7 Which is not another gospel, or message from God. But some there are who, on pretence that their doctrine of justification by the law of Moses is authorized by God, trouble you with doubts concerning my doctrine, and wish to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 They affirm that Peter preacheth, nay that I myself preach justification by works of law. But even if we who write this, or an angel pretending to have come from heaven, should preach to you a method of justification contrary to, or different from what we have formerly preached to you, let him be devoted to destruction. 9 To shew you how certain I am of the truth of the doctrine which I preach; As we who write this letter said before jointly, so now a second time I Paul separately, say, if any man or angel, preach to you concerning your justification, contrary to what ye have learned from me, let him be devoted to destruction. 10 Having twice denounced destruction to myself and to all others, if we preach contrary to what was latians concerning their justification by faith, was not afraid to foretell that he or an angel pretending to have come from heaven, would be punished eternally, if they preached contrary to what he had preached to them. And to shew the greatness of that punishment, he expressed it by the word anathema, which signifies one cut off from the congregation of the worshippers of God by excommunication; or, one separated to be publicly punished with death. See Rom. ix. 3. note. 1 Cor. xvi. 22. note. Perhaps also by using the word anathema, the apostle insinuated to the Corinthians, that they ought to have no intercourse with such teachers; but should even cast them out of their society. See Gal. v. 12. note 1. Ver. 10.-1. And now, do I make men my friends? So the phrase Arpœ* may be translated, as it hath that signification, Acts xii. 20. Пucartes Brasov, Having made Blastus the king's chamberlain their friend. The expression is elliptical, and may be thus supplied: Having persuaded Blastus to befriend them.-Because a signifies to obey, Rom. ii. 8. yet pleased men, I should not be the servantof Christ. 11 But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me, is not after man. 12 For I neither receiv ed it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. 13 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: 14 And profited in the Jews religion, above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers. ηρεσκον, Χριςου ανθρωποις 11 Γνωρίζω δε υμιν, αδελφοι, το ευαγγέλιον το ευαγ γελισθεν ὑπ' εμου, ότι ουκ εςι κατα ανθρωπον. 12 Ουδε γαρ εγω παρα ανθρωπου παρέλαβον αυτό, ουτε εδιδαχθην αλλα δι' αποκαλύψεως Ιησου Χριςου. 13 Ηκουσατε γαρ την εμην ανατροφην ποτε εν τῷ Ιουδαισμῳ, ότι καθ' ὑπερβολην εδιωκον την εκκλησίαν του Θεου, και επορθούν αυτην. 14 Και προέκοπτον ἐν τῷ Ιουδαισμῳ, ὑπερ πολλους συ νηλικιωτας εν τῷ γενει μου, περισσότερως ζηλωτης ύπαρ χων των πατρικών μου πα ραδόσεων. Gal. iii. 1. Heb. xiii. 17. Whitby thinks the phrase in this verse may be translated, Do I obey men or God ? 2. I should not be the servant of Christ. This is a cutting reproof to all those ministers, who either alter or conceal the doctrines of the gospel, for fear of displeasing their hearers, or to gain popularity. Ver. 12.—1. I neither received it from man. If Paul did not receive the gospel from man, the perfect conformity of his doctrine with the doctrine of the other apostles, is a proof that he was taught it by revelation from Jesus Christ. Ver. 13.1. And laid it waste. The word επορθεν being derived from #gnav to burn, signifies to waste and destroy with great fury, as in the sacking of towns. Ver. 14.—1. And made progress in Judaism. Και προέκοπτον may be translated, because I made progress in Judaism. See Ess. iv. 207. By Ju daism the apostle does not mean the religion contained in the writings of Moses and the prophets, but, as is evident from the latter part of the verse, that religion which consisted in observing the traditions of the fathers, and the commandments of men. 2. Of the traditions of my fathers. These were what the evangelists and our Lord called, Mark vii. 5. 9. the traditions of the elders, and their own first preached to you, I now ask those who say I suit my doctrine to the humours of men, Do I by this denunciation make men my friends, or God? Or do I seek to please men? If indeed I still pleased men, as before my conversion, I should not be the servant of Christ. 11 Now, because my doctrine hath been disregarded on pretence that I was taught it by men, I assure you brethren, concerning justification by faith, which was preached by me, that it is not a doctrine which I was taught by man, and which I was in danger of mistaking. 12 For 1 neither received it from Ananias, nor from any of the apostles at Jerusalem, nor was I taught it any how, except by a revelation from Jesus Christ. 13 To convince you of this, I appeal to my behaviour, both before and after I was made an apostle. Ye have heard certainly, in what manner I behaved formerly, while I professed Judaism; that I exceedingly persecuted the church of God, and laid it swaste. 14 And my enmity to the gospel was occasioned by my making progress in Judaism, (Acts xxii. 3.) above many who were of the same age with myself in mine own nation; being more exceedingly zealous than any of them, in maintaining the traditions of my fathers, in which as a Pharisee I placed the whole of religion. traditions; to shew that they were mere human inventions. It was the characteristic of a Pharisee to hold these traditions as of equal authority with the precepts of the law.. Nay in many cases they gave them the preference. Hence our Lord told them, Mark vii. 9. Fairly ye reject the commandments of God, that ye may keep your own traditions. The apostle mentions his knowledge of the traditions of his fathers, and his zeal for them as things abso 15 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, 16 To reveal his Son in mc, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood: 17 Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles be fore me but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus. 18 Then, after three 15 Ότε δε ευδόκησεν ὁ Θεος ὁ αφορισας με εκ κοιλιας μητρός μου, και καλε σας δια της χάριτος αυτον, 16 Αποκαλυψαι τον υιον αυτου εν εμοι, ἵνα ευαγγελι ζωμαι αυτον εν τοις εθνεσιν, ευθεως ου προσανεθεμην σαρκι και ἁιματι 17 Ουδε ανήλθον εις Ιερο σολυμα προς τους προ εμου αποςόλους" αλλ' απηλθον εις Αραβίαν, και παλιν ὑπεςρε ψα εις Δαμασκον. 18 Επειτα μετα ετη τρια years, I went up to Jerusa- ανηλθον εις Ἱεροσολυμα ἱςο lem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days. ρησαι Πετρον και επέμεινα προς αυτόν ήμερας δεκαπεντε. lutely necessary to salvation, to convince the Galatians, that his preaching justification without the works of law, could be attributed to nothing but the force of the truth communicated to him by revelation. Ver. 16. 1. I did not consult. The word ανατίθεσθαι, as Budeus observes, signifies to deposit a secret in the breast of a friend. Here πρισανεθεμην is used to denote the laying open one's case to another for advice. Gal. ii. 6. the word is used in a sense somewhat different. 2. Flesh and blood. This is a common periphrasis for any man, Matth. xvi. 17. See Ess. iv. 43. Because the apostle in the next verse mentions his not going up to Jerusalem to them who were apostles before him, Guyse thinks the apostle's meaning in this phrase is, that he had no regard to worldly considerations in what he now did. Ver. 17.-1. I went away into Arabia. Luke, in his history of the Acts, takes no notice of the apostle's journey into Arabia. But from the manner in which it is mentioned here, it would seem that the apostle went into Arabia immediately after he recovered his sight and strength, which had been impaired by the bright light with which Christ was surrounded when he appeared to him, and by the terror into which he was cast by that miraculous appearance. Nevertheless, since we are told, Acts ix. 19. that after Saul recovered his sight and strength, he was certain days with the disciples at Damascus, during which he preached Christ in the synagogues, we must interpret the word immediately, ver. 16. in such a manner as to admit, that after his conversion he spent a few days in preaching at Damascus, and then retired into Arabia: and that what is said, Acts ix. 22. Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews, &c. is an account of what 15 But when God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called ME by his grace, was pleased 16 To reveal his Son (EMO) to me, that I might preach him (v) to the Gentiles; immediately I did not consult1 flesh and blood: 2 17 Neither did I go up to Jerusalem, to them who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia, and again returned to Damascus. 18 Then, after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to become acquainted with Peter, and abode with him fifteen days. 15 But when God, who destined me from my birth to be an apostle, and ordered my education with a view to that office, and who, called me to it by his unmerited goodness, vas pleased 16 To shew his Son to me, that I might preach him to the heathen, as risen from the dead, immediately after that I did not consult any man in Damascus, as having doubts concerning what I had seen, or as needing information concerning the gospel which I was called to preach: 17 Neither did I go up to Jerusalem, to be instructed by them who were apostles before me; but I went away into Arabia, where there was no apostle; and having there received farther revelations from Christ, and studied the scriptures by the light of these revelations, I again returned to Damascus, without having seen any of the apostles. 18 Then, after three years from my conversion, I went up to Jerusalem to become acquainted with Peter, and being introduced to him by Barnabas, who knew how the Lord had appeared to me, I abode in his house fifteen days. happened after his return to Damascus from Arabia. See Harmony, Prelim. Obser. iii. And as Christ promised to tell Saul what he should do, Acts xxii. 10. we cannot doubt that it was by Christ's direction he went into Arabia, to receive farther revelations, and to shun the displeasure of the chief priests, who as soon as they heard of his embracing the cause which he had persecuted, would endeavour to put him to death. Indeed the Jews in general were so enraged against him, for going over to the Christians, that when he returned from Arabia to Damascus, such of them as lived in that city took counsel to kill him, Acts ix. 23. See also Acts ix. 29. Ver. 18.-1. To become acquainted with Peter. This being Paul's first visit to Jerusalem since his conversion, the brethren there shunned him, suspecting that he feigned himself a disciple, with a view to betray them. But Barnabas, who probably had learned the particulars of his conversion from Ananias, took him and brought him to the apostles, (Peter and James) |