. s* 'Sa . feti N..F.A-. THE WORKS JOHN LOCKE, IN NINE VOLUMES. THE TWELFTH EDITION. VOLUME THE SEVENTH. LONDON: PRINTED FOR C. AND J. RIVINGTON ; T. EGEttTON ; J. CUTHELL ; J. AND A. ARCH ; LONGMAN AND CO ; T. CADELL ; J. RICHARDSON ; J. AND W. T. CLARKE ; J. MAWMAN ; HAYNES AND SON ; HARDING AND CO. ; BALDWIN AND CO.; HARVEY AND DARTON ; H. SCHOLEY ; J. BOHN ; 3. COLLINGWOOD J T. TEGG ; G. AND W. B. WHITTAKER; G. MACK1E ; w. MASON; HURST, ROBINSON, AND co. ; J. HEARNE ; j. BRUMBY; SIMPKIN AND MARSHALL ; S. PROWETT ; W. PICKERING; R. SAUNDERS : J. PARKER, OXFORD ; AND STIRLING AND SI. AMI:, EDINBURGH. 1824. I 4% . UK! C. Baldwin, Prlntrr, New Bridgc-ttreet, London. J SANTA BARBARA v-7 CONTENTS OF THIS VOLUME. PAGE AN Essay for the Understanding of St. Paul's Epistles, by consulting St. Paul himself , 1 A Paraphrase and Notes on St. Paul's Epistle to the Galatians 25 A Paraphrase and Notes on St. Paul's First Epistle to the Corinthians 77 A Paraphrase and Notes on St. Paul's Second Epistle to the Corinthians 203 A Paraphrase and Notes on St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans 271 A Paraphrase and Notes on St. Paul's Epistle to the Ephesians , 429 Index. 'A T / PARAPHRASE AND NOTES ON THE EPISTLES OF ST. PAUL TO THE GALATIANS, CORINTHIANS, ROMANS, EPHESIANS. TO WHICH IS PREFIXED AN _ ESSAY FOR THE UNDERSTANDING OF ST. PAUL'S EPISTLES, BY CONSULTING ST. PAUL HIMSELF. VOL. VII. B AN ESSAY FOR THE UNDERSTANDING OV ST. PAUL'S EPISTLES, BY CONSULTING ST. PAUL HIMSELF. THE PREFACE. To go about to explain any of St. Paul's epistles, after so great a train of expositors and commentators, inight Sjgem an attempt of vanity, censurable for its needlessness, did not the daily and approved examples of pious and learned men justify it. This may be some excuse for me to the public, if ever these following pa- pers should chance to come abroad : but to myself, for whose use this work was undertaken, I need make no apology. Though I had been conversant in these epistles, as well as in other parts of sacred scripture, yet I found that I understood them not ; I mean the doctrinal and discursive parts of them : though the prac- tical directions, which are usually dropped in the latter part of each epistle, appeared to me very plain, intelligi- ble, and instructive. I did not, when I reflected on it, very much wonder, that this part of sacred scripture had difficulties in it: many- causes of obscurity did readily occur to me. The nature of epistolary writings in general, disposes the writer to pass by the mentioning of many things, as well known to him, to whom his letter is addressed, which are necessary to be laid open to a stranger, to make him comprehend what B2 iv PREFACE. is said : and it not seldom falls out, that a well-penned letter, which is very easy and intelligible to the receiver, is very obscure to a stranger, who hardly knows what to make of it. The matters that St. Paul writ about, were certainly things well known to those he writ to, and which they had some peculiar concern in ; which made them easily apprehend his meaning, and see the tendency and force of his discourse. But we having now, at this distance, no information of the occasion of his writing, little or no knowledge of the temper and circum- stances those he writ to were in, but what is to be ga- thered out of the epistles themselves ; it is not strange, that many things in them lie concealed to us, which, no doubt, they who were concerned in the letter, under- stood at first sight. Add to this, that in many places it is manifest he answers letters sent, and questions pro- posed to him, which, if we had, would much better clear those passages that relate to them, than all the learned notes of critics and commentators, who in after-times fill us with their conjectures ; for very often, as to the mat- ter in hand, they are nothing else. The language wherein these epistles are writ, is an- other, and that no small occasion of their obscurity to us now : the words are Greek ; a language dead many ages since: a language of a very witty, volatile people, seekers alter novelty, and abounding with variety of notions and sects, to which they applied the terms of their common tongue, with great liberty and variety : and yet this makes but one small part of the difficulty in the language of these epistles; there is a peculiarity in it, that much more obscures and perplexes the meaning of these writ- ings, than what can be occasioned by the looseness and variety of the Greek tongue. The terms are Greek, but the idiom, or turn of the phrases, may be truly said to be Hebrew or Syriack. The custom and familiarity of which tongues do sometimes so far influence the expres- sions in these epistles, that one may observe the force of the Hebrew conjugations, particularly that of Hiphil, given to Greek verbs, in a way unknown to the Grecians themselves. Nor is this all ; the subject treated of in these epistles is so wholly new, and the doctrines con- PREFACE. v tained in them so perfectly remote from the notions that mankind were acquainted with, that most of the impor- tant terms in it have quite another signification from what they have in other discourses. So that putting all together, we may truly say, that the New Testament is a book written in a language peculiar to itself. To these causes of obscurity, common to St. Paul, with most of the other penmen of the several books of the New Testament, we may add those that are peculiarly his, and owing to his style and temper. He was, as it is visible, a man of quick thought, and warm temper, mighty well versed in the writings of the Old Testament, and full of the doctrine of the New. All this put together, suggested matter to him in abundance, on those subjects which came in his way : so that one may consider him, when he was writing, as beset with a croud of thoughts, all striving for utterance. In this posture of mind it was almost impossible for him to keep that slow pace, and ob- serve minutely that order and method of ranging all he said, from which results an easy and obvious perspicuity. To this plenty and vehemence of his, may be imputed those many large parentheses, which a careful reader may ob- serve in his epistles. Upon this account also it is, that he often breaks off in the middle of an argument, to let in some new thought suggested by his own words ; which having pursued and explained, as far as conduced to his present purpose, he re-assumes again the thread of his discourse, and goes on with it, without taking any notice, that he returns again to what he had been before say- ing ; though sometimes it be so far off, that it may well have slipt out of his mind, and requires a very attentive reader to observe, and so bring the disjointed members to- gether, as to make up the connexion, and see how the scat- tered parts of the discourse hang together in a coherent, well-agreeing sense, that makes it all of a piece. Besides the disturbance in perusing St. Paul's epistles, from the plenty and vivacity of his thoughts, which may obscure his method, and often hide his sense from an un- wary, or over-hasty reader ; the frequent changing of the personage he speaks in, renders the sense very uncertain, and is apt to mislead one that has not some clue to guide him; sometimes by the pronoun I, he means himself ; vi PREFACE. sometimes any Christian ; sometimes a Jew, and some- times any man, &c. If speaking of himself, in the first person singular, has so various meanings ; his use of the first person plural is with a far greater latitude, some- times designing himself alone, sometimes those with him- self, whom he makes partners to the epistles ; sometimes with himself, comprehending the other apostles, or preachers of the gospel, or Christians : nay, sometimes he in that way speaks of the converted Jews, other times of the converted Gentiles, and sometimes of others, in a more or less extended sense, every one of which varies the meaning of the place, and makes it to be differently understood. I have forborne to trouble the reader with examples of them here. If his own observation hath not already furnished him with them, the following para- phrase and notes, I suppose, will satisfy him in the point. In the current also of his discourse, he sometimes drops in the objections of others, and his answers to them, without any change in the scheme of his language, that might give notice of any other speaking, besides him- self. This requires great attention to observe ; and yet, if it be neglected or overlooked, will make the reader very much mistake and misunderstand his meaning, and render the sense very perplexed. These are intrinsic difficulties arising from the text it- self, whereof there might be a great many other named, as the uncertainty, sometimes, who are the persons he speaks to, or the opinions, or practices, which he has in his eye, sometimes in alluding to them, sometimes in his exhortations and reproofs. But, those above-mentioned being the chief, it may suffice to have opened our eyes a little upon them, which, well examined, may contri- bute towards our discovery of the rest. To these we may subjoin two external causes, that have made no small increase of the native and original difficulties, that keep us from an easy and assured dis- covery of St. Paul's sense, in many parts of his epistles : and those are, First, The dividing of them into chapters, and verses, as we have done ; whereby they are so chopped and minced, and, as they are now printed, stand so broken and di- vided, that not only the common people take the verses PREFACE. vii usually for distinct aphorisms ; but even men of more ad- vanced knowledge, in reading them,lose very much of the strength and force of the coherence, and the light that depends on it. Our minds are so weak and narrow, that they have need of all the helps and assistances that can be procured, to lay before them undisturbedly the thread and coherence of any discourse ; by which alone they are truly improved, and led into the genuine sense of the au- thor. When the eye is constantly disturbed in loose sen- tences, that by their standing and separation appear as so many distinct fragments : the mind will have much ado to take in, and carry on in its memory, an uniform discourse of dependent reasonings; especially having from the cradle been used to wrong impressions concern- ing them, and constantly accustomed to hear them quoted as distinct sentences, without any limitation or explica- tion of their precise meaning, from the place they stand in, and the relation they bear to what goes before, or follows. These divisions also have given occasion to the reading these epistles by parcels, and in scraps, which has farther confirmed the evil arising from such parti- tions. And I doubt not but every one will confess it to be a very unlikely way, to come to the understanding of any other letters, to read them piece-meal, a bit to-day, and another scrap to-morrow, and so on by broken in- tervals : especially if the pause and cessation should be made, as the chapters the apostle's epistles are divided into, do end sometimes in the middle of a discourse, and sometimes in the middle of a sentence. It cannot therefore but be wondered, that that should be permitted to be done to holy writ, which would visibly disturb the sense, and hinder the understanding of any other book whatsoever. If Tully's epistles were so printed, and so used, I ask, Whether they would not be much harder to be understood, less easy, and less pleasant to be read, by much, than now they are? How plain soever this- abuse is, and what prejudice soever it does to the understanding of the sacred scrip* ture, yet if a bible was printed as it should be, and as the several parts of it were writ, in continued discourses, where the argument is continued, I doubt not but the viii PREFACE. several parties would complain of it, as an innovation, and a dangerous change in the publishing those holy books. And indeed, those who are for maintaining their opinions, and the systems of parties, by sound of words, with a neglect of the true sense of scripture, would have reason to make and foment the outcry. They would most of them be immediately disarmed of their great magazine of artillery, wherewith they defend themselves and fall upon others. If the holy scriptures were but laid before the eyes of Christians, in its connexion and consistency, it would not then be so easy to snatch out a few words, as if they were separate from the rest, to serve a purpose, to which they do not at all belong, and with which they have nothing to do. But, as the matter now stands, he that has a mind to it, may at a cheap rate be a notable champion for the truth, that is, for the doctrines of the sect, that chance or interest has cast him into. He need but be furnished with verses of sacred scripture, contain- ing words and expressions that are but flexible, (as all general obscure and doubtful ones are) and his system, that has appropriated them to the orthodoxy of his church, makes them immediately strong and irrefragable argu- ments for his opinion. This is the benefit of loose sen- tences, and scripture crumbled into verses, which quickly turn into independent aphorisms. But if the quotation in the verse produced were considered as a part of a conti- nued coherent discourse, and so its sense were limited by the tenour of the context, most of these forward and warm disputants would be quite stripped of those, which they doubt not now to call spiritual weapons ; and they would have often nothing to say, that would not show their weakness, and manifestly fly in their faces. I crave leave to set down a saying of the learned and judicious Mr. Selden : " In interpreting the scripture, says he, many " do as if a man should see one have ten pounds, which " he reckoned by 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, meaning " four was but four units, and five five units, &c. and that " he had in all but ten pounds : the other that sees him, " takes not the figures together as he doth, but picks " here and there ; and thereupon reports that he had five " pounds in one bag, and six pounds in another bag, and PREFACE. ix " nine pounds in another bag, &c. when as, in truth, he " has but ten pounds in all. So we pick out a text here and " there, to make it serve our turn ; whereas if we take it " altogether, and consider what went before, and what " followed after, we should find it meant no such " thing." I have heard sober Christians very much admire, why ordinary illiterate people, who were professors, that showed a concern for religion, seemed much more conversant in St. Paul's epistles, than in the plainer, and (as it seemed to them) much more intelligible parts of the New Testa- ment ; they confessed, that, though they read St. Paul's epistles with their best attention, yet they generally found them too hard to be mastered, and they laboured in vain so far to reach the apostle's meaning, all along in the train of what he said, as to read them with that satisfaction that arises from a feeling, that we under- stand and fully comprehend the force and reasoning of an author ; and therefore they could not imagine what those saw in them whose eyes they thought not much better than their own. But the case was plain, these sober inquisitive readers had a mind to see nothing in St. Paul's epistles, "but just what he meant ; whereas those others, of a quicker and gayer sight, could see in them what they pleased. Nothing is more accept- able to fancy, than pliant terms, and expressions that are not obstinate ; in such it can find its account with delight, and with them be illuminated, orthodox, infalli- ble at pleasure, and in its own way. But where the sense of the author goes visibly in its own train, and the words, receiving a determined sense from their compa- nions and adjacents, will not consent to give counte- nance and colour to what is agreed to be right, and must be supported at any rate, there men of established orthodoxy do not so well find their satisfaction. And perhaps, if it were well examined, it would be no very extravagant paradox to say, that there are fewer that bring their opinions to the sacred scripture, to be tried by that infallible rule, than bring the sacred scripture to their opinions, to bend it to them, to make it, as they can, a cover and guard to them. And to this purpose, its being divided into verses, and brought, as much as may x PREFACE. be, into loose and general aphorisms, makes it most useful and serviceable. And in this lies the other great cause of obscurity and perplexedness, which has been cast upon St. Paul's epistles from without. St. Paul's epistles, as they stand translated in our English Bibles, are now, by long and constant use, be- come a part of the English language, and common phraseology, especially in matters of religion : this every one uses familiarly, and thinks he understands ; but it must be observed, that if he has a distinct meaning, when he uses those words and phrases, and knows him- self, what he intends by them, it is always according to the sense of his own system, and the articles, or inter- pretations, of the society he is engaged in. So that all this knowledge and understanding, which he has in the use of these passages of sacred scripture, reaches no far- ther than this, that he knows (and that is very well) what he himself says, but thereby knows nothing at all what St. Paul said in them. The apostle writ not by that man's system, and so his meaning cannot be known by it. This being the ordinary way of understanding the epistles, and every sect being perfectly orthodox in his own judgment ; what a great and invincible darkness must this cast upon St. Paul's meaning, to all those of that way, in all those places where his thoughts and sense run counter to what any party has espoused for orthodox ; as it must, unavoidably, to all but one of the different systems, in all those passages that any way relate to the points in controversy between them ? This is a mischief, which however frequent, and almost natural, reaches so far, that it would justly make all those who depend upon them wholly diffident of com- mentators, and let them see how little help was to be expected from them, in relying on them for the true sense of the sacred scripture, did they not take care to help to cozen themselves, by choosing to use, and pin their faith on, such expositors as explain the sacred scripture, in favour of those opinions, that they before- hand have voted orthodox, and bring to the sacred scrip- ture, not for trial but confirmation. No-body can think that any text of St. Paul's epistles has two contrary meanings; and yet so it must have, to two different PREFACE. xi men, who taking two commentators of different sects, for their respective guides into the sense of any one of the epistles, shall build upon their respective expositions. We need go no further for a proof of it, than the notes of the two celebrated commentators on the New Testa- ment, Dr. Hammond and Beza, both men of parts and learning, and both thought, by their followers, men mighty in the sacred scriptures. So that here we see the hopes of great benefit and light, from expositors and commentators, is in a great part abated ; and those, who have most need of their help, can receive but little from them, and can have very little assurance of reaching the apostle's sense, by what they find in them, whilst mat- ters remain in the same state they are in at present. For those who find they need help, and would borrow light from expositors, either consult only those who have the good luck to be thought sound and orthodox, avoid- ing those of different sentiments from themselves, in the great and approved points of their systems, as dan- gerous and not fit to be meddled with ; or else with in- differency look into the notes of all commentators pro- miscuously. The first of these take pains only to confirm themselves in the opinion and tenets they have already, which, whether it be the way to get the true meaning of what St. Paul delivered, is easy to determine. The others, with much more fairness to themselves, though with reaping little more advantage, (unless they have something else to guide them into the apostle's meaning, than the comments themselves) seek help on all hands, and refuse not to be taught by any one, who offers to enlighten them in any of the dark passages. But here, though they avoid the mischief, which the others fall into, of being confined in their sense, and seeing nothing but that in St. Paul's writings, be it right or wrong ; yet they run into as great on the other side, and instead of being confirmed in the meaning, that they thought they saw in the text, are distracted with an hundred, suggested by those they advised with ; and so, instead of that one sense of the scripture, which they carried with them to their commentators, return from them with none at all. xii PREFACE. This, indeed, seems to make the case desperate : for if the comments and expositions of pious and learned men cannot be depended on, whither shall we go for help? To which I answer, I would not be mistaken, as if I thought the labours of the learned in this case wholly lost and fruitless. There is great use and benefit to be made of them, when we have once got a rule, to know which of their expositions, in the great variety there is of them, explains the words and phrases according to the apostle's meaning. Until then it is evident, from what is above said, they serve for the most part to no other use, but either to make us find our own sense, and not his, in St. Paul's words ; or else to find in them no settled sense at all. Here it will be asked, " How shall we come by this " rule you mention ? Where is that touchstone to be " had, that will show us, whether the meaning we our- " selves put, or take as put by others, upon St. Paul's " words, in his epistles, be truly his meaning or no ? " I will not say the way which I propose, and have in the following paraphrase followed, will make us infallible in our interpretations of the apostle's text : but this I will own, that till I took this way, St. Paul's epistles, to me, in the ordinary way of reading and studying them, were very obscure parts of scripture, that left me almost every- where at a loss ; and I was at a great uncertainty, in which of the contrary senses, that were to be found in his commentators, he was to be taken. Whether what I have done has made it any clearer, and more visible, now, I must leave others to judge. This I beg leave to say for myself, that if some very sober, judicious Christians, no strangers to the sacred scriptures, nay, learned divines of the church of England, had not pro- fessed, that by the perusal of these following papers, they understood the epistles much better than they did before, and had not, with repeated instances, pressed me to publish them, I should not have consented they should have gone beyond my own private use, for which they were at first designed, and where they made me not repent my pains. If any one be so far pleased with my endeavours, as PREFACE. xiii to think it worth while to be informed, what was the clue I guided myself by, through all the dark passages of these epistles, I shall minutely tell him the steps by which I was brought into this way, that he may judge whether I proceed rationally, upon right grounds, or no; if so be any thing, in so mean an example as mine, may be worth his notice. After I had found by long experience, that the reading of the text and comments in the ordinary way, proved not so successful as I wished, to the end proposed, I began to suspect, that in reading a chapter as was usual, and thereupon sometimes consulting expositors upon some hard places of it, which at that time most affected me, as relating to points then under consideration in my own mind, or in debate amongst others, was not a right method to get into the true sense of these epistles. I saw plainly, after I began once to reflect on it, that if any one now should write me a letter, as long as St. Paul's to the Romans, concerning such a matter as that is, in a style as foreign, and expressions as dubious, as his seem to be, if I should divide it into fifteen or six- teen chapters, and read of them one to-day, and another to-morrow, &c. it was ten to one, I should never come to a full and clear comprehension of it. The way to understand the mind of him that writ it, every one would agree, was to read the whole letter through, from one end to the other, all at once, to see what was the main subject and tendency of it : or if it had several views and purposes in it, not dependent one of another, nor in a subordination to one chief aim and end, to discover what those different matters were, and where the author con- cluded one, and began another ; and if there were any necessity of dividing the epistle into parts, to make these the boundaries of them. In prosecution of this thought, I concluded it neces- sary; for the understanding of anyone of St. Paul's epistles, to read it all through at one sitting ; and to observe, as well as I could, the drift and design of his writing it. If the first reading gave me some light, the second gave me more; and so I persisted on, reading constantly the whole epistle over at once, till I came to have a good xiv PREFACE. general view of the apostle's main purpose in writing the epistle, the chief branches of his discourse wherein he prosecuted it, the arguments he used, and the dispo- sition of the whole. This, I confess, is not to be obtained by one or two hasty readings ; it must be repeated again and again, with a close attention to the tenour of the discourse, and a perfect neglect of the divisions into chapters and verses. On the contrary, the safest way is to suppose, that the epistle has but one business and one aim, until, by a frequent perusal of it, you are forced to see there are distinct independent matters in it, which will forwardly enough show themselves. It requires so much more pains, judgment, and appli- cation, to find the coherence of obscure and abstruse wri- tings, and makes them so much the more unfit to serve prejudice and pre-occupation, when found; that it is not to be wondered, that St. Paul's epistles have, with many, passed rather for disjointed, loose, pious discourses, full of warmth and zeal and overflows of light, rather than for calm, strong, coherent reasonings, that carried a thread of argument and consistency all through them. But this muttering of lazy or ill-disposed readers bin* dered me not from persisting in the course I had begun : I continued to read the same epistle over and over, and over again, until I came to discover as appeared to me, what was the drift and aim of it, and by what steps and arguments St. Paul prosecuted his purpose. I remem- bered that St. Paul was miraculously called to the mi- nistry of the gospel, and declared to be a chosen vessel ; that he had the whole doctrine of the gospel from God, by immediate revelation ; and was appointed to be the apostle of the Gentiles, for the propagating of it in the heathen world. This was enough to persuade me, that he was not a man of loose and shattered parts, incapable to argue, and unfit to convince those he had to deal with. God knows how to choose fit instruments for the busi- ness he employs them in. A large stock of Jewish learn- ing he had taken in, at the feet of Gamaliel ; and for his information in Christian knowledge, and the mysteries and depths of the dispensation of grace by Jesus Christ, PREFACE. ixv God himself had condescended to be his instructor and teacher. The light of the gospel he had received from the Fountain and Father of light himself, who, I con- cluded, had not furnished him in this extraordinary man- ner, if all this plentiful stock of learning and illumination had been in danger to have been lost, or proved useless, in a jumbled and confused head ; nor have laid up such a store of admirable and useful knowledge in a man, who, for want of method and order, clearness of concep- tion, or pertinency in discourse, could not draw it out into use with the greatest advantages of force and cohe- rence. That he knew how to prosecute this purpose with strength of argument, and close reasoning, without incoherent sallies, or the intermixing of things foreign to his business, was evident to me, from several speeches of his, recorded in the Acts : and it was hard to think, that a man that could talk with so much consistency, and clearness of conviction, should not be able to write with- out confusion, inextricable obscurity, and perpetual ramb- ling. The force, order, and perspicuity of those dis- courses, could not be denied to be very visible. How, then, came it, that the like was thought much wanting in his epistles ? And of this there appeared to me this plain reason : the particularities of the history, in which these speeches are inserted, show St. Paul's end in speak- ing ; which, being seen, casts a light on the whole, and shows the pertinency of all that he says. But his epistles not being so circumstantiated ; there being no concur- ring history, that plainly declares the disposition St. Paul was in ; what the actions, expectations, or demands of those to whom he writ, required him to speak to, we are nowhere told. All this, and a great deal more, neces- sary to guide us into the true meaning of the epistles, is to be had only from the epistles themselves, and to be gathered from thence with stubborn attention, and more than common application. This being the only safe guide (under the Spirit of God, that dictated these sacred writings) that can be relied on, I hope I may be excused, if I venture to say, that the utmost ought to be done to observe and trace out St. Paul's reasonings ; to follow the thread of his xvi PREFACE. discourse in each of his epistles ; to show how it goes on, still directed with the same view, and pertinently drawing the several incidents towards the same point. To understand him right, his inferences should be strictly observed; and it should be carefully examined, from what they are drawn, and what they tend to. He is certainly a coherent, argumentative, pertinent writer ; and care, I think, should be taken, in expounding of him, to show that he is so. But though I say, he has weighty aims in his epistles, which he steadily keeps in his eye, and drives at, in all he says ; yet I do not say, that he puts his discourses into an artificial method, or leads his reader into a distinction of his arguments, or gives them notice of new matter, by rhetorical or stu- died transitions. He has no ornaments borrowed from the Greek eloquence; no notions of their philosophy mixed with his doctrine, to set it off. The enticing words of man's wisdom, whereby he means all the studied rules of the Grecian schools, which made them such masters in the art of speaking, he, as he says him- self, 1 Cor. ii. 4, wholly neglected. The reason whereof he gives in the next verse, and in other places. But though politeness of language, delicacy of style, fineness of expression, laboured periods, artificial transitions, and a very methodical ranging of the parts, with such other embellishments as make a discourse enter the mind smoothly, and strike the fancy at first hearing, have little or no place in his style ; yet coherence of discourse, and a direct tendency of all the parts of it to the argu- ment in hand, are most eminently to be found in him. This I take to be his character, and doubt not but it will be found to be so upon diligent examination. And in this, if it 'be so, we have a clue, if we will take the pains to find it, that will conduct us with surety, through those seemingly dark places, and imagined intricacies, in which Christians have wandered so tar one from an- other, as to find quite contrary senses. Whether a superficial reading, accompanied with the common opinion of his invincible obscurity, has kept off some from seeking in him, the coherence of a discourse, tending with close, strong reasoning to a point ; or a PREFACE. xvii seemingly more honourable opinion of one that had been rapped up into the third heaven, as if from a man so warmed and illuminated as he had been, nothing could be expected but flashes of light, and raptures of zeal, hindered others to look for a train of reasoning, proceeding on regular and cogent argumentation, from a man raised above the ordinary pitch of humanity, to a higher and brighter way of illumination ; or else, whether others were loth to beat their heads about the tenour and coherence in St. Paul's discourses ; which, if found out, possibly might set them at a manifest and irreconcileable difference with their systems : it is certain that, whatever hath been the cause, this way of getting the true sense of St. Paul's epistles, seems not to have been much made use of, or at least so thoroughly pursued, as I am apt to think it deserves. For, granting that he was full-stored with the know- ledge of the things he treated of; for he had light from heaven, it was God himself furnished him, and he could not want : allowing also that he had ability to make use of the knowledge had been given him, for the end for which it was given him, viz. the information, con- viction, and conversion of others ; and accordingly, that he knew how to direct his discourse to the point in hand ; we cannot widely mistake the parts of his discourse employed about it, when we have any where found out the point he drives at : wherever we have got a view of his design, arid the aim he proposed to himself in writing, we may be sure, that such or such an interpre- tation does not give us his genuine sense, it being nothing at all to his present purpose. Nay, among various meanings given a text, it fails not to direct us to the best, and very often to assure us of the true. For it is no presumption, when one sees a man arguing from this or that proposition, if he be a sober man, master of reason, or common-sense, and takes any care of what he says, to pronounce with confidence, in several cases, that he could not talk thus or thus. I do not yet so magnify this method of studying St. Paul's epistles, as well as other parts of sacred scripture, as to think it will perfectly clear every hard place, and VOL. VII, C xviii PREFACE. leave no doubt unresolved. I know, expressions now out of use, opinions of those times not heard of in our days, allusions to customs lost to us, and various circum- stances and particularities of the parties, which we cannot come at, &c. must needs continue several passages in the dark, now to us, at this distance, which shone with full light to those they were directed to. But for all that, the studying of St. Paul's epistles, in the way I have proposed, will, I humbly conceive, carry us a great length in the right understanding of them, and make us rejoice in the light we receive from those most useful parts of divine revelation, by furnishing us with visible grounds, that we are not mistaken, whilst the consist- ency of the discourse, and the pertinency of it to the design he is upon, vouches it worthy of our great apostle. At least I hope it may be my excuse, for having en- deavoured to make St. Paul an interpreter to me of his own epistles. To this may be added another help, which St. Paul himself affords us, towards the attaining the true mean- ing contained in his epistles. He that reads him with the attention I propose, will easily observe, that as he was full of the doctrine of the gospel ; so it lay all clear and in order, open to his view. When he gave his thoughts utterance upon any point, the matter flowed like a torrent ; but it is plain, it was a matter he was perfectly master of: he fully possessed the entire revela- tion he had received from God ; had thoroughly digested it ; all the parts were formed together in his mind, into one well-contracted harmonious body. So that he was no way at an uncertainty, nor ever, in the least, at a loss concerning any branch of it. One may see his thoughts were all of a piece in all his epistles, his notions were at all times uniform, and constantly the same, though his expressions very various. In them he seems to take great liberty. This at least is certain, that no one seems less tied up to a form of words. If then, having, by the method before proposed, got into the sense of the several epistles, we will but compare what he says, in the places where he treats of the same subject, we can hardly be mistaken in his sense, nor doubt what PREFACE; it was that he believed and taught, concerning those points of the Christian religion. I know it is not un- usual to find a multitude of texts heaped up, for the maintaining of an espoused proposition ; but in a sense often so remote from their true meaning, that one can hardly avoid thinking, that those who so used them, either sought not, or valued not the sense ; and were satisfied with the sound, where they could but get that to favour them. But a verbal concordance leads not always to texts of the same meaning ; trusting too much thereto will furnish us but with slight proofs in many cases, and any one may observe, how apt that is to jumble together passages of scripture, not relating to the same matter, and thereby to disturb and unsettle the true meaning of holy scripture. I have therefore said, that we should compare together places of scripture treating of the same point. Thus, indeed, one part of the sacred text could not fail to give light unto another. And since the providence of God hath so ordered it, that St. Paul has writ a great number of epistles; which, though upon different occasions, and to several purposes, yet all confined within the business of his apostleship, and so contain nothing but points of .Christian instruction, amongst which he seldom fails to drop in, and often to enlarge on, the great and dis- tinguishing doctrines of our holy religion ; which, if quitting our own infallibility in that analogy of faith, which we have made to ourselves, or have implicitly adopted from some other, we would carefully lay to- gether, and diligently compare and study, I am apt to think, would give us St. Paul's system in a clear and indisputable sense ; which every one must acknowledge to be a better standard to interpret his meaning by, in any obscure and doubtful parts of his epistles, if any such should still remain, than the system, confession, or arti- cles of any church, or society of Christians, yet known ; which, however pretended to be founded on scripture, are visibly the contrivances of men, fallible both in their opinions and interpretations; and, as is visible in most of them, made with partial views, and adapted to what the occasions of that time, and the present circumstances c 2 xx PREFACE. they were then in, were thought to require, for the sup- port or justification of themselves. Their philosophy, also, has its part in misleading men from the true sense of the sacred scripture. He that shall attentively read the Christian writers, after the age of the apostles, will easily find how much the philosophy, they were tinctured with, influenced them in their understanding of the books of the old and new testament. In the ages wherein Platonism prevailed, the converts to Christianity of that school, on all occasions, interpreted holy writ, according to the notions they had imbibed from that philosophy. Aristotle's doctrine had the same effect in its turn, and when it degenerated into the peripateticism of the schools, that, too, brought its notions and dis- tinctions into divinity, and affixed them to the terms of the sacred scripture. And we may see still how, at this day, every one's philosophy regulates every one's inter- pretation of the word of God. Those who are possessed with the doctrine of aerial and ^ethereal vehicles, have thence borrowed an interpretation of the four first verses of 2 Cor. v. without having any ground to think, that St. Paul had the least notion of any such vehicle. It is plain, that the teaching of men philosophy, was no part of the design of divine revelation ; but that the ex- pressions of scripture are commonly suited, in those matters, to the vulgar apprehensions and conceptions of the place and people, where they were delivered. And, as to the doctrine therein directly taught by the apostles, that tends wholly to the setting up the kingdom of Jesus Christ in this world, and the salvation of men's souls : and in this it is plain their expressions were con- formed to the ideas and notions which they had received from revelation, or were consequent from it. We shall, therefore, in vain go about to interpret their words by the notions of our philosophy, and the doctrines of men delivered in our schools. This is to explain the apostles' meaning, by what they never thought of, whilst they were writing ; which is not the way to find their sense, in what they delivered, but our own, and to take up, from their writings, not what they left there for us, but what we bring along with us in ourselves. He that PREFACE. xxi would understand St. Paul right, must understand his terms, in the sense he uses them, and not as they are appropriated by each man's particular philosophy to con- ceptions that never entered the mind of the apostle. For example, he that shall bring the philosophy now taught and received, to the explaining of spirit, soul, and body, mentioned 1 Thess. v. 23, will, I fear, hardly reach St. Paul's sense, or represent to himself the notions St. Paul then had in his mind. That is what we should aim at, in reading him, or any other author ; and until we, from his words, paint his very ideas and thoughts in our minds, we do not understand him. In the divisions I have made, I have endeavoured, the best I could, to govern myself by the diversity of matter. But in a writer like St. Paul, it is not so easy always to find precisely, where one subject ends, and another begins. He is full of the matter he treats, and writes with warmth, which usually neglects method, and those partitions and pauses, which men, educated in the schools of rhetoricians, usually observe. Those arts of writings, St. Paul, as well out of design as temper, wholly laid by : the subject he had in hand, and the grounds upon which it stood firm, and by which he en- forced it, were what alone he minded; and without solemnly winding up one argument, and intimating any way, that he began another, let his thoughts, which were fully possessed of the matter, run in one continued train, wherein the parts of his discourse were wove, one into another : so that it is seldom that the scheme of his dis- course makes any gap ; and therefore, without breaking in upon the connexion of his language, it is hardly possi- ble to separate his discourse, and give a distinct view of his several arguments, in distinct sections. I am far from pretending infallibility, in the sense I have any whe're given in my paraphrase, or notes : that would be to erect myself into an apostle; a presumption of the highest nature in any one, that cannot confirm what he says by miracles. I have, for my own infor- mation, sought the true meaning, as far as my poor abilities would reach. And I have unbiassedly em- braced, what, upon a fair inquiry, appeared so to me. xxii PREFACE. This I thought my duty and interest, in a matter of so great concernment to me. If I must believe for myself, it is unavoidable, that I must understand for myself. For if I blindly, and with an implicit faith, take the pope's interpretation of the sacred scripture, without examining whether it be Christ's meaning; it is the pope I believe in, and not in Christ ; it is his authority I rest upon ; it is what he says, I embrace : for what it is Christ says, I neither know nor concern myself. It is the same thing, when I set up any other man in Christ's place, and make him the authentic interpreter of sacred scripture to myself. He may possibly under- stand the sacred scripture as right as any man : but I shall do well to examine myself, whether that, which I do not know, nay, which (in the way I take) I can never know, can justify me, in making myself his disciple, instead of Jesus Christ's, who of right is alone, and ought to be, my only Lord and Master : and it will be no less sacrilege in me, to substitute to myself any other in his room, to be a prophet to me, than to be my king, or priest. The same reasons that put me upon doing what I have in these papers done, will exempt me from all suspicion of imposing my interpretation on others. The reasons that led me into the meaning, which prevailed on my mind, are set down with it : as far as they carry light and conviction to any other man's understanding, so far, I hope, my labour may be of some use to him ; beyond the evidence it carries with it, I advise him not to follow mine, nor any man's interpretation. We are all men, liable to errours, and infected with them ; but have this sure way to preserve ourselves, every one, from danger by them, if, laying aside sloth, carelessness, prejudice, party, and a reverence of men, we betake ourselves, in earnest, to the study of the way to salva- tion, in those holy writings, wherein God has revealed it from heaven, and proposed it to the world, seeking our religion, where we are sure it is in truth to be found, comparing spiritual things with spiritual things. A PARAPHRASE AND NOTES ON THE EPISTLE OF ST. PAUL TO THE GALATLANS. THE PUBLISHER TO THE READER. THERE is nothing, certainly, of greater encouragement to the peace of the church in general, nor to the direction and edification of all Christians in particular, than a right understanding of the holy scripture. This con- sideration has set so many learned and pious men amongst us, of late years, upon expositions, paraphrases, and notes on the sacred writings, that the author of these hopes the fashion may excuse him from endea- vouring to add his mite ; believing, that after all that has been done by those great labourers in the harvest, there may be some gleanings left, whereof he presumes he has an instance, chap. iii. ver. 20, and some other places of this epistle to the Galatians, which he looks upon not to be the hardest of St. Paul's. If he has given a light to any obscure passage, he shall think his pains well employed ; if there be nothing else worth notice in him, accept of his good intention. THE EPISTLE OF ST. PAUL TO THE GALATIANS ; WRIT FROM EPHESUS, THE YEAR OP OUR LORD 37, OF NERO III. SYNOPSIS. THE subject and design of this epistle of St. Paul is much the same with that of his epistle to the Romans, but treated in somewhat a different manner. The business of it is to dehort and hinder the Galatians from bringing themselves under the bondage of the Mosaical law. St. Paul himself had planted the churches of Galatia, and therefore referring (as he does, chap. i. 8, 9 9 ) to what he had before taught them, does not, in this epistle lay down at large to them the doctrine of the gospel, as he does in that to the Romans, who having been converted to the Christian faith by others, he did not know how far they were instructed in all those par- ticulars, which, on the occasion whereon he writ to them, it might be necessary for them to understand : and therefore, writing to the Romans, he sets before them a large and comprehensive view of the chief heads of the Christian religion. He also deals more roundly with his disciples the Galatians than, we may observe, he does with the Romans, to whom he, being a stranger, writes not in so familiar a style, nor in his reproofs and exhortations uses so much the tone of a master, as he does to the Galatians. 26 SYNOPSIS. St. Paul had converted the Galatians to the faith, and erected several churches among them in the year of our Lord 51 ; between which, and the year 57, wherein this epistle was writ, the disorders following were got into those churches : First, Some zealots for the Jewish constitution had very near persuaded them out of their Christian liberty, and made them willing to submit to circumcision, and all the ritual observances of the Jewish church, as ne- cessary under the gospel, chap. i. 7 ; iii. 3 ; iv. 9, 10, 21 ; v. 1, 2, 6, 9, 10. Secondly, Their dissensions and disputes in this matter had raised great animosities amongst them, to the dis- turbance of their peace, and the setting them at strife with one another, chap. v. 6, 13 15. The reforming them in these two points, seems to be the main business of this epistle, wherein he endeavours to establish them in a resolution to stand firm in the freedom of the gospel, which exempts them from the bondage of the Mosaical law : and labours to reduce them to a sincere love and affection one to another ; which he concludes with an exhortation to liberality, and general beneficence, especially to their teachers, chap. vi. 6, 10. These being the matters he had in his mind to write to them about, he seems here as if he had done. But, upon mentioning ver. 11, what a long letter he had writ to them with his own hand, the former argument concerning circumcision, which filled and warmed his mind, broke out again into what we find, ver. 12 17? of the sixth chapter. it CHAP. i. GALATIANS. 27 ' ." .JBifJ o} mift iotis $;,; SECT. I. CHAP. I. 15. INTRODUCTION. CONTENTS. THE general view of this epistle plainly shows St. Paul's chief design in it to be, to keep the Galatians from hearkening to those judaizing seducers, who had almost persuaded them to be circumcised. These per- verters of the gospel of Christ, as St. Paul himself calls them, ver. 7, had, as may be gathered from ver. 8, and 10, and from chap. v. 11, and other passages of this epistle, made the Galatians believe, that St. Paul himself was for circumcision. Until St. Paul himself had set them right in this matter, and convinced them of the falsehood of this aspersion, it was in vain for him, by other arguments, to attempt the re-establishing the Galatians in the Christian liberty, and in that truth which he had preached to them. The removing there- fore of this calumny, was his first endeavour : and to that purpose, this introduction, different from what we find in any other of his epistles, is marvellously well adapted. He declares, here at the entrance, very expressly and emphatically, that he was not sent by men on their errands ; nay, that Christ, in sending him, did not so much as convey his apostolic power to him by the ministry, or intervention of any man ; but that his com- mission and instructions were all entirely from God, and Christ himself, by immediate revelation. This, of itself, was an argument sufficient to induce them to believe, 1. That what he taught them, when he first preached the gospel to them, was the truth, and that they ought to 28 GALATIANS. CHAP. I. stick firm to that. 2. That he changed not his doctrine, whatever might be reported of him. He was Christ's chosen officer, and had no dependence on men's opinions, nor regard to their authority or favour, in what he preached ; and therefore it was not likely he should preach one thing at one time, and another thing at another. Thus this preface is very proper in this place, to introduce what he is going to say concerning himself, and adds force to his discourse, and the account he gives of himself in the next section. TEXT. 1 PAUL an apostle (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead.) 2 And all the brethren, which are with me, unto the churches of Galatia. 3 Grace be to you, and peace, from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ. PARAPHRASE. 1 PAUL (an apostle not of men*, to serve their ends, or carry on their designs, nor receiving his call, or com- mission, by the intervention of any man f , to whom he might be thought to owe any respect or deference upon that account : but immediately from Jesus Christ, and from God the Father, who raised him up from the 2 dead) ; And all the brethren that are with me, unto 3 the churches^: of Galatia: Favour be to you, and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, NOTES. 1 Ovx &ie' idftuiron " not of men," i. e. not sent by men at (heir pleasure, or by their authority ; not instructed by men what to say or do, as we see Timothy und Titus were, when sent by St. Paul ; and Judas and Silas, sent by the church of Jerusalem. f Ot!8} Si avfyxoVs, " nor by man," i. e. his choice and separation to his mi- nistry and apostleship was so wholly an act of God and Christ, that there was no intervention of any thing done by any man in the case, as there was in the election of Matthias. All this we may see explained at large, ver. 10 12, and ver. 16, 17, and chap. ii. 6 !>. y } " Chun !i-'s of Galatia." This wait an evident seal of his apostleship to the Gentiles; since, in no bigger a country than Galatia, u small province of the lesser Asia, he had, in no long stay among them, planted several distinct churches. 3 ^ " Peace." The wishing of peace, in the scripture-longuage, is the wishing of all manner of good. CHAP. L GALATIANS. 29 TEXT. 4- Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father. 5 To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. PARAPHRASE. 4 Who gave himself for our sins, that he might take us out of this present evil world *, according to the 5 will and good pleasure of God and our Father, To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. 4 * "Oirta; i^iKi\lou ^ua; ix T IVC^TO; otlwvo; crovrjpa. " That he might take us out of this present evil world," or age ; so the Greek words signify. Whereby it cannot be thought, that St. Paul meant, that Christians were to be immediately removed info the other world. Therefore inss-tu; altui/ must signify something else, than present world, in the ordinary import of those words in English. Ai'aJv Jrcf, 1 Cor. ii. 6, 8, a: d in other places, plainly signifies the Jewish nation, under the Mosaical constitution ; and it suits very well with the apostle's design in this epistle, that it sheuld do so here. Goil has, in this world, but one kingdom, and one people. The nation of ihe jews were the kingdom and people of God, whilst the law stood. And this kingdom of God, under the Mosaical constitution, was called aliav HTO;, this age, or as it is commonly translated, this world, to which alatv li/trwe, (he present world, or age, here answers. Bat the kingdom of God, which was to be under the Messiah, wherein the economy and constitution of the Jewish church, and the nation itself, that, in opposition to Christ, adhered to it, was to be laid aside, is in the new testa- ment called alwiifj.eKKu>]/, the world, or age tocorne; so that " Christ's taking them out of the present world" may, without any violence to the words, be under- stood to signify his setting them free from the Mosaical constitution. This is suitable to the design of this epistle, and what St. Paul has declared in many other places. See Col. ii. 14 17, and 20, which agrees to this place, and Rom. vii. 4, 6. This law is said to be contrary to us, Col. ii. 14, and to " work wrath," Rom. iv. 15, and St. Paul speaks very diminishingly of the ritual parts of it in many places: but yet if all this may not be thought sufficient to justify the applying of the epithet crovijps, evil to it; that scruple will be removed if we take lrajf a.tu>v t " this present world," here, for the Jew^h constitution and nation together ; in which sense it may very well be called "evil;" though the apostle, out of his wonted tenderness to his nation, forbears to name them openly, and uses a doubtful expression, which might comprehend the heathen world also ; though he chiefly pointed at the Jews. 30 GALATIANS. CHAP. i. SECT. II. CHAP. I. 6. II. 21. CONTENTS. WE have observed, that St. Paul's first endeavour in this epistle, was to satisfy the Galatians, that the report spread of him, that he preached circumcision, was false. Until this obstruction, that lay in his way was removed, it was to no purpose for him to go about to dissuade them from circumcision, though that be what he prin- cipally aims, in this epistle. To show them, that he promoted not circumcision, he calls their hearkening to those who persuaded them to be circumcised, their being removed from him ; and those that so persuaded them, " perverters of the gospel of Christ," ver. 6, 7. He farther assures them, that the gospel which he preached every-where was that, and that only, which he had received by immediate revelation from Christ, and no contrivance of man, nor did he vary it to please men : that would not consist with his being a servant of Christ, ver. 10. And he expresses such a firm adherence to what he had received from Christ, and had preached to them, that he pronounces an anathema upon himself, ver. 8, 9j or any other man, or angel that should preach any thing else to them. To make out this to have been all along his conduct, he gives an account of himself for many years backwards, even from the time before his conversion. Wherein he shows, that from a zealous persecuting jew he was made a Christian, and an apostle, by immediate revelation ; and that, having no commu- nication with the apostles, or with the churches of Judea, or any man, for some years, he had nothing to preach, but what he had received by immediate revelation. Nay, when, fourteen years after, he went up to Jerusalem, it was by revelation ; and when he there communicated CHAP. i. GALATIANS. 31 the gospel, which he preached among the gentiles, Peter, James, and John, approved of it, without adding any thing, but admitted him, as their fellow-apostle. So that, in all this, he was guided by nothing but divine revelation, which he inflexibly stuck to so far, that he openly opposed St. Peter for his judaizing at Antioch. All which account of himself tends clearly to show, that St. Paul made not the least step towards complying with the jews, in favour of the law, nor did, out of regard to man, deviate from the doctrine he had received by revelation from God. All the parts of this section, and the narrative con- tained in it, manifestly concenter in this, as will more fully appear, as we go through them, and take a closer view of them ; which will show us, that the whole is so skilfully managed, and the parts so gently slid into, that it is a strong, but not seemingly laboured justification of himself, from the imputation of preaching up circum- cision. TEXT. 6 I MARVEL that ye are so soon removed from him, that called you into the grace of Christ, unto another gospel: PARAPHRASE. 6 I CANNOT but wonder that you are soon * removed from mef , (who called you into the covenant of grace, which is in Christ) unto another sort of gospel ; NOTES. 6 * " So soon." The first place we find Galalia mentioned, is Acts xvi. 6. And therefore St. Paul may be supposed to have planted these churches there, in his journey mentioned, Acts xvi. which was anno Domini 51. He visited them again, after he had been at Jerusalem, Acts xviii. 21 53. A.D. 54. From thence he returned to Ephesus, and staid thereabout two years, dur- ing which time this epistle was writ: s<> that, counting from his last visit, this letter was writ to them within two or three years from the time he was last with them, and had left them confirmed in the doctrine he had taught them; and therefore he might with reason wonder at their forsaking him so soon, and that gospel he had converted them to. t " From him that called you." These words plainly point out himself; hut then one might wonder how St. Paul came to use them; since it would have sounded better to have said, " Removed from the gospel I preached to you, to " another gospel, than removed from me that preached to you, to another " gospel." But if it be remembered, that St. Paul's design here, is to vindicate himself from the aspersion cast on him, that he preached circumcision, nothing could be more suitable to that purpose, than this way of expressing himself. 32 GALATIANS. CHAP, TEXT. 7 Which is not another ; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you, than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. 9 As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. 10 For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men ? For, if I yet pleased men I should not be the servant of Christ. PARAPHRASE. 7 Which is not owing to any thing else*, but only this, that ye are troubled by a certain sort of men, who would overturn the gospel of Christ by making cir- cumcision, arid the keeping of the law, necessary f 8 under the gospel. But if even I myself, or an angel from heaven, should preach any thing to you for gospel, different from the gospel I have preached unto 9 you, let him be accursed. I say it again to you, if any one, under pretence of the gospel, preach any other thing to you, than what ye have received 10 from me, let him be accursed |. For can it be doubted of me, after having done and suffered so much for the gospel of Christ, whether I do now <>, at NOTES. 7 **Osx iriv aAXo I take to signify " which is not any thing else." The words themselves, the context, and the business the apostle is upon here, do all concur to give these words the sense I have taken them in. For, 1, If if had re- ferred to ua-/7A.(cv, it would have been more natural to have kept to the word iTipw, and not have changed it into a'AAo. 2. It can scarce be supposed, by any one who reads what St. Paul says, in the following words of this verse, and the two adjoining; and also chap. iii. 4, and ver. ii. 1 and 7, that St. Paul should tell them, that what lie would keep them from, " is not another gospel." 3. It is suitable to St. Paul's design here, to tell them, that to their being removed to " another gospel," nobody else had contributed, but it was wholly owing to those judaizing seducers. t See Acts xv. 1,5, 23,24. 9 J " Accursed." Though we may look upon the repetition of the anathema here, to be for the adding of force to what he says, yet we may observe, that by joining himself with an angel, in the foregoing verse, he does as good as tell them, that he is not guilty of what deserves it, by skilfully insinuating to the gnlatiuns, that they might as well (suspect an angel might preach to them a gospel different from his, i. e. a false gospel, as that he himself should : and then, in this verse, lays the anathema, wholly and solely, upon the judaizing seducers. 10 <) "Apli, " now," and in, "yet," cannot be understood without a refer- CHAP. I. GALATIANS. 3$ TEXT. 11 But I certify to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preach- ed of me, is not after man. 12 For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. 13 For ye have heard of my conversation in time past, in the Jews religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the Church of God, and wasted it. PARAPHRASE. this time of day, make my court to men, or seek the favour * of God ? If I had hitherto made it my busi- ness to please men, I should not have been the ser- vant of Christ, nor taken up the profession of the 11 gospel. But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel, which has been every where f preached by me, is not such as is pliant to human interest, or can be ac- 12 commodated to the pleasing of men (For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it by any one, as his scholar ;) but it is the pure and ummixed im- 13 mediate revelation of Jesus Christ to me. To satisfy you of this, my behaviour whilst I was of the Jewish NOTES. ence to something in St. Paul's past life; what that was,. which he had particu- larly then in his mind, we may see by the account he gives of himself, in what immediately follows, viz. that before his conversion he was employed by men, in their designs, and made it his business to please them, as may be seen, Acts ix. 1,2. But when God called him, he received his commission and instruc- tions from him alone, and set immediately about it, without consulting any man whatsoever, preaching that, and that only, which he had received from Christ. So that it would be senseless folly in him, and no less than the forsaking his Master, Jesus Christ, if he should now, as was reported of him, mix any thing of men's with the pure doctrine of the Gospel, which he had received immedi- ately by revelation from Jesus Christ, to please the jews, after he had so long preached only that ; and had, to avoid all appearance or pretence to the con- trary, so carefully shunned all communication with the churches of Judea ; and had not, until a good while after, and that very sparingly, conversed with any, and those but a few, of the apostles themselves, some of wham he openly re- proved for their judaizing. Thus the narrative, subjoined to this verse, explains the ' now," and " yet," in it, and all tends to the same purpose. * ne/Ooi, translated i4 persuade," is sometimes used for making application to any one to obtain his good-will, or friendship: and hence, Acts xii. 20, o>et- a-oniTe! BXcxrov ig translated " having made Blastus their friend : " the sense is here the same which, 1 Thess. ii. 4. he expresses in these words, ^ u!f anQpuiiroi; upetrxwTt; aXXa rf <, " not as pleasing men but, God." 11 + Ti fuayy?uo-9sv vn 1/j.Z, " which has been preached by me : " this being spoken indefinitely, must be understood in general, every where, and so is the import of the forgoing verse. VOL. VII. D 34 GALATIANS. CHAP. I. TEXT. 14* And profited in the jews religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers. 15 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, 16 To reveal his son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen : immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood : 17 Neither went I up to Jerusalem, to them which were apostles before me, but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus. PARAPHRASE. religion is so well known, that I need not tell you, how excessive violent I was in persecuting the church 14 of God, and destroying it all I could ; And that being carried oh by an extraordinary zeal for the traditions of my forefathers, I out-stripped many 15 students of my own age and nation, in Judaism. But when it pleased God (who separated * me from my mother's womb, and by his especial favour called f me to be a Christian, and a preacher of the gospel,) 16 To reveal his son to me, that I might preach him among the gentiles, I thereupon applied not myself 17 to any man, ^ for advice what to do. Neither went I up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, to see whether they approved my doctrine, or to have farther instructions from them : but I went immediately || unto Arabia, and from NOTES. 15 * " Separated." This may be understood by Jer. i. 5. T " Called." The history of this call, see Acts ix. 1, Sec. 16 J " Flesh and bleod," is used for man, see Eph. vi. 12. "For advice:" this, and what he says in the following verse, a to evidence to the galatians the full assurance he had of the truth and perfection of the gospel, which he had received from Christ, by immediate revelation ; and how little he was disposed to have any regard to the pleasing of men in preaching it, that he did not so much as communicate, or advise, with any of the apostles about it, to see whether they approved of it. 17 y Eu6<'u>f, immediately, though placed just before and o^oe-anSj^K, " I conferred not ; v yet it is plain, by the sense and design of St. Paul here, that it principally relates to, " I went into Arabia ; " his departure into Arabia, presently upon his conversion, before he had consulted with any body, being made use of, to show that the gospel he bad received by immediate revelation from Jesus Christ, was complete, and sufficiently instructed and enabled him to be a preacher and an apostle to the gentiles, without borrowing any thing from any man, in order thereunto ; no not with any of the apostles, no one of whom he taw, until three years after. CHAP. r. GALATIANS. 35 TEXT. 18 Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem, to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days. 19 But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord's brother. 20 Now the things which I write unto you, behold, before God, I lye not. 21 Afterwards I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia : 22 And was unknown by face unto the churches of Judea, which were in Christ. 23 But they had heard only, that he, which persecuted us in times past, now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed. 24- And they glorified God in me. PARAPHRASE. 18 thence returned again to Damascus. Then after three years, * I went up to Jerusalem, to see Peter, 19 and abode with him fifteen days. But other of the apostles saw I none, but James, the brother of our 20 Lord. These things, that I write to you, I call God to witness, are all true ; there is no falsehood in 21 them. Afterwards I came into the regions of Syria 22 and Cilicia. But with the churches of Christ f in Judea, I had had no communication : they had not 23 so much as seen my face ; ; Only they had heard, that I, who formerly persecuted the churches of Christ, did now preach the gospel, which I once 24 endeavoured to suppress and extirpate. And they glorified God upon' my account. NOTES. 18 * " Three years," i. e. from his conversion. 22 + " In Christ," i. e. believing in Christ, see Rom. xvi. 7. J This, which he so particularly takes notice of, does nothing to the prov- ing, that he was a true apostle; but serves very well to show, that, in what he preached, he had no communication with those of his own cation, nor took any care to please the Jews. D 21 36 GALATIANS. CHAP. n. CHAP. II. TEXT. 1 THEN fourteen years after, I went up again to Jerusalem, with Barnabas, and took Titus with me also. 2 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 means I should run or had run in vain. 3 But neither Titus, who was with me, being a greek, was com- pelled to be circumcised : PARAPHRASE. 1 THEN fourteen years after, I went up again to Jeru- salem, with Barnabas, and took Titus also with me. 2 And I went up by revelation, and there laid before them the gospel which I * preached to the gentiles, but privately to those who were of note and reputation amongst them ; lest the pains that I have already taken,f or should take in the gospel, should be in vain.j: 3 But though I communicated the gospel which I NOTES. 2 * " I communicated." The conference he had in private with the chief of the church of Jerusalem, concerning the gospel which he preached among the Gentiles, seems not to have been barely concerning the doctrine of their being free from the law of Moses, that had been openly and hotly disputed at Antioch, and was known to he the business they came about to Jerusalem ; but it is pro- bable, it was to explain to them the whole doctrine he had received by revela- tion, by the fulness and perfection whereof, (for it is said, ver. 6, that, in that conference, they added nothing to it) and by the miracles he had done in con- firmation of it, (see ver. 8.) they might see and own what he preached, to be the truth, and him to be one of themselves, both by commission and doctrine, as indeed they did ; ouroTf, "them," signifies those at Jerusalem ; xor' Stou ol To7f 8oxl to the gentiles. For if it had, Titus must have been circumcised ; for no part of his gospel was blamed, or altered by them, ver. 6. Of what other use his mentioning this, of Titus here can be, but to show to the gala- tians, that what he preached, contained nothing of circumcising the convert gentiles, it is hard to find. If it were to show that the other apostles, and church at Jerusalem, dispensed with circumcision, and other ritual observances of the Mosaical law, that was needless; for that was sufficiently declared by their decree, Acts xv. which was made and communicated to the churches, before this epistle was writ, as may be seen, Acts xvi.4, much less was this of Titus of any force, to prove that St. Paul was a true apostle, if that were what he was here labouring to justify. But considering his aim here, to be the clearing himself from a report, that he preached up circumcision, there could be nothing more to his purpose, than this instance of Tiius, whom, uncircutn- cised as he was, he took with him to Jerusalem ; uncircumcised he kept with him there, and uncircumcised he took back with him, when he returned. This was a strong and pertinent instance to persuade the galatians that the report of his preaching circumcision was a mere aspersion. 4 -f oCSe, " Neither," in the third verse, according to propriety of speech, ought to have a " nor," to answer it, which is the b'St, " nor," here ; which, so taken, answers the propriety of the Greek, and very much clears the sense ; Se T/rof ijvayxas-G*), a$s nrpof (Zptxv e'tf-y./jiv, " Neither was Titus compelled, nor ' did we yield to them a moment." J T>5 ujroTayr), " by subjection." The point those false brethren contended for, was, That the law of Moses was to be kept, see Acts xv. 5. St. Paul, who, on other occasions, was so complaisant, that to the jews he became as a jew, to those under the law, as under the law (see 1 Cor. ix. 19 22), yet when subjection to the law was claimed, as due in any case, he would not yield the least matter; this I take to be his meaning of Ss ii^x/mv rrj vTrorxyfj for, where compliance was desired of him, upon the account of expedience, and not of subjection to the law, we do not find it stiff and inflexible, as may be seen, Acts xxi. 18 26, which was after the writing of this epistle. TEXT. 5 To whom we gave place by subjection, no not for an hour ; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you. 6 But of these, who seemed to be somewhat (whatsoever they were, it maketh no matter to me ; God accepteth no man's per- PARAPHRASE. our liberty from the law, which we have under the gospel : that they might bring us into bondage * to 5 the law. But I stood my ground against it, that the 6 truth f of the gospel might remain ^ among you. But as for those , who were really men || of eminency and NOTES. * " Bondage," What this bondage was$ see Acts xv. 1, 5, 10. 5 + " The truth of the gospel." By it he means here, the doctrine of free- dom from the law ; and so he calls it again, ver. 14, and chap. iii. 1, and iv. 16. J " Might remain among you." Here he tells the reason himself, why he yielded not to those judaizing false brethren : it was, that the true doctrine, which he had preached to the gentiles, of their freedom from the law, might stand firm. A convincing argument to the galatians, that he preached not circumcision. 4, 5. " And that, to whom." There appears a manifest difficulty in these two verses, which has been observed by most interpreters, and is by several ascribed to a redundancy, which some place in 8e, in the beginning of ver. 4, and others to oTf in the beginning of ver. 5. The relation between Ss, ver. 3, and 3t, ver. 5, mcthinks puts an easy end to the doubt, by the showing St. Paul's sense to be, that he. neither circumcised Titus, nor yielded in the least to (he false brethren ; he having told the galatians, That, upon his laying, be- fore the men of roost authority in the church at Jerusalem, the doctrine which lie preached, Titus was not circumcised; he, as a further proof of his not preaching circumcision, tells them how he carried it toward the false brethren, whose design it was, to bring the convert gentiles into subjection to the law. " And," or " moreover," (for so S often signifies) says he, " in regard to the " false brethren," &c. Which way of entrance on the matter, would not ad- mit of *? after it, to answer ^, ver. 3, which was already writ, but without tit the negation must have been expressed by x, as any one will perceive, \vho attentively reads the Greek original. And thus off may be allowed for an Hebrew pleonasm, and the reason of it to be the preventing the former *8 to stand alone, to the disturbance of the sense. 6 (j lie that considers the. beginning of this verse, jT<3v, for o* ex TWV paQriTtaii ; and so here, taking OTTO rwv 3oxKVra>, to be for o< ari TWV SoxsVrtov, all the difficulty is removed: and St. Paul having in the foregoing verse ended the narrative of his deportment towards the false brethren, he here begins an ac- count of what passed between him and the chief of the apostles. + Peter, James, and John, who, it is manifest, by ver. 9, are the persons here spoken of, seem, of all the apostles, to have been most in esteem and favour with their master, during his conversation with them on earth. See Mark v. 37, and ix. 2, and xiv. 33. " But yet that," says St. Paul, " is of no " moment now to me. The gospel, which 1 preach, and which God, who is " no respecter of persons, has been pleased to commit to me by immediate 40 GALATTANS. CHAP. II. TEXT. cision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter ; 8 (For he that wrought effectually in Peter, to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me towards the Gen- tiles) 9 And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship ; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision. PARAPHRASE. of reputation, and justly esteemed to be pillars, per- ceiving that the gospel which was to be preached to the gentiles, was committed to me ; as that which was to be preached to the Jews was committed to 8 Peter ; (For he that had wrought powerfully * in Peter, to his executing the office of an apostle to the Jews, had also wrought powerfully in me, in my ap- 9 plication and apostleship, to the gentiles ;) And, knowing f the favour that was bestowed on me, gave me and Barnabas the right hand | of fellowship, that we should preach the gospel to the gentiles, and they NOTES. " revelation, is not the less true, nor is there any reason for me to recede from " it, in a tittle; for these men of the first rank could find nothing to add, ' alter, or gainsay in it." This is suitable to St. Paul's design here, to let the galatians see, that as he, in his carriage, had never favoured circumcision ; so neither had he any reason, by preaching circumcision, to forsake the doctrine of liberty from the law, which be had preached to them as a part of that gos- pel, which lie had received by revelation. 8 * Eipytiff<*i, " working in," may be understood here to signify, both the operation of the spirit upon the mind of St. Peter and St. Paul, in sending them, the one to the jews, the other to the gentiles: and also the Holy Ghost bestowed on them, whereby they were Enabled to do miracles for the confirm- ation of their doctrine. In neither of which St. Paul, as he shows, was infe- rior, and so had as authentic a seal of his mission and doctrine. 9 t K), " and," copulates yvfaTtf, " knowing," in this verse, with IMmi, " seeing," ver. 7, and makes both of them to agree with the nominative case to the verb 8o>xav, " gave," which is no other but James, Cephas, and John, and so justifies my transferring those names to ver. 7, for the more easy con- struction and understanding of the text, though St. Paul defers the naming of them, until he is, as it were against his will, forced to it, before the end of his discourse. J The giving " the right hand," was a symbol amongst the jews, as well as other nations, of accord, admitting men into fellowship. CHAP. II. GALATIANS. 41 TEXT. 10 Only they would that we should remember the poor; the same which I also was forward to do. 11 But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed. 12 For, before that certain came from James, he did eat with the gentiles : but, when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision. 13 And the other jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation. PARAPHRASE. 10 to the children of Israel. All that they proposed, was, that we should remember to make collections among the gentiles, for the poor Christians of Judea, which 11 was a thing that of myself I was forward to do. But when Peter came to Antioch, I openly opposed * him 12 to his face : for, indeed, he was to be blamed. For he conversed there familiarly with the gentiles, and eat with them, until some jews came thither from James : then he withdrew, and separated from the gentiles, for fear of those who were of the circum- 13 cision : And the rest of the jews joined also with him in this hypocrisy, insomuch that Barnabas himself NOTES. 11 *" I opposed him." From this opposition to St. Peter, which they sup- pose to be before the council at Jerusalem, some would have it that this epistle to the galatians was writ before that council ; as if what was done before the council, could not be mentioned in a letter writ after the council. They also contend, that this journey, mentioned here by St. Paul, was not that wherein he and Barnabas went up to that council to Jerusalem, but that mentioned Acts xi. 30, but this, with as little ground as the former. The strongest reason they bring is, that if this journey had been to the council, and this letter after that council, St. Paul would not certainly have omitted to have mentioned to the galatians that decree. To which I answer, 1. The mention of it was super- fluous ; for they had it already, see Acts xvi. 4. 2. The mention of it was im- pertinent to the design of St. Paul's narrative here. For it is plain, that his aim, in what he relates of himself, and his past actions, is to show, that having received the gospel from Christ, by immediate revelation, he had all along preached that, and nothing but that, every-where ; so that he could not be sup- posed to have preached circumcision, or by his carriage to have shown any subjection to the law ; all the whole narrative following, being to make good what he says, ch. i. 11, "That the gospel which he preached, was not ac- *' commodated to the humouring of men; nor did he seek to please the jews " (who were the men here meant) in what he taught." Taking this to be his aim, we shall find the whole account he gives of himself, from that ver. 11, of ch. i. to the end of this second, to be very clear and easy, and very proper to invalidate the report of his preaching circumcision. GALATIANS. CHAP, n. TEXT. 14 But when I saw that they walked not uprightly, according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all : If thou, being a jew, livest after the manner of gentiles, and not as do the jews, why compellest thou the gentiles to live as do the jews ? 15 We who are jews by nature, and not sinners of the gentiles, 16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law : for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. 17 But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid^ PARAPHRASE. was carried away with the stream, and dissembled as 14 they did. But when I saw they conformed not their conduct to the truth * of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all: If thou, being a Jew, takest the liber- ty sometimes to live after the manner of the gentiles, not keeping to those rules which the jews observe, why dost thou constrain the gentiles to conform them- selves to the rites and manner of living of the jews ? 15 We, who are byf nature jews, born under the in- struction and guidance of the law, God's peculiar people, and not of the unclean and profligate race of 16 the gentiles, abandoned to sin and death, Knowing that a man cannot be justified by the deeds of the law, but solely by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have put ourselves upon believing on him, and embraced the profession of the gospel, for the attainment of justification by faith in Christ, and not by the works 17 of the law : But if we seek to be justified in Christ, NOTES. 14 AXij9i T* uetyyiAAi, " the truth of the gospel," is put here for that freedom from the law of Mses, which was a part of the true doctrine of the gospel. For it was in nolhing'else, but their undue and timorous observing some of the mosaical rites, that St. Paul here blames St. Peter, and the other judaiz- ing converts at Ami. .Hi. In this sense he uses the word " truth," all along through this epistle, as ch. ii. 5, 14, and iii. 1, and v. 7, insisting on it, thut this doctrine of freedom from the law, was the true gospel. 15 + +u' who are by birth God's holy people, and not as the profligate gentiles, aban- doned to all manner of pollution and uncleanness, not being nevertheless able to attain righteousness by the deeds of the law, have believed in Christ, that we might be justified by faith in him. But if even we, who have be- taken ourselves to Christ for justification, [are ourselves found to be unjusti- fied sinners, liable still to wrath, as also under the law, to which we subject ourselves ; what deliverance have we from sin by Christ? None at all : we are as much concluded under sin and guilt, as if we did not believe in him. So that by joining him and the law together for justification, weshut ourselves out from justification, which cannot be had under the law, and make Christ the minister of sin, and not of justification, which God forbid." 18 t Whether this be part of what St. Paul said to St. Peter, or whether it be addressed to the galatians, St. Paul, by speaking in his own name, plainly declares, that if he sets up the law again, he must necessarily be an offender: whereby he strongly insinuates to the galatians, that he was no promoter of circumcision, especially when what he says, chap. v. 2 4, is added to it. 19 $ " By the teuour of the law itself." See Rom. iii. 21, Gal. iii. 24, 25, and iv. 21, &c. ^ Being discharged from the law, St. Paul expresses by " dead to the law ;" compare Rom. vi. 14, with vii. 4. II " Live to God." What St. Paul says here, seems to imply, that living 44 GALATIANS. CHAP. n. TEXT. 20 I am crucified with Christ ; nevertheless I live ; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me : and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. 21 I do not frustrate the grace of God ; for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. PARAPHRASE. his kingdom, which he has now set up under his Son. 20 I, a member of Christ's body, am crucified * with him, but though I am thereby dead to the law, I nevertheless live ; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me, i. e. the life which I now live in the flesh, is upon no other principle, nor under any other law, but that of faith in the Son of God f , who loved me, and gave 21 himself for me. And in so doing, I avoid frustrating the grace of God, I accept of the grace f. and for- giveness of God, as it is offered through faith in Christ, in the gospel : but if I subject myself to the law as still in force under the gospel, I do in effect frustrate grace. For if righteousness be to be had by the law, then Christ died to no purpose, there was no need of it. NOTES. under the law, was to live not acceptably to God ; a strange doctrine certainly to the jews, and yet it was true now, under the gospel, for God having put his kingdom in this world wholly under his San, when he raised him from the dead, all who, after that, would be his people in his kingdom, were to live l>y no other law, but the gospel, which was now the law of his kingdom. And hence we see God cast off (he jews; because sticking to their old constitution, they would not have this man reign over them : so that what St. Paul says here, is in effect this: " By believing in Christ, 1 am dhclmrged from the mosaical " law, that I may wholly conform myself to the rule of the gospel, which is " now the law, which must be owned and ohserved by all those, who, as ' God's people, will live acceptably to him." This, I think, is visibly his meaning, though the accustoming himself to antitheses, may possibly be the reason why, afier having said, " I am dead to the law," he expresses his put- ting himself under the gospel, by living to God. 20 * " Crucified with Christ;" see this explained, Rom. vii. 4, and vi. 214. ' i . <. The whole tnanagemant of myself is conformable to the doctrine of the gospel, of jutisfication in Christ alone, and not by the deeds of the law. This, and the former verse, seem to he spoken in opposition to St. L'eter's owning a subjection to the law of Moses, by his walking, mentioned, ver. 14. 21 | " Grace of God; " see chap. i. 6, 7. to which this seems here opposed. ^ " In vain," read this explained in St. Paul's own words, chap. v. 3 6. CHAP. in. GALAT1ANS. 45 SECT. III. CHAP. III. 15. CONTENTS. BY the account St. Paul has given of himself in the foregoing section, the galatians being furnished with evi- dence, sufficient to clear him, in their minds, from the report of his preaching circumcision, he comes now, the way being thus opened, directly to oppose their being cir- cumcised, and subjecting themselves to the law. The first argument he uses, is, that they received the Holy Ghost, and the gifts of miracles, by the gospel, and not by the law. TEXT. 1 O FOOLISH galatians, who hath bewitched you, that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you ? 2 This only would I learn of you : Received ye the spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith ? PARAPHRASE. 1 O YE foolish galatians, who hath cast a mist before your eyes, that you should not keep to the truth * of the gospel, you to whom the sufferings and death of Christf upon the cross, hath been by me so livelyrepre- sented, as if it had been actually done in your sight ? 2 This is one thing I desire to know of you : Did you re- NOTES. 1 * " Obey the truth," i e. stand fast in the liberty of the gospel ; truth being used io this epistle, as we have already noted, chap. ii. 14, for the doc- trire of being free from the law, which St. Paul had delivered to them. The reason whereof he gives, chap. v. 3 5. t St. Paul mentions nothing to them here but Christ crucified, as knowing that, when formerly he had preached Christ crucified to them, he had shown them, that, by Christ's death on the cross, believers were set free from the law, and the covenant of works was removed, to make way for that of grace. This we may find him inculcating to his other gentile converts. See Eph. ii. 15, 16. Co), ii. 14, 20. And accordingly he tells the galatians, chap. v. 2, 4, that if, by circumcision, they put themselves under the law, they were fallen from grace, and Christ should profit them nothing at all: things, which they are supposed to understand, at his writing to them. 46 GALATIANS. CHAI^ ill. TEXT. 3 Are ye so foolish ? Having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh ? 4 Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain. 5 He, therefore, that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith ? PARAPHRASE. -''; J i'- . titi AV. j: ., v. . >tf>'v *sJ *. . -f i-i^Ufc-jfl '*ii. "Sjjki ceive the miraculous gifts of the Spirit, by the works 3 of the law, or by the gospel preached to you ? Have you so little understanding, that, having begun in the reception of the spiritual doctrine of the gospel, you hope to be advanced to higher degrees of perfection, 4 and to be completed by the law * ? Have you suf- fered so many things in vain, if at least you will render it in vain, by falling off from the profession of the pure and uncorrupted doctrine of the gospel, and aposta- 5 tizing to Judaism ? The gifts of the Holy Ghost, that have been conferred upon you, have they not been conferred on you as Christians, professing faith in Jesus Christ, and not as observers of the law ? And hath not he f , who hath conveyed these gifts to you, and done miracles amongst you, done it as a preacher and professor of the gospel, the jews, who stick in the law of Moses, being not able, by virtue of that, to do any such thing ? NOTES. I'll '< ' '{ ki .pny&Hi " he that ministereth," and chap. i. 6, by 4 xota'eraf, " he that called," is plainly St. Paul himself, though, out of modesty, he declines naming himself. SECT. IV. CHAP. III. 617. CONTENTS. His next argument against circumcision, and subjec- tion to the law, is, that the children of Abraham, intitled in. GALATIANS. 47 to the inheritance and blessing promised to Abraham and his seed, are so by faith, and not by being under the law, which brings a curse upon those who are under it TEXT. 6 Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness : 7 Know ye, therefore, that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. 8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the hea- then through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, " In thee shall all nations be blessed." 9 So then they which be of faith, are blessed with faithful Abra- ham. 10 For as many as are of the works of the law, are under the curse ; for it is written, " Cursed is every one that continueth not in " all things, which are written in the book of the law, to do " them." PARAPHRASE. 6 But to proceed : As Abraham believed in God, and 7 it was accounted to him for righteousness ; So know ye, that those who are of faith, i. e. who rely upon God, and his promises of grace, and not upon their own performances, they are the children of Abraham, who shall inherit ; and this is plain in the scripture. 8 For it being in the purpose of God, to justify the gentiles by faith, he gave Abraham a fore-knowledge of the gospel in these words : " * In thee all the 9 " nations of the earth shall be blessed." So that they who are of f faith, are blessed with Abraham, 10 who believed. But as many as are of the works of the law, are under the | curse : for it is written , " Cursed is every one, who remaineth not in all " things, which are written in the book of the law, NOTES. * Gen. xiii. 3. 9, 10 f " Of faith," and " of the works of the law; " spoken of two races of men, the one as the genuine posterity of Abraham, heirs f the promise, the other not. f " Blessed," and " under the curse." Here again there is another divi- sion, viz. into the blessed, and those under the curse, whereby is meant such as are in a state of life, or acceptance with God; or such as are exposed to his wrath, and to death, see Deut. xxx. 19. 10 Written," Deut. xxtii. 26. 48 GALATIANS. CHAP, -in. TEXT. 11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident : for the " just shall live by faith." 12 And the law is not of faith : but, " The man that doth them, " shall live in them." 13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us ; for it is written, " Cursed is every one that " hangeth on a tree." 14< That the blessing of Abraham might come on the gentiles through Jesus Christ ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. 15 Brethren, I speak after the manner of men ; though it be but a PARAPHRASE. 11 " to do them." But that no man is justified by the law, in the sight of God, is evident ; " for the just 12 " shall live by faith*." But the law says not so, the law gives not life to those who believe f : but the rule of the law is, " He that doth them, 13 " shall live in them :}:." Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us ; for it is written , " Cursed is every one 14 " that hangeth on a tree:" That the blessing ||, promised to Abraham, might come on the gentiles, through Jesus Christ ; that we who are Christians might, believing, receive the Spirit that was pro- 15 mised *J[. Brethren, this is a known and allowed rule NOTES. 11 * Hab. \\.4. 12 f See Acts xiii. 39. Lev. xviii. 5. IS Dent. xii. 21, 23. 14 || " Blessing:" " That blessing," ver. 8,9, 14. " Justification," ver. 11. "Righteousness," ver. 21. " Life," ver. II, 12, 21. "Inheritance," ver. 18. ' Being the children of God," ver. 26, are in effect all the same, on the one side: And the " curse," ver. 13, the direct contrary, on the other side; so plain is St. Paul's discourse here, that no-body, who reads it with the least attention, will he in any doubt about it. I " Promised." St. Paul's argument to convince the galatinns, that they ought not lo be circumcised, or submit to the l:i\v, from their having received the spirit from him, upon their having received the gospel, which he preached to them, ver. 2 and 5, stands thus: The blessing promised lo Abraham, and to his teed, was wholly upon the account of faith, ver. 7. There were not different seeds, who should inherit the promise ; the one by the works of the law, and the other by faith. For there was but " one seed, which was " Christ," ver. 16, and those who should claim in, and under him, by fuilh. Among those there was no distinction of jew and gentile. They, and they only, who believed, were all one and the same true seed of Abraham, and CHAP. in. GALATIANS. 49 TEXT. man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto. 16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, " and to seeds," as of many ; but as of one, " and to " thy seed," which is Christ. 17 And this I say, that the covenant that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect. PARAPHRASE. in human affairs, that a promise, or compact, though it be barely a man's covenant, yet if it be once ra- tified, so it must stand, nobody can render it void, 16 or make any alteration in it. Now to Abraham, and his seed were the promises made. God doth not say, " and to seeds *," as if he spoke of more seeds than one, that were intitled to the promise upon different accounts ; but only of one sort of men, who, upon one sole account, were that seed of Abraham, which was alone meant and concerned in the promise ; so that " unto thy seed f ," designed Christ, and his mystical body %, i. e. those, that be- 17 come members of him by faith. This, therefore, I say, that the law, which was not till 430 years after, cannot disannul the covenant that was long 1 * O before made, and ratified to Christ by God, so as to set aside the promise. For if the right to the in- heritance be from the works of the law, it is plain that it is not founded in the promise of Abraham, as certainly it is. For the inheritance was a dona- tion and free gift of God, settled on Abraham and his seed, by promise. NOTES. i heirs according to the promise," ver. 28, 29. And therefore the promise, made to the people of God, of giving them the spirit under the gospel, was performed only to those who believed in Christ; a rlear evidence, that it was not liv putting themselves under the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ, that " they were the people of God, and heirs of the promise." 16 * " And to seeds:" By seeds, St. Paul here visibly means the 6< ix w7a v -, " hath shut them up " all together," Rom.xi.32. || The thing promised in this chapter, sometimes called Blessing, ver. 9, 14; sometimes Inheritance, ver. 18; sometimes Justification, ver. 11,24; tometimes Righteousness, ver. 21; and sometimes Life, ver. 11,21. 23 f By faith, see ver. 14. * Justification by faith, see ver. 24. CHAP. in. GALATIANS. 53 TEXT. 25 But, after that faith is come, we are no longer under a school- master. PARAPHRASE. 25 Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But Christ being come, and with him the doctrine of jus- tification by faith, we are set free from this school- master, there is no longer any need of him. SECT. VI. GHAP. III. 2629. CONTENTS. As a further argument to dissuade them from cir- cumcision, he tells the galatians, that by faith in Christ, all, whether jews or gentiles, are made the children of God ; and so they stood in no need of circumcision. TEXT. 26 For ye are all the children of God, by faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you, as have been baptized into Christ, have put on Christ. 28 There is neither jew nor greek, there is neither bond nor free, PARAPHRASE. 26 For ye are * all the children of God, by faith in 27 Christ Jesus. For as many of you, as have been 28 baptized in Christ, have put on j- Christ. There NOTES. 26 * All, i. e. both jews and gentiles. 27 -f- Put on Christ. This, which, at first sight, may seem a very bold meta- phor, if we consider what St. Paul has said, ver. 16, and 26, is admirably adapted to express his thoughts in a few words, and has a great grace in it. He says, ver. 16, that " the seed to which the promise was made, was but one, and " that one was Christ." And ver. 26, he declares, " that by faith in Christ, " they all became the sons of God." To lead them into an easy conception how this is done, he here lells them, that, by taking on them the profession of 54 GALATIANS. CHAP. IV. TEXT. there is neither male nor female : for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if ye be Christ's', then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. PARAPHRASE. is no distinction of jew or gentile, or bond or free, of male or female. For ye are all one body, making 29 up one person in Christ Jesus. And if ye are all one in Christ Jesus, * ye are the true ones, seed of Abraham, and heirs according to the propose. NOTES. t he gospel, (hey have, as it were, put on Christ ; so that to God, now looking on t hem, there appears nothing hut Christ. They are, as it w ere, covered all over with him, :is a man is with the cloaths he hath put on. And hence he says, in the next vw. that " they are all one in Christ Jesus," as if there were but that one person. 29 * The Clermont copy reads tl SE vfj.it; il; lr evXpi^'lija-a, " And if ye " are one in Christ Jesus," more suitable as it seems, to the apostle's argument. For, ver. 28, he says, "They are all one in Christ Jesus ; " from whence the inference in the following words of the Clermont copy, is natural : " And if " ye be one in Christ Jesus, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according " to promise." SECT, VII. * CHAP. IV. 111. CONTENTS. IN the first part of this section he further shows, that the law was not against the promise, in that the child is not disinherited, by being under tutors. But the chief design of this section is to show, that though both jews and gentiles were intended to be the children of God, and heirs of the promise by faith in Christ, yet they both of them were left in bondage, the jews to the law, ver. 3, and the gentiles to false gods, ver 8, until Christ in due time came to redeem them both ; and, therefore, CHAP. IV. GALATIANS. 55 it was folly in the galatians, being redeemed from one bondage, to go backwards, and put themselves again in a state of bondage, though under a new master. TEXT. 1 Now I say, that the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth no- thing from a servant, though he be lord of all ; 2 But he is under tutors and governors, until the time appointed of the father. 3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world : 4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his son made of a woman, made under the law; 5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. 6 And, because ye are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of his son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. PARAPHRASE. 1 Now I say, that the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a bondman, * though he be 2 lord of all ; But is under tutors and guardians, until 3 the time prefixed by his father. So we f jews, whilst we were children, were in bondage under the law. ^ 4 But when the time appointed for the coming of the Messias was accomplished, God sent forth his Son, 5 made of a woman, and subjected to the law ; That he might redeem those who were under the law, and set them free from it, that we, who believe, might be put out of the state of bondmen, into that of sons. 6 Into which state of sons, it is evident that you, gala- tians, who were heretofore gentiles, are put; foras- much as God hath sent forth his Spirit ^ into your NOTES. I * Bondman ; so SoJ^o? signifies ; and unless it be so translated, ver 7, 8, Bondage ; vcr. 3, 7, \yill scarce be understood by an English reader; but St. Paul's sense will be lost to one, who, by Servant, understands not one in a state of bondage. 3 t We. It is plain, St. Paul speaks here in the name of the jews, or Jewish church, which, though God's peculiar people, yet was to p;iss its nonage (so St. Paul calls ii) under the restraint and tutorage of the law, and not to receive the possession of the promised inheritance until Christ came. J The law, he calls here ro'X '' a xfopu, " Elements, or rudiments of the " world." Because the observances and discipline of the law, which had re- straint and bondage enough in it, led them not beyond the things of this world, into the possession, or state, of their spiritual and heavenly inheritance. 6 The same argument, of provingtheir sonship from their having theSpirir, St. Paul uses to the Romans, Rom. viii. 16, And he that will read 2 Cor. iv. 56 GALATIANS. CHAP. iv. TEXT. 7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son ; and if a son, then an heir of God, through Christ. 8 Howbeit, then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them, which by nature are no gods. 9 But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage ? PARAPHRASE. 7 hearts, which enables you to cry Abba, Father. So that thou art no longer a bondman, but a son : and if a son, then an heir * of God, or of the promise of 8 God, though Christ. But then, i. e. before ye were made the sons of God, by faith in Christ, now under the gospel, ye, not knowing God, were in bondage to 9 those, who were in truth no gods. But now, that ye know God, yea rather, that ye are known f and taken into favour by him, how can it be that you, who have been put out of a state of bondage, into the freedom NOTES. 17. v. 6, and Eph. i. 11 14, will find, th.it the Spirit is looked on, as the seal and assurance of the inheritance of life, to those " who have received the " adoption of sous," as St. Paul speaks here, vcr. 5. The force of the argu- ment seems to lie in this, that as he, that has the spirit of a man in him, has an evidence that he is the son of a man, so he, that hath the Spirit of God, has thereby an assurance that he is the Son of God. Conformable hereunto the opinion of thejews was, that the Spirit of God was given to none but themselves, they alone being the people or children of God ; for God calls the people of Israel his SODS, Exod. iv. '."- ; , 23. And hence, we see, that when, to the astonishment of the jews, the Spirit wag given to the gentiles, thejews no longer doubted, that tbe inheritance of eternal life was also conferred on the gentiles. Compare Acts x . 4448, with Acts xi. 1518. 7 St. Paul from the galatians having received the Spirit, (as appears chap, iii. -.',! argues, that they are the sons of God without the law ; and consequently beirs of the promise, without the law; for, says he, ver. 1 6, thejews them- selves were fain to be redeemed from the bondage of the law, by Jesus Christ, that, as son*, they might attain to the inheritance. But you, ulatians, says he, have, by the Spirit that is given you by the ministry of the gospel, an evidence that God is your Father; and, being sons, are free from the bondage of tlie law, and heirs without It. The same sort of rmsoning St. Paul uses to the Romans, cb. viii. 14 17. 9 ) Known. It has been before observed, how apt St. Paul is to repent his words, though something varied in their signification. We have here another instance of it: having said, " Ye have known God," he subjoins, " or rather are known of him," in the Hebrew latitude of the word known ; in which language, it sometimes signifies knowing, with choice and approbation. See Amos iii. 2. 1 Cor. viii.:*. CHAP. iv. GALATIANS. 57 TEXT. 10 Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. 11 I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain. PARAPHRASE. of sons, should go backwards, and be willing to put yourselves under the * weak and beggarly elements f 10 of the world into a state of bondage again ? Ye ob- serve days, and months, and times, and years, in 11 compliance with the Mosaical institution. I begin to be afraid of you, and to be in doubt, whether all the pains I have taken about you, to set you at li- berty, in the freedom of the gospel, will not prove lost labour. NOTES. The law is here called weak, because it was not able to deliver a man from bondage and death, into the glorious liberty of the sons of God, Rom. viii. 1 3. And it is called beggarly, because it kept men in the poor estate of pupils, from the full possession and enjoyment of the inheritance, ver. 1 3. t The apostle makes it matter of astonishment, how they, who had been in bondage to false gods, having been once set free, could endure the thoughts of parting with their liberty, and of returning into any sort of bondage again, even under the mean and beggarly rudiments of the Mosaical institution, which was not able to make them sons, and instal them in the inheritance. For St. Paul, ver. 7. expressly opposes bondage to ^-onship ; so that all, who are not in the state of sons, are in the state of bondaje. n* i. TEXT. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not be desirous of vain-glory, provoking one another, envying one another. PARAPHRASE. 25 flesh, with the affections and lusts thereof. If our life then (our flesh having been crucified) be, as we profess, by the Spirit, whereby we are alive from that state of sin, we were dead in before, let us regulate our lives and actions by the light and dic- 26 tates of the Spirit. Let us not be led, by an itch of vain-glory, to provoke one another, or to envy one another *. NOTES. Savionr,calls " Crucifying the old man," Rom.vi. 6. Crucifying the flesh, here. " Putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, Col. ii. 11. Putting off the old " man, Eph. iv. 22. Col. iii. 8, 9. It is also called, Mortifying the members " which are en earth, Col. iii. 5. Mortifying the deeds of the body," Rom. viii. 13. 26 * Whether the vain-glory and envying, here, were about their spiritual gifts, a fault which the corinthians were guilty of, as we may see at large, 1 Cor. jiil. 13, 14, or upon any other occasion, and so contained in ver. 26. of this chapter; I shall not curiously examine: either way, the sense of the words will be much the same, and accordingly this verse must end the 5th, or begin the 6th chapter. SECT. XII. CHAP. VI. 15. CONTENTS. HE here exhorts the stronger to gentleness and meek- ness towards the weak. CHAP. vi. GALATIANS. n TEXT. 1 BRETHREN, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness ; consi- dering thyself, lest thou also be tempted . 2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. 3 For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. 4 But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have re- joicing in himself alone, and not in another. 5 For every man shall bear his own burden. PARAPHRASE. 1 BRETHREN, if a man, by frailty or surprise, fall into a fault, do you, who are eminent in the church for knowledge, practice, and gifts, * raise him up again, and set him right, with gentleness and meekness, con- sidering that you yourselves are not out of the reach 2 of temptations. Bear with one another's infirmities, and help to support each other under your burdens,7 3 and so fulfil the law of Christ. ^ For if any one be conceited of himself, as if he were something, a man of weight, fit to prescribe to others, when indeed he is 4 not, he deceiveth himself. But let him take care that what he himself doth be right, and such as will bear the test, and then he will have matter of glorying 5 in himself, and not in another. For every one shall be accountable only for his own actions. NOTES. 1 * rbrjua/ixoi, Spiritual, in 1 Cor. iii. 1, and xii. 1, taken together, has this sense. 2 + See a parallel exhortation, 1 Thess. v. 14, which will give light to this, as also Rom. xv. 1. J See John xiii. 34,35, and xiv. 2. There were some among them very zealous for the observation of the law of Moses: St. Paul, here, puts them in mind of a law which they were under, and were obliged to observe, viz. " the " law of Christ." And he shows them how to do it, viz. by helping to bear one another's burdens, and not increasing their burdens, by the observances of the levitical law. Though the gospel contain the law of the kingdom of Christ, yet I do not remember that St. Paul any where calls it " the law of Christ," but in this place; where he mentions it, in opposition to those, who thought a law so necessary, that they would retain that of Moses, under the gospel. 4 () Kou-^Jiytta, I think, should have been translated here, Glorying, as Kauxfi a-utnlai is, ver. 13, the apostle, in both places, meaning the same thing, viz. glorying in another, in having brought him to circumcision, and other rii u:il observances of the mosaical law. For thus St. Paul seems to me to discourse, in this section : " Brethren, there be some among you, that would bring others 41 under the ritual observances of the mosaical law, a yoke, which ws too 72 GALATIANS. CHAP. vi. NOTE. " heavy for us and our fathers to bear. They would do much better to ease the " burdens of the weak ; this is suitable to the law of Christ, which they are " under, and is the law, which they ought strictly to obey. If they think, be- " cause of their spiritual gifts, that they have power to prescribe in such mat- " ters, I tell them that they have not, but do deceive themselves. Let them " rather take care of their own particular actions, that they be right, nn-J such " as they ought to be. This will give them matter of glorying in themselves, " and not vainly in others, as they do, when they prevail with them to be cir- " cumcised. For every man shall be answerable for his own actions." Let the reader judge, whether this does not seem to he St. Paul's view here, and suit with his way of writing. 'E%tiv xot^yua is a phrase whereby St. Paul signifies " to have matter of " glorying," and to that sense it is rendered, Rom. iv. 2. SECT. XIII. CHAP. VI. 610. CONTENTS. ST. PAUL having laid some restraint upon the au- thority and forwardness of the teachers, and leading men amongst them, who were, as it seems, more ready to impose on the galatians what they should not, than to help them forward in the practice of gospel-obedience ; he here takes care of them, in respect of their mainten- ance, and exhorts the galatians to liberality towards them, and, in general, towards all men, especially Christians. TEXT. 6 Let him, that is taught in the word, communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things. 7 Be not deceived ; God is not mocked ; for whatsoever a man sowct h, that shall he also reap. PARAPHRASE. 6 Let him, that is taught the doctrine of the gospel, freely communicate the good things of this world to 7 him that teaches him. Be not deceived, God will CHAP. TI. GALATIANS. 73 TEXT. 8 For he that soweth to his flesh, shall of the flesh reap corrup- tion ; but he that soweth to the Spirit, shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. 9 And let us not be weary in well-doing ; for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. 10 As we have, therefore, opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith. PARAPHRASE. not be mocked ; for, as a man soweth, * so also shall 8 he reap. He, that lays out the stock of good things he has, only for the satisfaction of his own bodily necessities, conveniences, or pleasures, shall, at the harvest, find the fruit and product of such husbandry to oe corruption and perishing, f But he, that lays out his worldly substance, according to the rules dictated by the Spirit of God in the gospel, shall, of 9 the Spirit, reap life everlasting. In doing thus, what is good and right, let us not wax weary ; for in due season, when the time of harvest comes, we shall reap, if we continue on to do good, and flag not. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunities, let us do good unto all men, especially to those who profess faith in Jesus Christ, i. e. the Christian religion. NOTES. 7 * Soweth. A metaphor used by St. Paul, for men's laying out the!r worldly goods. See 2 Cor. ix. 6, &c. 8 + Rom. viii. 13, and ii. 12. SECT. XIV. _* '. '',:*,- Jjjiow v >" ''Hoi! VI Mtti !. 1.MU CHAP. VI. 1118. CONTENTS. ONE may see what lay upon St. Paul's mind, in writ- ing to the galatians, by what he inculcates to them here, even after he had finished his letter. The like we have in 74 GALATIANS. CHAP. ti. the last chapter to the romans. He here winds up all with admonitions to the galatians, of a different end and aim they had, to get the galatians circumcised, from what he had in preaching the gospel. TEXT. 1 1 You see how large a letter 1 have written unto you, with mine own hand, 12 As many as desire to make a fair show in the flesh, they con- strain you to be circumcised ; only lest they should suffer per- secution for the cross of Christ. 13 For neither they themselves, who are circumcised, keep the law ; but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh. l4< But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. PARAPHRASE. 11 You see how long a letter I have writ to you with 12 my own hand*. They, who are willing to carry it so fairly in the ritual part of the law f, and to make ostentation of their compliance therein, constrain you to be circumcised, only to avoid persecution, for own- ing their dependence for salvation solely on a cru- cified Messiah, and not on the observance of the law. 13 For even they themselves, who are circumcised, do not keep the law. But they will have you to be circumcised, that this mark in your flesh may afford them matter of glorying, and of recommending them- 14 selves to the good opinion of the jews J . But as for me, whatever may be said of me , God forbid that I should glory in any thing, but in having Jesus Christ, who was crucified, for my sole Lord and Master, whom I am to obey and depend on ; which I so entirely do, without regard to any thing else, that I am wholly dead to the world, and the world NOTES. 11 * St. Paul mentions the " writing with his own hand," as an argument of his great concern for them in the case. For it was not usual for him to write his epistles with bis own hand, but to dictate them to ethers, who writ them from his mouth. See Rom. xvi. 22. \ Cor. xvi. 21. 12 t " In the flesh," i. e. in the ritual observances of the law, which Heb. ix. 10, are called $ixauyt7a ffxpxtf, IS j See chap. v. 11. 14 ( See chap. v. II. CHAP. vi. GALATIANS. #5 TEXT. 15 For, in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. 16 And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God. 17 From henceforth let no man trouble me ; for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus. 18 Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen. Unto the galatians, written from Rome. PARAPHRASE, dead to me, and it has no more influence on me, than 15 if it were not. For, as to the obtaining a share in the kingdom of Jesus Christ, and the privileges and advantages of it, neither circumcision nor uncircum- cision, such outward differences in the flesh, avail any thing, but the new creation, wherein by a tho- rough change a man is disposed to righteousness, and 16 true holiness, in good works *. And on all those, who walk by this rule, viz. that it is the new creation alone, and not circumcision, that availeth under the gospel, peace and mercy shall be on them, they being that Israel, which are truly the people of God f . 17 From henceforth, let no man give me trouble by questions, or doubt whether I preach circumcision or no. It is true, I am circumcised. But yet the marks I now bear in my body, are the marks of Jesus Christ, that I am his. The marks of the stripes, which I have received from the jews, and which I still bear in my body for preaching Jesus Christ, are 18 an evidence that I am not for circumcision. " Bre- " thren, the favour of our Lord Jesus Christ be with " your spirit." Amen. NOTES. 15 * See Eph. ii. 10, and iv. 21. 16 f St. Paul having, in the foregoing verse, asserted, that it is the new crea- tion atone, that puts men into the kingdom of Christ, and into the possession of the privileges thereof, this verse may be understood also, as assertory, rather than as a prayer, unless there were a verb that expressed it ; especially consi- dering, that he writes his epistle to encourage them to refuse circumcision. To which end, the assuring them, that those, who do so, shall have peace and mercy from God, is of more force than to tell them, that he prays that they may have peace and mercy. And, for the same reason, I understand " the Israel of God " to be the same with " those, who walk by this rule," though joined with them, by the copulative Y.:<\, and ; no very unusual way of speaking. A PARAPHRASE AND NOTES ON THE FIRST EPISTLE OF ST. PAUL TO THE CORINTHIANS. 38 /.HA1 i t 79 ]' ' THE FIRST EPISTLE; OF ST. PAUL CORINTHIANS; : nr WRIT IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD 57, OF NERO III. SYNOPSIS. SAINT Paul's first coming to Corinth was anno Christi 52, where he first applied himself to the synagogue, Acts xviii. 4. But finding them obstinate in their opposition to the gospel, he turned to the gentiles, ver. 6, out of whom this church at Corinth seems chiefly to be gather- ed, as appears, Acts xviii. and 1 Cor. xii. 2. His stay here was about two years, as appears from Acts xviii. 11, 18, compared: in which time it may be concluded he made many converts ; for he was not idle there, nor did he use to stay long in a place, where he was not encouraged by the success of his ministry. Be- sides what his so long abode in this one city, and his indefatigable labour every where, might induce one to presume, of the number of converts he made in that city; the scripture itself, Acts xviii. 10, gives sufficient evidence of a numerous church gathered there. Corinth itself was a rich merchant-town, the inhabi- tants greeks, a people of quick parts, and inquisitive, 1 Cor. i. 22, but naturally vain and conceited of them- selves. These things considered may help us, in some mea- sure, the better to understand St. Paul's epistles to this church, which seems to be in greater disorder, than any other of the churches which he writ to. 80 SYNOPSIS. This epistle was writ to the Corinthians, anno Christi 57, between two and three years after St. Paul had left them. In this interval, there was got in amongst them a new instructor, a jew by nation, who had raised a faction against St. Paul. With this party, whereof he was the leader, this false apostle had gained great autho- rity, so that they admired and gloried in him, with an apparent disesteem and diminishing of St. Paul. Why I suppose the opposition to be made to St. Paul, in this church, by one party, under one leader, I shall give the reasons, that make it probable to me, as they come in my way, going through these two epistles ; which I shall leave to the reader to judge, without po- sitively determining on either side ; and therefore shall, as it happens, speak of these opposers of St. Paul, some- times in the singular, and sometimes in the plural num- ber. This at least is evident, that the main design of St. Paul, in this epistle, is to support his own authority, dignity, and credit, with that part of the church which stuck to him ; to vindicate himself from the aspersions and calumnies of the opposite party ; to lessen the cre- dit of the chief and leading men in it, by intimating their miscarriages, and showing their no cause of glory- ing, or being gloried in : that so withdrawing their party from the admiration and esteem of those their leaders, he might break the faction ; and putting an end to the division, might re-unite them with the uncorrupt- ed part of the church, that they might all unanimously submit to the authority of his divine mission, and with one accord receive and keep the doctrine and directions he had delivered to them. This is the whole subject from chap. i. 10, to the end of chap. vi. In the remaining part of this epistle, he answers some questions they had proposed to him, and resolves some doubts ; not without a mixture, on all occasions, of reflections on his opposers, and of other things, that might tend to the breaking of their faction. CHAP. I. I. CORINTHIANS. 81 SECT. I. CHAP. I. 19. TEXT. 1 PAUL, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will oi God, and Sosthenes our brother : 2 Unto tlie church of God, which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, both theirs and ours. 3 Grace be unto you, and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. PARAPHRASE. 1 PAUL an apostle of Jesus Christ, called to be so by the will of God *, and Sosthenes f our brother in the 2 Christian faith ; To the church of God, which is at Corinth, to them that are separated from the rest of the world, by faith in Jesus Christ , called to be saints, with all, that are every- where called by the name 3 of Jesus Christ $, their Lord ||, and ours. Favour and peace be unto you, from God our Father, and from NOTES. 1 * St. Paul, in most of his epistles, mentions his being called to be an " apostle by the will of God ;" which way of speaking being peculiar to him, we way suppose him therein to intimate his extraordinary and miraculous call, Acts ix. and his receiving the gospel by immediate revelation, Gal. i. 11, 12. For he doubted not of the will and providence of God governing all things. f Acts xviii. 17. 2 J 'Hytaff/jiewf Iv Xpistf 'Irtffa. " Sanctified in Chri-t Jesus," does not sig- nify here, whose lives are pure and holy ; for there were many, amongst those he writ to, who were quite otherwise ; but, sanctified, signifies separate from the common state of mankind, to be the people of God, and to serve him. The . Heathen world had revolted from the true God, to the service of idols and false gods, Rom. i. 18 25. The Jews being separated from this corrupted mass, to be the peculiar people of God, were called holy, Exod. xix. 5, 6. Numb. xv. 40. They being cast off, the professors of Christianity were separated to be the people of God, and so became holy, 1 Pet. ii. 9, 10. () 'Eirixa*Mf*tm Stop** Xp/r, " that are called Christians;" these Greek wards being a periphrasis for Christians, as is plain from the design of thii verse. But he that is not satisfied with that, may see more proofs of it, in Dr. Hammond upon the place. || What the apostle means by, Lord, when he attributes it to Christ, vid. ch. viii. 6. VOL. VII. (1 82 I. CORINTHIANS. CHAP. 1. TEXT. 4- I thank my God always, on your behalf, for the grace of God, which is given you, by Jesus Christ; 5 That, in every thing, ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge : 6 Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you. 7 So that ye come behind in no gift, waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ : 8 Who also shall confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blame- less in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. ',' j . i V'" PARAPHRASE. 4 the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank God always, on your behalf, for the favour of God, which is bestowed on 5 you, through Jesus Christ ; So that, by him, you are enriched with all knowledge and utterance, and 6 all extraordinary gift : As at first, by those mi- raculous gifts, the gospel of Christ was con- 7 firmed among you. So that in no spiritual gift are any of you short, or deficient *, waiting for the 8 coining of our Lord Jesus Christ ; Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that in the day of the Lord 9 Jesus Christ, there may be no charge against you. For God, who has called you unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ, our Lord, may be relied on for what is to be done on his side. NOTE. 7 * Vid. 2 Cor. xil. 12, 13. SECT. II. CHAP. I. 10. VI. 20. CONTENTS. THERE were great disorders in the church of Co- rinth, caused chiefly by a faction raised there, against St. Paul : the partisans of the faction mightily cried up, and gloried in their leaders, who did all they could to disparage St. Paul, and lessen him in the esteem of the CHAP. I. I. CORINTHIANS. 83 Corinthians. St. Paul makes it is business, in this sec- tion, to take off the Corinthians from siding with, and glorying in, this pretended apostle, whose followers and scholars they professed themselves to be ; and to reduce them into one body, as the scholars of Christ, united in a belief of the gospel, which he had preached to them, and in an obedience to it, without any such distinction of masters, or leaders, from whom they denominated themselves. He also, here and there, intermixes a jus- tification of himself, against the aspersions which were cast upon him, by his opposers. How much St. Paul was set against their leaders, may be seen, 2 Cor. xi. 1315. The arguments used by St. Paul, to break the oppo- site faction, and put an end to all divisions amongst them, being various, we shall take notice of them, under their several heads, as they come in the order of this discourse. SECT. II. N. 1. CHAP. I. 1016. CONTENTS. SAINT Paul's first argument is, That, in Christianity, they all had but one master, viz. Christ ; and therefore were not to fall into parties, denominated from distinct teachers, as they did in their schools of philosophy. TEXT. 10 Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no PARAPHRASE. 10 Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name * of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye hold the same doctrine, NOTE. 10 * " Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth, is, and ought to be " named." If any one has thought St. Paul a loose wriier, it is only because G 2 84 I. CORINTHIANS. CHAP. I. TEXT. divisions among you ; but that ye be perfectly joined together, in the same mind, and in the same judgment. 11 For it hath been declared unto me, of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are conten- tions among you. 12 Now, this I say, that every one of you saith, " I am of Paul, ' and I of Apollos, and I of Cephas, and I of Christ." 13 Is Christ divided ? was Paul crucified for you ? or were ye bap- tized in the name of Paul ? 141 thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispas and Gaius : 15 Lest any should say, that I had baptized in my own name. 16 And I baptized also the houshold of Stephanus : besides, I know not whether 1 baptized any other. PARAPHRASE. and that there be no divisions among you ; but that ye be framed together into one intire body, with one 11 mind, and one affection. For I understand, my brethren*, by some of the house of Chloe, that there 12 are quarrels and dissentions amongst you ; So that ye are fallen into parties, ranking yourselves under different leaders or masters, one saying, " I am of Paul;" another, " I of Apollos, I of Cephas, I of 13 Christ." Is Christ, who is our only Head and Master, divided ? Was Paul crucified for you ? Or 1 4 were you baptized into f the name of Paul ? I thank God I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius; 15 Lest any one should say, I had baptized into my 16 own name. I baptized also the household of Ste- phanas ; farther, I know not whether I baptized any other. NOTES. be was a loose reader. He that takes notice of St. Paul's design, shall find that there not n word scarce, or expression, that he makes use of, but with relation and tendency to his present main purpose: as here, intending to abo- lish the names of leaders, they distinguished themselves by, he beseeches them, by the name of Christ, a form that I do not remember he elsewhere uses. 11 * *' Brethren," a name of union and friendship, used here twice toge- ther, by St. Paul, in the entrance of his persuasion to them, to put an end to their divisions. IS f Elf properly signifies into; so the French translate it here; the phrase T&tirliffSwai iJf, *' to be baptized into any one's name, or into any one," is so- lfi>inl \ , by that ceremony, to enter himself a disciple of him, into whose name he is baptized, with profession to receive his doctrine and rules, and submit to hi* authority; a very good argument here, why they should be called by no one's name, but Christ's. CHAP. I. I.CORINTHIANS. 85 SECT. II. N. 2. CHAP. 1. 1731. CONTENTS. THE next argument of St. Paul, to stop their followers from glorying in these false apostles, is, that neither any advantage of extraction, nor skill in the learning of the jews, nor in the philosophy and eloquence of the greeks, was that, for which God chose men to be preachers of the gospel. Those, whom he made choice of, for over- turning the mighty and the learned, were mean, plain, illiterate men. TEXT. 17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel : not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. 18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness : but unto us, which are saved, it is the power of God. 19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. 20 Where is the wise ? where is the scribe ? where is the disputer of this world ? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world ? PARAPHRASE. 17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel ; not with learned and eloquent harangues, lest thereby the virtue and efficacy of Christ's sufferings and death should be overlooked and neglected, if the stress of our persuasion should be laid on the learn- 18 ing and quaintness of our preaching. For the plain insisting on the death of a crucified Saviour is, by those, who perish, received as a foolish, contemptible thing ; though to us, who are saved, it be the power 19 of God, Conformable to what is prophecied by Isaiah : " I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and " I will bring to nothing the understanding of the 20 " prudent," Where is the philosopher, skilled in 86 I. CORINTHIANS. CHAP. L TEXT. 21 For after that, in the wisdom of God, the world, by wisdom, knew not God, it pleased God, by the foolishness of preaching, to save them that believe. 22 For the jews require a sign, and the greeks seek after wisdom : PARAPHRASE. the wisdom of the greek? Where the scribes,* studied in the learning of the jews ? Where the pro- fessor of human arts and sciences ? Hath not God rendered all the learning and wisdom of this world foolish, and useless for the discovery of the truths of 21 the gospel ? For since the world, by their natural parts, and improvements in what, with them, passed for wisdom, acknowledged not the one, only, true God, though he had manifested himself to them, in the wise contrivance and admirable frame of the visible works of the creation ; it pleased God, by the plain, and (as the world esteems it) foolish doctrine of the gospel, to save those who receive and believe 22 it. Since f both the jews demand extraordinary NOTES. 20 * Scribe was the tide of a learned man amongst the jews ; one versed in their law and rites, which was the study of their doctors and rabbies. It is likely the false apostle, so much concerned in these two epistles to the corin- ihians, who was a jew, pretended to something of this kind, and magnified liimself thereupon ; otherwise it is not probable, that St. Paul should name, to the coriuthians, a sort of men not much known, or valued, amongst the greeks. This, therefore, may be supposed to be said to take off their glorying in their false apostle. 22 t 'ETrtiSi xl, " since both." These words used here, hy St. Paul, are not certainly idle and insignificant, and therefore I see not how they can be omitted in the translation. 'EviAl is a word of reasoning, and, if minded, will lead us into one of St. Paul's reasonings here, which the neglect of this word makes the reader over- look. St. Paul, in ver. 21, argues thus in general: " Since the world, by " their natural parts and improvements, did not attain to a right and saving " knowledge of God, God by the preaching of (he gospel, which seems fool- " i-Jinrss to them, wa-s pleased to communicate that knowledge to (hose who " believed." In the three following versed, he repeats the same reasoning, a little more expressly applied to the people he had here in his view, viz. jews and greeks ; and his sense seems to be this : " Since the jews, to make any. doctrine go down " with them, require extraordinary signs of the power of God to accompany " it, ninl nothing will please the nice palates of the learned greeks, but wisdom ; ' mid though our preaching of a crucified Messiah be a scandal to the jews, " ami fooli-hness to the greeks, yet we have what they both seek ; for both jew " and gentile, when (hey are called, find the Mi-sainh, whom we preach, to be " the power of God, and the wisdom of God." 85, 27, 28. He that will read the context, cannot doubt but that St. Paul, CHAP. I. I. CORINTHIANS. 87 TEXT. 23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the jews a stumbling block, and unto the greeks foolishness. 24- But unto them which are called, both jews and greeks, Christ, the power of God, and the wisdom of God : 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men j and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. 27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world, to con- found the wise ; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world, to confound the things which are mighty : 28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are : PARAPHRASE. signs and miracles, and the greeks seek wisdom : 23 But I have nothing else to preach to them, but Christ crucified, a doctrine offensive to the hopes and ex- pectations of the jews ; and foolish to the acute men 24 of learning, the greeks : But yet it is to these, both jews and greeks, (when they are converted) Christ, the power of God, and Christ, the wisdom of God : 25 Because that, which seems foolishness in those, who came from God, surpasses the wisdom of man ; and that, which seems weakness in those sent by God, 26 surpasses the power of men. For reflect upon your selves, brethren, and you may observe, that there are not many of the wise and learned men, not many men of power, or of birth, among you, that 27 are called. But God hath chosen the foolish men, in the account of the world, to confound the wise ; and God hath chosen the weak men of the world, 28 to confound the mighty : The mean men of the world, and contemptible, has God chosen, and those that are of no account, are nothing, * to displace NOTES. by what he expresses in these verses, in the neuter gender, means persons, the whole argument of the place being about persons, and their glorying: and not about things. 28 Ta /KT) ivTn, " Things that are not," I think may well be understood of the gentiles, who were not the people of God, and were counted as nothing, by the jews ; and we are pointed to this meaning by the words xxroucr/y.( CHAP. II. I. CORINTHIANS. 89 SECT. II. N. 3. CHAP. II. 15. CONTENTS. FARTHER to keep them from glorying in their leaders, he tells them, that as the preachers of the gospel, of God's choosing, were mean and illiterate men, so the gospel was not to be propagated, nor men to be established in the faith, by human learning and elo- quence, but by the evidence it had, from the revelation contained in the old Testament, and from the power of God accompanying and confirming it with miracles. TEXT. 1 AND I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excel- lency of speech, or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. PARAPHRASE. 1 AND I, brethren, when I came and preached the gos- pel to you, I did not endeavour to set it off with any ornaments of rhetoric, or the mixture of human learn- ing, or philosophy ; but plainly declared it to you, as a doctrine coming from God, revealed and attested* NOTE. 1 * Ti papripiov r &, " The testimony of God," i. e. what God hath revealed and testified in the Old Testament; the apostle here declares to the Corinthians, that, when he brought the gospel to them, he made no use of any human science, improvement, or skill ; no insinuations of eloquence, no philo- sophical speculations, or ornaments of human learning, appeared in any thing he said to persuade them: all his arguments were, as he tells them, verse 4, from the revelation of the Spirit of God, in the predictions of the Old Testa- ment, and the miracles, which he (Paul) did among them, that their faith might be built wholly upon the Spirit of God, and not upon the abilities and wisdom of man; though fiaplvfiw ee, " The testimony of God," agrees very well with so much of St. Paul's meaning, as relates to his founding his preaching on the testimony of God, yet those copies, which read //uj-^ov, mystery, for fnaplupm t testimony, seem more perfectly to correspond with St. Paul's sense in the whole latitude of it. For though he owns the doctrine of the gospel, dictated by the Spirit of God, to be contained in the scriptures of the Old Testament, and builds upon revelation ; yet he every-where teaches, that it remained a secret there, not understood till they were led into the hidden, evangelical meaning of those passages, by the coming of Jesus Christ, and by 90 I. CORINTHIANS. CHAP. m TEXT. 2 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. 3 And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. 4 And my speech, and my preaching, was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit, and of power : 5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. PARAPHRASE. 2 by him. For I resolved to own, or show, no other knowledge among you, but the knowledge *, or doc- 3 trine of Jesus Christ, and of him crucified. All my carriage among you had nothing in it, but the ap- pearance of weakness and humility, and fear of of- 4 fending you f . Neither did I in my discourses, or preaching, make use of any human art of persuasion, to inveigle you. But the doctrine of the gospel, which I proposed, I confirmed and inforced by what the Spirit % had revealed and demonstrated of it, in the Old Testament, and by the power of God, ac- 5 companying it with miraculous operations : That your faith might have its foundation, not in the wisdom and endowments of men, but in the power of God . NOTES. (he assistance of the Spirit, in the times of the Messiah, and then published to the world, by the preachers of the gospel : and therefore he calls it, especially that part of it which relates to the gentiles, almost every where, /Mwpiov, mystery. See, particularly, Rom. xvi. 25, 26. 2 St. Paul, who was himself a learned man, especially in the Jewish know- ledge, having, in the foregoing chapter, told them, that neither the Jewish learn- ing, nor grecian sciences, give amanany advantage, as a minister of the gospel ; he here reminds them, that he made no show or nse of either, when he planted the gospel among them; intimating thereby, that those were not things for which their teachers were to be valued, or followed. S t St. Paul, by thus setting forth his own modest and humble behaviour amongst them, reflects on the contrary carriage of their false apostle, which lie describes in words at length, 2 Cor. xi. 20. 4 J There were two sorts of arguments, wherewith the ap'ostle confirmed the gospel ; the one was the revelations made concerning our Saviour, by types and figures, and prophecies of him, under the law: the other, miracles and mi- raculous gifts accompanying the first preachers of the gospel, in (he publishing and propngnting of it. The latter of these St. Paul here calls Power ; the former, in this chapter, he terms Spirit: so ver. 12, 14. "Things of the " Spirii of Cod, and spiritual things," are things which are revealed by the Spirit of God, nnd not discoverable by our natural faculties. 3 Their faith being built wholly on divine rcyelatlon and miracles, whereby CHAP. II. I. CORINTHIANS. 91 NOTE. all human abilities were shut out, there could be no reason for any of them to boast themselves of their teachers, or value themselves upon their being the fol- lowers of this or that preacher, which St. Paul hereby obviates. SECT. II. NO. 4. CHAP. II. 616. CONTENTS. THE next argument the apostle uses to show them, that they had no reason to glory in their teachers, is, that the knowledge of the gospel was not attainable by our natural parts, however they were improved by arts and philosophy, but was wholly owing to revelation. TEXT. 6 Howbeit we speak wisdom amongst them that are perfect : yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought. PARAPHRASE. 6 Howbeit, that which we preach is wisdom, and known to- be so, among those who are thoroughly instructed in the Christian religion, and take it upon its true prin- ciples * : but not the wisdom of this world f , nor of NOTES. 6 * [Perfect] here is the same with spiritual, ver. 15; one, that is so per- fectly well apprised of the divine nature and original of the Christian religion, that he sees and acknowledges it to be all a pure revelation from God, and not, in the least, the product of human discovery, parts, or learning; and so, de- riving it wholly from what God hath taught, by his Spirit, in the sacred scrip- tores, allows not the least part of it to be ascribed to the skill or abilities of men, as authors of it, but received as a doctrine coming from God alone. And thus, Perfect, is opposed to, Carnal, ch. iii. 1, 3. i. e. such babes in Chris- tianity, such weak and mistaken Christians, that they thought the gospel was to be managed, as human arts and sciences amongst men of the world; and those were better instructed, and were more in the right, who followed this master or teacher, rattier than another ; and so glorying in being the scholars, one of Paul, and another of Apollo*, fell into divisions and parties about it, and vaunted one over another; whereas, in the school of Christ, all was to be built on the authority of God alone, and the revelation of the Spirit in the sa- cred scriptures. f- " Wisdom of this world,' 1 i. e, the knowledge, arts and sciences attain* 92 I. CORINTHIANS, CHAP. n. TEXT. 7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained, before the world, unto our glory. PARAPHRASE. the princes *, or great men of this world f , who will 7 quickly be brought to nought ;. But we speak the NOTES. able by man's natural parts and faculties; such as roan's wit could find out, cultivate and improve: " AT of the princes of (his world," i. e. such doctrines, arts and sciences, as the princes of the world approve, encourage, and endeavour to propagate. * Though by "Apyvvles TB aJoTvof TS'TS, may here be understood the princes, or great men, of this world, in the ordinary sense of these words; yet he that well considers ver. 28. of the foregoing chapter, and ver. 8. of this chapter, may find reason to think, that the apostle here principally designs the rulers and great men of the Jewish nation. If it be objected, that there is little ground to think that St. Paul, by the wisdom he disowns, should mean that of his own nation, which the greeks of Corinth (whom he was writing to) had little ac- quaintance with, and had very littleesteem for; I reply, that to understand this right, and the pertinency of it, we must remember, that the great design of St. Paul, in writing to the Corinthians, was, to tnke them off from the respect and esteem that many of them had for a false apostle, that was got in among them, and had there raised a faction against St. Paul. This pretended apostle, it is plain, from 2 Cor. 11, 22, was a jew, and as it seems, 2 Cor. v. 16, 17, valued himself upon that account, and possibly boasted himself to be a man of note, either by birth, or alliance, or place, or learning, among that people, who counted themselves the holy and illuminated people of God; and therefore, to have a right to sway among these new heathen converts. To obviate this claim of his to any authority, St. Paul here tells the Corinthians, that the wis- dom and learning of the Jewish nation led them not into the knowledge of the wisdom of God, i. e. the gospel revealed in the Old Testament, evident in this, that it was their rulers and rabbies, who, stiffly adhering to the notions and prejudices of their nation, had crucified Jesus, the Lord of glory, and were now themselves, with their state and religion, upon the point to be swept away and abolished. It is to (he same purpose, that 2 Cor. v. 16 19, he tells the corinthians, That, " he knows no man after the flesh," i. e. that he acknow- ledges no dignity of birth, or descent, or outward national privileges. The old things of the Jewish constitution are past and gone; whoever is in Christ, and entrrelh into his kingdom, is in a new creation, wherein all things are new, all things are from God : no right, no claim, or preference, derived to any one, from any former institution; but every one's dignity consists solely in this, that God had reconciled him to himself, not imputing his former tres- passes to him. f Alwv JTO;, which we translate " this world," seems to me to signify com- monly, if not constantly, in- the New Testament, that state which, during the mosaical constitution, men, either jews or gentiles, were in, as contradistin- guished to the evangelical stale, or constitution, which is commonly called, AiVy /ui'XXwv, or ipyiuuof, " the world to come." J Tuft xaletpyxfjiiiMtiv, "who are brought to nought," i. e. who are vanishing. If " the wisdom of this world, and of the princes of this world," be to be understood, of the wisdom and learning of the world, in general, as contra- distinguished to the doctrine of the gospel, then the words are added, to show what folly it is for them to glory, a they do, in their teachers, wben all tout CHAP. II. I. CORINTHIANS. Q$ PARAPHRASE. wisdom of God *, contained in the mysterious and the obscure prophecies of the Old Testament f , which has been therein concealed and hid : though it be what God predetermined, in his own purpose, before the Jewish constitution J, to the glory of NOTES. worldly wisdom and learning, and the great men, (he supporters of it, would quickly be gone; whereas all true and lasting glory came only from Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. But if these words are to be understood of the jews, as seems most consonant, both to the main design of the epistle, and to St. Paul's expressions here; then his telling them, that the princes of the Jewish nation are brought to nought, is to take them oil' from glorying in their judaizing, false apostle; since the authority of the rulers of that nation, in matters of religion, was now at an end, and they, with all their pretences, and their very constitution itself, were upon the point of being abolished and swept away, for having rejected and crucified the Lord of glory. 7 * " Wisdom of God," is used here for the doctrine of (he gospel, coming immediately from God, by the revelation of his Spirit; and, in this chapter, is set in opposition to all knowledge, discoveries and improvements whatso- ever, attainable by human industry, parts and study ; all which he calls," the " wisdom of the world, and man's wisdom." Thus distinguishing the know- ledge of the gospel, which was derived wholly from revelation, and could be had no other way, from all other knowledge whatsoever. t "What the Spirit of God had revealed of the gospel, during the times of the law, was so little understood by the jews, in whose sacred writings it was contained, that it might well be called the " wisdom of God in a mystery," i.e. declared in obscure prophecies, and mysterious expressions, and types. Though this be undoubtedly so, as appears by what the jews both thought and did, when Jesus the Messiah, exactly answering what was foretold of him, came amongst them, yet by " the wisdom of God, in the mystery, wherein it " was hid though purposed by God, before the settling of the Jewish economy," St. Paul seems more peculiarly to mean, what the gentiles, and consequently the Corinthians, were more peculiarly concerned in, viz. God's purpose of calling the gentiles to be his people under the Messiah ; which, though revealed in the Old Testament, yet was not in the least understood, until the times of the gospel, and the preaching of St. Paul, the apostle of the gentiles; which, therefore, he so frequently calls a mystery. The reading and comparing Rom. xvi. 25, 26. Eph. iii. 39. ch. vi. 19, 20. Col. i. 26, 27. and ii. 1, 8. and iv. 3, 4. will give light to this. To which give me leave to observe, upon the use of the word Wisdom, here, that St. Paul, speaking of God's calling the gentiles, cannot, in mentioning it, forbear expressions of his admiration of the great and incomprehensible wisdom of God therein. See Eph. iii. 8, 10. Rom. xi. 33. $ n/jo -fiaii aiwvwy, signifies properly " before the ages," and I think it may be doubted, whether these words, ' before the world," do exactly render the sense of the place. That My, or amm?, should not be translated, " the " world," as in many places they are, I shall give one convincing instance, among many, that may he brought, viz. Eph. iii. 9. compared with Col. i. 26. The words in Colossians are, rfc ^uripov TO ajroxExp^yw/vcy owo T