Galatians 1

Galatians 1:1-5

In this chapter, after the preface or introduction, ver. 1—6, the apostle severely reproves these churches for their defection from the faith, ver. 6—10. And then proves his own apostleship, which his enemies had brought them to question: 1. From his end and design in preaching the gospel, ver. 10. 2. From his having received it by immediate revelation, ver. 11, 12. For the proof of which he acquaints them, (1.) What his former conversation was, ver. 13, 14. (2.) How he was converted, and called to the apostleship, ver. 15, 16. (3.) How he behaved himself afterwards, ver. 16, to the end.

1. PAUL, an apostle (* not of men, neither by man, * but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, * who raised him from the dead) 2. And all the brethren which are with me, unto the churches of Galatia: 3. * Grace be to you, and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, 4. * Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: 5. To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

2. 1—9. Among the heaviest burdens which lay on the great apofite Paul was the case of all the churches; where many errors soon crept in, and judhising teachers fought to correct the simplicity of the gospel, and therewith to decry him who was the zealous defender of its glorious privileges. No where had these sufferers practifed with more success than among the Galatians; for whose recovery to the purity of the faith, the apofite writes this epifite.

3. He begins with his apothical address. Paul an apofite, not of men, neither by men, not affirming a character to which he had no title, nor acting under any ordination merely human, but immediately called to this high office, and commissioned by Jesus Christ himself, who personally appeared to him; and God the Father, who raised him from the dead, declaring thereby his perfect satisfaction in the amusement and righteousness of his heart, and therefore Paul’s commission bore this eminent distinction, that, whilst the chief apofites were only ordained by Jesus in the days of his humiliation, the great apofites of the Christian received his call and office from the glorified Redeemer, exalied on his mediastinal throne.

4. All the brethren which were with him joined the apofite in his address to the churches of Galatia, concurring with him in dissonance, and declaring thereby their approbation of the doctrines which he maintained, and of the just reproach he was about to give. No titles of respect or regard are added: their general defection probably withheld him from making any honourable mention of them, as was usual in his other epifites. Only.

5. He wishes that the belt of blessings may attend them. Grace be such you, in all its happy effects of pardon, comfort, strength, parity, perseverance; and peace, the consequences thereof: both proceeding as a free and sovereign act of favour from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, the meritorious cause of all our mercies, who gave himself for our sins, in infinite compaction to our wretched State, humbling himself to take our nature upon him, and as our substitute and representative to bear our sins in his own body on the tree, that he might obtain eternal redemption for us, and deliver us from this present evil world, from the guilt and condemnation under which it lies, and from the power of iniquity by which it is reduced; and this hath our adored Redeemer done for us according to the will of God and, or even, our Father, who is resuscitated to us by the blood of his cross, and regards us as dear children. To whom he glory for ever and ever, Amen! Both to the Father and his comical Son, for such a contrivance of infinite love and grace, in order to the redemption of lost souls, he all praise and honour of the Son, and he shall be the Son of his cross, and regards us as dear children. To whom he glory for ever and ever, Amen! Both to the Father and his comical Son, for such a contrivance of infinite love and grace, in order to the redemption of lost souls, he all praise and honour of the Son of his cross, and regards us as dear children. To whom he glory for ever and ever, Amen! Both to the Father and his comical Son, for such a contrivance of infinite love and grace, in order to the redemption of lost souls, he all praise and honour of the Son of his cross, and

6. I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: 7. “Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. 8. 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 accursed. 9. As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you, ’than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

7. 6—9. Abrupt the apofite harkens to his point, and expresses.

8. His astonishment at their defection from the faith. I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ, from the blessed God himself, and from us his minisense, and another gospel, different from that which we preached to you, wherein the glorious grace of a Redeemer was exalied; which new doctrine is not indeed another gospel, bringing no glad tidings to the sinful soul of free pardon and salvation by Jesus Christ, but is clogged with conditions which it is impracticable for a fallen creature to perform: but, the truth is, there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ, destroying the riches of the grace, and adulterating the truth with the bale alloy of error. Note, (1.) They who in whole or in part would introduce works as the gospel condition of publication before God, are the most dangerous perversion of the souls of men. (2.) There is but one way to regain the lost favour of God, and that is through grace by faith; and they who propose any other most perish with a lie in their right hand.

9. He expresses his detestation of any other pretended gospel, besides that which he had preached to them. But though we, or an angel from heaven, if we could suppose it possible, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed, and lie down under the most dreadful anathemas of divine vengeance. As we said before, with the deepest solemnity I repeat it, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received from us, let him be accursed.

10. For “do I now ‘perfuade men, or God? or ‘do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ. 11. “But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. 12. For “I neither received 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 perfected the church of God, and ‘walked it’ 14. And probed in the Jews religion, above many my equals in mine own nation, ‘being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions’ of my fathers. 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 me, ’that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with faith and blood. 17. Neither went I up to Jerusalem, to them which were apofites before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus. 18. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days. 19. But ‘other of the apofites saw I none, saw ‘James the Lord’s brother. 20. Now the things which I write unto you, ‘behold, before God, I lyne not. 21. ‘Afterwards I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia; 22. And was unknown by face unto the churches of Judea, which were in Christ. 23. But they had heard only, That he which perfected us in times past, now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed. 24. And they glorified God in me.

11. 10—24. To vindicate himself from the afserfions of the judaising teachers, who affected to set up Peter and the other apofites as far his superiors, he enters into a detail of his divine mission and ministry.

12. He declares the scope of his preaching. Do I now persuade men, or God, endeavouring to engage them to obey human inventions, or to submit to the gospel of the blessed God? or do I seek to please men, and ingratiate myself with you, as the Jewish zealots? No. For I am well persuaded, that if I yet pleased men, and made that my study to accommodate the gospel to their prejudices, I should not be the servant of Christ, and with fidelity and simplicity discharge the truth committed to me. Note, (1.) To please God, not men, must be our great design. (2.) It is impossible that our fidelity in preaching the gospel should not offend those who, in pride and self-sufficiency, cannot bear the humbling truth of the necessity of submission to the righteousness of God therein revealed.

13. He demonstrates to them the divinity of his mission. The gospel he preached was not after men, a human invention, or received at second hand from men’s information, but immediately by revelation from the exalted Jesus, now entered into his glory. They knew his past conversation: what a bigot he had been for Judaism; how greatly he had excelled many of his fellow-students in rabbinical knowledge, exactly failed in all their laws and traditions: to propagate before he had exerted all his zeal, and, with rage approaching madness, had perfected the professors of the Christian name with the savage fury of the most barbarous son. No prejudices of education therefore could have led him to embrace Christianity; but, on the contrary, such a riveted enmity against it, could be only overcome by some very extraordinary method of conviction. But when it pleased God, who hath in his hands the hearts of all men, who of his rich and sovereign grace separated me from my master’s womb, having predetermined me for his own, to serve him in the gospel, and called me by his grace, in such a distinguishing manner, when I was going with the most implacable enmity to perfectate the disciples at Damascus; when, I say, God graciously was pleased then to reveal his Son in me, making my inmost soul, by divine irradiation, acquainted with the fulness of the redemption which is in him, that I might preach him among the heathen, as peculiarly ordained to be their apofite, immediately I conferred not with faith and blood, consulting no longer my own worldly eats, interest, or honour, or asking advice about what God had so clearly determined: neither went I up to Jerusalem, to them which were apofites before me, as if I needed instruction, or a confirmation in my office; but, divinely taught and ordained, if immediately entered on my work, and went into Arabia, where the gospel had not been preached before, and returned again unto Damascus. Then, after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, not to learn of him, but to communicate the success of my labours, and enjoy the comforts of Christian fellowship with him and the rest of the brethren there; and abode with him only fifteen days. But other of the apofites from I now, from James the Lord’s brother, or near hisman; so that I received not my knowledge or commission from them. (Now the things which I write unto you, behold, before God I do not, but with the deepest solemnity appeal to him for the truths I advance. Afterwards I came into the regions of Syria

Syria Chap. 10

Spire and Cilicia, preaching the gospel; and uses, during many years, authoress by fact unto the churches which were in Christ, and professed faith in his name; so that upon them I could not have received any knowledge of the truth. But they had heard only, That he which professed us in times past, now preached the faith which he ever destroyed. And they glorified God in me, selfishing to him praise for my wondrous conviction. Note, (1.) Christ must be revealed by his Spire in us, as well as by his word of us, if we would know him to the saving of our souls: (2.) When occasion requires us, we honour God by a solemn appeal to him.