Galatians 6:13

For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh. 'For not even do they who are having themselves circumcised [ hoi (G3588) peritemnomenoi (G4059), 'Aleph (') A C Delta, Vulgate] keep the law themselves (Romans 2:17), but they wish YOU to be circumcised,' etc. (Matthew 23:4.) They arbitrarily selected circumcision out of the whole law, as though observing it would make up for their non-observance of the rest. THAT THEY MAY GLORY IN YOUR FLESH - namely, in the outward change (opposed to the inward, wrought by the SPIRIT) which they...

13._For neither they who hold by circumcision keep the law_. The old version and Erasmus translate thus: _who are circumcised_. But Paul appears to me to refer to teachers only; and for this reason I would prefer to render the words, _those who hold by circumcision, _which would not include all circumcised persons, and thus would avoid ambiguity. The meaning is, “It is not from a strong attachment to the law that they bind you with the yoke of ceremonies; for, even with their own circumcision, they do not keep the law. It is no doubt under the pretext of the law that they require you to be circumcised; but, though they have themselves been circumcised, they do not perform what they enjoin upon others.” When he says, indeed, that they do not _keep the law_, it is doubtful whether he refers to the whole law, or to ceremonies. Some understand him as saying that the law is an intolerable bur...

12-15 Proud, vain, and carnal hearts, are content with just so much religion as will help to keep up a fair show. But the apostle professes his own faith, hope, and joy; and that his principal glory was in the cross of Christ. By which is here meant, his sufferings and death on the cross, the doctrine of salvation by a crucified Redeemer. By Christ, or by the cross of Christ, the world is crucified to the believer, and he to the world. The more we consider the sufferings of the Redeemer from the world, the less likely shall we be to love the world. The apostle was as little affected by its charms, as a beholder would be by any thing which had been graceful in the face of a crucified person, when he beholds it blackened in the agonies of death. He was no more affected by the objects around him, than one who is expiring would be struck with any of the prospects his dying eyes might view f...

Verse 13. _NEITHER THEY THEMSELVES WHO ARE CIRCUMCISED_] They receive circumcision and profess Judaism, not from a desire to be conformed to the _will of God_; but _Judaism_ was popular, and the more converts the false teachers could make; the more occasion of glorying they had, and they wished to get those Christian converts, who had been before _proselytes of the gate_, to receive circumcision, that they might glory in their _flesh_. Behold my converts! Thus they gloried, or _boasted_, not that the people were _converted to God_, but that they were _circumcised_....

FOR NEITHER THEY THEMSELVES WHO ARE CIRCUMCISED - The Jewish teachers, or perhaps all Jews. It was true in general that the Jews did not wholly and entirely obey the Law of Moses, but it is probable that the apostle refers particularly here to the judaizing teachers in Galatia. KEEP THE LAW - The Law of Moses, or the Law of God. Paul’s idea is, that if they were circumcised they brought themselves under obligation to keep the whole law of God; see the note at Galatians 5:3. But they did not do it. (1) No person perfectly observes the whole law of God. (2) The Jewish nation as such were very far from doing it. (3) It is probable that these persons did not pretend even to keep the whole Law of Moses....

EXPOSITION GALATIANS 6:1 BRETHREN, IF (or, _although_)_ _A MAN BE OVERTAKEN IN A FAULT (ἀδελφοί ἐὰν καὶ προληφθῇ ἄνθρωπος ἔν τινι παραπτέματι);_ brethren_',_ if even a man hath been overtaken in some trespass. _"Brethren;" the compellation so introduced betokens a somewhat pathetic urgency: el. above, Galatians 3:15; Galatians 4:31; Galatians 5:11. But Philippians 3:13,...

BUT NEITHER THEY THEMSELVES THAT ARE CIRCUMCISED,.... That is, the pleaders for, and preachers of circumcision, whether they themselves were actually circumcised, or not; it means those that were of the circumcision, on that side of the question, whether heartily or not: KEEP THE LAW; of circumcision, as persons may preach up that, which they themselves do not practise; as did the Pharisees, the predecessors of these men; or if they did keep the law, and submit to it, yet this might be done, not out of regard unto it, and zeal for it, but for some other end; as Simon Magus submitted to baptism, and others preached Christ of envy and contention, and not of good will; or if they did do it in obedience to the law, yet this was not keeping the whole law, which circumcision obliged to; and which, unless they did so keep it, would signify nothing; and this no man is capable of keeping perfect...

Galatians 6:6. _Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things. Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap._ Paul puts that in connection with the support of those who are teachers of the truth, and I have sometimes thought that, in certain churches where God's ministers have been starved, it was not very wonderful that the people should be starved, too. They thought so little about the pastor that they left him in need, so it was not strange that, as they sowed little, they reaped little. One of these misers said that his religion did not cost him more than a shilling a year, and somebody replied that he thought it was a shilling wasted on a bad thing, for his poor religion was not worth even that small amount....

CHAPTER 6 _ 1. Concerning the Restoration of a brother. (Galatians 6:1)_ 2. Concerning Reaping and Sowing. (Galatians 6:6) 3. The conclusion. (Galatians 6:11) Practical exhortations conclude the defense of the gospel. The previous chapter stated that they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh and its lusts. In the beginning of this chapter the treatment to be accorded to a man (a brother) who has been overtaken in a fault is given. The law would demand the cutting off of such a one. It is harsh and merciless. But grace bears a different message. “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself,

Autograph postscript. Large letters need not be literally meant in late Greek; but what else can the word mean here? How large a letter (AV) is not a legitimate translation. Probably the reason is bad sight (_cf. Galatians 4:15_), possibly desire for emphasis; as we print in italics or capitals. A very unfavourable estimate of the moral character of the Judaizers is added. They are not really in earnest in their campaign. They are far from being strict Jews personally, but they pride themselves on making proselytes. The true Christian glories in no flattering successes only in that cross of Christ which brings our old life to a close and separates us for ever from the world. Those thus crucified with Christ and new-created in His resurrection are God's true Israel (_cf._ Psalms 73:1) whether they be Jew