"For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my
brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh."
Few characters more remarkable than that of St. Paul, are to be found
in history. He is introduced to our acquaintance on a tragical
occasion--the martyrdom of Stephen, where he appears an accomplice
with murderers--"he was standing by and consenting to his death, and
kept the raiment of them that slew him."
The circumstances of Paul's conversion to Christianity were very
remarkable, and afford strong evidence of its truth. He was not an
ignorant youth, who could be easily deluded. He had all the
advantages of education which that enlightened age afforded. He was
born indeed at Tarsus, a city of Cilicia; but sent to Jerusalem for
an education, and "brought up at the feet of Gamaliel," a famous
Jewish Rabbi, who is said to have been many years president of the
Sanhedrin; and renowned for wisdom and erudition.
Paul's mind was not only early imbued with general science, but he was
particularly instructed in the Jews' religion, and became a zealous
member of the pharisaic sect--verily believed the truth to be with
them--thought it to be his duty to inculcate their sentiments, both
scriptural and traditionary, and oppose all who did not fall in with
their views, and help to increase their influence, and spread their
principles. Therefore his hatred of Christianity, and determination to
destroy it from its foundation--Therefore his implacable aversion to
Christians, and unwearied endeavors to reduce them from the faith, or
compel them to blaspheme, or where he failed in those attempts, to
destroy them from the earth.
But lo! the triumphs of divine grace! This arch enemy, while pursuing
the followers of the Lamb, even to strange cities, is met by the
glorified redeemer, while on his way to Damascus, whither he was
going, "breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the
disciples!" Arrested in his course! Convinced of his madness! Brought
to believe on that Jesus whom he had reviled and blasphemed! And even
changed into a preacher of that gospel which he had been so eager to
destroy!
We know the strange process by which these events were effected--how
this proud adversary was subdued and melted into a humble, penitent
believer! We know the zeal with which he entered on the gospel
ministry--what he did--what he suffered, to build up the cause he had
destroyed!
How he persevered to the end, and sealed his testimony with his
blood!--What a trophy of divine power and mercy! "These were the
Lord's doings, and marvelous in our eyes."
But why marvelous? Why should we wonder when we consider the agent?
God is wont to subvert the purposes of his enemies; and often uses
those means and instruments which were prepared and intended against
him, to accomplish his purposes.
Egypt is said, at a particular period, to have dreaded a deliverer,
then expected to arise in Israel--therefore the edict for thy
destruction of the male children which should be born to the Hebrews,
thinking to destroy the deliverer among them. But while that edict was
in operation, as though in contempt of infernal malice, and Egyptian
policy, Moses, the savior of his people, was born. And mark what
followed. Lo! The daughter of Pharaoh becomes his mother. The house of
Pharaoh his asylum! The learned Magi of that hostile empire, his
instructors! And all to fit him for the work for which heaven designed
him. *
* Hunter Vol. ii. Lect. xviii.
So here; this Moses of the New Testament--this destined chieftain
among Christians, is educated among Pharisees; the great enemies of
Christ--instructed by their greatest teacher--inspired with a double
portion of their zeal and rancor against the cause of the Redeemer,
and sent forth to destroy. But lo! This mighty Abaddan of diabolical
and Jewish malice, is arrested in his course--changed into another
man, and all his zeal and learning from that hour directed to buildup
the cause of God! The energy instructed and furnished, but heaven
directed the use and application!
God's purposes stand and will stand. None can stay his hand, or
reverse his decrees. The means chosen to subvert, are used to build
his cause and kingdom. "He taketh the wise in their own craftiness,
and the purposes of the froward are carried headlong."
While Paul remained a Pharisee he was the idol of his nation; but no
sooner did he become a Christian, than their love was turned to
hatred. No other was so abhorred as he. Against no other did they
unite with such determined rancor. Numbers soon leagued together, and
even "bound themselves under a curse not to eat or drink till they had
slain him." But all their machinations were vain. "Obtaining help from
God, of whom he was a chosen vessel, to bear his name to the Gentiles,
and kings, and the people of Israel," he continued many years, and
did, perhaps, more than any other perform in the cause of Christ.
Jewish rancor towards him never abated, but he caught no share of
their bitter spirit? the temper of Christ governed in him? he loved
his enemies, and did them good. Like another Moses he bore Israel on
his heart before God, and made daily intercession for them, weeping at
a view of their sad state, and the evils coming upon them.
Such is the spirit of the context. "I say the truth in Christ, I lie
not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost that I
have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart.--_for I could
wish that myself were accursed from Christ, for my brethren, my
kinsmen according to the flesh_".
The depressing occasion of his grief, was the infidelity and obduracy
of his nation--that they refused to hearken to reason and evidence
--were resolved to reject the only Savior; and the evils temporal and
eternal, which he foresaw their temper and conduct would bring upon
them--therefore his "great heaviness and continual sorrow."
In the text--_I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ, for
my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh_, the apostle hath been
thought to imprecate evil on himself for the benefit of his people!
All the expositors we have seen on this passage, conceive him to have
wished some sore calamity to himself for the advantage of his nation!
Though they have differed respecting the magnitude of the evil which
he wished to suffer for their sake.
Doct. Doddridge considers him, as "wishing to be made a curse for
them, as Christ hath been made a curse for us, that so they might be
delivered from the guilt which they had brought on themselves, and be
entitled to the blessings of the rejected gospel."
Doct. S. Clark views him, as "desirous of suffering the calamities to
which his people were doomed for rejecting and crucifying the Savior,
so that, could they all centre in one person, he wished to be the
person, that he might thereby procure salvation for them!"
Grotius and Pool understand him, as "wishing to be separated from the
church of Christ for the sake of the Jews!" Which differs little from
Doct. Hunter's sense of the passage--to which Doct. Guyse adds, "a
desire of every indignity of man, and to be cut off from communion
with Christ, for the sake of Israel;" whom he strangely considers as
prejudiced against Christianity in consequence of their prejudices
against Paul!
But why should the apostle wish evil to himself for their sakes? What
possible advantage could his sufferings have been to his nation? Is it
possible that those learned expositors should conceive that pains and
penalties inflicted on him could have made atonement for their sins,
and expiated their guilt! They must never have read Paul's epistles or
never have entered into the spirit of them, who could entertain such
views as these; or even suspect that aught, save the blood of Christ,
can atone for human guilt. It is strange, therefore, that they could
have imagined that he wished to suffer with this view. And it is no
less so, that it should be thought that prejudices against Paul could
have occasioned Jewish prejudices against Christianity, when it is so
evident that their prejudices against Paul were wholly occasioned by
his attachment to Christianity--he having been high in their esteem
till he became a Christian.
David once asked to suffer in Israel's stead; but the circumstances of
the case were then totally different from those of the case now before
us. Israel were suffering _for his sin_ in numbering the people; "I
have sinned and done wickedly; but these sheep, what have they done?
Let thine hand, I pray thee be against me."--But Paul had not sinned,
to bring evil on his people--the guilt was all their own.
Expositors having mistaken Moses' prayer "to be bloated out of God's
book," seem generally to have had that prayer in their eye when they
have attempted to explain the text; and supposing that Moses prayed to
be made sacrifice for Israel, have thought that Paul had the same
spirit, and here followed his example! But that neither of them ever
entertained the thought of suffering to expiate the sin of their
people, and that the two passages bear no kind of relation to each
other, we conceive indubitably certain.
But let us consider the text and judge for ourselves the meaning.
Perhaps the difficulties which have perplexed it may have chiefly
arisen from the translation. The silence of expositors on this head,
while puzzled with the passage, is strange, if the difficulty might
have been obviated by amending to the original. The translation is
plausible solely from this consideration.
Mr. Pool is the only expositor we have ever seen, who hath noted the
difference between the translation and the original; and he labors
hard to bring them together, but, in our apprehension, labors it in
vain.
The passage literally translated stands thus? _For I myself boasted
that I was a curse from Christ, above my brethren, my kinsmen
according to the flesh_. *
* * * * *
* _Euxoman gar autos ego anathema einai apo tou xristou uper tou
adelphon mou suggenon mou kata sarxa_.
_Euxoman_, rendered in translation by _I could wish_ forms in the
imperfect of the indicative mood, in the Auic dialect. Mr. Pool was
too accurate a scholar not to observe the disagreement of the
translation with the original. Some read it as in the indicative; but
it is generally considered as in the optative, and altered by a figure
which takes on _iota_ from the middle, and cuts an _an_ end of the
word forming _Euxoman_, instead of _auxoiman an_. +
But what warrant have we for these alterations? They only serve to
darken a difficult text.
The most natural and common construction of _euxoman_, derives, is, to
glory or boast. _Gloriar_ is the first word used to express the
meaning of it in Schrevelius' Lexicon; and the meaning _euxos_, the
theme of this verb justifies the construction, in preference to that
used by the translators. And the Greek preposition _uper_, which is
rendered for, is often used to signify above, or more than.
+ Vid. Pool in loc.
* * * * *
For the justice of the criticisms we appeal to the learned. If they
are just, our sense of the text will be admitted.
If we consider the context, and the part which had been formerly acted
by the apostle, it will not be difficult to ascertain his meaning, nor
strange that he should express himself as in the text. He begins the
chapter with strong expressions of concern for his nation, who had
rejected him "whose name alone is given under heaven," for the
salvation of men. If they continued to neglect the grace offered them
in the gospel, he knew that they could not escape. And when he looked
on them and mourned over them, the dangers which a few years before
had hung over himself, rose up before him. He had been an unbeliever,
a blasphemer, and a persecutor of the church of Christ; had boasted
his enmity to Christ and opposition to the gospel; in which he had
even exceeded the body of his nation--he had taken the lead against
Christianity--been unrivalled in zeal against the cause, and rancour
against the followers of the Lamb. When warned of his danger, and
admonished to consider what would be his portion, should Jesus prove
to be the Messias, he seems to have derided the friendly warnings, and
imprecated on himself the vengeance of the Nazerene!--to have defied
him to do his worst! to pour his curse upon him!
It is not strange that witnessing the temper of his nation, should
call these things to his remembrance--that the consideration should
affect him--that he should shudder at the prospect of the destruction
which hung over them, and at the recollection of that from which
himself had been "scarcely saved"--that he should exclaim, "God and my
conscience witness my great heaviness and continual sorrow, when I
look on my brethren the Jews, and consider the ruin coming upon them,
from which I have been saved, _so as by fire_! Lately I was even more
the enemy of Christ than they, and boasted greater enmity.. against
him! And should have brought on myself a more intolerable doom, had
not a miracle of power and mercy arrested me in my course!" That such
considerations and a recollection of the share which he had formerly
taken in strengthening the prejudices of his nation against the
truth, should deeply affect him, and draw such expression from him as
we find in the text and context, is not strange. They appear natural
for a person circumstanced as he was at that time; and especially to
one divinely forewarned of the devastation then coming on his place
and nation.
These we conceive to be the feelings and views expressed by the
apostle in the beginning of this chapter--but that he should wish to
be put into the place of Christ; or madly with evil to himself, from
which nobody could be benefited, cannot be suspected; unless with
Festus, we suppose him to have been "beside himself," and not to have
known what he wrote, when he expressed himself as in the text.