Paul, (1) an apostle, (not (a) of men, neither by (b) man, but by (c) Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;) (1) A salutation which puts in a few words the sum of the apostle's doctrine, and also immediately from the beginning shows the gravity appropriate for the authorit... [ Continue Reading ]
(2) Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil (d) world, according to the will of God and our Father: (2) The sum of the true Gospel is this, that Christ by his offering alone saves us who are chosen out of the world, by the free decree of God the Father. (d) O... [ Continue Reading ]
(3) I marvel that ye are so soon (e) removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: (3) The first part of the epistle, in which he witnesses that he is an apostle, nothing inferior to those chief disciples of Christ, and wholly agreeing with them, whose names the fal... [ Continue Reading ]
(4) Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would (f) pervert the gospel of Christ. (4) He warns them in time to remember that there are not many Gospels; and therefore whatever these false apostles pretend who had the Law, Moses, and the fathers in their mouths, yet these one... [ Continue Reading ]
But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be (g) accursed. (g) See (Romans 9:3).... [ Continue Reading ]
(5) For do I now persuade (h) men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ. (5) A confirmation taken both from the nature of the doctrine itself, and also from the manner which he used in teachings. For neither, he says, did I teach those... [ Continue Reading ]
(6) But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. (6) A second argument to prove that his doctrine is heavenly, because he had it from heaven, from Jesus Christ himself, without any man's help, in which he excels those whom Christ taught here on earth after... [ Continue Reading ]
For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught [it], but by the (i) revelation of Jesus Christ. (i) This passage is about an extraordinary revelation, for otherwise the Son revealed his Gospel only by his Spirit, even though by the ministry of men, which Paul excludes here.... [ Continue Reading ]
(7) For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it: (7) He proves that he was extraordinarily taught by Christ himself, by this history of his former life, which the Galatians themselves knew well enough... [ Continue Reading ]
And profited in the Jews' religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the (k) traditions of my fathers. (k) He calls them the traditions of his fathers, because he was not only a Pharisee himself, but also had a Pharisee for his father.... [ Continue Reading ]
But when it pleased God, who (l) separated me from my mother's womb, and called [me] by his grace, (l) He speaks of God's everlasting predestination, by which he appointed him to be an apostle, of which he makes three distinctions: the everlasting council of God, his appointing from his mother's wo... [ Continue Reading ]
To reveal his Son (m) in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately (8) I conferred not with (n) flesh and blood: (m) To me, and this is a type of speech which the Hebrews use, by which it shows us that this gift comes from God. (8) He says this because it might be objected that he w... [ Continue Reading ]
Now the things which I write unto you, behold, (o) before God, I lie not. (o) This is a type of an oath.... [ Continue Reading ]
But they had heard only, That he which persecuted us in times past now preacheth the (p) faith which once he destroyed. (p) The doctrine of faith.... [ Continue Reading ]