Commentari biblici

INTRODUCTION

THE internal and external evidence for Paul's authorship is conclusive. The style is characteristically Pauline. The superscription, and allusions to the apostle of the Gentiles in the first person, throughout the Epistle, establish the same truth

(Ga 1:1, 13-24; 2:1-14).

His authorship is also upheld by the unanimous testimony of the ancient Church: compare IRENÆUS [Against Heresies, 3,7,2]

(Ga 3:19);

POLYCARP [Epistle to the Philippians, 3] quotes

Ga 4:26; 6:7;

JUSTIN MARTYR, or whoever wrote the Discourse to the Greeks, alludes to

Ga 4:12; 5:20.

The Epistle was written "TO THE CHURCHES OF GALATIA"

(Ga 1:2),

a district of Asia Minor, bordering on Phrygia, Pontus, Bithynia, Cappadocia, and Paphlagonia. The inhabitants (Gallo-græci, contracted into Galati, another form of the name Celts) were Gauls in origin, the latter having overrun Asia Minor after they had pillaged Delphi, about 280 B.C. and at last permanently settled in the central parts, thence called Gallo-græcia or Galatia. Their character, as shown in this Epistle, is in entire consonance with that ascribed to the Gallic race by all writers. Cæsar [Commentaries on the Gallic War, 4,5], "The infirmity of the Gauls is that they are fickle in their resolves and fond of change, and not to be trusted." So Thierry (quoted by ALFORD), "Frank, impetuous, impressible, eminently intelligent, but at the same time extremely changeable, inconstant, fond of show, perpetually quarrelling, the fruit of excessive vanity." They received Paul at first with all joy and kindness; but soon wavered in their allegiance to the Gospel and to him, and hearkened as eagerly now to Judaizing teachers as they had before to him

(Ga 4:14-16).

The apostle himself had been the first preacher among them

(Ac 16:6; Ga 1:8; 4:13;

see on

Ga 4:13;

"on account of infirmity of flesh I preached unto you at the first": implying that sickness detained him among them); and had then probably founded churches, which at his subsequent visit he "strengthened" in the faith

(Ac 18:23).

His first visit was about A.D. 51, during his second missionary journey. JOSEPHUS [Antiquities, 16.62] testifies that many Jews resided in Ancyra in Galatia. Among these and their brethren, doubtless, as elsewhere, he began his preaching. And though subsequently the majority in the Galatian churches were Gentiles

(Ga 4:8, 9),

yet these were soon infected by Judaizing teachers, and almost suffered themselves to be persuaded to undergo circumcision

(Ga 1:6; 3:1, 3; 5:2, 3; 6:12, 13).

Accustomed as the Galatians had been, when heathen, to the mystic worship of Cybele (prevalent in the neighboring region of Phrygia), and the theosophistic doctrines connected with that worship, they were the more readily led to believe that the full privileges of Christianity could only be attained through an elaborate system of ceremonial symbolism

(Ga 4:9-11; 5:7-12).

They even gave ear to the insinuation that Paul himself observed the law among the Jews, though he persuaded the Gentiles to renounce it, and that his motive was to keep his converts in a subordinate state, excluded from the full privileges of Christianity, which were enjoyed by the circumcised alone

(Ga 5:11, Ga 4:16,

compare with

Ga 2:17);

and that in "becoming all things to all men," he was an interested flatterer

(Ga 1:10),

aiming at forming a party for himself: moreover, that he falsely represented himself as an apostle divinely commissioned by Christ, whereas he was but a messenger sent by the Twelve and the Church at Jerusalem, and that his teaching was now at variance with that of Peter and James, "pillars" of the Church, and therefore ought not to be accepted.

His PURPOSE, then, in writing this Epistle was: (1) to defend his apostolic authority

(Ga 1:11-19; 2:1-14);

(2) to counteract the evil influence of the Judaizers in Galatia

(Ga 3:1-4:31),

and to show that their doctrine destroyed the very essence of Christianity, by lowering its spirituality to an outward ceremonial system; (3) to give exhortation for the strengthening of Galatian believers in faith towards Christ, and in the fruits of the Spirit

(Ga 5:1-6:18).

He had already, face to face, testified against the Judaizing teachers

(Ga 1:9; 4:16; Ac 18:23);

and now that he has heard of the continued and increasing prevalence of the evil, he writes with his own hand

(Ga 6:11:

a labor which he usually delegated to an amanuensis) this Epistle to oppose it. The sketch he gives in it of his apostolic career confirms and expands the account in Acts and shows his independence of human authority, however exalted. His protest against Peter in

Ga 2:14-21,

disproves the figment, not merely of papal, but even of that apostle's supremacy; and shows that Peter, save when specially inspired, was fallible like other men.

There is much in common between this Epistle and that to the Romans on the subject of justification by faith only, and not by the law. But the Epistle to the Romans handles the subject in a didactic and logical mode, without any special reference; this Epistle, in a controversial manner, and with special reference to the Judaizers in Galatia.

The STYLE combines the two extremes, sternness.

(Ga 1:1-24; 3:1-5)

and tenderness

(Ga 4:19, 20),

the characteristics of a man of strong emotions, and both alike well suited for acting on an impressible people such as the Galatians were. The beginning is abrupt, as was suited to the urgency of the question and the greatness of the danger. A tone of sadness, too, is apparent, such as might be expected in the letter of a warm-hearted teacher who had just learned that those whom he loved were forsaking his teachings for those of perverters of the truth, as well as giving ear to calumnies against himself.

The TIME OF WRITING was after the visit to Jerusalem recorded in

Ac 15:1,

&c.; that is, A.D. 50, if that visit be, as seems probable, identical with that in

Ga 2:1.

Further, as

Ga 1:9

("as we said before"), and

Ga 4:16

("Have [ALFORD] I become your enemy?" namely, at my second visit, whereas I was welcomed by you at my first visit), refer to his second visit

(Ac 18:23),

this Epistle must have been written after the date of that visit (the autumn of A.D. 54).

Ga 4:13,

"Ye know how . . . I preached . . . at the first" (Greek, "at the former time"), implies that Paul, at the time of writing, had been twice in Galatia; and

Ga 1:6,

"I marvel that ye are so soon removed," implies that he wrote not long after having left Galatia for the second time; probably in the early part of his residence at Ephesus

(Ac 18:23; 19:1,

&c., from A.D. 54, the autumn, to A.D. 57, Pentecost) [ALFORD]. CONYBEARE and HOWSON, from the similarity between this Epistle and that to the Romans, the same line of argument in both occupying the writer's mind, think it was not written till his stay at Corinth

(Ac 20:2, 3),

during the winter of 57-58, whence he wrote his Epistle to the Romans; and certainly, in the theory of the earlier writing of it from Ephesus, it does seem unlikely that the two Epistles to the Corinthians, so dissimilar, should intervene between those so similar as the Epistles to the Galatians and Romans; or that the Epistle to the Galatians should intervene between the second to the Thessalonians and the first to the Corinthians. The decision between the two theories rests on the words, "so soon." If these be not considered inconsistent with little more than three years having elapsed since his second visit to Galatia, the argument, from the similarity to the Epistle to the Romans, seems to me conclusive. This to the Galatians seems written on the urgency of the occasion, tidings having reached him at Corinth from Ephesus of the Judaizing of many of his Galatian converts, in an admonitory and controversial tone, to maintain the great principles of Christian liberty and justification by faith only; that to the Romans is a more deliberate and systematic exposition of the same central truths of theology, subsequently drawn up in writing to a Church with which he was personally unacquainted. See on

Ga 1:6,

for BIRKS'S view. PALEY [Horæ Paulinæ] well remarks how perfectly adapted the conduct of the argument is to the historical circumstances under which the Epistle was written! Thus, that to the Galatians, a Church which Paul had founded, he puts mainly upon authority; that to the Romans, to whom he was not personally known, entirely upon argument.

Ga 1:1-24.

SUPERSCRIPTION. GREETINGS. THE CAUSE OF HIS WRITING IS THEIR SPEEDY FALLING AWAY FROM THE GOSPEL HE TAUGHT. DEFENSE OF HIS TEACHING: HIS APOSTOLIC CALL INDEPENDENT OF MAN.

Judaizing teachers had persuaded the Galatians that Paul had taught them the new religion imperfectly, and at second hand; that the founder of their church himself possessed only a deputed commission, the seal of truth and authority being in the apostles at Jerusalem: moreover, that whatever he might profess among them, he had himself at other times, and in other places, given way to the doctrine of circumcision. To refute this, he appeals to the history of his conversion, and to the manner of his conferring with the apostles when he met them at Jerusalem; that so far was his doctrine from being derived from them, or they from exercising any superiority over him, that they had simply assented to what he had already preached among the Gentiles, which preaching was communicated, not by them to him, but by himself to them [PALEY]. Such an apologetic Epistle could not be a later forgery, the objections which it meets only coming out incidentally, not being obtruded as they would be by a forger; and also being such as could only arise in the earliest age of the Church, when Jerusalem and Judaism still held a prominent place.

1. apostle--in the earliest Epistles, the two to the Thessalonians, through humility, he uses no title of authority; but associates with him "Silvanus and Timotheus"; yet here, though "brethren"

(Ga 1:2)

are with him, he does not name them but puts his own name and apostleship prominent: evidently because his apostolic commission needs now to be vindicated against deniers of it.

of--Greek, "from." Expressing the origin from which his mission came, "not from men," but from Christ and the Father (understood) as the source. "By" expresses the immediate operating agent in the call. Not only was the call from God as its ultimate source, but by Christ and the Father as the immediate agent in calling him

(Ac 22:15; 26:16-18).

The laying on of Ananias' hands

(Ac 9:17)

is no objection to this; for that was but a sign of the fact, not an assisting cause. So the Holy Ghost calls him specially

(Ac 13:2, 3);

he was an apostle before this special mission.

man--singular; to mark the contrast to "Jesus Christ." The opposition between "Christ" and "man," and His name being put in closest connection with God the Father, imply His Godhead.

raised him from the dead--implying that, though he had not seen Him in His humiliation as the other apostles (which was made an objection against him), he had seen and been constituted an apostle by Him in His resurrection power

(Mt 28:18; Ro 1:4, 5).

Compare as to the ascension, the consequence of the resurrection, and the cause of His giving "apostles,"

Eph 4:11.

He rose again, too, for our justification

(Ro 4:25);

thus Paul prepares the way for the prominent subject of the Epistle, justification in Christ, not by the law.

2. all the brethren--I am not alone in my doctrine; all my colleagues in the Gospel work, travelling with me

(Ac 19:29,

Gaius and Aristarchus at Ephesus:

Ac 20:4,

Sopater, Secundus, Timotheus, Tychicus, Trophimus, some, or all of these), join with me. Not that these were joint authors with Paul of the Epistle: but joined him in the sentiments and salutations. The phrase, "all the brethren," accords with a date when he had many travelling companions, he and they having to bear jointly the collection to Jerusalem [CONYBEARE and HOWSON].

the churches--Pessinus and Ancyra were the principal cities; but doubtless there were many other churches in Galatia

(Ac 18:23; 1Co 16:1).

He does not attach any honorable title to the churches here, as elsewhere, being displeased at their Judaizing. See First Corinthians; First Thessalonians, &c. The first Epistle of Peter is addressed to Jewish Christians sojourning in Galatia

(1Pe 1:1),

among other places mentioned. It is interesting thus to find the apostle of the circumcision, as well as the apostle of the uncircumcision, once at issue

(Ga 2:7-15),

co-operating to build up the same churches.

3. from . . . from--Omit the second "from." The Greek joins God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ in closet union, by there being but the one preposition.

4. gave himself--

(Ga 2:20);

unto death, as an offering. Found only in this and the Pastoral Epistles. The Greek is different in

Eph 5:25

(see on

Eph 5:25).

for our sins--which enslaved us to the present evil world.

deliver us from this--Greek, "out of the," &c. The Father and Son are each said to "deliver us," &c.

(Col 1:13):

but the Son, not the Father, gave Himself for us in order to do so, and make us citizens of a better world

(Php 3:20).

The Galatians in desiring to return to legal bondage are, he implies, renouncing the deliverance which Christ wrought for us. This he more fully repeats in

Ga 3:13.

"Deliver" is the very word used by the Lord as to His deliverance of Paul himself

(Ac 26:17):

an undesigned coincidence between Paul and Luke.

world--Greek, "age"; system or course of the world, regarded from a religious point of view. The present age opposes the "glory"

(Ga 1:5)

of God, and is under the authority of the Evil One. The "ages of ages" (Greek,

Ga 1:5)

are opposed to "the present evil age."

according to the will of God and our Father--Greek, "of Him who is at once God [the sovereign Creator] and our Father"

(Joh 6:38, 39; 10:18,

end). Without merit of ours. His sovereignty as "GOD," and our filial relation to Him as "OUR FATHER," ought to keep us from blending our own legal notions (as the Galatians were doing) with His will and plan. This paves the way for his argument.

5. be glory--rather, as Greek, "be the glory"; the glory which is peculiarly and exclusively His. Compare Note, see on

Eph 3:21.

6. Without the usual expressions of thanksgiving for their faith, &c., he vehemently plunges into his subject, zealous for "the glory" of God

(Ga 1:5),

which was being disparaged by the Galatians falling away from the pure Gospel of the "grace" of God.

I marvel--implying that he had hoped better things from them, whence his sorrowful surprise at their turning out so different from his expectations.

so soon--after my last visit; when I hoped and thought you were untainted by the Judaizing teachers. If this Epistle was written from Corinth, the interval would be a little more than three years, which would be "soon" to have fallen away, if they were apparently sound at the time of his visit.

Ga 4:18, 20

may imply that he saw no symptom of unsoundness then, such as he hears of in them now. But English Version is probably not correct there. See see on

Ga 4:18;

Ga 4:20;

also see

Introduction.

If from Ephesus, the interval would be not more than one year. BIRKS holds the Epistle to have been written from Corinth after his FIRST visit to Galatia; for this agrees best with the "so soon" here: with

Ga 4:18,

"It is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you." If they had persevered in the faith during three years of his first absence, and only turned aside after his second visit, they could not be charged justly with adhering to the truth only when he was present: for his first absence was longer than both his visits, and they would have obeyed longer in his "absence" than in his "presence." But if their decline had begun immediately after he left them, and before his return to them, the reproof will be just. But see on

Ga 4:13.

removed--Translate, "are being removed," that is, ye are suffering yourselves so soon (whether from the time of my last visit, or from the time of the first temptation held out to you) [PARÆUS] to be removed by Jewish seducers. Thus he softens the censure by implying that the Galatians were tempted by seducers from without, with whom the chief guilt lay: and the present, "ye are being removed," implies that their seduction was only in process of being effected, not that it was actually effected. WAHL, ALFORD, and others take the Greek as middle voice. "ye are removing" or "passing over." "Shifting your ground" [CONYBEARE and HOWSON]. But thus the point of Paul's oblique reference to their misleaders is lost; and in

Heb 7:12

the Greek is used passively, justifying its being taken so here. On the impulsiveness and fickleness of the Gauls (another form of Kel-t-s, the progenitors of the Erse, Gauls, Cymri, and Belgians), whence the Galatians sprang, see

Introduction

and CÆSAR [Commentaries on the Gallic War, 3.19].

from him that called you--God the Father

(Ga 1:15; Ga 5:8; Ro 8:30; 1Co 1:9; 1Th 2:12; 5:24).

into--rather, as Greek, "IN the grace of Christ," as the element in which, and the instrument by which, God calls us to salvation. Compare Note, see on

1Co 7:15;

Ro 5:15,

"the gift by (Greek, 'in') grace (Greek, 'the grace') of (the) one man." "The grace of Christ," is Christ's gratuitously purchased and bestowed justification, reconciliation, and eternal life.

another--rather, as Greek, "a second and different gospel," that is, into a so-called gospel, different altogether from the only true Gospel.

7. another--A distinct Greek word from that in

Ga 1:6.

Though I called it a gospel

(Ga 1:6),

it is not really so. There is really but one Gospel, and no other gospel.

but--Translate, "Only that there are some that trouble you," &c.

(Ga 5:10, 12).

All I meant by the "different gospel" was nothing but a perversion by "some" of the one Gospel of Christ.

would pervert--Greek, "wish to pervert"; they could not really pervert the Gospel, though they could pervert Gospel professors (compare

Ga 4:9, 17, 21; 6:12, 13; Col 2:18).

Though acknowledging Christ, they insisted on circumcision and Jewish ordinances and professed to rest on the authority of other apostles, namely, Peter and James. But Paul recognizes no gospel, save the pure Gospel.