17, 18<\/strong>. In contrast to the simplicity of his own teaching, St Paul exposes the party spirit by which the false teachers were actuated.<\/p>\n They zealously affect you<\/em> ] The sentence is abrupt, no persons being named; though St Paul evidently had in his mind those alluded to ch. Gal 1:7<\/span>. The expression ‘zealously affect’ is not very intelligible to the ordinary reader. The verb, which is rendered ‘affect’ in this same verse, is used frequently in N. T. with reference to both persons and things. Originally it meant to feel or shew zeal, jealousy or envy. From this sense the transition was easy to that of ‘desire earnestly’, ‘pay court to’, ‘seek to win or win over’. The word is used in a good and a bad sense by St Paul, e.g. 1Co 12:31<\/span> where it is rendered ‘covet’, i.e. desire, and 1Co 13:4<\/span> ‘Love envieth not’. Here the meaning is ‘They seek to win you over to their own party’. Error must be maintained and propagated by proselytising and partisanship.<\/p>\n The whole passage may be paraphrased ‘They seek to gain you to their own party, but not with right motives, nay, they would exclude you from my influence, in the hope of your reciprocating their desire for your adhesion. But let me remind you that a desire of this kind is only to be approved when the motives are pure and the object good. Under such conditions it is always<\/em> good. Such were the conditions under which I sought to win you to Christ when I was present with you; such is still the case now that we are separated’. This leads up to the tender yet sad remonstrance which follows. In support of this view of the connexion and train of thought we may compare St Paul’s words, 2Co 11:2<\/span> “I am jealous over you (I would fain win you, not from party spirit or for personal ends, but) with a Godly jealousy (or longing desire)”. True love is always jealous.<\/p>\n they would exclude you<\/em> ] Some copies read ‘us’ for ‘you’. The sense is the same. There seems to be an allusion to some attempt on the part of the Judaizers to induce the Galatian converts formally to renounce their allegiance to St Paul.<\/p>\n They zealously affect you – <\/B>See 1Co 12:31<\/span> (Greek); 1Co 14:39<\/span>. The word used here (<\/SPAN><\/span> Zeloo), means to be zealous toward, that is, for or against any person or thing; usually, in a good sense, to be eager for. Here it means, that the false teachers made a show of zeal toward the Galatians, or professed affection for them in order to gain them as their followers. They were full of ardor, and professed an extraordinary concern for their welfare – as people always do who are demagogues, or who seek to gain proselytes. The object of the apostle in this is, probably, to say, that it was not wholly owing to themselves that they had become alienated from the doctrines which he had taught. Great pains had been taken to do it; and there had been a show of zeal which would be likely to endanger any person.<\/P> But not well – <\/B>Not with good motives, or with good designs.<\/P> Yea, they would exclude you – <\/B>Margin, Us. A few printed editions of the New Testament have <\/SPAN><\/span> hemas, us, instead of <\/SPAN><\/span> humas, you – Mill. The word exclude here probably means, that they endeavored to exclude the Galatians from the love and affection of Paul. They would shut them out from that, in order that they might secure them for their own purposes. If the reading in the margin, however, should be retained, the sense would be clearer. They wish to exclude us, that is, me, the apostle, in order that they may have you wholly to themselves. If they can once get rid of your attachment to me, then they will have no difficulty in securing you for themselves. This reading, says Rosenmuller, is found in many of the best codices, and versions, and fathers. It is adopted by Doddridge, Locke, and others. The main idea is clear: Paul stood in the way of their designs. The Galatians were truly attached to him, and it was necessary, in order to accomplish their ends, to withdraw their affections from him. When false teachers have designs on a people, they begin by alienating their confidence and affections from their pastors and teachers. They can hope for no success until this is done; and hence, the efforts of errorists, and of infidels, and of scorners, is to undermine the confidence of a people in the ministry, and when this is done there is little difficulty in drawing them over to their own purposes.<\/P> That ye might affect them – <\/B>The same word as in the former part of the verse, that ye might zealously affect them – that is, that ye might show ardent attachment to them. Their first work is to manifest special interest for your welfare; their second, to alienate you from him who had first preached the gospel to you; their object, not your salvation, or your real good, but to secure your zealous love for themselves.<\/P><\/p>\n Gal 4:17<\/span><\/p>\n They zealously affect you, but not well.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p>\n False zeal<\/strong><\/p>\n Paul suggests–<\/p>\n 1. <\/strong>In preaching,<\/p>\n (1)<\/strong> some do it for envy and strife;<\/p>\n (2)<\/strong> some to gain personal or pecuniary ends.<\/p>\n 2. <\/strong>In embracing the gospel, some do it, not for its own sake, but for<\/p>\n (1)<\/strong> honour;<\/p>\n (2)<\/strong> profit.<\/p>\n 3. <\/strong>This must teach us not only to do good, but to do it well. For which end–<\/p>\n (1)<\/strong> We must set before us the will of God as our main motive.<\/p>\n (2)<\/strong> The outward action must be conformable to the inward motion.<\/p>\n 1. <\/strong>The experiences and life of religion.<\/p>\n 2. <\/strong>The activities of religion. How hard to detect the hypocrite, and yet how easy to become one.<\/p>\n The spirit of religious faction<\/strong><\/p>\n 1. <\/strong>In its apparent motives What other end could they have in making the sacrifices their work involved.<\/p>\n 2. <\/strong>In the deep interest it seems to take in its objects.<\/p>\n 3. <\/strong>In the undoubted earnestness with which its work is done.<\/p>\n 1. <\/strong>To create a schism between pastor and people. Pauls apostleship was denied; his character traduced; his motives impugned.<\/p>\n 2. <\/strong>To create a schism between one Church and another. The Judaizers sought to divorce the Galatians from the fellowship of Gentile Churches which were based on liberty.<\/p>\n 2. <\/strong>To create a schism between the believer and his Lord. How often is this effected, not precisely in this way, but by the passions engendered by religious strife.<\/p>\n 1. <\/strong>To gain personal ascendancy.<\/p>\n 2. <\/strong>To secure the deference and zeal of the Galatians.<\/p>\n Schism<\/strong><\/p>\n To separate from the Church in some one or few essential articles while you pretend to hold Christ the Head is heresy; to separate from it in spirit, by refusing holiness and not loving such as are holy, is ungodliness; to differ from it by any error of judgment or life is sin; to magnify any one church or party, so as to deny due love and communion to the rest, is schism. To limit all the Church to your party, and deny all or any of the rest to be Christians, and parts of the Universal Church, is schism by a dangerous breach of charity, and the principal schism that you should avoid. It is schism also to condemn unjustly any particular Church as no Church, and it is schism to withdraw your bodily communion from a Church that you were bound to hold that communion with; and it is schism to make divisions or parties in a Church, though you divide not from that Church. (R. Baxter.<\/em>)<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Zeal<\/strong><\/p>\n 1. <\/strong>It will dispose them to combine together in carrying on their destructive designs. This false fervour, like electrical fire, will easily and instantaneously spread from breast to breast among those who are ardently engaged in the same cause.<\/p>\n 2. <\/strong>False zeal will hurry men on to act without regarding or even consulting the sober dictates of their own reason. It will not suffer them to make a proper use of that noble faculty which God has implanted in their breasts to direct them in all their private and public conduct. Zealots who do not give a reason to themselves for their own opinions and conduct are still more averse to giving a reason to others.<\/p>\n 3. <\/strong>While men are under the influence of false zeal they are prone to act, not only without consulting their own reason but without hearkening to the reason of others. They are inclined to shut their ears against the most plain and conclusive arguments which can be offered to their cool and candid consideration.<\/p>\n 4. <\/strong>Those whom a false zeal has united together in a bad cause are extremely fond of increasing their strength by bringing over as many as possible to their views and feelings. A false zeal is no less a proselyting than an infatuating spirit. Those who are deceived, as are all who are actuated by a blind zeal, have a strong inclination to deceive others. The Scribes and Pharisees, whom our Saviour calls blind leaders of the blind, would compass sea and land to make proselytes to their own errors and delusions. But zealots are no less artful than indefatigable in their efforts to attach others to their persons and pursuits.<\/p>\n 6. <\/strong>It is the nature of false zeal to embolden and stimulate men to acts of violence and cruelty in effecting their sinister and selfish purposes. A bear robbed of her whelps is not more fierce and cruel than those who are zealously engaged to accomplish a base and cruel design Their fiery zeal sears their consciences and hardens their hearts, which prepares them to sacrifice without remorse either friends or foes, who stand in their way and oppose their views.<\/p>\n It only remains to make a proper application of-this subject.<\/p>\n 1. <\/strong>What has been said upon the nature and effects of false zeal may help us to determine who are under its governing influence at the present day.<\/p>\n 2. <\/strong>It appears from the description which has been given of false zeal that these who feel it and act under its influence are altogether criminal.<\/p>\n 3. <\/strong>False zeal is the most dangerous, as well as the most criminal, passion that can possibly reign in the human heart. It has been the primary source of innumerable murders, massacres, persecutions, conspiracies, revolutions, wars, and desolations among the nations of the earth. A single spark of false zeal may spread from the breast of one popular influential character through a whole nation, and involve them in the heaviest calamities. Of this we have a late and memorable instance. About a half-a-century ago the malignant heart of Voltaire swelled with impetuous zeal to crush Christianity and all its votaries. From him the flame spread among his learned friends; from these it spread among the French philosophers and nobility; and from these it spread among a vast number of secret societies in France, in Germany, and in several other parts of Europe. In this rapid progress it employed a thousand pens and ten thousand tongues to plead its cause and proselytize millions to atheistical and sceptical infidelity. Strengthened and encouraged by their numbers, these zealots pointed their virulence against the throne as well as the altar, which spread anarchy and destruction through France, and involved a great part of Europe, Egypt, and Syria in all the terrors and miseries of a long and cruel war. Such have been the genuine fruits of false zeal in our own day; and such we have reason to believe it will continue to produce wherever it rages without restraint. Let us therefore endeavour to undeceive those who are deceived, and in this way effectually check the further spread of false zeal.<\/p>\n 4. <\/strong>In the next place, it is our immediate duty to cherish in ourselves and others the spirit of true zeal in opposition to false. Our cause is the best in which we can possibly be engaged. The defence of our religion and government calls for our most zealous exertions. (N. Emmons,<\/em> D. D.<\/em>)<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Unchristian zeal<\/strong><\/p>\n A false zeal in religion is always, in some respect or other, a misdirected zeal, or a zeal not according to knowledge; a zeal seeking some false end, or, while proposing to itself a good end, seeking its promotion in some unauthorized way. Jehu had a good zeal, which he called zeal for the Lord of Hosts. His fault was not that he was too zealous, but that his zeal was really directed to his own advancement. The Jews, in the days of Christ, had zeal for God, but it was so misdirected as to fire them with a frenzy to destroy the Son of God, and extinguish the Light of the world. There are countless forms of false zeal now at work, but, in all cases, they sin, not by excess, but by misdirection. Some are flaming with a zeal to spread some of the corruptions of Christianity, and to carry men away from its great and cardinal truths. Some are equally zealous to build up a sect or a party on other foundations than those which God has laid in Zion; and that which taints their zeal is the purpose to which they employ it, and not any excessive fervour of their zeal itself. (Bonar.<\/em>)<\/p>\n<\/p>\n True and false zeal<\/strong><\/p>\n Let us take heed we do not sometimes call that zeal for God and His gospel which is nothing else but our own tempestuous and stormy passion. True zeal is a sweet, heavenly, and gentle flame, which makes us active for God, but always within the sphere of love it never calls for fire from heaven to consume those that differ a little from us in their apprehensions. It is like that kind of lightning (which philosophers speak of) that melts the sword within, but singeth not the scabbard; it strives to save the soul, but hurteth not the body. (Cudworth.<\/em>)<\/p>\n Verse 17. They zealously affect you<\/B><\/I>, but <\/B>not well<\/B><\/I>] It is difficult for common readers to understand the meaning of these words: perhaps it would be better to translate , these false teachers endeavour to conciliate your esteem,<\/I> but not in honest<\/I> or true principles<\/I>; they work themselves into your good graces; they wish you to place all your affection upon themselves.<\/P> <\/P> They would exclude you<\/B><\/I>] They wish to shut you out<\/I> from the affection of your apostle, that you might affect them<\/I>, , that you might love them alone, hear them alone, abide by their directions only, and totally abandon him who called you into the grace of the Gospel of Christ. Some MSS. read , us<\/I>, instead of , you<\/I>; they wish to shut us<\/I> entirely out from among you, that you may receive and believe them<\/I> alone. The sense is nearly the same but the former appears to be the more authentic reading.<\/P> <\/p>\n They; <\/B>the false teachers, that have perverted you as to the faith of the gospel. <\/P> Zealously affect you; <\/B>pretend a great warmth of affection for you. <\/P> But not well; <\/B>but in this they do not well, nor for a good end. <\/P> They would exclude you<\/B> from our good opinion and affection. <\/P> That ye might affect them; <\/B>that they might have all your love and respect; and so, by the ruin of our reputation with you, they might build up their own reputation. <\/P> <\/p>\n 17. They<\/B>your flatterers: incontrast to Paul himself, who tells<\/I> them the truth.<\/I> <\/P> zealously<\/B>zeal inproselytism was characteristic especially of the Jews, and so ofJudaizers (Gal 1:14<\/span>; Mat 23:15<\/span>;Rom 10:2<\/span>). <\/P> affect you<\/B>that is,court you (2Co 11:2<\/span>). <\/P> not well<\/B>not in a goodway, or for a good end. Neither the cause<\/I> of their zealouscourting of you, nor the manner,<\/I> is what it ought to be. <\/P> they would exclude you<\/B>“Theywish to shut you out” from the kingdom of God (that is, theywish to persuade you that as uncircumcised Gentiles, you are shut outfrom it), “that ye may zealously court them,<\/I>” thatis, become circumcised, as zealous followers of themselves. ALFORDexplains it, that their wish was to shut out the Galatians from thegeneral community, and attract them as a separate clique to their ownparty. So the English word “exclusive,” is used.<\/P><\/p>\n They zealously affect you<\/strong>,…. Or “are jealous of you”; meaning the false apostles, whose names, in contempt, he mentions not, being unworthy to be taken notice of, and their names to be transmitted to posterity. These were jealous of them, not with a godly jealousy, as the apostle was, lest their minds should be corrupted from the simplicity of the Gospel; but they were jealous, lest they should love the apostle more than they, and therefore represented him in a very bad light, and expressed great love and kindness for them themselves:<\/p>\n but not well<\/strong>; their zeal and affection were not hearty, and sincere, and without dissimulation, but were all feigned, were only in word and in tongue, not in deed, and in truth: this zealous affection neither proceeded from right principles, nor with right views; they sought themselves, and their own carnal worldly interest, their own pleasure and profit, and not the good and welfare of the souls of these Galatians:<\/p>\n yea, they would exclude you<\/strong>; that is, either from the apostle, from bearing any love unto, and having any respect for him. What they were wishing and seeking for was to draw off the minds and affections of these persons from him; or they were desirous of removing them from the Gospel of Christ unto another Gospel, and did all they could to hinder them from obeying the truth; and particularly were for shutting them out of their Christian liberty, and bringing them under the bondage of the law; yea, were for separating them from the churches, that they might set up themselves at the head of them. Some copies read “us”, instead of “you”; and then the meaning is, that they were desirous of excluding the apostle from their company, and from having any share in their affections, which makes little alteration in the sense: and others, instead of “exclude”, read “include”; and which is confirmed by the Syriac version, which renders the word , “but they would include you”; that is, either they would include, or imprison you under the law, and the bondage of it; or they would monopolize you, and engross all your love to themselves; and which is also the sense of the Arabic version:<\/p>\n that you might affect them<\/strong>; love them, show respect to them, be on their side, follow their directions, imbibe their doctrines, and give up yourselves wholly to their care, and be at their call and command.<\/p>\n Affectionate Remonstrance.<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/I><\/span><\/P> <\/TD> A. D.<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN> 56.<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/P> <\/TD> <\/TR> <\/TABLE> 17 They zealously affect you, but<\/I> not well; yea, they would exclude you, that ye might affect them. 18 But it is<\/I> good to be zealously affected always in a<\/I> good thing,<\/I> and not only when I am present with you.<\/P> The apostle is still carrying on the same design as in the foregoing verses<\/span>, which was, to convince the Galatians of their sin and folly in departing from the truth of the gospel: having just before been expostulating with them about the change of their behaviour towards him who endeavoured to establish them in it, he here gives them the character of those false teachers who made it their business to draw them away from it, which if they would attend to, they might soon see how little reason they had to hearken to them: whatever opinion they might have of them, he tells them they were designing men, who were aiming to set up themselves, and who, under their specious pretences, were more consulting their own interest than theirs: “They zealously affect you,<\/I>” says he; “they show a mighty respect for you, and pretend a great deal of affection to you, but not well;<\/I> they do it not with any good design, they are not sincere and upright in it, for they would exclude you, that you might affect them.<\/I> That which they are chiefly aiming at is to engage your affections to them; and, in order to this, they are doing all they can to draw off your affections from me and from the truth, that so they may engross you to themselves.” This, he assures them, was their design, and therefore they must needs be very unwise in hearkening to them. Note, 1. There may appear to be a great deal of zeal where yet there is but little truth and sincerity. 2. It is the usual way of seducers to insinuate themselves into people’s affections, and by that means to draw them into their opinions. 3. Whatever pretences such may make, they have usually more regard to their own interest than that of others, and will not stick at ruining the reputation of others, if by that means they can raise their own. On this occasion the apostle gives us that excellent rule which we have, v.<\/I><\/span> 18<\/span>, It is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing.<\/I> What our translation renders in a good man,<\/I> and so consider the apostle as pointing to himself; this sense, they think, is favoured both by the preceding context and also by the words immediately following, and not only when I am present with you,<\/I> which may be as if he had said, “Time was when you were zealously affected towards me; you once took me for a good man, and have now no reason to think otherwise of me; surely then it would become you to show the same regard to me, now that I am absent from you, which you did when I was present with you.” But, if we adhere to our own translation, the apostle here furnishes us with a very good rule to direct and regulate us in the exercise of our zeal: there are two things which to this purpose he more especially recommends to us:– (1.) That it be exercised only upon that which is good; for zeal is then only good when it is in a good thing: those who are zealously affected to that which is evil will thereby only to do so much the more hurt. And, (2.) That herein it be constant and steady: it is good to be zealous always in a good thing; not for a time only, or now and then, like the heat of an ague-fit, but, like the natural heat of the body, constant. Happy would it be for the church of Christ if this rule were better observed among Christians!<\/P> <\/p>\n They zealously seek you <\/B> ( <\/SPAN><\/span>). <\/SPAN><\/span> is an old and a good word from <\/SPAN><\/span> (zeal, jealousy), but one can pay court with good motives or evil. So here in contrast with Paul’s plain speech the Judaizers bring their fawning flattery.<\/P> To shut you out <\/B> ( <\/SPAN><\/span>). From Christ as he will show (5:4<\/span>).<\/P> That ye may seek them <\/B> ( <\/SPAN><\/span>). Probably present active indicative with <\/SPAN><\/span> as in <\/SPAN><\/span> (1Co 4:6<\/span>) and <\/SPAN><\/span> (1Jo 5:20<\/span>). The contraction –<\/SPAN><\/span> would be –<\/SPAN><\/span>, not –<\/SPAN><\/span> (Robertson, Grammar<\/I>, p. 325). <\/P> <\/p>\n They zealously affect you (zhlousin uJmav). They are zealously paying you court in order to win you over to their side. Affect, in this sense, is obsolete. It is from affectare, to strive after, earnestly desire. So Shaks. Tam. of Shr. 1 1 40 : <\/P> “In brief, sir, study what you most affect.” Ben Johnson, Alchem. 3 2 : <\/P> “Pray him aloud to name what dish he affects.” As a noun, desire. So Chaucer, Troil. and Cress. 3 1391 : “As Crassus dide for his affectis wronge” (his wrong desires). Comp. 1Co 12:31<\/span>; 1Co 14:1<\/span>. <\/P> Not well [ ] <\/SPAN><\/span>. Not in an honorable way. <\/P> Nay [] <\/SPAN><\/span>. So far from dealing honorably. <\/P> They would exclude you [ ] <\/SPAN><\/span>. From other teachers who do not belong to their party – those of anti – Judaising views who formed the sounder part of the church. <\/P> That ye might affect them [ ] <\/SPAN><\/span>. So that in your isolation from others, you might be led to seek affiliation with them.<\/P> <\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n 1) “They zealously affect you,”<\/strong> (zelousin humas) “They are zealous of you all;” The real enemies of the Galatians were those who came to frustrate them from following Jesus Christ and would have them entangled in the ceremonies of Moses Law and in heathen rituals again, Rom 10:2<\/span>; Mat 23:13<\/span>; Mat 23:15<\/span>.<\/p>\n 2) “But not well,”<\/strong> (ou kallos, alla) “but not well,” or it is “not well,” or in no good way or purpose; they court you to mislead you, 2Co 11:13-15<\/span>.<\/p>\n 3) “Yea, they would exclude you,”<\/strong> (ekkleisai humas thelousin) “They wish (strongly) to exclude you all,” or exclude us from influencing you all and exclude them from association with other churches and companions who hold to the Word of truth, Joh 9:22<\/span>; Joh 9:28<\/span>; Joh 9:35-38<\/span>.<\/p>\n 4) “That ye might affect them,”<\/strong> (hina autos zeloute) “In order that ye may be zealous them,” of their party, their schismatic teachings regarding the keeping of the ceremonies of the Law. They had the Scribes and Pharisees as their forbears, whose attitude to build their party our Lord exposed, Mat 5:20<\/span>; Mat 23:5-7<\/span>.<\/p>\n 17. They are jealous of you. He comes at length to the false apostles, and does more by silence to make them odious, than if he had given their names; for we usually abstain from naming those whose very names produce in us dislike and aversion. He mentions the immoderate ambition of those men, and warns the Galatians not to be led astray by their appearance of zeal. The comparison is borrowed from honorable love, as contrasted with those professions of regard which arise from unhallowed desires. Jealousy, on the part of the false apostles, ought not to impose upon them; for it proceeded not from right zeal, but from an improper desire of obtaining reputation, — a desire most unlike that holy jealousy of which Paul speaks to the Corinthians. <\/p>\n “<\/p>\n For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy; for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.” (2Co 11:2<\/span>.) <\/p>\n To expose still more fully their base arts, he corrects his language. Yea, they would exclude you (69) They not only endeavor to gain your affections, but, as they cannot obtain possession of you by any other means, they endeavor to kindle strife between us. When you have been thrown as it were destitute, they expect that you will yield yourselves up to them; for they perceive that, so long as there shall be maintained between us a religious harmony, they can have no influence. This stratagem is frequently resorted to by all the ministers of Satan. By producing in the people a dislike of their pastor, they hope afterwards to draw them to themselves; and, having disposed of the rival, to obtain quiet possession. A careful and judicious examination of their conduct will discover that in this way they always begin. <\/p>\n (69) ́̓Εστι γὰρ καὶ ζὢλος ἀγαθὸς ὅταν τις οὕτω ζηλοῖ ὥστε μιμήσασθαι τὴν ἀρετήν· ἔστι καὶ ζὢλος προνηρὸς ὤστε ἐκβάλλειν τὢς ἀρετὢς τὸν κατορθοῦντα· ὅ δὴ καὶ αὐτοὶ νῦν ἐπιχειροῦσι, τὢς μὲν τελείας γνώσεως ἐκβάλλειν θέλοντες, εἰς δὲ τὴν ἠκρωτηριασμένην ὑμᾶς δὲ τοὺς νῦν ὑψηλοτέρους αὐτῶν ὄντας, ἐν τάξει καταστήσωσι μαθητῶν· τοῦτο γὰρ ἐδήλωσεν εἰτὼν ἵνα αὐτοὺς ζηλοῦτε <\/p>\n “<\/p>\n There is a good zeal, when one emulates in such a manner as to imitate virtue; and there is a bad zeal, which ‘drives away’ from virtue one who is acting right. And this is what they are now attempting to do, when they wish to ‘drive away’ from perfect knowledge, and to lead them to that which is mutilated and spurious, for no other reason than that they may occupy the ranks of teachers, and that you, who are higher than themselves, may be placed by them in the rank of scholars; for this is what he meant by saying, ‘that ye may emulate them.’” — Chrysostom. <\/p>\n (17) They zealously affect you.<\/strong>Zealously affect is a single word in the Greek, and means to show zeal towards, to court, to curry favour with, to canvass eagerly, so as to win over to their side. The subject of this verse is the Judaising teachers.<\/p>\n They would exclude you.<\/strong>They desire to separate you from the rest of the Gentile churches, and to make a sect by itself, in which they themselves may bear rule. All the other Gentile churches had accepted the freer teaching of St. Paul; the Judaising party wished to make of Galatia an isolated centre of Judaism. They did this with personal motives, not welli.e.,<\/em> from honest and honourable motivesbut with a view to secure their own ascendancy.<\/p>\n That ye might affect them.<\/strong>The same word as zealously affect above and in the next verse. They expect to have all this zeal on their part returned to them in kind. With them it is the proselytizing zeal of the faction leader; from you they expect the deferential zeal of devoted followers.<\/p>\n (17-20) All this eagerness to court your favour springs from an interested motive: they wish to make a sect of you, in which they shall be masters and courted in their turn. Not but that it is a good thing for teachers and taughtyou and Ito seek favour with each other, so long as it is done disinterestedly, and that, too, when I am absent as well as when I am present. My heart yearns towards you. I cannot forget that you owe your life, as Christians, to me. Now, once more, it seems as if all that long travail has to be gone over again. You must be re-fashioned in the likeness of Christ, as the infant is fashioned in the form of man. Would that I could be with you and speak in a different tone, for how to deal with you I do not know.<\/p>\n 17<\/strong>. <\/strong> They<\/strong> The unnamed propagators of Judaism in the Galatian Church.<\/p>\n Affect you<\/strong> Court you, flatter you, zealously cultivate you. <\/p>\n But not well<\/strong> Not honourably for them, not beneficially to you. I am your enemy, for-sooth, for telling truth; they your friends, by telling untruth. <\/p>\n Exclude you<\/strong> Shut you off from Christ, his Church, and me, to themselves alone. <\/p>\nFuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
I. <\/strong>That things which are good in their kind may be done for wrong ends.<\/p>\n
II. <\/strong>That nature can counterfeit grace. Thus men feign–<\/p>\n
III. <\/strong>The envy and ambition of the deceivers. Paul must be excluded from the love of the Galatians that they alone may be <\/strong>loved. Thus Joshua (Num 11:29<\/span>); Johns disciples (Joh 3:30<\/span>); our Lords disciples (Luk 9:49<\/span>).<\/p>\n
IV. <\/strong>The divisions between pastors and people created by the false teachers. (W. Perkins.<\/em>)<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
I. <\/strong>Its prominent characteristic. Clever imitation of religious zeal.<\/p>\n
II. <\/strong>Its method of operation.<\/p>\n
III. <\/strong>Its object.<\/p>\n
I. <\/strong>Consider the nature of zeal in general. Zeal is a strong and ardent affection of the heart towards some distant and desirable object. It is not a simple, but complicated, emotion, which admits of different degrees of ardour and sensibility, accordingly as its object appears more or less agreeable, more or less distant, or more or less important. Zeal always supposes a fixed and steady attention to the object upon which it terminates. A slight and cursory view of any agreeable objects never excites in our breast the least degree of zeal to make them our own. But it is a law of our nature that a close and continued attention to any desirable object should draw all the affections of the heart towards it, and, of consequence, should produce the emotion of zeal Whatever agreeable subject seizes and absorbs the mind will naturally enkindle the fire of zeal. Zeal is <\/strong>one of the first and strongest emotions which we discover in children. The reason is, the smallest trifles are sufficient to fill their minds and engross their whole attention. And when greater trifles fill greater minds they produce the same effect. Even philosophers and politicians often suffer the most vain and imaginary schemes to take the entire possession of their thoughts, and to fill their minds with a flame of zeal, which is astonishing to all who have never paid the same attention to the same ideal or trifling subjects. But whatever be the object of zeal, it always appears to the person who feels this lively emotion to be a matter highly interesting, either on its own account, or on account of its supposed connection with some valuable end.<\/p>\n
II. <\/strong>Distinguish false zeal from true. There is a zeal which forms a beautiful moral character. A strong and ardent desire to promote the public good justly commands universal approbation and esteem. This the apostle observes in the verse immediately succeeding the text. But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing. It is the goodness of its ultimate object which renders zeal virtuous and amiable. When it ultimately seeks the promotion of a good cause, it is according to knowledge, it is agreeable to the dictates of reason and conscience, it is of a godly sort, and it resembles the zeal of the Lord of Hosts. But false zeal has a diametrically opposite object, and ultimately seeks a selfish end.<\/p>\n
III. <\/strong>How false zeal will dispose men to act. It is a powerful stimulus to action, and will dispose all men to act in the same manner, unless restrained by soma different passion, or by some insurmountable obstacle.<\/p>\nFuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible <\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n