(1) After the Galatians were first instructed by the apostle in the right faith, that is, that they should put their trust in Jesus Christ alone, not in their own righteousness or in the righteousness of the law, they were then again turned away by the false apostles from putting their trust in the works of legal righteousness, because they were very easily deceived by having the name and example of the great and true apostles falsely held up to them, and there is nothing in the whole life of men by which they are more easily deceived than
superstition, that is, the false and unfortunate imitation of the saints. If you look only at their works and not also at their heart, there is a danger that you will become a monkey and a leviathan, 2) that is, attach an addendum to it, by which you make a superstition or godlessness out of true religion.
2. for (to show this by the present example) the apostles kept in the
2) "Leviathan, that is, an adjunct." Walch, St. Louis Edition, Vol. XIX, 819,? 5.
*) Everything that is enclosed in square brackets in the following interpretation is found only in the first redaction of 15191 If here and there such brackets are set for another reason, then this is expressed in a note.
The Jewish congregations added some ceremonies of the law, as Jerome testifies that Philo had written such things from Marcus. But since those foolish people did not know for what reason they were doing it, they immediately added for their own sake that this was necessary for salvation, which, as they had seen, was held by such great apostles, and that no consideration should be given to the one Paul, who had neither seen nor heard Christ on earth.
3) But the apostles held these things, as Peter obviously explained in Acts 15:7-11, not as necessary but as free and not harmful to those who did not trust in them for salvation. 15:7-11, not as necessary, but as free and not harmful to those who did not put their trust in them to be saved, but in Jesus Christ. For to those who believe in Christ, all outward ceremonies and bodily righteousness are not necessary.
is either commanded or forbidden, pure, a middle thing (indifferentia), permitted, unless someone wants to submit to them voluntarily or for the sake of love. In order to bring the Galatians back to this realization, Paul is so zealous that he does not take Peter and all the apostles into consideration, as far as their person, status, that is, their dignity and (as they say) high position (qualitatem) is concerned.
(4) Finally, he boasts with a kind of holy pride that he has received nothing from them, even that he has been praised by them; nor does he deviate in anything from the opinion of the apostles in that in which he saw that the gospel truth might be blasphemed by the unintelligent, considering it far better that he himself and also the apostles should be blameless than that the gospel of Christ should be deprived of its honor.