The Proclamation to the Gentiles

Regarding the proclamation to the nations, some departing from circumcision were persuading the nations to Judaize, and first a search regarding this seems to have occurred in Antioch, that the apostles wrote not to be under the law, but to abstain from idol-sacrifices, and from blood, and from strangled things, and from sexual immorality; for so it seemed to the Holy Spirit. This sickness took hold of the Galatians, in agreement with those desiring to Judaize. They were persuaded by those perverting the truth, saying that the rest of the apostles do not forbid those wishing to keep the law. Galatians 1:4 shows that neither Moses died for the world, nor any other of the prophets. Therefore, one ought not to be defeated by the one who did not save, but by the one who died for us.

Galatians 1:6–7: He says, 'Into a different gospel, which is not another'; for your gospel and that of the apostles is intended to be outside of you by means of the law. Galatians 1:8–10: 'Let him be an anathema, why then is it with us?; when we were preaching, by the power of the Holy Spirit we preached; and the Holy Spirit does not repent. If therefore we say other things, we have abandoned the things of the Spirit. Let him be an anathema, then, even the preacher, in rejecting the preaching. According to what you received. I did not preach, he says, but you did not receive; but I also preached, and you received. Nor do I repent having preached, and you have observed what you received. For am I now persuading men or God? Or do I seek to please men? If I were still pleasing men, I would not be a slave of Christ.'

In intending to remind them of his own gospel, he beforehand secures himself so that they might not think that he heals by submitting; for he rebukes. Having said 'if still', he showed that he once pleased men. But what did he please? Those from whom the faithful ones to Damascus received letters to afflict. If therefore, he says, he still pleased the Jews, he would not have believed in Christ. Galatians 1:13: What is the need of a turning in Judaism, but that he might show that he does not serve by presumption but in truth; for not having hated the law did he run to grace—for he was persecuting it—but having found the perfection, he departed from the law. Now he shows that he has something more than that concerning Peter; for those did not zeal for Judaism while disobeying Christianity as I do. Do not therefore think that having hated the law I came to grace—for they were persecuting the law—but I found the perfection, and I will not abolish the law by perfect grace.

Galatians 1:16: And he says he is not slandering the apostles, but that he did not run in step with fleshly flesh. Galatians 2:16: For if no one is justified from works, bearing the toil, but from faith where the greatness of ease and of righteousness is, how does he say it is not necessary for the law to suffice for grace? He says not to be justified from works of law, but not from commandments; for the commandment justifies when heard, but the work was the difficult thing. Galatians 2:18: The word toward Peter: 'You destroyed those things by a doctrine which was sent from you to the...'