Lecture 4 — Paul’s Gospel not from man

^1:15^ But when it pleased him who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace, [n. 39]

^1:16^ To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the gentiles: immediately I did not condescend to flesh and blood. [n. 43]

^1:17^ Neither did I go to Jerusalem, to the apostles who were before me: but I went into Arabia, and again I returned to Damascus. [n. 45]

39. After showing that he did not receive the Gospel from man before his conversion, the Apostle now proves that he did not receive it from man after his conversion.

About this he does two things.

First, he shows that he did not receive the Gospel from man at the time of his conversion;

second, that neither did he receive it after his conversion, at then, after three years (Gal 1:18).

Regarding the first he does two things.

First, he shows that he did not receive or learn the Gospel from the apostles;

second, nor from any other believer, at I went into Arabia.

As to the first he does three things.

First, he shows the efficient cause of his conversion;

second, the end, at to reveal his Son;

third, the manner, at immediately I did not condescend.

40. In regard to the first point, he notes the twofold cause of his conversion, namely, the good pleasure of God, which is divine election, and the call of the one converting. Regarding the first he says, when it pleased him, namely, God: not when I willed, but when it pleased him, because it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs (Rom 9:16); the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him (Ps 147:11); for it is God who works in us (Phil 2:13).

Who, namely, God, separated me, namely, a rebel: I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the Church of God (1 Cor 15:9); Saul, as yet breathing out threatenings (Acts 9:1); and a persecutor: Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? (Acts 9:4); and a blasphemer: who before was a blasphemer (1 Tim 1:13).

Me, and such a one, I say, he separated from my mother’s womb. Or, literally: who made me to be born from my mother’s womb.

41. It is indeed true to say that God separates one from the womb, even though it is a work of nature, which is, as it were, an instrument of God, because even our own works are attributed to God as to their principal author: for you have wrought all our works for us (Isa 26:12), as any effect is attributed to the principal agent: you have clothed me with skin and flesh (Job 10:11). And he was separated from this womb to be justified, for the same one justifies who makes: from my mother’s womb you are my God (Ps 22:10).

Or: from my mother’s womb, i.e., the synagogue, whose womb is the college of Pharisees who trained him in Judaism: you go round about the sea and the land to make one proselyte (Matt 23:15). Thus, therefore, was the synagogue his mother: the sons of my mother have fought against me (Song 1:5). The Pharisees are its womb. And from this womb he was separated by the Holy Spirit unto faith in the Gospel: separated unto the Gospel of God (Rom 1:1).

Or his mother is the Church of Christ, and the womb, the college of apostles. Hence God separated him from the womb of the Church, i.e., from the college of apostles, for the office of apostleship and preacher to the gentiles, when he said to the apostles: separate for me Saul and Barnabas (Acts 13:2).

Again, he calls the synagogue his mother, because he was a Pharisee and an outstanding one, for which reason he is called a Pharisee and of the Pharisees, because he was zealous for the law: being more abundantly zealous for the traditions of my fathers (Gal 1:14).

42. Now as regards the other cause, he says, and called me by his grace. But there are two kinds of call. One is exterior, and so he says: he called me with a voice from heaven. Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me . . . go into the city, and there it shall be told you what you must do (Acts 9:4, 6). In a similar fashion he called the other apostles.

The other call is interior, and in this way he calls through a certain interior instinct, whereby God touches the heart to be turned to him, as when he calls one from the path of evil to good; and this by his grace and not our own merits: and whom he predestined, them he also called (Rom 8:30); I have raised him up to justice (Isa 45:13); that calls the waters of the sea and pours them out upon the face of the earth: the Lord is his name (Amos 5:8).

43. The end of his conversion is stated when he says, to reveal his Son in me. Hence Christ is the end.

Now his conversion is ordained to Christ in two ways: first of all, by his works. Hence he says, to reveal his Son, i.e., by what he did in my regard, by converting me and forgiving my sins, he revealed what a great act of mercy was bestowed on me: Jesus Christ came into this world to save sinners, of whom I am the chief (1 Tim 1:15); but I obtained the mercy of God, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief (1 Tim 1:13). Thus, therefore, in his conversion he revealed his Son in the sense that the Son is called the grace of God. Likewise, he revealed him in his action; hence he says: for I dare not speak of any of those things which Christ works not by me, for the obedience of the gentiles by word and deed, by virtue of signs and wonders (Rom 15:18). And this inasmuch as the Son is the power of God. Furthermore, he revealed him in his preaching. Hence he said: we preach Christ crucified . . . and the wisdom of God (1 Cor 1:23). And this inasmuch as the Son is called the wisdom of God.

Second, his conversion is ordained to Christ by his words. Hence he says, that I might preach him among the gentiles, because, whereas the other apostles preached the Gospel of Christ to the Jews, Paul, on the Lord’s command, went to convert the gentiles: it is a small thing that you should be my servant . . . I have given you to be the light of the gentiles (Isa 49:6); for so the Lord has commanded us (Acts 13:47); behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, for a leader and a master to the gentiles (Isa 55:4).

44. The manner of his conversion is perfect, and this with regard to its effect; hence he says, immediately I did not condescend to flesh and blood, i.e., at once I was so completely converted that all carnal affection left me: it is easy in the eyes of God on a sudden to make the poor man rich (Sir 11:23).

Flesh and blood are here taken for vices of the flesh: flesh and blood cannot possess the kingdom of God (1 Cor 15:50); for the flesh lusts against the spirit (Gal 5:17). Or they are taken for the affection and love borne toward blood relatives. Flesh and blood has not revealed it to you (Matt 16:17). Thus the Apostle overcame his own vices and scorned his fellow Jews.

Furthermore, his conversion was perfect with respect to his understanding, because he was so instructed by Christ that there was no need to be instructed by the apostles; hence he says, neither did I go to Jerusalem, i.e., to be instructed by them.

45. Again, it was not necessary for him to be instructed by any other of the faithful; hence he says, but I went into Arabia. As if to say: I did not go to places where there were believers who might instruct me, but I went to Arabia where they were not instructed in the faith but were unbelievers. And again I returned to Damascus, i.e., to his parents: who gave a course to violent showers, or a way for noisy thunder? (Job 38:25).

But someone might object that it is said: in Damascus they let him down in a basket . . . and when he was come into Jerusalem, he essayed to join himself to the disciples (Acts 9:25–26). Therefore, according to this, he went to Jerusalem.

To this I answer that he did go, but not to be instructed. Or, better still, he did not go at once but after some time. Hence he says in the next verse, then, after three years I went to Jerusalem (Gal 1:18).