A06492:1506
Commentary upon the Epistle to the Galatians
A commentary of M. Doctor Martin Luther upon the Epistle of S. Paul to the Galatians first collected and gathered word by word out of his preaching, and now out of Latin faithfully translated into English for the unlearned. Wherein is set forth most excellently the glorious riches of Gods grace ...A commentarie of M. Doctor Martin Luther vpon the Epistle of S. Paul to the Galathians first collected and gathered vvord by vvord out of his preaching, and novv out of Latine faithfully translated into English for the vnlearned. Wherein is set forth most excellently the glorious riches of Gods grace ...
London: printed by Thomas Vautroullier dwelling wihtin sic, 1575London: printed by Thomas Vautroullier dvvelling vvihtin sic, 1575
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Forasmuch then as the vainglory of the false apostles was the cause that the Churches of Galatia were troubled and forsook Paul, therefore in this Chapter specially his purpose was to suppress that execrable vice: yea this mischief gave the Apostle occasion to write this whole Epistle. And if he had not so done, all his travel bestowed in preaching of the Gospel among the Galatians had been spent in vain. For in his absence the false apostles,1 which were men in outward show of great authority, reigned in Galatia: who besides that they would seem to seek the glory of Christ and the salvation of the Galatians, pretended also that they had been conversant with the Apostles, & that they followed their footsteps,2 saying that Paul had not seen Christ in the flesh, nor had been conversant with the rest of the Apostles, & therefore they made no account of him, but rejected his doctrine, & boasted their own to be true & sincere. Thus they troubled the Galatians and raised Sects among them, so that they provoked and envied one an other: which was a sure token, that neither the teachers nor hearers lived and walked after the spirit, but followed the flesh and fulfilled the works thereof: and so consequently lost the true doctrine, ⟨image 269⟩Faith, Christ, and all the gifts of the holy Ghost, and were now become worse then the Heathen.
Forasmuch then as the vaineglory of the false apostles was the cause that ye Churches of Galatia were troubled and forsooke Paule, therefore in this Chapter specially his purpose was to suppresse that execrable vice: yea this mischeefe gaue the Apostle occasion to wryte this whole Epistle. And if he had not so done, all his trauell bestowed in preaching of the Gospell among the Galathians had bene spent in vaine. For in his absence ye false apostles,1 which were men in outward shew of great authority, raigned in Galatia: who besides yt they would seeme to seeke the glory of Christe and the saluation of the Galathians, pretended also that they had bene conuersant with the Apostles, & that they folowed their footesteppes,2