1. I AM indeed aware that nothing is more difficult than to treat
properly concerning the Apostle’s meaning, for even Origen’s
expositions of the New Testament are far inferior to his expositions
of the Old. Yet since in my previous letter you think that I have not
explained amiss the reason of the Law being called a Schoolmaster; in
what I say to-day too I purpose to unfold to you the actual force of
the Apostle’s statement.
Sidenote: Gal. iii. 10.
Sidenote: Ib. 13.
Sidenote: Ib. 16.
Sidenote: Ib. 19.
Sidenote: Gal. iii. 22.
Sidenote: Ib. 25.
Sidenote: Ib. 29.
2. Now the former part of his discourse declares that no man shall be
justified by the works of the Law, but by faith, _For as many as are of
the works of the Law are under the curse_; but _Christ hath redeemed us
from the curse of the Law, being made a curse for us_. The inheritance
therefore is not given by the Law but by promise. _Now to Abraham were
the promises made, and to his seed which is Christ._ Thus the Law _was
added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the
promise was made_; and therefore _all are concluded under sin, that the
promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.
But after that faith is come, we are no longer under the Law, that is,
under a schoolmaster_; and this because we are _all the sons of God_,
and are all in Christ Jesus. Now if we are all in Christ Jesus, then
are we _Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise_. And this
is the conclusion at which the Apostle arrives.
Sidenote: Heb. ix. 17.
Sidenote: Jer. xii. 8.
3. Still however he is met with this objection, that even the Jew might
say, I also, being under the Law, have an heirship, for the Law is also
called the Old Testament, and where is a Testament there also is an
inheritance. And although the Apostle himself told the Hebrews that a
testament is of no force, until the death of the testator happen, that
is to say, a testament is of no strength while the testator liveth,
but is established by his death, yet as in Jeremiah the Lord, speaking
of the Jews, has said, _Mine heritage is unto Me as a lion_, he would
not deny that they were heirs. But there are heirs without possessions,
there are heirs also with them; and while the testator lives those
whose names are written in the will are called heirs, though without
possessions.
Sidenote: Gal. iv. 1.
Sidenote: Ib. 3.
4. Little children are also heirs, but they _differ in nothing from
a servant, in that they are still under tutors and governors. Even
so we were in bondage under the elements of the world. But, when the
fulness of the time was come_, Christ also came, and now we are no
longer servants but sons, if we believe in Christ. Thus He gave them
the semblance of an inheritance, but withheld from them the possession
of it. Thus they have the name but not the benefit of being heirs,
for like children they possess the bare name of heirship without its
privileges, and have no right either to command or to use, waiting
for the fulness of their age that they may be delivered from their
governors.
Sidenote: S. Matt. xxiii. 10.
Sidenote: 2 Cor. iii. 17.
5. As then young children, so the Jews also, are under a schoolmaster.
_The Law is our schoolmaster_, the schoolmaster brings us to our Master;
and our One Master is Christ: _Neither be ye called masters, for one is
your Master, even Christ_. The schoolmaster is feared, the Master shews
the way of salvation. Thus fear brings us to liberty, liberty to faith,
faith to love; love obtains adoption, adoption the inheritance. Where
then faith is there is liberty; for the servant acts from fear, the
free-man by faith; the one by the letter, the other by grace; the one
in slavery the other by the Spirit; but _where the Spirit of the Lord
is, there is liberty_. If then where faith is, there is liberty; where
liberty there grace, where grace there inheritance; and he that is a
Jew in the letter not in spirit is in bondage, he who hath not faith
hath not the liberty of the spirit. Now where there is no liberty there
is no grace, where no grace no adoption, where no adoption there no
succession.
Sidenote: 1 S. Pet. i. 18, 19.
Sidenote: Isa. liii. 7.
Sidenote: S. John i. 29.
6. Thus, the tablets being, as it were, closed, he beholds[292] his
inheritance but possesses it not, he has no permission to read it. For
how can he say ‘Our Father’ who denies the true Son of God, Him by Whom
our adoptive sonship is obtained for us? How can he rehearse the will
who denies the death of the testator? How can he obtain liberty, who
denies the Blood whereby he has been redeemed? For this is the price of
our liberty, as Peter says, _ye were redeemed with the precious Blood_,
not indeed of a lamb, but of Him Who came as a lamb, in meekness and
humility, and redeemed the whole world with the one offering of His
Body, as He himself says, _I was brought as a lamb to the slaughter_.
Wherefore John also says, _Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away
the sin of the world_.
Sidenote: Gal. iv. 4.
Sidenote: Eph. iv. 13.
7. Hence the Jew, being heir in the letter not in the spirit is as a
child under tutors and governours; but the Christian, who recognizes
that fulness of time wherein Christ came, _made of a woman, made
under the Law, that He might redeem all who were under the Law_; the
Christian, I say, _by unity of faith and knowledge of the
Son of God grows up unto a perfect man: unto the measure of the stature
of the fulness of Christ_.
Farewell, my son; love me, for I also love you.