Bible Commentaries

O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?

O foolish Galatians — Those that are sick of a lethargy must have double the quantity of medicine given them that other men have in other diseases. These Galatians were in a spiritual lethargy, and are therefore thus sharply rebuked, that they might be sound in the faith.

Who hath bewitched you — Or, bemisted you, and dazzled your eyes, Titus 1:13 . The word properly signifies to overlook, as they call it, or to kill with the eyes, by casting out venomous beams, as the basilisk and as witches are said to do. εβασκανε αρα το φαεσι καινειν . (Plin. vii. 2.)

Hath been evidently set forth — As a remedy, by looking whereon ye might have been cured or kept from that bewitching by the eye, like as the stung Israelites were healed by looking on the brazen serpent.

Crucified among you — In the evidence of the doctrine of Christ crucified, and in the administration of the Lord’s Supper, that lively picture of Christ on the cross. The Greek word προεγραφη signifieth to paint forth a thing,Romans 15:4; Romans 15:4 , by a theological painting, not artificial, as the Papists would have it to warrant crucifixes.

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This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

Or by the hearing of faith — The manna of the Spirit comes down from heaven in the dews of the ministry of the gospel, Numbers 11:9 ; 1 Peter 1:21 . If our eyes see not our teachers, we cannot expect to hear the voice behind us, Isaiah 30:20-21 .

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Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?

Are ye so foolish? — Those then that have the Spirit may play fools in some particulars. Those that are recovered of a frenzy, have yet some mad fits sometimes.

Made perfect by the flesh — As Nebuchadnezzar’s image, whose golden head ended in dirty feet.

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Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain.

If it be in vain — q.d. It is not in vain. God keepeth the feet of the saints, that they cannot altogether lose the things they have wrought, they cannot fall below his supporting grace; the Lord puts under his hand, Psalms 37:1-7 Yet it cannot be denied that a hypocrite may suffer, and all in vain, 1 Corinthians 13:3 , as did Alexander the coppersmith, who was near unto martyrdom, Acts 19:34 . See Trapp on " 1 Corinthians 13:3 "

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He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

Or by the hearing of faith — Faith (and so life) is let into the soul by the sense of hearing,Isaiah 55:1-3; Isaiah 55:1-3 , to cross the devil, who by the same door brought death into the world.

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Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.

It was accounted to him — This the Papists jeeringly call a putative righteousness. The Jews also deride it, and say, that every fox shall yield his own skin to the flayer. See Romans 4:9 ; Romans 4:11-12 .

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Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.

The same are children, … — And heirs together with him of the world, Romans 4:14 , which is theirs in right, though detained a while from them by the Amorites, till their sins be full.

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And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying , In thee shall all nations be blessed.

And the Scripture foreseeing — Scripture therefore is not a brute dead thing, as the Jesuits blaspheme. Excellently spake he, who called the Scripture, Cor et animam Dei, The heart and soul of God. (Greg. in Reg. 3.)

Preached the gospel — There is gospel therefore in the Old Testament.

In thee shall all nations — See Trapp on " Genesis 12:3 " "All nations shall be blessed," i.e. justified by faith.

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