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Leon Morris · Citado em PreceptAustin
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Morris wrote, “Galatians is a passionate letter, the outpouring of the soul of a preacher on fire for his Lord and deeply committed to bringing his hearers to an understanding of what saving faith is.” (Galatians: Paul's Charter of Christian Freedom) J
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Morris - “Throughout the epistle Paul points the Galatians to the centrality of the cross. He cannot wait to make this plain, and we find a reference to it in his very first sentence.” (Galatians: Paul's Charter of Christian Freedom) Jerry Bridges adds that "We like novels in which the protagonist survives to fight another day, but in real life the hero sometimes perishes. A plaque at a makeshift memorial at the World Trade Center read, “All gave some. Some gave all.” Jesus gave all of Himself for us."
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Morris - “There have always been preachers who have sought popular acclaim above all else, and there are some still. It is part of fallen human nature that even those charged with the responsibility of proclaiming the gospel can fall into the trap of trying to be popular rather than faithful.” (Galatians: Paul's Charter of Christian Freedom) Vine explains Paul's use of "now (arti)" - the contrast is not with his life before his conversion, when, indeed, he showed no conciliatory spirit, but rather with the general course of his ministry. His traducers (those seeking to expose Paul to shame by means of his having misrepresented himself) suggested that he was a trimmer (one who modifies a policy or position out of expediency) who sought to ingratiate (gain favor for) himself by “becoming all things to all men,” 1 Corinthians 9:22. In support of this contention they could point to the circumcision of Timothy as a bid for Jewish favor (Acts 16:3+), and to his repudiation of law as an attempt to conciliate the Gentiles. So the emphasis is thrown on now, as though he would say, “never mind the past, at least in this repeated statement my meaning is not to be mistaken or misrepresented.” John
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Morris on bond-servant - It is unfortunate that . . . our English translations should so consistently fail to give this word (doulos) its true meaning, thereby encouraging the false conception of Christian ‘service’ (as something essentially voluntary and part-time) so characteristic of modern religious idealism. The ‘bond-servant of Christ’ is not free to offer or withhold his ‘service’; his life is not his own, but belongs entirely to his Lord.” (Galatians: Paul's Charter of Christian Freedom) Bondservant of Christ - One description is a man or woman who seeks to please the Master in all things (See Eph 6:6+, Titus 2:9+; Col 3:22+). When we submit to Christ as Master, we may not (probably will not) be popular with men, a fact Paul knew all too well, for immediately after entering the bond service of Christ, his former friends took counsel to kill him (Acts 9:23+), and persecution for the sake of Christ had not ceased even as he wrote this epistle (Read Gal 5:11+). Beloved, if we truly yield to Him as Master, we can expect similar treatment! Paul preached the genuine Gospel, the "real thing," which did not curry people’s favor nor please their fallen flesh, but instead brought him great suffering. In marked contrast, his opponents’ false (man pleasing) pseudo "gospel" helped them avoid suffering! THOUGHT - This begs several questions - "Have I been "persecuted" for the message my life and lips preach? Is my Gospel the same as Paul's Gospel? Am I seeking to please fallen men on earth or my exalted Father Who is in Heaven?" Bond-servant (1401)(doulos from deo = to bind) is an individual bound to another in servitude. Doulos conveys the idea of the slave's close, binding ties with his master, belonging to him, obligated to him, desiring to do his will and in a permanent relation of servitude. In sum, the will of the doulos is consumed in the will of the master. Indeed, a bond-servant is one who surrendered wholly to another’s will and thus devoted to another to the disregard of his own interest. Paul was not his own but had been bought with the price of the blood of Christ (cf 1Cor 6:19+, 1Cor 6:20+). He was now and forever the property of our Lord (= kurios which also means "Master") Jesus Christ and was His slave exclusively. No man can serve two masters (Mt 6:24+). Paul (as have all of believers before regeneration) had been a slave to the harsh task master, "King Sin" (who desires to reign and gives orders to "lust" cf Ro 6:11, 12, 13, 14+ - see note on "the Sin") by their birth into Adam's likeness (Ro 5:12NLT+), but now they are slaves of Christ by their new birth. They have no will of their own, no business of their own, no time of their own and are acting for their Master, Christ; dependent upon Him and obedient to Him. Does that describe you dear saint? Somerville writes - The success syndrome says that you must achieve your own goals; you must achieve the approval of men. God says we must choose to seek to please Him. Rather than seeking to be a man pleaser, I need to be like Paul, who did not seek the favor of men but God. (The Journal of Modern Ministry, Volume 2, Issue 2, Spring 2005) William Barclay regarding a bond-servant of Christ - What is in his mind is this––the slave was branded with his master’s name and sign stamped on him with a red-hot branding iron. Paul bore on his body the marks of his campaigns, the marks of his sufferings, the brand of the slavery of Christ (Galatians 6:17+). “If,” he said, “I were out to curry favour with men would I have these scars on me? If all I wanted was to stand well with men would I have these marks on my body?” The very fact that he was marked as he was the final proof that his one aim was to serve Christ and not to please men. (Galatians 1 Commentary) Hansen writes "True servants of Christ will not win popularity contests with people who "gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear" (2 Tim 4:3+). But even when they are unpopular, true servants of Christ are marked by unswerving loyalty to Christ. We can still hear the clear gospel message today because courageous men and women suffered greatly for their uncompromising defense of it in years past. They resisted immense pressure to renounce their faith in Christ, and they boldly declared, as Martin Luther did, "Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me." (Galatians 1 Commentary) Swindoll - "The Conviction: Nonconformity of the Christian Upheld - A. Those who seek to please only God become invincible within. When we serve the Lord diligently, our minds and hearts will not wander or become victimized by spiritual counterfeits. Our souls will become like steel, firmly cemented in the foundation of the Christian gospel. How solid is your foundation? Is it reinforced with a commitment of steel, bent on pleasing God only? Can it withstand the weight of counterfeits? Or does it crumble under pressure? If so, maybe you need to take an engineer's look at your life to determine whether pleasing God is truly an undergirding motivation (2 Cor. 5:9+). B. Those who stop striving to please people are not intimidated by them. There will always be those who try to lead us astray. But if our lives are centered on pleasing God rather than people, we will be able to stand strong when the lures come our way. Are you able to look intimidation in the face and stare it down?... C. Those who are true servants of Christ think and act independently." (Quote from Paul Apple) Sidlow Baxter - Look, then, through the first two chapters of Galatians—the part where we have personal narrative. Why does Paul give this account of his movements? The usual idea is that he is here defending his apostleship: but if we are to be strictly exact, that rather misses the real purpose here. Read the chapters carefully again: Paul is here proving the genuineness, the authenticity of the Gospel which he preached. He begins by saying that his apostleship was neither from nor through man, but of God (Gal 1:1). His Gospel was “not after men,” for he had neither received it nor been taught it of men—it had come by direct Divine revelation (Gal 1:11, 12). And after he had received this direct revelation and commission he had “conferred not with flesh and blood” (Gal 1:16). He certainly could not have got his Gospel second-hand from the other apostles (as his detractors were apparently alleging), for he had not gone up to Jerusalem at that time to see them (Gal 1:17); and even when later, after the expiry of three years, he had gone up on a short visit, he had seen only Peter and James (Gal 1:19). And, even after that, he had remained still unknown by face to the churches in Judæa (Gal 1:22, 23). So there can be no doubt as to Paul’s purpose here. It is to show that the Gospel which he preached was genuine as to its origin. (Explore the Book)
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Morris - Paul makes a play on words when he refers to ‘the gospel that I gospelled to you.' (Galatians: Paul's Charter of Christian Freedom) Is not according to man - Note that "is" is in the present tense which "shows the permanence and unchangeableness of his gospel of grace." (Wuest) Amplified has "is not man’s gospel [a human invention, according to or patterned after any human standard]."; "It rests on no human foundation" - Barclay; "something that man made up." NIV - The Greek word for "not" is "ou," the strongest adverb to negate an allegation. Paul is seeking to "set the record straight!" The gospel I preach is ABSOLUTELY NOT "man-made." "I did not invent it or alter it!" It is not according to a human standard and is not even in harmony with ideas of men! Human wisdom would not come with such a message. By implication, this message is completely divine in origin, and as such it counters all theories of salvation contrived by the fleshly wisdom of fallen men (who in some form always add works as a means of attaining salvation; i.e., a works based righteousness, a "religion" instead of a "relationship.") "Both his mission and his message are independent of man, both received by direct divine revelation." (KJV Bible Commentary) "Not after a human standard and so he does not try to conform to the human ideal. Paul alone (1Cor 3:3; 9:8; 15:32; Ro 3:15) in the NT uses this old and common idiom." (A T Robertson Galatians 1 Commentary - Word Pictures in the NT) Paul received the DIVINE REVELATION through INSPIRATION. Paul is dominated by a Gospel that is God and grace centered. Man is dominated by a "Gospel" that is man and works centered. Max Anders - The Judaizers knew that if they could undermine Paul’s apostolic authority they could defeat his message of liberty. So Paul now defends his apostleship and message. The Judaizers said Paul perverted the gospel by omitting the Law of Moses; in reality, the Judaizers perverted the gospel by adding legalism. Paul now presents the first reason the Galatians should listen to him and not the false teachers: the gospel is not man-made (compare Gal 1:1+). No human mind apart from God’s revelation would dream up a plan of salvation wholly dependent on God’s grace and the death of his Son. (HNTC- Galatians)
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Morris has an interesting note on in me - “What begins by being a revelation of Christ to Paul becomes a revelation of Christ in Paul as the Spirit produces his fruits in unaccustomed soil." (Galatians: Paul's Charter of Christian Freedom) So that I might preach Him among the Gentiles - So that expresses the purpose of the revelation. In this case we see it is a revelation for proclamation. In other words God supernaturally revealed the truth respecting His Son to Paul's heart and mind for the express purpose that he might preach Jesus among the Gentiles. As he later said he "had been entrusted with the Gospel to the uncircumcised (GENTILES), just as Peter had been to the circumcised." (Gal 2:7+) and "to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, ministering as a priest the gospel of God." (Ro 15:16+). THOUGHT - By way of application, it is important to remember that God does not call individuals to salvation just to keep them out of hell and get them into heaven, but to be useful in His service, for every believer has been "created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared (specific, special works for them), that (they) should walk in them." (Eph 2:10+) Indeed, very believer is given the good work of proclaiming "the excellencies of Him who has called (us) out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Pe 2:9+). We are redeemed to give a witness of our Redeemer! Are you fulfilling the purpose for which you were called out of darkness, that others in darkness may also be called out by your Gospel witness? John Brown has a "weighty" quote by Perkins... Ministers of the gospel must learn Christ as Paul learned him. They may not content themselves with that learning which they find in schools; but they must proceed further to a real learning of Christ. They that must convert others, it is meet that they should be effectually converted. John must eat the book (Ed: I love this picture! Not books but THE BOOK!!!), and then prophesy; and they who would be fit ministers of the gospel, must first themselves eat the book of God. And this book is indeed eaten, when they are not only in their minds enlightened, but in their hearts are mortified, and brought in subjection to the Word of Christ. Unless Christ be thus learned spiritually and really, divines shall speak of the Word of God as men speak of riddles, and as priests in former times said their matins (morning prayers, first canonical hour in the Romish church), when they hardly knew what they said. Preach (2097)(euaggelizo/euangelizo) is same verb in Gal 1:8 (2x), Gal 1:9, 11, 16, 23. The present tense is “continuous” while the revelation was aorist tense, at a point in time. While the revelation was a definite and completed act, the commission to preach was for his lifetime. Preach is in the middle voice which is reflexive ("I myself might preach") and indicates Paul initiated the action (preaching) and participated in the process. He was not like a passive bystander with a message, but was intimately involved in proclaiming the Good News. Among the Gentiles - Two Jewish missionaries - Peter primarily to the Jews. Paul primarily to the Gentiles. David Guzik on so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles - This shows that God has a sense of humor. He selected a man before he was born for the job of preaching the gospel to the Gentiles. That man grew up hating Gentiles, probably believing as some (not all) other Jewish people did in his day: that the only reason God made Gentiles was so they would fuel the fires of hell. (Galatians 1 Commentary) Preach Him - He preached "Christ crucified to Jews a stumbling block," because they expected a political savior, and to the Greeks it was foolishness because they considered anyone who would be crucified of no account. (1Cor 1:23). Paul adds... And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. (1Cor 2:1-2) Click Chronological Diagram to enlarge See Also Map of Events of Paul's Conversion and Early Ministry (Note: Map is copyright by Holman Publishing and not to be copied) I did not immediately consult with flesh and blood - And this would include even Ananias who God had sent to minister to him after his blinding Damascus experience with the risen Lord Jesus (Acts 9:10-17+). In Galatians 2:1+ Paul writes... Then after an interval of fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along also.....6 But from those who were of high reputation (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)–well, those who were of reputation contributed nothing to me. Immediately (2112)(eutheos from euthus = immediate) means instantly, forthwith. Consult (4323)(prosanatithemi from prós = towards, in addition to + anatithemi from ana = up + tithemi = to put) means to lay up in addition, to impart or communicate further (Gal 2:6+) or by way of consultation, to confer with, consult as in the present passage. To go to someone for advice. To present one's cause to another as for approval or judgment (Gal 1:16). In other words in Gal 1:16 the idea is “to lay a matter before others so as to obtain counsel or instruction." Prosanatithemi is used only in Gal 1:16 and Gal 2:6+ ("those who were of reputation contributed nothing to me."). The root verb anatithemi means to set forth one's cause (Acts 25:14+), to expound with a request for counsel, approval, or decision, to communicate (anatithemi in Gal. 2:2+). The shorter form anatithemi, is the less intensive word simply signifying the imparting of information, rather than conferring with others to seek advice. John Brown - The word translated “conferred (consult),” properly signifies ‘to impose a new burden.’ In the classics, the middle voice is used in the sense,—‘I allow a burden to be imposed on myself—I undertake some difficult affair.’ It is sometimes used by the later writers with the dative of a person, to signify ‘to take counsel or advice of a person,’ as he who asks advice lays a burden on the person consulted. This is its meaning here. (Reference) Thayer says "with a dative of the person to put oneself upon another by going to him (pros), i.e. to commit or betake oneself to another namely, for the purpose of consulting him, hence, to consult, to take one into counsel. (Gal 1:16)" To contribute or add something to someone. To add from one's store (the force of the middle voice), to impart, to lay before (Gal 2:6). Vine - prosanatithemi, lit., “to lay upon in addition,” came to be used in the sense of putting oneself before another, for the purpose of consulting him; hence simply “to consult, to take one into counsel, to confer.” With this meaning it is used only in Gal. 1:16. In Gal. 2:2, a shorter form, anatithemi, is used, which means “to lay before” (kjv, “communicated unto”). This less intensive word may have been purposely used there by the apostle to suggest that he described to his fellow apostles the character of his teaching, not to obtain their approval or their advice concerning it, but simply that they might have the facts of the case before them on which they were shortly to adjudicate. Prosanatithemi was also used to signify “to communicate, to impart.” With this meaning it is used only in Gal. 2:6, in the middle voice, the suggestion being to “add” from one’s store of things. In regard to his visit to Jerusalem the apostle says “those who were of repute imparted nothing to me” (kjv, “in conference added”), that is to say, they neither modified his teaching nor “added” to his authority.