Jerome

(Verse 9.) A little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough. It is incorrectly translated in our codices: A little yeast corrupts the whole lump, and the translator has conveyed the sense of the interpreter rather than the words of the Apostle. However, Paul himself uses this same statement to the Corinthians: where he commands that the one who had his father's wife be removed from their midst, and be handed over to destruction and affliction of the flesh through fasting and sickness, so that the spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord Jesus Christ (some manuscripts add: our Lord). He says indeed: Not good is your boasting. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? (I Cor. 5:5, 6, and following)? Or (as we have now corrected) leavens the whole mixture? And immediately he adds: Purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new mixture, as you are unleavened. For Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. But now, according to this same sentiment, He teaches that the spiritual bread of the Church, which came down from heaven, should not be violated by Jewish interpretation; and the Lord Himself commanded the same to His disciples, that they should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees (John VI). And the evangelist, making this more clear, added: But He had spoken to them concerning the doctrine of the Pharisees (Matthew XVI). Moreover, what is this other doctrine of the Pharisees, if not the observance of the Law according to the flesh? Therefore, this is the meaning: Do not think lightly of men who come from Judea and teach another doctrine, for they despise danger. A spark is a small thing, and when it is barely seen, it is not noticed; but if it catches hold of tinder and finds any small bit of fuel, it consumes walls, cities, vast forests, and regions. Likewise, the yeast in this parable in the Gospel (Luke 13) seems small and insignificant; but when it is mixed with flour, it corrupts the whole mass with its power, affecting everything that is mixed in. Similarly, a perverse teaching, starting from one foolish person, finds only two or three listeners at first; but gradually, like cancer spreading in the body, it contaminates the entire flock, as the common saying goes, the scabies of one animal infects the whole herd. Therefore, as soon as a spark appears, it must be extinguished, and the leaven must be removed from the vicinity of the dough, the rotten flesh must be cut away, and the scabrous animal must be driven away from the sheepfold, so that the whole house, mass, body, and livestock do not burn, decay, rot, and perish. Arius was a spark in Alexandria; but because he was not immediately suppressed, the flame of his spread throughout the entire world.

(Verse 10) But whoever disturbs you will bear judgment, whoever he may be. Secretly, they say, he attacks Peter, to whom he himself writes that he resisted him to his face, because he did not walk uprightly according to the truth of the Gospel. But neither did Paul speak with such insolent cursing against the leader of the Church (Galatians 2), nor did Peter deserve to be accused as the disturber of the Church. Therefore, it must be concluded that someone else is being referred to, who either was with the Apostles, or came from Judea, or believed of the Pharisees, or is certainly highly esteemed among the Galatians, so that he bears judgment upon the disturbed Church, whoever he may be. But he was referring to judgment, that is, what he said in other words: Each person will bear their own burden. And I think in the Scriptures, burden can be understood in both a good and a bad sense, that is, both for those oppressed by grave sins, and for those who sustain the light burdens of virtues. Concerning sins, the penitent speaks in the psalm: My iniquities have risen above my head, like a heavy burden they weigh me down (Psalm 38:5). Concerning virtues and the doctrine of virtues, the Savior says: For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light (Matthew XI, 30). And that doctrine is also understood as a burden, is clear in the Gospel. For the Pharisees impose heavy burdens, which cannot be carried, and they place them on the shoulders of others, but they themselves are unwilling to touch them with one finger (Ibid., XXIII). How grave it is to disturb someone's tranquility and to agitate calm hearts with certain disturbances, the words of the Savior to the apostles testify, saying: Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid (John XIV). For it is expedient that he who disturbs and scandalizes someone in the Church should have a millstone hung around his neck and be thrown into the sea, rather than he should scandalize one of these little ones who are shown by the Savior (Luke 17). Therefore, the Galatians were troubled between the spirit and the letter, circumcision and incision, hidden and manifest Judaism, not knowing what to do. However, it can be understood more briefly as follows: Whoever is the one who leads you back to the doctrine of the Pharisees and desires to be circumcised in the flesh, though he may be eloquent and boast in the knowledge of the Law, I say nothing more except this (which you cannot deny) that he will be judged for this work and will receive reward for his labor.

(Verse 11.) But if I still preach circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case, the offense of the cross has been abolished (or, as it is better expressed in Greek, ceased). We read in the Acts of the Apostles, and the apostle Paul himself frequently mentions in his Epistles, that he endured frequent persecutions from the Jews because he taught that those who believed in Christ from the Gentiles should not be circumcised. Therefore, concerning those mentioned above, he says: Whoever disturbs you will bear judgment, whoever he may be, in order to deceive the Galatians. They also added this: Not only Peter, James, John, and the other apostles in Judea observe circumcision and other precepts of the Law, but even Paul himself, who taught you differently than the truth of the matter, circumcised Timothy and often became a Jew among the Jews, compelled by the truth. Wanting now to remove the opinion about the minds of the Galatians, Paul says: But I, brothers, if I preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? In saying this, all the hatred of the Jews is against me, and the madness with which they rage against me is for no other reason than that I teach that the Gentiles should not be circumcised and that they should not keep the burdens of the law, which are now superfluous and abolished. However, if I am persecuted, it is evident that I am not preaching circumcision, which I destroy. For I suffer not so much persecution from the Jews because I preach the crucified, and say that Jesus is the Christ, whom the Law and the Prophets foretold, as because I teach that the Law is complete. But that the cross is a stumbling-block to the Jews and folly to the Gentiles, our Lord Himself shows, Who is called a stone of offense and a rock of scandal; for no other reason, I think, than because when the preaching has advanced with full sails to the hearers, as soon as it comes to the cross, it strikes against it and can by no means proceed further in an unimpeded course. But this Cross, which is a scandal to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles, is to us who believe, power and wisdom. For Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:24), so that what was called foolishness by the world might become wiser than the wisdom of men in the sight of God. And what was considered weakness and a stumbling block, became stronger than the power of men in the sight of God. But even though, he says, the scandal of Christ's Cross remains, I will endure persecution, which I would not endure if the scandal did not remain. It is in vain, indeed, that some boast of preaching circumcision, which I endure persecution for opposing.

(Verse 12.) I wish that those who trouble you may be cut off. It is asked how Paul, his disciple, said: Bless those who curse you. And he himself speaking: Bless and do not curse (Rom. XII, 14). And in another place: Neither shall the revilers possess the kingdom of God (I Cor. XV): now if he has cursed them, who trouble the Galatian churches, and with a wishful prayer he has cursed: I wish that those who trouble you may be cut off. For the passion of castration is so detestable that both the one who inflicts it against someone's will is punished by the public laws, and the one who castrates himself is considered infamous. For as they say, this is true: Christ lives in me (II Cor. XIII, 3); and this: Do you seek a proof of Christ speaking in me? Surely the voice of curse cannot be understood of him who says: Learn from me, for I am humble, and meek, and gentle in heart (Matth. XI, 29). And it is believed to be more of a Jewish fury, and a certain unrestrained madness that could not be restrained, than to have imitated him who, like a lamb before his shearer, did not open his mouth, and did not curse those who cursed him (Isaiah 53). However, he delivered himself to death as one condemned. But to those who will defend Paul, they will say this: the words he spoke were not so much words of fury against his adversaries, but of love for the Churches of God. For he saw indeed the whole province, which he himself had led through his own blood and dangers from idolatry to the faith of Christ, suddenly troubled by a sudden persuasion and apostolic grief, and as a grieving father, he could not hold himself: he changed his voice and grew angry with those whom he had charmed, so that he might at least retain them by reproach whom he could not retain by kindness. And no wonder if the Apostle, as a man and still enclosed in a frail vessel, seeing another law captivating him in his body and leading him in the law of sin, spoke this once, in which we frequently see holy men falling. But this can also be said (although it may seem superfluous to some) that Paul did not so much curse them as he prayed for them, that they may lose those parts of their body through which they were compelled to sin. And as it is said in the Gospel: it is better for someone to enter the kingdom of heaven without an eye, without a hand, without a foot, or any other part of the body, than to go into hell completely (Matthew XV): so now he wishes for them to lose one part of their body rather than be perpetually damned by the fire within the entire body. We have shown how this argument can be answered when it is made by the pagans. Now let's bring it forth against the heretics, namely Marcion, and Valentinus, and all those who attack the Old Testament. We must show how those who criticize the Creator as bloodthirsty, a stern warrior, and a mere judge can reconcile this with the Apostle of the good God. And certainly, I think there is no sentence in the Old Law as cruel, as bloody, as the one that says, 'May those who disturb you be cut off.' They cannot say that the Apostle prayed for the enemies of Christ, who were disturbing his Churches. Nor can it be called an expression of love, because it is evident from the weight of the words themselves that it is full of arrogance and indignation. Therefore, whatever excuses they may bring forward on behalf of the Apostle, we will not defend this according to the Old Law.

(V. 13.) For you were called to freedom, brothers: only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh (understood); because that is not found in Greek, the Latin translator added it. This passage is very obscure, so it was decided to transfer it word for word from the tenth book of the Stromata. Not that each part cannot be explained in its own place and meaning; but in order to separate it from the previous matter and make it one difficult body: and if they are understood in a way that is consistent, they seem to contradict each other and be full of abruptness. Therefore, these are the words of Origen: 'The place is difficult: and so it seems to us it must be discussed. The book is one that follows a higher meaning and the truth, and it despises the preceding types and figures and the letter: therefore, one should not look down upon the minor matters and give an opportunity to those who cannot perceive things in a more sublime manner, to completely despair of themselves. For though they may be weak and be called carnal in comparison to the spirit, they are still of Christ's flesh.' For if you understand the mystery of charity serving the weaker ones, do something for the weak: lest your brother perish in his own knowledge, for whom Christ died. Therefore, pay careful attention to whether this sense is woven into the following. You, brothers, have been called to freedom: perhaps because not everyone was able to receive the call to freedom. For this reason, you now hear: Only do not use freedom as an opportunity for the flesh. For through love it is fitting to serve the lesser to the greater: because whoever wants to be greater, will be the servant of all (Matthew XX; Mark X). Therefore, let not the spiritual person wound the flesh of Christ, nor give them occasion to bite and devour each other. Therefore, the one who walks in the Spirit and follows the words of the Scriptures, should not fulfill the desires of their flesh. But if we understand simply what is said: Walk in the Spirit and you will not fulfill the desires of the flesh, as many believe, against the argument and hypothesis of the whole Epistle, Paul suddenly bursts forth into this: For if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. And since up until now some part of his discourse has cohered, if we once again follow a simple understanding, he suddenly transfers us to disorderly precepts, speaking about flesh and spirit, that is: The works of the flesh are obvious and those [works] too. And on the contrary: But the fruit of the Spirit is charity, and the rest. But neither should we despair of consistency in these [teachings]; for the history of divine books contains the works of the flesh, not very helpful to those who understand it in this way, as it is written. For who will not be taught to serve luxury, and to regard fornication as nothing: when he reads that Judah went to a prostitute (Gen. 28); and that the patriarchs had many wives together? How can he not be provoked to idolatry, who believes that the blood of bulls and the other Levitical sacrifices indicate no more than what is written? And that enmities, as Scripture openly declares, are taught, and from this passage it is proved: O daughter of Babylon, miserable, blessed is he who will repay you for what you have done to us. Blessed is he who holds and dashes your little ones against the rock (Ps. CXXXVI, 8, 9). And also: In the morning I would slay all the sinners of the earth (Ps. C, 8), and similar things to these: namely, about quarrels, envy, anger, fights, and dissensions. Indeed, historical examples more often provoke us rather than prevent us from such things (if we don't understand anything deeper). Many consider that heresies have arisen more from a carnal understanding of Scripture rather than from the work of our flesh. Moreover, we learn about envy and drunkenness through the letter of the Law. Noah becomes drunk after the flood, and the patriarchs feast with Joseph in Egypt (Gen. IX and XLIII). But even banquets are written about in the book of the Kings; David dances and plays the tambourines before the Ark of the Covenant of God (1 Kings VI), and similar things. It is asked how the simple divine discourse of Scripture, which is called flesh, incites us to witchcraft and dark arts, unless we transcend to the same spirit of Scripture. I think this means that Daniel, along with three boys, were found to be wiser than the magicians, enchanters, and astrologers of Babylon and the Chaldeans. Moses was also educated in all the wisdom and knowledge of the Egyptians. Therefore, it is the cause of many evils if someone remains in the flesh of Scripture. Those who do so will not inherit the kingdom of God. Let us therefore seek the spirit and fruits of Scripture, which are not said to be hidden. For indeed, with much labor and sweat, and with worthy devotion, the fruits of the spirit are found in the Scriptures. Where I think that Paul spoke carefully and cautiously about the senses of Scripture: But the works of the flesh are manifest (Galatians 5:19). But he did not put the spiritual ones there as he did the carnal ones; the fruit of the spirit is clear: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, and the rest (ibid., 22). Therefore, if we set aside the types and move on to the truth of Scripture and the spirit, immediately the first love is revealed to us, and as we progress to joy, we reach peace, through which we obtain patience. But who is not educated in compassion and goodness, when even those things which are considered sad by some, such as punishments, battles, the destruction of nations, and threats to the people through the prophets, are understood to be more remedies than punishments? For the Lord will not be angry forever. (Isaiah 57) Therefore, when these things have been made clear to us, we will have a more reasonable faith, and temperance will accompany corrected morals, followed by self-control and chastity: and after all these things, the Law will begin to be for us. So far to Origins. To which we can add, that we may say that those called from legal servitude to the liberty of the Gospel (of whom it is said above: Stand, and do not again be burdened with the yoke of servitude) are also now warned, that while embracing the light yoke of Christ and the pleasant precepts of the Gospel, they by no means think it is allowed for them to use this very liberty of living as an opportunity for the flesh: that is, to live according to the flesh, to be circumcised according to the flesh; but rather to walk according to the Spirit, to be circumcised in spirit, and, aiming at higher things of the Spirit, to abandon the humbleness of the letter. But it can also be understood in another way. Someone may ask: If I have ceased to be under the Law, and have been called to freedom from slavery, then I ought to live in a manner that is fitting for freedom, not being bound by any commandments, but rather doing whatever pleases and is suggested by one's own will, following it. To this, the Apostle responded: indeed we have been called to freedom in the Spirit, but in such a way that this freedom does not serve the flesh. Let us not think that everything is allowed to us, everything is expedient for us: on the contrary, let us serve one another through love, now that we have become free, having ceased to be servants of the Law, so that the multifarious precepts of the Law may be summed up in one chapter of love.

(Verse 14) But serve one another through love; for the whole law is fulfilled in one statement: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' When he was free from all, he made himself a servant of all for the sake of love, so that he might gain more (I Cor. XIII). He rightly exhorts others to serve him through love, which does not seek its own, but that of the neighbor. For whoever wants to be first, shall be the servant of all (Mark, X, 44): just as the Savior, being in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking on the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of a human. He humbled himself, becoming obedient unto death, even death on a cross (Philippians II): so likewise, whatever we appeared to do under the necessity of the Law, let us now know that it should be done more through love, for us who are free. But love is the only good, so that all the law is summed up in it. The Apostle also enumerates the goods of charity in another place, saying: Love is not jealous, does not act improperly (I Cor. XIII, 7, 8). After listing many other qualities, he concludes: Love hopes for all things, endures all things, love never fails. And the Savior in the Gospel, as a sign of his disciples, says that they should love their neighbors (Matthew XX). I think that this is not only suitable for humans but also for angels. In other words, the same thing is said: What you do not want to be done to you, do not do to others, and what you want others to do to you, do the same to them. (Ibid., VII, 12). I do not want my wife to be adulterated, I do not want my property to be plundered, I do not want to be falsely oppressed by testimony, and to summarize everything in a brief statement, I do not deserve to have anything unjust done to me. If I do these same things through charity working in me, either for another or willingly, the whole law is fulfilled. And it is not difficult to teach how all the precepts, 'You shall not kill,' 'You shall not commit adultery,' 'You shall not steal,' 'You shall not bear false witness,' and the like, are held together by the observance of charity. It is difficult, however, to show how the sacrifices also, which are commanded in Leviticus, and the distinction between clean and unclean foods, as well as the cycle of annual solemnities, are recapitulated in one precept of charity. Unless someone moved to that place, to assert that the Law is spiritual, and that we serve the heavenly things with images and examples, before the true Pontiff arrives: who, having once offered himself as a victim, redeemed us with his own blood, all of that variety and difficulty of the ancient Law is completed in his love for mankind. Indeed, the Father loved the world so much that he gave his beloved and only Son for us. But he who once lived by the Spirit, mortified the works of the flesh, and was chosen by the Savior, is no longer called a servant, but a friend. And he is no longer under the Law, which was established for the impious, the sinners, the rebellious, and the wicked. But now, when we do all things that are more difficult or even a little bit, we only do not do this, which is easier to do and without which everything we do is in vain. The body feels the injury of fasting, the flesh is weakened by abstinence, alms are sought through effort, and blood is shed in martyrdom, although the faith burns, it is not poured out without pain and fear. All these things are what people do: love alone without work is possible. And because only a pure heart makes the world, it is conquered in us by the devil, so that we do not see God with a pure mind. For when I am sitting and speaking against my brother, and I put a stumbling block in front of the son of my mother (Ps. XLIX, 20), when I am tormented by someone else's happiness, and I make another's good my own evil, is not this what follows fulfilled in me: If you bite and devour each other, watch out that you do not consume each other? Charity is a rare possession. Who wants to be cursed by Christ himself for his brothers, following the apostle? Who mourns with mourners, rejoices with those who rejoice, and is wounded by another's wound? Who is destroyed by his brother's death? We are all more lovers of ourselves than lovers of God. See how great the good of charity is. If we have done martyrdom in such a way that we desire our remains to be honored by men: if we, following the opinion of the crowd, have shed our blood fearlessly, and have given our substance all the way to our own poverty, to this work not so much a reward as a punishment is owed: and the torments of betrayal are more so than the crown of victory.

(Verse 16) But I say: Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. And this is to be understood in two ways according to what was said before: first, that those who have mortified the works of the flesh by the spirit, have sown in the spirit, so that they may reap eternal life from the spirit, whenever they feel the pleasures of the flesh tempting them, not to fulfill their desires (which, if fulfilled, seems pleasing for a time), but to restrain them by the spirit; and second, according to the opinion of the Historian (Sallust): to live more by the control of the mind and the service of the body. And moreover, the reason is that the Law is spiritual (Rom. VII), not for those who are Jews in a visible sense, but for those who are Jews in a hidden sense, and circumcision of the heart is in the spirit, not in the letter, and we say that they walk in the spirit and do not fulfill the desire of the flesh, those who spiritually leave Egypt and drink the spiritual food and drink from the spiritual rock, who are not judged in eating or drinking or in a part of a festive day, or of a new moon, or of the Sabbath, but walk in all things spiritually, not fulfilling the desires of the carnal law, or the desires of the letter, but reaping the fruits of spiritual intelligence. A third interpretation has also been given in this place by some, but it does not differ much from the second interpretation. They assert that the desire of the flesh is present in those who are young in Christ, while the journey of the spirit is for mature men, and it signifies the seriousness of the spirit, that is, walking on the way as perfect men, and not fulfilling the desires of the young.

(Verse 17.) For the flesh desires against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh. These indeed are opposed to one another, so that you may not do the things that you wish. The flesh takes pleasure in present and short-lived things, while the spirit is concerned with eternal and future things. In the midst of this conflict, the soul stands, having in its power both good and evil, to will and not to will, but not having the very will and not will itself as perpetual: because it is possible that, when it has consented to the flesh and has done its works, it may, by repentance, unite itself to the spirit and perform its works. This is therefore what he says: These things oppose each other, that is, flesh and spirit, so that you do not do whatever you want. Not because we have our own judgment, by which we agree either with the flesh or with the spirit, but because what we do is not properly ours, but the work itself is attributed to either the flesh or the spirit. It is a great labor and dispute to find some middle ground, having shown the works of the flesh and the spirit, which seem to pertain to neither the flesh nor the spirit. We are called carnal when we give ourselves entirely to pleasure. We are called spiritual when we follow the Holy Spirit, that is, when we are instructed and taught by Him. I consider philosophers to be animalistic, as they believe that their own thoughts are wisdom, about which it is rightly said: But the natural man does not receive what belongs to the Spirit. For it is foolishness to him. To make this clearer, let us consider some examples: Flesh, earth, soul, gold, spirit, fire. As long as gold is in the earth, it loses its name, and is called by the earth with which it is mixed. But when separated from the soil, it takes on both the appearance and the name of gold, yet it is not yet proven. However, if it is heated by fire and purified, then it receives the splendor of gold and the dignity of its adornment. In the same way, the soul, existing between earth and fire, that is, between flesh and spirit, when it surrenders to the flesh, is called flesh; when it belongs to the spirit, it is called spirit. But if he believes in his own thought and thinks that he can find truth without the grace of the Holy Spirit, he is marked as a base metal, by the animal nature of man. This place can be better explained as a single series and body, connecting and not disagreeing with itself. Brothers, you have been called from the servitude of the Law to the freedom of the Gospel. But I beg you, do not abuse your freedom as a license, and do not think that everything that is allowed is beneficial to you, and do not provide opportunity for the flesh and for indulgence. Rather, learn that this liberty is greater than servitude, so that what before the Law forced from the unwilling, now you may serve one another through charity. For indeed, all that burden of the Law and its many precepts have not been so much abolished by the grace of the Gospel as they have been condensed into one short command of charity, that we may love our neighbor as ourselves. For whoever loves their neighbor fulfills the whole law (Matthew 22), giving them good and not causing harm. But if love ceases, and there is no charity, through which the whole law is fulfilled, there will be a kind of public robbery among men, as they rage against each other, devouring and devouring themselves. But you, brothers, according to the spiritual law, must live, so that you do not fulfill the desires of the flesh. For the flesh fears cold, rejects hunger, weakens through sleeplessness, flames with lust, and desires soft and pleasant things. On the other hand, the spirit desires the things that are contrary to the flesh and that can weaken it. And so it happens that, not because you have ceased to be under the slavery of the Law, you think you are free: but know rather that you are retained by the law of nature, because even if the law does not command, and nature has ceased, your will, namely your actions, are not immediately followed, but you are often compelled to do them, the flesh resisting against the spirit, which you do not want to do. From which, brothers, I beseech you, not to give your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but rather to serve the Spirit, so that you may begin to do those things which you desire, and owe nothing to the law, that is, not to be under the flesh. For you will be able to truly have the freedom of the law abolished in the Gospel, when the flesh no longer compels you to do what you do not desire, but serving the Spirit, you have taught yourselves not to be under the Law. And because we have begun to explain this passage with a twofold understanding above, what we have omitted must be addressed. The flesh desires against the spirit, that is, a carnal understanding of the stories and scriptures, which resists allegory and spiritual teaching. But the spirit desires against the flesh, that is, it opposes higher things to lower things, the eternal to the fleeting, and truth to shadows. And the carnal understanding of scripture, which cannot be fulfilled (for we are not able to do everything that is written), shows us that we are not in control of fulfilling the law, even if we want to follow the letter, impossibility does not permit it.

(Ver. 18.) But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. The spirit referred to here is not the one about which the Apostle speaks elsewhere: The Spirit itself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God (Rom. VIII, 16), that is, it does not signify the spirit of man that is in him, but the Holy Spirit. By following Him, we become spiritual, and we cease to be under the Law. It should be noted that this spirit is not referred to with an article or any addition, as we read in other cases, the spirit of gentleness and the spirit of faith, but it is simply called the Spirit: this distinction seems to have some significance, which is more observed in Greek than in our language (since we don't have articles at all). It is asked in this place whether whoever is led by the Spirit is not under the Law, whether Moses and the prophets, being inspired by the Spirit, lived under the Law, which the Apostle denies, or whether, having the Spirit, they were not under the Law, which the Apostle affirms here, or whether, while living under the Law, they did not have the Spirit, which it is wicked to believe about such men. To this we will respond briefly: It is not the same thing to be under the Law and to be as if under the Law, just as it is not the same in the likeness of sinful flesh and in being sinful flesh. And the true serpent does not sound the same. And the likeness of the brazen serpent, which Moses hung up in the desert (Num. XXI). Therefore, the holy prophets and Moses, walking in the Spirit and living in the Spirit, did not live under the Law, but as if under the Law, so that they seemed to be under the Law; but they profited those who were under the Law and provoked them from the humility of the letter to the height of the spirit. For even Paul, who became a Jew to the Jews and all things to all people, that he might gain all (I Cor. IX): he did not say he became under the Law, but became as if under the Law, to show that he kept not the truth of the Law, but the likeness. It seems to us that we have solved the proposed question. But what shall we do with that passage of Paul, which says: 'When the fullness of time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, in order to redeem those who were under the Law' (Galatians 4:4-5)? For if Christ was under the Law, and not merely as under the Law, the whole preceding argument will be in vain. But this objection will be solved in its proper place. For the very reason why he was made under the Law, in order to redeem those who were under the Law, was surely that, while being free from the Law, he submitted to it willingly; and much freer was Paul, who testified that he was not under the Law, but as if under the Law. And in order to descend into the filth and abyss of death for us, who were praying and saying: Who will deliver me from this body of death? (Rom. VII, 14). In this way, He also willed to be born of a woman and to be under the Law, in order to save those who were born of a woman and under the Law. And surely He was not born of a woman, that is, of a married woman, but of a virgin. However, she was incorrectly called a virgin woman, because those who did not know her to be a virgin. And so, because of those who thought that the holy Mary had a husband, the woman is considered to be a virgin; thus, because of those who believed that Christ was under the Law, not knowing that he had become like those who were under the Law, he himself is said to have become under the Law.

(Verses 19-21.) The works of the flesh are evident, which are: fornication, impurity, debauchery, idolatry, witchcraft, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, anger, selfish ambition, dissension, factions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. Now when we explained about the flesh and the spirit earlier, we said there are three possible interpretations: that there are those who are carnal, who are like infants and unable to receive solid food in Christ and the nourishment of mature age; or that there are those who are carnal, who follow only the Jewish way and the literal interpretation of the history; or that, according to the simple sense, flesh and spirit coexist in the makeup of a person, and, according to the difference in substance, they are either the works of the flesh or of the spirit. Now therefore, the works of the flesh which are mentioned here, namely fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, and other things which follow, seem to me to pertain more to the simple understanding of the flesh and spirit than to the flesh of the Law, and to be referred to little ones in Christ, although it is expressed in that place where we translated the word from the tenth of Origen's Stromate word for word, what can also be thought about them. But what he says: But the works of the flesh are evident, or shows that they are known to everyone: because they are inherently known to be evil and to be avoided, to the extent that even those who do them, desire to hide what they do. Certainly, these things are clear only to those who believe in Christ. For many of the pagans boast in their own shame and believe that if they have fulfilled their pleasure, they have achieved some kind of victory over vices. But it is also elegantly stated that He accomplished works in the flesh and fruits in the spirit: for vices end and perish within themselves, while virtues sprout and abound in abundance. And let us not think that the soul has no function if vices are attributed to the flesh and virtues to the spirit. Because the soul (as we have said above) is placed in a certain middle part and is joined to the flesh, and it is said about it: My spirit will not remain in these men, because they are flesh (Gen. VI, 3); or it is united to the spirit and passes into the name of spirit. For he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit (I Cor. VI, 17). Therefore, the first work of the flesh is fornication. He clearly stated this in the beginning, so that we do not have doubt about the middle parts. For whatever a man does, is outside the body; but he who commits fornication, sins in his own body. And we are not our own: for we are bought with a price, let us glorify and bear God in our body. In this is a fornicator of greater crime: because he takes away the members of Christ and makes them the members of a harlot. For there shall be two in one flesh. He who is not faithful, nor believes in Christ, makes his members the members of a harlot; he who believes and commits fornication, makes his members the members of a harlot. On the contrary, an unbeliever in fornication either does violence to himself or builds a temple to an idol, I do not know. For indeed, through vices or even the greatest demons are cultivated. This one thing I know: that whoever commits fornication after the faith of Christ violates the temple of God. According to the works of the flesh, it is called uncleanness, and it is followed by lust. For as in the old Law concerning unspeakable crimes that are done in secret, and it is most disgraceful to even mention them (lest both the mouth of the speaker and the ears of the hearers be defiled), the Scripture has generally included them, saying: 'Make the children of Israel be reverent and worthy of respect, free from all uncleanness' (Lev. XV, 31). So in this place, it has named the other extraordinary pleasures, as well as the very works of marriage, if they are not done reverently and with modesty, as if under the eyes of God, so that only to their own children will they serve, uncleanness and lust. Fourth, in the catalog of the works of the flesh, idolatry holds a place. For whoever once allows themselves to indulge in luxury and pleasure does not look towards the Creator. Moreover, all idolatry, revelry, gluttony, catering to the desires of the belly, and those things that lie beneath the belly, are enjoyed. And lest it should happen that sorcery and the practices of evil were not seen as prohibited in the new Testament, they are also mentioned among the works of the flesh. For often it happens that both loving and being loved occurs through the use of magical arts. Enmity, which arises after the infliction of harm, declares who is guilty, as a clear evidence of the crime. For as much as it lies within us, we ought to have no enemies, but rather be at peace with all. However, if by speaking the truth, we earn enemies, it is not so much that we are their enemies, as they are enemies of the truth. For what is said in Genesis to Abraham, 'I will be an enemy to your enemies and I will oppose those who oppose you', should be understood as not so much Abraham being their enemy, but rather they being enemies of Abraham's virtues and religion, through which he worshipped and revered God after trampling upon the idols and having come to know God. Moreover, what is commanded to the people of Israel, that they be enemies with Madian forever, and perpetuate the discord to future generations (Num. XXXI), it is said as if to those who were under the control of a tutor and deserved to be punished in another way: 'You shall have hatred for your enemy' (Matth. V, 43). Or certainly not so much of persons as of manners, there has been a disagreement made: just as God wisely placed enmity between the serpent and the woman, so that their friendship would be useless to man, through which he was cast out of paradise, in the same way in the lives of the Israelites and the Madianites, there is more dissimilarity than that they are two condemned nations. In the seventh place among the works of the flesh, contention holds a certain quasi-sacred and prominent position among the number of vices. However, it is not fitting for the servant of the Lord to engage in quarrels, but rather to be gentle towards all, a teacher, patient, instructing with gentleness even those who argue against him (2 Timothy 2:24-25). After contention, the eighth place is filled by emulation, which is more significantly and notably referred to by the Greek word ζῆλος. Indeed, I do not know who among us lacks that particular evil. For they were jealous, even Joseph's brothers: and Mary, Aaron the prophet of God and priest, were deceived by such a passion against Moses (Gen. XXXVII, Num. XII): to the extent that the one of whom the Scripture narrated, saying: But Miriam the prophetess took a timbrel (Exod. XV. 20), etc., afterwards having been cast out of the camp, she became defiled with the stain of leprosy, and marked out a longer repentance by a seven-day separation (Num. XII). Then anger follows, which does not accomplish the justice of God (James 1), and it is a kind of madness. Between irritability and anger, there is this difference: that the irritable person is always angry, while the angry person is only temporarily provoked. And I do not know who can possess the kingdom of God: for the one who is angry is separated from the kingdom (Matthew 5). Moreover, the quarrels, which the Greeks signify as something different, they call ἐριθείας (since rixa is called μάχη) are prohibited from the kingdom of God. But contention is when someone is always ready to contradict, delights in the anger of others, and engages in quarrels like a woman, provoking the one who disagrees. This is called 'φιλονεικία' among the Greeks. There are also divisions of the flesh: when someone, with the same feeling and opinion, says 'I am of Paul,' 'and I of Apollos,' 'and I of Cephas,' 'and I of Christ' (1 Corinthians 1:12). And this same dissension is found within households: between husband and wife, father and son, brother and brother, master and servant, soldier and comrade, craftsman and fellow craftsman. Sometimes it happens that even in the explanations of Scriptures there arises dissension, from which heresies also, which are now put forth in the work of the flesh, bubble up. For if the wisdom of the flesh is hostile to God (Rom. VIII) (but all doctrines of falsehood that are contrary to God are hostile), consequently, heresies are also hostile to God and are attributed to the works of the flesh. Αἵρεσις, however, means choice in Greek: namely, each person chooses for themselves the discipline that they believe is better. Therefore, whoever understands Scripture in a way contrary to the meaning demanded by the Holy Spirit by whom it was written, even though they may not have departed from the Church, they can be called a heretic and they are focused on the works of the flesh, choosing what worsens. Envy follows heresies, which we cannot think is the same as zeal. Because zeal can be understood in a good sense, when someone strives to imitate those things that are better. Envy, however, is tormented by the happiness of others, and it is divided into two passions: either when someone sees himself as something in which he does not want another to be, or when he sees another as better and is upset that he is not like that person. A certain person, skillfully translating a Greek verse, composed an elegiac meter about envy, saying:

There is nothing more unjust than envy: it immediately gnaws at the author himself and torments his soul. Blessed Cyprian wrote a very excellent book on Zeal and Envy: whoever reads it will not hesitate to include envy among the works of the flesh. However, there is a difference between an envious person and a person who is envied: the envious person envies someone who is more fortunate. The envied person, on the other hand, is the one who suffers envy from someone else. Intoxication holds the fourteenth place among the works of the flesh. Indeed, the drunken will not inherit the kingdom of God. And the Lord said to the disciples: Take heed, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life (Luke 21:34). Wine confuses a man's senses: his feet stumble, his mind wavers, his desire is kindled. Hence the Apostle cries out: And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery (Ephesians 5:18). Everyone has the power to decide for themselves. I follow the Apostle: in wine there is debauchery, in wine there is drunkenness. But drunkenness and excess are counted among the works of the flesh, and he cannot deny it who is overcome by these passions. And though some may criticize me in that book, which I wrote about the preservation of virginity, for saying that young women should avoid wine as if it were poison, I do not regret my opinion. For in that work, wine is more of a curse than a creation of God for us, and we allowed the virgin, who was fervent with the heat of her own youth, the indulgence of drinking a little more so that she would not drink too little and suffer harm. Moreover, we knew that wine is consecrated into the blood of Christ, and it was commanded to Timothy to drink wine. However, drunkenness can occur from both wine and other types of alcoholic beverages that are made in different ways; from which it is also said about the holy ones: He shall not drink wine or strong drink (Luke 1:15). Strong drink is interpreted as drunkenness. And so that no one, not drinking wine, would think that he should drink something else, the cause is excluded; since everything that can cause intoxication is equally removed with wine. The fifteenth, which is also the last, of the works of the flesh, is revelry. For the people ate and drank, and they rose up to play (Exod. XXXII, 6). Drunkenness is always accompanied by debauchery. Indeed, a certain noble and eloquent orator, when describing a person awakened from sleep while intoxicated, said: “Neither awakened could he sleep, nor intoxicated could he stay awake.” With this sentiment, he expressed that in a way, the person was neither alive nor dead. It would be lengthy to repeat all the works of the flesh and to make a list of vices. Therefore, he concluded everything in his speech, saying these and similar things. Oh, if only we could avoid these things as easily as we understand them. I foretell to you, as I have foretold before: those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. Where he had previously said: Sin shall not reign, he said, in your mortal body, to obey its desires (Rom. VI, 12). All these things have sin, in which we have perhaps lingered too much in distinguishing them. Therefore, in the soul in which sin reigns, the kingdom of God cannot reign. For what participation is there between righteousness and iniquity? What communication is there between light and darkness? What agreement is there between Christ and Belial (II Cor. VI, 14, 15)? And we think that we will attain the kingdom of God if we are free from fornication, idolatry, and sorceries. Behold, enmities, strife, anger, quarrels, dissensions, drunkenness, and other things that we consider small, they exclude us from the kingdom of God. It does not matter whether one person or many are excluded from happiness, since they are all similarly excluded. In Latin codices, adultery, impurity, and murder are also written in this catalogue of vices. But it should be known that no more than fifteen acts of the flesh are named, about which we have already discussed.