Gálatas 5
J.C. Ryle · Citado em PreceptAustin
Gálatas 5
Ryle - The cross is the strength of a minister. I, for one, would not be without it for the world. I should feel like a soldier without weapons, like an artist without his pencil, like a pilot without his compass, like a laborer without his tools. Give me the cross of Christ. This is the only lever which has ever turned the world upside down hitherto, and made men forsake their sins. A man may begin preaching with a perfect knowledge of Latin, Greek and Hebrew, but he will do little or no good among his hearers unless he knows something of the cross. Never was there a minister who did much for the conversion of souls who did not dwell much upon the cross. MacArthur on the stumbling block of the cross - The cross was a stumbling block to the Jews partly because they could not accept the idea of a suffering, much less crucified, Messiah. But it was even more an offense to them because it robbed them of their most distinctive outward signs of Jewishness, the Mosaic law and circumcision. If the cross obliterated even the true Judaism of the Old Covenant, how much more did it obliterate the false, man-made Judaism represented by the scribes, Pharisees, and Judaizers? The early church Father Chrysostom commented that the cross was a stumbling block to Jews primarily because it failed to require obedience to their ancestral laws. When they attacked Stephen, he observed, they did not charge him with worshiping Christ but with speaking "against the holy place, and the law" (Acts 6:13).Paul confessed that when he "used to persecute the church of God beyond measure, and tried to destroy it," he did so because he was "extremely zealous for [his] ancestral traditions" (Gal. 1:13-14). The Jews were scandalized by the cross because it nullified not only the Mosaic law but also their highly revered rabbinic traditions. (MacArthur New Testament Commentary – Galatians) Stumbling block (4625)(skandalon from a root meaning jump up, snap shut) was originally the piece of wood that kept open a trap for animals. Outside the Bible it is not used metaphorically, though its derivative skandalethron (e.g. a trap set through questions) is so used. The English word scandal is derived from the noun via the Lat. scandalum. Thus skandalon was literally, that movable part of a trap on which the bait was laid, and when touched caused the trap to close on its prey. Skandalon thus came to mean any entanglement of the foot. Figuratively, as used most often in Scripture, skandalon refers to any person or thing by which one is drawn into error or sin. (but see more detailed notes below) Short Excursus: Why is the cross so offensive? 1. Its doctrine of atonement offends man's pride. (esp his proud belief in works-righteousness) 2. Its simple teaching offends man's wisdom and artificial taste. 3. Its being a remedy for man's ruin offends his fancied power to save himself. 4. Its addressing all as sinners offends the dignity of the Pharisees. 5. Its coming as a revelation offends "modern thought." 6. Its lofty holiness offends man's love of sin. (Charles Spurgeon, Spurgeon's Sermon Notes 4:257) 7. It is an exclusive message, not acknowledging any other remedy to the sin question but instead, claims to be the only and exclusive truth Cross (4716)(stauros from histemi = to stand) was an an upright stake, especially a pointed one. Thayer adds the stauros was a well-known instrument of most cruel and ignominious punishment, borrowed by the Greeks and Romans from the Phoenicians; to it were affixed among the Romans, down to the time of Constantine the Great, the guiltiest criminals, particularly the basest slaves, robbers, the authors and abetters of insurrections, and occasionally in the provinces, at the arbitrary pleasure of the governors, upright and peaceable men also, and even Roman citizens themselves. Paul used stauros 3x in Galatians - Gal. 5:11; Gal. 6:12; Gal. 6:14. As Paul said in Galatians 6 But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. (Gal 6:14+) Abolished (2673)(katargeo from kata = intensifies meaning + argeo = to be idle or inactive from argos = ineffective, idle, inactive from a = without + érgon = work) literally means to reduce to inactivity. The idea is to make the power or force of something ineffective and so to render powerless, reduce to inactivity. To do away with. To put out of use. To cause to be idle or useless. To render entirely idle, inoperative or ineffective. Cause something to come to an end or cause it to cease to happen. To abolish or cause not to function. To free or release from an earlier obligation or relationship. To no longer take place. Play Michael Card's great song Skandalon. The seers and the prophets had foretold it long ago That the long awaited one would make men stumble But they were looking for a king to conquer and to kill Who'd have ever thought He'd be so weak and humble Chorus He will be the truth that will offend them one and all A stone that makes men stumble And a rock that makes them fall Many will be broken so that He can make them whole And many will be crushed and lose their own soul Along the path of life there lies a stubborn Scandalon And all who come this way must be offended To some He is a barrier, To others He's the way For all should know the scandal of believing Chorus It seems today the Scandalon offends no one at all The image we present can be stepped over Could it be that we are like the others long ago Will we ever learn that all who come must stumble Galatians 5:12 I wish that those who are troubling you would even mutilate themselves. Phillips Paraphrase - I wish those who are so eager to cut your bodies would cut themselves off from you altogether!
Gálatas 5
Ryle - Sin Looks Pleasant at First - We are too apt to forget that temptation to sin will rarely present itself to us in its true colors, saying, “I am your deadly enemy, and I want to ruin you forever in hell.” Oh no! Sin comes to us like Judas, with a kiss; like Joab, with outstretched hand and flattering words. The forbidden fruit seemed good and desirable to Eve; yet it cast her out of Eden. Walking idly on his palace roof seemed harmless enough to David; yet it ended in adultery and murder. Sin rarely seems [like] sin at first beginnings. Let us then watch and pray, lest we fall into temptation. NOTE: For much more in depth discussion of this verse click Galatians 5:17 Commentary Galatians 5:18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. Phillips Paraphrase - But if you follow the leading of the Spirit, you stand clear of the Law.