THE Principal Scope of the Doctrinal part of this Epistle, is to assert, prove, and vindicate the great Article of the Christian Religion, Viz. Justification by Faith in Jesus Christ; in Opposition to the Heterodox Doctrine of Justification by the works of the Law: Though, in the prosecution of this, the other Fundamentals of the Gospel are excellently introduced and handled. Among other things he removes those blocks out of the way, at which men were apt to stumble, by answering ⟨p. 4⟩of those Objections that seemed to cast Reflection on this Truth, and were accordingly improved by the false Teacher […] Calumniate it withal, thereby to prejudice the newly Converted Christians at it. One of these Cavils our Apostle obviates in our Text; where it is briefly proposed and replied unto. The question he starts is, Do we then make the Law void through Faith? The great offence which the Jews took at Christ and his Evangelical Doctrine, was an Opinion they had imbibed, that it was subversive of the Law, under which they were born and Educated, and this they were not able to bear: and because they expected, according to the received erroneous Opinion that had then gotten footing among them, their Justification by by the works of the Law personally performed, they could not endure to hear of Justification by Faith alone in Christ, because it did directly militate against that Tenet: for which cause they resolutely rejected Christ, and bitterly Persecuted his followers. Hereupon, many Judaizing Christians, partly in a mistaken zeal, for want of a right understanding of this point, partly to avoid Persecution, which was raised principally on this account, were very much unsettled in respect of this Article. From hence the false Teachers took Occasion to insinuate their Pernicious Doctrines, tending to the subversion of the Gospel, and grievous Scandalizing of the Apostles, ⟨p. 5⟩not only among the Jews, but the Gentiles too, as Paul makes his complaint in the Epistle to the Galatians. He therefore starts the question, that so he may reply upon it, and remove the Scandal with which the Doctrine of Justification had been injuriously aspersed. The word here Translated to make void, signifies to render a thing idle, unprofitable, vain, or of no use;
THE Principal Scope of the Doctrinal part of this Epistle, is to assert, prove, and vindicate the great Article of the Christian Religion, Viz. Justification by Faith in Jesus Christ; in Opposition to the Heterodox Doctrine of Justification by the works of the Law: Though, in the prosecution of this, the other Fundamentals of the Gospel are excellently introduced and handled. Among other things he removes those blocks out of the way, at which men were apt to stumble, by answering ⟨p. 4⟩of those Objections that seemed to cast Reflexion on this Truth, and were accordingly improved by the false Teacher 〈…〉 Calumniate it withall, thereby to prejudice the newly Converted Christians at it. One of these Cavils our Apostle obviates in our Text; where it is briefly proposed and replied unto. The question he starts is, Do we then make the Law void through Faith? The great offense which the Jews took at Christ and his Evangelical Doctrine, was an Opinion they had imbibed, that it was subversive of the Law, under which they were born and Educated, and this they were not able to bear: and because they expected, according to the received erroneous Opinion that had then gotten footing among them, their Justification by by the works of the Law personally performed, they could not endure to hear of Justification by Faith alone in Christ, because it did directly militate against that Tenent: for which cause they resolutely rejected Christ, and bitterly Persecuted his followers. Hereupon, many Judaizing Christians, partly in a mistaken zeal, for want of a right understanding of this point, partly to avoid Persecution, which was raised principally on this account, were very much unsetled in respect of this Article. From hence the false Teachers took Occasion to insinuate their Pernicious Doctrines, tending to the subversion of the Gospel, and grievous Scandalizing of the Apostles, ⟨p. 5⟩not only among the Jews, but the Gentiles too, as Paul makes his complaint in the Epistle to the Galatians. He therefore starts the question, that so he may reply upon it, and remove the Scandal with which the Doctrine of Justification had been injuriously aspersed. The word here Translated to make void, signifies to render a thing idle, unprofitoble, vain, or of no use;
