Galatians 1:2

That is, "All the brethren which are here with me, and own the doctrine which. preach, send greeting unto the churches of Galatia."

Here note, 1. How St. Paul's doctrine is justified from the charge of singularity, which the Judaizing false teachers objected against it. What he wrote and taught, he tells the Galatians, was owned by all the brethren. This shews the consent he had of the church with him, in that holy doctrine which was delivered by him.

Note, 2. The generality of the persons to whom this epistle is directed; not to. single person, nor to. particular church, but unto all the churches in the province of Galatia. There were several Christian congregations, called churches, in that country, and all of them being leavened, or in danger of being soured with Judaism, that is, of superadding the ceremonial law of Moses to the gospel of Christ: the apostle and the brethren with him, direct this epistle, not to any single church in that province, but to them all in general, being equally concerned: All the brethren with me, unto the churches of Galatia.

Note, 3. How the apostle doth not say here, as elsewhere, To the saints of God which are in Galatia; or, To them that are sanctified by God the Father; but barely says, To the churches of Galatia; thereby declaring his holy indignation against the Galatians, as unworthy of those gracious appellations, because they had sadly corrupted the doctrine of the gospel begun in the Spirit, and ended in the flesh; first owning Christ and the liberty of the gospel, and afterwards pleading for the bondage of the ceremonial law.

Yet, note, lastly, as corrupt as these churches of Galatia were, our apostle owns and acknowledges them to be true churches; they retained the essentials of Christianity, and were not guilty either of idolatry, or. total apostasy; therefore though stained with divers corruptions both in doctrine and manners, which he sharply rebukes and reproves them for, yet he doth not deny them the name of churches: All the brethren which are with me, unto the churches of Galatia.