The first exhortation here given, is, how they should carry themselves one towards another, upon supposition of their scandalous falling either into error, or into sin, namely, not with rigour and severity, but with mildness and lenity; IF ANY BE OVERTAKEN IN. FAULT, &C. Here note, 1. An evil suppo... [ Continue Reading ]
This is. general precept, and requires us to sympathize with our brethren in all thier sorrows and sufferings, and to bear. part with them under the load and burden of oppressive wants and necessities; particularly, bearing with the weaknesses and infirmities of our brethren, seems here to be recomm... [ Continue Reading ]
The apostle is still directing the Galatians, and enforcing them to express great lenity and tenderness towards such of their brethren as had fallen into sin and error, and particularly cautions them, 1. To beware of the sin of pride and self-conceit, and to abound in the grace of humility and mode... [ Continue Reading ]
In this and the following verses our apostle enters upon. new exhortation, and that is, to stir up the Galatians to liberality and beneficence; upon every fitting occasion, to be ready to distribute, willing to communicate, and to do good unto all men. And because it is highly probable, that by reas... [ Continue Reading ]
Here the apostle offers several arguments to consideration, for exciting them to the fore-mentioned duty of liberality and Christian beneficence in general, and to the ministers of the word in particular; and the first of them is taken from God's omnisciency, who takes notice of all the petty and pi... [ Continue Reading ]
The holy apostle, in these words, exhorts the Galatians, and in them all Christians, to the practice of one of the most important parts and duties of the Christian religion, namely, that of doing good one to another: and he doth not barely excite us to the duty, but he exhorts us also to an unwearie... [ Continue Reading ]
It is very probable that St. Paul ordinarily did only dictate, and that some other person wrote his epistles, as that to the Romans Romans 16:22, wrote by Tertius. Sometimes he only wrote the SALUTATION, and subscribed the epistle with his own hand, 1 Corinthians 16:21 but here he tells the Galatian... [ Continue Reading ]
Here our apostle returns to the description which he had before given of the false apostles, who, though they urged the necessity of circumcision, yet it was not with any sincerity of intention: it was first TO MAKE. FAIR SHEW IN THE FLESH; that is, to make. fair outward show of religion, an high pr... [ Continue Reading ]
Having shown what it was that the false apostles gloried in, he next shows what it was that he himself gloried in; namely, IN THE CROSS OF CHRIST; that is, in his preaching Christ crucified, and the necessity of faith in him who died as. sacrifice upon the cross. The cross of Christ is taken three w... [ Continue Reading ]
Here the apostle subjoins. reason why he gloried only in the cross of Christ, and not in those carnal ordinances and fleshly privileges of circumcision, &c. which the false apostles so much gloried in: namely, because CIRCUMCISION, nor UNCIRCUMCISION, neither the presence of that ordinance, nor the... [ Continue Reading ]
Observe here, 1. The nature of Christianity described: it is. walk. Now. walk is. motion,. free and voluntary motion, an uniform and even motion: it is. progressive motion, and. constant motion. Observe, 2. The condition of this walk, and that is regularity: it is. walk by rule;. Christian is not.... [ Continue Reading ]
The apostle having thus fully declared the mind of God in the matter controverted betwixt himself and the false apostles, touching the necessity of circumcision; he now makes use of his apostolic authority, and charges his adversaries to give him no farther trouble or disturbance, either by gainsayi... [ Continue Reading ]
Here our apostle closes his epistle with his accustomed valediction, most affectionately praying that the grace and favour of Christ, in the sweet effects of it, and in the sensible apprehension of it, might remain in their souls, to enlighten, sanctify, comfort, and quicken them more and more, that... [ Continue Reading ]