返回Chapter 1
Chapter 1
Chapter One
Gal. 1:1. Paul, an Apostle, chosen not by men nor through man,
Immediately he also rejects that he is a disciple of men. For it was not men, but from above and from heaven that he was called, and not through a man, but through Christ Himself. For although Ananias baptized him, it was not he who called him to the faith, but Christ from heaven. Why then did he not say: Paul the called, but "apostle"? Because that was the whole point of the discussion: they were saying that he was chosen as an apostle by men. It is against this that he rises up, showing that this is untrue.
Gal. 1:1. but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, (δια Ιησού Χριστού και θεού πατρός) who raised Him from the dead,
And the book of Acts says further that by the Spirit he was chosen for apostleship (Acts 13:2). So then, it is clear that one is the will of the Son, and of the Spirit, and of the Father. Note also that the preposition "through" (δια) applies to the word "Father" as well, and that the Son is named first — this is on account of the heretics, who were very preoccupied with this matter. Very fittingly he mentions the death and resurrection, in order to persuade them henceforth not to hold to the law, which brought them nothing, but to Christ, who died and rose for them, and that therefore to depart from such a Benefactor is great folly. He says that the Father raised Him, on the one hand, because of the weakness of his listeners, and on the other, because everything that the Son does is referred to the Father. For He who even gave those who believed in Him the power to raise the dead by the mere shadow of their bodies was not powerless to raise Himself.
Gal. 1:2. And all the brethren who are with me –
So since they slandered him saying that he alone preaches this, he now shows that many others also share his opinion.
Gal. 1:2. churches of Galatia:
I pay attention to his indignation and sorrow. For he did not say: to the beloved, to the sanctified, or to the churches of God, but simply "to the churches of Galatia." And since they were in disagreement among themselves, he quite justly calls them many churches, and at the same time, to awaken shame in them, he unites them into one by means of this name (church). For those who disagree among themselves in many things cannot be called by this name, which signifies concord.
Gal. 1:3. Grace to you and peace
Since they were in danger of losing grace out of attachment to the law, he wishes it for them; and since they were warring against God by establishing what was under the law, which He had abolished, he calls them to peace.
Gal. 1:3. from God the Father
God became your Father. In what way? Through the law, to which you are inclined, or through the baptism of Christ? How then can you reject the Benefactor? And note: "from God the Father" (από θεού Πατρός) is written without the article, for the sake of those who placed the Son below the Father on the grounds that John says: "and the Word was God" ("και θεός...") (Jn. 1:1) without the article.
Gal. 1:3. and of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Our master is not the law, but Christ Jesus. And the very names themselves point to His benefactions. For He is called Jesus as the One who delivered the people from sins, and Christ — from the anointing of the Spirit, with which He was anointed for our sake, having sanctified our nature by His incarnation and giving us the right to be so called.
Gal. 1:4. who gave Himself for our sins,
Behold, He gave Himself up. So then, He did not render service as a slave. Therefore, when you hear that He was delivered up by the Father, understand it as the consent and will of the Father. And He gave Himself up in order to free us from sins, from which the law was not able to deliver us. How then, after this, having abandoned the One who freed you, do you submit to the law, which rendered no benefit?
Gal. 1:4. to deliver us from this present evil age,
The Manichaeans rely on this saying, claiming that he called the present age evil, that is, our life. But this is not so. For the days are not evil in themselves (for what is evil about the movement of the sun or the succession of days), nor is our life bad in itself — and how could it be, when in this life we come to know God and philosophize about the future life? But by the evil age he means wicked actions and a corrupted will. Just as we too are accustomed to say: I had a terrible day, blaming not the time but the circumstances and actions. For Christ did not die in order to put us to death and remove us from the present life, but in order to deliver us for the remaining time from evil actions. Since he said above that He gave Himself for our sins, that is, freed us from previously committed transgressions, he then adds that for the future as well He gave certain proof that He will deliver us from an evil way of life. But the law neither cleansed former sins nor has any power against future ones.
Gal. 1:4. by the will of God and our Father;
Since they thought that by leaving the law they were not obeying God, he corrects this assumption of theirs, showing that the will of the Father is to set them free through the Son. Notice, he did not say: by the command of the Father, but by the will, that is, by good pleasure. And by calling God our Father, he again reminds them of the Benefactor Christ, who made His own Father our Father as well. How then after this do you reject Him?
Gal. 1:5. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Not using the word "amen" anywhere in the introduction, he placed it here, showing that this speech of his is finished and that what has been said is sufficient for the accusation of the Galatians. And having reminded them of the ineffable benefactions of God, in which is already contained the condemnation of them as those who abandoned their Benefactor Christ; then, filled with amazement before this Benefactor and finding nothing more to say about them, he concludes his speech with a doxology.
Gal. 1:6. I marvel that you are so quickly turning away from Him who called you by the grace of Christ
He shows that he had a high opinion of them. For I marvel, he says, that you who have labored so much in the faith are so quickly turning aside. Here there are two faults: "you are turning" and "quickly," so that the deceivers did not even need time, which testifies to the fickleness of those accepting their teaching. And he did not say "you have turned," but "you are turning," that is, I still do not believe and do not think that the deception has already been accomplished. Understand his wisdom. Since they, holding to the law, thought they were serving the Father, he says that those who hold to the law are distancing themselves from the Father: for he says "from Him who called you," that is, from the Father. "By the grace of Christ," that is, they were justified by Christ, not for works, but by grace. For although the Son grants the forgiveness of sins by grace, it is the Father who calls them to it.
Gal. 1:6. to another gospel,
Gal. 1:7. Which is, however, not another, but there are only people troubling you and wishing to pervert the gospel of Christ.
Since the deceivers called their error a gospel, he objects to this designation as well, saying that there is no other Gospel besides the one you received. For there is one Gospel, containing the correct teaching, which I preached to you, if only some were not confusing your spiritual eyes and making you see one thing instead of another, wishing to pervert the Gospel of Christ. True, they did not overthrow the entire Gospel, but only introduced the commandment about the Sabbath and circumcision; however, he shows that even a small corruption overthrows the entire Gospel — just as one who cuts off a small part of a royal coin renders the whole coin worthless. Note, this is said for those who say that this is a trifle and not worth attention. And the Marcionites, seizing upon this saying, claim that on this basis one should accept not four, but one Gospel, which they composed, accepting some things and rejecting others. See, they say, even Paul affirms that there is one Gospel. But what does this mean? Just as we say that the four Gospels constitute one, of course by their agreement, so Paul speaks here not of number but of disagreement. Since, he says, the preaching of these deceivers is not in agreement, therefore it is not a Gospel; but if it were in agreement, it would be a Gospel, that is, an apostolic preaching. Thus, the opinion of Marcion is idle chatter.
Gal. 1:8. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel other than what we have preached to you, let him be anathema.
Lest anyone should say that he praises his own teaching out of ambition, he anathematizes even himself. And since they were appealing to authority and referring to Peter and James, he therefore mentioned the angels as well. He added the words "from heaven" because priests were also called angels. So, lest you think he is speaking of priests, by the indication of heaven he designated the heavenly powers. And he did not say: if they will preach the opposite, but — if they will proclaim to you anything small beyond what we have proclaimed to you. So then, by subjecting to anathema the angels and himself, he rejects all authority and human friendship in the matter of faith. Do not tell me that your apostles preach something different; I will not spare even myself if I do not preach the Gospel. And he says this not to disparage the apostles, but wishing to shut the mouths of deceivers and to show that he does not recognize authority when it comes to matters of doctrine.
Gal. 1:9. As we said before, so now I say again: if anyone preaches to you a gospel other than what you have received, let him be anathema.
So that they would not think he said this in anger and carried away by emotion, he repeats the same thing again, showing that he spoke not thoughtlessly, but having firmly and unwaveringly resolved this within himself.
Gal. 1:10. Do I now seek the favor of men, or of God? Do I strive to please men?
He intends to defend himself against that of which he is accused. However, lest they become proud, as judges of their teacher, he says: do not think that I am defending myself before you or trying to convince you; no, all my thought and speech are directed toward God. Therefore I write this not with the aim of gaining glory from you and having disciples, but in order to be right before God concerning the dogmas, and not out of a desire to please people. Or thus: since they slandered him, saying that to some he preaches one thing and to others another, and that he adapts himself to people, he asks them: am I trying to persuade men and please them, or God? For if I wished to please men, I would certainly do what you say.
Gal. 1:10. If I were still pleasing men, I would not be a servant of Christ.
He proves that he does not care about pleasing people — and why would he either flatter them or preach one thing to some and another thing to others? For if he cared about this, he would not have departed from Judaism and would not have turned to Christ; he would not have disregarded relatives, friends, such glory, and would not have chosen persecution, dangers, and dishonor.
Gal. 1:11. But I make known to you, brethren, that the Gospel which was preached by me is not according to man,
He wants to show them that he has truly departed from the law, and for this he reminds them of his former life and of the sharp change, showing that he would not have suddenly crossed over from Judaism if he had not had some divine assurance. Therefore he also says: "The gospel which I preached is not human," that is, I did not have a man as my teacher, but was a disciple of Christ Himself.
Gal. 1:12. For I also received it and learned it not from man, but through the revelation of Jesus Christ.
For since the slanderers were saying that he was not, like the rest of the apostles, a direct hearer of Christ, but received everything from men, he says that the One Who taught Peter and the others revealed the Gospel to me Himself.
Gal. 1:13. You have heard of my former way of life in Judaism,
From what is it evident that I received the Gospel through divine revelation? From my former life. For being such a persecutor, how could I have suddenly changed if some divine manifestation had not drawn me out? And that I was a zealous persecutor is evident from the fact that even you, Galatians, living so far from Judea, had heard about it.
Gal. 1:13. that I severely persecuted the Church of God, and was devastating it,
Note how strongly he expresses himself. For he did not say "persecuted," but "persecuted beyond measure." And not only this, but even "wasted," that is, he tried to destroy to the foundation and annihilate — for this is the work of a devastator.
Gal. 1:14. And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my nation, being an immoderate zealot for my ancestral traditions.
All my contemporaries, he says, I surpassed in zeal, and in the war against the Church I went ahead; in other words: I was held in honor among the Jews. But do not think that this was a matter of vainglory or anger, but of zeal. So then, if I fought against the Church not out of any human calculations, but out of zeal for God, even though I was in error, then how now, having come to know the truth, would I preach out of love for human glory something other than what the truth commands and what Christ taught me.
Gal. 1:15. But when God, who set me apart from my mother's womb:
If from his mother's womb he was destined for the proclamation of the Gospel and chosen by God, then, of course, by a certain divine arrangement he remained for some time in Judaism, undoubtedly so that such a dramatic change in him would attract many to the faith and strengthen them in it. God chose him not by lot, but by foreknowledge that he was worthy.
Gal. 1:15. and called [me] by His grace,
Called by grace, not by merit, but by mercy — although God called him for his virtue, for it is said: "he is My chosen vessel" (Acts 9:15), he humbly says that he was called by grace not according to worthiness, but according to mercy.
Gal. 1:15. was pleased
Gal. 1:16. to reveal His Son in me,
He did not say: to reveal to me, but – "in me," showing by this that he received instruction not merely verbal, but his heart was also filled with much of the Spirit, since this knowledge was sealed in the inner man and Christ speaks in him.
Gal. 1:16. so that I might preach Him to the Gentiles, –
God revealed His Son to me not only so that I might know Him, but also so that I might preach Him to others. Because not only his coming to faith, but also his being chosen for preaching, was from God. How then can you say that people taught me? And not simply "that I should preach Him," but "to the Gentiles." So how could I preach circumcision to the Gentiles?
Gal. 1:16. I did not then confer with flesh and blood,
That is, he did not go to consult with the apostles, for he calls them flesh and blood, naming them thus by nature; or he says this generally about all people, because in the matter of faith no man was his teacher.
Gal. 1:17. and I did not go to Jerusalem to those who were Apostles before me,
In what way could the apostle have said this? Had he become so proud that he considered himself self-sufficient and having no need of advisors? And had he not heard the saying: "Be not wise in your own eyes" (Prov. 3:7); and: "Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes" (Isa. 5:21)? Not at all. But since his detractors were saying that one should listen to the apostles and not to him, and that they were apostles before him, he was compelled to say this in order to silence the deceivers. And indeed it would have been unreasonable for one taught by God to then heed men. Thus, he says this not out of arrogance, but to show the dignity of his preaching. True, he did come to Jerusalem as well, but not in order to learn, rather in order to convince others that those living in Jerusalem thought the same way. Then he did not come immediately, that is, at the beginning, but later; and even then for the sake of convincing others.
Gal. 1:17. but went to Arabia, and again returned to Damascus.
He went through uncultivated and wild places, for if he had remained among the apostles, his preaching would have met with obstacles and would not have spread so quickly. Therefore he went to the wildest nations. But pay attention to his humility: in listing the cities, he nowhere said how many he converted, although in Damascus he threw the Jews into such confusion that he was subjected to persecution by the ethnarch. So if it seems that he speaks much about himself, he does so not for the sake of vainglory, but so that his preaching would not suffer harm if people did not believe him, regarding him as a simple man and a disciple of disciples.
Gal. 1:18. Then, after three years, I went to Jerusalem to see Peter:
And this is proof of humility: having accomplished so much, he went to Peter not for any benefit, but for the sake of a simple meeting, honoring him as a superior. Therefore he did not say "to see Peter" (ἰδεῖν), but "to visit" (ἱστορῆσαι), as those who study great and beautiful cities would express it; just as we too go to holy men, but we do so more for benefit, while he did so solely out of honor.
Gal. 1:18. And stayed with him fifteen days.
A visit is an expression of honor, while a stay is an expression of friendship and ardent love. And he did not say that he studied, but "remained with him," instead of "with him."
Gal. 1:19. But other of the Apostles I saw none, save James the Lord's brother.
Although he came for the sake of Peter – so much did he honor and love him – he also saw James, and he mentions him too with respect, calling him "the brother of the Lord" – so far was he from envy! And indeed, if he had wanted to distinguish him, he would have called him the son of Cleopas. For he was not a brother of the Lord according to the flesh, but was only considered so. How then was he the son of Cleopas, listen: Cleopas and Joseph were brothers; when Cleopas died childless, Joseph raised up seed for him and begot him and his other brothers, and Mary, whom, although she was the daughter of Cleopas, the Gospel calls the sister of the Mother of the Lord, since Joseph maintained toward the Most Holy Virgin the care of a father rather than the affection of a husband.
Gal. 1:20. Now in what I write to you, before God, I do not lie.
As if intending to give testimony before a court, he resorts to these words in order to appear most worthy of trust.
Gal. 1:21. After that I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia.
Gal. 1:22. I was personally unknown to the churches of Christ in Judea,
Gal. 1:23. but they only heard that he who formerly persecuted them now preaches the faith which he once tried to destroy, –
Only for the sake of meeting with Peter having appeared in Judea, he again leaves it for the reason that he was sent to preach to the Gentiles and in order not to undertake building on another's foundation. Therefore, he says, the Christians in Judea did not even know me by face. So how could I have preached circumcision to them, when they did not even know me by face? For they slandered him, saying that in Judea he preached circumcision. But they had only heard about me that I had turned to Christ and was preaching the Gospel about Him.
Gal. 1:24. And they glorified God in me.
And this is a sign of modesty. For he did not say: they marveled at me, they admired me, but ascribed everything that happened to the action of grace. For "they glorified God because of me," who truly does all things.
Gal. 1:1. Paul, an Apostle, chosen not by men nor through man,
Immediately he also rejects that he is a disciple of men. For it was not men, but from above and from heaven that he was called, and not through a man, but through Christ Himself. For although Ananias baptized him, it was not he who called him to the faith, but Christ from heaven. Why then did he not say: Paul the called, but "apostle"? Because that was the whole point of the discussion: they were saying that he was chosen as an apostle by men. It is against this that he rises up, showing that this is untrue.
Gal. 1:1. but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, (δια Ιησού Χριστού και θεού πατρός) who raised Him from the dead,
And the book of Acts says further that by the Spirit he was chosen for apostleship (Acts 13:2). So then, it is clear that one is the will of the Son, and of the Spirit, and of the Father. Note also that the preposition "through" (δια) applies to the word "Father" as well, and that the Son is named first — this is on account of the heretics, who were very preoccupied with this matter. Very fittingly he mentions the death and resurrection, in order to persuade them henceforth not to hold to the law, which brought them nothing, but to Christ, who died and rose for them, and that therefore to depart from such a Benefactor is great folly. He says that the Father raised Him, on the one hand, because of the weakness of his listeners, and on the other, because everything that the Son does is referred to the Father. For He who even gave those who believed in Him the power to raise the dead by the mere shadow of their bodies was not powerless to raise Himself.
Gal. 1:2. And all the brethren who are with me –
So since they slandered him saying that he alone preaches this, he now shows that many others also share his opinion.
Gal. 1:2. churches of Galatia:
I pay attention to his indignation and sorrow. For he did not say: to the beloved, to the sanctified, or to the churches of God, but simply "to the churches of Galatia." And since they were in disagreement among themselves, he quite justly calls them many churches, and at the same time, to awaken shame in them, he unites them into one by means of this name (church). For those who disagree among themselves in many things cannot be called by this name, which signifies concord.
Gal. 1:3. Grace to you and peace
Since they were in danger of losing grace out of attachment to the law, he wishes it for them; and since they were warring against God by establishing what was under the law, which He had abolished, he calls them to peace.
Gal. 1:3. from God the Father
God became your Father. In what way? Through the law, to which you are inclined, or through the baptism of Christ? How then can you reject the Benefactor? And note: "from God the Father" (από θεού Πατρός) is written without the article, for the sake of those who placed the Son below the Father on the grounds that John says: "and the Word was God" ("και θεός...") (Jn. 1:1) without the article.
Gal. 1:3. and of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Our master is not the law, but Christ Jesus. And the very names themselves point to His benefactions. For He is called Jesus as the One who delivered the people from sins, and Christ — from the anointing of the Spirit, with which He was anointed for our sake, having sanctified our nature by His incarnation and giving us the right to be so called.
Gal. 1:4. who gave Himself for our sins,
Behold, He gave Himself up. So then, He did not render service as a slave. Therefore, when you hear that He was delivered up by the Father, understand it as the consent and will of the Father. And He gave Himself up in order to free us from sins, from which the law was not able to deliver us. How then, after this, having abandoned the One who freed you, do you submit to the law, which rendered no benefit?
Gal. 1:4. to deliver us from this present evil age,
The Manichaeans rely on this saying, claiming that he called the present age evil, that is, our life. But this is not so. For the days are not evil in themselves (for what is evil about the movement of the sun or the succession of days), nor is our life bad in itself — and how could it be, when in this life we come to know God and philosophize about the future life? But by the evil age he means wicked actions and a corrupted will. Just as we too are accustomed to say: I had a terrible day, blaming not the time but the circumstances and actions. For Christ did not die in order to put us to death and remove us from the present life, but in order to deliver us for the remaining time from evil actions. Since he said above that He gave Himself for our sins, that is, freed us from previously committed transgressions, he then adds that for the future as well He gave certain proof that He will deliver us from an evil way of life. But the law neither cleansed former sins nor has any power against future ones.
Gal. 1:4. by the will of God and our Father;
Since they thought that by leaving the law they were not obeying God, he corrects this assumption of theirs, showing that the will of the Father is to set them free through the Son. Notice, he did not say: by the command of the Father, but by the will, that is, by good pleasure. And by calling God our Father, he again reminds them of the Benefactor Christ, who made His own Father our Father as well. How then after this do you reject Him?
Gal. 1:5. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Not using the word "amen" anywhere in the introduction, he placed it here, showing that this speech of his is finished and that what has been said is sufficient for the accusation of the Galatians. And having reminded them of the ineffable benefactions of God, in which is already contained the condemnation of them as those who abandoned their Benefactor Christ; then, filled with amazement before this Benefactor and finding nothing more to say about them, he concludes his speech with a doxology.
Gal. 1:6. I marvel that you are so quickly turning away from Him who called you by the grace of Christ
He shows that he had a high opinion of them. For I marvel, he says, that you who have labored so much in the faith are so quickly turning aside. Here there are two faults: "you are turning" and "quickly," so that the deceivers did not even need time, which testifies to the fickleness of those accepting their teaching. And he did not say "you have turned," but "you are turning," that is, I still do not believe and do not think that the deception has already been accomplished. Understand his wisdom. Since they, holding to the law, thought they were serving the Father, he says that those who hold to the law are distancing themselves from the Father: for he says "from Him who called you," that is, from the Father. "By the grace of Christ," that is, they were justified by Christ, not for works, but by grace. For although the Son grants the forgiveness of sins by grace, it is the Father who calls them to it.
Gal. 1:6. to another gospel,
Gal. 1:7. Which is, however, not another, but there are only people troubling you and wishing to pervert the gospel of Christ.
Since the deceivers called their error a gospel, he objects to this designation as well, saying that there is no other Gospel besides the one you received. For there is one Gospel, containing the correct teaching, which I preached to you, if only some were not confusing your spiritual eyes and making you see one thing instead of another, wishing to pervert the Gospel of Christ. True, they did not overthrow the entire Gospel, but only introduced the commandment about the Sabbath and circumcision; however, he shows that even a small corruption overthrows the entire Gospel — just as one who cuts off a small part of a royal coin renders the whole coin worthless. Note, this is said for those who say that this is a trifle and not worth attention. And the Marcionites, seizing upon this saying, claim that on this basis one should accept not four, but one Gospel, which they composed, accepting some things and rejecting others. See, they say, even Paul affirms that there is one Gospel. But what does this mean? Just as we say that the four Gospels constitute one, of course by their agreement, so Paul speaks here not of number but of disagreement. Since, he says, the preaching of these deceivers is not in agreement, therefore it is not a Gospel; but if it were in agreement, it would be a Gospel, that is, an apostolic preaching. Thus, the opinion of Marcion is idle chatter.
Gal. 1:8. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel other than what we have preached to you, let him be anathema.
Lest anyone should say that he praises his own teaching out of ambition, he anathematizes even himself. And since they were appealing to authority and referring to Peter and James, he therefore mentioned the angels as well. He added the words "from heaven" because priests were also called angels. So, lest you think he is speaking of priests, by the indication of heaven he designated the heavenly powers. And he did not say: if they will preach the opposite, but — if they will proclaim to you anything small beyond what we have proclaimed to you. So then, by subjecting to anathema the angels and himself, he rejects all authority and human friendship in the matter of faith. Do not tell me that your apostles preach something different; I will not spare even myself if I do not preach the Gospel. And he says this not to disparage the apostles, but wishing to shut the mouths of deceivers and to show that he does not recognize authority when it comes to matters of doctrine.
Gal. 1:9. As we said before, so now I say again: if anyone preaches to you a gospel other than what you have received, let him be anathema.
So that they would not think he said this in anger and carried away by emotion, he repeats the same thing again, showing that he spoke not thoughtlessly, but having firmly and unwaveringly resolved this within himself.
Gal. 1:10. Do I now seek the favor of men, or of God? Do I strive to please men?
He intends to defend himself against that of which he is accused. However, lest they become proud, as judges of their teacher, he says: do not think that I am defending myself before you or trying to convince you; no, all my thought and speech are directed toward God. Therefore I write this not with the aim of gaining glory from you and having disciples, but in order to be right before God concerning the dogmas, and not out of a desire to please people. Or thus: since they slandered him, saying that to some he preaches one thing and to others another, and that he adapts himself to people, he asks them: am I trying to persuade men and please them, or God? For if I wished to please men, I would certainly do what you say.
Gal. 1:10. If I were still pleasing men, I would not be a servant of Christ.
He proves that he does not care about pleasing people — and why would he either flatter them or preach one thing to some and another thing to others? For if he cared about this, he would not have departed from Judaism and would not have turned to Christ; he would not have disregarded relatives, friends, such glory, and would not have chosen persecution, dangers, and dishonor.
Gal. 1:11. But I make known to you, brethren, that the Gospel which was preached by me is not according to man,
He wants to show them that he has truly departed from the law, and for this he reminds them of his former life and of the sharp change, showing that he would not have suddenly crossed over from Judaism if he had not had some divine assurance. Therefore he also says: "The gospel which I preached is not human," that is, I did not have a man as my teacher, but was a disciple of Christ Himself.
Gal. 1:12. For I also received it and learned it not from man, but through the revelation of Jesus Christ.
For since the slanderers were saying that he was not, like the rest of the apostles, a direct hearer of Christ, but received everything from men, he says that the One Who taught Peter and the others revealed the Gospel to me Himself.
Gal. 1:13. You have heard of my former way of life in Judaism,
From what is it evident that I received the Gospel through divine revelation? From my former life. For being such a persecutor, how could I have suddenly changed if some divine manifestation had not drawn me out? And that I was a zealous persecutor is evident from the fact that even you, Galatians, living so far from Judea, had heard about it.
Gal. 1:13. that I severely persecuted the Church of God, and was devastating it,
Note how strongly he expresses himself. For he did not say "persecuted," but "persecuted beyond measure." And not only this, but even "wasted," that is, he tried to destroy to the foundation and annihilate — for this is the work of a devastator.
Gal. 1:14. And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my nation, being an immoderate zealot for my ancestral traditions.
All my contemporaries, he says, I surpassed in zeal, and in the war against the Church I went ahead; in other words: I was held in honor among the Jews. But do not think that this was a matter of vainglory or anger, but of zeal. So then, if I fought against the Church not out of any human calculations, but out of zeal for God, even though I was in error, then how now, having come to know the truth, would I preach out of love for human glory something other than what the truth commands and what Christ taught me.
Gal. 1:15. But when God, who set me apart from my mother's womb:
If from his mother's womb he was destined for the proclamation of the Gospel and chosen by God, then, of course, by a certain divine arrangement he remained for some time in Judaism, undoubtedly so that such a dramatic change in him would attract many to the faith and strengthen them in it. God chose him not by lot, but by foreknowledge that he was worthy.
Gal. 1:15. and called [me] by His grace,
Called by grace, not by merit, but by mercy — although God called him for his virtue, for it is said: "he is My chosen vessel" (Acts 9:15), he humbly says that he was called by grace not according to worthiness, but according to mercy.
Gal. 1:15. was pleased
Gal. 1:16. to reveal His Son in me,
He did not say: to reveal to me, but – "in me," showing by this that he received instruction not merely verbal, but his heart was also filled with much of the Spirit, since this knowledge was sealed in the inner man and Christ speaks in him.
Gal. 1:16. so that I might preach Him to the Gentiles, –
God revealed His Son to me not only so that I might know Him, but also so that I might preach Him to others. Because not only his coming to faith, but also his being chosen for preaching, was from God. How then can you say that people taught me? And not simply "that I should preach Him," but "to the Gentiles." So how could I preach circumcision to the Gentiles?
Gal. 1:16. I did not then confer with flesh and blood,
That is, he did not go to consult with the apostles, for he calls them flesh and blood, naming them thus by nature; or he says this generally about all people, because in the matter of faith no man was his teacher.
Gal. 1:17. and I did not go to Jerusalem to those who were Apostles before me,
In what way could the apostle have said this? Had he become so proud that he considered himself self-sufficient and having no need of advisors? And had he not heard the saying: "Be not wise in your own eyes" (Prov. 3:7); and: "Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes" (Isa. 5:21)? Not at all. But since his detractors were saying that one should listen to the apostles and not to him, and that they were apostles before him, he was compelled to say this in order to silence the deceivers. And indeed it would have been unreasonable for one taught by God to then heed men. Thus, he says this not out of arrogance, but to show the dignity of his preaching. True, he did come to Jerusalem as well, but not in order to learn, rather in order to convince others that those living in Jerusalem thought the same way. Then he did not come immediately, that is, at the beginning, but later; and even then for the sake of convincing others.
Gal. 1:17. but went to Arabia, and again returned to Damascus.
He went through uncultivated and wild places, for if he had remained among the apostles, his preaching would have met with obstacles and would not have spread so quickly. Therefore he went to the wildest nations. But pay attention to his humility: in listing the cities, he nowhere said how many he converted, although in Damascus he threw the Jews into such confusion that he was subjected to persecution by the ethnarch. So if it seems that he speaks much about himself, he does so not for the sake of vainglory, but so that his preaching would not suffer harm if people did not believe him, regarding him as a simple man and a disciple of disciples.
Gal. 1:18. Then, after three years, I went to Jerusalem to see Peter:
And this is proof of humility: having accomplished so much, he went to Peter not for any benefit, but for the sake of a simple meeting, honoring him as a superior. Therefore he did not say "to see Peter" (ἰδεῖν), but "to visit" (ἱστορῆσαι), as those who study great and beautiful cities would express it; just as we too go to holy men, but we do so more for benefit, while he did so solely out of honor.
Gal. 1:18. And stayed with him fifteen days.
A visit is an expression of honor, while a stay is an expression of friendship and ardent love. And he did not say that he studied, but "remained with him," instead of "with him."
Gal. 1:19. But other of the Apostles I saw none, save James the Lord's brother.
Although he came for the sake of Peter – so much did he honor and love him – he also saw James, and he mentions him too with respect, calling him "the brother of the Lord" – so far was he from envy! And indeed, if he had wanted to distinguish him, he would have called him the son of Cleopas. For he was not a brother of the Lord according to the flesh, but was only considered so. How then was he the son of Cleopas, listen: Cleopas and Joseph were brothers; when Cleopas died childless, Joseph raised up seed for him and begot him and his other brothers, and Mary, whom, although she was the daughter of Cleopas, the Gospel calls the sister of the Mother of the Lord, since Joseph maintained toward the Most Holy Virgin the care of a father rather than the affection of a husband.
Gal. 1:20. Now in what I write to you, before God, I do not lie.
As if intending to give testimony before a court, he resorts to these words in order to appear most worthy of trust.
Gal. 1:21. After that I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia.
Gal. 1:22. I was personally unknown to the churches of Christ in Judea,
Gal. 1:23. but they only heard that he who formerly persecuted them now preaches the faith which he once tried to destroy, –
Only for the sake of meeting with Peter having appeared in Judea, he again leaves it for the reason that he was sent to preach to the Gentiles and in order not to undertake building on another's foundation. Therefore, he says, the Christians in Judea did not even know me by face. So how could I have preached circumcision to them, when they did not even know me by face? For they slandered him, saying that in Judea he preached circumcision. But they had only heard about me that I had turned to Christ and was preaching the Gospel about Him.
Gal. 1:24. And they glorified God in me.
And this is a sign of modesty. For he did not say: they marveled at me, they admired me, but ascribed everything that happened to the action of grace. For "they glorified God because of me," who truly does all things.
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