The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 198

born: "Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which sha.11 be to all people." And God, having in view the extension of the blessing to the Gentiles, promised it in Abraham. He did not promise it in Moses, who was identified with the Law; but he promised it in Abraham, who was characteristically a believer. The being in him points to Abraham, not Ol)ly as a believer, but a.s holding the position of the father of believer&, He was thus more than an example of the mode of justification. It was in him that the bl(lssing was given, that the connection was formed between faith and justification. It is as his seed, or sons, that it is to be obtained by us. General, inference. "So then they which be of faith are blessed with the faithfol Abraham." He has already shown who the sons of Abraham are, viz. "they which be of faith." Founding, then, upon that, as well as upon what he has just quoted, his conclusion is that believers are sharers with Abraham in his blessing. He not only stood in the relation of father to believers : as a believer himself, he was bles~ed. He had especially the blessing of justification, which has been referred to. And along with him do all believers enjoy especially the blessing of justification. (1) A curse lies on the workers of the Law. "For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse." So far from enjoy- ing the blessing, they are under the curse. Having laid down this proposition, he establishes _it -in the _most conclusive manner. Even the form of the syllogism is apparent. Major proposition. "For it is written, Cursed is every one which con- tinueth not in _all things that are written in the book of the Law, to do them." The W\)rds are a quotation from Deut. xxvii. 26. 'l'hey form the conclusion of the curses pronounced from Mount Ebal. The Law requires obedience to be rendered to it in every -precept, And it requires obedience to all time. If a person kept all the precept-s and tnmsgressed only one, or if he transgressed one at last after having kept all for a life- time, he would thereby be placed in a wrong relation to the Law, and would be subject to its curse, as really as though he had been a ffagrant and lifelong transgressor. .Alt are cursed who do not render whole and continued obedience to the Law. Minor propositi'.on. "Now that no man is justified by the Law in the sight of God, is evident." Of the major proposition he did not need to offer any proof, because it is Scripture; but this n;iinor proposition, in his singular love for proof, especially from Scripture, he will not assume. It therefore becomes the conclusion of another syl- logism Major proposition of second syllogism. "For, The righteous shall live by faith." This is cited from ;Hab. ii. 4, and is also cited in Rom. i. 17 and Heh. x. 38. The spirit of the Old Testament passage is given. The reference was to a season of danger. from the Chaldeans. A.n announcement of deliverance was made in plain terms. "Behold," it is added, '' his soul [either of the Chaldean or of the heedless Jew] which is lifted up is not upright in him ; " i.e. priding himself in his own sufficiency, he was. destitute of righteousness, and therefore it was to be presumed, from the theocratic standpoint, would perish; "but the just shall live by faith ; " i.e. relying on promised help, he would be righteous, and thus obtain the theocratic blessing of deliverance. The New Testament bearing is obvious. Relying on Divine righteousness, he is righteons, n.nd thus has title to life. Formally, what the apostle lays down here is that none but bel.ievers are fustified. Minor proposition of second syllogism. "And the Law is not of faith; but, He that doeth them shall live in them." The principle of faith is reliance on the promise in order to obtain a title to life. The principle oft-he Law, as brought out in tho quotation from Lev. xviii. 5, is reliance on our own doing of all the precepts in order to obtain a title to life. Thus all doffl's must be excluded from th6 class of believers. And thus, by formal proof, is the minor proposition of the first syllogism established, viz. No man is justified by the Law in the sight of God. And, it being established, the conclusion of that syllogism follows, which is given in th" first clause of the tenth verse, " As many as are of the works of the Law are under " curse." _(2) How the blessing is enjoyed by believers. Redemption from the curse. "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us: for it is writteu, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.'' The Jews (with whom Paul identifies himself) were under the curse of the Law for many precepts ~ransg 7essed, and trans- gressed many times. They found a Redeemer from the curse m Chnst, who redcemell them by becoming a curse for them, i.e. on their behalf, and, by implication at lea~t, i,1 their stead. The transforence of the curse, as of sin, was quite familiar to the J ~wish mind. He not only became cursed, but abstractly u.nd more strongly he becauw a  1CT4 THE EPISTLE TO THE GALA'l'IANS. [cu. m.1--29.