G
A L A T I A N S
CHAP. I.
In
this chapter, after the preface or introduction (ver. 1-5), the apostle
severely reproves these churches for their defection from the faith (ver.
6-9), and then proves his own apostleship, which his enemies had brought them
to question, I. From his end and design in preaching the gospel, ver. 10. II.
From his having received it by immediate revelation, ver. 11, 12. For the
proof of which he acquaints them, 1. What his former conversation was, ver.
13, 14. 2. How he was converted, and called to the apostleship, ver. 15, 16.
3. How he behaved himself afterwards, ver. 16, to the end.
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The
Introductory Address.
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A. D. 56.
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1 Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by
man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the
dead;) 2 And all the brethren which are with me, unto the churches
of Galatia: 3 Grace be to you and peace from God the
Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, 4 Who gave himself
for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according
to the will of God and our Father: 5 To whom be glory for
ever and ever. Amen.
In these verses we have the preface or introduction to the epistle, where
observe,
I. The person or persons from whom this epistle is sent--from Paul an
apostle, &c., and all the brethren that were with him. 1. The
epistle is sent from Paul; he only was the penman of it. And, because there
were some among the Galatians who endeavoured to lessen his character and
authority, in the front of it he gives a general account both of his office
and of the manner in which he was called to it, which afterwards, in this and
the following chapter, he enlarges more upon. As to his office, he was an
apostle. He is not afraid to style himself so, though his enemies would
scarcely allow him this title: and, to let them see that he did not assume
this character without just ground, he acquaints them how he was called to
this dignity and office, and assures them that his commission to it was wholly
divine, for he was an apostle, not of man, neither by man; he had not
the common call of an ordinary minister, but an extraordinary call from heaven
to this office. He neither received his qualification for it, nor his
designation to it, by the mediation of men, but had both the one and the other
directly from above; for he was an apostle by Jesus Christ, he had his
instructions and commission immediately from him, and consequently from God
the Father, who was one with him in respect of his divine nature, and who
had appointed him, as Mediator, to be the apostle and high priest of our
profession, and as such to authorize others to this office. He adds, Who
raised him from the dead, both to acquaint us that herein God the Father
gave a public testimony to Christ's being his Son and the promised Messiah,
and also that, as his call to the apostleship was immediately from Christ, so
it was after his resurrection from the dead, and when he had entered upon his
exalted state; so that he had reason to look upon himself, not only as
standing upon a level with the other apostles, but as in some sort preferred
above them; for, whereas they were called by him when on earth, he had his
call from him when in heaven. Thus does the apostle, being constrained to it
by his adversaries, magnify his office, which shows that though men should by
no means be proud of any authority they are possessed of, yet at certain times
and upon certain occasions it may become needful to assert it. But, 2. He
joins all the brethren that were with him in the inscription of the epistle,
and writes in their name as well as his own. By the brethren that were with
him may be understood either the Christians in common of that place where
he now was, or such as were employed as ministers of the gospel. These,
notwithstanding his own superior character and attainments, he is ready to own
as his brethren; and, though he alone wrote the epistle, yet he joins them
with himself in the inscription of it. Herein, as he shows his own great
modesty and humility, and how remote he was from an assuming temper, so he
might do this to dispose these churches to a greater regard to what he wrote,
since hereby it would appear that he had their concurrence with him in the
doctrine which he had preached, and was now about to confirm, and that it was
no other than what was both published and professed by others as well as
himself.
II. To whom this epistle is sent--to the churches of
Galatia
. There were several churches at that time in this country, and it
should seem that all of them were more or less corrupted through the arts of
those seducers who had crept in among them; and therefore Paul, on whom came
daily the care of all the churches, being deeply affected with their
state, and concerned for their recovery to the faith and establishment in it,
writes this epistle to them. He directs it to all of them, as being all more
or less concerned in the matter of it; and he gives them the name of churches,
though they had done enough to forfeit it, for corrupt churches are never
allowed to be churches: no doubt there were some among them who still
continued in the faith, and he was not without hope that others might be
recovered to it.
III. The apostolical benediction, v. 3. Herein the apostle, and the
brethren who were with him, wish these churches grace and peace from God
the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the usual blessing
wherewith he blesses the churches in the name of the Lord--grace and peace.
Grace includes God's good-will towards us and his good work upon us; and peace
implies in it all that inward comfort, or outward prosperity, which is really
needful for us; and they come from God the Father as the fountain, through
Jesus Christ as the channel of conveyance. Both these the apostle wishes for
these Christians. But we may observe, First grace, and then peace, for there
can be no true peace without grace. Having mentioned the Lord Jesus Christ, he
cannot pass without enlarging upon his love; and therefore adds (v. 4),
Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver, &c. Jesus
Christ gave himself for our sins, as a great sacrifice to make atonement for
us; this the justice of God required, and to this he freely submitted for our
sakes. One great end hereof was to deliver us from this present evil world;
not only to redeem us from the wrath of God, and the curse of the law, but
also to recover us from the corruption that is in the world through lust, and
to rescue us from the vicious practices and customs of it, unto which we are
naturally enslaved; and possibly also to set us free from the Mosaic
constitution, for so aiwn outoV
is used, 1 Cor. ii. 6, 8. From this we may note, 1. This present world is an
evil world: it has become so by the sin of man, and it is so on account of the
sin and sorrow with which it abounds and the many snares and temptations to
which we are exposed as long as we continue in it. But, 2. Jesus Christ has
died to deliver us from this present evil world, not presently to remove his
people out of it, but to rescue them from the power of it, to keep them from
the evil of it, and in due time to possess them of another and better world.
This, the apostle informs us, he has done according to the will of God and
our Father. In offering up himself a sacrifice for this end and purpose,
he acted by the appointment of the Father, as well as with his own free
consent; and therefore we have the greatest reason to depend upon the efficacy
and acceptableness of what he has done and suffered for us; yea, hence we have
encouragement to look upon God as our Father, for thus the apostle here
represents him: as he is the Father of our Lord Jesus, so in and through him
he is also the Father of all true believers, as our blessed Saviour himself
acquaints us (John xx. 17), when he tells his disciples that he was ascending
to his Father and their Father.
The apostle, having thus taken notice of the great love wherewith Christ hath
loved us, concludes this preface with a solemn ascription of praise and glory
to him (v. 5): To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Intimating that on this account he is justly entitled to our highest esteem
and regard. Or this doxology may be considered as referring both to God the
Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom he had just before been wishing
grace and peace. They are both the proper objects of our worship and
adoration, and all honour and glory are perpetually due to them, both on
account of their own infinite excellences, and also on account of the
blessings we receive from them.
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The
Apostle's Concern at Their Defection.
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A. D. 56.
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6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him
that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: 7
Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert
the gospel of Christ. 8 But though we, or an angel from heaven,
preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you,
let him be accursed. 9 As we said before, so say I now again, If
any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received,
let him be accursed.
Here the apostle comes to the body of the epistle; and he begins it with a
more general reproof of these churches for their unsteadiness in the faith,
which he afterwards, in some following parts of it, enlarges more upon. Here
we may observe,
I. How much he was concerned at their defection: I marvel, &c. It
filled him at once with the greatest surprise and sorrow. Their sin and folly
were that they did not hold fast the doctrine of Christianity as it had been
preached to them, but suffered themselves to be removed from the purity and
simplicity of it. And there were several things by which their defection was
greatly aggravated; as, 1. That they were removed from him that had called
them; not only from the apostle, who had been the instrument of calling
them into the fellowship of the gospel, but from God himself, by whose order
and direction the gospel was preached to them, and they were invited to a
participation of the privileges of it: so that herein they had been guilty of
a great abuse of his kindness and mercy towards them. 2. That they had been called
into the grace of Christ. As the gospel which had been preached to them
was the most glorious discovery of divine grace and mercy in Christ Jesus; so
thereby they had been called to partake of the greatest blessings and
benefits, such as justification, and reconciliation with God here, and eternal
life and happiness hereafter. These our Lord Jesus has purchased for us at the
expense of his precious blood, and freely bestows upon all who sincerely
accept of him: and therefore, in proportion to the greatness of the privilege
they enjoyed, such were their sin and folly in deserting it and suffering
themselves to be drawn off from the established way of obtaining these
blessings. 3. That they were so soon removed. In a very little time
they lost that relish and esteem of this grace of Christ which they seemed to
have, and too easily fell in with those who taught justification by the works
of the law, as many did, who had been bred up in the opinions and notions of
the Pharisees, which they mingled with the doctrine of Christ, and so
corrupted it; and this, as it was an instance of their weakness, so it was a
further aggravation of their guilt. 4. That they were removed to another
gospel, which yet was not another. Thus the apostle represents the
doctrine of these judaizing teachers; he calls it another gospel, because it
opened a different way of justification and salvation from that which was
revealed in the gospel, namely, by works, and not by faith in Christ. And yet
he adds, "Which is not another--you will find it to be no gospel
at all--not really another gospel, but the perverting of the gospel of Christ,
and the overturning of the foundations of that"--whereby he intimates
that those who go about to establish any other way to heaven than what the
gospel of Christ has revealed are guilty of a gross perversion of it, and in
the issue will find themselves wretchedly mistaken. Thus the apostle
endeavours to impress upon these Galatians a due sense of their guilt in
forsaking the gospel way of justification; and yet at the same time he tempers
his reproof with mildness and tenderness towards them, and represents them as
rather drawn into it by the arts and industry of some that troubled them than
as coming into it of their own accord, which, though it did not excuse them,
yet was some extenuation of their fault. And hereby he teaches us that, in
reproving others, as we should be faithful, so we should also be gentle, and
endeavour to restore them in the spirit of meekness, ch. vi. 1.
II. How confident he was that the gospel he had preached to them was the only
true gospel. He was so fully persuaded of this that he pronounced an anathema
upon those who pretended to preach any other gospel (v. 8), and, to let
them see that this did not proceed from any rashness or intemperate zeal in
him, he repeated it, v. 9. This will not justify our thundering out
anathemas against those who differ from us in minor things. It is only against
those who forge a new gospel, who overturn the foundation of the covenant of
grace, by setting up the works of the law in the place of Christ's
righteousness, and corrupting Christianity with Judaism, that Paul denounces
this. He puts the case: "Suppose we should preach any other gospel; nay,
suppose an angel from heaven should:" not as if it were possible for an
angel from heaven to be the messenger of a lie; but it is expressed so the
more to strengthen what he was about to say. "If you have any other
gospel preached to you by any other person, under our name, or under colour of
having it from an angel himself, you must conclude that you are imposed upon:
and whoever preaches another gospel lays himself under a curse, and is in
danger of laying you under it too."
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The
Apostle's Integrity.
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A. D. 56.
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10 For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I
seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of
Christ. 11 But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was
preached of me is not after man. 12 For I neither received it of
man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus
Christ. 13 For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in
the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God,
and wasted it: 14 And profited in the Jews' religion above many my
equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of
my fathers. 15 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my
mother's womb, and called me by his grace, 16 To reveal his
Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred
not with flesh and blood: 17 Neither went I up to Jerusalem to
them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again
unto Damascus. 18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to
see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days. 19 But other of the
apostles saw I none, save James the Lord's brother. 20 Now the
things which I write unto you, behold, before God, I lie not. 21
Afterwards I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia; 22 And
was unknown by face unto the churches of Judæa which were in Christ:
23 But they had heard only, That he which persecuted us in times past now
preacheth the faith which once he destroyed. 24 And they glorified
God in me.
What Paul had said more generally, in the preface of this epistle, he now
proceeds more particularly to enlarge upon. There he had declared himself to
be an apostle of Christ; and here he comes more directly to support his claim
to that character and office. There were some in the churches of Galatia who
were prevailed with to call this in question; for those who preached up the
ceremonial law did all they could to lessen Paul's reputation, who preached
the pure gospel of Christ to the Gentiles: and therefore he here sets himself
to prove the divinity both of his mission and doctrine, that thereby he might
wipe off the aspersions which his enemies had cast upon him, and recover these
Christians into a better opinion of the gospel he had preached to them. This
he gives sufficient evidence of,
I. From the scope and design of his ministry, which was not to persuade
men, but God, &c. The meaning of this may be either that in his
preaching the gospel he did not act in obedience to men, but God, who had
called him to this work and office; or that his aim therein was to bring
persons to the obedience, not of men, but of God. As he professed to act by a
commission from God; so that which he chiefly aimed at was to promote his
glory, by recovering sinners into a state of subjection to him. And as this
was the great end he was pursuing, so, agreeably hereunto, he did not seek
to please men. He did not, in his doctrine, accommodate himself to the
humours of persons, either to gain their affection or to avoid their
resentment; but his great care was to approve himself to God. The judaizing
teachers, by whom these churches were corrupted, had discovered a very
different temper; they mixed works with faith, and the law with the gospel,
only to please the Jews, whom they were willing to court and keep in with,
that they might escape persecution. But Paul was a man of another spirit; he
was not so solicitous to please them, nor to mitigate their rage against him,
as to alter the doctrine of Christ either to gain their favour or to avoid
their fury. And he gives this very good reason for it, that, if he yet
pleased men, he would not be the servant of Christ. These he knew were
utterly inconsistent, and that no man could serve two such masters; and
therefore, though he would not needlessly displease any, yet he dared not
allow himself to gratify men at the expense of his faithfulness to Christ.
Thus, from the sincerity of his aims and intentions in the discharge of his
office, he proves that he was truly an apostle of Christ. And from this his
temper and behaviour we may note, 1. That the great end which ministers of the
gospel should aim at is to bring men to God. 2. That those who are faithful
will not seek to please men, but to approve themselves to God. 3. That they
must not be solicitous to please men, if they would approve themselves
faithful servants to Christ. But, if this argument should not be thought
sufficient, he goes on to prove his apostleship,
II. From the manner wherein he received the gospel which he preached to them,
concerning which he assures them (v. 11, 12) that he had it not by
information from others, but by revelation from heaven. One thing peculiar in
the character of an apostle was that he had been called to, and instructed
for, this office immediately by Christ himself. And in this he here shows that
he was by no means defective, whatever his enemies might suggest to the
contrary. Ordinary ministers, as they receive their call to preach the gospel
by the mediation of others, so it is by means of the instruction and
assistance of others that they are brought to the knowledge of it. But Paul
acquaints them that he had his knowledge of the gospel, as well as his
authority to preach it, directly from the Lord Jesus: the gospel which he
preached was not after man; he neither received it of man, nor was he
taught it by man, but by immediate inspiration, or revelation from Christ
himself. This he was concerned to make out, to prove himself an apostle: and
to this purpose,
1. He tells them what his education was, and what, accordingly, his
conversation in time past had been, v. 13, 14. Particularly, he
acquaints them that he had been brought up in the Jewish religion, and that
he had profited in it above many his equals of his own nation--that he
had been exceedingly zealous of the traditions of the elders, such
doctrines and customs as had been invented by their fathers, and conveyed down
from one generation to another; yea, to such a degree that, in his zeal for
them, he had beyond measure persecuted the church of God, and wasted it.
He had not only been a rejecter of the Christian religion, notwithstanding the
many evident proofs that were given of its divine origin; but he had been a
persecutor of it too, and had applied himself with the utmost violence and
rage to destroy the professors of it. This Paul often takes notice of, for the
magnifying of that free and rich grace which had wrought so wonderful a change
in him, whereby of so great a sinner he was made a sincere penitent, and from
a persecutor had become an apostle. And it was very fit to mention it here;
for it would hence appear that he was not led to Christianity, as many others
are, purely by education, since he had been bred up in an enmity and
opposition to it; and they might reasonably suppose that it must be something
very extraordinary which had made so great a change in him, which had
conquered the prejudices of his education, and brought him not only to
profess, but to preach, that doctrine, which he had before so vehemently
opposed.
2. In how wonderful a manner he was turned from the error of his ways, brought
to the knowledge and faith of Christ, and appointed to the office of an
apostle, v. 15, 16. This was not done in an ordinary way, nor by
ordinary means, but in an extraordinary manner; for, (1.) God had separated
him hereunto from his mother's womb: the change that was wrought in him
was in pursuance of a divine purpose concerning him, whereby he was appointed
to be a Christian and an apostle, before he came into the world, or had done
either good or evil. (2.) he was called by his grace. All who are
savingly converted are called by the grace of God; their conversion is the
effect of his good pleasure concerning them, and is effected by his power and
grace in them. But there was something peculiar in the case of Paul, both in
the suddenness and in the greatness of the change wrought in him, and also in
the manner wherein it was effected, which was not by the mediation of others,
as the instruments of it, but by Christ's personal appearance to him, and
immediate operation upon him, whereby it was rendered a more special and
extraordinary instance of divine power and favour. (3.) He had Christ revealed
in him. He was not only revealed to him, but in him. It will but little
avail us to have Christ revealed to us if he is not also revealed in us; but
this was not the case of Paul. It pleased God to reveal his Son in him,
to bring him to the knowledge of Christ and his gospel by special and
immediate revelation. And, (4.) It was with this design, that he should preach
him among the heathen; not only that he should embrace him himself, but preach
him to others; so that he was both a Christian and an apostle by revelation.
3. He acquaints them how he behaved himself hereupon, from v. 16, to
the end. Being thus called to his work and office, he conferred not with
flesh and blood. This may be taken more generally, and so we may learn
from it that, when God calls us by his grace, we must not consult flesh and
blood. But the meaning of it here is that he did not consult men; he did not
apply to any others for their advice and direction; neither did he go up to
Jerusalem, to those that were apostles before him, as though he needed to
be approved by them, or to receive any further instructions or authority from
them: but, instead of that, he steered another course, and went into
Arabia, either as a place of retirement proper for receiving further
divine revelations, or in order to preach the gospel there among the Gentiles,
being appointed to be the apostle of the Gentiles; and thence he returned
again to Damascus, where he had first begun his ministry, and whence he
had with difficulty escaped the rage of his enemies, Acts ix. It was not till three
years after his conversion that he went up to Jerusalem, to see Peter;
and when he did so he made but a very short stay with him, no more than fifteen
days; nor, while he was there, did he go much into conversation; for others
of the apostles he saw none, but James, the Lord's brother. So that it
could not well be pretended that he was indebted to any other either for his
knowledge of the gospel or his authority to preach it; but it appeared that
both his qualifications for, and his call to, the apostolic office were
extraordinary and divine. This account being of importance, to establish his
claim to this office, to remove the unjust censures of his adversaries, and to
recover the Galatians from the impressions they had received to his prejudice,
he confirms it by a solemn oath (v. 20), declaring, as in the presence
of God, that what he had said was strictly true, and that he had not in the
least falsified in what he had related, which, though it will not justify us
in solemn appeals to God upon every occasion, yet shows that, in matters of
weight and moment, this may sometimes not only be lawful, but duty. After this
he acquaints them that he came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia:
having made this short visit to Peter, he returns to his work again. He had no
communication at that time with the churches of Christ in Judea, they
had not so much as seen his face; but, having heard that he who persecuted
them in times past now preached the faith which he once destroyed, they
glorified God because of him; thanksgivings were rendered by many unto God
on that behalf; the very report of this mighty change in him, as it filled
them with joy, so it excited them to give glory to God on the account of it.
Contents
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