Matthew Poole and continuators on Galatians 1:14

14 And profited in the Jews religion above many, my equals in my own nation , being more exceeding zealous of the traditions of my fathers .

The word here used and Translated profited, may be interpreted either of his own personal proficiency, and go[illegible: 1 letter]ng on in the Iewish Religion, or of his propagating of it, and making that to go on, which seemeth to be the sense of the same word, 2 Tim. 2.16. And it is observed, that Active Verbs in the Gr. in imitation of the Heb. Con. Pi[illegible: 1 letter]il. sometimes signifie to do ones self an action, sometimes to make others to do it; and Pauls wasting the Christian Church had a rational tendency to uphold and propagate Iudaism, the propagation of which was the end designed by it; this he saith he did, above others of his countrymen, that were his equals in years. By this also he lets them know, that his persecuting the Christian Church was not a passionate act, or for a gain to himself, but from an erroneous judgment, he verily thought that he ought to do wha[illegible: 1 letter] he did, against Jesus of Nazareth, and his Disciples.

He addeth, that he was more exceedingly zealous of the Traditions of the Father ▪ By which he understands not only the Rites of the Ceremonial Law, but the whole body of their Constitutions, which the [illegible: 1 letter]ulers of that Church had made, under the notion of sep[illegible: 1 letter] menta Legis, hedges or fences to the Lawes of God; to keep men at a distance from the violation of them, and other constitutions also, of which they had innumerable. Paul was a Pharisee, (the Son of a Pharisee, Acts 23.6.) bred up at the feet of Gamaliel; (one of the Doctors of their Law) this was the strictest Sect (for Ceremonies) of their Religion; and this his zeal for Traditions, is that which he calleth a progress, or profiting in the Iewish Religion, and was a cause of the propagation of that Religion.

Marginal references: Gr. equals in years.