The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 337

likewise closely touch those here presented other places of the New Tcst.lment-Luke to us. But he that soweth to the Spirit xviii. 1 ; 2 Cor. iv. l, 16; Eph. iii. 13: lhall of the Spirit reap life everluting ( 6 8~ 2 TheBB. iii. 13. In every one of these six 0'1rElp01v •ls 'TO nv,iiµa, lit 'TOV nv,6µa-ros 8,plO'EI passages some of the manuscripts present (W11v ulc:,vwv) ; but he that 1rnoeth unto the the variant reading of''"""""'• which in a.II Spirit, ,hall of the Spirit reap life eternal. is adopted in the Textns Receptus, but is 'fhu.t is, he. that expends thought, time, effort, in e.ll replaced with the general consent o1 money, upon the furthering, in himseif and recent editors by ,-y1<a1<e,v. It is, indce<l, in others, of the fruits of the Spirit, shall questioned whether /1<1<1LKe,v is ever usc<l by receive, from that Holy Spirit to whose any Greek author. The difference in mean- guidance dwelling witbin him he resigns ing is material; i-y1<1LK<<v is to be bad i,, himself, that quickening of his whole being, doing a thing; while /1<1<ax:,i1• would pro- body, soul, and spirit, for an everlasting bably mean to be so bad at a course of action existence in glory, which it is the proper as to leave it off altogether. In the first work of that Divine Agent to effect. For four of the above-cited pasil:lges it is ren- the latter clause. comp. Rom. viii. 11, "If dered in the Authorized Version by the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus "foint;" whilst in 2 Thess. iii. 13 and from the dead dwelleth in yon [as the here it is ren<lcred "be weary," that is, guiding, animating influence in your lives], " flag." In all the notion offlagging appears he that raised up Christ from the dead aha.II the most suitable, and in 2 Uor. iv. 1, 16 quicken also your mortal bodies, because necessary. In the present passage the of his Spirit dwelling within you ; " in course of thought requires us to m:i<lerstand which passage the retiological clause, "by it as not so strong a. word as l1<J\.6eu8a,. reason of his Spirit dwelling in you," corre- Critics point attention to the play of phrase sponds exactly with the retiological clause, in connecting the expression, doing that "of. the Spirit," in the words before us. which is commendable or good, with the The two verses which follow show that one verb denoting being bad at doing it. So iu specific form of sowing unto the Spirit 2 These. iii. 13, µ.'i} <-y1<a1<f,O'TJTE 1<a.J\.o..-o,- which the apostle has definitely in view, ovv-ru. The epigrammatic combinatioc. while enforcing the general idea, is that would seem to have been a. favourite one of Cliristiau bene1icence. How closely the with St. Paul, occurring o.s it does in two practice of Christian beneficence was in letters written several years apart. Such the apostle's mind, in conformity with playfulness is not foreign to his style. The Christ's. own teaching (Matt. nv. etc.), use of the first person plural may be merely connected with the securing of the future cohort,tive, as above in eh. v. 24. But it blissful immortality, is markedly shown in may also be a real self-exhortation as well. l Tim. vi. 18, 19 ;-not the Jess so if we In tlie long, long, weary, arduous conil.ict e.dopt the now approved reading, 1v11 which St. Paul was waging throughout his J1r1J\.d/3r,,,v-r(!.1 Toii ISv-rr,,s (wiis, "that they may Christian career, the flesh must often have lay hold on the life which is life indeed." felt weak, e.nd have required the applica- Ver. 9.-And let ne not be weary in well- tion .of this goad. And this tone of personal doing (-rli• 6, ,c11J\.ov 'll'OIOVV'!'ES µ.t, i-y1t111twµw feeling may, perhaps, be further discerned [Textus Receptus, l1t1t111twµ.•v ]) ; but i11 doing in the use of the phras~, '' in due sea.son; " that which is good, let w not flag. That is, the blessed reaping of joy may seem to some sow unto their own fl.esh,some unto the us at times long in coming; but God's time Spirit; let us be of those who do tliat which for its coming will bo the best time ; let is commendable ; and not that only ; let us us, therefore, be resigned to wait for tLe.t. do it witll an unflagging spirit. Such seems '!'his seeme to be the tone of the ""'P"" to be the- swaying of thought in the sen- 1Bfo,s, "in its own times," of l Tim. vi. 15. tence; hence the· position of the participio.l For in due season we shall reap, if we taint phrase before the verb: the participle is not (1t11,prj -yap lalq, 8epiuoµev, µ¾ <1</\.u&µ•vo,); not a mere qualification ~f the verb, as it is for at its own seaso" we shall reap, if 10a faint in the rendering, " Let us not be weary in not. K111pbs t31as is the season assigned to well-doing," o.nd as it is in 2 These. iii. 13; an event in the oonnsels of God ; as in but, wilh 11,Il implied exhortation that sucll 2 Thess. ii. 6, Iv -rrj 11oi-rov 1t11,pq,, " in Jiis should be the oase, it supposes that we are season," of the revelation of the ;, mcm of of the better class, and founds upon the sup- lawlessness." Ka,po,s l3fois is used iu l Tim. position the exhortation not to fl.o.g. "That vi. 15 with reference, as here, to the day c,f which is commendable (-rli 1tll/\.&11)" reoites, judgment; e.nd in l 'fim. ii. 6 and Titus i. 3, not worke of beneficence only, but every of the manifestation of the gospel. In evory apeoies of moral excellence, comprising in cl\se the phrase appears to intimate tho.t brief the enumeration given in Phil. iv. 8, the season appoiuted by God, though not all of whioh is included in "eowing unto tlie what mau might ho.ve anticipated or·wisheJ, Spirit." The verb i-y,cv.1eE,v. ocoure in five was, however, to be acquiesced in o.s wiseiis M4 THE EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS. [cu. v1. 1-18,