Thomas Aquinas Commentary Galatians 1:1-5

"Paul, an apostle (not from men, neither through man, but through Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead), and all the brethren that are with me, unto the churches of Galatia: Grace to you and peace from God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us out of this present evil world, according to the will of our God and Father: to whom [be] the glory for ever and ever. Amen." — Galatians 1:1-5 (ASV)

The Apostle, therefore, writes this epistle to the Galatians to show that with the coming of the grace of the New Testament, the Old Testament should be set aside. This is so that with the fulfillment of the truth, the symbol may be abandoned, and by attaining these two—namely, grace and truth—one may arrive at the truth of justice and glory. These two are acquired if, abandoning the observance of the ceremonial precepts of the Old Law, we concentrate fervently on observing the Gospel of Christ.

The order of this epistle is fitting. After the two epistles to the Corinthians—the first dealing with the sacraments of the Church and the second with the ministers of these sacraments—it is necessary that the epistle to the Galatians should follow, as it treats of the termination of the sacraments of the Old Testament.

This epistle is divided into two parts: a greeting, and the main body of the letter, which begins in verse 6: I wonder that you are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ, unto another gospel (Galatians 1:6). In the greeting, however, three things are noted:

1. The person sending the greeting is mentioned.
2. The persons being greeted are mentioned: To the Churches of Galatia (Galatians 1:2).
3. The good he wishes for them is mentioned (Galatians 1:3).

Regarding the first point, the person principally sending the greeting is mentioned first, and he is described by his name and his authority. He is described by his name when he says, "Paul," which, because it means "humble," corresponds with his humility. Hence it is said in 1 Corinthians 15:9: I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle. Furthermore, it corresponds with his office, because in another sense "Paul" means "the mouth of the trumpet," which especially signifies the office of preaching. Lift up your voice like a trumpet and announce to my people their sins (Isaiah 58:1). He is described by his authority when he says, "an apostle." Here two things are mentioned: his authority and its source. His authority is shown when he says "apostle," which means "one who is sent."

It should be noted that in some epistles, the Apostle calls himself a "servant," thereby showing a spirit of humility, as in the Epistle to the Romans. In others, he calls himself an "apostle," thereby showing his authority. The reason for this is that since the Romans were proud, the Apostle, in order to lead them to humility, calls himself a servant as an example. But to the Galatians, who were foolish and proud, he calls himself an apostle in order to humble them; hence, he sets forth his authority here.

He describes the source of his authority when he says, not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father. In this:

1. He dismisses what they believed to be the source of his authority.
2. He presents the true source: but by Jesus Christ and God the Father (Galatians 1:1).

In their opinion, the source of his authority was questionable. The Galatians had been so deceived by false teachers that they believed the Apostle did not have the same authority as the other apostles, since he had neither been taught by Christ nor lived with Him, but was merely sent by them as their minister. He therefore refutes this opinion when he says, not from men, nor through man. Some had been sent by the entire body of apostles and disciples; therefore, to show that he had not been sent by them, he says, not from men. Others had been sent by a particular apostle, just as Paul sometimes sent Luke and Titus. Therefore, to show that he had not been sent in that manner, he says, nor through man—that is, not by any particular apostle, but by the Holy Spirit, who says: Separate me Saul and Barnabas, for the work to which I have taken them (Acts 13:2).

But because the true source of this authority is Jesus Christ, he says, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father. The distinction expressed when he says, by Jesus Christ and God the Father, can be understood with respect to the person of the Father and the person of the Son. In that case, God the Father is one person and Jesus Christ is another. For the blessed Apostle Paul was sent to preach by both, and indeed, by the whole Trinity, because the works of the Trinity are inseparable. Yet no mention is made of the person of the Holy Spirit, because where there is a union of two, by mentioning two persons—namely, the Father and the Son—the Holy Spirit is also understood. Alternatively, this distinction can be understood with respect to Christ's assumed human nature, because according to the divine nature, there is no distinction between God the Father and Jesus Christ. In this sense, then, Paul was sent by God the Father as the primary sender, and by Jesus Christ as a minister. For I say that Christ Jesus was minister of the circumcision (Romans 15:8).

But because the Galatians belittled the Apostle for having neither lived with Christ nor been sent by Him as the others were, he elevates himself on this very point. They had been sent by Christ while He was still living in mortal flesh, whereas he had been sent by Christ now glorified. This is why he adds, who... raised him... from the dead—referring to God the Father raising Jesus Christ as man. It is as if he were saying: I am an apostle not from men (that is, not from the body of apostles), nor through a man (namely, Christ living in mortal flesh), but I am an apostle through Christ, now risen and glorified. Christ rising again from the dead, dies now no more (Romans 6:9). And because the present life is signified by the left side and the future life by the right—since the latter is heavenly and spiritual, and the former is temporal—Peter, who was called while Christ was still in mortal flesh, appears on the left side in papal bulls, while Paul, who was called by the glorified Christ, is placed on the right.

Then, when he says, and all the brethren who are with me, he refers to the people joining him in sending the greeting. He describes them with sweet familiarity, because they are with him for comfort and help. A brother that is helped by his brother is like a strong city (Proverbs 18:19). Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity (Psalms 132:1). He describes them in terms of inseparable love when he says, "brethren." By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one for another (John 13:35). And in terms of universality, when he says, "all." He adds this because the Galatians might be so deceived that they would not respect Paul's words. Hence, he says, "all who are with me," to present them as witnesses to his truthfulness and to help the Galatians understand that they are wrong, since they are being rebuked by everyone else. To him who is such a one, this rebuke is sufficient which is given by many (2 Corinthians 2:6).

He mentions the people being greeted when he says, to the churches of Galatia. Here it should be noted, as is mentioned in a gloss, that Brennus, leader of the Senones, once gathered an army. After entering and passing through Italy, he came into Greece before the time of Alexander the Great. There, some of the invaders remained in a certain district of Greece and intermarried with the Greeks. For this reason, that province came to be called "Gallic Greece" and its inhabitants "Galatians," as if to say, "white." But whereas the Greeks are naturally intelligent, these Galatians were foolish, inconstant, and slow to understand, like the unruly Gauls from whom they descended. This is why he later says, O senseless Galatians, who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth? (Galatians 3:1). Therefore, he writes this epistle to these people, and they are the ones being greeted.

Then, when he says, grace be to you and peace, he mentions the good things he wishes for them. In this:

1. He mentions the blessings he wishes for them.
2. He mentions the author of these blessings: from God the Father and our Lord (Galatians 1:3).

The blessings he wishes for them are twofold, but they include all spiritual goods. The first is grace, which is the beginning of the spiritual life. In a gloss, the remission of sins is ascribed to grace, and this remission is the first step in the spiritual life. For no one can be in the true spiritual life unless he first dies to sin. The second is peace, which is the settling of the mind in its ultimate goal, and which a gloss describes as reconciliation with God. Thus, in wishing them the beginning and the end of all spiritual goods, the Apostle includes, as it were, the wish that every good thing come to them. The Lord will give grace and glory (Psalms 83:12). The grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ and the charity of God and the communication of the Holy Spirit be with you all (2 Corinthians 13:13).

The author of these blessings is God the Father, and so he says, from God the Father. Here are mentioned:

1. The cause of these blessings.
2. The manner in which they are caused (verse 4).
3. The thanksgiving for these blessings (verse 5).

The cause and source of good is God the Father as the originator—precisely as God, and as the entire Trinity, the God of all through creation. But you, O Father, govern it . Hence he says, from God the Father. Again, the originator is the Lord Jesus Christ as minister, and this is insofar as He is man. For I say that Jesus Christ was a minister (Romans 15:8). But that grace comes to us through Christ is plain from John 1:17: Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. Being justified freely by His grace (Romans 3:24). Peace, too, comes to us through Him: My peace I give to you (John 14:27).

The manner in which these blessings are caused is also mentioned when he says, who gave himself for our sins. Here, first of all, the efficient cause is mentioned, which is the death of Christ. Referring to this, he says, who gave himself for our sins. This is as if to say: Christ is the author of grace and peace because He gave Himself to death and endured the cross. Hence, the very death of Christ is the efficient cause of grace—You have been justified freely by his grace (Romans 3:24)—and of peace: Making peace as to the things that are in heaven (Colossians 1:20). And he says, first of all, who gave himself, meaning He offered Himself voluntarily. Christ also has loved us and has delivered Himself for us (Ephesians 5:2); That He might taste death for all (Hebrews 2:9); Who gave Himself for us (Titus 2:14). From this, the Apostle is plainly arguing against them. If the death of Christ is the sufficient cause of our salvation, and if grace is conferred in the sacraments of the New Testament, which have their efficacy from the passion of Christ, then it is superfluous to observe the rituals of the Old Law alongside the New Testament. For in the Old Law, grace is not conferred nor is salvation acquired, because, as it says in Hebrews 7:19, the Law made nothing perfect.

Secondly, the purpose and benefit of these blessings is mentioned—in other words, the final cause. This purpose is twofold. One is that we might be set free from past sins. Regarding this, he says, for our sins, meaning that past sins might be removed and atoned for, which is the beginning of our salvation. He loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood (Revelation 1:5). The other purpose is that He might free us from the power of death. Regarding this, he says, that he might deliver us from this present wicked world. He delivered us from the power of darkness (Colossians 1:13). Here he analyzes three words from that phrase: "present," "world," and "wicked." He delivers us from the "present" by drawing us to eternal things through desire and hope. He delivers us from the "world," that is, from being conformed to this world which allures us: And be not conformed to this world (Romans 12:2). And He delivers us from what is "wicked" by leading us back to the truth of justice. And it is called a wicked world not because of its nature, for it was created good by God, but because of the evils committed in it, as is said in Ephesians 5:16: The days are evil. And Jacob said: the days of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty years, few and evil (Genesis 47:9).

Now, although these things come to us through Christ, God the Father is not excluded. Hence, in the third place, the acceptance of the divine will is mentioned. Therefore, he says, according to the will of God and our Father. This means the Father of Christ by nature, who proceeds from eternity as the Word: This day have I begotten you (Psalms 2:7); In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (John 1:1). It also means our Father by adoption: He gave them power to be made the sons of God (John 1:12). In the first interpretation, "God the Father" is taken as the sole person of the Father; in the second, it is taken as the whole Trinity. And because it is from God our Father—that is, from the whole Trinity—that all things come to us through Christ, therefore to the Trinity be glory in itself and honor from others, forever and ever, which means always. Amen. This "Amen" is a mark of confirmation.

Therefore, in summary, you have in the greeting above: the Apostle’s authority, by which he breaks their pride; the power of grace, by which he exhorts them to observe the Gospel; and the insufficiency of the ceremonies of the Law, by which he calls them away from those ceremonies.