such mediator in the case of the promise. God spoke
directly to Abraham. And God in the Person of Christ spoke directly to
mankind. Thus the promises are greater and more gracious than the Law.
It is important to observe that the argument implies the Divinity of
Christ.

Before Faith came, the Law played the part of a Greek "tutor," _i.e._ a
trusted servant who attended a child. He took the child to the house
where he was taught, and kept him from harm and mischief. And we, if
we wish to be still under the Law, shall be as foolish as a grown-up
son who wishes to be under a steward and a guardian. We must leave the
mere rudiments of religion now that we have reached a stage at which we
have been taught that God is indeed our Father (iii. 23-iv. 11).

St. Paul supports this conclusion from his arguments by a {156}
touching appeal, in which he gratefully recalls the kindness he
received from the Galatians when he came to them in all the weakness
and distress of fever (iv. 12-20). Then he interprets for them the
story of Hagar, probably in answer to a reference in a letter which
they had sent him (iv. 21-v. 1). The Jew is in bondage like Hagar's
child, the Christian is free like Sarah's child.

After this we have another appeal, a medley of exhortation, warning,
denunciation, and pathetic entreaty: the apostle, himself so
appreciative of great ideas, tries to make the unaspiring Galatians
understand that they are called to the perfect freedom which is the
service of God (v. 2-26). The Epistle closes with some plain words
which the apostle wrote with his own hand in large characters so as to
emphasize them for his readers. The motive of the Judaizers is boldly
labelled. Then, as if there had been a question of his own humility,
he associates himself with the crucified Christ, for whose sake he
bears in his flesh the eloquent marks of the Roman rods and the stones
of the Jews. It was the cruel custom in Asia Minor, a custom not yet
extinct, for masters to wound their slaves with marks which made it
impossible for them to escape recognition. And so St. Paul glories in
the pitiful scars on his body, because they prove Whose he is and Whom
he serves.

{157}

ANALYSIS

Salutation, rebuke (i. 1-10).

(1) St. Paul defends his apostleship: i. 11-ii. 21.--He was called by
God in spite of his fanatical Judaism, God's Son was revealed in him,
he conferred with no man, but retired to Arabia, then three years after