Galatians Commentary:
I. Introduction (1:1-9)
II. Paul's Gospel and Authority (1:10-2:21)
III. Faith Alone Against Works-Gospel (3:1-5:12)
A. Works of Law or Faith? (3:1-9)
B. The Law Falls Short (3:10-14)
C. Law and Promise (3:15-22)
D. Bondage and Freedom (3:23-29)
E. Slaves and Sons (4:1-7)
F. How Can you Turn Back? (4:8-11)
G. Concerned Appeal (4:12-20)
H. Hagar and Sarah (4:21-31)
I. Faith Working through Love (5:1-12)
IV. New Life in the Spirit and Love (5:13-6:18)
Augustine writes, "Now it was quite competent for the apostle to say, and to say rightly: 'Be imitators of me, as I also am of Christ;' but he could never say: Be justified by me, as I also am by Christ;— since there may be, and indeed actually are and have been, many who were righteous and worthy of imitation; but no one is righteous and a justifier but Christ alone. Whence it is said: 'To the man that believes in him that justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness' [ Romans 4:5 ]... But it has never been in the power of any of the saints of God to say this except the Saint of saints, who said: You believe in God, believe also in me [John 14:1]; so that, inasmuch as it is He that justifies the ungodly, to the man who believes in him that justifies the ungodly his faith is imputed for righteousness." (On Merit and the Forgiveness of Sins, and the Baptism of Infants, I.18).
Tertullian writes, "One man perverts the Scriptures with his hand, another their meaning by his exposition. For although Valentinus seems to use the entire volume, he has none the less laid violent hands on the truth only with a more cunning mind and skill than Marcion. Marcion expressly and openly used the knife, not the pen, since he made such an excision of the Scriptures as suited his own subject-matter. Valentinus, however, abstained from such excision, because he did not invent Scriptures to square with his own subject-matter, but adapted his matter to the Scriptures; and yet he took away more, and added more, by removing the proper meaning of every particular word, and adding fantastic arrangements of things which have no real existence." (Prescription Against Heretics, 38).
J. C. Ryle comments, "We all know the habit of mind that makes men great in this world,—that makes such men as Alexander the Great, or Julius Caesar, or Oliver Cromwell, or Peter the Great, or Charles XII., or Marlborough, or Napoleon, or Pitt. We know that, with all their faults, they were all men of one thing. They threw themselves into one grand pursuit. They cared for nothing else. They put every thing else aside. They counted everything else as second-rate, and of subordinate importance, compared to the one thing that they put before their eyes every day they lived. I say that the same habit of mind applied to the service of the Lord Jesus Christ becomes religious zeal." (Practical Religion: Zeal).
Ver 12a. I beg you, brothers, become as I am, for I also have become as you are.
Ver 12b-13. You did me no wrong, but you know that because of weakness in the flesh I preached the Good News to you the first time.
Ver 14. That which was a temptation to you in my flesh, you didn’t despise nor reject; but you received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.
Ver 15. What was the blessing you enjoyed? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have plucked out your eyes and given them to me.
Ver 16. So then, have I become your enemy by telling you the truth?
Ver 17. They zealously seek you in no good way. No, they desire to alienate you, that you may seek them.
Ver 18. But it is always good to be zealous in a good cause, and not only when I am present with you.
Ver 19. My little children, of whom I am again in travail until Christ is formed in you—
Ver 20. but I could wish to be present with you now, and to change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.