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The Glad Tidings
by E. J. Waggoner
Introduction
It is quite common, in writing
upon any book in the Bible, to spend some time on an "Introduction" to
the book in question--setting forth the nature of it, the circumstances
under which it was written, and the probable purpose of the writer,
together with many other things, partly conjectural, and partly derived
from the book itself. All such statements the reader has to take on the
authority of the one making them, since, not having yet studied the
book, he can not judge for himself. The best way is to introduce him at
once to the study of the book, and then he will, if diligent and
faithful, soon learn all that it has to reveal concerning itself. We
learn more of a man by talking with him than by hearing somebody talk
about him. So we will proceed at once to the study of the Epistle to the
Galatians, and let it speak for itself.
Nothing can take the place of the Scriptures themselves. If all would
study the Bible as prayerfully and as conscientiously as they ought,
giving earnest heed to every word, and receiving it as coming directly
from God, there would be no need of any other religious book. Whatever
is written should be for the purpose of calling people's attention more
sharply to the words of Scripture; whatever substitutes any man's
opinions for the Bible, so that by it people are led to rest content
without any further study of the Bible itself, is worse than useless.
The reader is, therefore, most earnestly urged to study, first of all,
the Scripture text very diligently and carefully, so that every
reference to it will be a reference to a familiar acquaintance. May God
grant that this little aid to the study of the Word may make every
reader better acquainted with all Scripture, which is able to make him
wise unto salvation.
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