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SECTION XII.

CHAPTER VI. 1-5.

CONTENTS.

He here exhorts the stronger to gentleness and meekness towards the weak.

TEXT.

1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering 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 rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.

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, considering that you yourselves 2 are not out of the reach of temptations. Bear with one another's infirmities, and help to support each other under your 3 burdens", 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 not, he deceiveth 4 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

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NOTES.

1 Пveuμalixol, 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.

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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.

TEXT.

5 For every man shall bear his own burden.

PARAPHRASE.

5 matter of gloryingd in himself, and not in another. one shall be accountable only for his own actions.

For every

NOTE.

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4 Kaúyaμa, I think, should have been translated here, Glorying, as Kavyńowyla, is ver. 13, the apostle in both places meaning the same thing, viz. glorying in another, in having brought him to circumcision, and other ritual 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 under the ritual observances of the Mosaical law, a yoke, which was too 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, because of their spiritual gifts, that they have power to prescribe in such matters, 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, and 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 circumcised. For every man shall be answerable for his own actions." Let the reader judge, whether this does not seem to be St. Paul's view here, and suit with his way of writing.

'Exε xaúxnμa is a phrase whereby St. Paul signifies "to have matter of glorying," and to that sense it is rendered, Rom. iv. 2.

SECTION XIII.

CHAPTER VI. 6-10.

CONTENTS.

ST. Paul having laid some restraint upon the authority 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 maintenance, 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 soweth, that shall he also reap.

8 For he that soweth to his flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption; 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.

6 Let him, that is taught the doctrine of the Gospel, freely communicate the good things of this world to him that teaches 7 him. Be not deceived, God will not be mocked; for, as a 8 man soweth, so also shall 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 be corruption and perishing. But he, that lays out his worldly substance according to the rules dictated by the Spirit of God 9 in the Gospel, shall, of 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 10 reap, if we continue on to do good, and flag not. 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 a Soweth. A metaphor used by St. Paul, for men's laying out their worldly goods. See 2 Cor. ix. 6, &c.

8 Rom. viii. 13, and ii. 12.

SECTION XIV.

CHAPTER VI. 11-18.

CONTENTS.

ONE may see what lay upon St. Paul's mind, in writing to the Galatians, by what he inculcates to them here, even after he had finished his letter. The like we have in 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.

11 You see how large a letter I have written unto you, with mine own hand.

12 As many as desire to make a fair show in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised; only lest they should suffer persecution 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. 14 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.

15 For, in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.

PARAPHRASE.

11 You see how long a letter I have writ to you with my own 12 hand. They, who are willing to carry it so fairly in the ritual part of the lawb, and to make ostentation of their compliance therein, constrain you to be circumcised, only to avoid persecution, for owning their dependence for salvation solely on a crucified 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 themselves to the good opinion of the Jews. 14 But as for me, whatever may be said of med, 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 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 uncircumcision, such outward differ

NOTES.

11 St. Paul mentions the "writing with his own band," as an argument of his great concern for them in the case. For it was not usual for him to write his epistles with his own hand, but to dictate them to others, who writ them from his mouth. See Rom. xvi. 22. 1 Cor. xvi. 21.

12" In the flesh," i. e. in the ritual observances of the law, which Heb. ix. 10, are called δικαιώματα σαρκος.

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13 See chap. v. 11.

14

Ibid.

TEXT.

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.

ences in the flesh, avail any thing, but the new creation, wherein by a thorough change a man is disposed to righteous16 ness, and 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 17 truly the people of God'. 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 an evidence that I am not for circumcision. 18" Brethren, the favour of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit." Amen.

15 See Eph. ii. 10, and iv. 24.

NOTES.

16 'St. Paul having, in the foregoing verse, asserted, that it is the new creation alone, 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 considering, 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 xxl, and; no very unusual way of speaking.

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