Anf-03 v.iv.vi.iii Pg 15
Gal. ii. 3, 4.
etc., he gives us an insight into his reason5281 5281 Incipit reddere rationem.
for acting in a clean contrary way,5282 5282 Contrarii utique facti. [Farrar, St. Paul, pp. 232 and 261.]
showing us wherefore he did that which he would neither have done nor shown to us, if that had not happened which induced him to act as he did. But then5283 5283 Denique.
I want you to tell us whether they would have yielded to the subjection that was demanded,5284 5284 See Conybeare and Howson, in loc.
if these false brethren had not crept in to spy out their liberty? I apprehend not. They therefore gave way (in a partial concession), because there were persons whose weak faith required consideration.5285 5285 Fuerunt propter quos crederetur.
For their rudimentary belief, which was still in suspense about the observance of the law, deserved this concessive treatment,5286 5286 The following statement will throw light upon the character of the two classes of Jewish professors of Christianity referred to by Tertullian: “A pharisaic section was sheltered in its bosom (of the church at Jerusalem), which continually strove to turn Christianity into a sect of Judaism. These men were restless agitators, animated by the bitterest sectarian spirit; and although they were numerically a small party, yet we know the power of the turbulent minority. But besides these Judaizing zealots, there was a large proportion of the Christians at Jerusalem, whose Christianity, though more sincere than that of those just mentioned, was yet very weak and imperfect…Many of them still only knew of a Christ after the flesh—a Saviour of Israel—a Jewish Messiah. Their minds were in a state of transition between the law and the gospel; and it was of great consequence not to shock their prejudices too rudely; lest they should be tempted to make shipwreck of their faith and renounce their Christianity altogether.” These were they whose prejudices required to be wisely consulted in things which did not touch the foundation of the gospel. (Conybeare and Howson’s St. Paul, People’s Edition, vol. ii. pp. 259, 260.)
when even the apostle himself had some suspicion that he might have run, and be still running, in vain.5287 5287
Anf-03 v.iv.vi.iii Pg 10
Gal. ii. 4.
These persons went no further than to insist on a continuance of the law, retaining unquestionably a sincere belief in the Creator. They perverted the gospel in their teaching, not indeed by such a tampering with the Scripture5276 5276 Interpolatione Scripturæ.
as should enable them to expunge5277 5277 Qua effingerent.
the Creator’s Christ, but by so retaining the ancient régime as not to exclude the Creator’s law. Therefore he says: “Because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ, that they might bring us into bondage, to whom we gave place by subjection not even for an hour.”5278 5278
Anf-03 v.iv.ii.xx Pg 8
See Gal. i. 6, 7; and ii. 4.
he himself shows that that adulteration of the gospel was not meant to transfer them to the faith of another god and christ, but rather to perpetuate the teaching of the law; because he blames them for maintaining circumcision, and observing times, and days, and months, and years, according to those Jewish ceremonies which they ought to have known were now abrogated, according to the new dispensation purposed by the Creator Himself, who of old foretold this very thing by His prophets. Thus He says by Isaiah: Old things have passed away. “Behold, I will do a new thing.”2559 2559
Anf-03 v.iv.vi.iii Pg 13
Gal. ii. 4, 5.
Let us only attend to the clear5279 5279 Ipsi.
sense and to the reason of the thing, and the perversion of the Scripture will be apparent. When he first says, “Neither Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised,” and then adds, “And that because of false brethren unawares brought in,”5280 5280
Npnf-201 iii.vii.ii Pg 21
Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge, Chapter 2
VERSE (4) - Ga 5:10,12 Ac 15:1,24; 20:30 2Co 11:13,17,26 1Jo 4:1
