The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 197

that supplieth to you the Spirit, an,l w,,rketh miracles among you, doeth ho H by ~ho works of the Law, or by the henring of faith?" It was G9d who supplied the Spirit to them. He especially supplied tbe power o'f working miracles. It }s _taken fpr gran~~4 that n?irncles were st!ll being wro~1~ht in connection with th~ • Gala.Lian iChurche~t The miraculous operations of 'the Spmt are not more remar'Jl,able m themee~ves than 4~ ordinary operations; but they were more exceptional. Deing more easily appreciatect too, they were especially fitted to attract attention to Christianity, and to 9ommenu1 it 'to them that were outside. And as the Galatia.ns bad thrown daub~ on their. rela, tion to Christianity, he very naturally meets them by making his app~al' to. the e,·idence of miracles. Did God give any token of his approval to those ,w~~, were identified with the works of the Law-to the Judaizing teachers? Was there any eiJep- tional power possessed by them? Did not God work miracles through those, iw,ho were identified with the hearing of faith-through the preachers 'of the gospel?- . -4,,id was that not conclusive evidence that he was with them in their teaching.? , :,r,,'i II. Tm: CASE OF ABRAHAM WITH REFERENCE TO JUSTIFICATION. }. He. wa• justified by faith. Scripture statement. "Even as A bra.ham believed God, a.nd it w~s reckoned unto him for righteousness." There could be no question regarding the hial) authority of Abrabam'.s example. And the best way to deal with it was in connec~qn with Scripture. What, then, ~as the Scripture account, of 4,br~h::im's jus\ifica.tion? ,Iii Gen. xv. 6 it is said, " He believed in the Lord, and he counted it to him for. rigb teoui:;7 ness." It is not "He was circumcised, and that was reqkoned un~o him for rigLteous- ness." There is no mention of his justification in: co_qnectjon with_ his circurnci_sion, Indeed, he was justified before he was circwµcised. , .·.Abraham's ca.se; theq, te\la against justification by the works of the Law. On the other ha.nd, he Vf~S' a sig~11,.l example of the bearing of faith. He heard God saying to him, "Get thee, out of t\ly, country, aod from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will show thee;" and he went forth, leaving country a.nd kindred and home, not knowiµg whither he went. He heard God saying tha.t he should have a seed nui:nerqus aij the: stars of heaven, aod it was his crediting this as God's word, though it coojlio.te4 wJth all human experience, tha_t was reckoned unto him for righteousness. .Ag~in;·!:ie healld God commanding him to offer up the son of the promise, a.od, )l.otwitbstanding all the difficulties it involved, he acted upon what; he heard. -It is true ,that tpj.si\'fas personal righteousness so far as it went. It w.as the.right disposition tow!l,rds: God., .,Abraham approved himself before God by his faith, and by his wor,ks which evi<lenced his, faith, But it is not said that this was his righteousness. lt·was not meritorious. righteous- ness; it was simply faith grasping the Divine word which ma.de him righteousi H was imperfect faith, and therefore could not be the ground of hisjastification. But, the la.n.guage is that" it was reckoned unto him for righteousness," Though -his faith i·a~ not meritorious, was imperfect, it was reckoped unto him as though he· had fulfille~ the whole Law. From the moment of his hearing in faith ,he was fully justified. Inference. "Know therefore that. they which be of ,faith, the same are sons of Abra- ham." The contention of the Judaists would be .that the keepers of the Law ,were the true sons of .Abraham. The apostle regards this,,Scripture as. a disproof ,of their position. Abraham was notably a ,believer. :ae heard, God speaking 1lo him on variollll occasions, and it was hifi humbly diBtrusting hie.own judgment,and listening to the voice of God for which he was commended, It was, therefore, to be known, to· be regarded as indisputable, that believers, those who have faith as the source of: their life, and not those who are of the works of the Law, are the true sons of .Abraham. 2. The promise on which hiB faith rested. Scripture with. :preface. , , "And , the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by .faith, preached the gospel beforehand unto .Abrabam,saying, In thee shall a.11 nations be blessedJ."L:il'he Scripture is here put in plii.ce of the Author of Scripture, and foresight is ascribed1to it which ,is properly to be ascribed to God, 1'.he foresighJ of God "'.as shown in th_e form.in whi~h the promise wa.s given, It had nothing of Jew1_sh exclusiveness about-:1t,, but was suitable to gospel t,iJ:nes. Indeed,. it could he described as the ,gospeL preached· beforehand unilf> Abraham. The lwgc.age recalls our Lord's words," Your. father, Abr~ham _rejoiced oo see my day, and he sa.w it, and was glad." It was the promise of blessmg without any Tt:6triction of contents. It was the promise of blessing to all nations. 'J'hore was t,hw; the same ring about it that there was a.bout the angelic w.essage when Je~"s was Oll, Ill, 1-20.] THE EPISTLE TO THE GaLATIANS. 163