Thomas Aquinas Commentary Galatians 3:26-29

"For ye are all sons of God, through faith, in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ did put on Christ. There can be neither Jew nor Greek, there can be neither bond nor free, there can be no male and female; for ye all are one [man] in Christ Jesus. And if ye are Christ`s, then are ye Abraham`s seed, heirs according to promise." — Galatians 3:26-29 (ASV)

Here the Apostle shows that the Gentiles obtained the fruit of grace without serving the Law, while the Jews obtained it by keeping and serving the Law. In this regard, he does three things:

1. He states his proposition.
2. He clarifies it (verse 27).
3. From this, he proceeds to his argument (verse 29).

He says, therefore: Truly, we are not under the Law—that is, under a pedagogue or under restraint—because we are the sons of God. Likewise, you are not under the Law or a pedagogue, for you have received grace. For this reason, you are all the children of God by faith and not through the Law: “For you have not received the spirit of bondage” (that is, of fear, which was given in the Old Law), “but you have received the spirit of adoption of sons” (namely, of charity and love, which is given in the New Law through faith) (Romans 8:15). “He gave them power to be made the sons of God, to them that believe in his name” (John 1:12).

If, then, you are the sons of God by faith, why do you wish to become slaves through the observances of the Law? For faith alone makes a person the adopted son of God. Indeed, no one is an adopted son unless he is united to and clings to the natural Son: “For whom he foreknew, he also predestinated to be made conformable to the image of his Son; that he might be the firstborn among many brethren” (Romans 8:29). For faith makes us sons in Jesus Christ: “That Christ may dwell by faith in your hearts” (Ephesians 3:17). And this is in Christ Jesus; that is, you are sons of God through Jesus Christ.

Then, when he says, For as many of you as have been baptized in Christ have put on Christ, he explains his proposition. In this regard, he does three things:

1. He proposes to explain the proposition.
2. He clarifies the explanation (verse 28).
3. He gives the reason for the explanation (verse 28): For you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Regarding the first point, he shows how we are sons of God in Christ Jesus. He says: For as many of you as have been baptized in Christ have put on Christ. This can be explained in four ways:

1. That as many of you as have been baptized in Christ means you were instructed for baptism by Christ’s command: “Go ye into the whole world and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved” (Mark 16:16).
2. That as many of you as have been baptized in Christ have put on Christ means you have done so through a likeness and conformity to the death of Christ: “We who are baptized in Christ Jesus are baptized in his death” (Romans 6:3).
3. That in Christ Jesus means in the faith of Christ. For baptism is effective only through faith, without which we receive no benefit from it: “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be condemned” (Mark 16:16).
4. That in Christ Jesus means through His power and work: “He upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, he it is that baptizeth” (John 1:33).

Therefore, as many of you as have been baptized in any of these four ways have put on Christ.

Here it should be noted that when someone puts on clothing, he is protected and covered by it, and his appearance takes on the color of the clothing instead of his own. In the same way, everyone who puts on Christ is protected and covered by Christ Jesus against attack and the heat. Furthermore, in such a person, nothing appears except what pertains to Christ: “Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 13:14).

Again, just as burning wood takes on fire and shares in the fire’s activity, so he who receives the power of Christ has put on Christ: “Stay you in the city till you be endued with power from on high” (Luke 24:49). This applies to those who are inwardly clothed with the power of Christ: “Put on the new man, who according to God is created in justice and holiness of truth” (Ephesians 4:24). Note also that some put on Christ outwardly by good works and inwardly by a renewal of the spirit. In both respects, they are conformed to His holiness, as is mentioned in a Gloss.

He clarifies this teaching when he says, There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free: there is neither male nor female. It is as if he is saying: I have spoken truly that as many of you as have been baptized in Christ Jesus have put on Christ, because there is nothing in a person that would exclude anyone from the sacrament of the faith of Christ and of baptism. He mentions three differences among people to show that none of them excludes anyone from faith in Christ. The first difference concerns one’s religious tradition. For this reason, he says, There is neither Jew nor Greek. This is to say that since you have been baptized in Christ, the tradition from which you came—whether Jewish or Greek—is no reason to say that anyone occupies a less honorable place in the faith: “Is he the God of the Jews only? Is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also. For there is one God that justifieth circumcision by faith and uncircumcision through faith” (Romans 3:29). And again: “There is no distinction of the Jew and Greek; for the same is Lord over all” (Romans 10:12).

But this seems to contradict what is said in Romans 3:1: “What advantage then hath the Jew? Much every way.” I answer that Jews and Greeks can be considered in two ways. First, according to the state they were in before faith. In this respect, the Jew was greater because of the benefits he derived from the Law. Second, according to the state of grace; in this respect, the Jew is not greater. And this is the sense in which the passage is taken here.

The second difference is with respect to social status, when he says, there is neither bond nor free. This means that neither slavery nor freedom, neither high status nor low, makes a difference when it comes to receiving the effect of baptism: “The small and great are there, and the servant is free from his master” (Job 3:19); “There is no respect of persons with God” (Romans 2:11).

The third difference concerns natural condition: there is neither male nor female, for sex makes no difference when it comes to sharing in the effect of baptism.

The reason for this explanation is given when he says, For you are all one in Christ Jesus. It is as if he is saying: Truly, none of these things makes a difference in Christ, because all of you—that is, all believers—are one in Christ Jesus. Through baptism you have all been made members of Christ and you form one body, even though you are distinct individuals: “So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and everyone members one of another” (Romans 12:5); “One body, one Spirit, as you are called in one hope of your calling” (Ephesians 4:4). Now, where there is unity, difference has no place. Indeed, it was for this unity that Christ prayed: “That they all may be one, as thou, Father, in me, and I in thee” (John 17:21).

Then, when he says, if you be Christ’s, then are you the seed of Abraham, heirs according to the promise, he argues for his main proposition in the following way: I have said that the promises were made to Abraham and to his seed. But you belong to Abraham; therefore, the promise made to Abraham about obtaining the inheritance pertains to you.

He then proves the minor premise: You are the adopted sons of God because by faith you are united to Christ, who is the natural Son of God. But Christ is a son of Abraham, as was said above regarding the words, as of one, and to thy seed, which is Christ. Therefore, if you belong to Christ—that is, are in Christ—you are the seed of Abraham, that is, his children, because Christ is his son. And if you are the children, you are heirs; that is, the inheritance belongs to you according to the promise made to Abraham: “Not they that are the children of the flesh are the children of God; but they that are the children of the promise are accounted for the seed” (Romans 9:8).