Commentary upon the Epistle to the Galatians

Here Paul showeth him self to be greatly troubled through the fall of the Galatians: whom he would more bitterly reprove, but that he feareth lest if he should deal with them more sharply,¹ he should not only not make them better, but more offend them and so utterly alienate their minds from him. Therefore in writing he changeth and mitigateth his words, and as though all the harm redounded unto him self, he saith: I am in fear of you lest I have bestowed my labour on you in vain: That is to say, it grieveth me that I have preached the gospel with so great diligence and faithfulness amongst you, and see no fruit to come thereof. Notwithstanding, although he show a very loving & a fatherly affection towards them, yet withal he chideth them somewhat sharply, but yet covertly. For when he sayeth, that he had laboured in vain,² that is to say, that he had preached the Gospel among them with out any fruit, he showeth covertly that either they were obstinate unbelievers, or else were fallen from the doctrine of faith. Now, both these, as well unbelievers as backsliders from the doctrine of faith, are sinners, wicked, unrighteous & damned. Such therefore do obey the law in vain, they observe days, months & years in vain. And in these words: I am in fear of you, lest I have bestowed on you labour in vain, is contained a certain secret excommunication. For the Apostle meaneth hereby that the Galatians were secluded & separate from Christ, unless they speedily returned to the sincere & sound doctrine again: yet he pronounced no open sentence against them. For he perceived that he could do no good