The Third Chapter

Verse 1. O foolish Galatians.

Paul here shows his apostolic care and fervent zeal which he bears to the church: so that in disputing and confuting he intermixes sometimes gentle exhortations, and sometimes he chides sharply, according to his own rule given to Timothy. Preach (says he) the word: be instant in season and out of season: reprove, rebuke, exhort (2 Timothy 4). Here the simple reader perhaps may be deceived, if he is not circumspect, to think that Paul in teaching keeps no order at all. And surely after the manner of the rhetoricians he observes none: but as concerning the spirit he uses a goodly order.

Now, after that he has sufficiently proved, and with two strong arguments confirmed this article, that Christian righteousness comes not by keeping of the law, but by faith in Christ, and withal has confuted the doctrine of the false apostles: in the midst of this discourse he turns his talk to the Galatians, and reproves them, saying: O you foolish Galatians, etc. As if he should say: Alas, from where are you fallen, O you miserable Galatians? I have most carefully and diligently taught you the truth of the Gospel, and you also have received the same of me with fervent zeal and great diligence. How then comes it to pass, that you are so suddenly fallen away from it? Who has bewitched you?

He rebukes the Galatians very sharply (as it seems) when he calls them fools, bewitched, and disobedient to the truth. Now, whether he did this of zeal or compassion, I will not here contend: both may be true. A carnal man would interpret this to be a reviling rather than a godly reprehension. Did Paul then give an evil example, or was he spiteful against the churches of Galatia because he called them foolish and bewitched? No, not so. For with a Christian zeal it is lawful for an apostle, pastor, or preacher sharply to reprove the people committed to his charge: and such reprovings are both fatherly and godly. So parents, of a fatherly and motherly affection, do sharply reprove and rebuke their children: which they would not bear if another should do it. The schoolmaster sometimes is angry with his scholar: he rebukes him and beats him with rods: all which he takes in good part and would not bear it at the hands of his equal. The magistrate likewise is angry: he reproves and punishes such as are under his charge. And this discipline is not only good, but also very necessary: without the which nothing can be well done. Therefore unless the magistrate, the minister, the father and mother be angry and use to reprove or rebuke when case requires, he is unprofitable, and never shall discharge his office rightly.

Therefore sharp chidings and bitter words are as necessary in every kind of life, as any other virtue else. Yet notwithstanding this anger must be so tempered, that it proceed not of any envy or malice, but only of a fatherly affection and Christian zeal: that is to say, it ought not to be childish or womanlike, seeking revenge: but only for the correcting of the fault: as the father corrects not his child with desire to revenge, but only that the child thereby may be the better. And these kinds of anger are good, and are called in the scripture jealousies or zeals. For in chastising my brother, my child, my scholar or subject in this sort, I seek not his destruction, but his profit and welfare.

It may be then that Paul here rebukes the Galatians, either of a very zeal (not to destroy them, but by this means to reduce them into the way again and to amend them): or else of pity and compassion, as it were by way of complaint, for that it grieves him that the Galatians should be so miserably seduced. As if he should say: I am sorry and ashamed to hear of this your miserable case, your wretched doings, etc. In like manner do we also reprove the miserable: not that we tread them down, or upbraid them with their misery, but as having compassion on them and seeking their amendment. This I say, lest any man should cavil that Paul railed upon the churches, contrary to the rule of the Gospel.

In like manner Christ rebukes the Pharisees, calling them serpents, the generation of vipers, the children of the devil. But these are the rebukings of the Holy Ghost. They are fatherly and motherly, and as the chidings of a faithful friend: as it is said also in the proverbs: Better are the wounds of a friend than the kisses of an enemy. Thus one and the self-same rebuke, if it come out of the mouth of a father, may be a great benefit: but if it proceed out of the mouth of our equal or enemy, it is a spiteful reproach. When two men do both one thing, in the one it is commendable, and in the other it is clean contrary. When Christ and Paul do reprove, it is done with singular virtue and commendation: but when a private man shall do the like, in him it is a great vice. Therefore one and the self-same word in the mouth of Paul is a great virtue and a singular benefit: but in the mouth of another it is a shameful reproach.

Here is a great vehemence to be noted in this word Galatians. For he calls them not brothers, as elsewhere he is wont to do: but he calls them by the name of their country. And it should seem that it was the natural vice of that nation to be foolish: like as it was the fault of the Cretans to be liars. As if he should say: As you are called, even so are you indeed and so you continue, that is to say, foolish Galatians: and this you prove even now in this business of the Gospel (wherein notwithstanding you ought to have shown yourselves most wise), but you continue still in your old nature and show yourselves no changelings. Thus Paul by way of correction puts them in mind of their corrupt nature.

Moreover, we are here admonished, that according to the flesh there are yet certain natural vices remaining even in Christian churches. Grace does not make such a change in the faithful, that right away they become altogether new creatures and perfect in all things: but there remain yet certain dregs of their old and natural corruption. As if a man that is naturally inclined to anger be converted to Christ, although he be mollified by grace (the Holy Spirit so framing his heart, that he is now become more meek and gentle) yet this natural vice is not utterly quenched in his flesh. Likewise, such as are by nature stubborn and stout-hearted men, although they be converted to the faith, yet notwithstanding they cannot utterly forsake this stubbornness. From this it comes that the holy scriptures, which do contain all one truth, of diverse spirits are diversely handled. One in teaching is mild and gentle: another more rough and rigorous. Thus the spirit of God being poured into diverse vessels, does not quench at once the vices of nature: but little by little during this life, he purges that sin which is rooted, not only in the Galatians, but also in all men of all nations.

Albeit then that the Galatians were enlightened and did believe, and had now received the Holy Spirit by the preaching of faith, notwithstanding this remnant of vice (this foolishness I mean) and the original corruption which afterward did easily burst out into the flame of false doctrine, remained in them still. Therefore let no man trust so much in himself, to think that when he has received grace, he is thoroughly purged from his old vices. Indeed many things are purged in us, and principally the head of the serpent, that is to say, infidelity and ignorance of God is cut off and bruised, but the slime and the relics of sin remain still in us. Let no man therefore presume so much of himself, that when he has once received faith, he can right away be thoroughly changed into a new man: In fact, he shall keep somewhat of his old vices still hanging upon him, though he be never so good and perfect a Christian. For we are not yet dead, but we still live in the flesh: which, because it is not yet pure, continually lusts against the spirit (Galatians 5:17; Romans 7). I am fleshly (says Paul) sold under sin. I see another law in my members rebelling against the law of my mind. Therefore the natural vices that were in us before we received faith, do still remain in us after that we have received faith: except that now they are subdued to the spirit, which has the upper hand, to keep them under that they rule not: and yet not without great conflict. This glory is due to Christ alone, and this title he bears, that he is pure and without blemish (1 Peter 2). Who did no sin, neither was there any guile found in his mouth.

Verse 1. Who has bewitched you, that you should not believe the truth?

Here have we another commendation of this goodly righteousness of the law and of ourselves, namely, that it makes us to despise the truth: that it bewitches us in such sort, that we obey not the truth, but rebel against it.

Verse 1. O foolish Galatians.

Paul here shows his apostolic care and passionate zeal for the church — so that in the midst of arguing and refuting error, he sometimes mixes in gentle encouragement and sometimes rebukes sharply, following his own instruction to Timothy: 'Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort' (2 Timothy 4). An inattentive reader might think Paul has no order or method in his teaching. As far as rhetorical technique goes, he follows none; but in terms of the Spirit's leading, his approach has an excellent order.

Paul has now sufficiently proven and confirmed with two strong arguments that Christian righteousness comes not by keeping the law but by faith in Christ — and he has refuted the teaching of the false apostles. At this point in his argument he turns directly to the Galatians and rebukes them: 'O you foolish Galatians' and so on. It is as if he were saying: How did this happen to you, O miserable Galatians? I taught you the truth of the Gospel with the greatest care and diligence, and you received it from me with fervent zeal and great eagerness. How then have you fallen away from it so quickly? Who has bewitched you?

Paul's rebuke of the Galatians seems sharp — calling them fools, bewitched, and disobedient to the truth. Whether he does this out of zeal or out of compassion, I will not argue here; both may well be true. A worldly person might read this as insult rather than godly correction. But did Paul set a bad example, or was he being spiteful toward the churches of Galatia by calling them foolish and bewitched? No, not at all. An apostle, pastor, or preacher may sharply correct the people entrusted to his care, acting out of Christian zeal — and such rebukes are fatherly and godly. Parents correct their children sharply out of fatherly and motherly love — correction the children would not accept from anyone else. A teacher sometimes becomes angry with a student, rebukes him, and disciplines him — and the student accepts it from his teacher in a way he would not accept from a peer. A magistrate likewise grows angry, rebukes, and punishes those under his authority. This kind of discipline is not only good but absolutely necessary — without it, nothing can be done well. If the magistrate, the minister, the father, or the mother refuses to rebuke when it is called for, they are useless and will never fulfill their office rightly.

Sharp rebukes and direct words are therefore as necessary in every area of life as any other virtue. But this kind of anger must be kept under control — it must not come from envy or malice, but only from fatherly love and Christian zeal. It must not be childish or vindictive, seeking revenge, but aimed only at correcting the fault — just as a father corrects his child not out of a desire for revenge but so that the child may become better. These kinds of anger are good and are called in Scripture 'jealousies' or 'zeals.' When I correct my brother, my child, my student, or my subject in this way, I am not seeking their destruction but their benefit and welfare.

Paul's rebuke of the Galatians, then, comes either from passionate zeal — not to destroy them but to bring them back to the right path and restore them — or from sorrow and compassion, like a pained complaint that the Galatians have been so miserably deceived. It is as if he were saying: I am grieved and ashamed to hear of your wretched situation and what you have done. In the same way, we also rebuke those who are in a miserable state — not to crush them or shame them for their misery, but out of compassion, seeking their restoration. I say this so that no one can accuse Paul of railing against the churches contrary to the rule of the Gospel.

In the same way, Christ rebuked the Pharisees, calling them serpents, a brood of vipers, and children of the devil. But these are the rebukes of the Holy Spirit. They are fatherly and motherly — like the correction of a faithful friend, as Proverbs says: 'Better are the wounds of a friend than the kisses of an enemy.' So the same rebuke coming from a father's mouth can be a great benefit, while the very same words from an enemy's mouth are a spiteful insult. When two people do the same thing, in one it is praiseworthy and in the other it is the opposite. When Christ and Paul rebuke, it is done with exceptional virtue and benefit; but when a private person does the same, it can easily become a serious fault. Therefore the same words in Paul's mouth are a great virtue and a genuine benefit, while in another person's mouth they could be a shameful insult.

There is great force in Paul's choice of the word 'Galatians' here. He does not call them 'brothers' as he usually does elsewhere — he addresses them by the name of their nation. It seems that foolishness was a well-known characteristic of that people, just as the Cretans were known for lying. It is as if he were saying: You are living up to your name — you are foolish Galatians indeed, and you prove it right now in this matter of the Gospel, where above all things you should have shown wisdom. Instead, you are still following your old nature and showing that you have not changed at all. In this way Paul's correction points them back to their own corrupt nature.

This passage also reminds us that even in Christian churches, certain natural flaws remain in people according to the flesh. Grace does not so completely transform believers that they instantly become new creatures, perfect in everything — certain traces of their old, natural corruption remain. For example, a person who by temperament is prone to anger, when he is converted to Christ, is softened by grace — the Holy Spirit shapes his heart so that he becomes gentler and more patient — but this natural tendency is not entirely removed from his flesh. Likewise, people who are by nature stubborn and strong-willed, even after conversion, cannot fully shake that stubbornness. This is why the same holy Scriptures, containing the same truth, are handled differently by different personalities. One teacher is mild and gentle; another is more forceful and direct. In this way the Spirit of God, poured into different vessels, does not instantly eliminate the flaws of nature — but gradually, throughout this life, He purges the sin that is rooted not only in the Galatians but in all people of every nation.

Even though the Galatians had been enlightened, had believed, and had received the Holy Spirit through the preaching of faith, this remaining flaw — this foolishness — along with their original corruption, was still in them, and it later easily flared up into outright false doctrine. Let no one trust so much in himself as to think that once he has received grace, he has been completely purged of his old tendencies. Many things are certainly purged in us — most importantly, the head of the serpent: that is, unbelief and ignorance of God has been cut off and crushed. But the residue and traces of sin remain in us still. No one should presume that once he has received faith he is immediately and completely changed into a new person. In practice, he will carry some of his old tendencies with him, however good and mature a Christian he may be. We are not yet dead — we still live in the flesh, which, because it is not yet fully renewed, continually fights against the Spirit (Galatians 5:17; Romans 7). Paul says, 'I am carnal, sold under sin. I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind.' The natural flaws that were in us before we received faith remain in us after we receive faith — except that now they are brought under the Spirit's control, which holds the upper hand and keeps them from ruling over us, though not without great struggle. This glory belongs to Christ alone, and this title is His: that He is pure and without blemish (1 Peter 2) — 'He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth.'

Verse 1. Who has bewitched you, that you should not believe the truth?

Here we have another description of this impressive righteousness of the law and of human effort — namely, that it leads us to despise the truth, bewitching us so completely that we refuse to obey the truth and instead resist it.