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15, 8. 9.

Yet he went up to S. Peter to do him honour. than the Apostles, nor because he is mortified at being lightly esteemed, but it is a fear lest any detriment should accrue to his mission. For he calls himself, one born out of due time, 1 Cor. and, the first of sinners, and the last of the Apostles, and, not meet to be called an Apostle. And this he said, when he had laboured more than all of them; which is real humility; for he who, conscious of no excellence, speaks humbly of himself, is ixares. candid but not humble; but to say so after such trophies, 1 Tim. is to be practised in sobriety.

Ver. 17. And I returned again unto Damascus.

ἐλάχι

στις :

Chrys.

reads

1, 15.

11, 32.

But what great things, as it would seem, did he not achieve in 2 Cor. this city? for he tells us that the governor under Aretas the king set guards about the whole of it, hoping to entrap this blessed man. Which is a proof that he was violently persecuted by the Jews. Here, however, he says nothing of this, but mentioning his arrival and departure is silent concerning the events which there occurred, nor would he have mentioned them in the place I have referred to, had not circumstances required their narration.

Ver. 18. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter.

What can be more lowly than such a soul? after such successes, wanting nothing of Peter, not even his assent, but being of equal dignity with him, (for at present I will say no more,) he comes to him as his elder and superior. And the only object of this journey was to visit Peter; thus he pays due respect to the Apostles, and esteems himself not only not their better but not their equal. Which is plain from this journey, for Paul was induced to visit Peter by the same feeling from which many of our brethren sojourn with holy men: or rather by a humbler one, for they do so for their own benefit, but this blessed man, not for his own instruction or correction, but merely for the sake of beholding and honouring him by his presence. He says, to see Peter; he does not say to see, (idɛiv,) but to survey, (iσrogñσa,) a word which those, who seek to become acquainted with great and splendid cities, apply to themselves. Worthy of such trouble did he consider the very sight of Peter; and this appears from his conduct. For on his arrival at Jerusalem, after having converted many Gentiles, and, with labours far surpassing the rest, reformed and brought near to Christ Pamphylia, Lycaonia, Cilicia, and

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And abode with him to shew him affection.

GALAT. all nations in that quarter of the world, he first addresses I. 18. himself with great humility to James, as to his elder and

20 et

seq.

superior. Next he submits to his counsel, and that counsel Acts 21, contrary to this Epistle. Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; therefore shave thy head, and purify thyself. Accordingly he shaved his head, and observed all the Jewish ceremonies; for where the Gospel was not affected, he was the humblest of all men. But where by such humility he saw any injured, he gave up that undue exercise of it, for it then was no longer humility, but mischief and corruption to the disciples.

Ver. 18. And abode with him fifteen days.

To take a journey to him was a mark of respect; but to remain so many days, of friendship and earnest affection. Ver. 19. But other of the Apostles saw I none, save James, the Lord's brother.

See what great friends he was with Peter especially; on his account he left his home, and with him he abode. This I frequently repeat, and desire you to remember, that no one, when he hears what this Apostle seems to have spoken against Peter, may conceive a suspicion of him. He premises this, that when he says, I resisted Peter, no one must suppose that these words imply enmity and conténtion; for he honoured and loved his person, and took this journey for his sake only, not of any of the others. But other of the Apostles saw I none, but James. He says "I saw," not, "I learnt aught from him." But observe how honourably he mentions him, he says not "James" merely, but adds this illustrious title, so free is he from all envy. Had he only wished to point out whom he meant, he might have shewn this by another appellation, and called him the son of Cleophas, as Cf. John the Evangelist does. But as he considered that he had a share in the august titles of the Apostles, he exalts himself Matt. by honouring James; and this he does by calling him " the 27, 56; Lord's brother," although he was not by birth His brother, 15, 40. but only so reputed. Yet this did not deter him from giving the title; and in many other instances he displays towards all the Apostles that noble disposition, which beseemed him. Ver. 20. Now the things which I write unto you, behold, before God, I lie not.

19, 25.

with

Mark

S. Paul's modesty about his successes.

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Observe throughout the transparent humility of this holy soul; his earnestness in his own vindication is as great as if he had to render an account of his deeds, and was pleading for his life in a court of justice.

Ver. 21. Afterwards I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia.

After his interview with Peter, he resumes his account of Rom. 15, 20. his labours in the field which he had chosen, avoiding Judæa, both because of his mission being to the Gentiles, and of his unwillingness to build upon another man's foundation. Wherefore there was not even a chance meeting, as appears from what follows.

which

Christ,

Ver. 22, 23. And was unknown by face unto the Churches of Judæa; but they had heard only that he, which persecuted as rais ir in times past, now preacheth the faith which then he destroyed. XIETY, What modesty in thus again mentioning the facts of his per- were in secuting and laying waste the Church, and in thus studiously omitted. setting forth his former life, while he passes over the illustrious deeds he was about to achieve! He might have told, had he wished it, all his successes, but he steps with one word over a vast expanse, and says merely, I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia; and, they had heard, that he, which persecuted as in times past, now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed. The purpose of the words, I was unknown to the Churches of Judæa, is to shew, that so far from preaching to them the necessity of circumcision, he was not known to them even by sight.

Ver. 24. And they glorified God in me.

See here again how accurately he observes the rule of his humility; he says not, they admired me, they applauded or were astonished at me, but ascribes all to Divine grace by the words, they glorified God in me.

II. 1, 2.

CHAPTER II.

GALAT. Ver. 1, 2. Then fourteen years after, I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and took Titus with me also. And I went up by revelation.

His first journey was owing to his desire to visit Peter, his second, he says, arose from a revelation of the Spirit.

Ver. 2. And communicated unto them that Gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to them which were of reputation, lest by any means I should run, or had run, in vain.

What is this, O Paul! thou who neither at the beginning nor after three years wouldest confer with the Apostles, dost thou now confer with them, after fourteen years are past, lest thou shouldest have run in vain? Better would it have been to have done so at first, than after so many years; and why didst thou run at all, if not satisfied that thou wert not running in vain? Who would be so senseless as to preach for so many years, without being sure that his preaching was true? And what enhances the difficulty is, that he says he went up by revelation; this difficulty, however, will afford a solution of the former one. Had he gone up of his own accord, it would have been most unreasonable, nor is it possible that this blessed soul should have fallen into such folly; 1 Cor. for it is himself who says, I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air. If therefore he runs, not uncertainly, how can he say, lest I should run, or had run, in vain? It is evident from this, that if he had gone up without a revelation, he would have committed an act of folly. But the actual case involved no such absurdity; who shall dare to harbour this suspicion, when it was the grace of the Spirit which drew him? On this account he added the words by revelation, lest, before the question was solved, he should be condemned of folly; well knowing that it was no human occurrence, but a deep Divine Providence concerning the present and future. What then is the reason of

9, 26.

οίκονομία.

He went up to the Apostles after fourteen years to make peace. 29 this journey of his? As when he went up before from Antioch to Jerusalem, it was not for his own sake, (for he saw clearly that his duty was simply to obey the doctrines of Christ,) but from a desire to reconcile the contentious; so now his object was the complete satisfaction of his accusers, not any wish of his own to learn that he had not run in vain. They conceived that Peter and John, of whom they thought more highly than of Paul, differed from him in that he omitted circumcision in his preaching, while the former allowed it, and they believed that in this he acted unlawfully, and was running in vain. I went up, says he, and communicated unto them my Gospel, not that I might learn aught myself, (as appears more clearly further on,) but that I might convince these suspicious persons that I do not run in vain. The Spirit foreseeing this contention had provided that he should go up and make this communication.

Wherefore he says that he went up by revelation, and, taking Barnabas and Titus as witnesses of his preaching, communicated to them the Gospel which he preached to the Gentiles, that is, with the omission of circumcision. But privately to them which were of reputation. What means privately? rather, he who wishes to reform doctrines held in common, proposes them, not privately, but before all in common; but Paul did this privately, for his object was, not to learn or reform any thing, but to cut off the grounds of those who would fain deceive. All at Jerusalem were offended, if the law was transgressed, or the use of circumcision forbidden; as James says, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands Acts of Jews believe; and they are informed of thee, that thou teachest defection from the law. This being the case, he did not condescend to come forward publicly and declare what his preaching was, but he conferred privately with those who were of reputation before Barnabas and Titus, that they might credibly testify to his accusers, that the Apostles found no discrepancy in his preaching, but confirmed it. The expression, those that were of reputation, [who seemed aught] doxovdiv. does not impugn the reality of their greatness; for he says of himself, And I also seem to have the Spirit of God, thereby not denying the fact, but stating it modestly. And here the phrase implies his own assent to the common opinion.

et seq.

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