Galatians 1:4

who gave himself … our Father The Apostle here prepares the way for the discussion of his great subject. He cannot think of the Gospel pardon, justification, acceptance with God, and eternal life apart from the atoning death of Christ. The efficacy of that "precious death" depends on the voluntary surrender of Himself by our Blessed Lord, "to reconcile His Father to us, and to be a sacrifice, not only for original guilt, but also for all actual sins of men." (Article 11.)

who gave himself The Father gave the Son. The Son gave Himself.

for our sins not merely to denounce sin Moses and the prophets had done this; not merely to set us a perfect example this would have been to mock the misery of unpardoned, unsanctified men and women. His death was forour sins. The exact force of the preposition may fall short of asserting the vicariousnature of our Lord's sacrifice indeed the reading of the Original is not free from doubt. But the Apostle's language is in entire accord with his teaching elsewhere, and must be so explained. (Comp. Rom 3:25; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 3:13; 1 Timothy 2:6.)

that he might deliver us Rescue us from the thraldom of, &c. The same word is used of the deliverance of Joseph (Acts 7:10) and by our Lord Himself in reference to St Paul (Acts 26:17). Freedom as the result of emancipation is the great blessing of the Gospel. See Galatians 5:1; Galatians 5:13, and comp. John 8:32-36. It is also "the keynote of this Epistle".

from this present evil world World, lit. age. The Greek word signifies, the present state of things, the world's life, regarded in its transitory nature, as a condition of existence, rather than the material creation. Matter is not essentially evil. It becomes an instrument of evil by reason of man's transgression of the law of God. There is a similar usage in the familiar expression of the Roman historian -Corrumpere et corrumpi sæculum vocatur," Tac. Germ. 17; compare -fecunda culpæ sæcula," of Horace. Two other renderings of the phrase are admissible; (1) from the present (or besetting) evil of the world; or (2) from the evil of the present world. Our Lord prayed for His disciples, not that they should be taken out of the world, but that they should be kept from the evil; and He has taught us to pray, -Deliver us from the evil." There is however a true sense in which Christians are delivered, rescued from this present evil age or dispensation, from its power and its contamination a dispensation so often contrasted with "that world" (Luke 20:35) into which sin and defilement cannot enter. Satan, who is the god of this present evil world, will then be finally vanquished and "tormented day and night for ever and ever" (Revelation 20:10).

according to the will of God and our Father Better, of God our Father. That -will" is the ultimate cause and law. Redemption is its fulfilment. Hence our Lord declares that He came to do the will of Him that sent Him. John 4:34; John 5:30, and espec. John 6:38-40; comp. Hebrews 10:7-10, "By which will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." The will of the Father and the will of the Son are distinct, but in perfect harmony.

The will is Divine, and therefore claims our submission. It is our Father's will, and therefore appeals to our filial love and confidence. This thought inspires the ascription,