcision, and prior to it, how then could the Judaists insist on its necessity? Abraham was not circumcised in order to be justified, but circumcised because be was justified. 3. The doctrine of the apostle was not, therefore, in any sense a novelty, aa the Judaista mighe think. It wuat least as old as Abraham. II. THE TRUE CONCEPTION OP ABRAHAMIO B0NBHIP, "Know ye therefore that they who are of faith, the same are sons of Abraham." 1. It is not Abraham's blood, but .Abraham's faith, which establishes the connection between the patriarch and his descend- ants. The Jews might say," We have Abraham to our father;" and they might ask in surprise, "What profit, then, is there in circumcision?" They would imitate bis circumcision rather than his faith. But the apostle says emphatically that the true sons are "they of faith," whose fundamental principle is faith. 2. It is Christ who makes the nexus between Abraham and us. We believe in Christ, who is Abraham's seed; therefore we are sons of Abraham. 3. There is but one Church in the t~ dispensations. Some modern sects hold that the Church is a. New Testament org:1niza- tion, and that Old 'l'estament saints have no part in it. How can this be, ifwe believers "are blessed with "-not apart from-" faithful Abraham" ( eh. iii. 9)? The apostle shows bow Abraham has the heirship, the sonship, the kingdom, the glory, on the ground of the promise. He did not, therefore, receive the promise only for his children. Take the promise of the Spirit from Abraham; we take it from ourselves. Is the father of the family to be excluded, and only the children to gain admission to the kingdom? · III. 'l'HE PROOF FROM SORIPTURE. •• Moreover, the Scripture, foreseeing that God justifies the heathen through faith, announced the good news beforehand to Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed." 1. The exact import. of the promise, (1) 'l'he blessing is justification, which is oppo~cd to the curse of which be pre;ently speaks. llut that includes a title to eternal life as well as pardon. (2) 'l'he unity of Abraham and his spiritual descendants. He is the root and the repres~ntative of bi11  150 THE EPISTLE .TO THE GALATIA_NS, [on. m. 1-29,