Tag: Galatians

Galatians 4

by on Feb.25, 2010, under Exegesis notes, Notes

1 Λέγω δέ, ἐφ᾿ ὅσον χρόνον ὁ κληρονόμος νήπιός ἐστιν, οὐδὲν διαφέρει δούλου κύριος πάντων ὤν, But I say, for as long as the heir is a child, he is no different to a slave though he is lord of all,
2 ἀλλὰ ὑπὸ ἐπιτρόπους ἐστὶν καὶ οἰκονόμους ἄχρι τῆς προθεσμίας τοῦ πατρός. but he is under guardians and stewards until the father’s set time.
3 οὕτως καὶ ἡμεῖς, ὅτε ἦμεν νήπιοι, ὑπὸ τὰ στοιχεῖα τοῦ κόσμου ἤμεθα δεδουλωμένοι· In this way also we, when we were children, were enslaved under the powers of the world.
4 ὅτε δὲ ἦλθεν τὸ πλήρωμα τοῦ χρόνου, ἐξαπέστειλεν ὁ θεὸς τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ, γενόμενον ἐκ γυναικός, γενόμενον ὑπὸ νόμον, But when the fullness of time came, God sent out his son, born from a woman, born under law,
5 ἵνα τοὺς ὑπὸ νόμον ἐξαγοράσῃ, ἵνα τὴν υἱοθεσίαν ἀπολάβωμεν. In order to redeem those under law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.
6 Ὅτι δέ ἐστε υἱοί, ἐξαπέστειλεν ὁ θεὸς τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ εἰς τὰς καρδίας ἡμῶν κρᾶζον· αββα ὁ πατήρ. Now because you are sons, God sent out the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father”.
7 ὥστε οὐκέτι εἶ δοῦλος ἀλλὰ υἱός· εἰ δὲ υἱός, καὶ κληρονόμος διὰ θεοῦ. Thus you are no longer a slave but a son; but if a son, also an heir through God.
8 Ἀλλὰ τότε μὲν οὐκ εἰδότες θεὸν ἐδουλεύσατε τοῖς φύσει μὴ οὖσιν θεοῖς· But then, not knowing God, you served as slaves to those by nature not being gods;
9 νῦν δὲ γνόντες θεόν, μᾶλλον δὲ γνωσθέντες ὑπὸ θεοῦ, πῶς ἐπιστρέφετε πάλιν ἐπὶ τὰ ἀσθενῆ καὶ πτωχὰ στοιχεῖα οἷς πάλιν ἄνωθεν δουλεύειν θέλετε; but now, knowing God, or rather being known by God, how is that you return again upon the weak and poor ‘powers’ – or do you want to be enslaved yet again?
10 ἡμέρας παρατηρεῖσθε καὶ μῆνας καὶ καιροὺς καὶ ἐνιαυτούς, You watch days and months and seasons and years,
11 φοβοῦμαι ὑμᾶς μή πως εἰκῇ κεκοπίακα εἰς ὑμᾶς. I am afraid for you, lest somehow I laboured in vain in you.
12 Γίνεσθε ὡς ἐγώ, ὅτι κἀγὼ ὡς ὑμεῖς, ἀδελφοί, δέομαι ὑμῶν. οὐδέν με ἠδικήσατε· Become like me, because I also became as you, brothers [and sisters], I beg of you. You have harmed me nothing.
13 οἴδατε δὲ ὅτι δι᾿ ἀσθένειαν τῆς σαρκὸς εὐηγγελισάμην ὑμῖν τὸ πρότερον, You know that through weakness of the flesh we gospelled to you at first,
14 καὶ τὸν πειρασμὸν ὑμῶν ἐν τῇ σαρκί μου οὐκ ἐξουθενήσατε οὐδὲ ἐξεπτύσατε, ἀλλὰ ὡς ἄγγελον θεοῦ ἐδέξασθέ με, ὡς Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν. And though a trial for you in my flesh you neither showed contempt nor scorn, but as though an angel of God you welcomed me, as though Christ Jesus.
15 ποῦ οὖν ὁ μακαρισμὸς ὑμῶν; μαρτυρῶ γὰρ ὑμῖν ὅτι εἰ δυνατὸν τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ὑμῶν ἐξορύξαντες ἐδώκατέ μοι. Therefore what [happened to?] your blessing? For I testify to you that if you were able you were digging out your eyes and gave them to me.
16 ὥστε ἐχθρὸς ὑμῶν γέγονα ἀληθεύων ὑμῖν; Have I become your enemy speaking truth to you?

17 ζηλοῦσιν ὑμᾶς οὐ καλῶς, ἀλλὰ ἐκκλεῖσαι ὑμᾶς θέλουσιν, ἵνα αὐτοὺς ζηλοῦτε· They court you – not in a good way, but they desire to isolate you so that you might court them.
18 καλὸν δὲ ζηλοῦσθαι ἐν καλῷ πάντοτε καὶ μὴ μόνον ἐν τῷ παρεῖναί με πρὸς ὑμᾶς. It is always good to be courted in a good way and not only in the presence of me before you.

19 τέκνα μου, οὓς πάλιν ὠδίνω μέχρις οὗ μορφωθῇ Χριστὸς ἐν ὑμῖν· My children, who I again bring forth in pain until Christ is formed in you,
20 ἤθελον δὲ παρεῖναι πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἄρτι καὶ ἀλλάξαι τὴν φωνήν μου, ὅτι ἀποροῦμαι ἐν ὑμῖν. I have desired to be present before you now and change my tone, because I am perplexed in you.

Allegory of Hagar and Sarah (4:21-31)

Narrative (4:21-23)

21 Λέγετέ μοι, οἱ ὑπὸ νόμον θέλοντες εἶναι, τὸν νόμον οὐκ ἀκούετε; Tell me, the ones desiring to be under law, have you not heard the law? Some later Western MSS substitute ἀναγινῶσκετε in place of ἀκούετε. This is possibly a retranslation from the Latin.
22 γέγραπται γὰρ ὅτι Ἀβραὰμ δύο υἱοὺς ἔσχεν, ἕνα ἐκ τῆς παιδίσκης καὶ ἕνα ἐκ τῆς ἐλευθέρας. For it stands written that Abraham had two sons, one of the slave woman and one of the free woman.
23 ἀλλ᾿ ὁ μὲν ἐκ τῆς παιδίσκης κατὰ σάρκα γεγέννηται, ὁ δὲ ἐκ τῆς ἐλευθέρας δι᾿ ἐπαγγελίας. But the one of the slave woman was born according to flesh, and the one of the free woman through a promise.
  • P46 and B omit the first μὲν, but the balance of external evidence is in favour of its retention. Internally, a correlative conjunction construction (μὲν… δὲ) seems a appropriate at this point. The most likely explanation is scribal omission, either deliberately (to avoid having two conjunctions in such close proximity) or accidental.
  • There is a significant tradition (B D F G 062. 0278. 1739. 1881 M) that adds the definite article before ἐπαγγελίας, thus making the reference more explicit. Given the balanced external evidence, it must be noted that it is more likely that the article was consistently added to it being consistently omitted. The reading κατ᾽ἐπαγγελίας should be excluded, having only slender and late support.

Structure:

  • v21. You want the law, but do you not know the law?
  • v22. The law prescribes two kinds of sons:
    1. v23a. Slave sons, born of a free woman by the flesh;
    2. v23b. Free sons, born of a free woman by a promise.

Purpose: This section develops the theme of being sons of Abraham. It is not enough just to be a Son of Abraham, for he had two kinds of sons. In particular, we see two nexuses: flesh and slavery on one hand; and promise and freedom on the other. Ultimately, Paul’s objective is to associate the former pair with the Law, and the latter with the Spirit.

v21: The strong imperative, λέγετέ μοι, coupled with an interrogative, signals a return to Paul’s ‘interrogation’ of the Galatians (FIXME – left off where?). He is asking the Galatians to give an account of their beliefs. They are to be both witness and judge.

Whilst it is possible that οἱ ὑπὸ νόμον θέλοντες εἶναι refers to the ‘agitators’ this is unlikely, since Paul nowhere else in this Epistle directly addresses them. His concern is to encourage the Galatians to return to the Gospel they were taught at first. He has no brief for engaging in dialogue with the ‘agitators’ themselves; his attitude to them is much more direct (5:12)!

v22: In spite of the citation formula (γέγραπται γὰρ ὅτι) there does not appear to be a specific quotation here.

Paul continues to draw on the example of Abraham, which he has been doing since 3:6. More specifically, he elaborates upon the idea of being ‘sons’ of Abraham by giving the examples of Abraham’s two most prominent sons. Neither mothers nor sons are named, however, signalling that this is more than simply a narration of biblical history.

The contrast developed here between slave and free is related but distinct from the image used at the beginning of the chapter of a heir who is ‘under guardians and stewards’ (Gal 4:2). There the image is a dynamic one, where one naturally progresses from child to adult and, consequently, from ‘slave’ to free. Here, the image is much more static: one’s freedom (or otherwise) is determined by the one who gave them birth, and the means by which they were conceived. In the language of the Fourth Gospel, one must be ‘born again’ (John 3:3) of a different mother, and according to promise, if they are to be free.

Is there a reference here also back to the τέκνα μου of verse 19? The question is implicit: if the Galatians are ‘children’ of Paul, with which son are they to be identified? This can only be answered by consideration of the source and mechanism of their conception.

v23. Notably, neither son is named or identified as either slave nor free. There are likely two reasons for this:

  1. Paul has already indicated In Gal 3:28 that there is ‘neither slave nor free’. His emphasis here, then, is on the mothers;
  2. By leaving the identifications vague, Paul leaves room for the dramatic reversal that is to come: the Jews are to be identified with the slave woman!

‘Flesh’ is here contrasted with ‘promise’ as the mechanism of conception/birth. One might have expected ‘spirit’ instead of ‘promise’, but the two have already been identified as coextensive (‘the promised Spirit’ 3:14). Of all Paul’s epistles, only Colossians has a higher frequency of occurrence for flesh-related words.1 However, the majority of Colossians references are either positive or neutral, whereas Paul’s usage in Galatians is overwhelmingly negative. Thus he consistently uses σάρξ (Gal 1:16; 2:16, 20; 3:3; 4:13–14, 23, 29; 5:13, 16–17, 19, 24; 6:8, 12–13) with the more neutral σῶμα in Gal 6:17.2

Interpretation (4:24-27)

24 ἅτινά ἐστιν ἀλληγορούμενα· αὗται γάρ εἰσιν δύο διαθῆκαι, μία μὲν ἀπὸ ὄρους Σινᾶ εἰς δουλείαν γεννῶσα, ἥτις ἐστὶν Ἁγάρ. These are taken allegorically; for they are two covenants, one from Mount Sinai giving birth into slavery, which is Hagar.
25 τὸ δὲ Ἁγὰρ Σινᾶ ὄρος ἐστὶν ἐν τῇ Ἀραβίᾳ· συστοιχεῖ δὲ τῇ νῦν Ἰερουσαλήμ, δουλεύει γὰρ μετὰ τῶν τέκνων αὐτῆς. Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia; she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. There are two textual variants in this verse, reflecting its obscurity:
  1. There are five variant readings:
    1. τὸ δὲ Ἁγὰρ Σινᾶ ὄρος ἐστὶν ἐν τῇ Ἀραβίᾳ (A B D 0278. 323. 365. 1175. 2464 pc syhmg bopt);
    2. το γαρ Αγαρ Σινα ορος εστιν εν τη Αραβια (Ψ 062. 33. 1881 M sy bomss);
    3. το Αγαρ ορος εστιν εν τη Αραβια (d);
    4. το γαρ Σινα ορος εστιν εν τη Αραβια (ℵ C F G 1241s. 1739 pc lat); and
    5. το δε Σινα ορος εστιν εν τη Αραβια (P46).

    Of these, (c) can be immediately dismissed as lacking textual support and semantically unlikely. The final two readings are identical except for the conjunction, meaning that the cumulative weight of evidence for δὲ is P46 A B D 0278. 323. 365. 1175. 2464 pc syhmg bopt. The presence or absence of the name Ἁγάρ must be decided on internal evidence; Metzger is correct to point out ”After γάρ had replaced δέ in some witnesses, the juxtaposition of γὰρ Ἁγάρ led to the accidental omission sometimes of γάρ and sometimes of Ἁγάρ.’3 Thus the preferred reading is (a) above.

  2. Later Western MSS (D* F G lat) substitute the aorist συστοιχουσα for the present συστοιχεῖ, possibly represents a retranslation from the Latin.
26 ἡ δὲ ἄνω Ἰερουσαλὴμ ἐλευθέρα ἐστίν, ἥτις ἐστὶν μήτηρ ἡμῶν· But the Jerusalem above is free, which is our mother. Several witnesses (ℵ2 A C3 0261vid. 0278 M ar b t vgmss syh; Irlat) add παντων before μήτηρ. Some have suggested that this is to broaden the inclusivity of application4 but it may simply be intensification of what was already implicit, viz. that Paul is here talking of a Jerusalem that is mother of Jews and Gentiles alike.
27 γέγραπται γάρ·

εὐφράνθητι, στεῖρα ἡ οὐ τίκτουσα,
    
ῥῆξον καὶ βόησον, ἡ οὐκ ὠδίνουσα·
ὅτι πολλὰ τὰ τέκνα τῆς ἐρήμου
    
μᾶλλον ἢ τῆς ἐχούσης τὸν ἄνδρα.

For it stands written:
Be made glad, you barren one who does not bear,
     break forth and cry out, you not in birth-pains
Because many are the children of the desolate one
     more than the one having a husband.

Application (4:28-31)

28 ὑμεῖς δέ, ἀδελφοί, κατὰ Ἰσαὰκ ἐπαγγελίας τέκνα ἐστέ. Now you, brothers [and sisters], according to Isaac you are children of a promise. A significant tradition (ℵ A C D2 Ψ 062 M lat sy bo) casts this verse in the first person plural, perhaps as an assimilation to the first person pronoun in vv. 26, 31.5
29 ἀλλ᾿ ὥσπερ τότε ὁ κατὰ σάρκα γεννηθεὶς ἐδίωκεν τὸν κατὰ πνεῦμα, οὕτως καὶ νῦν. But just as then the one born according to flesh persecuted the one according to spirit, so it is now.
30 ἀλλὰ τί λέγει ἡ γραφή; ἔκβαλε τὴν παιδίσκην καὶ τὸν υἱὸν αὐτῆς· οὐ γὰρ μὴ κληρονομήσει ὁ υἱὸς τῆς παιδίσκης μετὰ τοῦ υἱοῦ τῆς ἐλευθέρας. But why does the Scripture say: ‘Cast out the slave woman and her son; for the son of the slave woman will not inherit with the son of the free woman’? There are two variants in this verse:
  1. A number of MSS (A C F G Ψ 1739. 1881 M) support κληρονομήση in place of κληρονομήσει, however the support for this is largely late.
  2. Again, some Western MSS (D* F G it vgms) substitute μου Ισαακ for τῆς ἐλευθέρας. This is probably in order to conform to the LXX reading of Gen 21:10.6
31 διό, ἀδελφοί, οὐκ ἐσμὲν παιδίσκης τέκνα ἀλλὰ τῆς ἐλευθέρας. Therefore, brothers [and sisters] we are not children of a slave woman but of a free woman. Several different readings occur here in place of διό:
  1. ἀρὰ (P46vid D2 M syh);
  2. ἀρὰ ὀυν (F G);
  3. ἠμεις δὲ (A C P 81. 1241s. 2464 pc r bo);
  4. Omit (Ψ pc); and
  5. διό (ℵ B D✱ H 0261. 0278. 33. 365. 1175. 1739. 1881 pc sa).

Of these, none can match the early and diversified support of (5).


Endnotes

  1. Based on searching for terms in Luow & Nida “A Body (8.1–8.8)”, Colossians registers 9.25 occurrences per 1000 words, Galatians 6.86 and 1 Corinthians 6.76.
  2. Does this suggest a negative connotation for the phrase σαρκὶ καὶ αἵματι (Gal 1:16)?
  3. Bruce M. Metzger, A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament (2d, Accordance electronic ed. New York: United Bible Societies, 1994), 527.
  4. So Metzger, who quotes Zuntz: ‘gives the text a broader, pastoral application, but obscures Paul’s distinction between the ‘chosen ones’ and the ‘sons of Hagar” (Metzger, 528.; cf. Philip W. Comfort, New Testament Text and Translation Commentary (Accordance electronic ed. Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, 2008), 570.
  5. So Metzger, 528.; Comfort, 570. Comfort also notes the frequency with which the two pronouns (ὑμεῖς and ἡμεῖς) were confused.
  6. Comfort, 570.
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Galatians 3

by on Feb.14, 2010, under Commentary, Exegesis notes, Translation

Argument from Experience (Gal 3:1-5)

1 Ὦ ἀνόητοι Γαλάται, τίς ὑμᾶς ἐβάσκανεν, οἷς κατ᾿ ὀφθαλμοὺς Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς προεγράφη ἐσταυρωμένος; O foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, to whom according to the eyes Jesus Christ was portrayed as having been crucified?
2 τοῦτο μόνον θέλω μαθεῖν ἀφ᾿ ὑμῶν· ἐξ ἔργων νόμου τὸ πνεῦμα ἐλάβετε ἢ ἐξ ἀκοῆς πίστεως; This only I want to learn from you; did you receive the Spirit from works of law or from hearing faith?
3 οὕτως ἀνόητοί ἐστε, ἐναρξάμενοι πνεύματι νῦν σαρκὶ ἐπιτελεῖσθε; Are you in this way foolish, having begun with the Spirit are you now being perfected by the flesh?
4 τοσαῦτα ἐπάθετε εἰκῇ; εἴ γε καὶ εἰκῇ. Did you suffer so many things in vain? If indeed it was in vain.
5 ὁ οὖν ἐπιχορηγῶν ὑμῖν τὸ πνεῦμα καὶ ἐνεργῶν δυνάμεις ἐν ὑμῖν, ἐξ ἔργων νόμου ἢ ἐξ ἀκοῆς πίστεως; Therefore does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works powerful things among you, [do so] from works of law or from hearing faith?

Structure:

  • Rebuke (1a)
  • What are your eyes on? (1b)
  • How did you begin? (2)
  • How will you finish? (3)
  • Have you suffered in vain? (4)
  • Does God work by works of law or by faith? (5)

Purpose: Having defended his gospel at length, Paul now argues that the Galatians have moved a long way from that which was preached at first. He asks a series of rhetorical questions that appeal to the Galatians’ own experience, knowing the response they must give.

Gal 3:1. The insult here (Ὦ ἀνόητοι Γαλάται) is typical of Hellenistic and Jewish diatribe,1 and should not be taken too seriously. Paul’s intent is to motivate the Galatians to a response, and to direct their attention to what is to follow. In particular, it is clear that the antitheses to be presented next are no mere minor distinctions; one side is to be considered ‘foolish’, and Paul leaves no room for doubt which it is.

The link between the two clauses that make up the rest of the sentence is the eyes. βασκαίνω meant to ‘exert an evil influence through the eye’2 and to ‘be resentful of something enjoyed by another’3. Paul thus, at one fell swoop, characterises the agitators as envious (cf. Gal 2:4?) and evil. Over against this, Paul reminds the Galatians of Christ crucified. Had they kept their eyes on him as they ought, they would have been proof against the ‘evil eye’.

Gal 3:2. In using μαθεῖν (‘to learn’), Paul ironically casts himself as a student desiring to learn from the ‘wise’ Galatians. Again, the question he asks of them relates to their own experience, this time what they heard, rather than what they saw. The Galatians had received the Spirit, the undeniable proof of the fulfilment of God’s eschatological promises to Abraham and his descendants. That this occurred before their newfound desire to submit to works of the law, and so the latter must be superfluous to entering covenantal relationship with God (cf. 3:14).

The antithesis between Spirit and law is found only in Paul, and then only in Galatians and Romans (Rom 7:5-6; 8:2-3; Gal 3:2, 5, 12-14; 5:18),4 but would have been unusual to his Galatian audience. This unfamiliarity he resolves by appeal to the more familiar antithesis between πνεῦμα and σάρξ, to which Paul next appeals.

Gal 3:3. Paul draws out his implication more fully with a further question: If you have begun with the Spirit, why expect to finish by the flesh? Whilst cast in the interrogative, when coupled with the insult in 3:1 (note the repeated ἀνόητοι) this constitutes an accusation.

In shifting the contrast from πνεῦμα/νόμος to πνεῦμα/σάρξ, Paul has inseparably identified the law with the flesh. That the specific issue at hand is one of observance of the law by a mark of the flesh may be deliberate on Paul’s part, but is probably coincidental as circumcision is not specifically in view here.

Gal 3:4.

Gal 3:5

6 Καθὼς Ἀβραὰμ ἐπίστευσεν τῷ θεῷ, καὶ ἐλογίσθη αὐτῷ εἰς δικαιοσύνην· Just as Abarham believed in God, and it was reckoned to him for righteousnes;
7 γινώσκετε ἄρα ὅτι οἱ ἐκ πίστεως, οὗτοι υἱοί εἰσιν Ἀβραάμ. Know therefore that the ones of faith, these ones are sons of Abraham.
8 προϊδοῦσα δὲ ἡ γραφὴ ὅτι ἐκ πίστεως δικαιοῖ τὰ ἔθνη ὁ θεὸς, προευηγγελίσατο τῷ Ἀβραὰμ ὅτι ἐνευλογηθήσονται ἐν σοὶ πάντα τὰ ἔθνη· The Scriptures foretold that from faith God would justify the nations, and proclaimed in advance to Abraham the good news: “All the nations will be blessed in you.”
9 ὥστε οἱ ἐκ πίστεως εὐλογοῦνται σὺν τῷ πιστῷ Ἀβραάμ. Thus the ones of faith are blessed with the faithful one, Abraham.
10 Ὅσοι γὰρ ἐξ ἔργων νόμου εἰσίν, ὑπὸ κατάραν εἰσίν· γέγραπται γὰρ ὅτι ἐπικατάρατος πᾶς ὃς οὐκ ἐμμένει πᾶσιν τοῖς γεγραμμένοις ἐν τῷ βιβλίῳ τοῦ νόμου τοῦ ποιῆσαι αὐτά. For as many as are of works of law, they are under a curse; for it stands written: “Cursed are all who do not continue with all the things written in the book of the law and do them.”
11 ὅτι δὲ ἐν νόμῳ οὐδεὶς δικαιοῦται παρὰ τῷ θεῷ δῆλον, ὅτι ὁ δίκαιος ἐκ πίστεως ζήσεται· Now, that in law noone is justified with God is clear: “The righteous one will live of faith.”
12 ὁ δὲ νόμος οὐκ ἔστιν ἐκ πίστεως, ἀλλ᾿ ὁ ποιήσας αὐτὰ ζήσεται ἐν αὐτοῖς. But the law is not of faith, but rather the one who does them lives in them.
13 Χριστὸς ἡμᾶς ἐξηγόρασεν ἐκ τῆς κατάρας τοῦ νόμου γενόμενος ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν κατάρα, ὅτι γέγραπται· ἐπικατάρατος πᾶς ὁ κρεμάμενος ἐπὶ ξύλου, Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming for us a curse, (since it stands written: “Cursed is everyone who is hanging upon a tree.”)
14 ἵνα εἰς τὰ ἔθνη ἡ εὐλογία τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ γένηται ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, ἵνα τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν τοῦ πνεύματος λάβωμεν διὰ τῆς πίστεως. so that the blessing of Abraham might be for the nations in Christ Jesus, so that we might receive the promise of the spirit through faith.
15 Ἀδελφοί, κατὰ ἄνθρωπον λέγω· ὅμως ἀνθρώπου κεκυρωμένην διαθήκην οὐδεὶς ἀθετεῖ ἢ ἐπιδιατάσσεται. Brothers [and sisters], according to a human thing I say: though a covenant is established of a man, no one annuls or adds to it.5
16 τῷ δὲ Ἀβραὰμ ἐρρέθησαν αἱ ἐπαγγελίαι καὶ τῷ σπέρματι αὐτοῦ. οὐ λέγει· καὶ τοῖς σπέρμασιν, ὡς ἐπὶ πολλῶν ἀλλ᾿ ὡς ἐφ᾿ ἑνός· καὶ τῷ σπέρματί σου, ὅς ἐστιν Χριστός. Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. It does not say, ‘And to the seeds’, as though concerning many but as though concerning one, ‘And to your seed’, who is Christ.
17 τοῦτο δὲ λέγω· διαθήκην προκεκυρωμένην ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ ὁ μετὰ τετρακόσια καὶ τριάκοντα ἔτη γεγονὼς νόμος οὐκ ἀκυροῖ εἰς τὸ καταργῆσαι τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν. Now this I say: The law, introduced 430 years afterward, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God, so as to annul the promise.
18 εἰ γὰρ ἐκ νόμου ἡ κληρονομία, οὐκέτι ἐξ ἐπαγγελίας· τῷ δὲ Ἀβραὰμ δι᾿ ἐπαγγελίας κεχάρισται ὁ θεός. For if from law comes the inheritances, nothing [comes] from promise; but God gave freely to Abraham through a promise.
19 Τί οὖν ὁ νόμος; τῶν παραβάσεων χάριν προσετέθη, ἄχρις οὗ ἔλθῃ τὸ σπέρμα ᾧ ἐπήγγελται, διαταγεὶς δι᾿ ἀγγέλων ἐν χειρὶ μεσίτου. Why then the law? It was added because of disobedience, until the one should come, the seed promised to him [Abraham]. It was commanded by God through angels in the hand of a mediator.
20 ὁ δὲ μεσίτης ἑνὸς οὐκ ἔστιν, ὁ δὲ θεὸς εἷς ἐστιν. Now a mediator is not one, but God is one.
21 ὁ οὖν νόμος κατὰ τῶν ἐπαγγελιῶν [τοῦ θεοῦ]; μὴ γένοιτο. εἰ γὰρ ἐδόθη νόμος ὁ δυνάμενος ζῳοποιῆσαι, ὄντως ἐκ νόμου ἂν ἦν ἡ δικαιοσύνη· Therefore, is the law opposed to the promises of God? In no way! For if a law had been given able to make alive, there would indeed have been righteousness from law.
22 ἀλλὰ συνέκλεισεν ἡ γραφὴ τὰ πάντα ὑπὸ ἁμαρτίαν, ἵνα ἡ ἐπαγγελία ἐκ πίστεως Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ δοθῇ τοῖς πιστεύουσιν. But Scripture imprisoned all things under sin, so that the promise from faith in Jesus Christ was given to the ones believing.
23 Πρὸ τοῦ δὲ ἐλθεῖν τὴν πίστιν ὑπὸ νόμον ἐφρουρούμεθα συγκλειόμενοι εἰς τὴν μέλλουσαν πίστιν ἀποκαλυφθῆναι, Now before the appearance of faith,6 we were guarded by the law, held prisoner for the imminent faith to be revealed.
24 ὥστε ὁ νόμος παιδαγωγὸς ἡμῶν γέγονεν εἰς Χριστόν, ἵνα ἐκ πίστεως δικαιωθῶμεν· So then, the law became our guardian until Christ, so that we might be justified from faith.
25 ἐλθούσης δὲ τῆς πίστεως οὐκέτι ὑπὸ παιδαγωγόν ἐσμεν. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.
26 Πάντες γὰρ υἱοὶ θεοῦ ἐστε διὰ τῆς πίστεως ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ· For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
27 ὅσοι γὰρ εἰς Χριστὸν ἐβαπτίσθητε, Χριστὸν ἐνεδύσασθε. For as many as were baptised into Christ, the have put on Christ.
28 οὐκ ἔνι Ἰουδαῖος οὐδὲ Ἕλλην, οὐκ ἔνι δοῦλος οὐδὲ ἐλεύθερος, οὐκ ἔνι ἄρσεν καὶ θῆλυ· πάντες γὰρ ὑμεῖς εἷς ἐστε ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, neither slave nor free, neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
29 εἰ δὲ ὑμεῖς Χριστοῦ, ἄρα τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ σπέρμα ἐστέ, κατ᾿ ἐπαγγελίαν κληρονόμοι. But if you are of Christ, you are thus seeds of Abraham, heirs according to the promise.


Endnotes

  1. FIXME?
  2. BDAG, “βασκαίνω” 1
  3. BDAG, “βασκαίνω” 2
  4. cf. Especially Rom 8:2, where Paul can speak of ὁ νόμος τοῦ πνεύματος, almost as a ‘rival’ law, though he clarifies this a few verses later in 8:6, where Spirit implicitly allows one to satisfy the requirements of the law (cf. Gal 5:22-3).
  5. cf. BDAG s.v. ὅμως.
  6. cf. Richard N. Longenecker, Galatians (WBC 41; Accordance/Thomas Nelson electronic ed. Waco: Word Books, 1990), 145. According to Longenecker, this is a ‘prepositional phrase’ meaning “before the coming”.
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Galatians 2

by on Jan.10, 2010, under Exegesis notes, Translation

1 Ἔπειτα διὰ δεκατεσσάρων ἐτῶν πάλιν ἀνέβην εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα μετὰ Βαρναβᾶ συμπαραλαβὼν καὶ Τίτον· After fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem, taking along Barnabas and Titus. The ordering of πάλιν ἀνέβην is supported by P46 ℵ A B K P Ψ 81 614 1739 vg syr(p), h copsa arm, and is clearly the preferred reading on external evidence. The readings ἀνέβην πάλιν (D F G ar b) and πάλιν ἀνῆλθον (C) are later and secondary.
2 ἀνέβην δὲ κατὰ ἀποκάλυψιν· καὶ ἀνεθέμην αὐτοῖς τὸ εὐαγγέλιον ὃ κηρύσσω ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν, κατ᾿ ἰδίαν δὲ τοῖς δοκοῦσιν, μή πως εἰς κενὸν τρέχω ἢ ἔδραμον. I went up according to a revelation. I set before them the gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but in private to the influential ones1, lest somehow I was running or had run in vain.
3 ἀλλ᾿ οὐδὲ Τίτος ὁ σὺν ἐμοί, Ἕλλην ὤν, ἠναγκάσθη περιτμηθῆναι· But not even Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was forced to be circumcised.
4 διὰ δὲ τοὺς παρεισάκτους ψευδαδέλφους, οἵτινες παρεισῆλθον κατασκοπῆσαι τὴν ἐλευθερίαν ἡμῶν ἣν ἔχομεν ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, ἵνα ἡμᾶς καταδουλώσουσιν, But because of the inflitrating false brothers, who had snuck in to spy out our freedom we have in Christ, in order that they might enslave us, The insertion of μή after ἵνα in F G is narrowly supported, and does not seem consistent with the surrounding statements.
5 οἷς οὐδὲ πρὸς ὥραν εἴξαμεν τῇ ὑποταγῇ, ἵνα ἡ ἀλήθεια τοῦ εὐαγγελίου διαμείνῃ πρὸς ὑμᾶς. We did not allow them obedience for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might remain for you.
  • Some MSS (syrp Marcion Greek mssacc. to Ambrosiaster Ephraem) omit οἷς – Metzger suggests that this was deliberate, in order to resolve anacoluthon.2 The omission of οὐδὲ, both with and without οἷς, is more serious in its implications. The resultant reading (‘Because of the false brothers… I yielded for a brief time’) seems at odds with both the literary context of this epistle and Paul’s own temperament. It is possible that this represents a deliberate emendation, along the lines of the principle articulated in 1 Cor 9:20-23 of being ‘all things to all men’ for the sake of the gospel, as well as the events of Acts 16:3 where Paul circumcised Timothy.
  • There is a minor variant (A F G) that substitutes the indicative διαμενη instead of the subjunctive διαμείνῃ, but this has only slender external support, and is most likely a substitution of the more familiar indicative.3
6 Ἀπὸ δὲ τῶν δοκούντων εἶναί τι, – ὁποῖοί ποτε ἦσαν οὐδέν μοι διαφέρει· πρόσωπον [ὁ] θεὸς ἀνθρώπου οὐ λαμβάνει – ἐμοὶ γὰρ οἱ δοκοῦντες οὐδὲν προσανέθεντο But from the influential ones – of whatever kind they were makes no difference to me; God does not receive the face of man – for to me the influential ones added nothing.
7 ἀλλὰ τοὐναντίον ἰδόντες ὅτι πεπίστευμαι τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τῆς ἀκροβυστίας καθὼς Πέτρος τῆς περιτομῆς, But on the contrary, seeing that I had been entrusted the gospel of the uncircumcision just as Peter of the circumcision,
8 ὁ γὰρ ἐνεργήσας Πέτρῳ εἰς ἀποστολὴν τῆς περιτομῆς ἐνήργησεν καὶ ἐμοὶ εἰς τὰ ἔθνη, (for the one working in Peter for apostleship of the circumcision, worked in me also for the Gentiles)
9 καὶ γνόντες τὴν χάριν τὴν δοθεῖσάν μοι, Ἰάκωβος καὶ Κηφᾶς καὶ Ἰωάννης, οἱ δοκοῦντες στῦλοι εἶναι, δεξιὰς ἔδωκαν ἐμοὶ καὶ Βαρναβᾷ κοινωνίας, ἵνα ἡμεῖς εἰς τὰ ἔθνη, αὐτοὶ δὲ εἰς τὴν περιτομήν· and recognising the gift given to me, James and Cephas and John, the ones seeming to be pillars, gave to Barnabas and me the right hand of fellowship, so that we to the Gentiles and they to the circumcision. Several MSS substitute the more familiar Greek Πετρος in place of the Aramaic Κηφᾶς (P46 D F G itd, g, r goth Marcion Origenlat Marius Victorinus Ephraem Ambrosiaster Jerome). Of these, all but P46 and itr give prominence to Peter by placing his name first. Given the strength of the external evidence, together with the greater likelihood of substituting the more familiar Greek rather than the less familiar Aramaic, the reading Ἰάκωβος καὶ Κηφᾶς is likely original.
10 μόνον τῶν πτωχῶν ἵνα μνημονεύωμεν, ὃ καὶ ἐσπούδασα αὐτὸ τοῦτο ποιῆσαι. Only of the poor, that they be remembered, which also I was eager to do.
11 Ὅτε δὲ ἦλθεν Κηφᾶς εἰς Ἀντιόχειαν, κατὰ πρόσωπον αὐτῷ ἀντέστην, ὅτι κατεγνωσμένος ἦν. But when Cephas came into Antioch, I opposed him to his face, that he was being condemned.
  • κατεγνωσμένος could potentially be middle (‘having condemned himself’) or (divine?) passive (‘having been condemned’). cf. BDAG s.v. καταγινώσκω.
  • Once again, some MSS (D F G M it vgmss syh Ambst ) substitute the Greek Πετρος for the Aramaic Κηφᾶς. See notes above.
12 πρὸ τοῦ γὰρ ἐλθεῖν τινας ἀπὸ Ἰακώβου μετὰ τῶν ἐθνῶν συνήσθιεν· ὅτε δὲ ἦλθον, ὑπέστελλεν καὶ ἀφώριζεν ἑαυτὸν φοβούμενος τοὺς ἐκ περιτομῆς. For before certain ones came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came, he drew back and set himself apart, fearing those from the circumcision. A number of generally reliable MSS (P46vid ℵ B D* 33 330 2492 al) attest to the singular ἦλθεν rather than the plural ἦλθον (sometimes in combination with τινα substituted for τινας). Metzger suggests that the ‘singular number ἦλθεν is probably due to scribes who either imitated ὅτε δὲ ἦλθεν Κηφᾶς of ver. 11, or were unconsciously influenced by careless assonance with the immediately preceding and following verbs that end in -εν.’4 This offers the best explanation of how the various readings, although Metzger’s argument that ‘he sense of the passage seems to demand the plural’5 is less convincing. One or many emissaries from James, the point remains the same: Peter’s behaviour altered in response to the new arrival(s), to the detriment of Jewish/Gentile relations.
13 καὶ συνυπεκρίθησαν αὐτῷ καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ Ἰουδαῖοι, ὥστε καὶ Βαρναβᾶς συναπήχθη αὐτῶν τῇ ὑποκρίσει. And the rest of the Jews joined his hypocrisy, so that even Barnabas was being led astray by their hypocrisy. A number of MSS (P46 B 6. 630. 1739. 1881 pc ar f vg bo) omit the και following αύτῳ, however a slight majority of MSS include it. NA27/UBS4 include it in brackets to indicate that its marginality. In any case, little hangs on the difference, since it at most slightly intensifies the idea already implicit in the prefix ‘συν-‘.
14 ἀλλ᾿ ὅτε εἶδον ὅτι οὐκ ὀρθοποδοῦσιν πρὸς τὴν ἀλήθειαν τοῦ εὐαγγελίου, εἶπον τῷ Κηφᾷ ἔμπροσθεν πάντων· εἰ σὺ Ἰουδαῖος ὑπάρχων ἐθνικῶς καὶ οὐχὶ Ἰουδαϊκῶς ζῇς, πῶς τὰ ἔθνη ἀναγκάζεις ἰουδαΐζειν; But when I saw that he was not walking rightly toward the the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before everyone, “If you, a Jew, are existing as a Gentile and not living as a Jew, how are you compelling the Gentiles to live as Jews?
  • Several western texts substitute the familiar Greek Πέτρῷ for the Aramaic Κεφῷ. See notes above.
  • There are a number of variants on the phrase καὶ οὐχὶ Ἰουδαϊκῶς ζῇς:
    1. καὶ οὐκ Ἰουδαϊκῶς ζῇς (F G 6. 630. 1739 pc): The slightly diminished emphasis of the οὐκ (compared to οὐχὶ) does not match with the context. The Apostle’s point is that Peter is a Jew but not living as a Jew. This is probably a scribal omission, or assimilation to the earlier portion of the verse. The external support for this reading is slender and late.
    2. ζῇς καὶ οὐκ Ἰουδαϊκῶς (D2 M): Once again, the support for this reading is narrow and late. It is probably a stylistic correction to connect the verb more directly with the preceding clause, rendering the following clause subordinate. On the substitution of οὐκ for οὐχὶ see above.
    3. ζῇς καὶ οὐχὶ Ἰουδαϊκῶς (D✱ 326. 1241s. 1505. 2464 pc vgcl): Whilst enjoying marginally more external support than the previous readings this is probably also a stylistic amendment as per number 2 above.
    4. ζῇς (P46 1881 pc ar b d; Ambst): This shortened reading lessens the rhetorical force of Paul’s point. It is likely that this is an accidental scribal omission.
    5. καὶ οὐχὶ Ἰουδαϊκῶς ζῇς (ℵ A B C H P Ψ 0278. 33. 81. 104. 1175 pc): This is clearly the best attested variant, and preserves a strong emphasis consistent with the context. It is thus to be preferred.
15 Ἡμεῖς φύσει Ἰουδαῖοι καὶ οὐκ ἐξ ἐθνῶν ἁμαρτωλοί· We ourselves are by nature Jews and not sinners out of the Gentiles.
16 εἰδότες δὲ ὅτι οὐ δικαιοῦται ἄνθρωπος ἐξ ἔργων νόμου ἐὰν μὴ διὰ πίστεως Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, καὶ ἡμεῖς εἰς Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν ἐπιστεύσαμεν, ἵνα δικαιωθῶμεν ἐκ πίστεως Χριστοῦ καὶ οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων νόμου, ὅτι ἐξ ἔργων νόμου οὐ δικαιωθήσεται πᾶσα σάρξ. But we are knowing that a person is not made righteous out of works of the law except through faith in Jesus Christ, and we ourselves have believed into Christ Jesus, so that we are made righteous out of faith in Christ and not out of works of the law, because all flesh will not be made righteous out of works of the law.
  • A number of generally reliable MSS (P46 A D2 Ψ 0278✱. 33. 1739. 1881 M syh) omit the contrastive δὲ at the beginning of this verse, however it provides a contextually appropriate (if relatively weak) contrast with the preceding verse. It also has slightly stronger MS support (ℵ B C D✱ F G H 0278c. 81. 104. 1175. 1241s. 2464 pc lat ). These factors weigh in favour of its inclusion.
  • The transposition of Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ and Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν both have relatively narrow external support, and are of no significance.
  • Several late MSS (C D2 H Ψ M f vg) substitute διότι for the final ὅτι. This is probably a deliberate change, either for stylistic variation or, more likely, to distinguish it from the ὅτι at the beginning of the verse, which functions as a ‘marker of narrative or discourse content’6.
17 εἰ δὲ ζητοῦντες δικαιωθῆναι ἐν Χριστῷ εὑρέθημεν καὶ αὐτοὶ ἁμαρτωλοί, ἆρα Χριστὸς ἁμαρτίας διάκονος; μὴ γένοιτο. But if, seeking to be made righteous in Christ, we also are found to be sinners, is Christ, then, a servant of sin? By no means! Some witnesses (B2 H 0278. 365. 945. 1175. 1739. 1881 al it; Ambst) substitute the inferential ἄρα in place of the interrogative ἆρα, but this is both late and contextually improbable in the middle of a rhetorical question.
18 εἰ γὰρ ἃ κατέλυσα ταῦτα πάλιν οἰκοδομῶ, παραβάτην ἐμαυτὸν συνιστάνω. For if the things I destroyed these things I build again, I demonstrate myself a transgressor.
19 ἐγὼ γὰρ διὰ νόμου νόμῳ ἀπέθανον, ἵνα θεῷ ζήσω. Χριστῷ συνεσταύρωμαι·7 For through the law I myself died to sin, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ.
20 ζῶ δὲ οὐκέτι ἐγώ, ζῇ δὲ ἐν ἐμοὶ Χριστός· ὃ δὲ νῦν ζῶ ἐν σαρκί, ἐν πίστει ζῶ τῇ τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ἀγαπήσαντός με καὶ παραδόντος ἑαυτὸν ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ. But it is no longer I myself who lives, but Christ lives in me; that which I now live in flesh, in faith I live to the son of God, the one who loved me and gave himself for me. Several important witnesses (P46 B D* G itd, g Marius Victorinus Pelagius) support the reading θεοῦ καὶ Χριστοῦ in place of τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ. Metzger argument that this would be unusual since ‘Paul nowhere else expressly speaks of God as the object of a Christian’s faith’8 is unconvincing since Paul speaks of Abraham believing in God (Rom 4:3, 17; Gal 3:6) and speaks of believers trusting in God (Rom 15:13). Nevertheless, Metzger offers the most convincing reconstruction as to how this variant came about, arguing that the scribe’s eye skipped from the first to the second τοῦ, and later attempted to go back and correct by adding και Χριστοῦ.9
21 Οὐκ ἀθετῶ τὴν χάριν τοῦ θεοῦ· εἰ γὰρ διὰ νόμου δικαιοσύνη, ἄρα Χριστὸς δωρεὰν ἀπέθανεν. I do not nullify the grace of God; for if through the law [came] righteousness, then Christ died in vain.

Endnotes

  1. cf. BDAG s.v. δοκέω 2.a.β. : ‘be influential, be recognized as being someth., have a reputation’
  2. Bruce M. Metzger, A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament (2d, Accordance electronic ed. New York: United Bible Societies, 1994), 522.
  3. διαμένω is found in the subjunctive only here in the NT, compared to three instances in the indicative (Luke 1:22; Heb 1:11; 2 Pet 3:4) and one participle (Luke 22:8).
  4. Bruce M. Metzger, A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament (2d, Accordance electronic ed. New York: United Bible Societies, 1994), 524.
  5. Bruce M. Metzger, A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament (2d, Accordance electronic ed. New York: United Bible Societies, 1994), 524.
  6. “ὅτι,” BDAG, 731.
  7. The clause Χριστῷ συνεσταύρωμαι (‘I have been crucified with Christ’) is placed at the beginning of v. 20 in most English versions, but both NA27, UBS4 and the NRSV place it here.
  8. Bruce M. Metzger, A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament (2d, Accordance electronic ed. New York: United Bible Societies, 1994), 524.
  9. Bruce M. Metzger, A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament (2d, Accordance electronic ed. New York: United Bible Societies, 1994), 524.
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Galatians 1

by on Jan.09, 2010, under Exegesis notes, Translation

Galatians 1:1-5 – Greetings and thanksgiving

1 Παῦλος ἀπόστολος οὐκ ἀπ᾿ ἀνθρώπων οὐδὲ δι᾿ ἀνθρώπου ἀλλὰ διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ θεοῦ πατρὸς τοῦ ἐγείραντος αὐτὸν ἐκ νεκρῶν, Paul, an apostle – not from men nor through a man but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, the one who raised him from the dead –
  • t. v. McionHier omits καὶ θεοῦ πατρὸς, but this is likely either an accidental scribal omission or a deliberate foreshortening to place particular emphasis on Christ. Certainly the external evidence is slender, and the internal evidence suggests that Paul customarily spoke of the Father raising Christ, rather than Christ raising himself (cf. esp. 1 Cor 15:15; Col 2:12).
2 καὶ οἱ σὺν ἐμοὶ πάντες ἀδελφοὶ ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις τῆς Γαλατίας, And all the brothers [and sisters] with me, to the churches of Galatia:
3 χάρις ὑμῖν καὶ εἰρήνη ἀπὸ θεοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν καὶ κυρίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, The order of ἡμῶν καὶ κυρίου is uncertain. On the one hand, the external support for πατρὸς καὶ κυρίου ἡμῶν is very strong (P46, 51vid B D G H K 88 614 1739 Byz itd, g vg syrp, h, pal copsa, bomss goth arm al). On the other hand, Metzger argues for
the sequence πατρὸς ἡμῶν καὶ κυρίου (ℵ A P Ψ 33 81 326 1241 itar al) because it accords with Paul’s usage elsewhere (Ro 1.7; 1Cor 1.3; 2Cor 1.2; Eph 1.2; Php 1.2; Phm 3). The apostle’s stereotyped formula was altered by copyists who, apparently in the interest of Christian piety, transferred the possessive pronoun so it would be more closely associated with “Lord Jesus Christ.”1

Against this it should be noted, however, that this may in fact be an assimilation to Paul’s usage elsewhere, so the UBS4 {B} rating is probably generous.
4 τοῦ δόντος ἑαυτὸν ὑπὲρ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἡμῶν, ὅπως ἐξέληται ἡμᾶς ἐκ τοῦ αἰῶνος τοῦ ἐνεστῶτος πονηροῦ κατὰ τὸ θέλημα τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ πατρὸς ἡμῶν, The one giving himself for our sins, so that he might deliver us from the present evil age according to the will of our God and Father,
  • There is strong, diversified and early support for περι instead of ὑπερ (P46 ℵ✱ A D F G Ψ 1739. 1881 M (g) ), however the only other comparable usage in Paul uses the singular ἁμαρτίας instead of the plural as here (Rom 8:3). Compare this with Paul’s usage of ὑπερ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν in 1 Cor 15:3. Thus ὑπερ is the stronger reading.
  • Some late western texts (ℵ2 D F G Hvid Ψ 0278 M latt) place the adjective ἐνεστῶτος ahead of the substantive αἰῶνος, however both the external evidence and the syntax favour the reading τοῦ αἰῶνος τοῦ ἐνεστῶτος, since πονηροῦ is most likely also adjectival and it would be unusual to have adjectives both before and after the substantive.
5 ᾧ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων, ἀμήν. To whom be glory into the ages of ages. Amen.

Galatians 1:6-9 – There is no other gospel

6 Θαυμάζω ὅτι οὕτως ταχέως μετατίθεσθε ἀπὸ τοῦ καλέσαντος ὑμᾶς ἐν χάριτι [Χριστοῦ] εἰς ἕτερον εὐαγγέλιον, I marvel that this quickly you are turning aside from the one who called you in the grace of Christ into another gospel,
  • F and G omit οὕτως, but this is both late and likely a transcriptional error.
  • NA27 and UBS4 tentatively elect for the reading of Χριστοῦ on the strength of strong external support, but in square brackets to indicate its omission by P46 and certain Western witnesses.2
7 ὃ οὐκ ἔστιν ἄλλο, εἰ μή τινές εἰσιν οἱ ταράσσοντες ὑμᾶς καὶ θέλοντες μεταστρέψαι τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Which is not another, except that there are some disturbing you and desiring to turn the gospel of Christ.
8 ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐὰν ἡμεῖς ἢ ἄγγελος ἐξ οὐρανοῦ εὐαγγελίζηται [ὑμῖν] παρ᾿ ὃ εὐηγγελισάμεθα ὑμῖν, ἀνάθεμα ἔστω. But if we or an angel from heaven gospels [to you] other than that which we gospelled to you, let them be cursed. There are 6 different readings for εὐαγγελίζηται [ὑμῖν]:

  1. εὐαγγελίσηται ὑμῖν – ‘will preach to you’
  2. εὐαγγελίσηται – ‘will preach’
  3. εὐαγγελίζηται – ‘should preach’
  4. ὑμῖν εὐαγγελίζεται – ‘to you preaches’
  5. εὐαγγελίζεται ὑμῖν – ‘preaches to you’
  6. εὐαγγελίζηται [ὑμῖν] – ‘should preach to you’.

Of these options, the third and fifth have only relatively late external support, and the indicative mood of the fourth and fifth is out of place in this hypothetical statement. The variation of location of the pronoun ὑμῖν both before and after the verb may suggest that the shorter text is correct, but it seems more likely that the pronoun would be omitted by later scribes to give a broader application than supplied to give a narrower application.3 Thus, the NA27/UBS4 editors are correct to include the pronoun with the subjunctive verb (i.e. either option 1 or 6), and the balance of external seems to favour the present tense reading rather than the future.
9 ὡς προειρήκαμεν καὶ ἄρτι πάλιν λέγω· εἴ τις ὑμᾶς εὐαγγελίζεται παρ᾿ ὃ παρελάβετε, ἀνάθεμα ἔστω. Just as we have said, now again I say: If anyone is gospelling to you besides that which you received, let them be cursed.

Galatians 1:10-24 – The Gospel of God, not of men

By Revelation (1:10-12)

10 Ἄρτι γὰρ ἀνθρώπους πείθω ἢ τὸν θεόν; ἢ ζητῶ ἀνθρώποις ἀρέσκειν; εἰ ἔτι ἀνθρώποις ἤρεσκον, Χριστοῦ δοῦλος οὐκ ἂν ἤμην. For do I now persuade men or God? Or do I seek to please men? If I were still seeking to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.
11 Γνωρίζω δὲ ὑμῖν, ἀδελφοί, τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τὸ εὐαγγελισθὲν ὑπ᾿ ἐμοῦ ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν κατὰ ἄνθρωπον· But I make known to you, brothers [and sisters], the gospel that was gospelled by me is not according to man. UBS4 and NA27, follow ℵ1 B D✱.c F G 33 pc lat sa in reading γὰρ instead of δὲ here. Metzger explains that the ‘transcriptional probability’ is in favour of γὰρ, since the external evidence is ‘almost evenly balanced’ and the other readings may have arisen from assimilation to 1 Cor 15:1 or 2 Cor 8:1.4 However, if there is a difference in the external evidence, it is probably in favour of δὲ, owing to the substantial influence of P46 and ℵ. Further, as others have argued, scribal preference seems to have been for γὰρ in such cases, being both ‘more forceful and explicit’.5 On this reading, then, γὰρ is a stylistic correction, and δὲ is to be preferred.
12 οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐγὼ παρὰ ἀνθρώπου παρέλαβον αὐτὸ οὐδὲ ἐδιδάχθην ἀλλὰ δι᾿ ἀποκαλύψεως Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. For I neither received it from a man nor was I taught it, but through a revelation of Jesus Christ. NA27 and UBS4 read οὐδὲ… οὔτε, following P46 B D1 M. However, the external evidence for οὐδὲ… οὐδὲ is stronger (ℵ A D✱.c F G P Ψ 0278. 33. 81. 104. 365. 1175. 1241s. 1739. 1881. 2464 al). Neither is a particularly Pauline construction. BDAG notes that the two are frequently exchanged6 and so it is probably simply a matter of stylistic variation. Thus οὐδὲ… οὐδὲ is to be slightly preferred.

Structure:

  • Is my goal to persuade/please men or God? (10a)
  • If I am pleasing men I’m not serving God. (10b)
  • But I am serving God by proclaiming the gospel (11a), which:
    • is not from men (11b – 12a);
    • but was revealed by Jesus Christ. (12)

Purpose: Paul commences his defence of his apostolic independence – or, more accurately, the independence of the gospel he preaches. He has just established that the gospel is the rule by which people are to be judged (1:8) and not the other way around. Here he points to the divine origin of his gospel – it comes δι᾿ ἀποκαλύψεως Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ (1:12). The implication is that the ones disturbing (οἱ ταράσσοντες, Gal 1:7) the Galatians bring a gospel κατὰ ἄνθρωπον (1:11), and παρὰ ἀνθρώπου (1:12). This is important in the overall epistle, because it establishes the strong antithesis between Paul’s gospel and that of the opponents (which Paul calls no gospel at all) based on its origins.

Gal 1:10. The two verbs prominent in this verse both have potential to invoke negative images. πείθω (‘I persuade’) carries the idea of (dishonest) cajolery,7 whilst ἀρέσκω can mean ‘to act in a fawning manner’.8 Yet God is also the direct object of πείθω (?) suggesting a more neutral reading of this verb at least. Similarly, Paul implies that by ‘serving’ Christ he is ‘pleasing’ Christ. We may gain greater insight into his meaning by considering the adverb ἔτι.

ἔτι (‘still’, ‘yet’) suggests that Paul is either confessing or being accused of having at some time striven to ‘please men’. Given the apologetic tone of this section, it is more likely the latter. This is confirmed when we consider that Paul has yet to establish the connection between Judaism (the most probable referent if this reflects Paul’s self-understanding) and pleasing men.

Gal 1:11. The preferred reading here is Γνωρίζω δὲ (see above), with δὲ suggesting a mild contrast with the previous verse. Thus, Paul is not pleasing men but preaching the gospel. Thus there is a striking similarity in this verse to 1 Cor 15:1, where Paul uses Γνωρίζω δὲ in speaking of the gospel that he preached and the Corinthians received. A majority of commentators note, therefore, that he is here also ‘reminding’ the Galatians of the gospel that they received at first. The divine origins of Paul’s gospel should not be new information to the Galatians; they need only be ‘reminded’ of it.9 The point should not be pressed, however, since the overwhelming majority of Paul’s uses of γνωρίζω (Rom 9:22–23; 16:26; 1 Cor 12:3; 2 Cor 8:1; Eph 1:9; 3:3, 5, 10; 6:19, 21; Phil 1:22; 4:6; Col 1:27; 4:7, 9) refer to the unveiling of new information, with only 1 Cor 15:1 definitely connoting ‘reminding’.

After the startling accusation of 1:6, and the double anathema (1:8-9), the familiar address, ἀδελφοί, strikes a conciliatory note. Paul’s diatribe is directed towards the opponents at this point, not the Galatians (though this is not the case throughout – cf. 3:1!). These are the men and women that Paul ministered amongst (1:11), and his attitude toward them is amazement (1:6) rather than hostility.

Paul firstly states his case negatively, declaring that his gospel is not according to man (i.e. of human origin). It is possible that this indicates the ground upon which the agitators were denigrating his gospel and calling the Galatians to something else. Several commentators, however, warn against assuming this. Barclay notes the inherent ambiguity of undertaking mirror-reading on a polemical work such as Galatians: (1) Paul is not directly addressing the opponents, but rather the Galatians; (2) Paul’s fierce polemic is aimed at persuading the Galatians rather than (directly) refuting the agitators; and (3)10 Thus, in this verse Paul may be outlining the grounds of his defense against some other charge, perhaps following the advice of Quintilian (so Betz, 59), rather than responding directly to a criticism from the agitators.11

Gal 1:12. Paul presents the grounds for his assertion that his gospel is not κατὰ ἄνθρωπον, first negatively then positively.

Negatively, he denies having received from (παρέλαβον) or been taught by (ἐδιδάχθην) (a?) man the gospel that he proclaimed. If Paul is here responding to a direct criticism, it is likely the criticism was couched in terms of a contrast with the superior quality of their own ‘gospel’. There are a number of possibilities: (1) they had their gospel from James, a ‘pillar’ apostle, whereas Paul had his from some ‘no-name’ disciple in Damascus; (2) they received their gospel by direct revelation of the Spirit; (3) they were teaching the OT scriptures, and thus the word of God. All three possibilities find some support in the context of this Epistle, but (1) seems the most likely in light of the extended discussion on Paul’s relationship with the Jerusalem church (1:13-2:10).

Positively, Paul proclaims that he received his gospel by ‘revelation’ (ἀποκαλύψεως) of Jesus Christ. Much ink has been spilled over whether Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ should be taken as a subjective or objective genitive here. Both are possible – Christ was both the revealer (on the road to Damascus) and the content of the revelation – and there is no need to choose between them.

Not by Judaism (1:13-14)

13 Ἠκούσατε γὰρ τὴν ἐμὴν ἀναστροφήν ποτε ἐν τῷ Ἰουδαϊσμῷ, ὅτι καθ᾿ ὑπερβολὴν ἐδίωκον τὴν ἐκκλησίαν τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ ἐπόρθουν αὐτήν, For you heard of my former way of life in Judaism, that I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and destroyed it, Some later Western MSS (F G) read ἐπολεμουν instead of ἐπόρθουν, but this is probably a translation back from the Latin expugno (‘to lay waste’).
14 καὶ προέκοπτον ἐν τῷ Ἰουδαϊσμῷ ὑπὲρ πολλοὺς συνηλικιώτας ἐν τῷ γένει μου, περισσοτέρως ζηλωτὴς ὑπάρχων τῶν πατρικῶν μου παραδόσεων. And I was advancing in Judaism above many of the contemporaries of my race, being extremely zealous of the traditions of my fathers. Tischendorf lists a couple of variant spellings of συνηλικιώτας:12
  • συνιλικιωτας – A
  • συνελεικειωτας – F G

These appear to be straightforward scribal errors, and are of negligible importance, although the latter may be evidence to confirm F and G as of the same manuscript tradition.

Not from Jerusalem (1:15-17)

15 Ὅτε δὲ εὐδόκησεν ὁ ἀφορίσας με ἐκ κοιλίας μητρός μου καὶ καλέσας διὰ τῆς χάριτος αὐτο But when the one who set me apart from my mother’s womb and he called [me] by his grace was pleased
  • A number of important MSS (P46 B F G 629. 1505 pc lat syp; Irlat pt, arm Epiph) add ὁ θεὸς after εὐδόκησεν. However, this has the feel of a scribal gloss to make explicit who Paul is referring to. ‘It is also in keeping with Paul’s style to refrain from mentioning God by name as a rhetorical device.’13 On the other hand, there is no reason to deliberately omit the words, so the shorter reading is probably original.
  • There is also a minor MS tradition (P46 6. 1739. 1881 pc) which omits the phrase καὶ καλέσας διὰ τῆς χάριτος αὐτοῦ. Unlike to other variant in this verse, there seems little motivation for adding this phrase, as it does not really clarify what precedes or follows. When added to the strong MS support for the longer reading, it is reasonable to conclude that this is a scribal omission.
16 ἀποκαλύψαι τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ ἐν ἐμοί, ἵνα εὐαγγελίζωμαι αὐτὸν ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν, εὐθέως οὐ προσανεθέμην σαρκὶ καὶ αἵματι to reveal his son in me, that I might proclaim him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult flesh and blood; There is a minor variant, supported by P46 D, which reads εὐαγγελίσωμαι for εὐαγγελίζωμαι (i.e. future rather than present tense). The present tense is both the better attested and the more natural reading (Paul has already started preaching amongst the Gentiles) and so is to be preferred. The indicative variant listed by Tischendorf is syntactically unlikely and has only late support (L P et al).
17 οὐδὲ ἀνῆλθον εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα πρὸς τοὺς πρὸ ἐμοῦ ἀποστόλους, ἀλλὰ ἀπῆλθον εἰς Ἀραβίαν καὶ πάλιν ὑπέστρεψα εἰς Δαμασκόν. neither did I go up to Jerusalem to the ones who were apostles before me, but I departed into Arabia and again returned to Damascus. P51 B D F G pc read ἀπῆλθον instead of the first ἀνῆλθον, but this is likely simply an assimilation to the second half of the verse.

Not from Apostles (1:18-24)

18 Ἔπειτα μετὰ ἔτη τρία ἀνῆλθον εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα ἱστορῆσαι Κηφᾶν καὶ ἐπέμεινα πρὸς αὐτὸν ἡμέρας δεκαπέντε, Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to get to know Cephas, and remained with him fifteen days,
  • Several witnesses transpose ἔτη τρία. The MS evidence is fairly evenly matched, although the reading given here is perhaps slightly earlier. Whilst ἔτη τρία might be an assimilation to he ordering of ἡμέρας δεκαπέντε in the second half of the verse, it would seem more natural to transpose the second to match the first. Thus ἔτη τρία is slightly to be preferred.
  • Several Western MSS substitute the more familiar Greek name Πέτρον for the Aramaic Κηφᾶν. The latter is to be preferred, owing to its early and diverse external support. It is also less likely that scribes would substitute the less familiar Aramaic name.
19 ἕτερον δὲ τῶν ἀποστόλων οὐκ εἶδον εἰ μὴ Ἰάκωβον τὸν ἀδελφὸν τοῦ κυρίου. but I did not see another of the apostles except James, the brother of the Lord. Some western texts substitute εἶδον οὐδένα for οὐκ εἶδον, but this is a late emendation probably for stylistic reasons. The reading οὐκ εἶδον οὐδένα (P51vid) is an obvious conflation of the two readings.
20 ἃ δὲ γράφω ὑμῖν, ἰδοὺ ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ ὅτι οὐ ψεύδομαι. These things I write to you, behold, before God, I do not lie.
21 Ἔπειτα ἦλθον εἰς τὰ κλίματα τῆς Συρίας καὶ τῆς Κιλικίας· Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia; A small number of witnesses omit the article from Κιλικίας, but this is likely a stylistic emendation, or possibly a simple scribal oversight.
22 ἤμην δὲ ἀγνοούμενος τῷ προσώπῳ ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις τῆς Ἰουδαίας ταῖς ἐν Χριστῷ. I was unknown by the face in the churches of the Jews, the ones in Christ.
23 μόνον δὲ ἀκούοντες ἦσαν ὅτι ὁ διώκων ἡμᾶς ποτε νῦν εὐαγγελίζεται τὴν πίστιν ἥν ποτε ἐπόρθει, They were only hearing that, “The one formerly persecuting us now preaches the faith he formerly destroyed.” Again, some Western MSS substitute ἐπολεμει instead of ἐπόρθει. (See notes on 1:13 above.)
24 καὶ ἐδόξαζον ἐν ἐμοὶ τὸν θεόν. And they glorified God in me.


Endnotes

  1. Bruce M. Metzger, A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament (2d, Accordance electronic ed. New York: United Bible Societies, 1994), 520.
  2. Bruce M. Metzger, A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament (2d, Accordance electronic ed. New York: United Bible Societies, 1994), 520-521.
  3. Bruce M. Metzger, A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament (2d, Accordance electronic ed. New York: United Bible Societies, 1994), 521.
  4. Bruce M. Metzger, A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament (2d, Accordance electronic ed. New York: United Bible Societies, 1994), 521.
  5. W. Hall Harris, ed., The NET Bible Notes (1st, Accordance electronic ed. Richardson: Biblical Studies Press, 2005), n.p.
  6. BDAG, 740. They cite variant readings in Mk 5:3; Lk 12:26; 20:36; J 1:25; Ac 4:12; 1 Cor 3:2; Gal 1:12a; 1 Th 2:3; Rv 5:3; 9:20; 12:8; 20:4.
  7. BDAG, 791
  8. BDAG, 129.
  9. cf. Betz, 56, where he argues that Paul is ‘pretending’ to introduce new information as a rhetorical device for reminding.
  10. Barclay, “Mirror-reading a Polemical Letter”, 368-70.
  11. Indeed, Barclay raises the possibility that the ‘opponents’ did not consider themselves in opposition to Paul, but believed they were carrying on in the tradition of his own teaching. (ibid., 373.)
  12. Constantin von Tischendorf, ed., Novum Testamentum Graece: Editio Octava Critica Maior (Accordance electronic ed. 3 vols.; Leipzig: Giesecke & Devrient, 1869), 630.
  13. W. Hall Harris, ed., The NET Bible Notes (1st, Accordance electronic ed. Richardson: Biblical Studies Press, 2005), n.p.
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