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PARAPHRASE.

find occasion; for I am at a stand about you, and know not what to think of you.

NOTE.

might accommodate himself to their present condition and circumstances, which he confesses himself to be ignorant of, and in doubt about.

SECT. IX.

CHAP. IV. 21.-V. 1.

CONTENTS.

HE exhorts them to stand fast in the liberty, with which Christ hath made them free, showing those, who are so zealous for the law, that, if they mind what they read in the law, they will there find, that the children of the promise, or of the new Jerusalem, were to be free; but the children after the flesh, of the earthly Jerusalem, were to be in bondage, and to be cast out, and not to have the inheritance.

TEXT.

21 Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?

22 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons; the one by a bond-maid, the other by a free-woman.

PARAPHRASE.

21 Tell me, you that would so fain be under the law, do you not acquaint yourselves with what is in the law, either by reading it, or having it read in your assem22 blies? For it is there written, Abraham had two sons,

21

NOTES.

The vulgar has, after some greek manuscripts, Read.

22 b Written there, viz. Gen. xvi. 15. and xxi. 1. The term, Law, in the foregoing verse, comprehends the five books of Moses.

TEXT.

23 But he, who was of the bond-woman, was born after the flesh : but he of the free-woman was by promise.

24 Which things are an allegory; for these are the two covenants; the one from the Mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.

25 For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem, which now is, and is in bondage with her children.

26 But Jerusalem which is above, is free, which is the mother of us all.

27 For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren, that bearest not; break forth and cry, that thou travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband.

28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. 29 But as, then, he that was born after the flesh, persecuted him that was born after the spirit, even so it is now.

PARAPHRASE.

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23 one by a bond-maid the other by a free woman. he that was of the bond woman, was born according to the flesh, in the ordinary course of nature; but he that was of the free woman, Abraham had by virtue of the promise, after he and his wife were past the hopes of 24 another child. These things have an allegorical meaning: for the two women are the two covenants, the one of them delivered from mount Sinai, and is represented 25 by Agar, who produces her issue into bondage. (For Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answers to Jerusalem, that now is, and is in bondage with her children.) 26 But the heavenly Jerusalem, which is above, and answers to Sarah, the mother of the promised seed, is free, the mother of us all, both jews and gentiles, who be27 lieve. For it was of her, that it is written, Rejoice, "thou barren, that bearest not; break out into loud "acclamations of joy, thou that hast not the travails "of child-birth; for more are the children of the deso28" late, than of her that hath an husband." And it is

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we, my brethren, who, as Isaac was, are the children 29 of promise. But as, then, Ishmael, who was born in

NOTE.

27 Written, viz. Isaiah liv. 1.

TEXT.

30 Nevertheless, what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bond-woman shall not be heir with the son of the free woman.

31 So then, brethren, we are not children of the bond-woman, but of the free.

V. 1. Stand fast, therefore, in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

PARAPHRASE.

the ordinary course of nature, persecuted Isaac, who was born by an extraordinary power, from heaven, 30 working miraculously; so is it now. But what saith

the scripture? "Cast out the bond-woman and her 66 son for the son of the bond-woman shall not share 31" the inheritance with the son of the free-woman." So then, brethren, we, who believe in Christ, are not the V. 1. children of the bond-woman, but of the free. Stand fast, therefore, in the liberty, wherewith Christ hath made you free, and do not put on again a yoke of bondage, by putting yourselves under the law.

NOTES.

29 40 κατὰ σάρκα γεννηθείς, σε born after the flesh;” and τὸν καλὰ πνεῦμα, *born of the Spirit." These expressions have, in their original brevity, with regard to the whole view, wherein St. Paul uses them, an admirable beauty and force, which cannot be retained in a paraphrase.

30 Scripture, viz. Gen. xxi. 10.

31 f The apostle, by this allegorical history, shows the galatians, that they who are sons of Agar, i.e. under the law given at mount Sinai, are in bondage, and intended to be cast out, the inheritance being designed for those only, who are the free-born sons of God, under the spiritual covenant of the gospel." And thereupon he exhorts them, in the following words, to preserve themselves in that state of freedom.

SECT. X.

CHAP. V. 9-13.

CONTENTS.

IT is evident from ver. 11. that, the better to prevail with the galatians to be circumcised, it had been reported, that

St. Paul himself preached up circumcision. St. Paul, without taking express notice of this calumny, chap. i. 6. and ii. 21, gives an account of his past life, in a large train of particulars, which all concur to make such a character of him, as renders it very incredible, that he should ever declare for the circumcision of the gentile converts, or for their submission to the law. Having thus prepared the minds of the galatians to give him a fair hearing, as a fair man ζηλῆσθαι ἐν καλῷ, he goes on to argue against their subjecting themselves to the law. And having established their freedom from the law, by many strong arguments, he comes here at last openly to take notice of the report which had been raised of him, [that he preached circumcision] and directly confutes it.

1. By positively denouncing to them, himself, very solemnly, that they, who suffer themselves to be circumcised, put themselves into a perfect legal state, out of the covenant of grace, and could receive no benefit by Jesus Christ,

ver. 2-4.

2. By assuring them, that he, and those that followed him, expected justification only by faith, ver. 5, 6.

3. By telling them, that he had put them in the right way, and that this new persuasion came not from him, that converted them to christianity, ver. 7, 8.

4. By insinuating to them, that they should agree to pass judgment on him, that troubled them with this doctrine, ver. 9, 10.

5. By his being persecuted, for opposing the circumcision of the christians. For this was the great offence, which stuck with the jews, even after their conversion, ver. 11.

6. By wishing those cut off, that trouble them with this doctrine, ver. 12.

This will, I doubt not, by whoever weighs it, be found a very skilful management of the argumentative part of this epistle, which ends here. For, though he begins with sapping the foundation, on which the judaizing seducers seemed to have laid their main stress, viz. the report of his preaching circumcision; yet he reserves the direct and open confutation of it to the end, and so leaves it with them, that it may have the more forcible and lasting impression on their minds,

TEXT.

2 Behold; I, Paul, say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.

3 For I testify, again, to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.

4 Christ is become of no effect unto you; whosoever of you are justified by the law, ye are fallen from grace.

5 For we, through the Spirit, wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.

6 For in Jesus Christ, neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith, which worketh by love.

PARAPHRASE.

2 Take notice that I, Paul, who am falsely reported to preach up circumcision in other places, say unto you, that if you are circumcised, Christ shall be of no advan3 tage to you. For I repeat here again, what I have always preached, and solemnly testify to every one, who yields to be circumcised, in compliance with those who say, That now, under the gospel, he cannot be saved without it, that he is under an obligation to the whole law, and bound to observe and perform every tittle of it. 4 Christ is of no use to you, who seek justification by the law whosoever do so, be ye what ye will, ye are fallen 5 from the covenant of grace. But I, and those, who with me are true christians, we, who follow the truth of the gospel, and the doctrine of the Spirit of God, have 6 no other hope of justification, but by faith in Christ. For in the state of the gospel, under Jesus, the Messiah, it is

NOTES.

2 a 'Idi, iyw Пau, "Behold, I Paul," I the same Paul, who am reported to preach circumcision, paplúpoμas di wáðir wailì árspúπw, v. 3. witness again, continue my testimony, to every man, to you and all men. This so emphatical way of speaking may very well be understood to have regard to what he takes notice, ver. 11, to be cast upon him, viz. his preaching circumcision, and is a very significant vindication of himself.

3bCannot be saved." This was the ground upon which the jews and judaizing christians urged circumcision. See Acts xv. 1.

5 We." It is evident from the context, that St. Paul here means himself. But We is a more graceful way of speaking than I; though he be vindicating himself alone from the imputation of setting up circumcision.

"Spirit." The law and the gospel opposed, under the titles of Flesh and Spirit, we may see, chap. iii. 3. of this epistle. The same opposition it stands in here to the law, in the foregoing verse, points out the same signification.

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