Commentaries:
Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown
gave himself— (Galatians 2:20); unto death, as an offering. Found only in this and the Pastoral Epistles. The Greek is different in Ephesians 5:25 (see on Ephesians 5:25).
for our sins—which enslaved us to the present evil world.
deliver us from this—Greek, "out of the," etc. The Father and Son are each said to "deliver us," etc. (Colossians 1:13): but the Son, not the Father, gave Himself for us in order to do so, and make us citizens of a better world (Philippians 3:20). The Galatians in desiring to return to legal bondage are, he implies, renouncing the deliverance which Christ wrought for us. This he more fully repeats in Galatians 3:13. "Deliver" is the very word used by the Lord as to His deliverance of Paul himself (Acts 26:17): an undesigned coincidence between Paul and Luke.
world—Greek, "age"; system or course of the world, regarded from a religious point of view. The present age opposes the "glory" (Galatians 1:5) of God, and is under the authority of the Evil One. The "ages of ages" (Greek, Galatians 1:5) are opposed to "the present evil age."
according to the will of God and our Father—Greek, "of Him who is at once God [the sovereign Creator] and our Father" (John 6:38-39; John 10:18, end). Without merit of ours. His sovereignty as "GOD," and our filial relation to Him as "OUR FATHER," ought to keep us from blending our own legal notions (as the Galatians were doing) with His will and plan. This paves the way for his argument.
Other Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown entries containing Galatians 1:4:
Daniel 7:12
Romans 12:2
1 Corinthians 15:3
Ephesians 1:1
Ephesians 1:4
Ephesians 2:2
Ephesians 2:12
1 Peter 1:2
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