Commentary on Galatians, Chapter 2 · Verse extract 14 – Verse extract 15
Verſe. 14. I ſaid vntounto Peter openly: If thou being a Ievve liueſt as the Gentiles and not as the Ievves, vvhy conſtraineſt thou the Gentiles to doe like the Ievves.
That is to witte,To liue like the Ievves thou art a Iewe and therfore art bound to liue like a Iewe, that is, to abſtaine from meates forbidden in the law. Notwithſtanding thou liueſt like a Gentile: that is to ſay, thou doeſt contrary to the law and tranſgreſſeſt the law. For as a Gentile which is free frō ye law, thou eateſt common & vncleane meates, & therin thou doeſt well. But in that thou being afraid at the preſence of the brethren conuerted from the Iewiſh religion, abſtaineſt from meates forbidden in the law and keepeſt the law, thou compelleſt the Iewes likewiſe to keepe the law: that is, thou conſtraineſt them of neceſſitie to obſerue the law. For in that thou abſtaineſt from profane meates, thou geueſt occaſion to the Gentiles thus to thinke: Peter abſtaineth from thoſe meates which the Gentiles vſe to eate, which alſo he himſelfe before did eate, therefore we ought likewiſe to auoid the ſame, and to liue after the mā ner of the Iewes:Peter through his diſſimulation compelled the Gentiles to liue like the Ievves otherwiſe we can not be iuſtified or ſaued. We ſee thē yt Paule reproueth not ignorance in Peter, (for he knew that he might freely eate with the Gentiles all maner of meates,) but diſſimulation, wherby he compelled the Gentiles to liue like the Iewes.
Here I ſay againe, that to liue as the Iew, is not euil of it ſelfe, for it is a thing indifferent either to eate ſwines fleſh or any other meates. But ſo to play the Iewe that for conſcience ſake thou abſtaineſt from certayne meates,Things indifdifferent may not clogge mens conſciences. this is to deny Chriſt & to ouerthrowe the Goſpell. Therfore when Paule ſaw that Peters act tended to this end, he reſiſted him and ſaid: Thou knoweſt that the keeping of the lawe is not neceſſary to righteouſnes, but that we are iuſtified onelyonly through faith in Chriſt, and therfore thou keepeſt not the law, but tranſgreſſeſt the law and eateſt all maner of meates. Notwithſtanding by thy example thou conſtraineſt the Gentiles to forſake Chriſt and to returne to the lawe. For thou geueſt them occaſion thus to thinke: Faith onelyonly is not ſuffient to righteouſnes, but the law and works are alſo required. And this Peter teacheth vsus by his example. Therfore the obſeruation of the law muſt needes be ioyned with faith in Chriſt if we wilbe ſaued. Wherefore Peter by this example is not onelyonly preiudicial to the purity of doctrine,Peters errour. but alſo to the truth of faith and chriſtian righteouſnes. For the Gentiles receaued this of him, that the keping of the law was neceſſary to righteouſnes: which errour in caſe it be admitted, then Chriſt profiteth nothing.
Hereby it plainly appeareth to what end this diſcord betwene Paule and Peter tendeth. Paule doth nothing by diſſimulation, but dealeth ſincerely and goeth plainly to worke. Peter diſſembleth, but this diſſimulation Paule reproueth. The controuerſie was for the maintenance of pure doctrine and the veritie of the Goſpell: and in this quarell Paule did not care for the offence of any. In this caſe all people and nations, all Kings and Princes, all Iudges & Magiſtrats ought to geue place. Since then it is ſo daungerous a thing to hauehave to doe with the law, and that this fall was ſo ſodaine and ſo greate as if it had bene from heauen aboue euen downe into hell, let eueryevery Chriſtian diligently learne to diſcerne betwene the law and the Goſpell. Let him ſuffer the law to rule ouer the body and members therof, but not ouer the conſcience. For that Queene and ſpouſe may not be defiled with the lawe,Libertie of conſcience. 2. Cor. 11.…. but muſt be kept without ſpot for her onelyonly huſband Chriſt, as Paule ſayth. 2. Cor. 11. I hauehave eſpouſed you to one huſband. &c. Let the conſcience then hauehave her bride chamber, not in the lowe valley, but in the high mountaine: in the which let Chriſt lie and there rule & reigne, who doth not terrifie and afflict ſinners, but comforteth them, pardoneth their ſinnes and ſaueth them.VVhat an afflicted conſcience ought chiefly to looke vponupon. Wherefore let the afflicted conſcience thinke vponupon nothinge, know nothing, ſet nothinge againſte the iudgement of God, but the worde of Chriſt, whiche is the worde of grace, of remiſſion of ſinnes, of ſaluation and euerlaſting life. But this to performe in deede, is a hard matter. For mans reaſon and nature can not ſtedfaſtly cleaue vntounto Chriſt, but oftentimes it is caried away with the cogitations of the lawe and ſinne, and ſo alwayes ſeeketh to be at libertie after the fleſh, but according to conſcience a ſeruaunt and ſlaue.
Verſe. 15. VVe vvhichwhich are Ievves by nature, and not ſinners of the Gentiles.
That is to ſay: we are borne vntounto the righteouſnes of the lawe, to Moſes, and to circumciſion, and euē in our birth we bring the law with vsus. We hauehave the righteouſnes of the law by nature, as Paule before ſayth of him ſelfe in the firſt chapter:Galat. 1.14. Being zelous of the traditions of the fathers. Wherefore if we be compared to the Gentiles, we are no ſinners: we are not without the law & without works as the Gentiles:The prerogatiue of the Ievves. but we are Iewes borne, we are borne righteous & brought vp in righteouſnes. Our righteouſnes beginneth euē with our birth, for ye Iewiſh religion is naturall vntounto vsus.Gen. 17.10. For God commaunded Abraham to circumciſe eueryevery man childe the eight day. This law of circumciſion receiued from the fathers, Moſes afterward confirmed. It is a great matter therfore that we are Iewes by nature. Notwithſtanding, although we hauehave this prerogatiue, that we are righteous by nature, borne to the law and the workes therof, and are not ſinners as the Gentiles, yet are we not therfore righteous before God.
Hereby it is euident that Paule ſpeaketh not of ceremonies, or of the ceremoniall lawe, as ſome doe affirme, but of a farre waightier matter, namely of the natiuitie of the Iewes, whom he denieth to be righteous, although they be borne holy, be circumciſed, keepe the lawe, hauehave the adoption, the glory, the couenaunt, the fathers, the true worſhip, God, Chriſt, the promiſes, liue in them and glory in the ſame:Iohn. 8.33. as they ſay Iohn. 8. VVe are the ſeede of Abraham. Alſo, vve hauehave one father, Rom. 2.17.vvhichwhich is God. And to the Romaines: Beholde, thou art called a Ievv, and reſteſt in the lavv. &c. Wherfore, although that Peter and the other Apoſtles were the children of God, righteous according to the law, the works and the righteouſnes therof, circumciſion, the adoption, the couenaūts, the promiſes, the Apoſtleſhip and all ſuch like: yet Chriſtian righteouſnes commeth not therby: for none of all theſe is faith in Chriſt,Faith onelyonly iuſtifieth. which onelyonly (as foloweth in the text) iuſtifieth, and not the law: Not that the law is euil or damnable, for the law circumciſion, and ſuch like, are not therefore condemned becauſe they iuſtifie not: but Paule therfore taketh from them the office of iuſtification, becauſe the falſe apoſtles contended that by them, without faith, and onelyonly by the worke wrought, men are iuſtified & ſaued. This was not to be ſuffred of Paule. All things deadly vvithout faith.For where faith ceaſeth, all things are deadly: the law, circumciſion, the adoption, the temple, the worſhip of God, the promiſes, yea God and Chriſt him ſelfe without faith profiteth nothing. Paule therfore ſpeaketh generally againſt all things which are contrary to faith, and not againſt ceremonies onelyonly.