CHAPTER IV.] COMMENTARY ON GALATIANS. instead of children, heirs and sons instead of aliens, is it not utter absurdity and stupidity to desert this grace, and to turn away backwards? Ver. 8, 9. " Howbeit at that time not know ing God, ye were in bondage to them which by nature are no gods. 1 But now, that ye have come to know God, or rather to be known of God, how turn ye back again to the weak and beggarly rudiments whereunto ye desire to be in bondage over again." Here turning to the Gentile believers he says that it is an idolatry, this rigid observance of days, and now incurs a severe punishment. To enforce this, and inspire them with a deeper anxiety, he calls the elements "not by nature Gods." And his meaning is, Then indeed, as being benighted and bewildered, ye lay grov elling upon the earth, but now that ye have known God or rather are known of Him, how great and bitter will be the chastisement yedraw upon you, if, after such a treatment, ye relapse into the same disease. It was not by your own pains that ye found out God, but while ye con tinued in error, He drew you to Himself. He says "weak and beggarly rudiments," in that they avail nothing towards the good things held out to us. Ver. 10. "Ye observe days, and months, and seasons, and years." Hence is plain that their teachers were preaching to them not only circumscision, but also the feast-days and new-moons. Ver. ii. "I am afraid of you, lest by any means I have bestowed labor upon you in vain." Observe the tender compassion ofthe Apostle ; they were shaken and he trembles and fears. And hence he has put it so as thoroughly to shame them, "I have bestowed labor upon you," saying, as it were, make not vain the labors which have cost me sweat and pain. By saying " I fear," and subjoining the word " lest," he both inspires alarm, and encourages good hope. He says not "I have labored in vain," but " lest," which is as much as to say, the wreck has not happened, but I see the storm big with it ; so I am in fear, yet not in despair ; ye have the power to set all right, and to return into your former calm. Then, as it were stretch ing out a hand to them thus tempest-tost,2 he brings himself into the midst, saying, 1 [" It is clear from the context that here the apostle is not speak ing of the Jewish race alone but of the heathen world also before Christ. He distinctly refers to their previous idolatrous worship (v. 8) and describes their adoption of Jewish ritualism as a re turn to the weak and beggarly discipline of childhood. : Heathenism had been in respect to the ritualistic element, which is the meeting-point of Judaism and heathenism, a disciplinary training like Judaism. They were made up of precepts and ordi nances, as opposed to grace and promise, and in an imperfect way they might do the same work. They might by multiplying transgression and begetting a conviction of it prepare the way tor liberty in Christ." I.ightfoot. G. A.l 2 ["Paul in the following paragraph (ver. 12-20) interrupts h argument for a moment by an affectionate appeal to the feelings of the Galatians." Schaff. G. A.] Ver. 12. "I beseech you, brethren, be aslam ; for I am as you are." This is addressed to his Jewish disciples, andhe brings his own example forward, to induce them thereby to abandon their old customs. Though you had none other for a pattern, he says, to look at me only would have sufficed for such a change, and for your taking courage. Therefore gaze on me ; I too was 3 once in your state of mind, especially so ; I had a burning zeal for the Law ; yet afterwards I feared not to abandon the Law, to withdraw from that rule of life. And this ye know full well how obsti nately I clung hold of Judiaism, and how with yet greater force I let it go. He does well to place this last in order : for most men, though they are given a thousand reasons, and those just ones, are more readily influenced by that which is like their own case, and more firmly hold to that which they see done by others. Ver. 12. "Ye did me no wrong." Observe how he again addresses them by a title of honor, which was a reminder moreover of the doctrine of grace. Having chid them seriously, and brought things together from all quarters, and shown their violations ofthe Law, and hit them on many sides, he gives in and conciliates them speaking more tenderly. For as todo nothing butconciliate causes negligence, so to be constantlytalked atwith sharpness sours a man ; sothat it is proper to observedue propor tion everywhere. See then how he excuses to them what he has said, and shows that it pro ceeded not simply because hedid not like them, but from anxiety. After giving them a deep cut, he pours in this encouragement like oil ; and, showing that his words were not words of hate or enmity, he reminds them of the love which they had evinced toward him, mixing his self-vindication with praises. Therefore he says, "ye did me no wrong." Ver. 13, 14. " But ye know that because of an infirmity of the flesh I preached the Gospel unto you the first time. And that which was a temptation in my flesh ye despised not, nor re jected." Not to have injured one is indeed no great thing, for no man whatever would choose to hurt wantonly and without object to annoy an other who had -never injured him. But for you, not only have ye not injured me, but ye have shown me great and inexpressible kindness, and it is impossible that one who has been treated with such attention should speak thus from any malevolent motive. My language then cannot be caused by ill-will ; it follows, that it proceeds 3 [" Eytvonin> must be supplied in the second clause and not rifji-nv as Chrysostom would understand: Become as I, free from Judaism, for I also have become as you. For when 1 abandoned Judaism I became as a Gentile and put myself on the same fooling with you." Meyer. G. A.J