him For the Place whence it was written whether from Rome or from elsewhere there is as much uncertainty as for the time See the Poscript added at the end of the Epistle GAL. CHAP. 1. VERSE 1. Text. Paul an Apostle not of men neither by man but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead Sense Not of men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Not from men men were not the authors from whom I had my Apostleship Neither by man i. e. Neither was any mortall man the secondary meanes by whom I was made an Apostle But by Jesus Christ .i. e. By the meanes of Jesus Christ And God the Father .i. e. And from God the Father who was the prime author from whom he had his Apostleship Reason These words shew the Author of this Epistle describing him by his name by his function that he was an Apostle and by his commission that his Apostleship was not humane from men or by men but altogether divine from God by Jesus Christ And this is therefore so done that his Epistle might carry with it the higher authority and be received with the greater reverence partly for the procuring assent unto the matters therin contained and partly for the vindicating of his Apostleship from the calumny of the Judaizers or false teachers among the Galatians who had traduced it to be but of humane authority Comment Paul first so called amōg the Romans Many persons are binomious The Apostles were founders planters of the Gospell Other Ministers but edifiers and waterers of it Why Paul here stiles himself an Apostle The authority of the Apostles was sacred The Judaizers calumny against Pauls Apostleship and the ground of it Pauls Apostleship not humane for the authour nor for the means of it either for his Instruction or for his Mission though for some dismission it were humane Another difference between the Apostles other Ministers Pauls Apostleship Divine Christ opposed unto man Man is some time put for an ordinary man Pauls calling equall to the rest of the Apostles for the meanes and the Authour grounded on Gods Mandate An Evangelicall Attribute of God as the sole Authour of the Gospel the Divinity whereof was to bee pressed Pauls Apostleship singularly divine PAUL an Apostle The Author who wrot this Epistle doth alwayes call himselfe by the name of Paul But Luke who in Acts of the Apostles wrot the acts of Pauls Ministery doth call him Saul while he preached the Gospel among the Jewes and Syrians Yet when he began to preach it among the Romans and amongst them he began in Cyprus where Sergius Paulus the Proconsul of the Island desired to heare it from him then and from that time ever afterward Luke mentions him by the name of Paul Which name being ordinary among the Romans might first be attributed unto him in the family of that Roman Proconsul whose name was also Paul But whether Saul and Paul be two different names given to one and the same person for among the Jewes as wel as other Nations many persons were binomious and some trinomious as appears by the three names of Simon Peter Cephas al denoting the same person or but one the same name in different languages like Silas and Silvanus as Beza conjectures I stand not to determine But his name of Paul he prefixeth before his Epistle because in those times it was the custome among most Nations especially the Romans not to subscribe their name under or after their Letters but to prescribe or prefixe it above or before them in the first place as Princes doe in these times And Paul stiles himselfe by the title of an Apostle i. e. of an Emissary Legate or Messenger universall sent forth by divine authority from God by Christ to be a founder and planter of the Gospell at large without restraint to any certaine City or Countrey For thus the Twelve were the Apostles of Christ and thus was Christ himselfe the Apostle of God for of the Gospel Christ was the originall Founder who by a mission immediate from his Father layd the first stone for the foundation of it and Christ in respect of his mission is therefore called Heb. 3.1 The Apostle and high Priest of our profession And heerein all other Ministers and Preachers of the Gospel are different from the Apostles because all other Ministers besides them are not founders and planters of the Gospel but are only Edifiers and Waterers upon that Foundation and plantation which was first layd and made by Christ and his Apostles Or they are only Teachers and Pastors to feed and rule that flocke which by Christ and his Apostles was first constituted and collected This title of Apostle according to his usuall maner Paul attributes to himselfe in all his Epistles but in this Epistle above any of the rest there was especiall reason for it Because by this title he would establish his authority in the Churches of Galatia and confirme his doctrine there planted which after the plantation of it was by false Teachers amongst them questioned and challenged of falshood For to reject or but to question the doctrine of an Apostle being a sacred messenger from God fortified with divine authority and for the most part armed with the power of miracles was lawfull for no man but for Christians to doe it was insufferable This abuse therefore must bee rectified by words that were proper to discountenance it Not of men The Greeke particle is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which heere must needs signifie from Because his meaning is that men were not the prime authours from whom hee received the Commission or Mandate for his Apostleship or that the authority from whence hee derived that Function was not humane And because his words are a vindication of his Apostleship and of his calling thereto from a malicious and subtle calumny cast upon his Function by the Judaizers and false Teachers amongst the Galatians For they allowed Paul to bee an Apostle sent forth to found and plant the Gospel But they questioned his authority therein pretending that his Calling was not Divine to come from God as from the prime authour of it Or if it were from God as from the prime authour yet that it was not by the meanes of Christ that hee had not his Instruction and Mission from God by Christ But that hee was taught his knowledge in the Gospel by some mortall man and preached it by the meanes of humane helpe and that in this respect hee was not comparable to the rest of the Apostles For which opinion or rather calumny of theirs this may seeme to be the ground Because Paul entred upon the office of his Apostleship after Christ was ascended into Heaven whereas the rest of the Apostles had their mission from Christ himselfe while hee yet remayned upon earth This calumny Paul removes by a flat negation that his authority or mandate to be an Apostle was not humane for
by whose will I am an Apostle of Christ For concerning Gods will for his Apostleship see what himself saith 1. Cor. 1.1 and 2. Cor. 1.1 and Ephes 1.1 and Coloss 1.1 And his Apostleship was grounded not so much on Gods permissive will to allow and suffer it as on Gods imperative will to require and command it for hence he sayth 1. Tim. 1.1 That he was an Apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandement of God our Saviour which is a speciall will of God for every command is a speciall will and every Mandate is a speciall Command Who raysed him from the dead An Evangelicall attribute of God the Father frequently ascribed unto him in the New Testament And the reason why there it is so frequently alleadged is partly to confirme the doctrine of the New Testament and partly to certifie the perfect consent in all things between God the Father who ordayned it and Christ the Son who mediated it and the Apostles who were the Ministers of Christ to propagate and perpetuate it For God by raysing Christ from the dead did marveilously confirme the whole doctrine which Christ had publickly delivered unto the world and did manifestly declare that himselfe was the authour of the doctrine taught by Christ Because God raysed Christ from the dead for the further prosecution of the Gospel whom the Jewes had put to death for the publication of it And because for the greater honour and glory of Christ the Gospel was afterward propagated and confirmed by miracles in the name of Christ crucified and raysed againe from the dead And this Divinity of the Gospel that it came originally from God as his last Will and Testament was a point to be seriously pressed especially against the unbeleeving Jewes who magnified and maintained the Law as a divine Institution proceeding from God and of ancient observance amongst Gods people But they despised and opposed the Gospel as a humane Invention and as a late novelty newly sprung up contrary and derogatory to the will of God And besides Paul by mentioning the raysing of Christ from the dead doth tacitly commend and advance his Apostleship above all the other Apostles from this singularity in it that he was ordayned an Apostle by Christ after the Resurrection of Christ from the dead A speciall priviledge unto him which befell none of the rest who were all ordayned before his Resurrection while Christ was yet a mortall man and therefore his Calling was more divine then theirs by how much Christ being made immortall was more Divine then while he was mortall VERSE 2. Text. And all the Brethren which are with me unto the Churches of Galatia Sense And all the Brethren viz. All they of the Ministery who preach the Gospel Which are with me i. e. Which are abiding for the present where I am Vnto the Churches of Galatia i. e. Unto the congregations or assemblies of Christians within the Province of Galatia Reason In this verse are mentioned two things 1. The approbation of his Epistle in being testified by all the Ministers of the Gospel then resident or abiding with him who by way of subscription did approve the contents thereof And this was done that their Testimony might advance and improve the authority and credit of his Epistle which although it had authority enough from his Apostleship yet ex abundanti had so much the more from their testimony 2. The Direction of the Epistle which is not addressed to a single person but unto the Congregations of Christians in Galatia Comment Paul writes sometime singly sometime joyntly and why so Unprofitable reasoning The direction is generall and very abrupt and why so A Church unfound may be truly a Church AND all the Brethren which are with me Paul in some of his Epistles writes single in his owne name only without any Approver of his Doctrine to subscribe and testifie it besides himselfe as in his Epistle to the Romans to the Ephesians and to Timothy In some of his Epistles he adjoynes some one of his fellow-Ministers as Sosthenes in the first to the Corinthians and Timothy in the second whom also he adjoynes in that to the Philippians and in that to the Colossians In some he adjoynes two as Silas and Timothy in the first and second to the Thessalonians But in this to the Galatians he assumes not only one or two but even all the Ministers his Brethren that were at that present abiding with him Because as it seemeth all of them would have their Judgement extant in this Epistle that it might carry the greater weight and authority with it Partly to shew their affection to the Galatians but chiefly to declare their approbation of Pauls doctrine and to justifie it from that singularity wherewith the Judaizers and false Teachers had charged it What persons these Brethren were is neither expressed from any Scripture nor to be collected from any solid reason Yet if we suppose that this Epistle was written from Rome as the Postscripts of many ancient copies date it and the conjectures of many learned men affirme it then it seemes they were Romans eyther for their Nation or at least for their present residence But by this inference we gaine no knowledge of their persons and therefore desist from further search after them Because that Reasoning makes but small gaines which in a matter of no moment gathers but one uncertainty out of another Vnto the Churches of Galatia The direction of the Epistle for the persons unto whom it was addressed And heerein this Epistle of Paul is singular from all the rest by him written and that in two respects 1. For the generality of the direction for Paul directs his other Epistles eyther to some single person as unto Timothy Titus and Philemon or to some one single Church or congregation assembled in some one City as all the rest are directed but this is directed unto many Churches in many Cities For Galatià was not a City but a large Country or Province wherein were severall Churches or Christian Congregations whereof as it seemeth all or the most part were leavened and sowred with Judaisme or the false doctrine of super-adding the law of Moses unto the Gospel of Christ Whereupon Paul directs his Epistle not to any one single Church of them in particular but to them all in generall because they were all equally concerned 2. For the abruptnesse or flatnesse of the Direction for therin he attributeth not unto them any title of love or respect by saying unto the Churches of God or by calling them beloved sanctified or the faithfull as his usuall maner is to preface other persons and Churches in the rest of his Epistles But hee only affords them a bare and flat compellation in an abrupt and disrespective maner unto the Churches of Galatia Whereby the holy Apostle would argue and declare his holy indignation against the Galatians as Congregations unworthy of those gratious appellations which otherwise he readily attributes
Authority of his Commission the largenesse of his circuit and the efficacy of his ministery among the Gentiles That for Circumcision hee allowed the liberty of it as a thing indifferent to be used or omitted as occasions and circumstances should require for the advance of the Gospel But he opposed the Necessity of it that it should be imposed and forced as a yoke upon all the faithfull without any distinction of persons times or places for such a necessity was inconsistent with the liberty of the Gospel which by the necessity of Circumcision must necessarily be overthrowne 2. The Doctrine of Justification cap. 2. ver 15. c. Wherein hee declares the power and vertue of faith in Christ That every Christian is justified i. e. hath a present right interest or claime unto the future Blessings promised in Gods Covenant and bequeathed in his Will and Testament for it is the nature of promises and covenants of Wills and Testaments to create assigne and convey rights interests and claimes That the right interest or claime which we have by vertue of Gods Will and Testament is a Right of amity alliance and inheritance whereunto wee are instituted and adopted for the Sons and Heires of God as co-heires with Christ for Wills and Testaments doe produce amities and alliances by devising Legacies and setling Inheritances That the cause procreant or title whereby wee acquire and have this Right of Inheritance is Fayth in Christ for by faith in him we covenant and contract with God to accept and receive this Right because Christ is the Publisher Probator and Executor of Gods Will and the Legatary or particular Heir can never possesse himselfe of the gift assigned him but by meanes of the Executor or heire generall because the performance of the Testators Will as to matter of gifts and Legacies is charged onely upon the Executor That the cause conservant or Tenure whereby we preserve and hold this Right of inheritance is our workes of love for the greatnesse of this Blessing ought so to animate and quicken our faith as to make it lively and working by love without which our faith is an act imperfect frustrate voyd and dead and the workes of love are the conditions and services which we must performe in acknowledgement and thankfulnesse unto God for his infinite grace and savour in giving us this right of Inheritance for without such workes we become ingratefull and disinheritable to forfeit our future possession of that inheritance whereto our faith procures us a present right interest or clayme seeing it is in vaine for us to have a right unlesse we performe the services whereby to hold it for what Inheritance is there in the world which requires not a tenure whereby to hold it as well as a title whereby to have it Vnto Blessednesse therefore these two onely are necessary and sufficient on our part namely Faith in Christ whereby we are Justified or made the Sons of God jurally to have the Rights of Sons and workes of love whereby we are sanctified or made the sons of God morally to performe the duties of Sons As for works of the old Law whether Morall which are rather not-works then workes as not to have many Gods not to worship images not to forsweare our selves not to worke on the Sabbath c. or whether Ceremoniall such as Circumcision and the rest thereon depending these especially the latter are no way effectuall or causall either procreant or conservant to our right interest or claime of Blessednesse they are neither a title whereby we acquire and have that Right nor a tenure whereby we preserve and bold it but are rather destructive and extinctive to defeat frustrate and voyd it for seeing the Gospel is Gods last Will and Testament and every last Will doth infringe all former therefore he that will adhere to Gods former Will debars himselfe from the benefit of the latter This Doctrine the Apostle proveth and presseth by reasons authorityes examples and types from the old Testament and withall hee solidly refutes the arguments alleadged by the false teachers for their false Doctrine 3. An Exhortation to holinesse cap. 5. vers 1. c. Wherein hee seriously moves them to all holy dutyes as To persist in their Christian liberty and to use it without any abuse of it To live in love and walke after the spirit whereby they should be enabled against the lusts of the flesh the fulfilling whereof would exclude them from possessing that inheritance whereto by faith they had a present right To practice Christian toleration in bearing with one anothers infirmities To allow a liberall maintenance to their Teachers whom although they might mock and defraud of their meanes yet God would not bee mocked To persevere in doing good universally toward all men especially faithfully to the faithfull To suffer persecution joyfully even to glory in the Crosse of Christ. So that if wee respect these two last parts of Doctrine and Exhortation this Epistle to the Galatians seemes to bee an Epitome or breviat of that to the Romans 4. The Composure THe stile or frame of this Epistle is different and various for the Apostle earnestly laboring to reduce the Galatians from their Jewish errour summons up all the sorces of reason and Scripture omitting no kind of assertion nor no kind of argument but winding and turning himself every way assumes all forms of perswasion whereby to open the truth and presse it home upon them Sometime hee is grave and sterne neglecting all manner of respect in saluting them not affording them any honourable appellation of Christianity as to call them Elect Faithfull or Saints as his maner is in other of his Epistles to other Churches Sometime time hee is severe and sharpe reproving and chasticing them with bitter rebukes wondring at their suddain revolt from Christ and tearming them a foolish and bewitched people Sometime againe hee is gentle and kind cherishing and winning them with words of deare affection stiling them his brethren and his little children of whom hee travelled in birth againe commemorating withall their former affection toward him that at first they received him as an Angel of God yea as Christ Jesus and would have plucked out their owne eyes to have given them to him To this variety and freedome of argumentation in a way so familiar the Apostle might bee therefore induced because the Galatians were his next neighbours bordering upon Cilicia whereof he was a Native 5. The Date FOR the time when it was written some thinke it was the first of all Pauls Epistles Others conceive it written about the same time that hee wrot his Epistle to the Romans which they collect from the affinity of the argument betweene these two Epistles But if wee suppose it written at Rome then it seemes probable that it was the last of all his Epistles written while hee was there a Prisoner at large after Luke had finished the Acts of the Apostles and was departed from
a right to come to a Feast his title to that right on the Feasters part is onely by the Grace Favour or Courtesie of the Feaster and the title on the Guests part is his acceptance of the invitation or calling to the Feast Now Grace is not a legall word belonging to the Old Covenant of the Law for in the Old Testament wee shall very rarely finde the word at all in any sense but never in the genuine sense But Grace is a word Evangelicall belonging to the New Testament or Covenant whereof Christ is the Mediatour for hence the Gospel and the subject thereof which is the New Covenant is called the Gospel and the Covenant of Grace and in that Evangelicall sense wherein the word stands in this place for to take the word in the whole latitude would bee tedious and needelesse Grace is the will and act of God whereby wee are made the sonnes of God and co-heires with Christ to the Inheritance of Blessednesse For hence Grace is opposed to Nature which is an act of God whereby wee are made men to have an earthly dominion and inheritance after the Image or likenesse of God So Grace is an Act of God whereby wee are made Christians to have an Heavenly Dominion and Inheritance after the Image and Likenesse of Christ who was the naturall sonne of God borne to that Inheritance whereto wee after his likenesse as co-heires with him are adopted And hence Gods Grace is opposed to our Workes which as a title to that Inheritance are incompatible with Gods grace for if wee have a right to that Inheritance by grace wee cannot have it by workes no more then wee have by nature or birth Yet our workes are a tenure consequent and according to Gods grace whereby wee hold the right wee have by grace for because of Gods grace to make us his sonnes wee must bee gratefull and thankefull to carry our selves as his sonnes by the workes of obedience to so gracious a Father for otherwise wee are ungracious sonnes And lastly hence Gods grace is opposed contrarily to his wrath and his Law extreamely contrary to his wrath and meanely to his Law because Gods Law is a meane betweene the two extreames of his grace and his wrath for when God doth us more good or lesse evill then his Law allowes this is grace but when hee doth us more evill or lesse good then his Law provides this is wrath and his wrath hee many times executes upon us by taking judgement into his owne hands and punishing our sinnes by himselfe when the Ruler is negligent of his duty in laying upon us the punishment assigned by Law and extreame grace is when God without any Law or equity obliging him thereto bestowes upon us the supreame favour of making us his sonnes and co-heires with Christ unto the Inheritance of eternall Blessednesse Now the Apostle doth therefore tell the Galatians that they were removed from Christ who had called them by grace because hee would acquaint them with the admirable benefit or blessing whereof by that removall they had voluntarily deprived themselves that seeing and acknowledging the rashnesse of their fact they might repent of it and turn to the Gospel of Christ by whose grace they had been called Unto another Gospel Another i. e. a forraigne or strange Gospel pretended so to be These words shew the terme of accesse whereto they were removed and are opposed to the former words from Christ who called them by grace as the terme of Recesse from whence they were removed The new doctrine which they had exchanged for the doctrine of Christ who called them by grace he calls another Gospel not that it was so indeed but only in the opinion of the Galatians and of their false teachers who obtruded upon them this counterfeit Gospel and thereby taught them another way of obtayning a right to blessednes then by the grace of God The summe of which counterfeit and pretended Gospel was this that the right and title to the inheritance of blessednesse was to be had by the Law of God formerly given by Moses that the inheritance was due unto them for the service and desert of their works performed according to that Law and that God was to give them that inheritance by an act of his Justice in consequence to his Law for their obedience unto it For these seeme to bee the principall points in the confutation whereof the Apostle bends his arguments prosecuted in this Epistle VERSE 7. Text. Which is not another but there bee some that trouble you and would pervert the Gospel of Christ Sense Which is not another i. e. Eyther is not another Gospel or which is nothing else but that some trouble you Some that trouble you i. e. Disquiet your consciences Pervert the Gospel of Christ viz. By compounding and mingling it with the Law of Moses Reason The words are a further mollifying of his former reproofe by shewing the true cause of their removeall from Christ and translating the fault of it upon others who drave them into it by troubling them Comment The cause of the Galatians revolt and the event of it VVHich is not another The Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which words may beare a twofold sense A first sense 1. Thus which is not another Gospel for if the Relative which be referred to the word Gospel in the former verse then this saying is a correction of his former reproofe for that clause of it in saying they were removed to another Gospel q. d. Though I sayd you were removed to another Gospel yet indeed there is no other Gospel at all besides that which I preached amongst you but only some trouble you with another doctrine and perswade you that their doctrine is the true Gospel A second sense 2. Thus which is nothing else but that there be some who trouble you for if this whole sentence with the rest of this verse bee referred to the whole reproofe in the former verse then it is an excuse of the Galatians revolt by discovering the true cause of it and by translating the fault of it upon some others who troubled them q. d. This your removeall from the Gospel of Christ unto another Gospel is nothing else or the cause of it is no other but that there be some who trouble you Either of these two senses is so allowable that neither of them is to bee maintained or pressed against the other because neither of them is of such consequence as to be elementary and serviceable for the illustrating or concluding of any other verity in the New Testament But there be some that trouble you The true cause of their revolt from the true Gospel The false teachers amongst the Galatians to avoyd persecution for preaching the true and sincere Gospel of Christ troubled and disquieted the consciences of the Galatians constrayning them to Circumcision and other Legall ceremonies The truth many times may and sometime doth breed trouble
such a latitude of sense as may also include the presence of the person as opposed unto his absence for the word taken in this sense is elsewhere rendred presence in our last English Translation See Act. 3.13 and Act. 5.41 and 2. Cor. 10.1 and 1. Thess 2.17 and 2. Thess 1.9 and Heb. 9.24 Unto the Churches of Judea i. e. unto the Churches in the Regions of Judea both at Jerusalem and other Countrey-Townes and Judea must not heere bee taken strictly as sometimes it is when it stands opposed unto Galilee and Samaria but largely as it contayns the whole land of Israel including Galily and Samaria and as Judea is opposed to Syria and Cilicia For the persecution at Jerusalem arising upon the dispute of Stephen with the Synagogue of the strangers there grew so fearful and bloudy for divers were put to death that the faithful were scattred all abroad not only throughout the Regions of Judea strictly taken but of Samaria also Act. 8.1 And the good providence of God by the scattering of the faithfull scattered also the Gospel for they who from Jerusalem were scattered abroad went every where preaching the Gospel Act. 8.4 Hence Philip to whom Peter and John soone after adjoyned themselves planted the Gospel in Samaria and preached it in many Villages of the Samaritans Act. 8.25 And after the baptisme of the Eunuch he preached in all the Cities of Samaria till he came to Cesarea which frontiers upon Syria Act. 8.40 As for Galily the Gospel had her beginning there and thither it redounded about this time with peace and rest from persecution which was now fully ceased throughout all the Churches of Judea Galily and Samaria Act. 9.31 Yet Paul departing from Jerusalem makes not his addresse to any of the Churches in the Regions of Judea Galilee or Samaria where hee might have rested with safety and security for it was now a time of tranquility from the tempest of the former persecution but he proceeds into the Regions of Syria and Cilicia because unto the Churches of Judea Galilee and Samaria he was altogether a stranger unknowne by his bodily and personall presence neither the teachers nor members of those Churches had ever seen his face to his knowledge And the reason heereof might be because in a maner Paul was a stranger in the Countreyes of Judea Samaria and Galilee for he was then but a yong man who was borne at Tarsus and brought up at Jerusalem where he had alwayes lived till about three yeers before during which time he had preached in Arabia and at Damascus in Syria Which were in Christ A note of distinction whereby to discerne the Churches of Christ from the Synagogues of Moses for heerby hee would specifie what Churches of Judea hee understood namely not the Jewish Synagogues but the Christian Congregations because in all the Regions of Judea Galilee and Samaria the Churches of Christ were intermingled with the Synagogues of the Jewes for heereby it came to passe that the Christians were subject to so many persecutions from the Jews who for their abode were their Countrey-men as Paul intimates to the Thessalonians where he expresseth the Churches of Judea with the like note of distinction of being in Christ 1. Thes 2.14 To be in Christ beares two senses 1. Generally and so to bee in Christ is to be a Christian and hee is a Christian who hath taken the new Covenant whereof Christ was and is the Mediator and he hath taken that Covenant who beleeves the truth of it and accepts the grace of it for in this sense to be in Christ is taken heere and so the word is opposed to a Jew and a Heathen 2. Specially and so to be in Christ is to be a reall sincere and true Christian in opposition to the hypocrite the carnall and false Christian and he is a reall Christian who puts on Christ and lives according to the life of Christ who not only beleeves the verities of the new Covenant and accepts the promises of it but also obeyes the precepts of it by being a new creature according to the new Covenant for thus to doe and be is to be in the spirit and to have the spirit of Christ which if any man have not he is not in Christ See and compare Rom. 8.9 and 2. Cor. 5.17 and Gal. 5.24 and 1. John 4.13 The reason of the words in this verse for the History was shewed before in the context but the reason for their argument is thus q. d. I was so far from learning any point of doctrine eyther from the Apostles at Jerusalem or from any other Teachers amongst the Christian Churches of Judea that they never saw my face but my person was wholly unknowne unto them for to my remembrance I never was in presence with any of them VERSE 23. Text. But they had heard only That he which persecuted us in times past now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed Sense But they viz. The Churches of Judea Heard only Supply Some men say That he c. The faith i. e. The doctrine of Faith or the Gospel Which once Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. In times past He destroyed Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. He wasted Reason An Illustration of his former saying or a Limitation of the generality therein by specifying in what sense and how farre hee might be or sayd to be known unto the Churches of Judea Comment The believing Jewes heard of Paul That from a Persecutor hee was become a Preacher BUT they had heard onely The Greeke placeth the enclusive particle onely in the first place reading it thus But onely they had heard viz. men say for the words must bee supplyed with some impersonall or indefinite tearme to perfect up the sense thus But onely they had heard say or men say That hee who persecuted us in times past now preacheth the faith for so it is supplyed in the French Translation They had heard The Greeke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. they were hearing which is both an Hebraisme and a Grecisme used heere by way of elegancy to encounter his former words of himselfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. I was unknowne to them but they were hearing of mee Some knowledge therefore the Churches of Judea had of Paul yet none by sight or view of his person for they had not seene his face but their knowledge of him was onely by report and hear-say for they had heard of his actions two wayes whereof the one was extreamely contrary to the other for first they had heard that hee had persecuted and wasted the faith and secondly they had heard the quite contrary that now hee preached that faith which formerly hee had persecuted and wasted Yet these two contrary reports of him were both true for hee had done both not at one and the same time but successively one after the other in times different Of his former action they had heard long
they might escape the crosse of Christ i. e. avoyd those persecutions and inconveniences which followed the sincere Christians for following Christianity And partly for their belly to procure the better maintenance from the Jewish Judaizers who thereupon were liberall and bountifull unto them for false Teachers easily finde by experience that false Doctrine doth bring more profit to the Teacher then to the Hearer Against these Gentilish Judaizers who tooke upon them to bee Teachers and to teach for their belly Paul is very vehement reproving them with divers bitter rebukes For those of Rome hee calls Make-bates or causers of Divisions and Offences Rom. 16.17 Now I beseech you brethren marke them which cause Divisions and Offences contrary to the Doctrine which yee have learned and avoyd them for they that are such serve not the Lord Jesus Christ but their owne belly and by good words and faire speeches deceive the hearts of the simple Those of Macedonia hee calls Belly-gods Phil. 3.19 Brethren bee followers together of mee and marke them which walke so as you have us for an ensample for many walke of whom I have told you often and now tell you even weeping that they are the enemies of the Crosse of Christ whose end is destruction whose god is their belly and whose glory is in their shame who minde earthly things Those of Creete hee calls unruly and vaine talkers and deceivers For there are many unruly and vaine talkers and deceivers especially they of the Circumcision whose mouths must bee stopped who subvert whole houses teaching things which they ought not for filthy lucres sake And those of Galatia hee will heere in the next verse call Sinners of the Gentiles VERSE 15. Wee who are Jewes by nature and not sinners of the Gentiles Sense Jewes by nature i. e. Originally and natively by Nation and birth And not sinners of the Gentiles i. e. And who never were idolatrous or sinfull Gentiles as were once the Judaizing false Teachers in Galatia Reason These words may have such a connexion with the former as if Paul seemed to continue his speech unto Peter untill the 17. verse following or as some thinke untill the end of this Chapter for at the beginning of the third Chapter hee manifestly addresseth his speech to the Galatians And it may well bee that by Paul in his discourse with Peter not for the instruction of Peter who was before sufficiently informed in the matter but for the instruction of those hearers who stood by these or the like words were spoken to Peter and were afterward heere inserted because they were very pregnant and pertinent to his purpose But whether the words bee continued to Peter or directed to the Galatians rather yet this coherence is manifest that Paul having sufficiently vindicated the authority of his Apostleship against the obloquies of his adversaries that it was neither humane nor no way inferiour to the chiefest Apostles doth heere enter upon the principall subject of this Epistle concerning Justification the Doctrine and verity whereof hee also vindicates from those Errours wherewith the Judaizing false Teachers among the Galatians had corrupted it Comment Jewish advantages twofold 1. Jurall 2 Legall Persons became Jewes 2 wayes 1 Natively by birth 2. Factively by favour these were called Proselites and initiated by Circumcision Gentiles of two sorts 1. Worshippers whereof some Examples 2 Idolaters called Sinners wherof Examples The sum of the Comment A Digression The word Sinner signifies three wayes whereof examples 2. Morally for the improbous Whereof Examples in the Old Testament and in the New 3. Jurally for the Calamitous who really is but a quasi sinner Sin put for the Effect of sin or a Sinner passively or Putatively The Calamitous of foure sorts 1. The Oppressed 2 The Blemished as the Bastard the Alien and the Bondslave 3 The distresed as Job and Lazarus 4 The Tainted as the children of the Ninevites of the Gibeonites of Saul of Gehazi and all the Children of Adam whose Judgement was hereditary Three observations on the three former sorts of sinners 2. For the Gentiles 3. For the Jewes VVEE who are Jewes by nature This whole verse being in it selfe incomplete and suspensive must for the due construction of it be carried forward and referred to these words in the next verse Even wee have beleeved in Jesus Christ For between this verse and those words the principall Assertion of this Epistle is interserted namely That A man is not justified by the works of the Law but by the faith of Jesus Christ The Jewes above all other Nations in the world had certaine prerogatives or advantages from whence besides their descent from Judah the chiefe tribe of Israel they were also denominated Jewes and these advantages were of two sorts 1. Jural in respect of their Rights and Privileges as they were the true Israel and peculiar people of God with whom God had Covenanted for the Blessing promised to Abraham for unto them that Blessing principally belonged because thereto they by Covenant had the originall Right For hence the Jewes are called the children of the Kingdome Mat. 8.12 They are called the children of the Prophets and of the Covenant which God made with Abraham that in his seed all the kindreds of the Earth should bee blessed Act. 3.25 Vnto them first God raysed up Christ and sent him to blesse them in turning away every one of them from their iniquities Act. 3.26 They are called the Israelites to whom pertayneth the adoption and the glory and the Covenants and the giving of the Law and the service of God and the promises Rom. 9.4 2. Legall in respect of their lawes and Ordinances which were all divine constituted and enacted by God himselfe not only concerning Religion and Piety for the worship and service of God but for Justice and Judgement to be observed betweene man and man For hence the Jew is sayd to Rest in the Law and to make his boast of God to know his will and to be instructed out of his law to be a Guide to the Blinde and a Light to them in Darknesse to bee an instructer of the foolish and a teacher of babes Rom. 2.17 18. Hence is the distinction of him who is a Jew outwardly in the letter from him who is a Jew inwardly in the spirit Rom. 2.28 29. Hence the Jew is sayd to have this advantage that Vnto them were committed the oracles of God Rom. 3.1 2. And hence in the verse before to Judaize or to live as doe the Jewes was taken for the legall maner of their life But by the way we must carefully observe that in respect of time God setled upon the Jewes their Rights long before he imposed on them their Lawes for the promise of those Rights was made to Abraham before their first and great Law of Circumcision and the rest of their Lawes for the body of them as they were delivered by the hand of Moses were given above 400 yeares
of those Legacies and promises and by his acceptance of Jesus Christ for the son and heir of God and for the Executor of Gods last Will and Testament For by the workes The Greeke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. because by the workes No flesh i. e. No mortall man Be justified i. e. Be declared upright in respect of the Law Reason Heere the Apostle enters upon the principall doctrine of this Epistle and to the end that hee might the more distinctly and clearly assert the verity thereof from those errours wherewith the Judaizing false teachers among the Galatians had corrupted it he delivers it bibartitely in two assertions 1. A Negative that A man is not justified by the works of the Law 2. An Affirmative that A man is justified by the fayth of Jesus Christ And therefore for the fuller understanding of this excellent Doctrine which declares the introduction and initiation of a man into Christ and discovers withall wonderfull comforts to the soul of a Christian I shall somewhat inlarge my selfe and distinctly explicate what is meant by Justifying what by The workes of the Law and what by Fayth in Jesus Christ Wherein though in my expressions I shall somewhat vary from the current of Expositors yet farre shall I be from that unprofitable and beggarly worke of Confutation which spends it selfe in a destructive way by cavelling at opinions or disgracing the writings of worthy men But I shall travaile only in the way of edification to rayse confirme and illustrate those instructions whereto the holy Scripture shall be the foundation Comment Justified is a derivative from the word Just or Righteous which signifies three wayes 1. Legally for the upright whereof examples 2. Morally for the kind man whereof examples and accordingly the word righteousnes signifies kindnes in the Old Testament and in the New The Hebrew Zedakah The Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The legally and morally Righteous compared in 4 points 1. In their Conjunctiō in their subordination in their Dignity 4. in their opposite 3 Jurally for an Owner or an Heire or a Promissary Such was Abraham who is therfore called the Righteous man Such were the Israelites and are so called and so were the Proselytes The Owner compared with the Kinde man Righteous signifies like Gratious A Recollection Justified signifies made Just or righteous in 3 significations and in two consignifications 1. Declaratively by pronouncing a man upright and by pronouncing a man kinde 2. Efficiently either Procreantly or Conservantly Neither excluding necessarily the declarative sense Paul and James easily reconciled Jurall justifying illustrated from words of foure sorts 1. Of Circumstance 2. Of Contrariety 3. Of Affinity 4. Of Attribute and Co-heires Citizens and Freemen Justifying put for Freeing Justifying is a Court-word and a Chancery word and a word Testamentary for the sense of it Man is a sinner jurally legally and morally God is righteous jurally and Morally his kindnesses to Man and their conveyance by Testament which is a will ad pias causas in most ample maner The Nature of Justifying exemplified in Abraham in Rahab in the Jews and Gentiles The Names of it as adopting infranchising reconciling ingrafting ingratiating infeoffing seating allying inabling translating forgiving redeeming The matter of it is a Right of state two spirituall states one of bondage another of freedome which is the state of grace The state whereto we are justified or rather exalted The state from which we are justified Justification makes in us a change only jurall The Priviledges incident to that state exemplified in the Patriarks The degree of our right to the Priviledges exemplified in the Israelites in David in a Legatary The Manner of Justifying is factive exemplified in Moses Uriah and Araunah And that fact is testamentary A recollection KNowing that a man is justified First therefore for the meaning of Justified whereof I intend not in the first place so much the definition though that shall follow as the signification for the right and true English of it according to the Language wherein I write because the word Justified is a Latinisme The Greek word in the originall is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which properly signifies made righteous for the Apostle Rom. 5.19 expresseth that word by these two 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. constituted or made righteous as our English Translation renders them whereto other Vulgar translations unanimously for the Italian hath it constituted just and the French rendred just Seeing then the verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a derivative from the nown 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 regularly therefore the verbe ought to pertake of those senses which are to be found in the primitive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereof the English is Just or righteous Which word carrieth in Scripture severall senses and these as it is the attribute of a person are principally three viz. a legal a moral and a jural sense For as the word Sinner in the verse before had severall senses so the word Just or righteous being contrary to Sinner must needs therfore have severall senses also and they severally contrary to those of Sinner yet where the word is taken chiefly in one of these senses the rest are not alwayes excluded but some one sense is principall and the other accessory 1. The word Just or righteous is taken legally quoad leges for one who is upright according to the Laws by doing right to all and giving every man his due by the Lawes in being sometime rendring that evill which by Law is due to a man but alwayes that good which is due unto him And all men ought to bee legally righteous especially Judges and Rulers whose uprightnes in other mens causes must be exactly legall for the Law is the Rule whereby they must give Sentence and execute Judgement declining neyther to the right hand nor to the left whether it concerne the good or the evill of the party whose cause is handled for that which no way declines to neyther hand is properly sayd to be upright To render evill for evill private men are not bound but now under the Gospel are wholly bound from it yet not so neither but that Masters of Families may reprove and correct their children and servants as the Law of reason shall require because Masters of Families in respect of their Families are petty-Judges and petty-Rulers to judge and Rule uprightly by the law of reason Thus the word Righteous is taken Exod. 23.7 the innocent Vezaddik and righteous slay thou not and righteous i. e. upright or legally righteous And 2 Sam. 23.3 Hee that ruleth over men must be Zaddik 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 just i. e. legally righteous or upright And Esay 26.7 The way Lazaddik of the Just is uprightnesse i. e. of the upright is uprightnesse And it is sayd of John the Baptist Marc. 6.20 that Herod feared him knowing that he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a just man i. e.
THE IUSTIFICATION OF A SINNER Being the Maine ARGUMENT OF THE EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS By a Reverend and Learned Divine NON ALTVM PETO I.S. LONDON Printed by T. H. and are to be sold at the Gun in Ivy-Lane 1650. THE PREFACE For the Reading of the Epistle to the GALATIANS In five Particulars The situation of Galatia Her Inhabitants Her reception of the Gospel Her false Teachers Their false Doctrine Their Arguments for it Their designe in it The Scope and parts of this Epistle three Pauls Apostleship is immediate from Christ and no way inferiour to the chiefe Apostles Circumcision is of it selfe a thing indifferent Justification makes us a right unto Blessednesse whereto Faith in Christ is our title and workes of Love are our tenure and these two are sufficient But workes of the Law are neither title nor tenure Paul exhorts to severall holy duties He argues variously 1. Gravely 2. Severely 3. Gently For the time and the place 1. The Direction IT is addressed to the Churches of Galatia The Land of Judea extending it so as sometime it is to include Samaria and Galilee is bounded on the South with Arabia the Desert wherein the Famous Mount Sinai is seated But on the North it bordereth upon Syria whereof anciently it was a Province for therefore the King of Syria is by the Prophet Daniel frequently called the King of the North. And North from Syria lies Cilicia the Native Country of St. Paul and North from Cilicia is Galatia whereof the Metropolis or Chiefe City is the Famou◠Ancyrà from whence the people of the whole Country are by some Historians called Ancyrans So that the Countries of Arabia Judea Syria Cilicia and Galatia lye as it were in a Line under the same Meridian successively North-ward the latter still more Northerly then the former Galatia being a large Province of Asia the lesse was originally inhabited by the Greekes But afterward some 360 yeares before Christ was possessed by the Gaules or French who quartering and mingling themselves with Greekes gave occasion that the Countrey was called Gallo-Graecia or Graeco-Gallia i. e. that part of Greece wherein the Gaules lived At last the Jewes whose manner was being a populous Nation to disperse their Families into divers other Countries seated themselves as sojourners or strangers in the chiefe Cities of Galatia where they had their severall Synagogues as the French and Dutch in some Cities of England have their proper Congregations Into this Countrey of Galatia bordering upon Cilicia Paul being a Cilician borne did in discharge of his Ministery make two severall journeys The first by way of Plantation to publish the Gospel and the second by way of Visitation to confirme the Believers in it And those Believers of Galatia who came in unto the Faith whether from the Jewes or from the Gentiles for there came in from both are in respect of their severall Congregations stiled by the Apostle the Churches of Galatia unto whom he directs this Epistle 2. The Occasion AFter Pauls finall departure from Galatia into other Countries to plant and settle the Greeke and Latine Churches there arose in the Congregations of Galatia certaine false Teachers who by Birth and Nation were not Jewes but Proselytes or Strangers who had lived among the Jewes in Judea where by Religion they became Christians and from thence travelled afterward into Galatia amongst whom it seemes by Ecclesiasticall Writers Cerinthus was the leading man The false Doctrine taught by these was That unto Salvation the Ceremonies of the Jewish Law were necessary especially that of Circumcision Yet heerewith they taught not that Faith in Christ and Holynesse of life were either to bee rejected or neglected But approving the necessity of these they pressed their insufficiency alledging that Faith and Holynesse were not sufficient and prevalent to procure us a right interest and claime unto the Blessings promised in the Gospel unlesse to our Faith and Holynesse wee super-added Circumcision Thus they framed a complyance of Christ with Moses to compound the Gospel with the Law or rather if wee consider the moment of the matter to substitute the Law instead of the Gospel for both of them cannot subsist together The Arguments whereby they raised and maintained this Doctrine were chiefely Calumnies against St. Paul partly by extolling Peter James and John as the chiefe Pillars of the Church as Apostles ordained by Christ himselfe as Residentiaries of Jerusalem in the Consistory of Christ partly by disparaging Pauls Apostleship and opposing the authority of the Apostles against his authority as that hee had not the authority of an Apostle or if hee had any it was but derivative onely from them and therefore was inferiour to them That hee was the onely man who opposed the Ceremonies of the Law for the rest of the Apostles allowed of them and indeede for a time they seemed to allow them prudently concealing their minde in that point lest otherwise the Jewes of Judea where they chiefly preached being blindly zealous for the Law should have taken distast against the Gospel That hee in the poynt of Circumcision was inconstant and various sometime urging it as hee did upon Timothy and sometime opposing it as hee did in Titus The Designe or end of this Doctrine was double 1. That by this means these Teachers might render themselves gratious amongst the Jewes who highly esteemed the use of their ancient Lawes and consequently that heereby they might become capable of all Honours Offices Priviledges and Commodities granted then to the Jewes in divers places 2. That heereby they might decline those persecutions and other inconveniences whereto those Christians were subject who professed the purity of the Gospel stripped from the Jewish Ceremonies For in those times by the Civill Lawes of Rome and by the Edicts of the Romane Emperours the Jewes in all places enjoyed the free exercise of their Religion But so did not the Christians who were every where vexed by all Vnbelievers on all hands both by Jewes and Gentiles as appeares throughout the Acts of the Apostles 3. The Intention THE maine Scope of St. Paul in this Epistle is to reduce the Galatians from their Jewish errour in retaining and adhering to the workes and Ceremonies of the Law unto the sincerity and purity of the Gospel as will best appeare in the parts of the Epistle which besides the Salutation and Valediction seeme principally three 1. A Defence of his Apostleship cap. 1. ver 6. c. For because the false teachers by impugning his Apostleship had grounded and raised their errour therefore he with great courage and freedome of language doth vindicate the Office and authority thereof as that hee had not his Apostleship from the Apostles nor by the Apostles but as immediately from Christ as ever they had theirs That hee was no way inferiour to the chiefe of the Apostles either for knowledge in the mysteries of Christ or for power in Preaching the Gospel That they acknowledged the
unto all other Christians Because these Churches had partly corrupted the grace of God and partly rejected the Meanes of it by Christ for they had sowred the liberty of the Gospel with the necessity of legall Ceremonies especially that of Circumcision Yet in saying unto the Churches of Galatia he allowes them the name of Churches because they yet retayned severall parts of Christianity As in like maner he doth to the Corinthians who were fowly tainted and stayned with divers corruptions both in doctrine and maners VERSE 3. Text. Grace be to you and peace from God the Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ Sense Grace i. e. All love favour and kindnesse be to you from God and Christ Peace i. e. All happinesse and blessednesse be to you from God and Christ Reason After the harsh Direction followes a kind Salutation in the best forme which is by way of Benediction and for the best Matter which is Grace and Peace from God and Christ In the former verse Paul had denied unto the Galatians that ordinary respect which usually accompanieth the Direction of Epistles and therefore hee doth heere bespeake them with a most pious and Christian Salutation that hee might seeme to recompence the flatnesse and sowrenesse of his former Direction with the kindnesse and sweetnesse of this Salutation For although hee were unwilling to vouchsafe them their Title yet he is ready to afford them his Prayer in the best and holiest maner And the prudent Apostle practiseth this variety of discourse that he might gaine some advantage by every forme of Arguing sometime by harshnesse and sometime by sweetnesse leaving no meanes unassayed whereby to recover the Galatians from their errour Comment The forme of salutation among the Jewes Grace what and Peace Of blessednesse God the Authour and Christ the meanes The title of the Father of Christ Yet neithers title exclude the others There are many Gods and many Lords yet to us but one so and but one supreamely so Invocation is due to Christ the Ground thereof the Command of it and Practice of it A mis-reading of the Text and a misconstruction of it GRace be to you and Peace This is the ordinary forme of Apostolicke Salutation and benediction in the Epistles of Paul Peter John and Jude And the verbe substantive Be which by Paul is silenced in the originall is by Peter expressed by the word Be multiplied 1. Pet. 1.2 Grace unto you and peace be multiplied The ancient forme of Salutation among the Hebrewes was Peace be unto you Which forme was also used by Christ himselfe and he commanded the use of it to his Apostles Luke 10.5 And into whatsoever house ye enter first say Peace bee to this house But afterward among the Christians in memory of that rich Grace which came by the meanes of Christ the word Grace was added and prefixed to the former ancient Salutation Grace then is the love favour or kindenesse of God by the meanes of Christ or that rich kindenesse of God towards us whereof Christ is the Messenger and Mediatour the Beginner and the Finisher who first published the truth and procureth the finall effect of it Peace denoteth unto us Christians all the effects events and issues of Grace for Peace includes all those blessings which are the fruit growing from Grace as from the roote Whether those blessings bee temporall and spirituall in this life or celestiall and eternall in the life to come according to the sence of the Hebrewes who by Peace understand all safety prosperity and happinesse whatsoever From God the Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ. The persons from whom Paul salutes them and prayes a benediction upon them are expressed to bee two namely God the Father as the originall and prime cause from whence all grace and peace doth arise and Christ our Lord as the instrumentall and meane cause wherby all Grace and Peace is conveyed For hee wisheth a blessing upon them from the very same persons in the very same order that hee had his Calling namely from God the Father by Jesus Christ Or to use the very same words wherein hee expresseth himselfe elsewhere 1 Cor. 8.6 From God of whom are all things and from Christ by whom are all things Unto each of these divine persons severally Paul attributes a peculiar dignity or title of honour For unto the Father hee gives the title of God in an eminent and transcendent sense because the Father is the supreame and most high God who of himselfe hath soveraigne dominion and power over all things over all persons and who of himselfe is that person from whom all other persons are descended And unto Christ he gives the title of our Lord because Christ is the person to whom the Father hath communicated the universal dominion governement over all things and persons excepting one onely who is the Father himselfe For the Father hath ordained Christ in a peculiar manner to bee the Lord or head over his Church in all matters thereto pertaining And heereby Christ in a peculiar relation unto us becomes our Lord in whom wee must believe and trust and whom wee must worship serve and obey Yet it is not Pauls meaning to make these titles so peculiar to each person as if Christ were not God or as if the Father were not our Lord for each person beares both these titles but that when they are mentioned both together these are the usuall formes to difference them Hence from these two attributes thus differenced and distributed unto these two divine persons of God unto the Father and of Lord unto Christ and because there is but one Father and one Christ therefore it is frequent with the Apostle Paul to call the Father one God and Christ one Lord. For although there bee extant many Gods and many Lords Yet there is extant but one God and one Lord to bee by us invocated and worshipded i. e. God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ Because there is but one person who unto us hath that relation of God which the Father hath and but one person who unto us hath that relation of Lord which Christ hath Hence it is sayd 1 Cor. 8.5 For though there bee that are called Gods whether in Heaven or in Earth as there bee Gods many and Lords many But to us there is but one God the Father of whom are all things and wee for him and one Lord Jesus Christ by whom are all things and wee by him Where by the way wee may note that there are made three degrees the first is of those who are called Gods but are not indeed so as the Sunne and Moone in Heaven Idolls and Images on Earth the next of those who are called so and are indeede so but not supreamely so as the Angels in Heaven and Rulers on Earth and the last of those who are called so and are really or indeed so and also are supreamely so to bee invocated and worshipped as
Doctrine of the Apostles for shee her selfe distinguisheth them from the Precepts of the Apostles For if Pauls Doctrine which contained not those Traditions of the Church were sufficient to salvation with wâ—â—â— authority can those Traditions bee urged as necessary and by what meanes shall they who urge them escape the curse heere menaced But if they alleage that their Traditions are not contrary to the Doctrine of the Apostles but onely additionall even the concession of this is enough for their conviction for in adding to the Doctrine of the Apostles and urging their additions as necessary to salvation they thereby teach besides the Doctrine of Paul as much as they did who unto the faith of Christ would adde the legall Ceremonies which is the maine point in this Epistle condemned because those legall Ceremonies though they were not contrary and against yet were different and besides those things which Paul affirmed as sufficient to salvation But the Galatians by necessitating of their additions must needes deny them sufficient and therefore the Churches of Rome joyne heerein with the Churches of Galatia that unto the Gospel of Christ they make additions though the additions bee not the same Let him bee accursed The censure and doome upon the former presumption that whosoever shall attempt it shall become a curse i. e. an abominable and execrable and devoted thing which no man may or dare touch In poynt of false Doctrine urged against or besides the Gospel of Christ no respect is to bee had to the Dignity or quality of the Person though hee bee an Apostle or an Angel from Heaven for if such Persons as these may by no meanes corrupt the Gospel what person else shall dare to doe it Whosoever therefore shall wittingly and purposely with arrogance and pertinacy attempt this corruption directly or indirectly against or besides the Gospel that person cannot escape the thunder of this curse but hee may escape it who out of ignorance or errour teacheth somewhat which hee thinkes consequent to the Doctrine of the Gospel though indeed it bee repugnant or different from it if afterward upon the sight of his errour hee forsake it and submit to the truth for such a one is not forthwith to bee accursed but must first bee refuted and instructed in the truth VERSE 9. Text. As wee sayd before so say I now againe If any man preach any other Gospell unto you then that you have received let him bee accursed Sense Then that yee have received Viz. from mee who first planted and afterward confirmed it amongst you Reason A Repetition of the former sentence to the same sense yet expressed in words somewhat more generall and full lest any man should thinke that the former clause was too severe and fell from him rashly or unawares VERSE 10. Text. For doe I now perswade men or God or doe I seeke to please men for if I yet pleased men I should not be the servant of Christ Sense Doe I now viz. Since I was made an Apostle Perswade men i. e. Doe I teach humane doctrines or the opinions of men Or God Doe I not teach divine doctrine proceeding from God For if I yet viz. Since I became the servant of Christ Pleased men viz. Against or besides the pleasâ—â—e of Christ I should not be the servant i. e. I would not have been the servant Reason An entrance upon the third part of this Chapter wherein he vindicates the authority both of his Ministery and Doctrine and whereby he will conclude that such a person is worthy to be accursed who shall presume to oppose or corrupt his doctrine by teaching any thing against it or by adding somewhat besides it because his doctrine was altogether divine for he was taught it by God from heaven and by God from heaven he was commanded to publish it Comment The word Now. Men put for humane Doctrines and God for Divine Doctrine Paul was no Men-pleaser The particle yet How farre Men may must bee pleased and how far not Ministers are the servants of Christ FOR doe I now perswade men or God The particle now and the particle yet in the words following though sometime they be taken for the very instant and moment of the time present yet heere in this place they must bee ampliated or extended to a greater latitude to signifie such a time present as comprehendeth some compasse and includeth a certaine state and condition of things which state as long as it lasteth the same is so long accounted the time present See Matt. 3.10 and John 12.31 and Rom. 13.11 and 1. Cor. 13.12.13 and 2. Cor. 6.2 In this place therefore the particle now signifies that space of time from whence the Apostle being made a Minister of Christ did begin to preach the Gospel and yet continued to preach it for it is opposed to that former time when he was a Pharisee and a vehement maintayner of the Law He demands therefore whether now during his Ministery of the Gospel hee perswade men or God which he proposeth by way of Interrogatory signifying thereby that the matter was so evident to the Galatians that they must needs be forced to confesse the truth of it for this Interrogation must bee resolved and construed for two vehement assertions one a Negation thus I doe not now perswade men the other an affirmation repugnant to the former negation thus I doe now perswade God The word Men is here figuratively put for humane doctrines or for those opinions whereof men are the Inventors as wee often use the words Plato and Aristotle for the opinions or writings of Plato and Aristotle And in like manner the word God is put for divine Doctrines and for those verities whereof God is the Authour and Revealer so Christ is sometimes put for the Doctrine of Christ and the preaching of Christ is put for the preaching of his Doctrine See Act. 5.42 and Act. 8.5 and 2 Cor. 4.5 and Phil. 1.15 q. d. When I was a Pharisee zealous of the Law I perswaded and pressed humane Doctrines as the traditions of our Fathers and other opinions of men but now since I was ordained an Apostle and a Minister of Christ I dare urge no humane Doctrine but contrarily the Doctrine which now I urge is wholly Divine whereof God is the Authour and Revealer unto mee This Phrase to perswade men is taken in another sense 2 Cor. 5.11 for there he affirmes that he perswades men which heere he flatly denyes and the reason is because there men are taken for the personall object of his perswasion to whom the matter which he perswaded was piety but heere Men are put for the reall matter of his perswasion that the matter which now he perswaded unto men was not the Doctrine of men Or doe I seeke to please men A reason of his double assertion contained in his former interrogation by removing the cause impulsive which might seeme to move him to perswade humane Doctrines and
not humane or after man because he neyther received of man nor was taught it by man Comment The construction of the words Paul learned the Gospell not from Men. But immediately from Christ By way of Revelation At what time FOR I neyther received it of man neyther was I taught it The word of man interposed heer between the two Verbs received and taught must bee referred to both and follow both thus I neyther received it nor was taught it of man And the word taught is but explicative to specifie the generall word received and restraine it to the Gospel in reference whereto those two words make but one sense for to receive the Gospel and to be taught the Gospel is all one and in a sense somewhat like to this Paul requires the Thessalonians to hold the Traditions which they had beene taught 2. Thess 2.15 The meaning of the Apostle in this place is not simply to say that hee neyther received nor was taught the Gospel at all for in the words next following he acknowledgeth and confesseth that hee received and was taught it of Christ by revelation for that was the maine point which as he sayd in the former verse he would certifie or make knowne unto the Galatians But his purpose is to prove that his knowledge in the divine Gospel of Christ was not humane that hee neyther received nor was taught his knowledge therein by any Apostle nor by any other mortall man For although the Gospel which Paul preached were for the matter of it divine as being the same which Peter and the rest of the Apostles preached Yet his knowledge therein for the meanes whereby hee had it might by the false Teachers bee alleadged and pretended to bee humane which Paul heere denyes of himselfe But hee denies it not of Timothy who though hee preached that Gospel which was divine yet Timothies knowledge in that divine Gospel was humane because hee received and was taught his knowledge therein by Paul who was a mortall man for Paul both instructed Timothy in the Gospel and ordained him a Minister thereof by the imposition of his hands See and compare 1. Tim 4.6.14 and 1. Tim. 6.20 and 2. Tim. 1.6.13.14 and 2. Tim. 3.14 So is it in all the Ministers of the Gospel at this day for although the Gospel which they preach bee divine yet their knowledge therein is humane because they receive their knowledge by humane meanes But by the Revelation of Jesus Christ. A super-reason or confirmation of his former reason by an argument drawne from the contrary that the Gospel which hee preached hee neither received nor was taught it by man because hee received and was taught it of Christ by Revelation And heere againe Christ is opposed to man not that Christ was no way man but because when hee revealed the Gospel unto Paul hee was not at that time a mortall man nor at any time a meere man but alwayes both God and man And heereby also hee firmely concludes and proves his principall assertion that the Gospel which hee preached was not humane or not after man for if hee received and was taught it by the Revelation of Jesus Christ then certainely the Gospell so by Christ revealed unto him was no humane invention neither was his knowledge in it by any humane instruction q. d. For my knowledge in the Gospel which I preached unto you I was no Disciple nor Auditor to any of the Apostles nor to any other mortall man to bee taught it and learne it from man but my onely Master and Teacher in the Gospel was Jesus Christ himselfe who revealed it unto mee and his Revelation of it unto mee was not after an ordinary manner as hee taught it his Apostles and the rest of his Disciples while hee conversed upon Earth But after an extraordinary and miraculous manner for hee taught it mee since his ascention and revealed it unto mee from Heaven and this was the ground why I told you before that if an Angel from Heaven should preach any other Gospel unto you hee was to bee accursed because thereby hee preacheth a Gospell repugnant to that Gospel which was revealed by Christ from Heaven Hee useth the word Revelation because Revelation is an instruction teaching peculiar and proper to the Gospel and such an instruction as is also peculiar and proper to God to bee made by him for although men have and doe teach the Gospel yet the action of revealing the Gospel is never ascribed unto man but only unto God See Mat. 16.17 and Luke 10.21 and 1. Cor. 2.10 and Ephes 3.3 and Phil. 3.15 For the Gospel and the points therein contained are the sacred mysteries and secrets of God which of themselves are veiled and covered from the knowledge of man who by the course of nature or by force of his naturall understanding can never attaine to any knowledge therein unlesse first they bee revealed and discovered by God Because God and God onely is the revealer of secrets Dan. 2.47 The first Teacher of the Gospel who published the Doctrine of it was Christ who because hee was God was therefore a Revealer of it and his Instruction was Revelation But since Christs ascention his Apostles and their Successours have beene Teachers thereof yet not Revealers neither is their instruction Revelation because Revelation is that instruction which is immediate or proximous from God therefore the Instruction in the Gospel which Paul received immediately and proximously from Christ who is God hee calls it Revelation But the time when Paul had this Revelation from Christ can not bee certainely defined from Scripture Yet probable it is that hee had it at the time of his conversion when hee lay at Damascus in a Trance three dayes together blinde and fasting without sight or meat for when in his astonishment hee demanded of Christ what hee would have him to doe Christ answered hee must goe into Damascus and there it should bee told him what hee must doe Act. 9.6.9 c. And probable also it is that hee had this Revelation at the time of those Revelations which hee had in his rapture when hee was caught up into Paradice and heard unspeakeable words whereof hee writes 2. Cor. 12.1.2.3 because it is very probable that his trance after his conversion and his rapture for those Revelations were at one and the same time for in the sequele of this Chapter hee drawes immediate Arguments from his conversion to prove hee was taught by Revelation But this is certaine that Paul never preached the Gospel of Christ untill first hee was taught it by Christ and then immediately hee preached it See afterward in this Chapter vers 16. VERSE 13. Text. For yee have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jewes Religion how that beyond measure I persecuted the Church of God and wasted it Sense Beyond measure i. e. Beyond all excesse And wasted it i. e. Destroyed it Reason Another Argument to prove that the
before even then when his persecution was in action for the deede thereof being done at Jerusalem the same thereof came presently to the Churches of Judea and afterwards spread beyond Syria and Cilicia even to the Churches of Galatia who had also heard of it as hee mentions it unto them before in this Chapter vers 13. But of his latter action in preaching the faith the Churches of Judea for the space of three yeares after hee began to preach it heard not a word or if they heard any thing thereof they beleft it not for when Paul after three yeares of preaching the Gospel in Arabia and Damascus came from Damascus into Jerusalem neither the Churches of Judea nor those of Jerusalem had heard of it for the faithfull at Jerusalem were all afraid of him and beleeved not that hee was a Christian as was shewed before from Acts 9.26 But upon that returne of Paul to Jerusalem the Church of Jerusalem first heard of his Preaching the Faith and she heard of it by Barnabas who brought Paul to the Apostles and declared unto them both his calling and his Preaching how wonderfully Christ had called him and how powerfully he had Preached Christ at Damascus Act. 9.27 And from the Church of Jerusalem the Churches of Judea circumjacent might easily heare the report of it That he which persecuted us in times past These words are related here by Paul but are the words spoken by the Churches of Judea containing the report they had heard of Paul Paul before in this Chap. vers 13. saith to the Galatians that he had persecuted the Church of God and here he saith that the Churches of Judea had heard of him he which persecuted us yet between his saying and theirs there is no difference concerning the object of his persecution or the persons by him persecuted who in his saying and theirs are still the same because the Churches of Judea were the Churches of God for they were particular Churches of that universall Church which Paul in particular places persecuted in times past And very probable it is that some single persons either teachers or Members in those Churches of Judea were by Paul actually persecuted and forced from Jerusalem upon the Martyrdome of Stephen because the times past were not long past for it was but a matter of three yeares before And those Saints which then were not at Jerusalem were notwithstanding persecuted in that persecution for as when one member of the body suffereth all the members suffer with it so when any one part of the Church is persecuted all the faithfull who are the members thereof and Christ himselfe who is the head thereof is also persecuted for Christ complained that in that very persecution himselfe was persecuted see Act. 9.5 Now the Apostle inculcates the memory of his former persecution into the mindes of the Galatians thereby to maintaine their perswasion of him that so great a Zelot for the Law of Moses as therefore to persecute the Church of Christ had not cast off his patronage of the Law or layd aside his malice against the Gospel without just and weighty causes Now preacheth the Faith which once he destroyed The Faith i. e. the Doctrine of faith or the Gospel of Christ for so it is recorded of Paul that at Damascus he had preached Christ and in the name of the Lord Jesus Acts 9.20.27 For in Scripture Faith is often taken for the Motive whereby we believe and for the matter which we believe whether that matter be a single verity or the whole body of the Gospel See Gal. 3.2.5.23 and Ephes 4.5 Which once The Greeke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. in times past for so it was translated in the words immediatly going before in reference to the persecution and seeing here is the same word in the same sense why should it not here have the same expression for where the elegancies in the Language of the holy Ghost may be fully expressed in our native language there is no reason we should decline them Hee destroyed The Greeke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. wasted for so it was rendred before in this translation verse 13. and he wasted the Faith or the Doctrine of it by using all meanes either by himself or by his Friends to withdraw men from the profession of it and by labouring to being a great destruction upon them for therein consisteth the nature of wasting as was shewed before verse 13. And the words of this verse are serviceable to continue his argument q. d. The Christian Churches in Judea knew me not by face but only by heare-say yet they heard nothing how I learned the Gospel but only that I taught and preached it VERSE 24. Text. And they glorified God in mee Sense They. i. e. The Churches of Judea In mee i. e. In my behalfe for me or by reason of me Reason A Christian consequent of Devotion in the Churches of Judea to praise God for his mercy to his Church Comment AND they glorified God The Churches of Judea hearing that Paul preached the Faith did thereupon glorifie and praise God for it was an ancient custome among the people of God to give praise and thankes to God for any extraordinary worke of God See Mat. 9.8 and Mat. 15.31 and Luk. 7.16 and Acts 4.21 particularly upon the same of a sinners repentance or of any mans conversion to the faith especially if he had been a persecutor of it because such a conversion hath in it more then ordinary and is an immediate worke of God And such was Pauls conversion wherein the good grace of God was extreamly powerfull by drawing him from one extreame to another that is from being a Persecutor of the Faith not only to the state of a Beleever but beyond that state to become a Preacher of it In mee The Greeke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. in my behalfe by reason or because of me for the particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is here put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. because in which sense this phrase is an Hebraisme noting any kinde of causality especially that which is rationall and so it is used elsewhere See and compare John 13.31 32. and John 17.10 and 2. Cor. 12.9 and Ephes 3.13 The ground or reason why the Churches of Judea glorified God was because of Gods grace to Paul in converting him to the Faith and because of Gods grace to his Church by Pauls Preaching of the Faith The Contents of this First Chapter 1. Preface Wherein are contayned 1. Authour Paul an Apostle not of men neither by man but by Jesus Christ and God the Father verse 1. 2. Approvers All the brethren which are with me verse 2. 3. Direction Vnto the Churches of Galatia verse 2. 4. Salutation Grace bee to you and peace from God the Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ who gave himselfe for our sins that c. vers 3.4 5. Devotion To God bee
was from Antioch and therein Barnabas went in company with him and their businesse was to carry thither a collection made in the Church of Antioch for the reliefe of the poore in the Churches of Judea to prevent the misery of the famine foretold by Agabus who for that purpose came with other Prophets from Jerusalem to Antioch See Act. 11.27.30 and Act. 12.25 From which last place it appeares that this journy to Jerusalem with almes for the poore was before the separation of Paul and Barnabas for the worke of the Ministery made by the Presbytery at Antioch at the command of the spirit Act. 13.1.4 But of this second journy Paul mentions nothing in this Epistle because therein was no act done at Jerusalem concerning his present argument to make either for it or against it and because his intent was not heere to write a journall of all his journies to Jerusalem in the same order that hee travelled them but onely to mention such as it seemes his adversaries objected against him 3. His third journy thither was againe from Antioch and therein againe Barnabas went in company with him and their businesse was to consult the Apostles and Elders at Jerusalem concerning the necessity of circumcision not that Paul made any question thereof but because there was a question thereof made in the Church of Antioch where certaine men who came from Judea taught the necessity thereof unto salvation Act. 15.1 For this journy seemes to bee the same with that which is related by Luke in that Chapter where from the Church of Antioch Paul and Barnabas with certaine others are sent to Jerusalem about that question because the particulars mentioned heere in this Chapter by Paul doe suit and agree very fitly with the time and the action mentioned there by Luke as that hee communicated unto the Apostles the substance or summe of that Gospel which hee preached amongst the Gentiles That no decree was there made for the necessity of circumcision to bee imposed upon the Gentiles that hee stoutly opposed such as would have imposed it that by the rest of the Apostles even by the chiefest of them hee was acknowledged for their co-Apostle and com-Minister in the Gospel and that by their approbation and consent hee undertooke for the time to come the Ministery of the Gospel to preach it among the Gentiles This journy then hee therefore mentions in this Epistle because by occasion thereof there passed at Jerusalem those remarkeable Occurrents that were very argumentative to his purpose as to declare that hee was no way inferiour to any of the Apostles thereby to confirme the authority of his Ministery and to confute the calumnies of his adversaries And tooke Titus with mee also Luke in the fifteene of the Acts makes no mention of Titus by name that hee was sent to Jerusalem at that time with Paul and Barnabas for although certaine others are there sayd to bee sent with them Yet it seemes that Titus was none of them that by authority from the Church of Antioch were sent with Paul because Paul saith heere that he tooke Titus with him also i. e. That into the company of those that were sent from Antioch he assumed Titus upon the by over and besides the rest for a speciall purpose And this his Assumption of Titus he mentions heere because of him he was to relate afterward that concerning him being a person uncircumcised the Apostles at Jerusalem gave no command for his Circumcision when the question thereof was there debated q. d. When I went to Jerusalem with Barnabas to confer with the Apostles for the debate of the question about Circumcision I was so confident of my cause that I feared not to take Titus with me also a man who by nation and birth was a Gentile and uncircumcised and him I assumed with mee not only as a companion of my journey but as my fellow-Minister in preaching of the Gospel notwithstanding the distast and opposition of the adverse party who urged the necessity of Circumcision VERSE 2. Text. And I went up by revelation and communicated unto them that Gospel which I preach among the Gentiles but privately to them which were of reputation lest by any meanes I should run or had run in vain Sense Communicated i. e. Made a relation or report Vnto them i. e. Unto them of the Church of Jerusalem That Gospel i. e. The substance or sum of that Gospel Privately i. e. Apart at a secret meeting To them which were of reputation i. e. To the chiefest of the Apostles Runne i. e. Continue the course of my Preaching In vaine i. e. Without any fruit Reason Having before declared the time of this journey to Jerusalem and the company who went with him hee now expresseth the causes thereof as the motive that it was by a Revelation from God and the businesse that it was to relate unto the Church of Jerusalem the sum of that doctrine which he Preached among the Gentiles Comment Paul much directed by Divine Revelations which did sometime second a humane determination Hee reports his Doctrine to the Apostles Yet privately to the chiefe of them and for what cause AND I went up by Revelation The maine and speciall motive inducing Paul to goe to Jerusalem at that time with those persons was a particular revelation or vision from God commanding him thereto for as by revelation hee had his instructions in the doctrine of the Gospel so by revelation also he had particular directions in many cases for the execution of his Ministery His departure from Jerusalem after fifteene dayes abode there to see Peter was from a vision wherein he saw the Lord saying unto him Make haste and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem Act. 22.18 His journey into Macedonia was from a vision that appeared unto him in the night Act. 16.9 His appeal to Rome was from the Lord who stood by him in the night and encouraged him thereto that hee might beare witnesse of Christ at Rome Act. 23.11 And this journey heere from Antioch to Jerusalem was by revelation and lest through the abundance of his visions and revelations he should be exalted above measure the Lord layd an affliction upon him 2. Cor. 12.7 But visions and revelations were not proper and peculiar to Paul only for they were communicated and imparted unto the Apostles in generall and unto some that were not Apostles as unto Ananias and Cornelius See Act. 9.10 and Act. 10.3 Yet Pauls going to Jerusalem by revelation is nothing repugnant to his going by the will and decree of the Church of Antioch as Luke relates the cause of his going Act. 15.2 For by severall and divers motives a man may be induced to one and the same action much more when there is a concurrence of Gods will unto mans purpose and very credible it is that when the Church of Antioch had determined that Paul should goe to Jerusalem then Paul was admonished by a revelation from
God to undertake that journey which they had already determined upon him because Gods will is sometime subsequent to follow not only mans will but his act by approving and confirming afterward what man before hath willed and acted for hence Christ sayd to his Disciples Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall bee bound in heaven and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven Mat. 18.18 Now Paul mentions this Motive of his journey that he went it by revelation thereby to signifie that hee went then to Jerusalem chiefly as a Messenger sent from God lest his adversaries to diminish the authority of his Ministery should suggest to the Galatians that Paul went that journey as a meere Messenger and servant to the Church of Antioch And communicated unto them that Gospel which I preach among the Gentiles And communicated The Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. I declared related or reported for in all the New Testament the word is used but in one place besides and that is by Luke who sayth that Festus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. reported Pauls cause unto King Agrippa where our last English Translation renders it declared Act. 25.14 The pronoune them is here a relative without an antecedent as the manner of the Hebrewes is sometimes to use it yet it is referred antecedently not to any persons mentioned before expresly but tacitly as they are couched in the word Jerusalem and it is referred subsequently to persons that shall be mentioned in the next following clause of this verse namely to them which were of reputation in Jerusalem The matter which unto them he related was not that whole Gospel wherein at his conversion Christ was revealed unto him but the summe of that Gospel or of that Doctrine which as part of the whole Gospel he preached among the Gentiles particularly to the point of circumcision and the rest of the legall ceremonies namely he preached that men are justified only by faith in Christ without either circumcision or other observances of the Law which he no where pressed upon the Gentiles or mentioned as necessary to salvation But privately to them which were of reputation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. secretly apart or aside for so also the word is commonly rendred elsewhere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. to the principall or chiefe persons for among the Greekes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are such who are personages of chiefe esteem or repute of whom other men hold a great opinion for their knowledge wisedome and integrity such among the Apostles were Peter James and John and whosoever else were principall persons in the Church of Jerusalem To the chiefe persons therefore of that Church Paul related the summe of his Doctrine for they were most concerned in the point because they were best able to examine it and to give their judgement in it And with these he first dealt privately at a secret meeting as in like cases commonly the maner is before he communicated the matter to the whole Church of Jerusalem to whom the matter was referred and to whom afterward Paul and Barnabas publickly delivered it in the Synod For when in a full audience of the Synod they two had rendred an account of that Doctrine which they had preached among the Gentiles and had declared the miracles and wonders which God by them had wrought among the Gentiles presently upon their silence James gave the sentence which was approved by the whole Synod and thereupon the Decrees were drawne up to be sent abroad among the Gentiles as Luke reports it Acts 15.12 13. Against which order of proceeding this makes nothing that here in this Epistle he mentions his conference with the chiefest persons secretly in the last place for he might therefore doe so because he would expresse the generall act of his message before that which therein was particular without respect to the order of time Yet if any man will urge the contrary I shall not much stand upon it Lest by any meanes I should run or had run in vaine The finall cause why he made this relation of his Doctrine to the Apostles Not that Paul made any doubt concerning the certainty of his Doctrine as if he would acknowledge the verity and certainty thereof from the approbation of those who were the chiefe in reputation for as we heard before the verity and certainty of his Doctrine was by God himselfe miraculously revealed unto him and every where confirmed by divers miracles But he therefore related it to avoyd the inconvenience of losing his labour q. d. Unlesse I had thus communicated my selfe at Jerusalem to the Apostles I might have lost all my labour in preaching of the Gospel for my adversaries would continually have clamoured against my Doctrine that the chiefest of the Apostles thought and taught otherwise by which meanes they would have subverted their Faith who had beleft it and consequently I should have run in vaine losing all the fruit of my labour in preaching VERSE 3. Text. But neither Titus who was with me being a Greeke was compelled to be circumcised Sense Neither i. e. Not indeed A Greeke i. e. A non-Jew or Gentile Compelled The Greeke is necessitated Reason The issue of the conference at Jerusalem that circumcision was not decreed necessary neither was Titus a Gentile necessitated to be circumcised Comment A Greeke who Why Titus was not circumcised and why afterward Timothy was BUT neither Titus who was with me being a Greeke We may now perceive from these words why Paul mentioned Titus before as the companion of his journey to Jerusalem and why he tooke him with him by Revelation namely that from his person he might draw an evident testimony against the necessity of circumcision upon the Gentiles The particle neither stands not here for a copulative but is put for the single negative firmely denying of not indeed A Greeke i. e. a non-Jew or a Gentile for by the Jew every non-Jew of what Nation soever is generally called sometime a Greeke sometime a Gentile or Heathen See Rom. 1.16 and Rom. 2.9 q. d. From the result of the Synod no not Titus a man of great repute in the Church of God and my frequent assistant in the Gospel who was then with me at Jerusalem and present in the Assembly although by nation and birth he was not a Jew but a Gentile was ordered to be circumcised no not although circumcision seemed of great moment in regard of his person that he might be a precedent and leading man to the rest of the Gentiles Compelled to bee circumcised Compelled the Greeke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. necessitated to bee circumcised for the question was whether circumcision were necessary to salvation and to shew it not necessary Titus was not necessitated to bee circumcised An infallible argument that the judgement of the Apostles was that neither circumcision nor the rest of the legall Ceremonies were no way necessary neither
1. Cor. 3.22 and 1. Cor. 9.5 and 1. Cor. 15.5 John i. e. John the Apostle who was one of the twelve and the beloved Disciple who is commonly called the Evangelist partly to distinguish him from John the Baptist and partly because hee wrote that Gospel which goes under his name hee also wrote three Canonicall Epistles and the Booke of the Revelation hee was the sonne of Zebedee and Brother of James the Elder whom Herod put to death Act. 12.2 Besides this John and John the Baptist there was another John sirnamed Marke whom Paul and Barnabas tooke for their Minister and fell into some dissention about him of whom see Act. 12.25 and Act. 13.5.13 and Act. 15.37 Who seemed to bee Pillars Having discovered and specified by name the persons of whom before it was sayd in generall that they were chiefe men who were of reputation and who seemed to bee somewhat hee now determines in particular what they seemed to bee namely to bee pillars i. e. principall persons in the Church of God who of that edifice whereof Christ is the foundation were in a manner the maine supporters whereby the Christian Religion and the truth thereof was sustained and upheld against all persecutors who openly opposed it and against all false Teachers who secretly undermined it For as the Tabernacle and the Temple was supported by pillars So the mysticall building of Christ is under Christ supported by the Ministers thereof and as the Church is elsewhere called the pillar of truth 1. Tim. 3.15 Because therein and therein onely the truth of Religion is preserved for out of the Church wee seeke in vaine for any true Religion So the Ministers are the pillars of the Church by whose Doctrine and Ministery the Church is preserved Yet James Cephas and John have heere from Paul this attribute that they seemed to bee pillars according to the language or speech of his adversaries because unto them these Apostles onely seemed to bee the onely pillars not that they were not as they seemed or not that they seemed not so unto Paul but because they were not the only men that either were or seemed so and because his adversaries who in the poynts controverted dissented from the Apostles abused their reputation of being pillars on purpose to deceive the Galatians and to debase the reputation of Paul as if hee were no pillar or no supporter of the truth Perceived the grace that was given unto mee The grace viz. of my Apostleship or of my being an Apostle unto the Gentiles for that was the matter whereof hee spake last before when hee sayd that the Gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto him and that God was mighty in him toward the Gentiles This his Apostleship hee calls a grace because the office thereof was conferred upon him from God by Christ by no other title then by the grace of God as is further implyed in the word given Because all gifts of what nature soever proceede from the grace and favour of the giver Paul of himselfe was unsufficient for this Function for hee was ignorant of the Gospel till such time as it pleased God to reveale Christ unto him and above all other men hee was unworthy of it because hee was a persecutor of those persons who sustained it and of the Church for whom the office was ordained So that unto Paul his office in the Apostleship was free grace because hee no way desired it and meere grace because hee no way deserved it and abundant grace because hee deserved the contrary Hence elsewhere hee calls his Apostleship by the name not onely of grace but of grace exceeding abundant See and compare Rom. 1.5 and Rom. 15.15 and 1. Tim. 1.14 But hee mentions it here by the name of grace to continue his Argument for the Divinity of it for seeing the Gospel was committed or entrusted unto him seeing God was mighty in it toward the Gentiles and seeing it was a gift unto him proceeding from Gods graces therefore certainly it must needs be divine They gave to mee and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship They i. e. James Cephas and John who seemed to bee pillars Gave mee and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship i. e. acknowledged me and Barnabas for their Peeres and equalls for their com-Ministers and fellow-Apostles and in testimony thereof gave us their right hands And these words for their coherence must be referred backward unto these words at the 7. verse But contrariwise q. d. James Cephas and John who seemed to be pillars and were pillars and by your false Teachers were pretended to bee the only pillars were so far from discovering any further light in the Gospel or from adding any knowledge unto mee therein as if I had beene their Disciple who had learned something from them that contrariwise even they themselves acknowledged both mee and Barnabas to bee pillars also even their equalls and fellowes in the Apostleship and signed our fellowship under their hands by giving us their right hands upon it thereby to testifie unto the world that our authority ability and efficacy for the Ministery of the Gospel was equally divine with theirs all proceeding immediately from the grace of God which unto mee was exceeding abundant The giving of the right hand was among the Hebrewes an ordinary and solemne forme whereby to expresse equality and fellowship for by this forme Jehonadab associated himselfe into the fellowship and company of Jehu by giving him his hand 2. King 10.15 And thus Tobias was marryed to his wife Sara by the joyning of their hands Tobit 7.13 For this solemnity of joyning the right hands in marriage is not onely ancient but very proper because marriage is the most originall and naturall society or fellowship of mankinde which is also called Wedlocke because thereby two persons like two hands clasped are so linked and locked together that they are incorporated into one body or as Christ termeth it whereby twaine are no more twaine but one flesh which God hath joyned together Mat. 19.6 Which Conjunction is expressed and signified by the mutuall conjoyning of their right hands a part of the body for the whole and the right hand being the principall instrument of strength and action doth further argue the mutual promise of that mutuall helpe which God respected at the Creation in making the woman a helpe meete for the man Gen. 2.18 That wee should goe unto the heathen and they unto the circumcision Should goe In the Greeke there is no Verbe expressed but is well supplied in our last English translation Should goe for the very same supply is in the Italian and French translations although the Syriack and some Latines supply it somwhat more emphatically thus should exercise our Apostleship for this expresseth the action or end of their going q. d. Upon their hands given us this agreement was further concluded between us that we should exercise the Ministery of our Apostleships distinctly I and Barnabas by
to him that teacheth it but it seldome troubles the soul that receives it whereas errour disquiets and distracts the conscience leaving her uncertaine of the issue pretended and troubling her about the means thereto leading And would pervert the Gospel of Christ The issue of their counterfeit Gospel which though it might not be the intent of the false teachers yet it would bee the event that the Gospel of Christ would thereby be perverted i. e. it would bee cast into a new mould or frame contrary to the forme it had before The addition of Circumcision and other legall Ceremonies doth adulterate and corrupt the Gospel of Christ by compounding it into a new nature contrary to the genuine simplicity and sincerity wherein it was originally planted and taught for they confound the Gospel who compound and complie it with the law because they who unto the Gospel of Christ would super-adde the law of Moses must consequently needs teach that Grace on Gods part and faith on our part make not a sufficient title to our right of inheritance unto blessednesse but that our title by grace and faith requires a further corroboration from our works according to the law of Moses such as Circumcision and difference of meats which are such servile works and such beggerly services unto God and so far from making us a title to have that right that they serve not for a tenure whereby to hold it but that right must bee held by our filiall works of love as wee are the sonnes and heires of God and as they are prescribed in the Gospel of Christ which works Evangelicall are of a more noble nature and more pleasing to God then the legall works under the law which were but beggerly and servile services VERSE 8. Text. But though we or an Angel from heaven preach any other Gospel unto you then that which we have preached unto you let him bee accursed Sense But though we i. e. Though I. Or an Angel from heaven i. e. an heavenly Angel Which we have preached i. e. Which I have preached Reason Though formerly the Apostle had sufficiently declared that the revolt of the Galatians from the Gospel of Christ was a foul errour and that they who obtruded another counterfeit gospel upon them were corrupters of the true Gospel and therefore not to be followed yet heere also hee further insisteth upon the same point shewing them what they are to thinke of any other person whatsoever that should presume to preach any doctrine contrary to his or different from it Comment Angels are some celestiall others infernall Doctrine may be false two wayes 1. Directly 2. Indirectly And such are humane Traditions The doome of false Doctrine BUt though we or an Angel from heaven Wee i. e. I Paul for he speaks only of or concerning himselfe using the plurall number for the singular as appears in the words in the verse following as we have sayd before for Paul only was the person who had sayd the words of this verse And the force of this argument is very moving because the Apostle argues for the truth of his owne doctrine even against himselfe q. d. Not only they who trouble you and would enforce a new gospel upon you are to bee wholly rejected but also I my selfe if I should attempt it am to bee repelled as an execrable person And not only I but if an Angel should come to you as an Evangelist or an Apostle with a message from Heaven contrary to the doctrine by me planted amongst you he is in like maner to be abandoned The words from heaven are not to be referred to the act of preaching but to the person of the Angel to whom they are an attribute and signifie only an heavenly Angel for there are Angels who in respect of their residence are celestiall and supernall in the highest Heaven and there are Angels who for their residence are aereall and infernall for in comparison of the highest Heaven which is most supernall the Ayre which makes the lowest Heaven is infernall Hence wicked spirits are called Princes of the Ayre and are sayd to bee in Heavenly Places i. e. in the Ayre for the Ayre though in respect of the highest Heaven above it it bee Hell yet in respect of the Earth below it it is Heaven and consequently the Ayre in a different and subalterne respect is both Heaven and Hell See and compare Mat. 6.26 and Luk. 13.19 and Ephes 2.2 and Ephes 3.10 and Ephes 6.12 and 2. Pet. 2.4 But to supply the Argument with the greater force the Apostle supposeth a condition altogether impossible seeing it could never come to passe that either hee himselfe should against himselfe or an Angel from Heaven against him should ever attempt to preach another Gospel Should preach any other Gospel unto you then that which wee have preached The Greeke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. literally should preach unto you besides what wee have preached Heereby is excluded from the Gospel of Christ all such Doctrine that is either against his Gospel or besides it for whatsoever Doctrine is against it is also besides it and more then besides it and consequently all such Doctrine is excluded as alien from the Gospel of Christ which either doth wholly alter or partly subvert the way delivered by Paul for obtaining a true right and a right title to the Inheritance of Blessednesse And this is done either directly when any thing is taught manifestly contrary to that Doctrine which is necessary to salvation as to teach that Jesus is not the Christ or that there is no New Covenant Or indirectly when any thing not necessary is proposed and urged as necessary though it bee not contrary to the Gospel of Christ but onely disparate or diverse from it as to urge the Ceremonies either of Moses or of others as necessary to salvation for by this meanes the way to salvation is partly changed and assigned to some by-way whereto Christ and his Apostles assigned it not Yet because at that time the legall Ceremonies were urged as necessary to salvation especially by those Christians which were converted from Judaisme whose infirmity was tolerated by the rest of the Apostles and by Paul himselfe who Rom. 14. plainely declares that their opinion was no prejudice to their salvation Therefore wee must not affirme that it was the Apostles minde in this place to pronounce a curse upon all those who any manner of way should teach something as necessary to salvation besides what hee had taught if they taught it out of meere ignorance or errour but those onely hee pronounceth accursed who out of arrogance or some by-respect should presse as necessary to salvation those things which they knew the Apostle had taught to bee not necessary Doth not this Text reach unto the Church of Rome who urgeth as necessary to salvation the Traditions and Precepts of the Church as shee calls them which shee acknowledgeth not to bee comprised in the