Sidenote: Gal. iii. 6.
Sidenote: Ib. iv. 22.
Sidenote: Ib. iii. 24.
1. IF _Abraham believed God, and it was accounted unto him for
righteousness_, and that which is accounted for righteousness passes
from unbelief to faith, then are we justified by faith, not by the
works of the Law. Now Abraham himself had two sons, Ishmael and Isaac,
one of the bondwoman, the other of the freewoman; and it was told him
that he should cast out the bondwoman and the son of the bondwoman, for
that the son of the bondwoman should not be his heir. We therefore are
children not of the bondwoman but of the free woman, in that liberty
wherewith Christ has made us free. Hence it follows that they are
specially Abraham’s sons, who are so by faith, for the heirs of faith
excel heirs by natural birth. The Law is our schoolmaster, faith is
free; let us therefore cast away the works of bondage, let us preserve
the grace of liberty, let us leave the shade, and follow the Sun, let
us desert Jewish rites.
Sidenote: Ib. v. 2.
2. The circumcision of one member is of no avail. For the Apostle says,
_Behold I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised Christ shall
profit you nothing_, not because He cannot, but because He judges those
unworthy of His benefits who desert His ways.
Sidenote: Exod. iv. 25.
Sidenote: 1 Cor. xiii. 10.
3. And Zipporah of old had circumcised her child, and driven off the
danger which hung over him; but then Christ profited while perfection
was still deferred. While the people of believers were small, the
Lord Jesus came, not as small, but as perfect in all things. He was
circumcised first, according to the Law, that He might not break the
Law, afterwards by the Cross, that He might fulfil the Law. Thus that
which is in part has ceased, because _that which is perfect has come_;
for in Christ the Cross has ♦circumcised not one member only, but the
superfluous pleasures of the whole body.
Sidenote: 2 Cor. v. 21.
Sidenote: Gal. iii. 13.
4. But perhaps it may still be asked why He Who had come to declare
to us perfect circumcision should choose to be circumcised in part.
Concerning this however we need not deliberate long. For if He was made
sin that He might expiate our sins, if He was made a curse for us that
He might annul the curses of the Law, for the same reason He was also
circumcised for us, that being about to bestow salvation by the Cross,
He might abolish the circumcision of the Law.
Sidenote: Ib. v. 13.
Sidenote: Ib. 6.
Sidenote: Deut. vi. 5.
Sidenote: 1 Cor. xiii. 7.
5. The Apostle therefore declares that it is from faith that our
hope of righteousness in the spirit is to be derived, and that though
called to liberty we are not _to use our liberty for an occasion to the
flesh. For neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision;
but faith which worketh by love._ And therefore it is written, _Thou
shalt love the Lord thy God_. Now he who loves also believes, and in
believing each man begins to love. Abraham believed, and so began to
love, and he believed not in part, but entirely. For otherwise he would
not have perfect charity, for it is written, _Charity believeth all
things_. If it believe not all things, charity does not seem to be
perfect. Perfect charity then has all faith.
Sidenote: Ib. 2.
Sidenote: Ib. 13.
6. But I would not lightly assert that all faith has immediately
perfect charity, for the Apostle says, _Though I have all faith, so
that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing_.
A Christian man has three principal virtues, _faith hope and charity,
but the greatest of these is charity_.
Sidenote: Ib. 2.
Sidenote: 1 S. John v. 1.
Sidenote: 1 S. John iii. 9.
Sidenote: 1 S. Pet. iv. 8.
7. On the other hand I conceive the Apostle was led to say this by
the tenor of his argument, for I cannot see how _he who has all faith,
so that he could remove mountains_, can be destitute of charity; nor
how such can be the case with that man who _understands all mysteries
and all knowledge_; especially as John says, _Whosoever believeth that
Jesus is the Christ is born of God_, and the same Apostle had said
before, _Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin_. Whence we infer
that if he who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and
he who is born of God sins not, then he who believes that Jesus is
the Christ sins not. But if any man sin, he believes not, and he that
believes not loves not, and he that loves not is subject to sin. So
then he who sins loves not, _for charity shall cover the multitude of
sins_. But if charity exclude the desire of sin, it excludes also fear,
charity then is full of perfect faith.
Sidenote: S. Luke xvii. 5.
Sidenote: S. Matt. xiv. 31.
8. The Apostles too, who came to be His friends, said, _Increase our
faith_, begging the good Physician to strengthen their failing faith.
Their faith must indeed still have been weak, when even to Peter it
could be said, _O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?_
Thus faith as the herald of charity preoccupies the mind, and prepares
the ways of coming love. Thus where is the perfection of charity there
is also all faith.
Sidenote: 1 Cor. xiii. 7.
9. For this reason I conceive it is said that _charity believeth all
things_, that is, leads faith to believe them all, and that a soul of
this kind possesses all faith; and hence wherever is perfect charity
there is all faith. Moreover, as it believes all things so also it
is said to _hope all things_. And it is on this account the greatest,
because it includes the other two.
Sidenote: 1 S. John iv. 18.
Sidenote: 1 Cor. xiii. 7.
Sidenote: Gal. vi. 14.
10. He that has this charity fears nothing, for charity _casteth out
fear_; and fear being thus banished and thrown aside, charity _beareth
all things, endureth all things_. He who by charity endures all things,
cannot fear martyrdom; and so in another place he speaks as a conqueror
at the end of his course, _The world is crucified unto me, and I unto
the world_.
Farewell, my son; love me for I also love you.