The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 254

philosophy of idolatry is a most interesting inquiry. Nowhere is it more succinctly set before us tha.n in Ps. cxv. The ~dols e.re _there shown to be_ a~tel' the image of their makers (ver. 8), e.nd, conversely, their worshippers become ass1m1lated to them. The stolid idols which the poor artists make e.re simply copies of the stolid life around the:m; 9:nd the worship of the idol mak~s the stolidity perpetual. It is the apotheosis of ma.ct10n and of death. Hence it will be found that idolatry can secure nothing higher than rit'Ualism, the.t is, the performance of rites and ceremonies for the sake of achiev:ing a rel\gious reputation, ~ud not for the sake of corumu_nion with the object of worship. For m the case of the idol there can be no commumon of mind with mind or o~ heart with heart. The form consequently is everything and the fellowship is nothmg. If there be no self-righteousness promoted by the ceremony, it promotes absolutely no interest at all. Hence the whole genius of idolatry is legalism. If men are not achieving some religious reputation, they are achieving nothing at e.ll. Pe.ul consequently was looking back to the idolatrous life of the Galatians, and carefully a.nalyzed it when he recognized in it the expression of a purely legal spirit. II. 'I'm: GOSPEL PROMOTES ACQUAINTANOESHIP WITH Goo. (Ver. 9.) It seeks to bring about an interview with God. Paul's experience on the way to Damascus is typical. He there became acquainted for the first time with Jesus Christ as his Divine Saviour; He there felt that it was nearer the truth to say that Jesus had found him than the.t he had found Jesus. It was true that he had come to know God in Christ, but this was the consequence of God in Christ in the first instance knowing him. Now, Paul's missionary life was to promote the same acquaintanceship among men. He wanted these Gale.tie.ns to know God through realizing that God previously knew them. And he had hopes that they had entered the charmed circle of the Divine e.cquaintance- ship. He hoped that they had experienced the truth," Acquaint now thyself with God, and be at peace." This is the essence of the gospel. "'l'his is life eternal, to know [i.e. to be acquainted with] thee the only true God, e.nd Jesus Christ, whom thou bast sent." III. THE RETURN TO LEGALISM. (Vers. 9, 10.) The false teachers had come from Jerusalem to preach up the virtue of Jewish rites and ceremonies. Hence the fickle mountaineers of Galatia fell into their superstitious observances, e.nd fancied the.t, if they kept carefully the Jewish calendar, with its weekly, monthly, annual, and sep- tennial feasts and fasts, they must hereby propitiate the Supreme. Accustomed as idolaters to the making of religious reputations, they could enter the more easily into the legal spirit for which the false teachers called. And indeed there is nothing so insidious, because there is nothing so palatable to the natural heart. To be in a position to achieve a religious reputation, to win by our own hands certain characters and certain rights, is wonderfully flattering and grateful to human pride. We need to be constantly on our guard against the temptation. 1. One way is by remembering Low "weak," e.s Paul here puts it, the elements out of which we would manufacture our reputation e.re. They do not bear analysis. Once we touch them with honest thought they stand in felt helplessness before us. Ceremonies which do not lead to communion with God, ceremonies which are simply to add to human pride and foster self-righteousness, are weak as water, and can only harm us. 2. We should remember a!Jio how "beggarly" they are. They can minister no wee.Ith of thought or feeling to the superstitious soul. 'l'hey are merely the instruments of bondage. IV. THE DANGER OF THE LEGAL SPIRIT. (Ver. 11.) If Paul's preaching only resulted in such an outbreak of legalism, then he would regard his mission among them as "love's labour lost." There is no difference between the legalism of Judaism e.nd the legalism of idolatry. Both are mere phases of self-righteousness. The gospel has missed its aim altogether if it leave people in legal bondage. 'l'he gospel is the great scheme for overthrowing self-righteousness. It emancipates the soul from the delusive hope of establishing any claim before God. It shuts us up to the acceptance of sal- vation as God's free gift. It deposes self and makes free grace supreme.. Hence Paul's anxiety to see the Galatians brought back from legal bondage to gospel l)berty. UD:less tliey gave up their hope from ceremony, and betook themselves to hope m the Se.v10ur alone, then they must be lost. It is most important that the exceeding danger of the legal spirit should be constantly kept in view, the.t we may maiLtain our standing on tile footing of free gre.ce.-R. M. E. OH, IV, 1-31.] THE EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS. 221