Having thus vindicated his apostolic authority against the false
teachers in Galatia, he proceeds, in the _second_ part of the epistle,
to unfold the great _argument for justification by faith in Christ_. The
Galatians have received the Holy Spirit, with the accompanying
miraculous gifts, not by the works of the law, but by faith in Christ
(chap. 3:1-5); Abraham was justified by faith, as an example for all
future ages (verses 6-9,18); the law cannot bring justification to
sinners, but only condemnation (verses 10-12); from this condemnation
Christ delivers us, and makes us through faith the children of Abraham,
and heirs to all the promises which God made to him (verses 13, 14); the
Abrahamic covenant, conditioned on faith alone, is older than the Mosaic
law and cannot be disannulled by it (verses 15-17); the true office of
the law was to prepare men for the coming of Christ, in whom all
distinction between Jew and Gentile is abolished (verses 19-29); before
Christ the people of God were like a child that has not yet received the
inheritance, but is kept under tutors and governors, but through Christ
they are like the same child arrived at full age, and put in possession
of the inheritance (chap. 4:1-7). The apostle adds (chaps. 4:8-5:12)
various arguments and illustrations, with pointed allusions to the false
teachers who were subverting the simplicity of their faith in Christ;
and he solemnly warns the Galatian Christians that by receiving
circumcision they bind themselves to do the whole law--the whole law as
the ground of their justification. They have left Christ, and thus
fallen away from grace--forsaken a system of grace for one of works, so
that "Christ is become of no effect" to them. Chap. 5:3, 4.

The _third_ part (chaps. 5:13-6:18) is of a _practical_ character. The
apostle affectionately exhorts the Galatians to use their Christian
liberty in a worthy manner, mortifying fleshly lusts, restoring fallen
brethren in meekness, bearing one another's burdens, and being diligent
in every good work. In bringing the epistle to a close he contrasts the
vain-glory and hypocrisy of these Judaizing false teachers with his
steadfast purpose to glory only in the cross of Christ, in whom "neither
circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new
creature."

IV. EPISTLES TO THE COLOSSIANS, EPHESIANS, AND PHILEMON.

19. These three epistles are contemporaneous, in the sense that they
were written on the