The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 278

~h011lrl hnn• been ahlc to work them so mnch tom observes, " It we.a not men'e persuasion mischief; ns in oh. iii. 1. N cverthcless, the (,muµovh lr.v6pc..-lv11), but the power of God, author of the ruisc.hicf had c1rnse to tremble which persuaded the souls of those who (ere ver. 12, 1md note). That ye should not believe." Dy "him that calleth you" is obey the _truth t ( ry lr.x.,,0,1~ [T. Tr., Light- pie.inly meant God ( comp. l These. ii. 12; foot, omit the -rfi] µ'I, ..-.l8ecr6a, ;) ; that ye . v. 24). "'l.'he present partioiple is preferred ,lumld ,uJt be loea,·kening untc the truth ( or, here to the aorist, bccl\use the stress is loid 111,ic truth)? "The truth" directly cites the on the person rather than tho act" (Bishop FOopl'l; that is, the gospel which proclaims Lightfoot). 'l'he.t persuAsihleness of the righteousness as theirs who belie"l'e in Cl, rist, Galatians wus not from God; at the best it apart from works of the ceremonial la,v; was ~rom the world (comp. Col. ii. 20); but comp. eh. iii. 5, "That the truth of the was 1t not, rather, from Snton, whose emis- gospel might continue with you," the pa.r- saries th_ose fe.lse teachers were (comp. ticn lar phase of the gospel there intended 2 Cor. x1. 15)? The apostle makes this being clearly evincerl from the circumstances a.sserti1in categorically, knowing it to be referred to. " Truth," without the article, true. The gospel which he had brought to denoting "that which is true," cites the them had been sealed by the gifts of the same by implication. The verb we/801,a,, Spirit accompanying it-s reception; while frequently rendered in the Authorized Ver- the doctrine they were now in danger of sion by •· obey," as Rom. ii. 8 and Heb. xiii. listening to wo.s another thing altogether 17, properly means to lend a compliant ea.r ( eh. i. 6)-a thing with an anathema upon it. to adtice or persuasion; "to hearken,'' as Ver. 9.-.A. little leaven leaveneth the Acts v. 36, 37, 40; xxiii. 21; x:xvii. 11. whole lump (µ,«pa. (oµ.71 8>..ov .,-b <f>opaµa The apostle means that they were turning (uµoi) ; a little leaven lea'lleneth the v,kole their ears a way from the truth to listen to kneading. This proverb is cited a.gain in pernicious counsels or teaching. The verb precisely the same words in 1 Cor. v. 6, with is in the present tense with reference to the the words prefixed, "know ye not that." continuerl atkution which they ought to be In both passages the leaven is an element now giving to the gospel. of evil, and so also in Matt. xvi. 11 ; but our Ver. 8.-'.itis persuasion cometh not of Lord applied it e.lso to e.n element of good, him the.t cs.lleth you (71 wELcrµ.ov¾, ov1< , " Tau which was to penetrate (apparently) the «o.>..oiiv-ros liµas); (his persuasion, or the mind tc whole me.as of humanity (Matt. xiii. 33). hearken to this doctrine, is not from him that What has the npostle precisely in hie view ca.Uetk you. The exact force of the word as the leaven in the present instance? In •tmcrµov1i, which so far as he.s been noted 1 Cor. v. 6 it is unchastity, which, if once does not occur in any earlier writer, is dis- tolerated in a Church, especinlly amid so puted. We may group it with ,.,,x.,,rrµovf,, licentious e. population e.s that of Corinth, forg-etfulness ; c/mrrµov-f, (sparingness), cle- would be but too likely to impregnate bnle- mency; w>...,,crµoirl,, fulness, satiety; which fully the sentiment of the whole community. are likewise verbe.l noun;; formed from the And here likewise, a.s there, the leaven does perfect passive (hr,>..eXTJ<rµo.,, etc.). And the not appear to denote, e.s some have supposed, compe.rison favours the conclusion that the individuals in whom some noxious ele- •mcrµovf, denotes the disposition, ste.te, or ment was conspicuous, but that noxious ha.bit of mind evinced in being persuaded element itself; namely, to judge from the in the way now thought of. So the Greek colouring of the immediate context, the commentators <Ecumenius and Theophylact "readiness to hearken" to" another gospel," understand it of their having been persuaded which was promising comfort e.nd sense ot to Jude.ize. The explanation of the noun acceptance, more or less, in the practice as an active verbal, a.s if it were the per- of e.t least some of the outward ordinances suasion which was soliciting them from of Judaism. This leaven had alree.dy begun without, does not seem to be so well borne to work, embodying itself in the observe.nee, out by its etymological formation, but pedantically and ostentatiously, of the days appears nevertheless to be that accepted by and feasts of the Jewish calendar (eh. iv. Chrysostom. T!Jis noun, seemingly not often 10). Now, a movem13nt of mind manifesting used, appears to have been selected by the itself in some form bf external religionism, apostle to brand the belief in the truth of when once it begins to show itself in n Judaizing views which the Galatians were Christian community, has a gree.t tendency irnl,ibing as being in nature diverse from to spree.d. For always, in every Church, the 1r,u.,-is, faith, which realizes the truth there a.re unstable souls, too often not a few, of the gospel; it is the product of over- never e.ble to come to the knowledge of the persue.Bion, of cozenage even, rather than an truth; which have never truly discerned acceptance of the plain setting forth of the Christ's o.11-sufficiency for their spiritue.l simple truth, while "faith" is "the gift of needs, or have lost any superficial persuasion God" (Eph. i. 19, 20; ii. 5, 8). As Chrysos- of it once enjoyed; e.nd which, consciously CH, V, 1--26,] THE EPISTLE '£0 THE GALATIANS.