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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.

10 For do I now persuade men, or God? ordo I seek to please men? forifi

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10 Αρτι γαρ ανθρωπους πειθω, η τον Θεον; η ζητω ανθρωποις αρεσκειν; ει γαρ ετι

Chandler's opinion, that in this passage, Paul, and not Gol is spoken of. For, as he wrote this chapter to prove himself an apostle, his success in calling the Galatians to the Christian faith, was fitly mentioned as one of the proofs of his apostleship, as it implied that he was assisted in that work by God.

Ver. 7.-1. Which is not another. The Judaizing teachers, it would seem, affirmed that their doctrine concerning the justification of men by the sacrifices and other services of the law of Moses, was another and better gospel than Paul's; understanding by a gospel, a message from God concerning their salvation. But the apostle assured the Galatians, that that doctrine, so far from being another or different gospel from his, was no gospel at all; consequently deserved no credit whatever.

2. But some there are—who wish to pervert the gospel of Christ. Μεταςξε fa, literally, to overturn the gospel of Christ. This the Judaizers effectually did by their doctrine. For if men may obtain the pardon of their sins by the Levitical sacrifices, the sacrifice of Christ is altogether unnecessary. This Paul plainly declared to the church at Antioch, Gal. iii. 21.

Ver. 8.-1. Contrary to what we have preached to you. Whitby, following the Greek commentators, thinks Tag'i should be translated, besides what we have preached. But certainly the other apostles, and even Paul himself, preached things besides what he had preached to the Galatians. Wherefore if Whitby's translation is just, Paul's Anathema fell on himself.

2. Let him be anathema. The apostle, absolutely certain of his own inspiration, and of the truth of the gospel which he had preached to the Ga

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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 Avpwmay 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 exceed

ingly zealous of the tradi

tions of my fathers.

ανθρωποις
δουλος ουκ αν ημην.

ήρεσκον, Χριςου

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 αναςροφήν ποτε εν τῷ Ιουδαισμῳ, ὅτι καθ' ὑπερβολην εδιωχον την εκκλησίαν του Θεου, και επορθουν αυτην.

14 Και προέκοπτον εν τῷ Ιουδαισμῳ, ὑπερ πολλους συνηλικιωτας εν τῷ γενει μου, περισσότερως ζηλωτης ὑπαρ

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 πρηθειν to burn, signifies to waste and destroy with great fury, as in the sacking of towns.

Και προέκοπτον may be

Ver. 14.-1. And made progress in Judaism. translated, because I made progress in Judaism. See Ess. iv. 207. By Judaism 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

seek to please men? If indeed I still pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ: 2

11 Now I certify you, brethren, CONCERNING the gospel which was preached by me, that it is not according to men.

12 For I neither received it from man,' nor was I taught IT, except by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

13 Ye have heard, (yap, 94.) certainly, of my behaviour formerly in Judaism, that I exceedingly persecuted the church of God, and laid it waste.1

14 And made progress in Judaism,1 above many of the same age with my self in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers. 2

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 waste.

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

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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 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 Οτε δε ευδόκησεν ὁ Θεος ὁ αφορισας με εκ κοιλιας μητρος μου, και καλε σας δια της χαριτος αυτού,

16 Αποκαλυψαι τον υιον αυτου εν εμοι, ἵνα ευαγγελι ζωμαι αυτον εν τοις εθνεσιν, ευθεως ου προσανεθεμην σαρκι και ἁιματι

17 Ουδε ανηλθον εις Ιεροσολυμα προς τους προ εμου αποςόλους" αλλ' απηλθον εις Αραβίαν, και παλιν ψα εις Δαμασκον.

παλιν ὑπεςρε

18 Επειτα μετα ετη τρια

years, I went up to Jerusa- ανήλθον εις Ιεροσολυμα ἱςο

lem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days.

ρησαι Πετρον και επέμεινα προς αυτόν ἡμερας δεκαπέντε.

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 προσανεJepny 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

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