Commentary on Galatians, Chapter 3 · Verse extract 7 – Verse extract 7
Verſe. 7. Knovve ye therfore that they vvhichwhich are of faith, the ſame are the children of Abraham.
This is the generall argument and whole diſputation of Paule againſt the Iewes,Ro. 4.11.12. &c. Rom. 9.6.7.8. that they which beleeue are the children of Abraham, and not they which are borne of his fleſh and his bloud.The diſputation of Paule againſt the Ievves. This diſputation Paule vehemently proſecuteth in this place, and in the 4. and 9. chapit. to the Rom. For this was the greateſt confidence and glory of the Iewes: VVe are the ſeede and children of Abraham. He was circumciſed and kept the lawe: therfore if we will be the true children of Abraham, we muſt folow our father. &c. It was (no doubt) an excellent glory and great dignitie, to be the ſeede of Abraham. For no man could denie but that God ſpake to the ſeede and of the ſeede of Abraham. But this prerogatiue nothing profited ye vnbeleuing Iewes.The boſting of the Ievves. By reaſon wherof Paule, eſpecially in this place, mightely ſtriueth againſt this argument, and wreſteth from the Iewes this ſtrong affiance in them ſelues. And this could he, as the elect veſſell of Chriſt,Actes. 9.15. doe aboue all other. For if we at the beginning ſhould hauehave diſputed with the Iewes without Paule, peraduenture we ſhould hauehave preuailed very litle againſt them.
So then Paule reaſoneth againſt the Iewes which ſtoode ſo proudly vponupon this opinion, that they were the children of Abraham, ſaying: VVe are the ſeede of Abraham. Well, what then?By vvhat meanes Abraham vvas iuſtified. Abraham was circumciſed & kept the lawe: we doe the ſame. All this I graunt. What? will ye therefore looke to be iuſtified and ſaued? No not ſo. But let vsus come to the Patriarke Abraham himſelfe, and let vsus ſee by what meanes he was iuſtified and ſaued. Doutles,Geneſ. 12.1.2.3. &c. Geneſ. 17.24. Geneſ. 22.2.3. Geneſ. 15.6. Rom. 4.18.19. Iames. 2.2. Galat. 3.6. not for his excellent vertues and holy workes: not becauſe he forſooke his countrey, kinred, and fathers houſe: not becauſe he was circumciſed, and obſerued the lawe: not becauſe he was about to offer vp in ſacrifice at the commaundement of God, his ſonne Iſacke in whom he had the promiſe of poſteritie: but becauſe he beleued. Therfore he was not iuſtified by any other meanes then by faith alone. If ye then will be iuſtified by the lawe, much more ought Abraham your father to be iuſtified by the lawe. But Abraham could not otherwiſe be iuſtified, nor receaue forgeuenes of ſinnes and the holy Ghoſt then by faith alone. Since this is true by the teſtimonie of the ſcripture, why ſtande ye ſo much vponupon circumciſion and the lawe, contending that ye hauehave righteouſnes and ſaluation therby, when as your father Abraham him ſelfe, euen your headſpring, of whom ye doe ſo much glory, was iuſtified and ſaued without theſe by faith alone? What can be brought againſt this argument?
Paule therfore concludeth with this ſentence: They vvhichwhich are of faith, are the children of Abraham, that corporall birth or carnall ſeede maketh not the children of Abraham before God.That the carnall begetting doth not make vsus the acceptable children of Abraham. Iohn. 8.39. As though he would ſay: There is none before God accompted as the childe of this Abraham (who is the ſeruaunt of God, whom God hath choſen and made righteous by faith) through carnall generation: but he muſt hauehave ſuch children geuen him before God, as he was a father. But he was a father of faith, and was iuſtified, and pleaſed God, not becauſe he could beget children after the fleſh, not becauſe he had circumciſion and the lawe, but becauſe he beleeued in God. Therfore he that will be a childe of the beleeuing Abraham, muſt alſo him ſelfe beleeue, or elſe he is not a childe of the elect,The beleeuing Abraham, and the begetting Abraham. acceptable, and iuſtified Abraham, but onelyonly of the begetting Abraham, which is nothing elſe but a man conceaued, borne, & wrapt in ſinne, without ye forgeuenes of ſinnes, wtout faith,VVhat maner of ones the carnall children of Abraham are. Iohn. 8.38.39. wtout the holy ghoſt, as an other man is, and therfore cōdemned. Such alſo are the children carnally begotten of him, hauing nothing in them like vntounto their father but fleſh and bloud, ſinne and death: therefore theſe are alſo damned. This glorious boaſting then: Vve are the ſeede of Abraham, is to no purpoſe.
Rom. 9.11. The firſt example of Iſmael and Iſaac.This argument Paule ſetteth out plainly in the .9. to the Romains by two examples of the holy ſcripture. The firſt is of Iſmaell and Iſaac, which were both the ſeede and naturall children of Abraham, and yet notwithſtanding Iſmaell, (which was begotten of Abraham as Iſaac was,Geneſ. 21.1…. Rom. 9.7. Heb. 11.17. The ſecond example of Eſau and Iacob. Geneſ. 25.…3. Rom. 9.12. Ma…c. 1.2. yea and ſhould alſo hauehave bene the firſt begotten, if carnall generation had any prorogatiue, or could hauehave made children to Abraham) is ſhut out, and yet the ſcripture ſaith: In Iſaac shall thy ſeede be called. The ſecond is of Eſau and Iacob, who when they were as yet in their mothers wombe, and had done neither good nor euill, it was ſaid, The elder shall ſerue the yonger. I hauehave loued Iacob and Eſau hauehave I hated. Therfore it is plaine, that they which are of faith are the children of Abraham.
But ſome will here obiecte (as the Iewes doe,The vvord Faith ſignifieth in the Hebrevv tonge truth. Geneſ. 15 4.5.6. Rom 4.13. Rom. 4.3. and certaine vnſkilfull perſons at this day which will ſeeme to know much) and ſay, that this worde faith in the Hebrew ſignifieth truth, and therfore we doe wrongly alleage it in this matter: and moreouer, that this place out of Geneſis. 15. ſpeaketh of a corporall thing, namely of the promiſe of poſteritie, and therfore is not wel applied of Paule to faith in Chriſt, but ought ſimplie to be vnderſtand of the faith of Abraham, wherby he beleeued according to the promiſe of God, that he ſhould hauehave ſeede. And hereby they would proue that the arguments and allegations of Paule doe conclude nothing. In like manner they may cauill alſo, that the place which Paule a litle after alledgeth out of Habacuc ſpeaketh of faith concerning the accompliſhing of the whole viſion, and not of faith onelyonly in Chriſt,Habac. 1.4. for the which Paule alledgeth it. Likewiſe they may wreſt all the .11. chapter to the Hebrews,Heb. 11. which ſpeaketh of faith and the examples of faith. By theſe things ſuch vaineglorious and arrogant ſpirites doe hunt for praiſe, and ſeeke to be counted wiſe and learned, where they leaſt of all deſerue it. But becauſe of the ſimple and ignoraunt we will briefly anſwer to their cauillations.
To the firſt I aunſwere thus, that faith is nothing elſe but the truth of the hearte: that is to ſay, a true and a right opinion of the hearte as touching God. Now, faith only thinketh and iudgeth rightly of God,Faithe. and not reaſon. And then a man thinketh rightly of God,Faith thīketh aright of God, and not reaſon. when he beleueth his word. But when he will meaſure God without the word, and beleue him according to the wiſedome of reaſon, he hath no right opinion of God in his heart and therfore he cā not thinke or iudge of him as he ſhould doe. As for example: when a Monke imagineth that his Cowle, his ſhauen croune and his vowes doe pleaſe God, & that grace and euerlaſting life is geuen vntounto him for the ſame,Truth and faith ſignifie both one thing. he hath no true opinion of God, but falſe and full of impietie. Truth therfore is faith it ſelfe, which iudgeth rightly of God, namely that God regardeth not our works & righteouſnes, becauſe we are vncleane: but that he will hauehave mercy vponupon vsus, looke vponupon vsus, accept vsus, iuſtifie vsus and ſaue vsus,Iohn. 5.24. Iohn. 11.25.26. Heb. 9.11. Heb. 10. if we beleue in his Sonne whom he hath ſent to be a ſacrifice for ye ſinnes of the whole world. This is a true opinion of God, and in very deede nothing elſe but faith it ſelfe. I can not comprehend nor be fully aſſured by reaſon, that I am receaued into gods fauour for Chriſtes ſake: but I heare this to be pronounced by the Goſpell, and I lay hold vponupon it by faith.
To the ſeconde cauillation I anſwere, that Paule doth rightly alledge the place out of the .15. of Geneſis, applying it to faith in Chriſt. For with faith alwayes muſt be ioyned a certaine aſſurance of Gods mercy.That Paule doth rightly alledge that place out of the .15. of Geneſis, and to his purpoſe. Now, this aſſurance comprehendeth a faithfull truſt of remiſſion of ſinnes for Chriſtes ſake. For it is impoſſible that the conſcience ſhould looke for any thing at Gods hand, except firſt it be aſſured, that God is mercifull vntounto it for Chriſtes ſake. Therfore all the promiſes are to be referred to that firſt promiſe concerning Chriſt: The ſeede of the vvoman shall bruſe the ſerpents head. Geneſ. 3.15. All the promiſes are to be referred to the firſt promiſe.So did all the Prophetes both vnderſtand it and teach it. By this we ſee that the faith of our fathers in the olde Teſtament, and ours nowe in the newe is all one, although they differ as touching their outward obiectes. Which thing Peter witneſſeth in the Actes when he ſayth: vvhichwhich neither vve nor our fathers vvere able to beare. Actes. 15.10.11.But vve beleeue through the grace of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt to be ſaued euen as they did. And Paule ſayth: Our fathers did all drinke of that ſpirituall rocke that folovved them, 1. Cor. 15.4.vvhichwhich rocke vvas Chriſt. And Chriſt himſelfe ſayth: Abraham reioyced to ſee my day, Iohn. 8.56.and he ſavve it and vvas glad. Notwithſtāding, the faith of the fathers was grounded in Chriſt which was to come, as ours is nowe in Chriſt which is now reuealed. Abraham in his time was made righteous through faith in Chriſt to come, but if he liued at this day, he ſhould be made righteous by faith in Chriſt now already reuealed and preſent:Actes. 10.1.2.3. Like as I ſaid before of Cornelius, who at the firſt beleeued in Chriſt to come, but being inſtructed by Peter, he beleeued that Chriſt was already come. Therfore the diuerſitie of times neither chaungeth faith, nor the holy Ghoſt, nor the gifts therof. For there hath bene, is, and euer ſhalbe one will, one meaning and vnderſtanding concerning Chriſt,The faith of the fathers & of vsus bothe one. as well in the auncient fathers as in the faithfull which are at this day and ſhall come hereafter. So we alſo hauehave aſwell Chriſt to come and beleeue in him, as the fathers of the olde Teſtament had.Coloſſ. 1.18. Reuel. 1. 1. Theſ. 4.15.16. Math. 24. For we looke for him to come againe in the laſt day with glory to iudge both the quicke and the dead, whom nowe we beleue to be come alredy for our ſaluation. Therfore this allegation of Paule offendeth none but thoſe blinde and ignorant cauillers.
That, the place of Geneſis may vvell be applied to faith in chriſt.Paule therfore (as I hauehave ſaid) rightly alledgeth that place out of Geneſis of faith in Chriſt, when he ſpeaketh of the faith of Abraham. For all the promiſes paſt, were contained in Chriſt to come. Therfore as well Abraham and the other fathers, as alſo we are made righteous by faith in Chriſt: They by faith in him to come, we by faith in him now preſent. For we entreate now of the nature and manner of iuſtification, which is all one both in them and vsus concerning Chriſt to come and being come. It is enough therfore that Paule ſheweth, that the law iuſtifieth not, but onelyonly faith, whether it be in Chriſt to come, or in Chriſt already come.
At this day alſo Chriſt to ſome is preſent, to other ſome he is to come. To al beleuers he is preſent: To vnbeleuers he is not yet come, neither doth he profit them any thing at all: but if they heare the Goſpel and beleue that he is preſent vntounto them, he iuſtifieth & ſaueth them.
Verſe. 7. Ye knovv therfore that they vvhichwhich are of faith, the ſame are the children of Abraham.
As if he would ſay: Ye know by this example of Abraham and by the plaine teſtimony of the ſcripture, that they are the children of Abraham which are of faith, whether they be Iewes or Gentiles, without any reſpect either vntounto the law, or vntounto works, or to the carnal generation of the fathers. For not by the law, but by the righteouſnes of faith the promiſe was made vntounto Abraham, Abraham a father both of Ievves and the Gentiles. Geneſ. 17.4. Rom. 4.17.that he ſhould be heire of the world: that is to ſay, that in his ſeede all the nations of the earth ſhould be bleſſed, and that he ſhould be called the father of nations. And leſt the Iewes ſhould falſly interpret this word Nations, applying it vntounto themſelues alone, the ſcripture preuenteth this and ſaith not onelyonly, a father of nations: but a father of many nations hauehave I made thee. Therefore Abraham is not onelyonly the father of the Iewes, but alſo of the Gentiles.
Hereby we may plainly ſee that the children of Abraham are not the childrē of the fleſh, but the children of faith, as Paule Rom. 4. The children of Abraham after the flesh, are not Abrahams children, but ſuch as vvalke in the ſteppes of faith. Rom. 4.11. Geneſ. 17.4. Rom. 4.17. A begetting Abraham, and a beleuing Abraham.declareth: vvho is the father of vsus all (as it is vvritten: I hauehave made thee a father of many nations) euen before God vvhom he did beleue: So that Paule maketh two Abrahams, a begetting Abraham, and a beleuing Abraham. Abraham hath children and is a father of many nations. Where? before God, where he beleueth: not before the world where he begetteth. For in the world he is the child of Adam, a ſinner, or (which is more) a worker of the righteouſnes of the law, liuing after the rule of reaſon, that is, after the manner of men: but this pertaineth nothing to the beleuing Abraham.
This example then of the beleuing Abraham comprehendeth alſo the holy ſcripture which ſaith that we are counted righteous by faith. This argument therfore is ſtrong and mightie two manner of waies, both for the example of Abraham, & alſo for ye authority of ye ſcripture.