Commentary on Galatians, Chapter 1 · Verse extract 1
Verſe. 1. Paule an Apoſtle not of men. &c.
Here in the very beginning he toucheth thoſe falſe teachers, which boaſted them ſelues to be the diſciples of the Apoſtles, and to be ſent of them: but deſpiſed Paule as one that was neither the Apoſtles ſcholler, nor ſent of any to preach the goſpell, but came in ſome other way, and of his owne head thruſt him ſelfe into that office. Againſt thoſe Paule defendeth his calling, ſaying: My calling ſeemeth baſe to your preachers. But whoſoeuer they be which hauehave come vntounto you, are ſent either of men or by man: that is to ſay, they hauehave entred either of them ſelues being not called, or els called by others. But my calling is neither of men nor by man, but it is aboue all maner of calling that can be done by the Apoſtles, for it is by Ieſus Chriſt and by God the father &c.
Where he ſaith of men, I meane ſuch as cal & thruſt in themſelues when neither God nor man calleth nor ſendeth them, but they runne & ſpeake of them ſelues. As at this day certaine fantaſtical ſpirits, which either creepe in corners and ſeeke places where they may powre out their poyſon, and come not into publike congregations: or els they go thither, wher the goſpel is plāted already. Theſe I cal ſuch as are ſent of men. But where he ſaith, by man, vnderſtand ſuch as hauehave a diuine calling, but yet by man as by meanes. God calleth then two maner of wayes: by meanes and without meanes. He calleth vsus to the miniſtery of his worde at this day, not immediatly by him ſelfe but by other meanes, that is to ſay, by man. But the Apoſtles were called immediatly of Chriſt him ſelfe, as the Prophets in the old time were called of God himſelfe. Therefore when Paule ſaith: Not of men, neither by man, he beateth downe the falſe Apoſtles. As though he would ſay: Albeit thoſe vipers bragge neuer ſo much, what can they bragge more then that they are either come from men, that is to ſay, of them ſelues with out any calling, or, by man, that is to ſay: ſent of others. I paſſe not vponupon any of theſe things, neither ought you to regard them.
As for me, I am called and ſent, neither of men, nor by man, but without meanes, that is to witte, by Ieſus Chriſt him ſelfe, and my calling is like in all points to the calling of the Apoſtles,The calling of the Apoſtles. and I am in deede an Apoſtle. Paule therefore handleth this place of the calling of the Apoſtles effectually. And elſwher he ſeperateth the degree of Apoſtleſhip from others, as in the firſt to the Corinth cap. 12. 1 Cor. 10.28. Epheſ. 4.11.and in the fourth to ye Epheſians, where he ſaith: And God hath ordained ſome in the Churche, as firſt Apoſtles, ſecondly Prophets, thirdly teachers, VVho be Apoſtles.&c. ſetting Apoſtles in the firſt place: ſo that they be properly called Apoſtles which are ſent immediatly of God him ſelfe without any other ordinary meanes.
So Mathias was called onelyonly of God. For when the other Apoſtles had appoynted two,Actes. 1.24.25. The calling of Mathias. they durſt not chooſe the one nor the other, but they caſt lots, & prayed that God would ſhew which of them he would hauehave. For ſeing he ſhould be an Apoſtle, it behoued that he ſhould be called of God.Actes. 9.15. So was Paule called to be the Apoſtle of the Gentiles.The Apoſtles ſainctes. Hereof the Apoſtles alſo are called Sainctes. For they are ſure of their calling and doctrine, and hauehave continued faithfull in their office,Math. 27 5. and none of them became a caſt away ſaue Iudas, becauſe theyr calling is holy.
This is the firſt aſſault yt Paule maketh againſt the falſe Apoſtles, which ranne when no man ſent them. Calling therfore is not to be deſpiſed. For it is not enough for a man to hauehave the word & pure doctrine, but alſo he muſt be aſſured of his calling, and he that entreth without this certaintie,They vvhichwhich be not called, do kil and deſtroy. entreth to no other ende but to kill and to deſtroy. For God neuer proſpereth the labour of thoſe that are not called. And although they teach ſome good and profitable matters withall, yet they edifie not.The certaintie of calling. So our fantaſticall ſpirites at this day hauehave the wordes of Faith in their mouthes, but yet they yeelde no frute, but their cheefe ende and purpoſe is to draw men to their falſe and peruerſe opinions. They that hauehave a certaine and holy calling, muſt ſuſtaine many and great conflictes: as they muſt do whoſe doctrine is pure and ſound, that they may conſtantly abide in their lawfull calling, againſt the infinite and continuall aſſaultes of the Deuill and rage of the world. Heere, what ſhould he doe whoſe calling is vncertaine and doctrine corrupte?
This is then our comforte which are in the Miniſterie of the worde, that we hauehave an office which is heauenly and holy, to the which we being lawfully called, doe triumph againſt all the gates of hel. On the other ſide it is an horrible thing when the conſcience ſaith: This thou haſt done without any lawfull calling.VVhat daunger they be in vvhichwhich hauehave no lavvfull calling. Herein ſuch terrour ſhaketh a mans minde which is not called, that he would wiſh he had neuer heard the word which he teacheth. For by his diſobedience he maketh all his workes euill, were they neuer ſo good, in ſo much that euen his greateſt workes and labours become his greateſte ſinnes.
We ſee then how good and neceſſary this boaſting and glorying of our miniſterie is. In times paſt when I was a yong deuine and teacher, me thought Paule did vnwiſely in glorying ſo oft of his calling in all his Epiſtles: but I did not vnderſtand his purpoſe. For I knew not that the miniſterie of Gods word was ſo waightie a matter. I knew nothing of the doctrine of faith, and a true conſcience in deede,VVhy Paule exalteth his calling ſo in eueryevery place. for that there was then no certaintie taught either in the Schooles or Churches, but al was ful of Sophiſtical ſubtilties of the Schoolemē. And therfore no man was able to vnderſtand the dignitie and power of this holy and ſpirituall boaſting of the true & lawfull calling, which ſerueth firſt to the glory of God, and ſecondly to the aduauncing of our office, and moreouer to the ſaluation of our ſelues, and of the people. For by this our boaſting we ſeeke not eſtimation in the worlde,The profite of extolling our calling. or praiſe among men, or mony, or pleaſures, or fauour of the world: But for as much as we be in a diuine calling and in the worke of God, and the people hauehave great neede to be aſſured of our calling, that they may know our word to be the word of God, therfore we proudly vaunt and boaſt of it. It is not then a vaine,A holy pride. but a moſt holy pride againſt the deuil and the world, and true humilitie before God.