Courier New; GALATIANS CHAPTER 1 GALATIANS 1:1 After saluting the churches of Galatia, GALATIANS 1:6,7 Paul testifieth his surprise that they should so soon have forsaken the truth of the gospel which he had taught them, GALATIANS 1:8,9 and pronounceth those accursed who preach any other gospe... [ Continue Reading ]
He writeth not only in his own name, but in the name of all those other Christians that were with him in the place where he now was (whether Rome or Corinth, or some other place, is uncertain); with whose consent and privity probably he wrote, possibly at their instigation, and whose common consent... [ Continue Reading ]
A common, as well as religious and Christian, form of salutation; Paul's mark in every Epistle, and used by him without any variation, (except in his Epistles to Timothy and Titus, where he only adds _mercy_ &c.), the want of which, as also of his name, offers some grounds to doubt whether he wrote... [ Continue Reading ]
OLBGrk; Which Christ, though he was put to death by Pilate and the Jews, yet he was not compelled to die; for he laid down his life, no man took it from him, 1 THESSALONIANS 10:17,18. Sometimes it is said, he died for our sins, as ROMANS 5:8; sometimes, that he _gave himself, _ (meaning, to death),... [ Continue Reading ]
To which Father, (yet not excluding the Son), for do great benefits bestowed upon us, be honour, and praise, from age to age, and to all eternity. The term _Amen_, being always used in Scripture either as a term of assertion, to aver the truth of a thing, or as a term of wishing, may here be underst... [ Continue Reading ]
The apostle here beginneth the matter and substance of his Epistle, with a reprehension of this church; which in, some things is much qualified, in other things much aggravated. His expressing his reproof by the word MARVEL, hath in it something of mitigation, and signifieth his better hopes concern... [ Continue Reading ]
WHICH IS NOT ANOTHER; another doctrine it is, but another doctrine or glad tidings of salvation, or another gospel of Christ, it is not; for there is no other. In and by the new notions they bring they do but TROUBLE YOU, and PERVERT THE true doctrine of THE GOSPEL; though they use the name of Chris... [ Continue Reading ]
Ver. 8,9. The apostle, by this vehement expression, doth no more suppose it possible that a heavenly angel should publish to them any other way of salvation than what he had published, than that he himself might so contradict his own doctrine. He only by it declares his certainty of the truth, which... [ Continue Reading ]
SEE POOLE ON "GALATIANS 1:9... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR DO I NOW PERSUADE MEN, OR GOD? There is an emphasis in the particle _now, _ since I became a Christian, and was made an apostle; while I was a Pharisee I did otherwise, but since I became an apostle of Jesus Christ, do I persuade you to hear what men say, or what God saith? Or (as others) do I p... [ Continue Reading ]
He calls them BRETHREN, though some of them were revolted, because they owned Christ, and makes known or declares to them, (so the word is translated, LUKE 2:15 1 THESSALONIANS 15:15 1 THESSALONIANS 17:26), that the doctrine of the gospel, which he had preached unto them, was no human invention or f... [ Continue Reading ]
Not OF MAN, as my first and sole instructor, not only at second-hand, from Peter, James, or John, as the false teachers had suggested, NOR WAS I TAUGHT IT otherwise than BY THE immediate REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST. REVELATION signifieth the discovery of something which is secret (as the gospel, and... [ Continue Reading ]
OLBGrk; It will be no difficult thing for you to believe, that I had never preached the gospel without a Divine revelation of the truth of it, if you do but reflect upon my former conversation; for you cannot but have heard, that I was born a Jew, educated in the Jewish religion, and was a zealous d... [ Continue Reading ]
The word here used, and translated PROFITED, may be interpreted either of his own personal proficiency, and going on in the Jewish religion, or of his propagating of it, and making that to go on, which seemeth to be the sense of the same word, 2 TIMOTHY 2:16. And it is observed, that active verbs in... [ Continue Reading ]
Here are two acts predicated of God, with relation to Paul: the first is a separating of him from the womb; the same was said of two of the great prophets, Isaiah and Jeremiah, ISAIAH 49:1 JEREMIAH 1:5. The apostle here is not speaking of God's decree, predestinating him to eternal life, but of his... [ Continue Reading ]
When it pleased God to discover Christ his Son (by an eternal generation) to me, whom neither naturally, nor from any instruction in my education, was acquainted with any thing of Christ, but, according to the common prejudices of those of my own country, looked upon him as a mere man, and an impost... [ Continue Reading ]
OLBGrk; As Jerusalem was the place for the oracle of the law, under the Old Testament; so it also was for the gospel upon the first publication of it. There the disciples were; they returned thither after they had seen Christ ascend to heaven, LUKE 24:52; from thence they were not to depart, but to... [ Continue Reading ]
These THREE YEARS were spent partly in Arabia, partly at Damascus, whither he returned; and he, being there, was not idle, but, as Luke informs us, _preached Christ in the synagogues, confounded the Jews, proving that this was the very Christ, _ which made _the Jews_ take _counsel to kill him:_ here... [ Continue Reading ]
The apostles were at this time scattered, either through the persecution, or for the fulfilling of the work of their apostleship; so as probably there were at this time no more of the apostles at Jerusalem, except Peter, and James the less, the son of Alpheus, who is here called the brother of our L... [ Continue Reading ]
Whether those words, BEFORE GOD, make this sentence an oath, is not material to determine; they are either an oath, or a very serious asseveration. If the apostle designed to call God for a witness, to the correspondence of his words with the truth of the things he had spoken, they make up an assert... [ Continue Reading ]
After that I came from Jerusalem, I came into the country of Syria; probably not to Damascus, the chief city of Syria, (where he had so narrow an escape in a basket), but into the country parts of Syria; for Syria lay in the way between Judea and Cilicia. It appeareth by ACTS 9:30, that Paul was des... [ Continue Reading ]
To be IN CHRIST, signifieth: 1. Their being Christians indeed; they having received Christ by a true and lively faith, and given themselves to the obedience of his precepts. In this sense the apostle saith: _If any man be in Christ he is a new creature._ 2. Their being Christians in name, by baptis... [ Continue Reading ]
Though those churches in the country of Judea had never seen Paul's person, yet they had heard of him: 1. That he had been a persecutor of those which professed the doctrine of the gospel, which he here calleth THE FAITH, it being the object and the means of faith. 2. That there was such a change... [ Continue Reading ]
And they praised God on his behalf, for working so great a change in him.... [ Continue Reading ]