CHAPTER 4 SYNOPSIS OF THE CHAPTER i. He continues the argument of the preceding chapter that the Jews, like children and slaves, were under the Jewish law as a pædagague, while Christians, as sons of full age, were led, not by the law, but by the Spirit of adoption, whereby they cry, "Abba, Father... [ Continue Reading ]
_Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years_. As S. Augustine (_Ep_. 119 and _Enchirid._ 79) and Anselm understand the elements to be the sun, moon, and idols, so do they understand this verse to mean days that were lucky or unlucky, according as astrology made them so. But Chrysostom and Jer... [ Continue Reading ]
_Through infirmity of the flesh I preached the Gospel unto you_. S. Jerome explains this to mean that he gave them the first and weak elements only of the faith, because of their weakness with regard to spiritual things. He also gives as a second interpretation of _infirmity of the flesh_, Paul's si... [ Continue Reading ]
_Your blessedness._ You beatified me for my sufferings for the faith, and as it were said to yourselves: Happy are we in having such an Apostle! "Happy they who have the privilege of hearing and seeing Paul!" S. Augustine is said to have wished to see three things Christ on earth in the flesh, Rome... [ Continue Reading ]
_But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing._ It is good to imitate others, but only in what is good. [The Vulgate reading is in the imperative: _Be zealously affected always to the good in what is good_.] Observe that the first _good_ can be taken in the neuter, for what is goo... [ Continue Reading ]
_My little children._ I begat you to Christ by the Gospel, and now that you have left Him for Judaism, I travail in birth of you again, till you learn to look to Christ for grace and justification, and not to the law. " _The Apostle here_," says Chrysostom, " _Speaks of a mother's anxiety over her c... [ Continue Reading ]
_He who was of the bondwoman._ Ishmael was born according to the laws of natural generation, by which Abraham, though an old man, was able to raise up seed from his youthful bondwoman, Hagar. _He of the freewoman was by promise._ Isaac was not born according to the usual laws of generation, for Sar... [ Continue Reading ]
_But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all._ The Christian Church, typified by Sarah, the mistress, is contrasted with the Jewish synagogue, typified by Hagar, the bondwoman, in four points: It is above; it is Jerusalem; it is free; it is a fruitful mother. 1. Why is it sai... [ Continue Reading ]
_Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise._ Since he was born of one barren through age not according to the flesh, but according to the promise of God. VER. 29. _He that was born after the flesh._ Ishmael, born naturally of Hagar, persecuted Isaac, born supernaturally of Sarah, a... [ Continue Reading ]
_Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son._ Although Abraham shrank from this proposal of Sarah, yet God approved it, and bade Abraham do as Sarah demanded, not only because her demand was lawful and right, but also because his action would be a type of future events... [ Continue Reading ]