VW-Edition Bible (2010)

1Paul, an apostle (not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead), 2and all the brethren who are with me, to the churches of Galatia: 3Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, 4who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us out of this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. 6I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you into the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, 7which is not another; but there are some who trouble you, even determined to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8But even if we, or an angel from Heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. 9As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed. 10For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ. 11But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. 12For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but by a revelation of Jesus Christ. 13For you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it. 14And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers. 15But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb and called me through His grace, 16to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, immediately I did not confer with flesh and blood, 17nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went to Arabia, and returned again to Damascus. 18Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to inquire of Peter, and remained with him fifteen days. 19But I saw none of the other apostles except Jacob, the Lord's brother. 20(Now concerning the things which I write to you, indeed, before God, I do not lie.) 21Afterward I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. 22And I was unknown by face to the churches of Judea which were in Christ. 23But they were hearing only, He who formerly persecuted us now preaches the faith which he once tried to destroy. 24And they glorified God in me.


Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary
 1   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. (Gal. 1:1-24)
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" (Гал 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 (Деян 22:15; Деян 26:16-Деян 26:18). The laying on of Ananias' hands (Деян 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 (Деян 13:2-Деян 13:3); 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 (Мф 28:18; Рим 1:4-Рим 1:5). Compare as to the ascension, the consequence of the resurrection, and the cause of His giving "apostles," Еф 4:11. He rose again, too, for our justification (Рим 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 (Деян 19:29, Gaius and Aristarchus at Ephesus: Деян 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 (Деян 18:23; 1Кор 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 (1Пет 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 (Гал 2:7-Гал 2:15), 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-- (Гал 2:20); unto death, as an offering. Found only in this and the Pastoral Epistles. The Greek is different in Еф 5:25 (see on Еф 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. (Кол 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 (Фил 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 Гал 3:13. "Deliver" is the very word used by the Lord as to His deliverance of Paul himself (Деян 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" (Гал 1:5) of God, and is under the authority of the Evil One. The "ages of ages" (Greek, Гал 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" (Ин 6:38-Ин 6:39; Ин 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 Еф 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 (Гал 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. Гал 4:18, Гал 4:20 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 Гал 4:18; Гал 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 Гал 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 Гал 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) [PARĆUS] 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 Евр 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 CĆSAR [Commentaries on the Gallic War, 3.19].
from him that called you--God the Father (Гал 1:15; Гал 5:8; Рим 8:30; 1Кор 1:9; 1Фес 2:12; 1Фес 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 1Кор 7:15; Рим 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 Гал 1:6. Though I called it a gospel (Гал 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. (Гал 5:10, Гал 5:12). 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 Гал 4:9, Гал 4:17, Гал 4:21; Гал 6:12-Гал 6:13; Кол 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.

 8   But--however weighty they may seem "who trouble you." Translate as Greek, "Even though we," namely, I and the brethren with me, weighty and many as we are (Гал 1:1-Гал 1:2). The Greek implies a case supposed which never has occurred.
angel--in which light ye at first received me (compare Гал 4:14; 1Кор 13:1), and whose authority is the highest possible next to that of God and Christ. A new revelation, even though seemingly accredited by miracles, is not to be received if it contradict the already existing revelation. For God cannot contradict Himself (Втор 13:1-Втор 13:3; 3Цар 13:18; Мф 24:24; 2Фес 2:9). The Judaizing teachers sheltered themselves under the names of the great apostles, James, John, and Peter: "Do not bring these names up to me, for even if an angel," &c. Not that he means, the apostles really supported the Judaizers: but he wishes to show, when the truth is in question, respect of persons is inadmissible [CHRYSOSTOM].
preach--that is, "should preach."
any other gospel . . . than--The Greek expresses not so much "any other gospel different from what we have preached," as, "any gospel BESIDE that which we preached." This distinctly opposes the traditions of the Church of Rome, which are at once besides and against (the Greek includes both ideas) the written Word, our only "attested rule."

 9   said before--when we were visiting you (so "before" means, 2Кор 13:2). Compare Гал 5:2-Гал 5:3, Гал 1:21. Translate, "If any man preacheth unto you any gospel BESIDE that which," &c. Observe the indicative, not the subjunctive or conditional mood, is used, "preacheth," literally, "furnisheth you with any gospel." The fact is assumed, not merely supposed as a contingency, as in Гал 1:8, "preach," or "should preach." This implies that he had already observed (namely, during his last visit) the machinations of the Judaizing teachers: but his surprise (Гал 1:6) now at the Galatians being misled by them, implies that they had not apparently been so then. As in Гал 1:8 he had said, "which we preached," so here, with an augmentation of the force, "which ye received"; acknowledging that they had truly accepted it.
accursed--The opposite appears in Гал 6:16.

 10   For--accounting for the strong language he has just used.
do I now--resuming the "now" of Гал 1:9. "Am I now persuading men?" [ALFORD], that is, conciliating. Is what I have just now said a sample of men-pleasing, of which I am accused? His adversaries accused him of being an interested flatterer of men, "becoming all things to all men," to make a party for himself, and so observing the law among the Jews (for instance, circumcising Timothy), yet persuading the Gentiles to renounce it (Гал 5:11) (in order to flatter those, really keeping them in a subordinate state, not admitted to the full privileges which the circumcised alone enjoyed). NEANDER explains the "now" thus: Once, when a Pharisee, I was actuated only by a regard to human authority and to please men (Лк 16:15; Ин 5:44), but NOW I teach as responsible to God alone (1Кор 4:3).
or God?--Regard is to be had to God alone.
for if I yet pleased men--The oldest manuscripts omit "for." "If I were still pleasing men," &c. (Лк 6:26; Ин 15:19; 1Фес 2:4; Иак 4:4; 1Ин 4:5). On "yet," compare Гал 5:11.
servant of Christ--and so pleasing Him in all things (Тит 2:9; Кол 3:22).

 11   certify--I made known to you as to the Gospel which was preached by me, that it is not after man, that is, not of, by, or from man (Гал 1:1, Гал 1:12). It is not according to man; not influenced by mere human considerations, as it would be, if it were of human origin.
brethren--He not till now calls them so.

 12   Translate, "For not even did I myself (any more than the other apostles) receive it from man, nor was I taught it (by man)." "Received it," implies the absence of labor in acquiring it. "Taught it," implies the labor of learning.
by the revelation of Jesus Christ--Translate, "by revelation of [that is, from] Jesus Christ." By His revealing it to me. Probably this took place during the three years, in part of which he sojourned in Arabia (Гал 1:17-Гал 1:18), in the vicinity of the scene of the giving of the law; a fit place for such a revelation of the Gospel of grace, which supersedes the ceremonial law (Гал 4:25). He, like other Pharisees who embraced Christianity, did not at first recognize its independence of the Mosaic law, but combined both together. Ananias, his first instructor, was universally esteemed for his legal piety and so was not likely to have taught him to sever Christianity from the law. This severance was partially recognized after the martyrdom of Stephen. But Paul received it by special revelation (1Кор 11:23; 1Кор 15:3; 1Фес 4:15). A vision of the Lord Jesus is mentioned (Деян 22:18), at his first visit to Jerusalem (Гал 1:18); but this seems to have been subsequent to the revelation here meant (compare Гал 1:15-Гал 1:18), and to have been confined to giving a particular command. The vision "fourteen years before" (2Кор 12:1) was in A.D. 43, still later, six years after his conversion. Thus Paul is an independent witness to the Gospel. Though he had received no instruction from the apostles, but from the Holy Ghost, yet when he met them his Gospel exactly agreed with theirs.

 13   heard--even before I came among you.
conversation--"my former way of life."
Jews' religion--The term, "Hebrew," expresses the language; "Jew," the nationality, as distinguished from the Gentiles; "Israelite," the highest title, the religious privileges, as a member of the theocracy.
the church--Here singular, marking its unity, though constituted of many particular churches, under the one Head, Christ.
of God--added to mark the greatness of his sinful alienation from God (1Кор 15:19).
wasted--laid it waste: the opposite of "building it up."

 14   profited--Greek, "I was becoming a proficient"; "I made progress."
above--beyond.
my equals--Greek, "Of mine own age, among my countrymen."
traditions of my fathers--namely, those of the Pharisees, Paul being "a Pharisee, and son of a Pharisee" (Деян 23:6; Деян 26:5). "MY fathers," shows that it is not to be understood generally of the traditions of the nation.

 15   separated--"set me apart": in the purposes of His electing love (compare Деян 9:15; Деян 22:14), in order to show in me His "pleasure," which is the farthest point that any can reach in inquiring the causes of his salvation. The actual "separating" or "setting apart" to the work marked out for him, is mentioned in Деян 13:2; Рим 1:1. There is an allusion, perhaps, in the way of contrast, to the derivation of Pharisee from Hebrew, "pharash," "separated." I was once a so-called Pharisee or Separatist, but God had separated me to something far better.
from . . . womb--Thus merit in me was out of the question, in assigning causes for His call from Деян 9:11. Grace is the sole cause (Псал 22:9; Псал 71:6; Ис 49:1, Ис 49:5; Иер 1:5; Лк 1:15).
called me--on the way to Damascus (Деян 9:3-Деян 9:8).

 16   reveal his Son in me--within me, in my inmost soul, by the Holy Spirit (Гал 2:20). Compare 2Кор 4:6, "shined in our hearts." The revealing of His Son by me to the Gentiles (so translate for "heathen") was impossible, unless He had first revealed His Son in me; at first on my conversion, but especially at the subsequent revelation from Jesus Christ (Гал 1:12), whereby I learned the Gospel's independence of the Mosaic law.
that I might preach--the present in the Greek, which includes the idea "that I may preach Him," implying an office still continuing. This was the main commission entrusted to him (Гал 2:7, Гал 2:9).
immediately--connected chiefly with "I went into Arabia" (Гал 1:17). It denotes the sudden fitness of the apostle. So Деян 9:20, "Straightway he preached Christ in the synagogue."
I conferred not--Greek, "I had not further (namely, in addition to revelation) recourse to . . . for the purpose of consulting." The divine revelation was sufficient for me [BENGEL].
flesh and blood-- (Мф 16:17).

 17   went I up--Some of the oldest manuscripts read, "went away."
to Jerusalem--the seat of the apostles.
into Arabia--This journey (not recorded in Acts) was during the whole period of his stay at Damascus, called by Luke (Деян 9:23), "many [Greek, a considerable number of] days." It is curiously confirmatory of the legitimacy of taking "many days" to stand for "three years," that the same phrase exactly occurs in the same sense in 3Цар 2:38-39. This was a country of the Gentiles; here doubtless he preached as he did before and after (Деян 9:20, Деян 9:22) at Damascus: thus he shows the independence of his apostolic commission. He also here had that comparative retirement needed, after the first fervor of his conversion, to prepare him for the great work before him. Compare Moses (Деян 7:29-Деян 7:30). His familiarity with the scene of the giving of the law, and the meditations and revelations which he had there, appear in Гал 4:24-Гал 4:25; Евр 12:18. See on Гал 1:12. The Lord from heaven communed with him, as He on earth in the days of His flesh communed with the other apostles.
returned--Greek "returned back again."

 18   after three years--dating from my conversion, as appears by the contrast to "immediately" (Гал 1:16). This is the same visit to Jerusalem as in Деян 9:26, and at this visit occurred the vision (Деян 22:17-Деян 22:18). The incident which led to his leaving Damascus (Деян 9:25; 2Кор 11:33) was not the main cause of his going to Jerusalem. So that there is no discrepancy in the statement here that he went "to see Peter"; or rather, as Greek, "to make the acquaintance of"; "to become personally acquainted with." The two oldest manuscripts read, "Cephas," the name given Peter elsewhere in the Epistle, the Hebrew name; as Peter is the Greek (Ин 1:42). Appropriate to the view of him here as the apostle especially of the Hebrews. It is remarkable that Peter himself, in his Epistles, uses the Greek name Peter, perhaps to mark his antagonism to the Judaizers who would cling to the Hebraic form. He was prominent among the apostles, though James, as bishop of Jerusalem, had the chief authority there (Мф 16:18).
abode--or "tarried" [ELLICOTT].
fifteen days--only fifteen days; contrasting with the long period of three years, during which, previously, he had exercised an independent commission in preaching: a fact proving on the face of it, how little he owed to Peter in regard to his apostolical authority or instruction. The Greek for "to see," at the same time implies visiting a person important to know, such as Peter was. The plots of the Jews prevented him staying longer (Деян 9:29). Also, the vision directing him to depart to the Gentiles, for that the people of Jerusalem would not receive his testimony (Деян 22:17-Деян 22:18).

 19   Compare Деян 9:27-Деян 9:28, wherein Luke, as an historian, describes more generally what Paul, the subject of the history, himself details more particularly. The history speaks of "apostles"; and Paul's mention of a second apostle, besides Peter, reconciles the Epistle and the history. At Stephen's martyrdom, and the consequent persecution, the other ten apostles, agreeably to Christ's directions, seem to have soon (though not immediately, Деян 8:14) left Jerusalem to preach elsewhere. James remained in charge of the mother church, as its bishop. Peter, the apostle of the circumcision, was present during Paul's fifteen days' stay; but he, too, presently after (Деян 9:32), went on a circuit through Judea.
James, the Lord's brother--This designation, to distinguish him from James the son of Zebedee, was appropriate while that apostle was alive. But before Paul's second visit to Jerusalem (Гал 2:1; Деян 15:1-Деян 15:4), he had been beheaded by Herod (Деян 12:2). Accordingly, in the subsequent mention of James here (Гал 2:9, Гал 2:12), he is not designated by this distinctive epithet: a minute, undesigned coincidence, and proof of genuineness. James was the Lord's brother, not in our strict sense, but in the sense, "cousin," or "kinsman" (Мф 28:10; Ин 20:17). His brethren are never called "sons of Joseph," which they would have been had they been the Lord's brothers strictly. However, compare Псал 69:8, "I am an alien to my mother's children." In Ин 7:3, Ин 7:5, the "brethren" who believed not in Him may mean His near relations, not including the two of His brethren, that is, relatives (James and Jude) who were among the Twelve apostles. Деян 1:14, "His brethren," refer to Simon and Joses, and others (Мф 13:55) of His kinsmen, who were not apostles. It is not likely there would be two pairs of brothers named alike, of such eminence as James and Jude; the likelihood is that the apostles James and Jude are also the writers of the Epistles, and the brethren of Jesus. James and Joses were sons of Alpheus and Mary, sister of the Virgin Mary.

 20   Solemn asseveration that his statement is true that his visit was but for fifteen days and that he saw no apostle save Peter and James. Probably it had been reported by Judaizers that he had received a long course of instruction from the apostles in Jerusalem from the first; hence his earnestness in asserting the contrary facts.

 21   I came into . . . Syria and Cilicia--"preaching the faith" (Гал 1:23), and so, no doubt, founding the churches in Syria and Cilicia, which he subsequently confirmed in the faith (Деян 15:23, Деян 15:41). He probably went first to Cćsarea, the main seaport, and thence by sea to Tarsus of Cilicia, his native place (Деян 9:30), and thence to Syria; Cilicia having its geographical affinities with Syria, rather than with Asia Minor, as the Tarsus mountains separate it from the latter. His placing "Syria" in the order of words before "Cilicia," is due to Antioch being a more important city than Tarsus, as also to his longer stay in the former city. Also "Syria and Cilicia," from their close geographical connection, became a generic geographical phrase, the more important district being placed first [CONYBEARE and HOWSON]. This sea journey accounts for his being "unknown by face to the churches of Judea" (Гал 1:22). He passes by in silence his second visit, with alms, to Judea and Jerusalem (Деян 11:30); doubtless because it was for a limited and special object, and would occupy but a few days (Деян 12:25), as there raged at Jerusalem at the time a persecution in which James, the brother of John, was martyred, and Peter was m prison, and James seems to have been the only apostle present (Деян 12:17); so it was needless to mention this visit, seeing that he could not at such a time have received the instructions which the Galatians alleged he had derived from the primary fountains of authority, the apostles.

 22   So far was I from being a disciple of the apostles, that I was even unknown in the churches of Judea (excepting Jerusalem, Деян 9:26-Деян 9:29), which were the chief scene of their labors.

 23   Translate as Greek, "They were hearing": tidings were brought them from time to time [CONYBEARE and HOWSON].
he which persecuted us in times past--"our former persecutor" [ALFORD]. The designation by which he was known among Christians still better than by his name "Saul."
destroyed--Greek, "was destroying."

 24   in me--"in my case." "Having understood the entire change, and that the former wolf is now acting the shepherd's part, they received occasion for joyful thanksgiving to God in respect to me" [THEODORET]. How different, he implies to the Galatians, their spirit from yours!