Commentary on Galatians, Chapter 4 · Verse extract 19 – Verse extract 21
Verſe. 19. My litle children, of vvhom I trauaile in birth againe, vntill Chriſt be formed in you.
All his wordes are waightie and fitly framed to the purpoſe, that they may moue the hearts of the Galathians, and winne theyr fauour and good will againe. And theſe are ſweete and louing words, when he calleth them his children. When he ſayeth: of vvhom I trauaile in birth, it is an allegorie. For the Apoſtles are in the ſtede of parentes: as Scholemaſters alſo are in their place and calling.The Apoſtles are parents. For as the parents beget the bodely forme, euen ſo the other beget the forme of the minde.The forme of a Chriſtian minde, and hovv it is gotten. Now, the forme of a Chriſtian minde is Faith, or the confidence of the heart which layeth hold vppon Chriſte and cleaueth to him alone and to nothing elſe. The heart being furniſhed with this confidence or aſſurance, to witte, that for Chriſtes ſake we are righteous, hath the true forme of Chriſte. Now, this forme is geuen by the miniſterie of the word,1. Cor. 4.15. as it is ſayd. 1. Corrinthians. 4: I hauehave begotten you through the Goſpell, that is to ſay, in ſpirit, that ye might know Chriſte and beleue in him.1. Cor. 3.3. Alſo. 2. Corrinthians. 3. Ye are the Epiſtle of Chriſte, miniſtred by vsus and vvritten, not vvith incke, but vvith the ſpirite of the liuing God. For the word commeth from the mouth of the Apoſtle or of the miniſter, and entreth into the heart of him that heareth it: There the holy Ghoſt is preſent, and emprinteth the word in the heart, ſo that it conſenteth vntounto it. Thus eueryevery godly teacher is a father, which engendreth and formeth the true ſhape of a Chriſtian heart, and that by the miniſterie of the word.
Moreouer, by theſe wordes: of vvhom I trauaile in birth, he toucheth the falſe apoſtles. As though he would ſay: I did beget you rightly through the Goſpell, but theſe corrupters hauehave formed a new ſhape in your heart, not of Chriſte, but of Moſes: ſo that now your affiance is not grounded any more vponupon Chriſte, but vponupon the workes of the lawe. This is not the true forme of Chriſte, but it is an other forme, and altogether deuiliſh. And he ſayth not: of whom I trauaile in birth vntill my forme be faſhioned in you, but vntill Chriſte be formed in you:The forme of Chriſte. that is to ſay, I trauaile that ye may receaue againe the forme and ſimilitude of Chriſte, and not of Paule. In which wordes he againe reproueth the falſe apoſtles: For they had aboliſhed the forme of Chriſte in the heartes of the beleuers, and had deuiſed an other forme, that is to ſay, their owne: As he ſayeth. Chap. 6. They vvould hauehave you circumciſed, that they might reioyce in your flesh.Galath. ….13.
Of this forme of Chriſte he ſpeaketh alſo in the third to the Coloſſians: Put ye on the nevve man vvhichwhich is renevved in knovvledge after the image of him that created him. Coloſſ. 3.10.Paule therefore goeth about to repaire the forme of Chriſte in the Galathians that was diſfigured and corrupted by the falſe apoſtles: which is,VVho be like to God. that they ſhould thinke, ſpeake and will, as God doth, whoſe thought and will is, that we ſhould obtaine remiſſion of our ſinnes and euerlaſting life by Ieſus Chriſt his onelyonly Sonne, whom he ſent into the world to the ende he might be the propiciation for our ſinnes, and that we ſhould know that through this his ſonne he is appeaſed and become our louing father. They that beleue this are like vntounto God: that is to ſay, all their thoughtes are of God, as the affection of their heart is: they hauehave the ſame forme in their minde which God or Ieſus Chriſte hath. This is to be renewed in the ſpirite of our minde, and to put on the new man which after God is created in righteouſnes and true holines, as Paule ſayth, Epheſ. 4.Epheſ. 4.24.
He ſayeth then, that he traueileth againe of the Galathians in birth: notwithſtanding in ſuch ſort, that the forme of the children be not the forme of the Apoſtle: ſo that the children ſhould not reſemble the forme of Paule, or of Cephas, &c. but of an other Father, that is to ſay, Chriſt. I will faſhion him (ſayeth he) in you, to the ende ye may be like minded in all things vntounto Chriſte himſelfe. To be briefe:Philip. 2.5… I trauell of you in birth: that is to ſay, I labour carefully to call you backe againe to your former Faith the which ye hauehave loſt (being deceaued by the craft and ſubteltie of the falſe apoſtles) and are returned to the lawe and workes. Therefore I muſt now againe carefully trauell to bring you backe from the lawe to the Faith of Chriſt. This he calleth to trauell in birth. &c.
Verſe. 20. And I vvould I vvere vvith you novv, that I might chaūge my voice. &c.
Theſe are the true cares of an Apoſtle. It is a common ſaying,An Epiſtle or letter is a dead meſſenger. that a letter is a dead meſſenger: for it can geue no more then it hath. And no Epiſtle or letter is wrytten ſo exactly wherein there is not ſomewhat lacking. For the circumſtances are diuers: there is a diuerſitie of times, places, perſons, manners and affections: all which no Epiſtle can expreſſe: Therefore it moueth the reader diuerſly, making him now ſadde, now merry, as he him ſelfe is diſpoſed. But if any thing be ſpoken ſharpely or out of time, ye liuely voyce of a man may expound, mitigate, or correct the ſame. Therfore the Apoſtle wiſheth that he were with them, to the end he might temper and chaunge his voyce, as he ſhould ſee it needefull by the qualities of their affections. As, if he ſhould ſee any of them very much troubled he might ſo temper his wordes, that they ſhould not be oppreſſed therby, with more heauines: Contrariwiſe if he ſhould ſee others high minded, he might ſharply reprehend them; leſt they ſhould be too ſecure and careles, and ſo at length become contemners of God.
Wherefore he could not deuiſe how he being abſent, ſhould deale with them by letters. As if he ſhould ſay: If my Epiſtle be to ſharpe, I feare I ſhall more offend then amende ſome of you. Againe: if it be too gentle, it will not profite thoſe which are peruerſe and obſtinate: For dead letters and wordes geue no more then they hauehave. Contrariwiſe the liuely voyce of a man compared to an Epiſtle, is a Queene: For it can adde & diminiſh, it can chaūge it ſelfe in to all maner of affections, times, places & perſons. To be briefe, I would gladly conuert you by letters, that is to ſay, cal you backe from the law to the Faith of Ieſus Chriſte: but I feare that I ſhall not ſo doe by my dead letters. But if I were with you, I could chaūge my voice, I could reproue them bitterly that are obſtinate, and comfort the weake with ſweete & louing wordes, as occaſion ſhould require.
Verſe. 20. For I am troubled for you.
That is to ſay: I am ſo troubled in my ſpirite, that I know not how by letters to behaue my ſelfe towardes you. Here is a liuely deſcription of the true affections of an Apoſtle. He omitteth nothing: he chideth the Galathians: he entreateth them: he ſpeaketh them faire: he highly commendeth their Faith, labouring by all meanes to bring them backe againe to the truth of the Goſpell,The true affections of an Apoſtle. and to deliuer them out of the ſnares of the falſe apoſtles. Theſe are vehement words, proceding from a heart ſtirred vppe and enflamed with a hot burning zeale, and therfore ought diligently to be conſidered.
Verſe. 21. Tell me, ye that vvill be vnderunder the lavve, doe ye not heare the lavve?
Here would Paule hauehave cloſed vp his Epiſtle: for he deſired not to wryte any more, but rather to be preſent with the Galathians, and to ſpeake vntounto them him ſelfe. But he being in great perplexitie and very carefull for this matter, taketh by the way this allegorie,The vſe of allegories and ſimilitudes. which then came into his minde. For the people are greatly delighted with allegories and ſimilitudes, and therfore Chriſte himſelfe oftentimes vſeth them. For they are as it were certaine pictures which ſet forth things as if they were painted before the eyes of the ſimple, and therefore they moue and perſwade very much, eſpecially the ſimple and ignorant. Firſt therfore he ſtirreth vp the Galathians with words and wrytings: Secondly he painteth out the matter it ſelfe before theyr eyes with this goodly allegorie.
Now,Hovv Paule handleth allegories. Paule was a maruelous cunning workman in handling of allegories: For he is wont to applie them to the doctrine of Faith, to grace and to Chriſt, and not to the law and the workes therof, as Origen and Hierom doe,Origen and Hierom. who are worthely reprehended for that they turned the plaine ſentences of the Scripture, where allegories hauehave no place, into vnfitte and fooliſh allegories. Therfore to vſe allegories it is oftentimes a very daungerous thing. For vnleſſe a man hauehave the perfect knowledge of Chriſtian doctrine, he can not vſe allegories rightly and as he ſhould doe.
But why doth Paule call the booke of Geneſis,VVhy Paule calleth the booke of Geneſis the lavv. out of the which he aleageth the hyſtorie of Iſmael and of Iſaack, the lawe, ſeeing that booke containeth nothing at all concerning the law: and ſpecially that place which he aledgeth ſpeaketh not of any law, but onelyonly containeth a plaine hyſtorie of Abrahams two children. Paule is wont to call the firſt booke of Moſes the lawe after the maner of the Iewes, which although it cōtaine no law beſides the law of circumciſion, but the principall doctrine therof is concerning Faith, and that the Patriarkes pleaſed God becauſe of their Faith, yet the Iewes notwithſtanding, onelyonly becauſe of the law of circumciſion which is there contained, called the booke of Geneſis the lawe, as well as the other bookes of Moſes. So did Paule him ſelfe alſo being a Iewe. And Chriſt vnderunder the title of the lawe, comprehendeth not onelyonly the bookes of Moſes, but alſo ye Pſalmes. Iohn 15. But it is, Iohn. 15.25. Pſal 35.19.that the vvord might be fulfilled vvhichwhich is vvrytten in their lavve: They hated me vvithout a cauſe.