28

of nature, and the ineffable care of Christ, and from what things He delivered us, and what things He bestowed, and being inflamed by the desire for him, he thus speaks. Since also the prophets 61.647 often appropriate the common God, saying thus: O God, my God, to you I rise early; and apart from these things, showing that each one of us is justly obliged to owe to Christ as much grace as if He had come for him alone. For he would not have refused to show such an economy even for one; so he loves each person with as great a measure of love as he loves the whole world. The sacrifice, therefore, was offered for all of nature, and was sufficient to save all; but those who have made use of the benefaction are the believers alone. But nevertheless, the fact that not all came forward did not dissuade him from such an economy, but just as the breakfast in the Gospel was prepared for all, but since those who were called were not willing to come, he did not gather up the things set before them, but called others; so also has he done here. For indeed the sheep that was separated from the ninety-nine was one, but nevertheless he did not despise it. Paul alludes to this very thing in some way when speaking about the Jews, saying: For what if some did not believe? Shall their unbelief make the faith of God of no effect? God forbid. Let God be true, but every man a liar. Then He so loved you, as to give himself up, and to lead you, who had no 61.648 hope of salvation, into so great and such a life; and you, after such good things, do you relapse to the old things? Since, therefore, he has accurately inserted the things from his reasonings, he then proclaims vehemently in a declaration, saying: I do not frustrate the grace of God. Let those who even now Judaize and adhere to the law, hear. For these things are said to them. For if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. What is more grievous than this sin? What is more shameful than these words? For if Christ died, it is evident that it was because the law was not able to justify us; but if the law justifies, the death of Christ is superfluous. And how could it be reasonable to say that so great a matter, so full of awe, and surpassing human reasoning, and so ineffable a mystery, for which patriarchs travailed, and prophets foretold, and angels were astonished to see, and which is confessed by all to be the chief point of God's care, has happened rashly and in vain? Considering, therefore, the excess of the absurdity, if they should say that so great and so important a matter had happened superfluously (for this was also established from what they were doing), he also uses insult against them, speaking thus:

61.647 CHAPTER 3. O foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you? before whose eyes Jesus

Christ was openly set forth, crucified among you.

a. Here then he moves on to another chapter. For in the preceding parts he showed that he was not an apostle of men, nor through men, nor did he need the teaching of the apostles; but here, having established himself as a trustworthy teacher, he discourses with greater authority, making a comparison of faith and law. At the beginning, then, he says: I marvel that you are so soon removed. But here, O foolish Galatians! For then he was travailing with indignation; but since he made his defense concerning his own affairs, he burst it forth into the open, bringing it out after the proof. But if he calls them foolish, do not be surprised; for it is not by transgressing the law of Christ which says,

28

φύσεως, καὶ τὴν ἄφατον τοῦ Χριστοῦ κηδεμονίαν, καὶ τίνων ἀπήλλαξε, καὶ τίνα ἐχαρίσατο, καὶ πυρωθεὶς ὑπὸ τοῦ περὶ αὐτὸν πόθου, οὕτω φθέγγεται. Ἐπεὶ καὶ οἱ προφῆται τὸν 61.647 κοινὸν Θεὸν ἰδιοποιοῦνται πολλάκις, οὕτω λέγοντες· Ὁ Θεὸς ὁ Θεός μου, πρὸς σὲ ὀρθρίζω· καὶ χωρὶς δὲ τούτων δεικνὺς, ὅτι ἕκαστον ἡμῶν τοσαύτην δίκαιον ὀφείλειν τῷ Χριστῷ χάριν, ὅσην ἂν εἰ καὶ δι' αὐτὸν μόνον ἦλθεν. Οὐ γὰρ ἂν παρῃτήσατο καὶ ὑπὲρ ἑνὸς τοσαύτην οἰκονομίαν ἐπιδείξασθαι· οὕτως ἕκαστον ἄνθρωπον τοσούτῳ ἀγάπης μέτρῳ φιλεῖ, ὅσῳ τὴν οἰκουμένην ἅπασαν. Ἡ μὲν οὖν θυσία ὑπὲρ πάσης προσενήνεκτο τῆς φύσεως, καὶ ἱκανὴ πάντας ἦν σῶσαι· οἱ δὲ τῇ εὐεργεσίᾳ χρησάμενοι, οἱ πιστεύοντές εἰσι μόνοι. Ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐκ ἀπέστησεν αὐτὸν τῆς τοιαύτης οἰκονομίας τὸ μὴ πάντας προσελθεῖν, ἀλλ' ὥσπερ τὸ ἄριστον τὸ ἐν τῷ Εὐαγγελίῳ πᾶσι μὲν ηὐτρέπιστο, ἐπειδὴ δὲ οὐκ ἠθέλησαν ἐλθεῖν οἱ κληθέντες, οὐ συνεῖλε τὰ προκείμενα, ἀλλ' ἑτέρους ἐκάλεσεν· οὕτω καὶ ἐνταῦθα πεποίηκε. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ τὸ πρόβατον τὸ τῶν ἐνενηκονταεννέα ἀποσπασθὲν, ἓν ἦν, ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐδὲ αὐτοῦ κατεφρόνησε. Τοῦτο δὲ αὐτὸ οὕτω πως καὶ περὶ Ἰουδαίων διαλεγόμενος ὁ Παῦλος αἰνίττεται, λέγων· Τί γὰρ, εἰ ἠπίστησάν τινες; μὴ ἡ ἀπιστία αὐτῶν τὴν πίστιν τοῦ Θεοῦ καταργήσει; Μὴ γένοιτο. Γενέσθω δὲ ὁ Θεὸς ἀληθὴς, πᾶς δὲ ἄνθρωπος ψεύστης. Εἶτα αὐτὸς μὲν οὕτω σε ἠγάπησεν, ὡς καὶ ἑαυτὸν παραδοῦναι, καὶ οὐκ ἔχοντα 61.648 σωτηρίας ἐλπίδα εἰς τοσαύτην καὶ τοιαύτην ζωὴν ἀγαγεῖν· σὺ δὲ μετὰ τοσαῦτα ἀγαθὰ πρὸς τὰ παλαιὰ παλινδρομεῖς; Ἐπειδὴ τοίνυν τὰ ἀπὸ τῶν λογισμῶν ἐνέθηκεν ἀκριβῶς, λοιπὸν ἐν ἀποφάσει σφοδρῶς ἀνακηρύττει, λέγων· Οὐκ ἀθετῶ τὴν χάριν τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἀκουέτωσαν οἱ ἔτι καὶ νῦν Ἰουδαΐζοντες, καὶ τῷ νόμῳ προσέχοντες. Καὶ γὰρ πρὸς ἐκείνους ταῦτα λέγεται. Εἰ γὰρ διὰ νόμου δικαιοσύνη, ἄρα Χριστὸς δωρεὰν ἀπέθανε. Τί ταύτης τῆς ἁμαρτίας χαλεπώτερον; τί τῶν ῥημάτων τούτων ἐντρεπτικώτερον; Εἰ γὰρ ἀπέθανεν ὁ Χριστὸς, εὔδηλον ὅτι διὰ τὸ μὴ ἰσχύειν τὸν νόμον ἡμᾶς δικαιοῦν· εἰ δὲ ὁ νόμος δικαιοῖ, περιττὸς ὁ τοῦ Χριστοῦ θάνατος. Καὶ πῶς ἂν ἔχοι λόγον, πρᾶγμα τοσοῦτον, τοσαύτης γέμον φρίκης, καὶ λογισμὸν ἀνθρώπινον ὑπερβαῖνον, καὶ μυστήριον οὕτως ἀπόῤῥητον, ὃ πατριάρχαι μὲν ὤδινον, προφῆται δὲ προὔλεγον, ἄγγελοι δὲ ἐξεπλήττοντο βλέποντες, κεφάλαιον δὲ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ κηδεμονίας παρὰ πᾶσιν ὡμολόγηται ὂν, τοῦτο εἰκῆ καὶ μάτην γεγενῆσθαι λέγειν; Ἐννοήσας τοίνυν τὴν ὑπερβολὴν τῆς ἀτοπίας, εἰ τοσοῦτον πρᾶγμα καὶ τηλικοῦτον περιττῶς λέγοιεν γεγενῆσθαι (τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ ἀφ' ὧν ἐποίουν συνίστατο), καὶ ὕβρει κατ' αὐτῶν κέχρηται, λέγων οὕτως·

61.647 ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΟΝ Γʹ. Ὦ ἀνόητοι Γαλάται, τίς ὑμᾶς ἐβάσκανεν; οἷς κατ' ὀφθαλμοὺς Ἰησοῦς

Χριστὸς προεγράφη, ἐν ὑμῖν ἐσταυρωμένος.

αʹ. Ἐνταῦθα λοιπὸν ἐφ' ἕτερον μεταβαίνει κεφάλαιον. Ἐν μὲν γὰρ τοῖς προτέροις ἔδειξεν, ὅτι οὐκ ἀνθρώπων ἦν ἀπόστολος, οὐδὲ δι' ἀνθρώπων, οὐδὲ ἐδεήθη τῆς τῶν ἀποστόλων διδασκαλίας· ἐνταῦθα δὲ λοιπὸν ἀξιόπιστον καταστήσας ἑαυτὸν διδάσκαλον, μετὰ πλείονος τῆς αὐθεντίας διαλέγεται, πίστεως καὶ νόμου σύγκρισιν ποιούμενος. Ἀρχόμενος μὲν οὖν φησι· Θαυμάζω ὅτι οὕτω ταχέως μετατίθεσθε. Ἐνταῦθα δὲ, Ὦ ἀνόητοι Γαλάται! Τότε μὲν γὰρ ὤδινε τὴν ἀγανάκτησιν· ἐπειδὴ δὲ ὑπὲρ τῶν καθ' ἑαυτὸν ἀπελογήσατο, εἰς μέσον αὐτὴν ἀποῤῥήξας, ἐξήνεγκε μετὰ τὴν ἀπόδειξιν. Εἰ δὲ ἀνοήτους καλεῖ, μὴ θαυμάσῃς· οὐ γὰρ παραβαίνων τοῦ Χριστοῦ τὸν νόμον τὸν λέγοντα,