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Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Galatians
Book: Galatians
Chapter: 5
Overview:
An
Earnest exhortation to stand
Fast in the liberty of the
Gospel.
(1-12) To take heed of indulging a sinful temper.
(13-15) And to walk in the
Spirit, and not to fulfil the lusts
of the
Flesh: the
Works of both are described.
(16-26)
1-6 Christ will not be the
Saviour of any who will not own and
rely upon him as their only
Saviour. Let us take heed to the
warnings and persuasions of the
Apostle to stedfastness in the
doctrine and liberty of the
Gospel. All true Christians, being
taught
By the Holy
Spirit, wait for eternal
Life, the reward of
Righteousness, and the object of their
Hope, as the
Gift of
God
By Faith in
Christ; and not for the sake of their own
Works. The
Jewish convert might observe the ceremonies or assert his
liberty, the Gentile might disregard them or might attend to
them, provided he did not depend upon them.
No outward
privileges or profession will avail to acceptance with
God,
without sincere
Faith in our
Lord Jesus. True
Faith is a working
Grace; it
Works By Love to
God, and to our brethren. May we be
of the number of those who, through the
Spirit, wait for the
Hope of
Righteousness By Faith. The danger of old was not in
things of
No consequence in themselves, as many forms and
observances now are. But without
Faith working
By Love, all else
is worthless, and compared with it other things are of small
value.
7-12 The
Life of a
Christian is a race, wherein he must run,
and
Hold On, if he would obtain the prize. It is not enough that
we profess Christianity, but we must run
Well,
By living up to
that profession. Many who set out fairly in religion, are
hindered in their progress, or turn out of the way. It concerns
those who begin to turn out of the way, or to tire in it,
seriously to inquire what hinders them. The opinion or
persuasion, ver. 8, was,
No doubt, that of mixing the
Works of
the
Law with
Faith in
Christ in
Justification. The
Apostle
leaves them to
Judge whence it must arise, but sufficiently
shows that it could be owing to none but
Satan. It is dangerous
for
Christian churches to encourage those who follow, but
especially who spread, destructive errors. And in reproving
Sin
and error, we should always distinguish between the leaders and
the led. The Jews were offended, because
Christ was preached as
the only
Salvation for sinners. If
Paul and others would have
admitted that the observance of the
Law of
Moses was to be
joined with
Faith in
Christ, as necessary to
Salvation, then
believers might have avoided many of the sufferings they
underwent. The first beginnings of such
Leaven should be
opposed. And assuredly those who persist in disturbing the
Church of
Christ must
Bear their
Judgment.
13-15 The
Gospel is a doctrine according to
Godliness, 1Ti
6:3, and is
So far from giving the least countenance to
Sin,
that it lays us under the strongest obligation to avoid and
subdue it. The
Apostle urges that all the
Law is fulfilled in
one
Word, even in this, Thou shalt
Love thy neighbour as
thyself. If Christians, who should help one another, and rejoice
one another, quarrel, what can be expected but that the
God of
Love should deny his
Grace, that the
Spirit of
Love should
depart, and the evil
Spirit, who seeks their
Destruction, should
prevail? Happy would it be, if Christians, instead of biting and
devouring one another
On account of different opinions, would
set themselves against
Sin in themselves, and in the places
where they live.
16-26 If it be our care to act under the guidance and power of
the blessed
Spirit, though we may not be freed from the
stirrings and oppositions of the corrupt nature which remains in
us, it shall not have dominion over us. Believers are engaged in
a conflict, in which they earnestly desire that
Grace may obtain
full and speedy victory. And those who desire thus to give
themselves up to be led
By the Holy
Spirit, are not under the
Law as a
Covenant of
Works, nor exposed to its awful
Curse.
Their
Hatred of
Sin, and desires after
Holiness, show that they
have a part in the
Salvation of the
Gospel. The
Works of the
Flesh are many and manifest. And these sins will shut men out of
Heaven. Yet what
Numbers,
Calling themselves Christians, live in
these, and say they
Hope for
Heaven! The fruits of the
Spirit,
or of the renewed nature, which we are to do, are named. And as
the
Apostle had chiefly named
Works of the
Flesh, not only
hurtful to men themselves, but tending to make them
So to one
another,
So here he chiefly notices the fruits of the
Spirit,
which tend to make Christians agreeable one to another, as
Well
as to make them happy. The fruits of the
Spirit plainly show,
that such are led
By the
Spirit.
By describing the
Works of the
Flesh and fruits of the
Spirit, we are told what to avoid and
oppose, and what we are to cherish and cultivate; and this is
the sincere care and endeavour of all real Christians.
Sin does
not now reign in their mortal bodies,
So that they obey it, Ro
6:12, for they seek to destroy it.
Christ never will own those
who yield themselves up to be the servants of
Sin. And it is not
enough that we cease to do evil, but we must learn to do
Well.
Our
Conversation will always be answerable to the principle
which guides and governs us, Ro 8:5. We must set ourselves in
Earnest to mortify the deeds of the body, and to walk in newness
of
Life. Not being desirous of vain-
Glory, or unduly wishing for
the esteem and applause of men, not provoking or envying one
another, but seeking to bring forth more abundantly those good
fruits, which are, through
Jesus Christ, to the praise and
Glory
of
God.