Commentary on the Epistle to the GalatiansLuther, Martin
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Commentary on the Epistle to the Galatians
Luther, Martin
Bible. Galatians -- Commentaries
Paul accentuates the point that the Galatians had been called by Christ
unto grace. “I taught you the doctrine of grace and of liberty from
the Law, from sin and wrath, that you should be free in Christ, and
not slaves to the hard laws of Moses. Will you allow yourselves to be
carried away so easily from the living fountain of grace and life?”
VERSE 6. Unto another gospel.
Note the resourcefulness of the devil. Heretics do not advertise their
errors. Murderers, adulterers, thieves disguise themselves. So the devil
masquerades all his devices and activities. He puts on white to make
himself look like an angel of light. He is astoundingly clever to sell
his patent poison for the Gospel of Christ. Knowing Satan’s guile, Paul
sardonically calls the doctrine of the false apostles “another gospel,”
as if he would say, “You Galatians have now another gospel, while my
Gospel is no longer esteemed by you.”
We infer from this that the false apostles had depreciated the Gospel
of Paul among the Galatians on the plea that it was incomplete.
Their objection to Paul’s Gospel is identical to that recorded in the
fifteenth chapter of the Book of Acts to the effect that it was not
enough for the Galatians to believe in Christ, or to be baptized, but
that it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the
law of Moses, for “except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses,
ye cannot be saved.” As though Christ were a workman who had begun a
building and left it for Moses to finish.
Today the Anabaptists and others, finding it difficult to condemn us,
accuse us Lutherans of timidity in professing the whole truth. They
grant that we have laid the foundation in Christ, but claim that we
have failed to go through with the building. In this way these perverse
fanatics parade their cursed doctrine as the Word of God, and, flying
the flag of God’s name, they deceive many. The devil knows better
than to appear ugly and black. He prefers to carry on his nefarious
activities in the name of God. Hence the German proverb: “All mischief
begins in the name of God.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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