O foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ has been openly set forth, crucified among you?
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Cornelius a Lapide
AD 1637
O foolish Galatians. "Each province," says S. Jerome, "has its characteristic. Epimenides notes that the Cretans are liars. The Latin historian charges the Moors with frivolity, Me Dalmatians with ferocity. All the poets condemn the cowardice of the Phrygians. Cicero ("pro Flacco") asserts that the Greeks are frivolous by nature and empty by education. In the same way the Apostle, it seems to me, charges the Galatians with their racial defect in describing them as untearable, stubborn, and slow to wisdom." S. Jerome again says that Hilary, an impartial witness, calls the Gauls intractable; and again he insists that the stupidity of the Galatians is evident from their inclination to all sorts of foolish heresies. "Whoever has seen, as I have done, Ancyra, the metropolis of Galatia, will bear out my statement that it is torn with schisms. To say nothing of the Cataphrygians, the0phites, the Borborites, and the Manichæans, whoever in the whole Roman world besides knows more than the names...
SYNOPSIS OF THE CHAPTER
S. Paul proceeds to prove by five reasons that we are justified not by the law, or the works of the law, but by Christ.
i. The first proof is drawn (ver2) from experience. The Galatians had received the Holy Spirit and His gifts, not in circumcision, but in baptism.
ii. The second (ver6) from the example of Abraham, who was justified because he believed God, i.e, by faith.
iii. The third relies on the fact (ver10) that these under the law are under the curse threatened to all who transgress it. But Christ, being made a curse for us, has set us free from the curse of the law.
iv. The fourth is drawn (ver11) from Habakkuk ii4: "The just liveth by faith."
v. The fifth insists (ver16) that it was to Abraham and his seed that the blessing of righteousness was promised. Therefore, it is by the promise, apprehended by faith, that we are justified, and not by the law. For the law, as is said in ver24 , was given only as a school-mister to lead us to Christ, that by...
Præscriptus, proegraphe; not proscriptus, as in some readings of the Latin text: and in vobis is better understood to be joined with præscriptus than with crucifixus.
Before whose eyes Jesus Christ. Crucified among you. The common exposition is, that St. Paul had before described and set before them Christ crucified. Others, that it had been clearly foretold by the prophets that Christ was crucified for them. (Witham)
We must expound what follows—“Who has bewitched you?”—in a way worthy of Paul, who even if rough in his speech is not so in his understanding. It must not be interpreted in such a way as to make Paul legitimize the witchcraft that is popularly supposed to do harm. Rather he has used a colloquial ex pression, and as elsewhere so here he has adopted a word from everyday speech…. In the same way as tender infants are said to be harmed by witchcraft, so too the Galatians, recently born in the faith of Christ and nourished with milk, not solid food, have been injured as though someone has cast a spell on them. .
Christ is rightly said to be portrayed before us, since the whole chorus of Old Testament prophets spoke of his gallows and passion, his blows and whippings…. Nor was it a small number of Galatians who believed in the crucifixion as it has previously been portrayed for them. It was of course by this means that, reading the prophets continually and knowing all the ordinances of the law, they were led in due course to belief. .
Since Christ was crucified not in the Galatians’ territory but in Jerusalem, what does he mean by this phrase “before whose eyes?” He is illustrating the power of faith, which is able to see even things far off. And he said not “crucified” but “portrayed as crucified,” showing that with the eyes of faith they saw more accurately than those who were there and witnessed the events…. And he says this both to reprimand and to commend them. He commends them for having received the facts with such enthusiasm. He blames them because, having seen Christ stripped, crucified, nailed, spat on, mocked, drinking vinegar, insulted by thieves, pierced with a spear … they have forsaken this man and run back to the law, showing no awareness of Christ’s sufferings.
Having established himself as a trustworthy teacher, he speaks from now on with greater personal authority, drawing a comparison between the law and faith. Earlier he had said: “I am amazed that you have so quickly departed.” Now he says: “O foolish Galatians.” Then he was pregnant with indignation. Now, having made his defense of what pertained to him, he lets it burst into the open and brings it forth afterward for demonstration. And if he calls them fools, do not be surprised. In doing this, he does not transgress Christ’s law, which forbids one to call his brother a fool, but rather is protecting them. For who could have more justly deserved this term, when after so many great things they held to the former ways as though nothing had happened? Homily on Galatians
O foolish Galatians who did bewitch you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was openly set forth, crucified?
Here he passes to another subject; in the former chapters he had shown himself not to be an Apostle of men, nor by men, nor in want of Apostolic instruction. Now, having established his authority as a teacher, he proceeds to discourse more confidently, and draws a comparison between faith and the Law. At the outset he said, I marvel that you are so quickly removing; Galatians 1:6 but here, O foolish Galatians; then, his indignation was in its birth, but now, after his refutation of the charges against himself, and his proofs, it bursts forth. Let not his calling them foolish surprise you; for it is not a transgression of Christ's command not to call one's brother a fool, but rather a strict observance of it. For it is not said simply, Whosoever shall say to his brother, You fool, Matthew 5:22 but, whosoever shall do so, without a cause. And who more fittingly than they could so b...
Before whose eyes Jesus Christ was openly set forth, crucified.
Yet was He not crucified in Galatia, but at Jerusalem. His reason for saying, among you, is to declare the power of faith to see events which are at a distance. He says not, crucified, but, openly set forth crucified, signifying that by the eye of faith they saw more distinctly than some who were present as spectators. For many of the latter received no benefit, but the former, who were not eye-witnesses, yet saw it by faith more clearly. These words convey both praise and blame; praise, for their implicit acceptance of the truth; blame, because Him whom they had seen, for their sakes, stripped naked, transfixed, nailed to the cross, spit upon, mocked, fed with vinegar, upbraided by thieves, pierced with a spear; (for all this is implied in the words, openly set forth, crucified,) Him had they left, and betaken themselves to the Law, unshamed by any of those sufferings. Here observe how Paul, leaving all mention of heav...
