1 O senseless Galatians, who hath bewitched you that you should not obey the truth: before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been set forth, crucified among you?
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VERS. 1.-- *O senseless.* The words of one growing angry. And the Galatians were senseless who did not even acknowledge that they had been circumvented by the false apostles. *Hath bewitched.* A bewitching is when by magical delusions certain things are shown to the eyes of men otherwise than they are. That also is commonly called a bewitching which harms infants. For the eyes of certain men are said to burn with their look, while this act of theirs also is called a bewitching: and it can come about that demons serve this sin. Likewise envy burns as a bewitching does. For the envious man harms not only himself, but also those in whom some good things begin to be; whence Solomon, *The bewitching of malice obscureth good things*. So it came about that the envious, as men bewitching, harmed the Galatians, newly born again in Christ, so that these same Galatians, the stomach of faith growing nauseous, vomited up the food of the spirit. *Before whose eyes.* Truly bewitched, since before the eyes, that is, in your presence, he who is so great. *Jesus Christ hath been proscribed.* That is, disinherited: and this *among you,* among others you ought not to suffer that he should lose his kingdom and his inheritance, much less among you.
2 This only would I learn of you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith?
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VERS. 2.-- *This only of you.* Them being admonished by rebuke, he proves that the law is not to be observed, because not from it, but from faith come all things necessary, spirit, justice, blessing. As if to say: Although bewitched and foolish, yet *this I wish to learn of you,* because this is so evident that even the foolish are able to teach it. If there were nothing else, this alone would suffice for the proving, since it is agreed that you received the Spirit; but whether from works, in which you never took up labour, or from faith, which comes by the easiness of hearing?
3 Are you so foolish that, whereas you began in the Spirit, you would now be made perfect by the flesh?
4 Have you suffered so great things in vain? If it be yet in vain.
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VERS. 4.-- *Without cause.* He says this for this reason: because they had already borne many things for the faith, and in those very sufferings had overcome fear by charity. Without cause therefore had they suffered so great things, who were willing to slip from charity, which had borne so great things in them, to the law.
5 He therefore who giveth to you the Spirit and worketh miracles among you: doth he do it by the works of the law or by the hearing of the faith?
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VERS. 5.-- *He therefore who giveth.* Because you received the Spirit not from works, which you never had, but from faith; therefore you are able to see that I, who had the works of the law, received the power of giving the Spirit and of working miracles not through them, but through faith. Concerning the fact that he had been under the law there could be doubt: but by the likeness of these things the whole is clear.
6 As it is written: Abraham believed God: and it was reputed to him unto justice.
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VERS. 6.-- *Unto justice.* Here he calls justice the remission of sins and the keeping of a good life.
7 Know ye, therefore, that they who are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.
8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God justifieth the Gentiles by faith, told unto Abraham before: In thee shall all nations be blessed.
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VERS. 8.-- *Foreseeing.* Not only justice is of faith, but the blessing also, because the Scripture says: *In thee shall they be blessed,* that is, in conformity to thy faith. *That of faith.* Not of works, etc. *He foretold,* that is, he showed. Or, *he foretold,* that is, he showed that it had been foretold that *they shall be blessed* in eternal blessedness. *In thee.* In the imitation of thy faith, etc.
9 Therefore, they that are of faith shall be blessed with faithful Abraham.
10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under a curse. For it is written: Cursed is every one that abideth, not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.
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VERS. 10.-- *For whosoever,* etc. This is to be understood not of the works which pertain to morals, but of those which were done in those observances. The law written on the tables profits: the rest are a burden, which he proves by the authority of Scripture, saying: *It is written.* They who are of the works of the law are accursed, because, as it is written by Moses in Deuteronomy: *Cursed is every man,* etc. As if to say: I have commanded many things, all of which no one will be able to fulfil: but they were given for a burden, and therefore all are accursed. In which he hints that a Saviour is to be desired, who may set an end to these things, and free us not only from other sins, but from the curse of the law. Why then do the Galatians pass over from grace to a curse?
11 But that in the law no man is justified with God, it is manifest: because the just man liveth by faith.
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VERS. 11.-- *Is justified before God.* He who worships him freely, that is, not out of a desire of seeking anything from him besides himself, or out of fear of losing. For in him alone is our true blessedness, and it is perfect.
12 But the law is not of faith: but he that doth those things shall live in them.
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VERS. 12.-- *But the law,* etc. Of faith are justice and life: but the law is not of faith. It could indeed seem that the works of the law were done out of faith, so that eternal things were hoped for on account of them: but it is not so, since the Jews kept those things out of fear of punishment. *He shall live in them.* He does not say: He who shall do it shall live in it, though he had put before: *the law is not of faith;* that thou mayest understand the law to be put in this place for those very works which were done in those observances. But they who lived in these works certainly feared (if they had not done them) to suffer stoning, or the cross, or another thing of this kind. *He therefore who shall do them, shall live in them:* not before God, that is, he shall have a reward, that he be not punished with that death. But he who lives of faith, when he shall have gone forth hence, shall then the more have a most present reward. Therefore he does not live of faith, whosoever either desires or fears present things which are seen: because the faith of God pertains to things invisible.
13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us (for it is written: Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree).
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VERS. 13.-- *Made for us,* that is, reputed not only accursed, but even a curse. Or, He was made in the truth of the thing *accursed,* that is, mortal. *Cursed is he that hangeth.* As if to say: Let it be enough for punishment that the guilty man dies hanged: and that he is there until evening, that he may then be taken down and buried, lest, if he be there longer, the reproach be the greater: and a stain to his kindred. *Every man.* Christ also, lest heretics to come should deny his true death.
14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Christ Jesus: that we may receive the promise of the Spirit by faith.
15 Brethren (I speak after the manner of man), yet a man's testament, if it be confirmed, no man despiseth nor addeth to it.
16 To Abraham were the promises made and to his seed. He saith not: And to his seeds as of many. But as of one: And to thy seed, which is Christ.
17 Now this I say: that the testament which was confirmed by God, the law which was made after four hundred and thirty years doth not disannul, to make the promise of no effect.
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VERS. 17.-- *But this I say.* This God promised to Abraham, *and this testament confirmed* by oaths *I say* and affirm, that *the law maketh not void,* of which this was not to be thought: because it was given only for a time: because long after the promise made to Abraham the law was given: of which, if the blessing were from it, the men of that time, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, would not have had it. *The law maketh not void.* That is, false: which it would do, if the blessing were given through it. For that promise did not say that it should be through the law, but through the seed. But if the blessing be through the law, then in vain did he promise to the seed, and in vain did the seed itself come. The law maketh not void, as though it now availed to empty out the promise: because it would be false, and God a liar.
18 For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise. But God gave it to Abraham by promise.
19 Why then was the law? It was set because of transgressions, until the seed should come to whom he made the promise, being ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.
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VERS. 19.-- *Because of transgressions.* It was set in the midst, between the promise and the seed: to whom the promise was made, that is, between Abraham and Christ, that it might instruct the people of God under the fear of God: that they might be made worthy to receive the promise which is Christ. *Ordained by angels.* The law, I say, ordained by angels, that is, by Moses and the other ministers of God, or given to men by the ministry of angels, in which angels assuredly were the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Sometimes, without any distinction of person, God was figured through them. And note that he does not say given, but, *ordained:* as it were given in orderly fashion between the time of the natural law (of which they were convicted that it could not help) and the time of grace, before they were to be convicted concerning the law: he therefore who now brings it back acts against the order of the angels. *In the hand.* That is, in the power of Christ, that the law should stand while he willed, and cease when he willed. Therefore you act against him who destroyed it. A mediator is between two extremes, and on this account it might seem either that Christ was not God, or that there were two gods. To which he answers that, although a mediator is not of one but of two extremities, yet he is one God with God the Father by the divine nature, to whom he mediates by the human.
20 Now a mediator is not of one: but God is one.
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VERS. 20.-- *A mediator.* The law which the mediator has is of one people only: but yet the mediator himself is not of one people only, that is, of the Jews who had the law, but of the Gentiles also, and therefore do not seek the law, that you may have a mediator. A mediator is not of one, but yet he is one: sufficient for reconciling all to God, because he is God, and therefore add not anything else to him.
21 Was the law then against the promises of God: God forbid! For if there had been a law given which could give life, verily justice should have been by the law.
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VERS. 21.-- *The law then,* etc. Since the law is because of transgression, it is therefore so against the promises that through it there is fulfilled something otherwise than as it was promised: not because from the law there is not life, that is, eternal blessedness: because if life were from thence, then justice also: but justice is not from it, but rather it condemns, and shuts up under sin. And this is what is said: *But the Scripture shutteth up.* The law itself wholly shut up the Jews under the dominion of sin, and showed all men shut up under sin, as it is said also to the Romans: *God hath concluded all things in justice, that he may have mercy on all.* Their sins being made known through the law, they were shut up, that they may not be able to excuse themselves, but may seek mercy.
22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise, by the faith of Jesus Christ, might be given to them that believe.
23 But before the faith came, we were kept under the law shut up, unto that faith which was to be revealed.
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VERS. 23.-- *Before that.* Before the coming of faith the law was useful to the Jews. *Faith came.* Faith is unbidden, which no merit called forth. *We were kept.* Not free, but servants. *Shut up.* That being thus accustomed we might be led. *Unto it.* That is, unto so good a faith. *Which.* It was in the time of Christ. *To be revealed.* In the time of Christ many things were opened which before were obscure. Behold the honour of the law: because it kept us as a pedagogue: but this is not a great thing, because this belongs to children, not to grown men.
24 Wherefore the law was our pedagogue in Christ: that we might be justified by faith.
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VERS. 24.-- *Was our pedagogue in Christ Jesus.* By the instruction of Christ: who therefore instructed, that so, coming to faith as children unto perfection, we might be justified. Or *in Christ,* that is, in the carrying out of the precepts of Christ.
25 But after the faith is come, we are no longer under a pedagogue.
26 For you are all the children of God, by faith in Christ Jesus.
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VERS. 26.-- *You are all children of God by faith.* We Jews in the time of faith forsook the pedagogue: because all you Gentiles, who had not the law, are sons. Do you then take up what we forsook by your example? As if he should say: You ought not to do this. *In Christ Jesus.* In the instruction of Christ, and unto the likeness of his death.
27 For as many of you as have been baptized in Christ have put on Christ.
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VERS. 27.-- *You have put on.* That is, you have been made conformable to him, which is to you an honour and a protection against the heats. But that Christ is a garment, the Apostle elsewhere makes plain, saying: *Put ye on our Lord Jesus Christ.* Now men put on Christ: sometimes as far as the receiving of the sacrament: sometimes even as far as the sanctification of life. And that first is common to the good and to the evil. But this second is proper to the good.
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek: there is neither bond nor free: there is neither male nor female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.
29 And if you be Christ's, then are you the seed of Abraham, heirs according to the promise.
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VERS. 29.-- *Then are you the seed of Abraham.* Christ was called the seed of Abraham: where it is read that the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. But here the sons of Christ, that is, all believers, are called the seed of Abraham. But as often as Christ is named the seed of Abraham, it is to be understood bodily: namely, that he is begotten of his stock. But as often as we who believe in him are called the seed of Abraham, then we ought spiritually to take the seed of faith.