The apostle, in these words, compares the church of God, under the Old Testament, to an infant or child in its minority and nonage; partly with respect to their weakness in understanding, and want of the means of knowledge, comparatively to what we enjoy; and partly, with respect to the discipline t... [ Continue Reading ]
That is, "When the fulness of time was come, which God the Father had appointed for the finishing of the legal dispensation, and for the abolishing the ceremonial rites, God sent forth from himself the Son of himself, his only begotten Son, made, that is, born of. woman, made under and obedient to t... [ Continue Reading ]
As if the apostle had said, "That you are now, under the gospel, become and made the sons of God, appeareth by this, that God hath sent the Spirit of his natural Son into your hearts to authorize and enable you to call upon him, not only as your God, but as your Father: The gospel assuring you, that... [ Continue Reading ]
Note here, 1. That the spirit of the first covenant was. servile spirit,. spirit of fear and bondage, and they that were under that covenant, were rather servants than sons; not but that true believers, in and under the Old Testament, were the sons and daughters of the Most High God, and we find the... [ Continue Reading ]
Our apostle having proved sufficiently the believing Christians freedom from the yoke of the ceremonial law; next endeavours to convince the Galatians how absurd and unreasonable it was for them voluntarily to put themselves under the obligation and obedience of it, and to look upon it as necessary... [ Continue Reading ]
St. Paul here gives instances to the Galatians, wherein it did appear, that they brought themselves under an unnecessary bondage to the rites of the ceremonial law; he tells them plainly, that they kept the ceremonial sabbaths, feasts and fasts, as if that law was obligatory, and still binding: "YE... [ Continue Reading ]
Observe here, the holy wisdom of our apostle, in tempering his former reproofs with great mildness and gentleness; I BESEECH YOU, BRETHREN. He well knew that these Galatians were alienated in their affections from him; and fearing lest from his present severity and sharpness towards them, they shoul... [ Continue Reading ]
Observe here, 1. singular instance which St. Paul gives of his sincere affection towards these Galatians, HE PREACHED THE GOSPEL TO THEM AT FIRST, and this both with difficulty and danger, THROUGH THE INFIRMITY OF THE FLESH; that is, through much bodily weakness and imperfections. The ancients say S... [ Continue Reading ]
As if the apostle had said, "How comes your affections, which were so warm at first, to be so cold now? Whence is it that I, who was formerly so precious in your esteem, am now looked upon as an enemy, and only because. declare the truth of God unto you? Can any reason be given on my part, for the s... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY, that is, the false apostles, pretend great love to you, and. zealous affection for you; BUT NOT WELL, not upon honest and just grounds. There is often an ill cause, which is to be condemned and avoided; zeal is. mixed affection of love and anger working into. fervency of mind, in defending wha... [ Continue Reading ]
Note here, That although there is. zeal in. bad cause, which is to be condemned and avoided, yet there is. zeal in. just and righteous cause, which is so laudable and worthy to be practised; when it is. zeal guided by religion, governed by prudence, attended with perseverance; when in. good thing we... [ Continue Reading ]
Observe here, 1. The endearing title which the apostle gives to the apostatizing Galatians: he calls them CHILDREN, LITTLE CHILDREN, HIS LITTLE CHILDREN--MY LITTLE CHILDREN. Note, he calls them CHILDREN, because converted to Christianity by the preaching of the gospel; and being thus regenerate and... [ Continue Reading ]
Our apostle, as. farther testimony of his endeared affections towards the Galatians, declares here his earnest desire to have been with them, and see them face to face, that so being more fully acquainted with their case, he might know how to suit his discourse to them, and might have more cause of... [ Continue Reading ]
Our apostle here proceeds to the end of this chapter, in showing the Galatians that it was the design of God, at the coming of Christ, to abolish the legal dispensation, and free men from the servitude and bondage of that law. And, first, he argues with them from the nature of the law they were so w... [ Continue Reading ]
Here the apostle makes an allegorical and spiritual application of the foregoing history of Sarah and Hagar, of Isaac and Ishmael; and the mystery he tells us is this, "The two mothers, Sarah and Hagar, are types of the two covenants, the one of works, the other of grace; the two sons, Isaac and Ish... [ Continue Reading ]
Our apostle here proceeds, and still goes on in his former allegory: the church of the Gentiles he compares to Sarah, who was. long time barren, but at last brought forth. child of the promise,. seed in which all the families of the earth were blessed. The church of the Jews is represented under the... [ Continue Reading ]
In the former of these two verses the apostle applies the foregoing allegory, or typical history of Sarah and Hagar, thus: "As, says he, Isaac by virtue of the promise, being born of the free-woman, was heir to all his father's estate; in like manner, they who seek salvation not by the law, but by f... [ Continue Reading ]
The apostle goes on in explaining and applying this typical history of Ishmael and Isaac, and tells us, that the casting out of Ishmael the son of Hagar the bond-woman, did typify the exclusion of the law from. partnership with the gospel in the justification of. sinner before God. As Ishmael was ca... [ Continue Reading ]
Here the apostle draws. conclusion from the foregoing discourse, thus: "As Sarah cast out Hagar and Ishmael, so must the children of the New Jerusalem cast out the law, and all the legal rites, henceforth to be observed no more, either alone without Christ, or in conjunction with Christ. And as the... [ Continue Reading ]