Commentary on Galatians 1 part 3/3

He did not say simply, 'I conferred not,' but, 'Immediately.'

And if he did go up afterward, it was not for the sake of receiving anything in addition.

Behold a fervent soul: he was eager to take possession of those regions which had not yet been tilled, but were still lying in a more savage state.

For if he had waited to be with the apostles, having nothing to learn, the preaching would have been hindered;

for it was needful that they should disseminate the word everywhere.

For this cause this blessed man, being fervent in spirit, at once laid hold of the teaching of barbarous and savage men, choosing a life full of struggle and much toil.

And observe for me his humility.

For having said, 'I went away into Arabia,' he added, 'And again I returned unto Damascus.'

He does not tell of his successes, nor whom he catechized nor how many; and yet, as soon as he was baptized, he showed such zeal as to confound the Jews, and drove them to such a pitch of exasperation that they lay in wait and sought to kill both him and the Greeks;

which would not have happened had he not made a great addition to the number of believers.

For since they were being worsted in the argument, they thereafter turned to murder—which was a clear sign of Paul's victory.

But Christ did not suffer him to die, preserving him for the preaching;

yet nevertheless he says nothing of these successes;

so that all the things he does say, he says not for the sake of vainglory, nor to be reckoned greater than the apostles, nor because he was stung at being made of no account, but fearing lest some harm might thereby come to the preaching.

For indeed he calls himself an untimely birth, and the first of sinners, and the last of the apostles, and unworthy of such an appellation;

and these things he said, who had labored more than all—which is above all the mark of humility.

For he who is conscious of no good in himself, yet speaks lowly things concerning himself, is honest, not humble-minded;

but he who, after so many crowns, utters such words, that man is the one who knows how to be modest.

'And again,' he says, 'I returned unto Damascus.'

And yet how many things is it likely he wrought there? For concerning this city he says that the governor under Aretas the king guarded the whole of it, desiring to ensnare this blessed man;

which was a very great sign that he pressed the Jews hard and with mighty force.

But he says nothing of these things here, nor would he have set them down even there at that time, had he not seen that the occasion then demanded the narrative;

otherwise he would have kept silent.

Just as here, then, saying that he came and departed, he no longer adds the things that took place from thence.

'Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Peter.'

What could be more humble than this soul? After so many and such great achievements, needing nothing of Peter, nor of his voice, but being equal in honor with him (for I will say nothing more for the present), he nevertheless goes up as to one greater and more venerable;

and the sole cause of his journey thither was the visiting of Peter.

Do you see how he renders unto them the honor that befits them, and deems himself not only not superior, but not even equal to them? And this is plain from this journey.

For just as now many of our brethren journey to holy men, so also Paul then, being thus disposed toward Peter, went away to him;

or rather, with far greater humility.

For those who journey now do so for the sake of profit;

but that blessed man of old went, not as one about to learn anything from him, nor as one about to receive any correction, but for this cause alone—that he might see him and honor him with his presence.

'To visit Peter,' he says.

And he did not say, 'To see Peter,' but, 'To visit Peter'—the very word which those use who go to study great and splendid cities.

So worthy of much diligence did he deem it merely to behold the man.

And this is plain also from the Acts.

For when he came to Jerusalem, having converted many of the Gentiles and wrought such things as none of the others had—having set in order Pamphylia, Lycaonia, the nation of the Cilicians, all in that part of the world, and brought them to Christ—he first goes in unto James with much humility, as unto one greater and more honorable.

Then he submits to his counsel, and to counsel contrary to what is now given.

'For you see, brother,' he says, 'how many myriads there are of the Jews who have believed? But shave your head, and purify yourself.'

And he shaved his head, and performed all the Jewish observances.

For where the Gospel was not harmed, he was humbler than all;

but where he saw that, by reason of his humility, certain ones were being wronged, he no longer made use of this advantage;

for that was no longer to be humble-minded, but to ruin and destroy those being discipled.

'And I abode with him fifteen days.'

Now, to have journeyed for his sake was a mark of much honor;

but to have remained so many days was a mark of friendship and of most vehement love.

'But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord's brother.'

See how he has a greater friendship toward Peter;

for both for his sake he journeyed, and with him he remained.

These things I say continually, and I beg you to keep them in mind, so that when you hear the things he seems to have said against Peter, no one may harbor suspicion of the Apostle.

For it is on this account that he himself, correcting this beforehand, says these things, so that when he says, 'I withstood Peter,' no one may suppose these words to be of enmity and contentiousness;

for indeed he both honors the man and loves him more than all.

For he says that he went up for the sake of none of the apostles, but only for his sake.

'But other of the apostles saw I none,' he says, 'save James.'

'I saw,' he says; 'I learned nothing from him.'

But observe with how much honor he named this one also.

For he did not say simply 'James,' but added also the honorable title, 'the brother of the Lord'; so utterly free was he from all envy.

So utterly free was he from all envy.

For if he had wished merely to indicate the man of whom he spoke, he might have made this plain by some other mark of identification, and have said 'the son of Clopas,' as indeed the evangelist also said.

But he did not speak thus; rather, since he regarded the honorable titles of the apostles as his own, exalting himself thereby, so also does he glorify that man.

For he did not call him thus, as I said, but how? 'The brother of the Lord.'

And yet he was not even the Lord's brother according to the flesh, but was only supposed to be so; nevertheless, not even so did he turn away from that title.

But nevertheless he did not on this account turn away from it.

And it is shown from many other quarters that he was disposed toward all the apostles as genuinely as befitted him.

'Now the things which I write unto you, behold, before God, I lie not.'

Do you see the humility of this holy soul shining forth alike through all things? For as one contending in a court of justice and about to render an account, so earnestly does he strive to defend himself.

'Then I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia.'

Again he begins his discourse and the contest that lies before him, not touching upon Judea, both because he had been sent to the Gentiles, and because he would not choose to build upon another's foundation.

Wherefore he did not even see them for a mere casual meeting; and this is plain from what follows.

And this is plain from what follows.

'For I was,' he says, 'unknown by face to the churches of Judea.'

'But they had only heard, that he who once persecuted us now preacheth the faith which he once laid waste.'

What could be more modest than this soul? For when he was speaking of the things that brought accusation against him — such as that he persecuted the Church and laid it waste — he set them forth with much exaggeration, parading his former life; but the things that were to show him glorious, these he passes over.

But the things that were to display him as illustrious, these he runs past.

And though he could, had he wished, have told all his good deeds, he sets down none of them, but with a single phrase passing over an unspeakable sea, and having said, 'I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia,' and that 'They were hearing that he who once persecuted us now preacheth the faith which he once laid waste,' he added nothing further.

But what does he mean by saying, 'I was unknown to the churches of Judea'? That you may learn how far he was from preaching circumcision to them, seeing that he was not even known to them by sight.

'And they glorified God in me.'

Observe here too his rule of humility, how he keeps it with exactness.

For he did not say that they marveled at me, praised me, were astounded, but he showed that the whole was of grace.

'For they glorified God,' he says, 'in me.'