Sed ad hoc est responsio, quia a principio primitivae Ecclesiae Iudaei persecuti sunt Christianos, ut patet in Actibus Apostolorum, et facerent etiam nunc si possent. Nunc etiam carnales persequuntur in Ecclesia spirituales viros, etiam corporaliter, illi scilicet qui quaerunt gloriam et temporalia lucra in Ecclesia. Unde dicitur in Glossa: omnes qui in Ecclesia terrenam facultatem quaerunt a Domino, ad hunc Ismaelem pertinent. Ipsi sunt qui contradicunt spiritualibus proficientibus, et detrahunt illis, et habent labia iniqua et linguas dolosas et subdolosas.
The answer is that from the beginning of the early Church the Jews persecuted Christians, as is obvious in the Acts of the Apostles, and they would do the same even now, if they were able. Now, however, those who are carnal persecute spiritual men in the Church even as to the body; those, namely, who seek glory and temporal gain in the Church. Hence a Gloss says that all who seek from the Lord earthly aggrandizement in the Church pertain to this Ishmael. They are the ones who oppose those who are making spiritual progress and slander them. They have iniquity in their mouth, and craft and deceit on their tongues.
Spiritualiter autem persequuntur spirituales filios, superbi et hypocritae. Nam aliquando aliqui manifeste carnales et mali culpam suam recognoscentes, bonis se humiliant, fatui vero bonitatem, quam ipsi non habent, persequuntur in aliis.
But the ones who spiritually persecute the spiritual sons are the haughty and the hypocrites. For sometimes they who are plainly carnal and evil recognize their guilt and humble themselves before the good; but the foolish persecute in others the goodness they themselves lack.
273. Est etiam quaestio, quia haeretici quos nos persequimur, dicunt se natos secundum spiritum, nos vero secundum carnem.
273. A further question arises from the fact that heretics whom we persecute say that they are the ones born according to the spirit and we according to the flesh.
Sed dicendum est, quod duplex est persecutio. Una bona, qua aliquis persequitur alium, ut reducat eum ad bonum, et hanc viri iusti faciunt malis et spirituales carnalibus, vel ut eos corrigant si converti volunt, vel si obstinati sunt in malo, destruant, ne gregem Domini inficiant. Alia persecutio est mala, qua quis persequitur alium, ut pervertat ad malum, et hanc qui secundum carnem nati sunt, faciunt his, qui nati sunt secundum spiritum.
I answer that there are two kinds of persecution: the good one is that in which a person persecutes another to lead him back to good. And this is what just men do to evil men, and spiritual men to carnal men; either to correct them, if they want to be converted, or, if they are obstinate, to destroy them, lest they contaminate the flock of the Lord. The other type of persecution is evil, namely, when a person persecutes another in order to pervert him; and this is what those who are born according to the flesh do to those who are born according to the spirit.
274. Quantum vero ad ius haereditatis, distinguuntur per auctoritatem Scripturae, Gen. XXI, 10: eiice ancillam et filium eius. In quo datur intelligi, quod Iudaei et persecutores fidei Christianae, et etiam carnales et mali Christiani eiicientur a regno caelesti. Matth. VIII, 11: multi venient ab oriente, et cetera. Apoc. XXII, 15: foris canes et venefici, et cetera. Ancilla etiam, id est malitia, et ipsum peccatum eiicietur. Eccli. XIV, 20: omne opus corruptibile in fine deficiet.
274. Finally, as to their right to the inheritance, they are distinguished by the authority of Scripture: cast out the bondwoman and her son (Gen 21:10). By this we are given to understand that the Jews and persecutors of the Christian religion, as well as carnal and evil Christians, will be cast out from the kingdom of heaven: many shall come from the east and the west and shall sit down with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven (Matt 8:11); without are dogs and sorcerers (Rev 22:15). Furthermore, the bondwoman, i.e., vice and sin itself, will be cast out: every work that is corruptible shall fail in the end (Sir 14:20).
275. Et ratio horum subditur, quia non erit haeres filius ancillae cum filio liberae. In mundo enim isto boni sunt malis permixti, et mali bonis. Cant. II, 2: sicut lilium inter spinas, et cetera. Sed in aeterna patria non erunt nisi boni. Iudic. XI, 2 dicitur ad Iephte: haeres in domo patris nostri esse non poteris, quia de adultera natus es. Quam quidem libertatem habemus a Christo. Unde dicit qua libertate, et cetera. Io. VIII, 36: si filius vos liberaverit, vere liberi eritis.
275. The reason for all this is added, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the free woman. For in this world the good are mingled with the wicked and the wicked with the good: as the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters (Song 2:2). But in the eternal fatherland there will be only the good. In Judges it is said to Jephtah: you cannot inherit in the house of our father, because you are born of a harlot (Judg 11:2). This freedom we obtain from Christ; hence he says, by the freedom with which Christ has made us free: if therefore the son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed (John 8:36).
Caput 5
Chapter 5
Caro et Spiritus
The Flesh and the Spirit
Lectio 1
Lecture 1
Circumcisio evacuit a Christo
Circumcision makes void of Christ
5:1 Qua libertate Christus nos liberavit. State, et nolite iterum jugo servitutis contineri. [n. 276]
5:1 By the freedom with which Christ has made us free. Stand fast and do not be held again under the yoke of bondage. [n. 276]
5:2 Ecce ego Paulus dico vobis: quoniam si circumcidamini, Christus vobis nihil proderit. [n. 279]
5:2 Behold, I, Paul, tell you that if you be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. [n. 279]
5:3 Testificor autem rursus omni homini circumcidenti se, quoniam debitor est universae legis faciendae. [n. 281]
5:3 And I testify again to every man circumcising himself, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. [n. 281]
5:4 Evacuati estis a Christo, qui in lege justificamini: a gratia excidistis. [n. 283]
5:4 You are made void of Christ, you who are justified in the law are fallen from grace. [n. 283]
276. Supra ostendit Apostolus, quod per legem non est iustitia hic vero reducit eos ab errore ad statum rectitudinis. Et
276. Above, the Apostle showed that justice is not through the law; here he leads them back from error to a state of rectitude.
primo quantum ad divina;
First, with respect to divine matters;
secundo quantum ad humana, VI cap., ibi et si praeoccupatus fuerit homo, et cetera.
second, with respect to human affairs, at brethren, even if a man be overtaken in some fault (Gal 6:1).
Circa primum duo facit.
As to the first, he does two things:
Primo proponit admonitionem;
first, he admonishes them;
secundo eius rationem assignat, ibi ecce ego Paulus, et cetera.
second, he gives the reason underlying his admonition, at behold, I, Paul.
277. Et in admonitione etiam duo ponit. Quorum unum est inductivum ad bonum; secundum est prohibitivum a malo.
277. In the admonition itself he includes two things: one is an inducement to good; the other is a caution against evil.
Inducit quidem ad bonum, cum dicit state ergo, quasi dicat: ex quo per Christum liberati estis a servitute legis, state firma fide, et fixo pede permanentes in libertate. Sic ergo cum dicit state, inducit ad rectitudinem. Qui enim stat, rectus est. I Cor. X, 12: qui se existimat stare, et cetera. Inducit etiam ad firmitatem. I Cor. XV, 58: stabiles estote et immobiles, et cetera. Eph. ult.: state succincti lumbos vestros, et cetera.
He induces to good when he says, stand fast. As if to say: since you have been set free from the bondage of the law through Christ, stand fast and, with your faith firm and feet planted, persevere in freedom. And so when he says, stand fast, he exhorts them to rectitude. For he that stands is erect: he that thinks himself to stand, let him take heed, lest he fall (1 Cor 10:12). Likewise he exhorts them to be firm: therefore, be steadfast and unmoveable (1 Cor 15:58); stand, therefore, having your loins girt about with truth (Eph 6:14).
Prohibet vero et retrahit a malo, cum subdit et nolite iterum iugo servitutis contineri, id est non subiiciamini legi, quae in servitutem generat. De quo iugo dicitur Act. XV, 10: hoc est onus quod neque patres nostri, neque nos, etc., a quo tantum per Christum liberati estis. Is. IX, 4: virgam humeri eius, et cetera.
But he cautions and draws them from evil, when he adds: and do not be held again under the yoke of bondage, i.e., do not subject yourself to the law which engenders unto bondage. Of this yoke, it is written: this is a yoke which neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear (Acts 15:10), a yoke from which we have been loosed by Christ alone: for the yoke of their burden, and the rod of their shoulder, and the scepter of their oppressor, you have overcome (Isa 9:4).
278. Ideo autem addit iterum, non quia prius sub lege fuerint, sed quia, ut Hieronymus dicit, post Evangelium servare legalia adeo peccatum est, ut sit sicut servire idololatriae. Unde quia isti idololatrae fuerant, si subiiciant se iugo circumcisionis et aliarum legalium observationum, quasi ad eadem revertuntur, quibus antea in idololatria servierant.
278. The reason for adding, again, is not that they had been under the law before, but that, as Jerome says, to observe the legal ceremonies after the Gospel is so great a sin as to border on idolatry. Hence, because they had been idolaters, if they were to submit themselves to the yoke of circumcision and the other legal observances, they would be, as it were, returning to the very things wherein they had formerly practiced idolatry.
Secundum Augustinum vero, ut supra dictum est, circa legalium observantias triplex tempus distinguitur, scilicet tempus ante passionem, ante gratiam divulgatam, et post gratiam divulgatam. Post ergo gratiam divulgatam servare legalia est peccatum mortale, etiam ipsis Iudaeis. Sed in tempore medio, scilicet ante gratiam divulgatam, poterant quidem absque peccato etiam illi, qui ex Iudaeis conversi fuerant, legalia servare, dum tamen in eis spem non ponerent; conversis vero ex gentibus non licebat ea servare. Quia ergo Galatae ex Iudaeis non erant, et tamen legalia servare volebant et ponebant in eis spem, ideo revertebantur in iugum servitutis. Nam huiusmodi observatio erat eis sicut idololatria, inquantum non recte sentiebant de Christo, credentes ab ipso sine legalibus salutem consequi non posse.
However, according to Augustine in Epistle 19, three periods of time are distinguished with respect to the observance of the legal ceremonies: namely, the time before the passion, the time before the spreading of grace, and the time after the spreading of grace. To observe the legal ceremonies after grace has been preached is a mortal sin for the Jews. But during the interim, i.e., before the preaching of grace, they could be observed without sin even by those who had been converted from Judaism, provided they set no hope in them. However, those converted from paganism could not observe them without sin. Therefore, because the Galatians had not come from Judaism but wanted, nevertheless, to observe the legal ceremonies and put their hope in them, they were in effect returning to the yoke of bondage. For in their case, observances of this sort were akin to idolatry, inasmuch as they entertained a false notion concerning Christ, believing that salvation cannot be obtained by him without the observances of the law.
279. Deinde cum dicit ecce ego, etc., exponit praedicta duo. Et
279. Then when he says, behold, I, Paul, tell you, he explains these two parts of his admonition:
primo secundum,
first, the second part;
secundo primum, ibi nos autem spiritus, et cetera.
second, the first part, at for we in spirit (Gal 5:5).
Circa primum duo facit.
As to the first, he does two things:
Primo ostendit quid sit iugum servitutis, quod non debent subire;
first, he shows what the yoke of bondage is to which they should not submit;
secundo probat, ibi evacuati estis, et cetera.
second, he proves it, at you are made void of Christ.
Circa primum duo facit.
Regarding the first, he does two things:
Primo ostendit iugum illud esse valde nocivum;
first, he shows that this yoke is a source of great harm;
secundo valde onerosum, ibi testificor autem, et cetera.
second, that it is terribly burdensome, at and I testify again.
280. Nocivum est quidem iugum legis, quia aufert Dominicae passionis effectum. Et ideo dicit: nolite contineri iugo servitutis, quia ecce ego Paulus, qui, supple: voce auctoritatis, dico, et bene, si circumcidimini, Christus vobis nihil proderit, id est, fides Christi.
280. The yoke of the law is harmful because it nullifies the effect of the Lord’s passion. Hence he says, do not be held again under the yoke of bondage, because behold, I, Paul, who am speaking with the voice of authority, tell you, and well, that if you be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing, i.e., faith in Christ.
Sed contra, Act. XVI, 3 dicitur quod Paulus circumcidit Timotheum, ergo fecit quod Christus ei nihil prodesset, ergo decepit eum.
But against this is something recorded in Acts, namely, that Paul circumcised Timothy (Acts 16:3). Hence in effect he brought it about that Christ profited him nothing; furthermore, he was deceiving him.