Commentary on Galatians, Chapter 2 · Verse extract 4-5 – Verse extract 6-7
Verſ. 4.5. For all the falſe brethern that crept in, vvho came in priuely to eſpie out our liberty vvhichwhich vve hauehave in Chriſt Ieſus, that they might bring vsus into bōdage. To vvhom vve gaue not place by ſubiection for an houre, that the truth of the Goſpell might continue vvith you.
Here Paule ſheweth the cauſe why he went vp to Ieruſalem, and there conferred his goſpell with the other Apoſtles, and why he would not circumciſe Titus: Not that he might be the more certaine, or confirmed in the goſpell by the Apoſtles, for he nothing doubted thereof: but that the truth of the goſpell might continue in the Churches of the Galathians, and in all the Churches of the Gentiles. We ſee then that this buſines of Paule was no light matter.
Nowe, where he ſpeaketh of the truth of the Goſpell, he ſheweth that there be two goſpels, a true and a falſe goſpell. Indeede the goſpell of it ſelfe is ſimple, true and ſincere, but by the malice of Satans miniſters it is corrupt and defaced. Therfore where he ſaith: The truth of the goſpel, he would hauehave vsus to vnderſtād alſo the contrary. As if he would ſay:The goſpell of the falſe apoſtles. The falſe apoſtles do alſo preach a faith & a goſpel, but they are both falſe. Therfore hauehave I ſet my ſelfe ſo conſtantly againſt them: and in that I would not geue place vntounto them, I hauehave brought to paſſe that the truth of the goſpell continueth with you.The goſpell of the Pope, and other heretikes the Anabaptiſtes. Verſe. 7. So the Pope and the Anabaptiſts doe bragge at this day that they teach the Goſpell & faith in Chriſt. True it is: but with ſuch frute as the falſe apoſtles once did, whom Paule calleth before in the firſt chapter troublers of the church, and ſubuerters of the goſpell of Chriſt. On the other ſide he ſayth that he teacheth the truth of the goſpell. As if he ſhould ſay: Thoſe things which the falſe apoſtles teach,Of preachers vvhichwhich preach Chriſt corruptly. bragge they neuer ſo much that they teach the truth, are nothing elſe but ſtarke lies. So all Heretikes pretend the name of God, of Chriſt, and of the Church. Alſo they pretend that they will not teach errours or lies, but moſt certaine truth and the pure Goſpell of Chriſt.
The truth of the goſpell, vvhat it is.Now the truth of the goſpell is, that our righteouſnes cometh by Faith only without the workes of the law. The corruption or falſhode of the Goſpell is,The corruptiō of the goſpell. that we are iuſtified by Faith, but not without the workes of the lawe. With the like condition the falſe apoſtles alſo preached the Goſpel. Euen ſo doe our Papiſts and craftie Sophiſters at this day.The doctrine of the Papiſtes concerning faith. For they ſay that we muſt beleue in Chriſt, and that Faith is the foundation of our ſaluation: but it iuſtifieth not, except it be furniſhed with charitie. This is not the truth of the Goſpell, but falſhode and diſſimulation. But the true Goſpell in deede is, that works or charitie are not the ornament or perfection of faith: but that faith of it ſelfe is Gods gift and Gods worke in our hearts, which therefore iuſtifieth vsus becauſe it apprehendeth Chriſt our redemer. Mans reaſon hath the law for his obiect,The obiect of reaſon. thus thinking with it ſelfe: This I hauehave done, this I hauehave not done. But faith being in her owne proper office, hath no other obiect but Ieſus Chriſt the ſonne of god,The obiect of faith, is the thing vvhervnto the eie of faith loketh, vvhichwhich is Chriſt. deliuered to death for the ſinnes of the whole world. It loketh not to charitie. It ſayeth not: what hauehave I done? what hauehave I offended? what hauehave I deſerued? but what hath Chriſt done? what hath he deſerued? Here the truth of the goſpel anſwereth thee: he hath redemed thee from thy ſinne, from the Deuil & from eternall death. Faith therefore acknowledgeth, that in this one perſon Ieſus Chriſt, it hath forgeuenes of ſinnes and eternall life. He that turneth his eyes away from this obiect, hath not true Faith but a fantaſie and a vaine opinion, and turneth his eyes from the promiſe to the law, which terrifieth and driueth to deſperation.
Wherfore thoſe things which the Sophiſters & Scholemen hauehave taught cōcerning the iuſtifying faith being furniſhed wt charitie,Faith adorned vvith charity. are no thing elſe but mere dreames. For that faith which apprehēdeth Chriſt the ſonne of God & is furniſhed wt him, is the ſame faith that iuſtifieth, and not that faith which includeth charitie. For a true & a ſtedfaſt faith muſt lay hold vponupon nothing elſe but Chriſt alone, and in the afflictions and terrours of conſcience it hath nothing elſe to leane vntounto, but this Diamond Chriſt Ieſus. Wherfore he yt apprehendeth Chriſt by faith,True faith. although he be neuer ſo much terrified with the law, & preſſed downe with the weight of his ſinnes, yet may he be bold to glory that he is righteous. How or by what meanes? Euen by that precious Pearle Chriſt which he poſſeſſeth by faith. This our aduerſaries vnderſtand not, and therfore they caſt away this precious Pearle Chriſt, & in his place they ſet charitie, which they ſay is their precious Diamund. Now, when they can not tell what Faith is, it is vnpoſſible that they ſhould hauehave faith: much leſſe can they teach it vntounto others. And as for that which they will ſeme to hauehave, it is nothing elſe but a very dreame, an opinion, and naturall reaſon, and not faith.
This I ſay, to the end ye may perceaue that Paule mentioning here the truth of the Goſpell, ſpeaketh with great feruencie of ſpirite for the more reproofe of the contrary. For by theſe wordes he reprehendeth the falſe apoſtles, for that they had taught a falſe goſpell: for they required circumciſion & the obſeruation of the law as neceſſary to ſaluation. Moreouer,Sleights practiſed of the falſe apoſtles againſt Paule. they went about by craftie ſleights and policie to entrap Paule: for they watched him narowly, to ſee whether he would circumciſe Titus or no: Alſo whether he durſt withſtand them in ye preſence of the Apoſtles, and for this cauſe he reprehendeth them bitterly. They vvēt about (ſayth he) to ſpie out our libertie vvhichwhich vve hauehave in Chriſt Ieſu, that they might bring vsus into bōdage. Wherfore the falſe apoſtles armed them ſelues on eueryevery ſide, that they might cōuince and confound him before the whole congregation. Beſides this, they went about to abuſe ye authoritie of ye Apoſtles, in whoſe preſence they accuſed him, ſaying: Paule hath brought Titus being vncircumciſed, into ye company of all the faithfull: he denieth and condemneth ye law in your preſence which are Apoſtles. If he dare be ſo bold to attēpt this here & before you, what wil not he attempt in your abſence among ye Gentiles?
Wherfore when he perceaued yt he was ſo craftely aſſailed, he ſtrōgly wtſtode the falſe apoſtles, ſaying: we did not ſuffer our liberty which we hauehave in Chriſt Ieſu to come in daūger, although the falſe brethren ſought by all meanes to ſnare vsus, and put vsus to much trouble: but we ouercame them euen by the iudgement of the Apoſtles themſelues, and we would not yelde vntounto them, no not one hower (for, no doubt, their drift was to hauehave cauſed Paule to ſurceaſe from this liberty for a time) ſithens we ſaw yt they required the obſeruation of ye law as neceſſary to ſaluation. But if they had alleaged nothing els but charitable bearing with the brethren, no doubt but Paule would hauehave giuen them place. But it was an other thing that they ſought, to witte, that they might bring Paule and all that ſtucke to his doctrine into bondage. Therefore he would not yelde vntounto them, no not the ſpace of one moment.
In like maner doe we alſo offer to the Papiſtes all that is to be offered, yea and more then we ought. OnelyOnly we except the libertie of conſcience which we hauehave in Chriſt Ieſus. For we will not ſuffer our conſciences to be bound to any worke, ſo that by doing this thing or that, we ſhould be righteous, or leauing the ſame vndone, we ſhould be damned.*Theſe be the corruptions vvhichwhich Luther here ſayth, that he tolerateth more then he ought to do: but the ſafeſt vvay is, quite to reiect them. We are contented to eate the ſame meates that they eate, we wil kepe their feaſtes and faſting daies, ſo that they will ſuffer vsus to doe the ſame with a free conſcience, and leaue theſe threatning words wherwt they hauehave terrified and brought vnderunder their ſubiection the whole world,The Popes thunderbolts. ſaying: we commaūd, we charge, we charge againe, we excōmunicate, &c. but this liberty we can not obtaine: like as Paule alſo could not in his time. Therefore we doe as he did. For when he ſaw that he could not obtaine this libertie, he would not geue place to the falſe Apoſtles, for the ſpace of one hower.
Wherefore like as our aduerſaries wil not leaue this free vntounto vsus, that onelyonly faith in Chriſt iuſtifieth: ſo on the other ſide neither will we nor can we geue place vntounto them, that faith furniſhed with charitie iuſtifieth.It is a point of true godlines to be ſtout againſt the meritmongers for keping our Chriſtian liberty. Here we wil and we ought alſo to be rebellious and obſtinate againſt them, for els we ſhould loſe the truth of the Goſpell: we ſhould loſe our liberty which we hauehave, not in the Emperour, not in Kings and Princes, not in that mōſter the Pope, not in the world, not in fleſh, bloude, reaſon &c: but which we hauehave in Chriſt Ieſus. We ſhould loſe faith in Chriſt, which (as before I hauehave ſaid) apprehēdeth nothing els but that precious pearle Chriſt. This faith whereby we are regenerate, iuſtified, and engrafted into Chriſt, if our aduerſaries will leaue vntounto vsus ſound and vncorrupt: we offer vntounto them that we will doe all things, ſo that they be not contrary to this faith. But becauſe we can not obtaine this at their ha…des, we againe for our parte will not yelde vntounto them one heares breadth▪ For here is a great and a weighty matter in hand, namely touching the death of the ſonne of God: who by the will and commaundement of the father was made fleſh,VVhen faith is ſound all things are ſafe was crucified and died for the ſinnes of the world. If faith here geue place, then is this death and reſurrection of the ſonne of God in vaine: then is it but a fable that Chriſt is the Sauiour of the world:The holy obſtinacie and ſtoutnes of the Godly. then is God alſo found a lier becauſe he hath not performed that he promiſed. Our ſtoutnes therefore in this matter is godly and holy: For by it we ſeeke to preſerue our liberty which we hauehave in Chriſt Ieſus, and therby to retaine the truth of the Goſpell: which if we loſe, then doe we alſo loſe God, Chriſt, all the promiſes, faith, righteouſnes, and euerlaſting life.
But ſome man will ſay: The lawe is diuine and holy.The doctrine of the lavv. Let the law hauehave his glory: but yet no law, be it neuer ſo diuine and holy, ought to teach me that I am iuſtified and ſhall liue through it. I graunt it may teach me that I ought to louelove God and my neighbour: alſo to liue in chaſtitie, ſobernes, patience &c. but it ought not to ſhew me how I ſhould be deliuered from ſinne, the Deuill, death and hell. Here I muſt take counſell of the Goſpell,The doctrine of the Goſpel. I muſt harken to the Goſpell which teacheth me, not what I ought to doe (for that is the proper office of the law): but what Ieſus Chriſt the ſonne of God hath done for me: to wit, that he ſuffered and died to deliuer me from ſinne and death. The Goſpell willeth me to receaue this and to beleue it. And this is the truth of the Goſpell. It is alſo the principall article of all Chriſtian doctrine: wherein the knowledge of all godlines conſiſteth. Moſt neceſſary it is therfore that we ſhould know this article wel, teach it vntounto others, and beate it into their heades continually. For as it is very tender, ſo is it ſoone hurt. This Paule had well tried, and of this hauehave all the godly alſo good experience.
To conclude, Paule would not circumciſe Titus, and (as he ſaith) for no other cauſe but for that certaine falſe brethren were crept in, to eſpie out their liberty, and would hauehave conſtrained Paule to circumciſe Titus. Paule perceauing this conſtraint and neceſſity, would geue no place, no not for one hower, but ſtrongly reſiſted them: And therefore he ſaith: Neither Titus vvhichwhich vvas vvith me, being a Gentile, Galat. 2.3.vvas compelled to be circumciſed. If they had required this in the way of brotherly charitie, doubtles he would not hauehave denied it. But ſeīg they would hauehave done it as a neceſſary thing, and that by compulſion, to the ill example of others, to the ouerthrowing of the Goſpell and to bring mens conſciences into bondage, therefore he ſetteth himſelfe mightely againſt them, and preuailed ſo, that Titus was not circumciſed.
It may ſeeme to be but a ſmall matter to be or not to be circumciſed. But when a man hath an affiance in keping, or is in feare for not keping of it, here God is denied, Chriſt is reiected, the grace and all the promiſes of God are refuſed.They are to be reſtrained to ſuch as ſerue to edification or els vve ought to leaue them. But if circumciſion be kept without this addition, there is no daunger. If the Pope would in this ſort require of vsus the keping of his traditions as bare ceremonies, it ſhould not be greuous vntounto vsus to kepe them, foraſmuch as we alſo doe vſe ceremonies: but to binde mens conſciences to theſe ceremonies, and to make of them an high and acceptable ſeruice vntounto God, yea and moreouer to adde, that life and ſaluation, or death and euerlaſting damnation conſiſteth in the obſeruation hereof, is a deuiliſh ſuperſtition and full of blaſphemie. Who ſo will not crie out againſt this, accurſed be he.
Verſe. 6.7. And of them vvhichwhich ſeemed to be great, I vvas not taught (vvhat they vvere in times paſt, it is no matter to me. &c.)
VVhy Paule geueth not vntounto the apoſtles any glorious title.This is a vehement and a ſtout confutation. For he geueth not to the true Apoſtles themſelues any glorious title: but as it were abaſing their dignitie, he ſaith: vvhichwhich ſeemed to be great, that is, which were in authoritie: vponupon whom the determination of all matters depē ded. Notwithſtanding the authoritie of the Apoſtles was in deede very greate in all the churches. And Paule alſo did not ſeeke any whit to diminiſh their authoritie, but he thus contemptuouſly aunſwereth ye falſe Apoſtles, which ſet ye authoritie & dignitie of ye Apoſtles againſt Paule in all the churches, yt therby they might weaken his authority & bring his whole miniſtery into contempt. This Paule might not ſuffer. To ye end therfore that the truth of the Goſpell and liberty of conſcience in Chriſt might continue among the Galathians and in all the churches of the Gentiles, he aunſwereth ſtoutly to the falſe Apoſtles, that he paſſed not how greate the Apoſtles were or what they had bene in time paſt: and wheras they alleadged the authority of the name of the Apoſtles againſt him, it toucheth him nothing at all. He confeſſeth that the Apoſtles are in deede ſomewhat, and that their authority is to be reuerenced. Notwithſtanding his Goſpell and miniſtery ought not to be ouerthrowne for the name or title of any whatſoeuer, be he an Apoſtle or an Angeil from heauen.
And this was one of the greateſt arguments that the falſe Apoſtles vſed againſt Paule. The Apoſtles ſaid they, were familiarly conuerſant with Chriſt for the ſpace of three yeares. They heard and ſaw all his preachings and miracles.The argument of the falſe Apoſtles againſt Paule. Moreouer they themſelues preached & wrought miracles whiles Chriſt was yet liuing in the world: whom Paule neuer ſaw in the fleſh, & as touching his conuerſion, it was long after the glorification of Chriſt. Wherefore they ſhould now conſider which of theſe they ought more to beleue: Paule which was but one and alone, and alſo but a diſciple, yea and one of the laſt of all: or the cheifeſt and moſt excellent Apoſtles,The vvord of God to be preferred before all titles and perſons vvhatſoeuer. which long before Paule were ſent & confirmed by Chriſt himſelfe. To this Paule aunſwereth: what of all this? This argument concludeth nothing. Let the Apoſtles be neuer ſo greate, yea let them be Angels from heauen, it is no matter to me. The queſtion is not here cōcerning the excellency of the Apoſtles, but concerning the word of God and the truth of the Goſpell. Herein conſiſteth all the weight of the matter, that the Goſpell may be preſerued pure and vncorrupt: which alſo aboue all things ought to be preferred. Therefore how greate Peter and the other Apoſtles hauehave bene, what greate miracles they hauehave wrought, it is no matter to me. This is it that I onelyonly ſeeke, euen that the truth of the Goſpell may continue among you. This ſeemeth to be but a ſlender aunſwere of Paule, when of purpoſe he ſo contemneth the authoritie of the Apoſtles which the falſe Apoſtles alledged againſt him, and geueth no other ſolution to their mighty argument then this: it is no matter to me. Notwithſtanding he addeth a reaſon of the confutation.