The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 229

thom, to toko p11rt in the collection referred the text e.s not genuine. The verb " I am to: or by their having been the first become" describes the now produced result Ohurches he came to in that pe.rticule.r tour, of the action expressed by the participle the directions which he gave to them being l,.;,,.'16•vr,,v, "dealing according to truth "-an given 11lso to 111l the Ohurohes ho wont on to action which has been continuous to the visit: but on this point see In trod. p. xvi. present hour and is still going on. If the 'l'he tone of oh, vi. 6-10 does not betoken apostle were referring only to something eapecfol open-handedness on their pa1·t, which had taken plaeo at his second visit, unless, per hapa, the words, '' let ua not he would have probably used different tenses; grow weary," hint at a libere.lity once dis- either, perhaps, lxBpor &µow l7ev6µ.'1v ,l;,\'l- played but now declined from. On the whole, Bevr,,r,----00mpare cpav'[/ ... 1ta-rep7a(oµlv'l in this specification of" eyes" seems rather to Rom. vii.13(or with a contemporaneous aorist point to there having been something amiss participle, cl::>o.'lBevaar); or, lxBpdr &µi;,v-yeyova with the apostle's own eyes, either from oph- ci.A119e6aa.s, like elv"' µo,xa>..[Oa. "'(Evoµ./111,v thalmia or as the effect of personal outrage o.v6pl frlpcp in Rom. vii. 3. As it stands, perpetrated upon him. It is especially de- "dealing with you according to truth" ( a,\11 . serving of notice how the apostle, in the two 8,o.,v &µ'iv) expresses the apostle's continuous clauses of this verse, links together their joy declaration of the gospel, and his never- in their newly found Christian bleasednesa flinching insistance upon the mortal danger with their grateful love to himself; the latter of defection from it (see eh. i. 9, 1rpoe,p-f,- fact is adduced as proof of the former. Their 1ta.µev); and "I am become your enemy" gospel happiness, he feels, was indissolubly points to the result now manifesting itself woven in with their attachment to him: if from this steadfa~t attitude of hie, in conse- they let go their joy in Christ Jesus, as, apart quence of their consciousness of meriting from any que.lification to be acquired by his diaapproval. The verb aJ\110eor,, occurs observances of the Law of Moses, their all- only once in the Septuagint-in Gen. xiii. sufficient righteousness, they must also· of 16, El &A'lBeo,-r, {j ou," Whether there be any necessity become estranged from him, who truth in you" (Anthorized Version and was nothing if not the exponent and herald Hebrew); and once besides in the New to them of that happiness. This considera- Testament-in Eph. iv. 15, 'A:>o.')8euov-r« .., tion ia of great moment for the right under- o.7&:1rp, where ~he verb de~otea, apparently, standing of the next verse. not merely bemg truthful m speech, but the Ver. 16. -Am I therefore beoome your whole habit of addiction both to uprightness enemy, because I tell you the truth l [C::a-re and to God's known truth; for we can hardly fx6p6s tJµ.Wv ,.,E-yovO. 0.>.:116E-6"'v ~,u.iv ;] ; so then, leave out of our view this latter idea, when am I become your enemy, because I deal with we consider how frequently the apostle de- you according to truth 1 Thie ia a woiling signates the gospel by the term "the truth" remonstronco against an apprehended in- (2 Cor. iv. 2; vi. 7; xiii. 8; eh. iii. 1; Eph. cipient state of alienation. "So then," r:,.,.,.. i. 13; 2 'l'hess. ii. 10, 12, 13; 1 Tim. ii. ¾). (see note on ver. 7), occurs repee.tedly before "Enemy" is either one regarded as adopt- an impere.tive: as 1 Cor. iii. 21; iv. 5; x. 12; ing a hostile position to them, or one viewed Phil. ii. 12: iv. 1; Jas. i. 19; here only with hostile feeling by them, which latter is before a question. Its consecutiveimporthere its sense in Rom. xi. 28 ; 2 Thess. iii. 15. The lies in the essential identification between above exposition of the import of this verse their atte.ohment to St. Paul e.nd their al- is confirmed by the consideration that the legiance to the pure gospel. If they forsook Epistle affords no trace of the apostle's rela- the gospel, their heart we.s gone from him. tions with the Ge.latian converts having been Naturo.lly also their incipient defection from other them mutue.lly friendly at even his the truth we.s accompanied by a jealousy on second visit to them. 'l'h is fact is implied their pa.rt how ho would rege.rd them, and in ver.12, and eh. i. 9 furnishes no evidence to by a preparedness to listen to those who the contrary; for those warnings may have spoke of him, as Jude.izers everywhere did, been uttered in his first visit us well as iu with disparagement and dislike. No doubt his second, without occasioning or being the accounts which had just reached him of occasioned by any want of mutual confidence. tho symptoms showing themselves among This view of their mutual relations is con- them of defection from the gospel,and which firmed likewise by the feelings of indiguant promptc;l th0 immedia~ despatch of this astonishment with which evidently th6 Epistle, hall informed him_ also of sy°:"ploms apostle took up his pen to address them in of u. commencing aversatlon fl'om h1.mself. this letter: the tidings which had just The construction of -yl-yova with o.;>..'18•o•w is reached him had been a painful surprise to similar to the.t of-;l-yova. 6.cppow with 1tauxwµt- him. vos in the Textus Receptns of 2 Cor. xii. 11, Ver. 17.-They zealously alfect you, but which is pe1·fectly good Greek, even though not well (('11\ov<11v ~!''" au ,cal\wr); t/1,.y ad- .the word 1tauxwµ,vos must be removed from mire vo11 in no goocl way. Of tho seyoml  198 'l'HE EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS. [OH, IV, 1-31.