CHAPTER I.J COMMENTARY ON GALATIANS. beholding and honoring Peter by his presence. He says, " to visit Peter ; " he does not say to see, (jdeTv,) but to visit and survey, (Iarop7taat,) a word which those, who seek to become acquainted with great and splendid cities, apply to themselves. Worthy of such trouble did he consider the very sight of Peter ; and this appears from the Acts of the Apostles also. (Acts xxi: 17,18 etc.) For on his arrival at Jeru salem, on another occasion, after having con verted many Gentiles, and, with labors far sur passing the rest, reformed and brought to Christ Pamphylia, Lycaonia, Cilicia, and all nations in that quarter of the world, he first addresses himself with great humility to James, as to his elder and superior. Next he submits to his counsel, and that counsel contrary to this Epistle. " Thou seest, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of them which have believed ; therefore shave thy head, and purify thyself." (Acts xxi: 20 f.) Accord ingly he shaved his head, and observed all the Jewish ceremonies ; for where the Gospel was not affected, he was the humblest of all men. But where by such humility he saw any injured, he gave up that undue exercise of it, for that was no longer to be humble but to outrage and destroy the disciples. Ver. 18. " And tarried with him fifteen days." To take a journey on account of him was a mark of respect ; but to remain so many days, of friendship and the most earnest affection. 1 Ver. 19. " But other of the Apostles saw I none, save James, 2 the Lord s brother." See what great friends he was with Peter especially ; on his account he left his home, and with him he tarried. This 1 frequently repeat, and desire you to remember, that no one, when he hears what this Apostle seems to have spoken against Peter, may conceive a suspicion of him. He premises this, that when he says, "I resisted Peter," no one may sup pose that these words imply enmity and con tention; for he honored and loved his person more than all and took this journey for his sake onlyj not for any of the others. " But other of the Apostles saw I none, save James." "I saw him merely, I did not learn from him," he means. But observe how honorably he men tions him, he says not " James " merely, but adds this illustrious title, so free ishe from all envy. Had he only wished to point out whom he meant, he might have shown this by another 1 [And yet it was not long enough to have allowed his receiving his doctrine and Gospel from Peter. Besides he had already been preaching three years. G. A.] " Thus this James is distinguished from the circle of the twelve (i Cor. xv. 8.) to which Peter belonged but included in the number of Apostles in the wider sense, which explains the merely supplementary mention of this Apostle." Meyer. appellation, and called him the son of Cleo- phas, as the Evangelist does. 3 But as he con sidered that he had a share in the august titles of the Apostles, he exalts himself by honoring James; and this he does by calling him " the Lord s brother," although he was not by birth His brother, but only so reputed. Yet this did not deter him from giving the title ; and in many other instances he displays towards all the Apostles that noble disposition, which beseemed him. Ver. 20. " Now touching the things which I write unto you, behold, before God, I lie not." Observe throughout the transparent humility of this holy soul ; his earnestness in his own vindication is as great as if he had to render an account of his deeds, and was pleading for his life in a court of justice. Ver. 21. " Then I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia." 4 After his interview with Peter, he resumes his preaching and the task which lay before him, avoiding Judsea, both because of his mission being to the Gentiles, and of his unwillingness to "build upon another man s foundation." Wherefore there was not even a chance meeting, as appears from what follows. Ver. 22, 23. " And I was still unknown by face unto the Churches of Judaea; but they only heard say, he that once persecuted us now preacheth the faith of which he once made havoc." What modesty in thus again mentioning the facts of his persecuting and laying waste the Church, and in thus making infamous his former life, while he passes over the illustrious deeds he was about to achieve ! He might have told, had he wished it, all his successes, but he mentions none of these and stepping with one word over a vast expanse, he says merely, "I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia;" and, "they had heard, that he, which once per secuted us, now preacheth the faith of which he once made havoc. The purpose of the words, " I was unknown to the Churches of Judsea," is to show, that so far from preaching to them the necessity of circumcision, he was not known to them even by sight. Ver. 24. " And they glorified God in me." See here again how accurately he observes the rule of his humility ; he says not, they admired me, they applauded or were astonished at me, but ascribes all to Divine grace by the words, "they glorified God in me." [Compare John xix: 25 with Matt, xxvii: 56. But see Lightfoot s learned and exhaustive essay on " The Brethren of the Lord, Com. on C,al. pp. 88127, and Schaff, Church History, \, 272-275. G.A.I 4 [Compare Acts ix : 30, where Luke says the brethren took Paul to Caesarea,and thence despatched him to Tarsus (in Cilicia,-G. A.]