Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

such an one I will boast: but] of myself I will not boast, except in my weaknesses.

13 For what is it wherein ye have been inferior to other churches, unless it be that I myself was not burdensome to you? forgive me this wrong. 14 Behold, a third time, I am ready to come to you; and I will not be burdensome to you: for I seek not yours, but you. For the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children. 15 And I will very gladly spend,

6 For if I were willing to boast, I should not be foolish; for I should speak the truth: but I forbear, lest any one should think concerning me above what he seeth me to be, or what he heareth from me. 7 And lest I should be too much exalted, by the exceeding greatness of God's revelations, there hath been given me a thorn and be altogether spent for in the flesh, an angel-adver- you though loving you most sary to buffet me, [lest, I say, abundantly, I am less loved I should be too much exalted.] by you. 8 Concerning this, I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. 9 And he said "My favour is sufficient for thee for [my] power is made perfect in weakness." Most gladly therefore I will rather boast in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

to me,

10 I take pleasure therefore in weaknesses, in shameful treatment, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for the sake of Christ: for when I am weak, then I am strong. 11 I am become foolish: ye have compelled me: for I ought to have been recommended by you for in nothing am I inferior to the chief of the apostles, though I am nothing. 12 The signs indeed of an apostle have been wrought among you, in all patience, in signs and wonders and mighty works.

16 But be it so: "I did not burden you; nevertheless, being crafty I caught you with guile." 17 Did I overreach you through any of those whom I sent to you? 18 I desired Titus to go; and, with him, I sent a brother. Did Titus in any way overreach you? walked we not in the same spirit? walked we not in the same steps?

we

19 THINK ye that we again defend ourselves to you? speak before God in Christ : and we do all things, beloved, for your edification.

20 For I fear lest, when I come, I may not find you such as I would, and lest I may be found by you such as ye would not: lest there be contentions, envyings, wrath, strife, evilspeakings, whisperings, swellings, disturbances: 21 and lest, when I come again, my God may humble me among you,

In the original, an angel-satan. "The best commentators," says Mr. Farmer, "suppose that the bodily affliction, or thorn in the flesh, here referred to, was some paralytic symptom," See Gal, iv. 13.

and I may bewail many who have heretofore sinned, and have = not repented of the uncleanness, and fornication, and lasciviousness, which they have committed.

ye will know that we are not without proof.

7 Now I pray to God, that ye do no evil; I pray not that we may appear approved, but that ye may do what is good, though we should be indeed without proof. 8 For we cannot do any thing against the truth, but for the truth. 9 For we are glad when we are weak, and ye are strong; [and] for this we pray also, even for your perfection. 10 Wherefore I write these things, being absent; lest, being present, I should use sharpness, according to the power which the Lord hath given me, but to edification, and not to destruction.

CH. XIII. 1 This third time, I am coming to you. By the mouth of two or three witnesses, every matter shall be established. 2 I have told beforehand, and I again tell beforehand (as present the second time, though now absent) those who have heretofore sinned, and all others, that, if I come again, I will not spare them: 3 since ye seek a proof that Christ speaketh by me, (who towards you is not weakness, but in you is powerful; 4 for though he was crucified through weakness, yet he lived through the power of God; for we also are weak in him, yet we shall live with him, through the power of God towards you;) 5 try yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove yourselves. Know ye not concerning your-of the Lord Jesus Christ, and selves, that Jesus Christ is in you, unless perhaps ye be without proof? 6 But I hope that

11 FINALLY, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of the same mind, live in peace: and the God of love and peace will be with you. 12 Salute one another with a holy kiss. 13 All the saints salute you. 14 The favour

the love of God, and the common fruition of the holy spirit, be with you all.

THE EPISTLE OF PAUL TO THE GALATIANS.

CHAP. I.

1 PAUL, an apostle, (not from men, nor by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the

Father, who raised him from the dead,*) 2 and all the brethren who are with me, to the churches of Galatia: 3 favour

"Not deriving my mission from other apostles, nor even from God by their appointment, but from Jesus Christ himself; and consequently, from God his Father. Here, observe, Jesus

[ocr errors]

be to you, and peace, from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ; 4 who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father; 5 to whom be glory to the ages of ages. Amen.

6 I WONDER that ye are so soon removed from him who called you in the favour [of Christ,] to a different gospel: 7 which indeed is not another; but there are some who trouble you, and desire to alter the gospel of Christ.

behaviour in the Jewish religion, that I exceedingly perse-cuted the church of God, and laid it waste; 14 and made a proficiency in the Jewish religion above many of the same age in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers: 15 but when it pleased [God,] who separated me to the gospel from my mother's womb, and called me through his favour, 16 to reveal his son in me, that I might preach the glad tidings of him among the gentiles; I did not confer immediately with flesh and blood; 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned to Damascus.

8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any gospel to you, besides that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed.* 9 As we have said already, so I 18 Then, after three years, now say again; If any one I went up to Jerusalem, that I preach any gospel to you be- might see Peter; and abode sides that which ye have re- with him fifteen days. 19 But ceived, let him be accursed.* I saw none other of the apos10 For, do I now approve my-tles, except James, the Lord's self to men, or to God? or do I seek to please men? [for] if I still pleased men, I should not be a servant of Christ.

brother. 20 (Now concerning the things which I write to you, behold, in the sight of God, I lie not.) 21 Afterward, I 11 But I declare to you, went into the regions of Syria brethren, that the gospel and Cilicia; 22 and I was unpreached by me is not accord- known, by face, to the churches ing to man. 12 For I neither of Judea, which were in Christ: received it from man, nor was 23 but they had only heard, I taught it but through the reve-that he who formerly perselation of Jesus Christ.+ 13 For cuted us, now preached the ye have heard of my former | faith, which formerly he laid Christ is distinguished from God, to whom he was subordinate, and by whose power, and not his own, he was raised from the dead." Dr Priestly. "It may also be observed; that the apostle's distinction here is not between a man and a being of a superior order; but between men now living in the world, and who were themselves servants and messengers of Christ, and Jesus Christ himself, who had been raised from the dead, and exalted to be the head and governor of the church." Im. Ver. note.

* Gr. anathema, which signifies a person or thing "separated to destruction." Parkhurst. “One cut off from the congregation of the worshippers of God." Macknight. See 1 Cor. v. 5.

tq. d. from no man living upon earth, but from Christ in his exalted state> See note on ver. 1.

waste. 24 And they glorified | vour which was bestowed on God on my account.

CH. II. 1 Then, within fourteen years, I went up again to Jerusalem, with Barnabas, and took with me also Titus. 2 And I went up according to a revelation, and made known to them that gospel which I preach among the gentiles; but privately to those who were of reputation, lest I run, or might have run, in vain. 3 But not even Titus, who was with me, though a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised: 4 and that because of false brethren who crept in by stealth, (who came in privily to spy out our freedom which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into slavery :) 5 [to whom] we yielded by subjection, [no not] for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.

6 But concerning those who appeared to be considerable, whatsoever they were, it maketh no difference to me: (God accepteth no man's person :) those, I say, who appeared to be considerable, in conference added nothing to me. 7 But, on the contrary, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed to me, as the gospel of the circumcision was to Peter: 8 (for he who wrought powerfully, in Peter, to the apostleship of the circumcision, wrought powerfully in me also toward the gentiles ;) 9 and when James, and Peter, and John, who appeared to be pillars, perceived the fa

me, they gave to me and Barnabas, the right hand of fellowship; that we should go to the gentiles, and they to the circumcision: 10 only desiring that we should remember the poor; which very thing I was also earnest to do.

11 But when Peter came to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed.* 12 For before some came from James, he ate with the gentiles: but, when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those of the circumcision. 13 And the other Jews also dissembled with him; so that Barnabas likewise was carried away with them by their hypocrisy. 14 But when I saw that they walked not uprightly, according to the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter in the presence of them all, "If thou, being a Jew, live according to the manner of the gentiles, and not according to that of the Jews, how compellest thou the gentiles to live like the Jews?

15 We, who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the gentiles, 16 since we know that a man is not justified through the works of the law, but through faith in Jesus Christ; even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified through faith in Christ, and not through the works of the law: for through the works of the law no flesh will be justified. 17 But if, while we seek to be justified in Christ, we ourselves also

* Gr. xαтεɣvwσμEVOS ny was to be condemned: q. d. his conduct was highly reprehensible.

seen that through faith, God would justify the nations, proclaimed, before to Abraham, the glad tidings, saying, "In thee all nations shall be blessed." 9 So those who are through faith, are blessed with faithful Abraham. 10 For they who are through the works of the law, are under a curse: for it is written, "Cursed is every one who continueth not in all the things which are written in the book of the law, to do them."

be found sinners, is Christ the | And the scripture, having foreminister of sin? By no means. 18 For if I build again the things which I have destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. 19 For I, through the law, have died to the law, that I might live to God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered himself up for me. 21 I do not make void the favour of God for if justification come through the law, then Christ died in vain."

CH. III. 1 O SENSELESS Galatians, who hath deceived you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been heretofore clearly set forth [among you] as crucified? 2 This only I desire to learn from you: Received ye the spirit through the works of the law, or through the hearing of faith? 3 Are ye so senseless? having begun with the spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? 4 Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if indeed it must even be in vain.

5 He, therefore, who ministered to you the spirit, and wrought miracles among you, did he these things through the works of the law, or through the hearing of faith? 6 it was through faith: even as "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness.' 7 Know therefore, that those who live through faith are the sons of Abraham. 8

[ocr errors]

11 But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God, is evident: for "the just through faith shall live." 12 Now the law is not through faith: but he who doth them, shall live in them." 13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, having been made a curse for us: (for it is written, "Cursed is every one who hangeth on a tree:") 14 that the blessing of Abraham might come on the nations through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the spirit through faith.

15 Brethren, (I speak according to the manner of men,) though it be but a man's covenant, yet, if it be confirmed, no one disannulleth it, or addeth to it. 16 Now to Abraham, and to his seed, the promises were made. (It is not said, "And to seeds," as of many; but as of one; "And to thy seed," which one person is Christ.)

17 And this I say, that the covenant which God confirmed before [concerning Christ,] the

« AnteriorContinuar »