THE EPISTLE OF ST. PAUL TO THE GALATIANS
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The Galatians, soon after St. Paul had preached the Gospel to them, were seduced by some false teachers, who had been Jews and who were for obliging all Christians, even those who had been Gentiles, to observe circumcision and the other ceremonies of the Mosaical law. In this Epistle, he refutes the pernicious doctrine of those teachers and also their calumny against his mission and apostleship. The subject matter of this Epistle is much the same as that to the Romans. It was written at Ephesus, about twenty-three years after our Lord's Ascension.
Galatians Chapter 1
He blames the Galatians for suffering themselves to be imposed upon by new teachers. The apostle's calling.
1:1. Paul, an apostle, not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead:
1:2. And all the brethren who are with me: to the churches of Galatia.
1:3. Grace be to you, and peace from God the Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ,
1:4. Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present wicked world, according to the will of God and our Father:
1:5. To whom is glory for ever and ever. Amen.
1:6. I wonder that you are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ, unto another gospel.
1:7. Which is not another: only there are some that trouble you and would pervert the gospel of Christ.
1:8. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach a gospel to you besides that which we have preached to you, let him be anathema.
1:9. As we said before, so now I say again: If any one preach to you a gospel, besides that which you have received, let him be anathema.
1:10. For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? If I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.
1:11. For I give you to understand, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man.
1:12. For neither did I receive it of man: nor did I learn it but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.
1:13. For you 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.
1:14. And I made progress in the Jew's religion above many of my equals in my own nation, being more abundantly zealous for the traditions of my fathers.
1:15. But when it pleased him who separated me from my mother's womb and called me by his grace,
1:16. To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the Gentiles: immediately I condescended not to flesh and blood.
1:17. Neither went I to Jerusalem, to the apostles who were before me: but I went into Arabia, and again I returned to Damascus.
1:18. Then, after three years, I went to Jerusalem to see Peter: and I tarried with him fifteen days.
1:19. But other of the apostles I saw none, saving James the brother of the Lord.
1:20. Now the things which I write to you, behold, before God, I lie not.
1:21. Afterwards, I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia.
1:22. And I was unknown by face to the churches of Judea, which were in Christ:
1:23. But they had heard only: He, who persecuted us in times past doth now preach the faith which once he impugned.
1:24. And they glorified God in me.
Galatians Chapter 2
The apostle's preaching was approved of by the other apostles. The Gentiles were not to be constrained to the observance of the law.
2:1. Then, after fourteen years, I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus also with me.
2:2. And I went up according to revelation and communicated to them the gospel which I preach among the Gentiles: but apart to them who seemed to be some thing: lest perhaps I should run or had run in vain.
2:3. But neither Titus, who was with me, being a Gentile, was compelled to be circumcised.
2:4. But because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privately to spy our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into servitude.
2:5. To whom we yielded not by subjection: no, not for an hour: that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.
2:6. But of them who seemed to be some thing, (what they were some time it is nothing to me, God accepteth not the person of man): for to me they that seemed to be some thing added nothing.
2:7. But contrariwise, when they had seen that to me was committed the gospel of the uncircumcision, as to Peter was that of the circumcision.
The gospel of the uncircumcision... The preaching of the gospel to the uncircumcised, that is, to the Gentiles. St. Paul was called in an extraordinary manner to be the apostle of the Gentiles; St. Peter, besides his general commission over the whole flock, (John 21. 15, etc.,) had a peculiar charge of the people of the circumscision, that is, of the Jews.
2:8. (For he who wrought in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision wrought in me also among the Gentiles.)
2:9. And when they had known the grace that was given to me, James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship: that we should go unto the Gentiles, and they unto the circumcision:
2:10. Only that we should be mindful of the poor: which same thing also I was careful to do.