Thomas Aquinas

The Apostle, therefore, writes this epistle to the Galatians, in which he shows that, with the grace of the New Testament coming, the Old Testament ought to be cast aside, so that, once the truth has been fulfilled, the figure may be abandoned; and when these two, namely grace and truth, have been obtained, one arrives at the truth of righteousness and glory. But these two are acquired if, the observance of the legal precepts having been set aside, we fervently insist upon the observance of the Gospel of Christ.

The order of this epistle is fitting, in that after the two epistles to the Corinthians — in the first of which the sacraments of the Church are treated, in the second the ministers of these sacraments — the epistle to the Galatians necessarily follows, in which is treated the cessation of the sacraments of the Old Testament.

This epistle is divided into two parts: into the salutation, and the epistolary narration, at the words "I marvel that," etc. In the salutation, first the person of the one greeting is set forth; second, the persons greeted are set forth, at the words "to the churches of Galatia," etc.; third, the good that is wished, at the words "grace to you," etc.

Concerning the first, first the person principally greeting is set forth, who is described from his name and from his authority. From his name, indeed, when he says "Paul," which is fitting to his humility, because it is interpreted "humble." Hence it is said in 1 Corinthians 16:9: "I am the least of the apostles," etc. Likewise it is fitting to his office, because according to another interpretation it means "mouth of a trumpet," in which the office of preaching is especially signified. Isaiah 58:1: "Lift up your voice like a trumpet," etc.

But he is described from authority, when it is said "apostle." Here two things are set forth, namely his authority, and the origin of his authority. His authority, because "apostle," which is the same as "one sent." It should be known that the Apostle, in certain epistles, writes of himself as "servant," showing the name of humility, as in the epistle to the Romans; but in certain others he writes of himself as "apostle," showing his authority. The reason for this is that the Romans were proud, and therefore the Apostle, in order to lead them to humility, writes of himself as "servant," as an example of humility. But to the Galatians, because they were foolish and proud, in order to break them, he names himself "apostle"; and therefore here he sets forth his authority.

He describes the origin of his authority when he says "not from men," etc. And first he removes the supposed origin; second he assigns the true one, at the words "but through Jesus Christ," etc.

Now the supposed origin was this: that the Galatians had been seduced by false [teachers] to such an extent that they believed the Apostle did not have the same authority that the other apostles had, because he had not been taught by Christ or had lived with him, but had been sent by them, as it were their minister. He therefore removes this opinion when he says "not from men," etc. For some were sent by the whole college of the apostles and disciples. And therefore, showing that he was not sent by them, he says "not from men." For some were sent by some particular one of the apostles, just as Paul at times sent Luke and Titus. And therefore, showing that he was not sent in this way either, he says "nor through man," that is, through any one of the apostles in particular, but through the Holy Spirit, who says, Acts 13:2: "Separate for me," etc.

But the true cause of the origin of this authority is Christ Jesus, and therefore he says "but through Jesus Christ, and God the Father." Now this distinction, when he says "through Jesus Christ and God the Father," can be understood either as to the person of the Father and the person of the Son, and then God the Father is one in person, and Jesus Christ another. But the blessed Apostle Paul was sent to preach by both, and by the whole Trinity, because the works of the Trinity are inseparable. No mention is made of the person of the Holy Spirit, because, since he is the union and bond of the two, when the two persons — namely the Father and the Son — are set forth, the Holy Spirit is also understood. Or the aforesaid distinction can be taken as to the nature assumed, namely the human nature, because according to the divine nature there is no distinction between God the Father and Jesus Christ. And then Paul was sent through God the Father, as through the author, and through Jesus Christ, as through the minister. Romans 15:8: "I say that Jesus Christ was a minister," etc.

But because the Galatians disparaged the Apostle for not having lived with Christ as the others had, nor having been sent by him, therefore in this respect he especially magnifies himself, because those others were sent by Christ while he was still living in mortal flesh, whereas he himself was sent by Christ already glorified; therefore he says "who" — namely God the Father — "raised him" — namely Jesus Christ, insofar as he is man — "from the dead." As if to say: I am an apostle, not from men, namely the college of apostles, nor through man, namely Christ living in mortal flesh, but I am an apostle through Christ already raised and glorified. Romans 6:9: "Christ, rising from the dead," etc. And because the present life is signified by the left, but the future life by the right, inasmuch as the latter is heavenly and spiritual while the former is temporal, therefore Peter, who was called by Christ while he was still placed in mortal flesh, is placed on the left side in the Pope's seal; but Paul, who was called by Christ already glorified, is placed on the right side.

Consequently, when he says "and who are with me," etc., the persons joined with him in greeting are set forth, whom he describes from sweet familiarity, because they are "with me," namely for comfort and help. Proverbs 18:19: "A brother who is helped by a brother," etc. Psalm 132:1: "Behold how good," etc. Likewise from inseparable charity, when he says "brothers"; John 13:35: "By this shall all know," etc. Likewise from universality, when he says "all"; which he adds for this reason, that these people were perhaps so seduced that they would not have regarded the word of Paul. And therefore he says "all who are with me," in order to show that they are witnesses of his truth, and that they might easily understand that they were in error, since they were being rebuked by all. 2 Corinthians 2:6: "Sufficient for him who is such is this rebuke, which is given by many," etc.

But he sets forth the persons greeted, when he says "to the churches of Galatia," etc. Here it should be known that, as is touched on in the Gloss, Brennus, leader of the Senones, once, having gathered an army, entered Italy; having passed through it, he came into Greece before the time of Alexander the Great, where, since some of his people remained, in one part of Greece they mixed themselves with the Greeks; hence that province was called Gallograecia; then those people were called Galatians, as if [to say] "white ones." And although the Greeks are of sharp intellect, nevertheless those Galatians were foolish and unstable and rather slow to understand, like the untrainable Gauls, from whom they drew their origin. And therefore below he says to them: "O foolish Galatians," etc. To these, then, he writes this epistle, and these are the persons greeted.

Consequently, when he says "grace to you," etc., he sets forth the goods which he wishes for them. And first he sets forth the goods themselves that are wished; second, the author of these goods, at the words "from God the Father," etc.

The goods which he wishes for them are two, in which all spiritual things are included. The first is grace, which is the principle of spiritual life, to which is ascribed in the Gloss the remission of sins, which is the first thing in spiritual life. For no one can be in the true spiritual life unless he first dies to sin. The second is peace, which is the quieting of the mind at the end, which is said in the Gloss to be reconciliation to God. And thus, in wishing the beginning and the end of all spiritual goods, the Apostle includes, as it were between two extremes, the desire of every good that is to come to them. Psalm 83:12: "The Lord will give grace and glory." 2 Corinthians, last chapter: "The grace of our Lord," etc.

But the author of these goods is God the Father, and therefore he says "from God the Father," etc. Here first the cause of the goods is set forth; second, the manner of causing, at the words "who gave"; third, the giving of thanks for these goods, at the words "to whom be honor," etc.

The cause and authority of the goods is God the Father as author, insofar as he is God, and the whole Trinity, which is called the God of all through creation. Wisdom 14:3: "But you, Father, govern," etc. And therefore he says "from God the Father," etc. Likewise the Lord Jesus Christ is the author, as minister, and this insofar as he is man. Romans 15:8: "I say that Jesus Christ [was] a minister," etc. And that grace comes to us through Christ is evident from John 1:17: "Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ," etc. Romans 5: "Justified freely," etc. Peace also is ours through him. John 14:27: "My peace I give to you," etc.

But the manner of causing these goods is set forth when he says "who gave up," etc. Here first the efficient cause is set forth, which is the death of Christ. And as to this he says "who gave himself," etc., as if to say: Christ is therefore the author of grace and peace because he gave himself over to death and sustained the cross. Hence the very death of Christ is the efficient cause of grace. Romans 5: "Justified freely," etc.; and Colossians 1:20: "Making peace as to the things in heaven," etc. And he says first "who gave," etc., that is, he offered himself willingly. Ephesians 5:2: "Christ loved us, and gave," etc. Hebrews 2:9: "That he might taste death for all of us." Titus 2:14: "Who gave himself," etc.

From which the Apostle clearly argues against them that, if the death of Christ is the sufficient cause of our salvation, and in the sacraments of the New Testament — which have their efficacy from the passion of Christ — grace is conferred, then it is superfluous to observe the legal precepts together with the New Testament, since in them grace is not conferred nor is salvation acquired, because "the law brought no one to perfection," as is found in Hebrews 7:19.

Second, the end and usefulness of these goods is set forth, which is the final cause. And it is twofold: one is that we might be freed from past sins, and as to this he says "for our sins," namely to be blotted out and expiated, which is the beginning of our salvation. Apocalypse 1:5: "He loved us," etc. The other end is that he might free us from the power of death, and as to this he says "that he might deliver us from the present," etc. Colossians 1:13: "He delivered us from the power," etc.

And he sets forth three things, namely "that he might deliver," he says, "from the present," and "age," and "evil." "That he might deliver [us] from the present," by drawing us to eternal things, through desire and hope. "From the age," that is, from conformity to this world which entices us, so that we may not be conformed to it. Romans 12:2: "Do not be conformed to this age," etc. "Evil," leading us back to the truth of righteousness. And the age is called "evil," not on account of its own nature, since it is good, having been created by God, but on account of the evils which are done in it, as that [text] of Ephesians 5:16: "The days are evil," etc. Genesis 47:9, Jacob said: "The days of the years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty years, few and evil," etc.

And although these things are ours through Christ, God the Father is nevertheless not excluded. And therefore, third, the acceptance of the divine will is set forth. Hence he says "according to the will of God and the Father." The Father, I say, of Christ by nature, according to which he proceeds from eternity, as the Word. Psalm 2:7: "Today I have begotten you." John 1:1: "In the beginning was the Word," etc. Likewise, our Father through adoption. John 1:12: "He gave them power," etc. In the first way, the term "God the Father" is taken for the person of the Father alone; in the second way, for the whole Trinity. And because from God our Father, namely from the whole Trinity, all these things come to us through Christ, therefore to him — namely to the whole Trinity — be glory, in himself, and honor, from others, whether it be or is, forever and ever, that is, always. "Amen" is a mark of confirmation.

You have, therefore, in sum, in the aforesaid salutation: the authority of the Apostle, by which he breaks their pride; the power of grace, by which he calls them to the observance of the Gospel; and the insufficiency of the legal precepts, that he may call them back from them.