St Paul's visit to Jerusalem 11 21. Visit to Antioch and disagreement with St Peter This chapter consists of two paragraphs. We have, first, an account of a visit of St Paul to Jerusalem, and his conference with the Apostles of the Circumcision (Galatians 2:1); and, secondly, a narrative of his di... [ Continue Reading ]
_fourteen years after_ This is not to be reckoned from the time of the first visit, mentioned ch. Galatians 1:18, but from the date of St Paul's conversion; and this visit may therefore be assigned to a.d. 51. It was on the occasion described in Acts 15. St Paul had gone to Jerusalem once during th... [ Continue Reading ]
_by revelation_ In the Acts no mention is made of this divine intimation. It would seem to have been concurrent with the _external_commission from the Church. The account of this visit is not contradictory to, or even inconsistent with St Luke's narrative in Acts 15. They supplement one another. "Th... [ Continue Reading ]
_neither Titus_ Better, NOT EVEN TITUS, who, as Paul's colleague, might have thus had more ready access to the Jews. _being a Greek_ unlike Timothy, Acts 16:1-3. _was compelled_ Scholefield renders, "was under any necessity to be circumcised, but only because, &c." i.e. there was no necessity for... [ Continue Reading ]
The construction of this passage is irregular and uncertain, and the meaning of several words and phrases obscure. But the general argument would seem to be as follows: -I conferred indeed with the Apostles at Jerusalem, but though I was quite ready to treat them with courtesy and respect, I was not... [ Continue Reading ]
_and that, because_ Better, BUT ONLY, BECAUSE. The pressure would not have been put upon us, had it not been for false brethren, &c. _false brethren_ Rather, -pretended". Venn. _unawares brought in_ Rather, -insidiously brought in". _our freedom_ Liberty (not license) is the watchword of the Gosp... [ Continue Reading ]
_To whom … an hour_ In some early copies the negative seems to have been omitted. "We yielded by a temporary concession". This would of course imply that Titus _was_circumcised. But the received reading is not to be disturbed. _the truth of the Gospel_ The truth which is indeed good tidings that ma... [ Continue Reading ]
_But of these_ Rather, "But from those". The sentence would have run regularly "From those of reputation … I gained no new enlightenment", but having been interrupted by a parenthesis (whatsoever … person) the structure is changed. "To me, I say, these eminent persons gave no new instruction". _who... [ Continue Reading ]
The construction is again broken and irregular. The punctuation of the Rev. Vers. makes the sense clear. "But from those who were reputed to be somewhat (whatsoever they were, it maketh no matter to me: God accepteth not man's person) they, I say, who were of repute imparted nothing to me: but contr... [ Continue Reading ]
_contrariwise_ See 2Co 2:6-7; 1 Peter 3:9. In both these passages the word expresses the strongest possible contrast. It is used absolutely, -The very reverse was the case when they saw, &c." _when they saw_ -They" is used with reference to -those of reputation", before mentioned, and is restricted... [ Continue Reading ]
-So far from their communicating any further revelation to me, their conduct was the very opposite of this. They recognised the completeness of the Gospel which I preach, by consenting to the arrangement by which I was to go to the Gentiles and they to the Jews". Two causes combined to bring about... [ Continue Reading ]
This verse is parenthetical. It expands and explains Galatians 2:7. _in Peter_ Rather, - _for_Peter" so - _for_me".... [ Continue Reading ]
In the Greek the order is, -And when they perceived the grace that had been given to me, James and Cephas and John &c." James (see note Galatians 1:19) is named first, because the reference is to a special act of the Church in Jerusalem, of which he was president or Bishop. "When St Paul is speaking... [ Continue Reading ]
One reservation was made which was in accordance with my own earnest desire. _the poor_ In the department of almsgiving no distinction was to be made. On two recorded occasions, St Paul conveyed alms from the Gentiles to the poor saints in Jerusalem, Acts 10:29-30; 1 Corinthians 16:3. He was not af... [ Continue Reading ]
_Peter_ In the Greek, -Cephas", the Apostle Peter. The difficulty of accepting this narrative in its obvious sense, led some in early times to suggest that not the Apostle, but one of the seventy disciples of the same name, is here referred to. _withstood him to the face_ Jerome's well-known solutio... [ Continue Reading ]
We learn from Acts 15:22, foll. that when the Council broke up, certain members of the Apostolic company were sent to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas, to convey to the Churches of Syria and Cilicia the determination of the Church in Jerusalem on the question which had been submitted to them, as to th... [ Continue Reading ]
The decree of the Council of Jerusalem had virtually exempted _Gentile_converts from the observance of the Jewish ceremonial law (see Acts 15:1; Acts 15:5; Acts 15:28-29). It is probable that James, fearing lest the Jewish Christians should be led to claim the same exemption, sent delegates to Antio... [ Continue Reading ]
_dissembled likewise with him_ Lit. practised like hypocrisy. They believed and professed that they might eat with the Gentiles, they _acted_as if it were unlawful to do so. _Barnabas also_ or, -even Barnabas", who as Paul's companion was familiar with his clear and unreserved teaching on the great... [ Continue Reading ]
This was not a case for private remonstrance. The conduct of Peter and the rest was a practical denial of the truth of the Gospel, and, as such, could not but do widespread mischief. St Paul therefore took occasion to rebuke him in the presence of the whole company of believers (comp. -I withstood h... [ Continue Reading ]
Consider what is involved in our having embraced Christianity. We were Jews by birth, and not Gentiles, whom the Jews look down upon as -sinners". We were convinced that man cannot be accounted righteous before God on the score of a perfect obedience to the law, but that he is so accounted for the m... [ Continue Reading ]
The force of the prepositions is obscured by the rendering of A. V. Literally, -Knowing that man is not justified from (i.e. as the result of) works of the law, but through faith in Jesus Christ … even we believed on Christ Jesus, that we might be justified from (i.e. as the result of) faith in Chri... [ Continue Reading ]
_while we seek_ Rather, WHILE SEEKING, i.e. earnestly desiring. The reference is to the time when they embraced the Gospel. Hence, for -are found", read, "were found", found ourselves in the same position as those -sinners" of the Gentiles, whom we had been accustomed to look down upon, and needing,... [ Continue Reading ]
The argument of these verses is somewhat obscure an obscurity due, partly to the inadequacy of language to express the intensity of the Apostle's feelings, partly to the introduction of metaphorical expressions, which elude the attempt to define them accurately. St Paul, like other Jewish believers... [ Continue Reading ]
The edifice which St Paul had pulled down was not, as some suppose, the Levitical law of meats, or the Mosaic ceremonial law, in themselves considered. It was not, as a rule of life, but _as a ground of justification_, that he utterly repudiated and swept them away. _I make myself_ Rather, I prove,... [ Continue Reading ]
For it was through the law, through the conviction of its inability to give life, that I became dead to the law. The law demanded a perfect obedience, as a condition of justification. This none can render; and it was when I experienced its condemning power, that I fled to Christ for salvation. "When... [ Continue Reading ]
_I am crucified_ Better, I HAVE BEEN CRUCIFIED. The mention of death and life suggests _the_Death which bore fruit in Resurrection. The Christian is by faith -incorporated into" Christ (Hooker). Of this incorporation Baptism is the sign and the pledge. Hence the prayer in the Office for Public Bapti... [ Continue Reading ]
The word rendered -frustrate" is used in reference both to persons and things, in the SENSE of setting at naught, treating with utter disregard and contempt. In ch. Galatians 3:15 it is used of setting aside a covenant. Our Lord speaks of those who despise, treat with neglect His servants, as despis... [ Continue Reading ]