Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges - Galatians 1:2 - 1:2

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Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges - Galatians 1:2 - 1:2


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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:

2. καὶ οἱ σὺν ἐμοὶ πάντες ἀδελφοί, “and the whole of the brethren with me.” For οἱ … πάντες see Gal 5:14 note. Contrasted with πάντες οἱ ἄγιοι which = all the believers in the place whence a letter was written (Php 4:21), and meaning probably his special friends and workers with him at the time. His usual custom was to name some one person (1Co 1:1; 2Co 1:1; Col 1:1; Phm 1:1). On this occasion he may have purposely avoided any name either lest his own position should seem less independent, or lest the one named should be challenged with him. This would be the more likely if he had with him at the time representatives from Galatia (cf. Sosthenes from Corinth, 1Co 1:1). Further the absence of names in this salutation may be connected with a similar absence of names at the close of the Epistle, which was due, no doubt, to the fact that the Epistle was a kind of circular letter intended for more than one place; see Gal 6:18 note.

ἀδελφοί. “Brother” as a term signifying religious relationship is of course far from peculiar to Christianity, though its significance was immensely developed by it. ἀδελφοί was used of members of religious associations and guilds at least as early as the 2nd century B.C. (see Deissmann, Bible Studies, 1901, pp. 87, 142; see also Ramsay, Cities and Bishoprics, pp. 96 sqq., 630, Moulton and Milligan in Expositor, VII. 5, 1908, p. 58). Even in the O.T. we may see the privileges of “brother” extended to all Israelites, and even to foreigners who claimed the protection of Jehovah (Gêrim), cf. Lev 19:17-18; Lev 19:34. In the N.T. ἀδελφοί is used (a) of Jews as such, Act 2:29; Act 2:37; Act 3:17 (cf. 2Ma 1:1), (b) of Christians as such, see (besides in the Epistles) especially Joh 21:23; Act 11:1; Act 15:23 b. Cf. ἀδελφότης, 1Pe 2:17; 1Pe 5:9[41], and φιλαδελφία 1Pe 1:22 (where see Hort); cf. φιλάδελφος, 2Ma 15:14. [From the note on Col 1:2 in this series.]

[41] Is affixed to a word it means that all the passages are mentioned where that word occurs in the New Testament.

ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις. ἐκκλησία is originally “an assembly called out” not from other men (see Hort, The Christian Ecclesia, p. 5), but from their houses or their ordinary occupations. So in a non-religious sense Act 19:32; Act 19:39; Act 19:41[42]. So of Jewish religious assemblies and the Jewish congregation as a whole (Septuagint often from Deut. onwards, e.g. Deu 31:30; Mic 2:5; Ezr 10:8; see also Act 7:38). Christians used it (a) of an assembly gathered for worship (1Co 14:28; 1Co 14:34); (b) of the body of believers that usually met in one house (Col 4:15; Phm 1:2); (c) or that belonged to one town (1Co 1:2), or district (Act 9:31, and in the plural, 1Co 16:1; 1Co 16:19, and our verse); (d) of the whole body of believers (Col 1:18; Col 1:24; Mat 16:18, and in the plural, Rev 22:16). The plural in our verse shows that the letter was sent to many places, doubtless because the errors were not solely, or chiefly, in one town (contrast the errors combated in Col.), but spread over many centres, οὐ γὰρ μιᾷ πόλει, ἀλλὰ παντὶ γράφει τῷ ἔθνει. πανταχοῦ γὰρ εἴρψεν ἡ νόσος (Theodoret).

[42] So a bilingual inscription of 103/4 A.D. found in the theatre at Ephesus speaks of the gift of a silver statue of Artemis and other statues ἴνα τίθηνται κατʼ ἐκκλησίαν ἐν τῶ θεάτρῳ ἐπὶ τῶν βάσεων ita ut [om]n[i e]cclesia supra bases ponerentur (Deissmann, Licht vom Osten, 1908, p. 77).

τῆς Γαλατίας. North Galatia. See Introduction.