Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

and all the brothers with me, To the churches of Galatia:

“The first Epistle of Peter is addressed to Jewish Christians sojourning in Galatia (1Pe 1:1), among other places mentioned.”

I am amazed how quickly you are deserting the One who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—

“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.”

Am I now seeking the approval of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men?

“Joh 5:44), but NOW I teach as responsible to God alone (1Co 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. On "yet," compare Ga 5:11.”

I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.

“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.”

For you have heard of my former way of life in Judaism, how severely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it.

“"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 (1Co 15:19).”

to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not rush to consult with flesh and blood,

“It denotes the sudden fitness of the apostle. So Ac 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."”

nor did I go up to Jerusalem to the apostles who came before me, but I went into Arabia and later returned to Damascus.

“His familiarity with the scene of the giving of the law, and the meditations and revelations which he had there, appear in Ga 4:24, 25; The Lord from heaven communed with him, as He on earth in the days of His flesh communed with the…”

I assure you before God that what I am writing to you is no lie.

“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.”

Later I went to the regions of Syria and Cilicia.

“Syria and Cilicia--"preaching the faith" (Ga 1:23), and so, no doubt, founding the churches in Syria and Cilicia, which he subsequently confirmed in the faith (Ac 15:23, 41).”

I was personally unknown, however, to the churches of Judea that are in Christ.

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

They only heard the account: “The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.”

“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."”

I went in response to a revelation and set before them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles.

“His race was the swift-running proclamation of the Gospel to the Gentiles (compare "run," Margin, for "Word . . . have free course," 2Th 3:1). His running would have been in vain, had circumcision been necessary, since he did not require it of his converts.”

Yet not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek.

“But--So far were they from regarding me as running in vain, that "not even Titus who was with me, who was a Greek (and therefore uncircumcised), was compelled to be circumcised." So the Greek should be translated.”

This issue arose because some false brothers had come in under false pretenses to spy on our freedom in Christ Jesus, in order to enslave us.

“If they had found that we circumcised Titus through fear of the apostles, they would have made that a ground for insisting on imposing the legal yoke on the Gentiles.”

On the contrary, they saw that I had been entrusted to preach the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been to the circumcised.

“Ac 15:12). was committed unto me--Greek, "I was entrusted with." gospel of the uncircumcision--that is, of the Gentiles, who were to be converted without circumcision being required. circumcision . . . unto Peter--Peter had originally opened the door to the Gentiles (Ac 10:1-48;”

And recognizing the grace that I had been given, James, Cephas, and John—those reputed to be pillars—gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, so that we should go…

“He was called "the Just," from his strict adherence to the law, and so was especially popular among the Jewish party though he did not fall into their extremes; whereas Peter was somewhat estranged from them through his intercourse with the Gentile Christians.”

When Cephas came to Antioch, however, I opposed him to his face, because he stood to be condemned.

“The Christian fathers may be trusted generally as witnesses to facts, but not implicitly followed in matters of opinion.”

For before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles.

“It is beautiful to see how earthly misunderstandings of Christians are lost in Christ. For in 2Pe 3:15, Peter praises the very Epistles of Paul which he knew contained his own condemnation.”

But if, while we seek to be justified in Christ, we ourselves are found to be sinners, does that make Christ a minister of sin? Certainly not!

“The whole sin lies, not with Christ, but with him who would necessitate such a blasphemous inference. But his false theory, though "seeking" from Christ, we have not "found" salvation (in contradiction to Christ's own words, Mt 7:7), but "have been ourselves also (like the…”

If I rebuild what I have already torn down, I prove myself to be a lawbreaker.

“Greek, "For if the things which I overthrew (by the faith of Christ), those very things I build up again (namely, legal righteousness, by subjecting myself to the law), I prove myself (literally, 'I commend myself') a transgressor."”

For through the law I died to the law so that I might live to God.

“For--But I am not a "transgressor" by forsaking the law. Proving his indignant denial of the consequence that "Christ is the minister of sin" (Ga 2:17), and of the premises from which it would follow.”

I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.

“I live by the faith, &c.--Greek, "IN faith (namely), that of (that is, which rests on) the Son of God." "In faith," answers by contrast to "in the flesh." Faith, not the flesh, is the real element in which I live.”

O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified.

“"You, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been graphically set forth (literally, in writing, namely, by vivid portraiture in preaching) among you, crucified" (so the sense and Greek order require rather than English Version).”

I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law, or by hearing with faith?

“I who was your teacher, desire now to "learn" this one thing from you. The epithet "Holy" is not prefixed to "Spirit" because that epithet is a joyous one, whereas this Epistle is stern and reproving [BENGEL].”

Are you so foolish? After starting in the Spirit, are you now finishing in the flesh?

“Having begun your Christianity in the Spirit, that is, in the divine life that proceeds from faith, are ye seeking after something higher still (the perfecting of your Christianity) in the sensuous and the earthly, which cannot possibly elevate the inner life of the Spirit…”