some others, imagine that it was one of those Epistles which St. Paul wrote from Rome during his first confinement; but this opinion is contradicted by the apostle's silence concerning his bonds, which he has often mentioned in the letters that are known to have been written at that time. It is evident that the Epistle to the Galatians was written early, because he complains in it of their speedy apostasy from his doctrine (Gal. i. 6.), and warns them in the strongest and most forcible terms against the judaising teachers, who disturbed the peace of the churches in Syria and Asia Minor. (i. 7—9., iii. 1.) The warmth of the apostle's expressions led Tertullian to conclude that St. Paul was himself a neophyte or novice in the Christian faith at the time of writing this Epistle a hasty conclusion! which if retorted upon Tertullian would mark him as always a novice. And as no intimation is given through the whole of it that he had been with them more than once, we are authorised to conclude that he wrote this letter from Corinth about the end of 52, or early in the year 53. The subscription, indeed, states it to have been written from Rome; but this is evidently spurious, for St. Paul's first journey to Rome did not take place until at least ten years after the conversion of the Galatians. III. The genuineness of this Epistle was never doubted. It is cited by the apostolic fathers, Clement of Rome2, and Polycarp 3; and is declared to be authentic by Irenæus, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, Caius, Origens, and by all subsequent writers. It is worthy of remark, that this Epistle was acknowledged to be genuine by the heretic Marcion, who reckoned it the earliest written of all St. Paul's Letters, and accordingly placed it first in his Apostolicon, or Collection of Apostolical Writings." IV. The Churches in Galatia, as in most other countries, were composed partly of converted Jews, and partly of Gentile converts, but the latter seem to have been most numerous. It appears from the contents of this Epistle, that, not long after the Galatians had embraced Christianity, a certain judaising teacher or false apostle had either crept in or risen up among them, who, to advance his own doctrine, questioned St. Paul's apostolical authority, insinuating that Peter and the apostles of the circumcision were superior to him, and consequently much more to be regarded. It was further insinuated that they never preached against the circumcision of Gentile converts; but that it was a doctrine peculiar to Paul, who was only an apostle of men, and had not such extraordinary powers and illumination as had been conferred on the other apostles. The false teacher seems even to have intimated, that St. Paul did himself, secretly, and at Cont. Marcion, lib. i. c. 20. 2 Lardner's Works, 8vo. vol. ii. p. 37.; 4to. vol. i. p. 298. Ibid. 8vo. vol. ii. pp. 163, 164.; 4to. vol. i. p. 368. Ibid. 8vo. vol. ii. p. 223.; 4to. vol. i. p. 401. some times, preach the necessity of circumcision to the Gentile converts; though generally, and at other times, he insisted on the contrary. In short, the false apostle was desirous that all Gentile Christians. should submit themselves to circumcision, and consequently oblige themselves to observe the whole law of Moses, as if the Gospel of Jesus Christ alone were insufficient to justify and save them. And so successful was this teacher in propagating this error, that some of the Galatians actually submitted to be circumcised. (Gal. v. 2-12.) From the expression of St. Paul in Gal. v. 9-10., it is probable that this disturbance in the Galatian churches was made by one judaising teacher only, and not by several zealots, as some commentators have supposed; and from what is said in vi. 12, 13. it appears that he was a man who acted not from any religious views or motives, but from vain-glory and fear; that he might conciliate the favour of the Jews by increasing the number of proselytes, and so escape the persecutions raised by the unbelieving Jews against St. Paul, and those who adhered to his doctrines. Such were the circumstances that occasioned St. Paul to write this Epistle with his own hand (Gal. vi. 11.), contrary to his usual practice of dictating his letters. Accordingly, its SCOPE is, to assert his apostolical character and authority, and the doctrine which he taught, and to confirm the Galatian churches in the faith of Christ, especially with respect to the important point of justification by faith alone; to expose the errors which had been disseminated among them, by demonstrating to them the true nature and use of the moral and ceremonial law; and to revive those principles of Christianity which he had taught when he first preached the Gospel to them. viz. V. The Epistle to the Galatians, therefore, consists of three parts, PART I. The Introduction. (i. 1-5.) PART II. The Discussion of the Subjects which had occasioned this Epistle: in which SECT. 1. is a vindication of St. Paul's apostolical doctrine and authority, and shows that he was neither a missionary from the church at Jerusalem, nor a disciple of the apostles, but an immediate apostle of Christ himself, by divine revelation; consequently that he was in no respect inferior to St. Peter himself. (i. 624. ii.) SECT. 2. The apostle disputes against the advocates for circumcision and the observance of the law of Moses, and shows, §i. That justification is by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the Mosaic law. (iii. 1-18.) § ii. That the design of God in giving the law was, not to justify but to convince of sin, as well as to restrain from the commission of it; and that being intended only for a temporary institution, instead of vacating the promise, it was designed to be subservient to it, by showing the necessity of a better righteousness than that of the law, as a schoolmaster until the coming of Christ; that, being justified by faith in him, they might obtain the benefit of the promise. (iii. 19-24.) Such being the end and design of the law, the apostle infers from it, that now, under the Gospel, we are freed from the law (25—29.); and illustrates his inference by God's treatment of the Jews, whom he put under the law, as a father puts a minor under a guardian. (iv. 1—7.) SECT. 3. shows the great weakness and folly of the Galatians in going about to subject themselves to the law, and that by submitting to circumcision they became subject to the whole law, and would thus put themselves on a ground wholly inconsistent with the covenant of grace. (iv. 8—31., v. 1-9.) SECT. 4. contains various instructions and exhortations for Christian behaviour, and particularly concerning a right use of their Christian freedom. (v. 10-16., vi. 1—10.) PART III. The Conclusion, which is a Summary of the Topics discussed in this Epistle, terminates with an Apostolical Benediction. (vi. 11-18.) VI. Although the subject discussed in the Epistle to the Galatians is the same that is treated in the Epistle to the Romans, viz. the doctrine of justification by faith alone, yet the two Epistles differ materially in this respect. The Epistle to the Galatians (which was first written) was designed to prove against the Jews, that men are justified by faith without the works of the law of Moses', which required perfect obedience to all its precepts, moral and ceremonial, under the penalty of the curse, from which the atonements and purifications prescribed by Moses had no power to deliver the sinner. The Law was not to be considered as though it added something to the acceptance already bestowed on those who believe. On the contrary, in his Epistle to the Romans, St. Paul treats of justification on a more enlarged plan; his design being to prove against both Jews and Gentiles, that neither the one nor the other can be justified meritoriously by performing works of law of any kind; but that all must be justified gratuitously by faith through the obedience and sacrifice of Christ: "Per fidem, propter Christum," as said the Reformers. The two Epistles, therefore, taken together, form a complete proof that justification is not to be obtained meritoriously, either by works of morality, or by rites and ceremonies, though of divine appointment; but that it is a free gift, proceeding entirely from the mercy of God, to those who receive it by faith in Jesus our Lord. This Epistle is written with great energy and force of language, and at the same time affords a fine instance of St. Paul's skill in managing an argument. The chief objection, which the advocate or advocates for the Mosaic law had urged against him, was, that he preached circumcision. In the beginning of the Epistle he overturns this slander by a statement of facts, without taking any express notice of it; but at the end he fully refutes it, that he might leave a strong and lasting impression upon their minds. Though the erroneous doctrines of the judaising teacher and his followers, as well as the calumnies which they spread for the purpose of discrediting him as an apostle, doubtless occasioned great uneasiness of mind to him and to the faithful in that age, and did considerable injury among the Galatians, at least for some time; yet, ultimately, 1 Compare, among other passages, Gal. iii. 2, 3. 5., iv. 21., v. 1-4. these evils have proved of no small service to the church in general. For, by obliging the apostle to produce the evidences of his apostleship, and to relate the history of his life, especially after his conversion, we have obtained the fullest assurance that he really was an apostle, called to be an apostle by Jesus Christ himself, and acknowledged to be such by those who were apostles before him; consequently we are assured that our faith in the doctrines of the Gospel as taught by him (and it is he who has taught the peculiar doctrines of the Gospel most fully) is not built on the credit of men, but on the authority of the Spirit of God, by whom St. Paul was inspired in the whole of the doctrine which he has delivered to the world. As this letter was directed to the churches of Galatia, Dr. Macknight is of opinion that it was to be read publicly in them all. He thinks that it was in the first instance sent by Titus to the brethren in Ancyra, the chief city of Galatia, with an order to them to communicate it to the other churches, in the same manner as the first Epistle to the Thessalonians was appointed to be read to all the brethren in that city, and in the province of Macedonia.1 On the undesigned coincidences between this Epistle and the Acts of the Apostles, see Dr. Paley's Hora Paulina, Chap. V.2 CHAP. XIV. ON THE EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS. I. CHRISTIANITY was first planted in this city by St. Paul, about A. D. 54, when he reasoned with the Jews in their synagogues for the space of three months; he did not, however, continue long there at that time, but hastened to keep the feast at Jerusalem, promising to return again to his hearers. (Acts xviii. 19-21.) Accordingly he came to Ephesus early the following year (Acts xix. 1. et seq.) and preached the word with such success, and performed such extraordinary miracles among them, that a numerous church was formed there, chiefly composed of Gentile converts; whose piety and zeal were so remarkable, that many of them, in abhorrence of the curious arts which they had used, burnt their magical books, to a great value. (xix. 19.) And such was the apostle's concern for their spiritual welfare, that he did not leave them until A. D. 56, when he had been about three years among them. (xx. 31.) After this he spent some time in Macedonia and Achaia; and on his return to Jerusalem (A. D. 57) he sent for the elders of the Ephesian church to meet him at Miletus. There he took an affectionate leave of them, as one that should see them no more; appealing to them with what fidelity he had Dr. Macknight's Preface to the Epistle to the Galatians, sect. 3. 2 Calmet, Preface sur l'Epitre aux Galates. Rosenmüller, Scholia in N. T. tom. iv. pp. 394-396.; Bloch, Chronotaxis Scriptorum Pauli, pp. 131-159.; Lardner's Works, 8vo. vol. vi. pp. 305-314.; 4to. vol. iii. pp. 287-291.; Whitby's Preface; Hug's Introduction, vol. ii. §§ 98-100.; Michaelis, vol. iv. pp. 8-22. ἐν 1 discharged his ministry among them, and exhorting them to "take heed unto themselves, and unto the flock" committed to their care, lest they should be corrupted by seducing teachers who would rise among them, and artfully endeavour to pervert them. (xx. 17-38.) II. The apostle Paul is universally admitted to be the author of the Epistle to the Ephesians. This Epistle is alluded to by Polycarp2, and is cited by name by Irenæus3, Clement of Alexandria', Tertullian, Origen, and by all subsequent writers without exception. Most of the ancient manuscripts, and all the ancient versions, have the words év 'Epéow," at Ephesus," in the first verse of this Epistle, which is an evident proof that the Epistle was written to the Ephesians. But Grotius, Mill, Wetstein, Vitringa, Venema, Benson, Paley, and other learned men, have doubted or denied that this Epistle was written to the Ephesians, and have argued that it must have been written to the Laodiceans. They rest this opinion, first, on the assertion of Marcion, a heretic of the second century, who affirmed the same thing; but his testimony is of no weight, for Marcion altered and interpolated the writings of the New Testament, to make them favourable to his sentiments, and upon this very account he is censured by Tertullian (A. D. 200), as setting up an interpolation of his own with regard to the Epistle in question, in opposition to the true testimony of the church. They further appeal to a passage in Basil's second book against Eunomius, in which he thus cites Eph. i. 1.: "And writing to the Ephesians, as truly united to him who is' through knowledge, he called them in a peculiar sense such who are,' saying; to the saints who are' (or even) ‘to the faithful in Christ Jesus.' For so those before us have transmitted it, and we have found it in ancient copies." From the concluding sentence of this quotation it is inferred that certain manuscripts, which Basil had seen, omitted the words ev 'Epέow, "at Ephesus." Michaelis, however, argues at considerable length, that the omission of the word ouow "who are," was the subject of Basil's implied censure, as being hostile to the inference he wished to deduce, and not the omission of the words v 'Epéow. And, as this Father, in another passage of his writings, expressly cites the Epistle to the Ephesians 10 without any hesitation, it is evident that in his time (the latter part of the fourth century) this Epistle was not considered as being addressed to the Laodiceans. [There is even now hardly any occasion to modify this word. The attacks on this Epistle by modern doubters are of a kind wholly subjective: they have been well met by Mr. Alford in his Prælectio on this topic.] 2 Lardner, 8vo. vol. ii. p. 95.; 4to. vol. i. p. 330. Ibid. 8vo. vol. ii. p. 163.; 4to. vol. i. p. 368. Ibid. 8vo. vol. ii. p. 223.; 4to. vol. i. p. 401. 5 Ibid. 8vo. vol. ii. pp. 263, 264. ; 4to. vol. i. p. 423. Ibid. 8vo. vol. ii. p. 472.; 4to. vol. i. p. 535. Ibid. 8vo. vol. ii. pp. 263, 264.; 4to. vol. i. p. 423. See the original passage in Lardner, 8vo. vol. iv. p. 401.; 4to. vol. ii. p. 466.; or in Michaelis, vol. iv. pp. 142-146. [The words èv 'Epéoy are omitted in the text of the Codex Vaticanus, though they have been added in the margin; and this proves that such MSS. may have been current in Basil's days, when this one indeed was extant.] 10 Lardner, 8vo. vol. iv. p. 404.; 4to. vol. ii. p. 467. |