_HE WONDERETH THAT THEY HAVE SO SOON LEFT HIM AND THE GOSPEL; AND PRONOUNCETH A SACRED CURSE ON THOSE THAT PREACH ANY OTHER GOSPEL THAN HE DID: HE LEARNED THE GOSPEL NOT OF MEN, BUT OF GOD: AND SHEWETH WHAT HE WAS BEFORE HIS CALLING, AND WHAT HE DID PRESENTLY AFTER IT._ _Anno Domini 49._ BECAUSE t... [ Continue Reading ]
PAUL, AN APOSTLE,— The first four verses contain the preface or introduction to this epistle: the general view of it plainly shews St. Paul's chief design to be, to keep theGalatiansfromhearkeningtothoseJudaizing seducers, who had almost persuaded them to be circumcised. These _perverters of the Gos... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ALL THE BRETHREN, &C.— Not all believers in general, but those who accomplished St. Paul in his travels, and assisted him in preaching the Gospel. Such were Timothy, Clement, and others, who are denominated _fellow-labourers_ in other places. See Philippians 4:3. 1 Thessalonians 3:2. When St. Pa... [ Continue Reading ]
GRACE BE TO YOU, &C.— These words are both a Christian salutation, and an apostolical benediction. As they are a _salutation,_ they express a wish and desire of the best blessings in behalf of those saluted: whence we may learn, that religion does not abolish and destroy, but spiritualize and improv... [ Continue Reading ]
FROM THIS PRESENT EVIL WORLD,— "From the vicious customs and practices of the world."—The original is ambiguous: some would render it _from the evil of this present world._ Mr. Locke argues from 1 Corinthians 2:6; 1 Corinthians 2:8 that the term Αιων ουτος signifies the _Jewish nation,_ under the Mo... [ Continue Reading ]
_GALATIANS 1:6_.— We have before observed, that St. Paul's first endeavour in this epistle was to satisfy the Galatians, that the report spread of him, that he preached circumcision, was false. Till this obstruction which lay in his way was removed, it was to no purpose for him to go about to dissua... [ Continue Reading ]
WHICH IS NOT ANOTHER;— I take the Greek here to signify, says Mr. Locke, _which is not any thing else._ For, _first,_ the words themselves, the context, and the business the Apostle is upon, do all concur in this sense. _Secondly,_ It is suitable to St. Paul's design here to tell them, that to their... [ Continue Reading ]
THOUGH WE, OR AN ANGEL FROM HEAVEN,— Some have imagined, that the Apostle uses this expression as a prophetical prevention against crediting the pretences of _Cerinthus_ and _Mahomet,_ who both pretended to have received their revelations by the ministry of an angel.It may likewise glance at the man... [ Continue Reading ]
LET HIM BE ACCURSED.— Though we may look upon the repetition of the _anathema_ here to be for the adding of force to what he says; yet we may observe, that by joining himself with an angel in the foregoing verse, he does as good as tell them, that he is not guilty of what deserves that _anathema:_ s... [ Continue Reading ]
DO I NOW PERSUADE MEN,— _Do I court the favour of men;_—or, _Do I ingratiate myself with men, rather than with God?_ The words _now_ and _yet_ cannot be understood without a reference to something in St. Paul's past life. What that was which he had particularly then in his mind, we may see by the ac... [ Continue Reading ]
THE GOSPEL WHICH WAS PREACHED OF ME— This being spoken indefinitely, must be understood "in general—every where," and so gives us the import of the foregoing verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THE JEWS' RELIGION;— This does not signify the religion originally taught by Moses, but that which was practised among the Jews at this time, and much of it built upon the tradition of the elders. Grotius.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND PROFITED—MY EQUALS IN, &C.— _And made proficiency—my cotemporaries of,_ &c.... [ Continue Reading ]
WHO SEPARATED ME— See Jeremiah 1:5 and the history of this Apostle's call, Acts 9:1; Acts 9:43.... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT I MIGHT PREACH HIM AMONG THE HEATHEN;— This was undoubtedly the scheme of Providence concerning St. Paul, who has been accordingly distinguished by the name of _The Apostle of the Gentiles._ Dr. Wells and some others understand the last clause of this verse as if the Apostle had said, "Immediat... [ Continue Reading ]
NEITHER WENT I UP TO JERUSALEM— What the Apostle says in this and the preceding verse, is toevince to the Galatians the full assurance that he had of the truth and perfection of the Gospel, which he had received from Christ by immediate revelation; and how little he was disposed to have any regard t... [ Continue Reading ]
AFTER THREE YEARS— That is, from his conversion. The Apostle seems to have used great caution, to prevent any suspicion that he had gone even to St. _Peter_ for the sake of instruction; for he says, first, that he went only to _see him,_ and then that he _abode with him;_ but says not a word of havi... [ Continue Reading ]
JAMES, THE LORD'S BROTHER.— He was the Son of Alpheus and Mary, the sister of the virgin; so that he was _cousin-german_ to Jesus. See Mark 3:18.... [ Continue Reading ]
BEFORE GOD, I LIE NOT.— A revelation of the facts and doctrines of Christianity immediately from Jesus Christ himself, without the assistance of any human teacher, so wonderfully agreeing in all its branches with that which the Lord Jesus Christ had taught on earth, both before and after his resurre... [ Continue Reading ]
WHICH WERE IN CHRIST:— That is, "believing in Christ." See Romans 16:7. What he takes such particular notice of here, does not tend to the proving that he was a true Apostle; but serves very well to shew, that in what he preached, he had no communication with those of his own nation, nor took any pa... [ Continue Reading ]
IN ME.— _On my account._ Doddridge. _INFERENCES.—_With what entire satisfaction may we depend upon the divine authority of the Gospel which was delivered by the Apostle Paul, who has testified, even upon oath, that he received it, together with his commission to preach it, not from any mere man, but... [ Continue Reading ]