The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 225

11eeuming, and which throatcned a defection ilh1strate the nntare of tbe mischief, which, from Christ. Ourioue regard to such me.ttere in the present co.se, the apostle fee.red might he evidently on its own account regards result. For one thing, there was tbe hurt, with acorn ai;id impatience. But therewith the perhaps fatal hurt, which the Galatian nleo the old vonerablo religion, localized believers might themselves receive from that at J eruealom as its chief seat, would uader virtual renouncement of their epiritue.l in- the impulse of such sentiments be sure to heritance which tbey now seemed to be perilously attract their minds away from foolishly making. But tbere was also the the "reformation" (B,&p6wu«, Heb. ix. 10) disappointment which would accrue to tg, ,which it had now been subjected; and himself through the failure of his work they were in danger of losing, nay, had among them: "For what," as he wrote to in great degree at lee.st already lost, the the Thessaloniane, ii. HJ, " is our hope, or :.est which they once had felt in em- crown of glorying? Are not even ye, before bracing the exceeding great and precious our Lord Jesus at hie coming?" The same gifts which Christ had brought to them. anticipated joy he speaks of in writing to Wh'at wee there here but the "evil heart the Philippia.ns, as about to accrue to him- of.· unbelief " spoken of in Heb. iii. 12, self from the stea.dfast11ees of hie converts: "~n departing from the living God," now "That I may ha Ye whereof to glory in the manifesting_ himself to his people in his day of Christ, that I did not run in vain, Sou? H is this animus characterizing the neither labour in vain_" This anticipation behaviour of the Galatian Churchmen was a joy which he would fain not have which marks its essential difference as wrested from him. compared with the.t observance of "days·" Ver. 12.-Brethren, I beseeoh you, be as I and. " mee.ts " which in Rom. xiv. the am; for I am as ye are (-yl11ea9E Ws E-yC:,, lh, apos:tle treats e.s a matter, relative to which ,cci-ycl, Ws l,µels, rl.OeAtpo{, OEoJ.La.l); be ye as I; Christiane were to live in mutual tolerance. because I on my part am aa ye; brethren, I As. long es a Christian continued to feel entreat. We may compare 1 Uor. ri l, "De hie relation to the Lord Jesus (Rom. xiv. imitators of me, even as on my part I am 6--9), it mattered not much if he thought of Christ (µ,µ11-rg,£ µou ,,cveo-6•, 1<a6w, K11.')'W it desirable to observe the Jewish sabbath Xp,u-rou)." There is no need in respect to or to abstain from ealing animal food. -,Cveo-6• to accentuate the notion of cha1UJe: He might, indeed, make himself thereby this verb often means simply "show oue's chargeable with spiritual unwisdom ; the self," "act as;" ns e.g. 1 Cor. xiv. 20, M~ apostle clearly thought he would; but if he ,ra.,5&ci-ylvfu0e ... ; -ra7s- 0~ q>peal TEJ\e10, 7i.v£t16e: still held feet by Christ as the sole and ibid., xv. 58, and often. "Be as I ; " to wit, all-sufficing So.urce to him of righteousness rejoicing in Christ Jesus as our sole and before God and of spiritual life, he was to all-sullicing Righteousness before God, and be received and welcomed e.s a brother, in that faith letting go all care about rites without being vexed by _interference with and ceremonies of tho Law of Moses, or these foolish tenets ol' his. It , became indeed ceremonialis111 of any kind, as if different 'when his care· for s.uch renlly such things mattered at all here, in tho incliffer()nt externals. took his heart awuy business of being well-pleasing to Goel, from a satisfied. adherence to the Lord ; whether done or forborne. "Because I on then his ceremoriialism or asceticism became my part am as ye." I, a born Jew, once rank and even fatal heresy. And this was a zealous worker-out of legal ceremoai.J.l what the apostle was fearing on behalf of righteousness, have put that aside, and have his once so greatly cherished disciples in placed myself on the footing of a mere Galatia. Gentile, content to li va like a Gentile Ver.11.-I .11,111 afraid of you, lest I have (~6v"'ws KIU 011,c 'IouBa,1<01<, eh. ii. 14), trust- bestowed upon you labonr in yain (q,o/3oiiµ"' ing in Christ li.ko as any Gentile has to do who was bare alikP. of Jewiilh prerogative Vµ4s, µ,f 'ff'WS. Ei1eij KE,ro,r(a,ca. E;S VJ,J.'a.s); I ani a/raid of you, fost by any means I have allll of ceremonial righteousness. This bestQwed labour upon you in vain. That is, "for" or "beoause " is an appeal to them this behaviour of yours makes me fear for loving sympathy and fellow-workiug. whether I muy not havo bestowed labour Wlmt wns to become of him if G~ntilea upon you fruitlessly. A similar construc- withheld from him their practical sympathy tiou of µ,I ,..,, with an indicative occurs with his religious lifo? To what other in 1 These. iii. 5, M,f ,..,, ,,re(pg,o-ev ~µ&, 6 qua1·ter could he look for it? From Jewish ,...pd(.,.,, "Fearing, whether the tempter sywpnthy he was an utter out~t. The may not have tempted you;" followeu by a.6el\cf,ol, 6,oµa,, "brethren, I entreat," comes the,subju!jctive, Ka.I ••• KEvov -,lv11-ra.,. d 1<J1r0< iu hero 11s a breathing forth of intense .;,µwv, "And lest our labour should [in the as imploring. And a remarkable instance is r,et fut1-1re result] prove to be for no good." hero 11Jfordeu ,of that 11brupt, insttintaneous T4id pus~ago in the Thessalouit111s ~o,vos to tiausiLiou in the ex1uossion of feelilli;;:  102 THE EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS. [ CJH, IV. 1-81.