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Ellicott sees the connexion with "troublers", saying:
"which is not another (a second) gospel, except (only in this sense, that) there are some
that trouble you, i.e. the Judaists bring you another gospel, but it is really no GOSPEL at
all."
Wordsworth uses this connexion too and would have it read:
"Which is not a second Gospel, unless, forsooth, those persons who are troubling you,
and whose will it is to prevent the Gospel of Christ are somebody", a thought brought
over from Galatians 2 where the apostle speaks of those who seem "to be somewhat"
(Gal. 2:6).
Conybeare and Howson approach nearer to the intention of the apostle (as we
understand him), "for a new glad tidings which is nothing else but the device of certain
men who are troubling you".
If we take as the antecedent of the pronoun "which" the whole of verse 6, we may
render the passage as follows:
"which thing (viz. that ye are so quickly changing from him that called you, &100:, &100:) is
nothing else, save that there are some who trouble you."
This gives the words ei me their proper signification, and throws the blame not so
much on those who had been duped, as upon those who had duped them (see Gal. 3: 1;
5: 8-10, 12; 6: 12, 13).
The fact that Paul calls these false preachers "troublers" is an interesting link with
Acts 15:, even as we found the word "marvel" a definite link with Acts 13:
"Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you
with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law; to
whom we gave no such commandment" (Acts 15: 24).
Just as the Council at Jerusalem said these "troublers" subverted the souls of the
believers, so Paul said that these "troublers" perverted the gospel.
Metastrepho primarily means to "turn", "alter", "change", and the perversion of the
gospel arises out of the awful nature of its contents. It is so unique, so divine, that to
tamper with it must be fatal. In order to compel the Galatians to perceive the serious
nature of this preaching of a "different" gospel Paul uses a figure of speech known as
hyperbolical hypothesis, a figure whose name implies both exaggeration and moral
impossibility and only permissible when an extreme example is called for.
Here the "different" gospel is expressed by the words par ho "beside which". The
gospel of God can brook neither rival or equal.
To Gentiles brought up as we have been with no spiritual history, the pronouncing of a
possible anathema upon an angel from heaven may sound surprising but not
blasphemous, but for one who was a Hebrew of the Hebrews, and who had been an