The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 305

present.ed,,to them in circumstances of humiliation, as a crucified Man. But it was doubly so when it appeared as the very means of atonement, so that a Jew, by simply believing in Christ, might, without legal observances, be saved. The cro:;s is still an offence to more than Jews or Greeks, for it humbles the pride of man, it dethrones all priesthoods, and makes the sinner directly: dependent for salvation upon the Lord himself. It humbles man's pride; yet, "whosoever believeth in him shatl not be a.shamed." The gospel is throughout the religion of a crucified Saviour and of a ruined sinner ; not a mere, system 1of morals, nor a mere revelation of truth, but a scheme of remedial mercy. We cannot alter it or shape it in accordance with the false philosophizi--'gii of the world. " Blessed is the man whosoever shall not be offended in me." Ver.12.-,-Afierce.stroke of apostolic irony, The apostle had been so profoundly stirred by the false accusations of the J udaizers and their fanatical zeal for circumcision, which- was, after •all, a mere " glorying in the flesh," that he throw11 out a wish that those •who were trying to unhinge Galatian Christianity would themselves exemplify this" g!.:>rying" to the extent that was so familiar among the worshippers of Cybele at Pessinus, one of the towns of Galatia. His readers would have no difficulty in under- standing the allusion. If. circumcision was good, the priests of Cybele had somethin~ better to offer. It ;,vas.a piece of contemptuous sarcasm, which exhibits the passionate feeling of the apostle caused by their unceasing effort.a to undermine the gospel for the sake.of a. ~ere mark in the flesh. Ver. 13.-Tlie meaning of Christian liberty. • The false teachers deserve this severity of treatment, for they would deprive you of your liberty. I. THE CHBISTI:AN CALLING IS TO LIBERTY. He had already counselled them to stand fast in the liberty wherew:ith Christ had. mllde them free (ver. l}-a liberty which lifted them out of legal bondage, and, above all, destroyed the yoke of ancient ceremonialism ; and ,now these .Judaizers were attempting to strike at the root of their calling. II. THE DEEP AND UNCHANGEABLE DISTINCTION BETWEEN LIBERTY AND LICENTIOUS- NESS, •~only use not liberty for an occasion to the fiesh." This counsel was specially needed Jor a Celtic people emerging out. of the old immoral. paganism. It shows: 1. That duty is 'Tlot destroyed by liberty. '£heir escape• from legal bondage did not involve the annihilation of all moral restraints or the abrogation of the moral Law. In fact, the grusp,el bring11.,,believ:ers under a weightier obligation to duty than the Law possibly can do,,for it brings upon th11: believer the mighty constraint of Divine love (2 Cor. v. 14),, :They were no longer justified by the Law, but the Law was still a rule of life. The_>4'ntinomians of Germany and England held that .believers were under Law in no· sense,; that they were ;under no obligations to obedience; and therefore were ready enough.to use,their liberty under the gospel" for an occasion to the flesh." It is still very necessary to emphasize ;he obligations of Christian people under the gospel, for gross immoralities have been committed by men with an extravagant view of gospel liberty. Christ ea.me to call sinners to repentance, not to licentiousness; to take his yoke upon. them, .and yield their members instruments of righteousness unto holiness. 2. Christian people ought to use their liberty wisely. There is a margin left for human discretion in the application .of gospel principles. Perhaps a too free use of our Christian liberty has ,often. become an occasion of sin. Therefore a Christian divine suggests that in.matter!! of duty .we ought to do too much rather than too little, but in matters of indifference we should rather take too little of our liberty than too much. Ill. Tl!E ONLY. BOlH)AGE ALLOWABLE,J:N CHRISTIANITY IS MUTUAL LOVE. "But by love serve one another." There is an antithetic force in the original, which is not so ol;,vious )l1 the translation : If you must. have bondage, let it be the bondage of mutual lQY\I, , Love is to be. the means. by which the mutual bondage is to be manifested. 1. Tkis,~Q'fl,dage is not degrading, Though they, were servants of each other, they wern not•.masters of each other, "All ye are brl!thren." Christ himself is our example in this service : 0 1 am 1;1.mong you as one that serveth." This one fact lifts this duty to an incomparable height of dignity and impressiveness. 2. It is tJ.is which will keep your. liberty/ram r!,,egenerating into lice1,tiousness. Their love for one another, grounded in their love for God, would set them upon all opportune ways of benefiting ea.eh other. 'l'hus love is the one deb,t always to be discharged and .always due. "Owe no mau  272 THE EPISTLE TO THE GALA'l'IANS. [oH, '\>, 1-26,