_HE ASKETH, WHAT MOVETH THEM TO LEAVE THE FAITH, AND DEPEND UPON THE LAW? THEY THAT BELIEVE ARE JUSTIFIED, AND BLESSED WITH ABRAHAM. AND THIS HE SHEWETH BY MANY REASONS._ _Anno Domini 49._ ST. PAUL, having by many arguments proved himself a real Apostle, and shewed that his knowledge of the Gospel... [ Continue Reading ]
O FOOLISH GALATIANS,— By the account that St. Paul has given of himself in the foregoing Chapter s, the Galatians beingfurnished with evidence sufficient to clear him in their minds from the report of his preaching circumcision he comes now, the way being thus opened, directly to oppose their being... [ Continue Reading ]
RECEIVED YE THE SPIRIT, &C.— There is no doubt but that it was on their becoming Christians that they received the Spirit; and therefore that it could not be ascribed to the law, to which they were strangers till afterwards; but must be owing to that faith in which they were instructed by the gospel... [ Continue Reading ]
ARE YE SO FOOLISH, &C.— "Having then set out so happily and hopefully in your Christian course, under the light and influence of the Spirit, with faith in Christ for divine acceptance, according to the tenor of the gospel; how surprisingly stupid and irrational is it for any one of you to imagine th... [ Continue Reading ]
HAVE YE SUFFERED SO MANY THINGS IN VAIN?— As much persecution might be declined by admitting this mixture of Judaism, there was reason to fear that a regard to their own present ease and convenience led them to it; (comp. ch. Galatians 5:11 and Galatians 6:12.) which was, in a manner, cancelling the... [ Continue Reading ]
HE THAT MINISTERETH, &C.— The person meant here by _he that ministereth,_ and ch. Galatians 1:6 by _him that called,_ is plainly St. Paul himself; though, out of modesty, he declines making use of his own name. It was certainly a great display of the divine wisdom to _suffer_ such contentions to ari... [ Continue Reading ]
_GALATIANS 3:6_.— St. Paul's next argument against circumcision and subjection to the law is, "That the children of Abraham, intitled to the inheritance and blessing promised to Abraham and his seed, are so by _faith,_ and not by being _under the law,_ which brings a curse upon those who are under i... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THEE SHALL ALL NATIONS BE BLESSED.— It may perhaps be asked, "What evidence there is that this promise meant the conversion of Jews and Gentiles to Christianity, rather than converting the Gentiles to Judaism, and so blessing them with a participation of the privileges originally granted to the n... [ Continue Reading ]
THE WORKS OF THE LAW— _They of faith,_ Galatians 3:9 and they _of the works of the law,_ are spoken of as two sorts of persons; the one the genuine posterity of Abraham, by faith, and thereby heirs of the promise; the other not. There is also another division in these two verses, of the _blessed,_ a... [ Continue Reading ]
THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH..— A dispute arose between St. Paul and the _Judaizing Christians,_ concerning what it was which justified a man before God, and entitled him to that eternal life brought to light by the gospel. _They_ held it to be _the works of the law. St. Paul,_ on the contrary, affi... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE LAW IS NOT OF FAITH:— As the Apostle shews here, that there was no obtaining life by the _law,_ without an immaculate obedience; _faith,_ which is used here in opposition to it, must signify a firm belief of the promise of God, and acting according to it, in a dependance upon Christ only for... [ Continue Reading ]
CHRIST HATH REDEEMED US FROM THE CURSE OF THE LAW,— The curse of the law, from which Christ hath redeemed us, was that which doomed us to eternal misery; whence it has been justly inferred, that the law of Moses, which is included in this expression, was established on the sanction of future punishm... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT THE BLESSING, &C.— That the _blessing,_ Galatians 3:8; Galatians 3:14 _justification,_ Galatians 3:11 and being the _children of God,_ Galatians 3:26 are in effect all the same, on the one side; and that _the curse,_ Galatians 3:13 is the direct contrary, on the other side, is so plain in St. P... [ Continue Reading ]
HE SAITH NOT, AND TO SEEDS,— That is, The promises made to Abraham were not appropriated to one line of his descendants,—that is, to those by Isaac; but centred in one illustrious Person, with regard to whom the rest are made partakers of the great blessing exhibited in the Abrahamic covenant, that... [ Continue Reading ]
FOUR HUNDRED AND THIRTY YEARS AFTER,— The first celebrated promise was made to Abraham when he was 75 years old, Genesis 12:3 and from this date of it, to the birth of Isaac, when Abraham was 100 years old, Genesis 21:5 was 25 years. Isaac was 60 when Jacob was born, Genesis 25:26. Jacob went into... [ Continue Reading ]
_GALATIANS 3:19_.— In answer to the objection, _To what then serveth the law?_ the Apostle shews that the law was not contrary to the promise; but since all men were guilty of transgression, Galatians 3:22 the law was added, to shew the Israelites the fruit and inevitable consequence of their sin, a... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW A MEDIATOR, &C.— To understand this verse, we must carry in our minds what St. Paul is here doing; and from Galatians 3:17 it is manifest that he is proving that the law could not disannul the promise; and he does it upon this known rule, that a covenant, or promise, once ratified, cannot be alt... [ Continue Reading ]
WHICH COULD HAVE GIVEN LIFE,— _Which could have put into a state of life._ The word Ζωοποιησαι signifies, _to make alive:_ St. Paul considers all men here as in a mortal state; and to be put out of that mortal state into a state of life, he calls _being made alive._ He says the law could not do this... [ Continue Reading ]
ALL— The words Τα παντα are used here for _all men._ In Romans 3:9; Romans 3:19 the Apostle expresses the same thing by παντας, _all men,_ and πας ο κοσμος, _all the world:_ but, speaking in the present verse of the _Jews_ in particular, he says _we,_ meaning those of his own nation, as is evident f... [ Continue Reading ]
OUR SCHOOL-MASTER— The original does not signify a _school-master,_ but "one who heads or conducts children to school."The ancients generally employed a person for this purpose; and if the Apostle be supposed to allude to this custom, his reasoning will appear exceedingly plain and conclusive. See t... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR YE ARE ALL THE CHILDREN OF GOD, &C.— As a further argument to dissuade them from circumcision, St. Paul tells the Galatians, that, by faith, that is, living faith, in Christ, all, whether Jews or Gentiles, are made the children of God; and so they stood in no need of circumcision.... [ Continue Reading ]
HAVE PUT ON CHRIST.— This, at first sight, may seem a very bad metaphor; but if we consider what St. Paul has said, Galatians 3:16; Galatians 3:26 we shall find it admirably adapted to express his thoughts in few words. He says, Galatians 3:16 that the _Seed_ to which the promise was made _was but o... [ Continue Reading ]
THERE IS NEITHER JEW NOR GREEK,— That is to say, _nor Gentile._ "All distinctions are now put an end to, by this happy union; all are equally accepted in Christ Jesus; and, being made one body in him, believers, of whatever nation, sex, or condition, are all cemented in the bonds of holy friendship,... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IF YE BE CHRIST'S, &C.— That is, if ye are united by faith to _Him,_ who is the promised Seed, _then are ye the true seed of Abraham,_ and, in consequence of this, heirs according to the promise. _INFERENCES.—_With what gratitude should we reflect that, through the amazing goodness of God, we sh... [ Continue Reading ]