Galatians

by Cardinal Albert Vanhoye

  A third reason for mistrusting the Judaizers was their inconsistency. They were urging †Gentile Christians to be circumcised and observe the †law of Moses but did not observe the law themselves. Paul does not explain what part of the law the Judaizers were not observing. In 5:3 Paul stated emphatically that circumcision made people “bound to observe the entire law.” Being circumcised and then transgressing the law is inconsistent and contradictory behavior that deserves to be condemned. On the one hand, through circumcision they enter into the exclusiveness of Judaism; on the other hand, by not observing the law, they remain outside it. Such inconsistency demonstrated that their conduct was inspired not by any genuine conviction but by other considerations—namely, to “make a good appearance” (6:12), to “boast” (v. 13), and to avoid being “persecuted for the cross of Christ” (v. 12).

  [6:14]

  Paul instead is perfectly consistent. He excludes any boasting that is not related to the cross of Christ. He preaches “Jesus Christ . . . crucified” (3:1; 1 Cor 2:2) and has renounced boasting for any human reason. He boasts instead in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is paradoxical to speak of boasting in the cross, since crucifixion was regarded as the most shameful of all punishments. Besides inflicting incredible pain, crucifixion was intended precisely to expose the condemned person to public humiliation. The crucified Jesus was mocked and insulted.4 How is it even conceivable to boast in the cross of Jesus? Only by going beyond appearances to recognize the profound meaning of that event can a person perceive an action of God whose results are positive beyond imagining. Contemplating Jesus’ cross, Paul recognizes a sublime demonstration of love: the Son of God “has loved me and given himself up for me” (Gal 2:20; see Eph 5:2, 25). Jesus surrendered himself to his enemies to be nailed to the cross and die on it. Already glorious in itself, such a feat of love became even more glorious because of its wonderful fruitfulness: “by becoming a curse for us” Christ “ransomed us from the curse of the law” (Gal 3:13), because his death on the cross procured for him—and for us—new life that is no longer subject to the †law (2:19). God truly “raised him from the dead” (1:1) and made him “†Lord” of all (1:3; Phil 2:8–11) and, more personally, “our Lord” (Gal 6:14, 18). All believers can now exclaim, “I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me” (2:20), and this leads them to boast in the cross of Christ.

  Since it is the cross of the Lord, it is glorious. Nevertheless, it remains a cross and thus marks a radical break with the world for Christ and for believers. Paul is keenly aware of this and expresses it with a twofold declaration: through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. This statement is puzzling for various reasons. First, because it speaks of the world in relation to the cross of Christ, but mostly because it declares that the world was crucified by means of the cross. Why would Paul say the world is crucified? Certainly, the one who was crucified was Jesus! How is it possible for the world to be crucified? The answer is that Paul understands the event at Calvary as bringing a kind of destruction on the harmful entities that exist in the world. “World” here is intended negatively to refer to the totality of the powers of evil that wreak havoc on earth. These forces raged against and attacked Jesus’ mortal body and were, in a certain sense, destroyed along with it. Jesus’ crucifixion has deprived them of the power they previously possessed (John 12:31–33; 16:33; Col 2:15). A passage in the Letter to the Romans offers an analogous interpretation. “We know,” says the Apostle, “that our old self was crucified with him, so that our sinful body might be done away with” (Rom 6:6; see 8:3). In a certain sense, the world was nailed to Jesus’ cross to be conquered by it. Paul’s words express a mutual repudiation: Paul has broken with the world, and the world has broken with Paul because he has been “crucified with Christ” (Gal 2:19).

  [6:15]

  Now Paul unexpectedly returns to the issue of circumcision. The connection to the foregoing lies in the fact that circumcision and uncircumcision are earthly realities. In contrast, the Apostle’s life—and that of every believer—is found at another level of existence that Paul calls a new creation. In Isaiah, God announced that he would create “new heavens / and a new earth” (Isa 65:17; see 66:22). This prophecy found its fulfillment in Christ’s resurrection, so that “whoever is in Christ is a new creation” (2 Cor 5:17) and has “put on the new self, created in God’s way in righteousness and holiness of truth” (Eph 4:24). For the believer, in a profound way earthly conditions have now been surpassed. Circumcision has lost its religious importance, while uncircumcision had none. At the end of his Letter to the Romans, Paul acknowledges a difference between God’s relation to Jews and his relation to the †Gentiles because of God’s special history with Israel,5 but the Apostle does not mention this distinction in this letter. Instead, the particular crisis in Galatia led him to emphasize the complete absence of distinctions at the deepest level, where “there is neither Jew nor Greek” and all are “one in Christ Jesus” (Gal 3:28). This is the essential message of the letter. †Judaizers considered circumcision fundamentally important because it was a means by which people could enter into Abraham’s line of descent. But Paul denies its importance and demonstrates that †faith in Christ makes a person enter Abraham’s line of descent in a far more valid manner. Circumcision and the legal system of the Jews were in the process of being reduced to expressions of Jewish national identity, legitimate as such, but which absolutely must not be imposed on Gentile converts from paganism.

  LIVING TRADITION

  Fathers of the Church on Glorying in the Cross

  Like us, the Fathers of the Church found Paul’s words in these verses both moving and thought-provoking. Here are a few of their insights:

  But what is this boasting in the cross? That on my behalf Christ took the form of a slave and suffered what he suffered on account of me the slave, the enemy, the ingrate. . . . By world he means not heaven nor earth but the affairs of life, human praise, distinguished positions, reputation, wealth and all things that have a show of splendor. All such things are dead to me. Such should be the case for all Christians. (John Chrysostom, Homily on Galatians 6.14)

  When in that mystery his body hung from the cross and in it crushed the power of this world, the whole world was crucified through him. In the cross he identified with every person in the world. In doing so he made everything that he suffered universal, that is, he caused all flesh to be crucified in his death. Therefore I too am fixed to the cross. (Marius Victorinus, Epistle to the Galatians 2.6.14)a

  a. ACCS VIII:102–3.

  [6:16]

  Paul considers his declaration in verse 15 as a rule that the Galatian Christians need to follow (the same verb used in 5:25). The Apostle pronounces peace (see 1:3) and mercy from God (see Rom 15:9) to those who keep in step with this rule. He adds and to the Israel of God, a phrase that does not occur elsewhere in the New Testament. There are two psalms that end with the wish, “Peace upon Israel!” (Pss 125:5; 128:6). By specifying that he is referring to the Israel of God, Paul is making a distinction. Some people suggest that he is distinguishing between the Church as “the Israel of God” and the Jewish people as “Israel according to the †flesh” (1 Cor 10:18). However, Paul’s wording does not favor this interpretation. After invoking peace and mercy on “all who follow this rule,” referring to Galatian Christians who reject the †Judaizers’ teaching about the necessity of circumcision, he adds, “and to the Israel of God,” apparently a distinct category of Christians. Consequently, “the Israel of God” probably designates not the Church but rather a part of it, Jews who believe in Christ and are therefore authentic children of Abraham, as opposed to those who are children only according to the †flesh (Gal 3:7; 4:22–23; Rom 9:6–9).6

  [6:17]

  Before writing his final greeting, the Apostle lets slip a moving request in which he reveals his weariness after the battle he has fought in this letter. He asks now to be spared any more trouble and gives as a reason the marks of Jes
us that he bears on his body. Although the Greek term for “marks” is stigmata, Paul is not saying that he bears the five wounds that marked Christ’s body (St. Francis of Assisi was the first to experience that †grace), but rather he refers to the scars he bore from his apostolic sufferings. Paul lists some of these sufferings in 2 Cor 11:24–25, which include receiving thirty-nine lashes five times, three beatings with rods, once being stoned (Acts 14:19), besides other hardships. Paul calls them the “marks of Jesus” because his scars are the direct consequence of his service to Jesus. They constitute a participation in Jesus’ passion7 and therefore deserve deep respect. Paul invites the Galatians to consider them.

  [6:18]

  As is true in Paul’s other letters, the last sentence is a prayer-wish of †grace for his readers. Instead of saying, “Grace . . . be with you” (as in Rom 16:20 and 1 Cor 16:23), he says, “Grace . . . be with your spirit.” The spirit of a person is his or her inmost self, capable of receiving divine grace, so that he or she may be raised up to a vital union with Christ.

  At the end of this letter, Paul’s prayer for the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ takes on an intense significance, since all the Apostle’s effort in this very passionate letter has aimed at keeping the Galatians from a temptation that would have led them to be “fallen from grace” (Gal 5:4) and to “nullify the grace of God” (2:21) by putting conformity to the †law at the foundation of their Christian lives instead of the free gift of God.

  In contrast to the reprimand that called the Galatians “stupid” (Gal 3:1), the last word, brothers, expresses the Apostle’s affection for the Christians of Galatia and gently invites them to remain united to him.

  1. Col 4:18; 2 Thess 3:17; see 1 Cor 16:21.

  2. Ambrosiaster, Epistle to the Galatians 6:12, in ACCS VIII:101.

  3. Gal 1:13; Acts 8:3; 1 Cor 15:9; Phil 3:6.

  4. Matt 27:39–44; Mark 15:29–32; Luke 23:35–39.

  5. “I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy” (Rom 15:8–9 RSV; see Luke 2:32).

  6. Some scholars, nevertheless, interpret Paul as referring to only one group, the Church, and base their argument on the context of Galatians as a whole, since Paul has argued that those who have faith are “children of Abraham” (3:7) and has forcefully stated that there is “neither Jew nor Greek” in Christ (3:28).

  7. 2 Cor 4:10–11; Phil 3:10; Col 1:24.

  Suggested Resources

  Commentaries from the Christian Tradition

  Aquinas, St. Thomas. Commentary on Saint Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians. Translated by F. R. Larcher, OP. Aquinas Scripture Series. Albany, NY: Magi, 1966. Careful exposition in light of the whole of Scripture and the questions of classical theology. Available online at https://dhspriory.org/thomas/SSGalatians.htm.

  Chrysostom, St. John. Homilies on Galatians. Six homilies that treat the entire letter verse by verse. Each sermon includes exposition followed by exhortation. Available online at http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/2310.htm.

  Edwards, Mark J., ed. Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians. Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture: New Testament VIII. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1999. This series offers selections from patristic writings on every passage of the biblical text.

  Scholarly Commentaries

  Matera, Frank J. Galatians. Sacra Pagina. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1992. An excellent study by a respected Catholic scholar.

  Moo, Douglas J. Galatians. Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2013. An excellent recent study by a respected evangelical scholar.

  Midlevel and Popular Works

  Byrne, Brendan. Galatians and Romans. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2010. A balanced, accessible study by a former member of the Pontifical Biblical Commission.

  Hahn, Scott, and Curtis Mitch. The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: The New Testament. San Francisco: Ignatius, 2010. The thirteen pages of text and notes on Galatians in this study Bible provide a helpful explanation of the main issues from a Catholic perspective.

  Perrotta, Kevin. Galatians: Free in Christ. Six Weeks with the Bible. Chicago: Loyola, 2006. An excellent resource for small-group Bible study.

  Witherup, Ronald D. Galatians: Life in the New Creation. New York/Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 2019. A new pastoral-spiritual commentary by a highly respected Catholic scholar.

  Paul and Pauline Theology

  Gorman, Michael J. Apostle of the Crucified Lord: A Theological Introduction to Paul and His Letters. 2nd ed. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2017. This volume, by a Protestant scholar who teaches at a Catholic seminary, provides rich information about the world in which the Apostle preached, an overview of his life and message, and an examination of each of the letters.

  Matera, Frank J. God’s Saving Grace: A Pauline Theology. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2012. The author sets forth what Paul says about the principal theological topics he treats. He understands Paul’s theology as arising from the Apostle’s personal experience of God’s saving grace.

  ———. New Testament Theology: Exploring Unity and Diversity. Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 2007. This volume presents the theology of each letter in the Pauline tradition and relates that tradition to the other theological streams in the New Testament.

  Glossary

  anagogical sense: the spiritual sense of Scripture that has to do with the life to come.

  carnal: see flesh, fleshly.

  covenant: a solemn agreement between two parties that establishes a special relationship. In the Old Testament, God makes a covenant with Abraham (Gen 15; 17) and later with Israel as a whole on Mount Sinai (Exod 20; 24). In the New Testament, Jesus establishes a new and eternal covenant through his passion, death, and resurrection (Luke 22:14–20). The Greek word for covenant in the †Septuagint is diathēkē, which also means “will” or “testament,” a meaning that Paul employs in Gal 3:15.

  doxology, doxological: prayer that ascribes glory or praise to God.

  ecclesial: something that pertains to the Church (Greek ekklēsia); for example, ecclesial discipline refers to church discipline.

  elemental powers (Greek stoicheia, “elements”): Paul uses this term in Gal 4:3, 9 to refer to what held both Gentiles and Jews in subjection prior to the coming of Christ. Although interpreters debate what exactly Paul means, this commentary takes the term as having its usual meaning in Greek literature of the period—that is, it refers to the four elements (earth, water, air, and fire) that Greek thinkers regarded as composing the physical world. It is Paul’s way of expressing what humanity was subject to—that is, what is merely physical, earthly, and of this age, in contrast to the new possibility in Christ of living as children of God who are led by the Holy Spirit.

  eschatological (from Greek eschata, “last things”): all that belongs to the end of human history and the fulfillment of the new age in Christ. The New Testament teaches that the new age began with Jesus’ passion, death, and resurrection and the gift of the Spirit and will reach its fullness when Christ returns (1 Cor 10:11; Eph 1:13–14; Heb 9:26; see commentary on Gal 1:1–4).

  faith (Greek pistis): (1) belief, such as belief in Christ, in God, or in the gospel proclamation that justifies a person (Gal 2:16; 3:2; see the sidebar, “What Does Paul Mean by ‘Faith’?,” p. 100); (2) faithfulness in a relationship (see the sidebar, “‘Faith in Christ’ or ‘the Faithfulness of Christ’?,” p. 86); (3) the content of the gospel (Gal 1:23).

  flesh, fleshly (Greek sarx): (1) the body (Gal 2:20; 4:13); (2) what is merely human (3:3; 4:23); (3) fallen human nature characterized by sinful inclinations and disordered desires (5:13, 16–21). Elsewhere in the New Testament “flesh” has the anatomical meaning of muscle or soft tissue (Luke 24:39); in John 6:51–56, “my flesh” refers to Christ’s eucharistic body.

  Gentile, Gentiles (Greek ethnē, also translated as
“nations” in 3:8): people of non-Jewish nationality. In other books of the New Testament, “Gentiles” is sometimes used to refer only to unbelieving Gentiles, who lack relationship with God and who live immorally and unjustly (e.g., Eph 4:17; 1 Pet 2:12; 4:3).

  gospel: the message (literally, “good news”) about salvation through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, which calls for a response of faith and repentance. Although there is only one gospel (Gal 1:6–9), Paul acknowledges a difference in how it is presented to Jews and Gentiles (2:2, 7), a difference that is evident in the apostolic preaching in Acts (e.g., 13:14–41; 17:22–31). “Gospel” (capitalized) later came to refer to each of the four canonical narratives of the life of Jesus.

  grace (Greek charis): (1) an attitude of favor, generosity, or magnanimity (Gal 1:6, 15); (2) a gift, benefit, or other effect (e.g., blessing, justification) that results from this attitude (1:3; 2:21); (3) the gift of the Spirit acting in or through a person for their benefit or for that of the Church (2:9). The distinguishing character of “grace” is that it is freely given, not earned.