The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 297

here, editors are not , quite une.nimous in a.nd the Spirit. The time when the Christian rete.ining '171.-011 : and Col. ii. 6. -rbv Xp,.--rbv did thus affix the flesh to the cross is indi- '171.-oiJv -rdv K6p1ov. , Xpur-rb, 'l71.-ov• without cated by the fonn 0£ expression, of being the article· is continually met with. The "r,f Christ;" there ca.n have been no time presence of the article seems to betoken since he has bt:en Christ's at which this tho.t the word "Christ" is introduced as an thing had not been already done. It is, offloial description rather than as a proper 11las, but too possible to take the flesh still name, "the Christ Jesus" being thus a living down from the croSB and clasp it phrase sim,ilar to " the Lord Jesus." Not afresh to our bosom ; but cherishing that as being so .familiil.r to us as this latter, it our friend, we are Christ's no longer. Above appears at first more uncouth than it really (eh. ii. 20) the apostle wrote," I e.m hanging is. To understand the precise force of the on the cross· with Christ: but I live;" but conjunction lii, we.must review the foregoing with a .different application of the image. context. In vers. 16, 17 the apostle puts in There he was thinking of the relation into contrast with each other, "walking by the which his union with the crucified Jesus Spirit " and ."fulfilling the desire of the bronght him with respect to the Mosaical flesh."' In the three following verses (19- L11w. Here he has in view the renunciation ·21) he poiats out what kind of _life the of sin which accompanies the addiction of flesh prompts men to pursue, and. its .fa.ta.I ourselves to Christ's- service. There h<l consequences; in vers. 22, 23. the character himself is crucified; here, the flesh. The formed by the Spirit's influence, e.nd its cross once more recurs in eh. vi. 9, with yet .bleSBed immunity from the·censure of the another reference. The description here Law. He is now concerned to show .how given by the apostle of Christian conversion these considerations apply to Christie:ns. A tallies well with that given by him in Rom. Christian (he sa.ye) by becoming such puts ;vi.. 3-11.. • There, however, the change nwa.y the flesh;· is alive; therefore, if at e.11, through which a man becomes II Christian is by or to the Spirit; this being so, he must couched under a different image-that of e. in all r011.'lon by the Spirit's direction rule death and resurrection, analogous to and his conduct. It results from this review founded upon the death and resurrection of • that the li~ turns the course of remark upon Jesus Christ, which, in baptism, administered a new topic, namely, the essential character according to the original primitive mode, of a Christian's .profession as, a. premiss to are represented by tlie immersion in and the introduce the prli.ctice.l conclusion stated in emerging from the water. While illustrating , ver, 25. The use of the possessive," of the this image, the apostle further says (ver. 6), Christ Jesus," is similar to that in 1 Cor. "Our old man was crucified with him (.-uv•- iii. 23, '"ye are Christ's; " Rom. viii. 9, " he O"Ta.vpcf,B,,,), that the body of sin might be , is not. his ; " ibid., xiv. 8, "we are the done away, that we should no longer Lord's." Comp. also 2 Tim. ii. 19; Titus ii. be in bond11ge to sin;" where the Greek 14, "a people for his own possession;" Eph. word rendered "was crucified with (him) '' i 14. We are made Christ's people, out- age.in denotes being affixed to the cross, in wardly and in covenant, by baptism ; bnt sympathy with him " who was m11de sin for we cannot be his very own, really and us," with the view of bringing to nought : vitally (Rom. viii. 9), unless through faith '' the body of sin "-which phrase," body ot we recognize him as our Lord and of our sin," is noarly equivalent to ,; flesh," being own free will and deed attach ourselves the ·sum total of the vicious activities in , heartily to his discipleship. In that hour of which the flesh manifests itself; thi,, bring- renunciation of sin we in truth "fasten the ing to nought or doing away (1<cm:f.pyq.-is) of flesh to the cross." Kave oruoi1ied.the flesh the body of sin, being the result ultimately (rl,v .-d.p1<a. l.--ra.6p010-a.v).. That is, have put to follow from the crucifixion, and not it away from them, as a thing to be abhorred, identical with it. In the passage in the that it might die the death. These three Roma11s now referred to, the apostle brings several particulars of thought appear com• to view, not only the just now cited descrip- bined in the mixt mode embodied in the tion of the negative side of our regeneration, word "cruoified." The verb, denoting but also its positive side, of 11, passing into simply affixing to the cross, and not putting a new sphere of activities " walking in to death by crucifixion, intimatil! the linger- newness of life," and "living unto God in ing character of the death which the flesh Christ Jesus." In our present passage the was to undergo. It was, indeed. put away negative phrase is alone definitely stated. at once, by a final decisive aot of the will; The difference is probably dne to the fact but it would still for a while continue to that the figure of crucifying the flesh sup- live. . Viewed thus, the notion represented plies the illustration of only the nega.tive by the image he.rmoniz~a with the ~tatem~nt e.speot; whereas baptism, with its watery in ver. 17 of the contmued co111hot wh1oh burial and resnrreotion, represents the posi- ill being waged within us between the flesh tive aspeot ae well. With thil affeotions lllld,  264 THE EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS. [ott. v. 1-28.