administered, and everything is prosperous. This happy condition, secured by
many years of arduous labors, some lunatic might spoil in a moment. This
happened in the churches of Galatia which Paul had brought into life in
spiritual travail. Soon after his departure, however, these Galatian churches
were thrown into confusion by the false apostles.

The church is a tender plant. It must be watched. People hear a couple of
sermons, scan a few pages of Holy Writ, and think they know it all. They are
bold because they have never gone through any trials of faith. Void of the
Holy Spirit, they teach what they please as long as it sounds good to the
common people who are ever ready to join something new.

We have to watch out for the devil lest he sow tares among the wheat while we
sleep. No sooner had Paul turned his back on the churches of Galatia, than the
false apostles went to work. Therefore, let us watch over ourselves and over
the whole church.


VERSE 6. I marvel that ye are so soon removed.

Again the Apostle puts in a gentle word. He does not berate the Galatians, "I
marvel that ye are so unsteady, unfaithful." He says, "I marvel that ye are so
soon removed." He does not address them as evildoers. He speaks to them as
people who have suffered great loss. He condemns those who removed them
rather than the Galatians. At the same time he gently reproves them for rather
themselves to be removed. The criticism is implied that they should have been
permitting a little more settled in their beliefs. If they had taken better hold
of the Word they could not have been removed so easily.

Jerome thinks that Paul is playing upon the name Galatians, deriving it from