_CRITICAL AND EXPLANATORY NOTES_ Galatians 1:1. PAUL, AN APOSTLE.—He puts his own name and apostleship prominent, because his apostolic commission needs to be vindicated against deniers of it. NOT OF, or from, MEN, BUT BY, or from, JESUS CHRIST AND GOD THE FATHER. The divine source of his apostlesh... [ Continue Reading ]
_CRITICAL AND EXPLANATORY NOTES_ Galatians 1:6. I MARVEL THAT YE ARE SO SOON REMOVED.—So quickly removed; not so soon after your conversion, or soon after I left you, but so soon after the temptation came; so readily and with such little persuasion (cf. Galatians 1:7). It is the fickleness of the G... [ Continue Reading ]
_CRITICAL AND EXPLANATORY NOTES_ Galatians 1:11. NOT AFTER MAN.—Not according to man; not influenced by mere human considerations, as it would be if it were of human origin. Galatians 1:12. BUT BY THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST.—Probably this took place during the three years, in part of which the... [ Continue Reading ]
_CRITICAL AND EXPLANATORY NOTES_ Galatians 1:14. EXCEEDINGLY ZEALOUS OF THE TRADITIONS OF MY FATHERS.—St. Paul seems to have belonged to the extreme party of the Pharisees (Acts 22:3; Acts 23:7; Acts 26:5; Philippians 3:5), whose pride it was to call themselves “zealots of the law, zealots of God.”... [ Continue Reading ]
_CRITICAL AND EXPLANATORY NOTES_ Galatians 1:16. TO REVEAL HIS SON IN ME THAT I MIGHT PREACH HIM.—The revealing of His Son by me to the Gentiles was impossible, unless He had first revealed His Son in me; at first on my conversion, but especially at the subsequent revelation from Jesus Christ (Gala... [ Continue Reading ]
_CRITICAL AND EXPLANATORY NOTES_ Galatians 1:24. THEY GLORIFIED GOD IN ME.—He does not say, adds Chrysostom, they marvelled at me, they praised me, they were struck with admiration of me, but he attributes all to grace. They glorified God in me. How different, he implies to the Galatians, their spi... [ Continue Reading ]