Commentary on Galatians, Chapter 1 · Verse extract 1
Verſe. 1. Paule an Apoſtle, not of man, neither by man, but by Ieſus Chriſt, and God the father vvhichwhich hath raiſed him from the dead.
NOwe that we hauehave declared the argument and ſumme of this Epiſtle to the Galathians, The occaſiō of vvryting this Epiſtle to the Galathians.we thinke it good before we come to the matter it ſelfe, to ſhewe what was the occaſion that S. Paule wrote this Epiſtle. He had planted among the Galathians the pure doctrine of the goſpell, and the righteouſneſſe of faith: but by and by after his departure, there crept in certaine falſe teachers which ouerthrew all that he had planted and rightly taught among them.The Deuil hateth the goſpel, & ſtirreth vp vvicked mē againſt it. For the Deuill can no otherwiſe doe, but furiouſly impugne this doctrine with all force and ſubteltie, & neuer reſteth whileſt he ſeeth one ſparke therof remaining. We alſo for this onelyonly cauſe that we preach the goſpel, do ſuffer of the world, the deuill & his miniſters, bothe on the left hand and on the right, all the miſcheefe that they can worke againſt vsus.
For the goſpell is ſuch a doctrine as teacheth a farre higher matter then is the wiſedome, righteouſnes, and religion of the world: that is to ſay, free remiſſion of ſinnes through Chriſt. &c.The doctrine of the goſpell. It leaueth theſe things in their degree, to be as they are, and commendeth them as the good creatures of God. But ye world preferreth theſe creatures before the creator: and moreouer by them would put away ſinne, be deliuered from death, & deſerue euerlaſting life. This doth the goſpel condemne. Contrariwiſe, the world can not ſuffer thoſe things to be condemned,The accuſatiōs vvhervvith the vvorlde chargeth the goſpell. which it moſt eſteemeth and beſt liketh of, and therfore it chargeth the goſpel that it is a ſeditious doctrine and full of errors, and that it ouerthroweth common wealthes, countreis, dominions, kingdomes, and Empires, and therfore offendeth both againſt God & the Emperour, aboliſh…h lawes, corrupteth good manners, and ſetteth all men at libertie to doe what they liſt. Wherfore the world in his moſte feruent zeale and high ſeruice of God, (as to him it ſeemeth) perſecuteth this doctrine, and abhoreth the teachers and profeſſors therof, as ye greateſt plague that can be in the whole earth.
Moreouer, by the preaching of this doctrine,The effectes of the goſpell. the deuill is ouerthrowne, his kingdome is deſtroyed, the lawe, ſinne, and death (wherwith, as moſt mightie and inuincible tyraunts, he hath brought all mā kinde in ſubiection vnderunder his tyrannie) are wreſted out of his handes: Brefely,Coloſs 1. ver. 1…. his priſoners are tranſlated out of the kingdome of darknes, into the kingdome of light & libertie. Should the deuill ſuffer all this? Should not the father of lies employ all his force and ſubtile policies, to darkē, to corrupt, and vtterly to roote out this doctrine of ſaluation and euerlaſting life? In deede S. Paule cōplaineth in this and all other his Epiſtles, that euen in his time the deuill ſhewed him ſelfe a cūning workeman in this buſineſſe.
We thought good to ſhewe heere by the way, that the goſpell is ſuch a doctrine as condemneth all manner of righteouſnes, and preacheth the onelyonly righteouſnes of Chriſt, and to them that embrace the ſame, it bringeth peace of conſcience and all good thinges: and yet notwithſtanding, the world hateth and perſecuteth it moſt bitterly.
I ſaid that the occaſion why S. Paule wrote this Epiſtle, was for that by and by after his departure, falſe teachers had deſtroyed thoſe thinges among the Galathians, which he with long and greate trauel had builded.The authority of the falſe Apoſtels. And theſe falſe Apoſtles being of the circumciſion & ſecte of the Phariſeis, were men of great eſtimation and authoritie, which bragged among the people that they were of that holy & choſen ſtock of the Iewes,Io. 8. Rom. 4, 4.5.6. that they were Iſraelites, of the ſeede of Abraham, that they had the promiſes and the fathers: and finally, that they were the miniſters of Chriſt and the Apoſtles ſchollers, wt whom they had bene conuerſant & had ſeene their miracles, and perhaps had alſo wrought ſome ſignes or miracles them ſelues:Math. 7, ver. 22 For Chriſt witneſſeth that the wicked alſo doe worke miracles. Moreouer theſe falſe Apoſtles by all the crafty meanes they could deuiſe, defaced the authority of S. Paule, ſaying: Why doe ye ſo highly eſteeme of Paule? why hauehave ye him in ſo great reuerence? Forſoth he was but the laſt of all that were conuerted vntounto Chriſt. But we are ye diſciples of the Apoſtles, & were familiarly conuerſant wt them. We hauehave ſeene Chriſt working miracles & heard him preache. Paule came after vsus, and is inferior vntounto vsus: and it is not poſſible that God ſhould ſuffer vsus to erre which are of his holy people, the miniſters of Chriſt, and hauehave receaued the holy Ghoſt. Again, we are many and Paule is but one and alone, who neither was conuerſant with the Apoſtles nor hath ſeene Chriſt: yea he perſecuted the church of Chriſt a great while. Would God, thinke ye, for Paules ſake onelyonly, ſuffer ſo many churches to be deceaued?
When men hauing ſuch authoritie come into any countrey or citie, by and by the people hauehave them in greate admiration, and vnderunder this coulour of godlines & religion, they doe not onelyonly deceaue the ſimple, but alſo the learned, yea and thoſe alſo which ſeeme to be ſomewhat confirmed in the faith: eſpecially when they bragge (as theſe did) that they are the ofſpring of the Patriarks, the miniſters of Chriſt, the Apoſtles ſcollers &c. Euen ſo the Pope at this day, when he hath no authoritie of the ſcripture to defend him ſelfe withal,The argument of the papiſtes againſt vsus. vſeth this one argument contenually againſt vsus: The church, the church. Thinkeſt thou that God is ſo offended, that for a few heretikes of Luthers ſecte, he will caſt of his whole church? Thinkeſt thou that he would leaue his church in error ſo many hūdreth yeres? And this concluſion he chiefly ſtandeth vponupon: that the church can not be ouerthrowne. Now like as many are moued with this argument at this day: ſo in Paules time theſe falſe Apoſtles through greate bragging and ſetting forth of their owne praiſes, blinded the eies of the Galathians: ſo that Paule loſt his authoritie among them, & his doctrine was brought into ſuſpition.
Againſt this vaine bragging and boaſting of the falſe Apoſtles, Paule with greate conſtancie & boldnes ſetteth his apoſtolical authority, highly cōmending his vocation & defending his miniſtery. And (although elſwhere he neuer doth the like) he will not geue place to any,VVith hovve greate conſtā cie S. Paule defendeth his vocation and authoritie againſt the falſe Apoſtles. no not to the apoſtles them ſelues, much leſſe to any of their ſchollers. And to abate their phariſaical pride and ſhameles boldnes, he maketh mention of the hiſtory done in Antiochia, where he wtſtode Peter himſelfe. Beſides this, not regarding the offence that might riſe therof, he ſaith plainly in the text, that he was bold to accuſe & reproue euē Peter him ſelf the chiefe of the Apoſtles, who had ſeene Chriſt, and had bene moſt familiarly conuerſant with him. I am an Apoſtle (ſaith he) and ſuch a one as paſſe not what others are: yea, I was not afraid to chide the very piller of all the reſt of the Apoſtles. And to conclude, in ye firſt two chapters he doth in a manner,The ſumme of the tvvo firſt chapters. nothing els but ſette out his vocation, his office and his goſpell, affirming that it was not of men and that he had not receaued it by man, but by the reuelation of Ieſus Chriſt: Alſo, that if he,Galat. 5. yea or an Angell from heauen ſhould bring any other goſpel then that which he had preached, he ſhould be holden accurſed.
The certaintie of calling.
But what meaneth Paule by this his boaſting? I aunſwere: This common place ſerueth to this end,The miniſter of God muſt be ſure of his calling. that eueryevery miniſter of Gods word ſhould be ſure of his calling, that before God and man he may with a bold conſcience glory herein that he preacheth the goſpell as one that is called and ſent: Euen as the Embaſſadour of a King glorieth and vaunteth in this, that he commeth not as a priuate perſon, but as the Kings Embaſſadour, and becauſe of this dignitie that he is the Kings Embaſſadour, he is honored and ſet in the higheſt place. Which honour ſhould not be geuen vntounto him, if he came as a priuate perſon. Wherefore let the preacher of the goſpell be certaine that his calling is from God. And it is expedient that according to ye example of Paule he ſhould magnifie this his calling, to the end that he may winne credite and authoritie among the people, like as the Kings Embaſſadour magnifieth his office and calling. And thus to glory, is not a vain but a neceſſary kinde of glorying, becauſe he glorieth not in him ſelfe but in the King which hath ſent him: whoſe authoritie he deſireth to be honoured and magnified.
Likewiſe when Paule ſo highly commendeth his calling, he ſeeketh not his owne praiſe,The glorying of S. Paule neceſſary and holy. but with a neceſſary and holy pride he magnifieth his miniſtery: As to the Rom. 11. he ſayth: For as much as I am the Apoſtle of the Gentiles, I will magnifie mine office: that is to ſay, I will that men receaue me,Rom. 11.13. not as Paule of Tharſus, but as Paule the Apoſtle or Embaſſadour of Ieſus Chriſt. And this he doth of neceſſitie, to maintaine his authoritie, that the people in hearing this, might be more attent and willing to geue eare vntounto him. For they heare not onelyonly Paule, The Preachers are to be receaued as meſſengers from God, by vvhoſe miniſterie God himſelfe ſpeaketh.but in Paule, Chriſt himſelfe, and God the father ſending him out in his meſſage: whoſe authoritie and maieſtie, like as men ought religiouſly to honour, ſo ought they with greate reuerence to receaue and to heare his meſſengers bringing his word and meſſage.
This is a notable place therefore: wherein Paule ſo glorieth and boaſteth as touching his vocation, yt he deſpiſeth all others. If any mā after the manner of the world ſhould deſpiſe all others in reſpect of him ſelfe, & attribute al vntounto him ſelf alone, he ſhould not only ſhew him ſelf a very foole, but alſo greuouſly offend. But this maner of boaſting is neceſſary, and pertaineth not to the glory of Paule, but to the glory of God: whereby is offered vntounto him the ſacrifice of praiſe and thankesgeuing. For by this boaſting, the name, the grace & the mercy of God is made knowne vntounto the world. Thus then he beginneth this Epiſtle.