Chapter 1: Verses 6-9
the foreknowledge of things that shall come to pass, and therefore the foreknowledge of faith and works, follows the will of God, because things that shall come to pass are first decreed, and then foreseen.
The will here mentioned is said to be the will of God, that is, the first person, the Father. For when Christ is opposed to God, then God signifies the Father. And He is most commonly called God because
He is God without communication of the Godhead from any, whereas the Son and Holy Ghost are God, by communication of Godhead from the Father.
And this God is called "our Father" by Paul. And hereby he signifies that the scope of the gospel is, first, to propound God unto us not only as a Creator, but as a Father; secondly, to injoin us to acknowledge Him to be our Father in Christ, and consequently to carry ourselves as dutiful children to Him in all subjection and obedience. They which do not this know not the intent of the gospel;27 and if they know it, indeed they deny it.
The conclusion annexed to the salutation ("to whom be glory forever") teaches us [that] so often as we remember the work of our redemption by Christ, so often must we give praise and thanks to God. Yea all our lives must be nothing else but a testimony of thankfulness for our redemption. And all our praise and thanks to God must proceed from the serious affection of the heart, signified by the word "Amen." That is, so be it.
Chapter 1: Verses 6-9 6 I marvel that thou art so soon removed away to another gospel, from him that hath called you in the grace of Christ.
7 Which is not another gospel: but that some trouble you, and intend to overthrow the gospel of Christ.
Here begins the second part of the epistle, in which he gives instruction to the Galatians. And it has two parts: one concerns doctrine; the other, manners. The first part touching doctrine begins in the sixth verse, and continues to the thirteenth verse of the fifth chapter. The sum of it is a reproof of the Galatians for revolting from the gospel, and it is disposed in this syllogism.
If I be immediately called of God to teach, and my doctrine be true, you ought not to have revolted from my doctrine.
But I was called immediately of God to teach, and my doctrine is true.
Therefore you should not have revolted from my doctrine.
The [major] proposition is not expressed, because it was needless.
The minor is handled through the whole epistle. The conclusion is in the sixth and seventh verses, the meaning whereof I will briefly deliver. "So soon," that is, presently after my departure. "Removed."
Carried away by the persuasion of false teachers. "To another gospel." To another doctrine of salvation, which in the speech and opinion of the false teachers is another manner of gospel, more sufficient and more excellent, than that which Paul had delivered.
"From him." That is, from me being an apostle, who have called you by preaching the gospel of Christ. "In the grace." That is, have called you freely, without any desert of yours, to be partakers of the favor of God in Christ. "Which is not another." Which pretended gospel of the false apostles is not indeed another gospel from that of Paul, because there is but one; but it is an invention of the brain of man. "But there
be some." That is, but I plainly perceive the cause of your revolt, that some trouble you, and seek to overthrow the gospel of Christ.
In these words, two points are to be considered. The first is the manner which Paul uses in reproving the Galatians. He tenders their good and salvation, and seeks by all means their recovery. And therefore in his reproof he does two things. First, he reproves them with meekness and tenderness of heart, following his own rule (Gal.
6:1), for he might justly have said, you may be ashamed that thou art moved to another gospel, but he says only, "I marvel"—that is, I was well persuaded of you and I hoped for better things, but I am deceived and I wonder at it. Secondly, he frames his reproof with great wariness and circumspection. For he says not, you of yourselves do remove to another gospel, but thou art removed. Thus he blames them but in part, and lays the principal blame on others.
Again, he says not you were removed, but in the time present, "ye are removed"—that is, thou art in the act of revolting, and have not as yet altogether revolted. And hereby he puts them in mind, that although they be in a fault, yet there is nothing done which may not easily be undone. According to his example, we are all in reproofs to show love and to keep love—to show love to the party reproved, and to frame our reproof so as we may keep his love.
The second point is the fault reproved, and that is, the revolt of the Galatians, which was a departure from the calling whereby they were called to the grace of Christ. If it be demanded, what kind of revolt this was? I answer, there be two kinds of revolt, particular and general. Particular, when men profess the name of Christ, and yet depart from the faith, in some principal points thereof. Of this kind was the apostasy of the ten tribes, and such is the apostasy of the Roman Church. A general revolt is when men wholly forsake the faith and name of Christ. Thus do the Jews and Turks at this day.
Again, a revolt is sometimes of weakness, and human frailty, and sometimes of obstinacy. Now the revolt of the Galatians was only particular in the point of justification, and of weakness, and not of obstinacy; and this Paul signifies when he says they were carried by others.
Of this revolt, four things are to be considered. The time? "So soon."
From whom, or what? From the doctrine of Paul, and consequently "the grace of Christ." To what? "To another gospel." By means of whom? "But some trouble you," etc.
Touching the time, it was short. They were soon carried away. This shows the lightness and inconstancy of man's nature, especially in matter of religion. While Moses tarried in the mount, Aaron and the people set up a golden calf and departed from God. Hosea says, the righteousness of the Israelites was like the morning dew, which the rising of the sun consumes (Hos. 6:4). John was a burning light, and the Jews rejoice in this light. That is well; but mark what is added: for an hour or moment (John 5:35). They which cried, "Hosanna to the Son of David," shortly after cried, "Crucify him, crucify him." The cross and persecution will make men call the gospel in question, if not forsake it (Luke 8:13). The multitude of people among us are like wax, and are fit to take the stamp and impression of any religion.
And it is the law of the land that makes the most embrace the gospel, and not conscience. That we may constantly persevere in the profession of the true faith, both in life and death, first we must receive the gospel simply for itself, because it is the gospel of Christ, and not for any by-respect. Secondly, we must be mortified and renewed in the spirit of our minds, and suffer no by-corners33 in our hearts, where secret unbelief, secret hypocrisies, and spiritual pride may lurk and lie hid from the eyes of men (Heb. 3:12). Thirdly, we must not only be hearers of the word, but also doers of it in the
principal duties to be practiced, of faith, conversion, and new obedience.
To come to the second point, when Paul says, the Galatians were removed from him that called them, that is, himself, he shows
Christian modesty, because speaking things praiseworthy of himself, he speaks in the third person: "from him that hath called," etc. The like he does, "I know a man taken up into the third heaven" (2 Cor.
12). That is himself. And John says, "the disciple that leaned on the breast of Christ, whom Christ loved," asked whom He meant (John
13:23). After this practice, we are to give praise to God, and to his instruments, but neither to praise nor dispraise ourselves. This is
Christian civility to be joined with our faith.
Secondly, when he says, "who hath called you in the grace of Christ," we learn that the scope of the gospel is to bring men to the grace of Christ. To this very end God has vouchsafed us in England the gospel more than forty years. And therefore our words, and deeds, and lives, should be seasoned with grace, and [the] savor of it, and show forth grace of God. Secondly, we owe unto God great thankfulness, and we can never be sufficiently thankful for this benefit, that God calls us to His grace. But it is otherwise; the sun is a goodly creature, yet because we see it daily, it is not regarded; and so it is with the grace of God.
Thirdly, the Galatians are removed not only from the doctrine of Paul, but also from the grace of God. And the reason is because they joined the works of the law with Christ and His grace in the cause of their justification and salvation. Here it must be observed that they which make a union of grace and works in the cause of justification are separated from the grace of God. Grace admits no partner or fellow. Grace must be freely given every way, or it is no way grace.
Hence it follows that the present Church of Rome is departed from the grace of God, because it makes a concurrence of grace and works in the justification of a sinner before God. And we may not make any reconciliation with that church in religion, because it is become an enemy of the grace of God.
The third point is, to what thing the Galatians revolt? "To another gospel," that is, to a better gospel than that which Paul taught, compounded of Christ and the works of the law. And this forged gospel the false apostles taught, and the Galatians quickly received.
Here we see the curious niceness and daintiness of man's nature that cannot be content with the good things of God, unless they be framed to our minds. And if they please us for a while, they do not please us long, but we must have new things. Our first parents not content with their first estate must needs be as God. Nadab and Abihu offer sacrifice to God, but the fire must be of their own appointment [Lev.
10:1]. King Ahaz will offer sacrifice to God, but the altar must be like the altar at Damascus [2 Kings 16:11]. False teachers beside the doctrine of the apostles had profound learning of their own [Rev.
2:24]. The Jews beside the written law of Moses must have their Kabbalah, containing, as they supposed, more mystical and excellent doctrine. The papists beside the written Word set up unwritten tradition which they make equal with the Scripture. We that profess the gospel are not altogether free from this fault. We like that Christ should be preached, but sermons are not in common reputation learned, neither do they greatly please the most, unless they be garnished with skill of arts, tongues, and variety of reading. This curiousness and discontentment the Lord condemns, when He forbids plowing with the ox and the ass, and the wearing of garments of linsey-woolsey [Deut. 22:9]. And it is the worst kind of discontentment that is in things pertaining to salvation. It is called by Paul, "the itching of the ear" [2 Tim. 4:5], and it is incident to
them that follow their own lusts. The remedy of this sin is to learn the first lesson that is to be learned of them that are to be good scholars39 in the school of Christ—and that is to feel our poverty and in what extreme need we stand of the death and passion of Christ, and withal to hunger and thirst after Christ, as the bread and water of life (read Isa. 44:3; John 7:37; Ps. 25:11, the example of David, Ps.
143:6). When the heart and confidence has experimentally learned this lesson, and not the brain and tongue alone, then shall men begin to savor the things of God, and discern of things that differ, and put a difference between grace and works, man's word and God's word, and for the working of our salvation, esteem of man's works, and man's word, as offal that is cast to dogs.
Paul adds, "which is not another gospel," that is, though it be another gospel in the reputation of false teachers, yet indeed it is not another, but is a subversion of the gospel of Christ. Hence I gather that there is but one gospel, one in number and no more. For there is but one way of salvation by Christ, whereby all the elect are saved from the beginning of the world to the end (Acts 15:11; 1 Cor. 10:3). It may be demanded how they of the Old Testament could be partakers of the body and blood of Christ, which then was not. Answer. The body and blood of Christ, though then it was not subsisting in the world, yet was it then present to all believers [in] two ways. First, by divine acceptation, because God did accept the incarnation and passion of Christ to come, as if it had been accomplished. Secondly, it was present to them by means of their faith, which is a subsistence of things that are not seen, and consequently it makes them present to the believing heart.
Again, hence it appears to be a falsehood that every man may be saved in his own religion, so be it [that] he hold there is a God, and that He is a rewarder of them that come unto Him. For there is but
one gospel; and if the former opinion were true, then so many opinions, so many gospels. Paul says that the world by her wisdom could not know God in His wisdom, and for this cause He ordained the preaching of the word to save men (1 Cor. 1:21). And though he that comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that come to Him, yet not everyone that believes generally that there is a God, and that He is a rewarder of them that come to Him, comes to God—for this the devils believe.
The fourth point is concerning the authors of this revolt. And Paul charges them with two crimes. The first is that they trouble the Galatians, not only because they make division, but because they trouble their consciences settled in the gospel of Christ. It may be alleged that there be sundry good things which trouble the conscience, as the preaching of the law, the censure of excommunication, the authority of the magistrate in compelling recusants to the congregation. I answer, these things indeed trouble the consciences of men, but they are evil consciences. And the end of this trouble is that they may be reformed and made good. But the crime wherewith the false apostles are charged is that they trouble the consciences of the godly, or the good consciences of men. Here then is set down a note, whereby false and erroneous doctrines may be discerned, namely, that they serve only to trouble and disquiet the good conscience. And by this we see the Roman religion to be corrupt and unsound, for a great part of it tends this way. Justification by works is a yoke that none could ever bear (Acts 15). The vow of single life is as a snare, or as the noose in the halter to strangle the soul (1
Cor. 7:3–4). So is the doctrine which teaches that men after their conversion must still remain in suspense of their salvation, and that pardon of sin is necessarily annexed to confession in the ear, and to satisfaction for the temporal punishment of sin in this life, or in purgatory.
On the contrary, the gospel of Christ (as here it appears) troubles not the good conscience, but it brings peace and perfect joy (John 15:11;
Rom. 15:4). And the reason is plain, for it ministers a perfect remedy for every sin, and comfort sufficient for every distress. And this is a note whereby the gospel is discerned from all other doctrines whatsoever.
The second crime wherewith the false apostles are charged is that they overthrow the gospel of Christ. The reason of this charge must be considered. They did not teach a doctrine flat contrary to the gospel of Christ, but they maintained it in word, and put an addition to it of their own out of the law, namely justification and salvation by the works thereof. And by reason of this addition, Paul gives the sentence that they pervert and turn upside down the gospel of Christ.
Upon this ground it appears that the popish religion is a flat subversion of the gospel of Christ, because it joins justification by works with free justification by Christ. The excuse that the works that justify are works of grace and not of nature, will not serve the turn.
For if Christ by His grace make works to justify, then is He not only a Savior, but also an instrument to make us saviors of ourselves—He being the first and principal Savior, and we subordinate saviors unto
Him. But if Christ have a partner in the work of justification and salvation, He is no perfect Christ.
8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach unto you otherwise, than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
9 As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach unto you otherwise than ye have received, let him be accursed.
An objection might be made against the former conclusion, thus: But the most excellent among the apostles, James, Peter, John (by your
leave), teach another gospel than that which Paul had preached. To this objection he makes answer in this verse negatively, that whosoever teaches another gospel is accursed, whatsoever he be. In this answer three things are to be considered: a sin, the punishment thereof, and a supposition serving to amplify the sin.
The sin is to preach in the cause of our justification any other thing besides that, or diverse to that which Paul taught the Galatians, though it be not contrary. Thus much the very words import: and the same words are again used in the next verse. And Paul bids Timothy, avoid them that "teach otherwise," that is, any diverse doctrine as necessary to salvation, besides that which he taught (1 Tim. 6:3). And the reason of this sin is because God has given this commandment.
We may not depart from His Word, "to the right hand, or to the left"; neither may we add thereto, or take therefrom (Josh. 1:7–8; Deut.
4:2; 12:32). Before I gather any doctrine hence, this ground is to be laid down, that Paul preached "all the counsel of God" (Acts 20:27).
And that which he preached, being necessary to salvation, he wrote, or some other of the apostles (John 20:31). This being granted
(which is a certain truth) two main conclusions follow. One, that the Scriptures alone by themselves, without any other word, are abundantly sufficient to salvation, whether we regard doctrines of faith or manners. For he that delivers any doctrine out[side] of them and beside them as necessary to be believed is accursed.
The second conclusion is that unwritten traditions, if they be tendered to us, as a part of God's word and as necessary to salvation, they are abominations, because they are doctrines beside the gospel that Paul preached. And the Roman religion goes to the ground because it is founded on tradition out of and beside the written
Word. Learned papists, to help themselves, make a double answer.
One is that they are accursed which preach otherwise than Paul
preached, and not they which preach otherwise than he wrote.
Augustine, having relation to the text in hand, says that "he is accursed which preacheth anything beside that which we have received in the legal and evangelical Scriptures." Again he says that "he must not teach any more, or any other thing,48 than that which is in the apostle, whose words he must expound."
The second answer is that to preach otherwise is to preach contrary.
Because (as they say) precepts and doctrines may be delivered if they be diverse, and not contrary. As the Gospel of John and the Apocalypse were written after this Epistle to the Galatians which are diverse to it, though not contrary. The like they say of the Canons of Councils, and that Paul put "beside" (παρʼ ὃ) for contrary (Rom.
16:17). I answer thus. The preposition (παρα) translated "beside" or otherwise, signifies thus much properly, and we are not to depart from the proper signification of the words, unless we be forced by the text. And the place in the Romans in his proper and full sense must be turned thus: "Observe the authors of offences, besides the doctrine which ye have learned." And Paul's mind is that they should be observed that teach any other diverse or distinct doctrine, though it be not directly contrary. The Gospel of John and the Apocalypse, written afterward, propound not any diverse doctrine pertaining to the salvation of the soul, but one and the same in substance, with that which Paul wrote. The Canons of Councils are traditions touching order and comeliness, and they prescribe not anything as necessary to justification and salvation. Again, the ambassador that speaks anything beside his commission is as well in fault, as he that speaks the contrary, though not so much.
The second point is the punishment ("let him be accursed"). Here are three things to be considered. The first, what is it to be accursed?
Answer. God has given to the church the power of binding, and it has
four degrees: admonition, suspension from the sacraments, excommunication, anathema. And this last is a censure or judgment of the church whereby it pronounces a man severed from Christ, and adjudged to eternal perdition (Rom. 9:5; 1 Cor. 16:22). And he is here said to be accursed that stands subject to this censure. The second part is, who are to be accursed? Answer. Heinous offenders and desperate persons of whose amendment there is no hope. And therefore this judgment is seldom pronounced upon any. We find but one example in the New Testament: Paul accursed Alexander the coppersmith (2 Tim. 4:14). And the church afterward accursed Julian the Emperor. Other examples we find not any.
The third point, how the church should accurse any man, and in what order? Answer. In this action, there be four judgments. The first is God's, which is given in heaven, whereby He does accurse obstinate and notorious offenders. The second judgment pertains to the church upon earth, which pronounces them accursed whom God accurses. It may be said, how comes the church to know the judgment of God whereby He accurses? Answer. The Word sets down the condition of them that are accursed, and experience and observation finds out the person to whom these conditions are incident. The third judgment is given in heaven, whereby God ratifies and approves the judgment of the church, according to that,
"Whatsoever ye bind in earth, shall be bound in heaven" (Matt.
18:18). The last judgment pertains to every private person, who holds him in execration, whom God has accursed, and the church has pronounced so to be. If he hear not the church, the church pronounces him to be as a publican and heathen: "And then" (says
Christ) "let him be as a publican to thee" (Matt. 18:17). Thus must the text be understood.
Hence we are taught to be careful in preserving the purity of the gospel because the corrupters thereof are to be accursed as the damned spirits. Hence again it appears that the church in accursing does but exercise a ministry, which is to publish and testify who are accursed of God. Lastly, hence we learn that private persons must seldom use cursing because God must first accurse, and the church publish the sentence of God, before we may with good conscience utter the same. They therefore which in a rage accurse themselves and others, deal wickedly. We are called ordinarily to blessing, and not to cursing.
The third point is the supposition of things impossible, on this manner. Put the case, that I Paul, or any other of the apostles, should teach otherwise than I have taught you; neither I nor they must be believed, but be accursed. Again, put the case, that an angel from heaven should come and preach, otherwise than Paul preached to the Galatians, who must be believed? Paul, or the angel? The answer is, not the angel, but Paul; and the angel must be accursed. And the reason is because Paul in preaching and writing did represent the authority of God, and God puts His own authority into the word which he uttered; and he was assisted by the extraordinary, immediate, and infallible assistance of God's Spirit. From this supposition, sundry things may be learned. The first, that the word preached and written by Paul is as certain, as if it had been written by God Himself, immediately. It may be objected that Paul says, "To the remnant, I speak, not the Lord" (1 Cor. 7:12). I answer: Paul says,
"I, not the Lord," not because he was deceived in his advice, for he spoke by the Spirit of God (1 Cor. 7:40), but because he gave counsel in a case of marriage, whereof the Lord had made no express law.
The meaning then is this: I speak by collection from the law of God, and not the Lord by any particular and express law.
Secondly, it appears hence that the articles of faith, or the doctrine of the gospel, is in excellency and authority above all men and angels.
And hence it follows that the church and councils cannot authorize the Word of God in the mind and conscience of any man. For the inferior and dependent authority adds nothing to that which is the principal and superior authority. Therefore the opinion of the papists is false that we cannot know the Scripture to be the Word of God, but by the testimony of the church—as though the letter of a prince could not be known to be so, without the testimony of the subjects. The principal authority is sufficient in itself to authorize itself without external testimony.
Thirdly, since the days of the apostles, sundry doctrines have been received and believed, touching intercession of saints, prayer to the dead and for the dead, purgatory, and such like—and these doctrines have been confirmed by sundry revelations. And here we learn what to judge both of the doctrines, and of the revelations, namely, that they are accursed—because the doctrines are beside the written
Word, and the revelations tend to ratify and confirm them.
Lastly, hence we learn, what to think of the writings of papists, and schoolmen, whereof some are called seraphical, cherubical, or angelical doctors. They broach and maintain sundry things beside that which the apostles preached and wrote; as justification by works, and a mixture of the law and the gospel, they give too little to grace, and too much to man's will. In this regard, Paul has given the sentence that they are accursed. For this cause students of divinity are warily to read them with prayer that they be not led into temptation, and they are to use them only in the last place. And they are greatly to be blamed that prefer them almost above all writers.
They show that they have little love of the gospel in their hearts.
9 As we said before, so say I now again: if any man preach unto you otherwise than ye have received, let him be accursed.
In these words Paul repeats again that which he said before, and the repetition is not in vain, but for three weighty causes. The first is to signify that he had spoken not rashly, but advisedly, whatsoever he had said before. The second is that the point delivered is an infallible truth of God. The third is to put the Galatians and us in mind, that we are to observe and remember that which he has said as the foundation of our religion, namely, that the doctrine of the apostles is the only infallible truth of God, against which we may not listen to fathers, councils, or to the very angels of God. If this had been remembered and observed, the gospel had continued in his [its] purity after the days of the apostles.
In this verse one thing is to be observed. Before, Paul said they are accursed which teach otherwise than he had taught. Here, he says they are accursed which teach otherwise than the Galatians had received. Whereby it appears that as Paul preached the gospel of Christ, so the Galatians received it. And they received it, first in that they had care to know it; secondly, in that they gave the assent of faith unto it, as to a truth, against which the very angels could take no exception. And for this also are the Thessalonians commended, that the gospel was to them "in power and much assurance" (1 Thess.
1:5). The great fault of our times is that where as the gospel is preached, it is not accordingly received. Many have no care to know it. And they which know it, give not unto it the assent of faith, but only hold it in opinion. And this is the cause that there is so small fruit of the gospel. This sin will at length have his punishment. The places that are not seasoned by the waters of the sanctuary are turned to salt pits (Ezek. 47:11).