Charles Ellicott Commentary Galatians 1:4

"who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us out of this present evil world, according to the will of our God and Father:" — Galatians 1:4 (ASV)

Who gave himself.—He surrendered Himself, of His own free act and will, to those who sought His death. The phrase has a parallel in Titus 2:14, and appears in its full and complete form in the Gospel saying (Matthew 20:28; Mark 10:45): “The Son of Man came to give His life a ransom for many”; and in 1 Timothy 2:6: “Who gave Himself a ransom” (the word here is a compound, which brings out more strongly the sense of vicariousness) “for all.”

For our sins.—In Greek, there are three prepositions that can only be translated by the single word “for” in English. The first has for its primary sense “concerning,” or “relating to”; it merely marks a connection or relation between two facts. The second has rather the sense “in behalf of,” or “in the interests of.” The third means strictly “in place of.” The first, as might be expected, is naturally used in respect of things; the second and third, of persons. The death of Christ was a sacrifice for sins, i.e., the sins of mankind stood in a distinct relation to it, which was really that of cause.

It was the sins of mankind that set the whole scheme of redemption in motion, and its main object was to take away those sins. The death of Christ was a sacrifice for sinners. It was a sacrifice wrought in their behalf, for their benefit. It was also a sacrifice wrought in their stead. Christ suffered so that they might not suffer. He gave His life “a ransom for (i.e., in place of) many.” The first of these meanings is represented in Greek by the preposition peri, the second by huper, and the third by anti. The distinction, however, is not always strictly maintained. We often find the death of Christ described as a sacrifice for (on behalf of) sins. This would correspond rather to our phrase “for the sake of.” The object was to do away with sins. They were, as it were, the final cause of the atonement.

It is somewhat doubtful which of the first two prepositions should be read here. By far the majority of manuscripts have peri, but the famous Codex Vaticanus, and one of the corrections of the Sinaitic Manuscript, have huper. The two prepositions are often confused in the manuscripts, and the probability in this case is that the numerical majority is right. It will then be simply stated in the text that the sins of men and the sacrifice of Christ have a relation to each other. If there had been no sin, there would have been no redemption.

Deliver us.—The deliverance the Apostle has in mind appears to be, in technical language, that of sanctification rather than that of justification. For the moment, the object of redemption is regarded as being to deliver people from sin, and not so much to deliver them from guilt, the consequence of sin. The Atonement truly has both objects, but it is the first that the Apostle has in view in this passage.

This present evil world.—The reading of the three oldest and best manuscripts tends rather to emphasize the word “evil”—“this present world, with all its evils.” A question is raised about the word translated “present,” which might probably mean “impending”; however, the Authorized Version is likely correct. “This present world” is strictly this present age. The Jews divided the history of the world into two great periods: the times before the coming of the Messiah, and the period of the Messianic reign.

The end of the first period and the beginning of the second were expected to be especially attended by troubles; and it was precisely in this transition period—the close of the older dispensation of things—that the Apostles regarded themselves as living.

The iniquities of the pagan society around them would naturally give them an intense longing for release, but the release they seek is moral and spiritual. They do not so much pray that they may be “taken out of the world” as that they may be “kept from the evil.” This the Christian way, duly accepted and followed, would accomplish. The Atonement frees people from guilt, but its efficacy does not cease there; it sets in motion a series of motives that hold Christians back from sin and constrain them to make their best efforts toward a holy life. The Galatians had lost sight of the Atonement’s power to do this and had fallen back on the notion of a legal righteousness through the vain attempt to keep the commandments of the Law.

According to the will.—The plan of redemption was willed by God, and therefore all that was done, either on the part of humankind or of its Redeemer, was a carrying out of His will.

Of God and our Father.—Or, as it might be, of our God and Father. It was the fatherly love of God for His creature, humankind, that set the work of redemption in motion; hence, in reference to the work of redemption, He is spoken of as “our Father”—i.e., the Father of mankind.