Commentary on Galatians 2 part 6/6

Here he hints at nothing else than that he himself wrote the whole Epistle;

which was a sign of great sincerity.

For in the case of the other Epistles he himself dictated, but another wrote;

and this is plain from the Epistle to the Romans,

'I Tertius, who wrote this Epistle, salute you;'

but here he himself wrote the whole.

And he did this here, and of necessity, not only out of love, but also to do away with an evil suspicion.

For since he was slandered in matters with which he had no part, and was said to be preaching circumcision and merely pretending that he did not preach it, on this account he was compelled to write the Epistle in his own hand, laying down beforehand a written testimony.

As for the phrase 'with what large letters,' it seems to me that he speaks not of the size, but rather points to the unshapeliness of the letters, all but saying: Though I do not know how to write well, yet I was compelled to write with my own hand, so as to stop the mouths of the slanderers.

'As many as desire to make a fair show in the flesh, these compel you to be circumcised, only that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ.'

'For not even they who are circumcised do themselves keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh.'

Here he shows that they were not undergoing this willingly, but under compulsion, thus affording them an occasion of withdrawal, and almost making a defense on their behalf, and urging them to leap away quickly.

But what is the meaning of 'to make a fair show in the flesh'?

To be held in good repute among men.

For since they were reproached by the Jews as having fallen away from the customs of their fathers,

in order that they might not be so charged, he says, they wish to do you harm, making their defense to those men through your flesh.

And he said these things to show that it was not for God's sake that they were doing them.

What is being done is no ground of piety;

for all these things are done for the sake of human vainglory, to please unbelievers, so that believers are cut to pieces, and they choose to offend God, that they may please men.

For this is what it means to 'make a fair show in the flesh.'

Then, showing that on another ground also they are bereft of pardon, he convicts them again, as men who lay down these injunctions not only to please others, but also out of their own vainglory.

'That they may glory in your flesh,' as having disciples and being teachers.

And what is the proof of this? For not even they themselves keep the law, he says.

For above all, even if they did keep it, they would still be worthy of accusation;

but as it is, their very aim is corrupt.

by the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.

And indeed the thing seems to be a matter of reproach, but that is in the world and among unbelievers;

whereas in the heavens and among believers it is glory, and the greatest glory.

For poverty too is a reproach, yet to us it is a boast;

and to be held in contempt by many is a laughing-stock, yet we pride ourselves in this.

So too the cross is a boast to us.

And he did not say, 'But I do not glory,' nor, 'But I do not wish to glory,' but, 'But far be it from me,' as one deprecating things monstrous; and he called in the alliance of God to accomplish this rightly.

And what is the boast of the cross? That Christ for my sake took the form of a servant, and suffered what he suffered, for my sake who am the servant, the enemy, the ungrateful one;

but he so loved me as even to give himself up.

Can anything be equal to this? For if household servants, when they are only praised by their masters—and those of the same nature as themselves—are highly elated, how ought we not to glory when the Master, the true God, is not ashamed of the cross endured on our behalf? Let us then not be ashamed of his unspeakable tender care.

He was not ashamed to be crucified for you, and are you ashamed to confess his boundless care? It is as though a prisoner should not be ashamed of the king, but, because the king came to the prison and by his own hand loosed the chains, should on that account be ashamed of him.

But this would be the height of madness;

for it is precisely on this account that one ought most of all to exult.

'Through whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.'

By 'the world' he now means, not the heaven nor the earth, but the affairs of this life, the praise that comes from men, the retinue of attendants, glory, wealth, and all such things as are thought to be splendid.

For these things have become dead to me.

Such ought the Christian to be, and ever to carry about this saying.

For he was not content merely with the former mode of mortification, but added yet another, saying:

hinting at a twofold mortification, and saying that: Both those things are dead to me, and I to them, so that neither can they seize and subdue me,

nor can I desire them;

for I too am dead to them.

Nothing is more blessed than this mortification.

For this is the foundation of the blessed life.

'For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.'

'And as many as shall walk by this rule, peace be upon them and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.'

Do you see the power of the cross, to what a height it raised him? For it not only made all the affairs of the world dead to him, but set him far above the old commonwealth as well.

What can be equal to this strength? For him who was being slain for the sake of this circumcision and was slaying others, the cross persuaded to leave it on a level with uncircumcision, and to seek after things strange and marvelous and above the heavens.

For he calls this way of life according to you a 'new creation,' both because of what has already happened and because of what is to come;

because of what has already happened, in that our soul, having grown old in the old age of sin, was suddenly renewed through baptism, as though created anew;

wherefore a new and heavenly way of life is required of us;

and because of what is to come, in that both the heaven and the earth and all creation shall be translated into incorruption together with our bodies.

Do not therefore, he says, speak to me of circumcision, which henceforth avails nothing;

for how shall it appear of any account, when all things have been so greatly changed? but seek after the new things of grace.

For they who pursue these things shall enjoy both peace and lovingkindness, and may properly be called by the name of Israel;

whereas those who hold the contrary opinions, even if they were born of him and bear his appellation, have fallen away from all these things, from the kinship and from the very name.

For they who can properly be Israelites are those who keep this rule,

abstaining from the old things and pursuing the things of grace.

'From henceforth let no man cause me troubles.'

Here he utters these words not as one wearied, nor as one who has grown fainthearted;

for he who chose both to do and to suffer all things for the sake of his disciples, how could he now be exhausted and give up? he who says:

'Be instant in season, out of season;'

'lest at any time God should give them repentance unto the knowledge of the truth, and they should recover themselves out of the snare of the devil.'

For what reason then does he say these things? To check their listless disposition, and to cast them into greater fear, and to make firm the laws which were laid down by him, and not to permit them to be always shifting them about.

'For I bear the marks of our Lord Jesus Christ branded on my body.'

He did not say, 'I have,' but, 'I bear,' like one greatly priding himself over trophies, or over royal ensigns;

And even if this too seems, once again, to be a reproach,

yet he glories in his wounds;

and just like the standard-bearers among the soldiers, so also does he exult as he carries about his wounds.

But why does he say this? 'By these things,' he says, 'I make my defense more splendidly than by any speech, than by any voice.'

For these send forth a voice louder than a trumpet against those who contradict him and say that he plays the hypocrite regarding the doctrine and speaks something merely to please men.

For if anyone saw a soldier coming out of the battle-line covered in blood and bearing countless wounds, he would not endure to judge him a coward or a traitor, since upon his body he carries the proof of his valor.

'And so,' he says, 'in my case too one must render judgment in this way.'

'And if anyone wishes to hear my defense and to learn my mind, let him look at my wounds, which furnish a proof greater than these words and these letters.'

For at the beginning of the Epistle, from his sudden conversion he plainly showed his unfeigned resolve;

and at the end, from the perils that attended it.

For lest anyone should say that he indeed changed to a right understanding but did not abide in the same purpose, he brings forward as witnesses that he did abide his labors, his perils, his blows.

Then, having made his defense clearly throughout, and having shown that he said none of the foregoing out of anger or hostility, but holds an unshaken affection toward them, he once more establishes this very point, closing his discourse in a prayer laden with countless blessings, and speaking thus:

'The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brethren.'

With this last utterance he set a seal upon all that went before.

For he does not say simply, 'With you,' as in the other epistles, but 'With your spirit,' drawing them away from things carnal, everywhere pointing out the beneficence of God, and reminding them of the grace they had enjoyed, by which he was able to lead them away from all Jewish error.

For to have received the Spirit belonged not to the poverty of the Law, but to the righteousness that is according to faith;

and to have held fast to it, once received, came again not from circumcision, but from grace.

For this reason he closed his exhortation with a prayer, and having reminded them of grace and of the Spirit, at the same time addressing them as brethren and beseeching God that they might enjoy these things continually, he secured his hearers in a twofold manner;

for the same thing was both a prayer and a complete teaching of the things spoken, becoming to them as a double wall.

For the teaching, reminding them of how many good things they had enjoyed, held them the more firmly within the doctrines of the Church;

while the prayer, calling down grace and persuading it to remain with them, did not permit their spirit to withdraw.

And while this abode in them, all the deceit of such doctrines was, like dust, blown away, in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be the glory and the might, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.