Galatians 2:20Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Again he says, "our old man was crucified" (Rom 6:6), which took place in the font of baptism. After this, if you remain dead to sin, you will live to God. But if you rise again for sin, you will lose this life.

Paul, however, is not such. Throughout his whole life he remained dead to sin. "Therefore, if I live for God by a life different from the one by which I lived in the law, and have become dead to the law, then I can no longer perform anything from the law.

"See how correct his life is, and marvel especially at this blessed soul. He did not say, 'I am alive,' but, 'Christ lives in me.' Who will dare dispute the truth of these words?

"Indeed, since he showed perfect obedience to Christ, renounced everything temporal, and did everything according to His will, he did not say, 'I live for Christ.' He said what is far greater: 'Christ lives in me.'

"Just as sin, when it has taken possession of a man, itself lives in him and directs his soul according to its desire, so also, when sin has been put to death and a man does what is pleasing to Christ, such a life is no longer the life of a man.

"It is the life of Christ living in us, that is, acting and governing."

And since he had said, "I have been crucified," and, "it is no longer I who live, but I have died," and since this seemed incredible to many, he added: "And the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God."

"What I have said," he says, "concerns spiritual life. But if someone wishes to know about my present bodily life, this too became possible for me only through faith in Christ.

"As for my former manner of life and the law, I was worthy of the greatest punishment. I should long ago have perished, because all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23).

"Christ redeemed us when we had already been condemned to death. He redeemed us when we were already awaiting the swift execution of this sentence, and when we were all already dead, if not in actuality, then by the death sentence pronounced against us.

"After the law had condemned us and God had sentenced us to death, Christ came and gave Himself over to death. He freed us all from death. Therefore, the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith.

"If this had not happened, nothing could have prevented the destruction of all, as happened at the time of the flood. Only the coming of Christ, by turning away the wrath of God, gave us the possibility of living by faith."

That he truly says this, hear what follows. After saying, "And the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith," he added: "in the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me."

What are you doing, Paul, appropriating to yourself what is common to all, and referring exclusively to yourself what was done for the whole world? Indeed, he did not say, "Who loved us," but, "Who loved me."

Yet the Evangelist says, "God so loved the world" (Jn 3:16). You yourself also say elsewhere, "He Who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up," not for you, but "for all" (Rom 8:32). And again: "that He might acquire for Himself a special people" (Tit 2:14).

What then does what he says here mean? He considered the whole hopelessness of human nature and the ineffable care of Christ. He considered from what He delivered us and what He granted us. Then, seized by a flame of love for Him, he speaks in this way.

So also the prophets often call the God common to all their own, saying, "O God, You are my God; early will I seek You" (Ps 62:2). Besides this, he wished to show that each of us owes Christ the same rightful gratitude as he would owe if He had come for him alone.

For He would not have refused to take such mediation upon Himself even for one alone, because He loves each man individually as much as the whole world. Moreover, although the sacrifice was offered for the whole nature and was sufficient for the salvation of all, only those who believed made use of its benefit.

The fact that not all turned to Christ could in no way have restrained Him from such mediation. In the same way, the banquet mentioned in the Gospel was prepared for all. When those invited did not wish to come, He still did not cancel it, but called others (Lk 14:16).

He acted in the same way here. The sheep that had strayed from the ninety-nine was one, yet He did not despise even it (Mt 18:12).

Paul gives the same thing to understand when, speaking about the Jews, he says: "What then? If some were unfaithful, will their unfaithfulness make void the faithfulness of God? Certainly not. Let God be true, though every man be false" (Rom 3:3-4).

"Therefore, after He loved you so much that He gave Himself, and when you no longer had hope of salvation brought you to such a great and exalted life, do you, having received such blessings, still turn back again to the Old Testament?"

Thus, having carefully examined what required examination, he concludes his discourse with an exclamation, saying:

Yet you will also find in me the sensible life, which exists from Christ. For the Law, when violated, subjected all to sin and punishment.

Nothing prevented all, as in the days of the flood, from perishing as transgressors. But Christ, appearing, delivered us from condemnation, justifying us by His death.

Therefore even this very sensible and fleshly life we have through faith in Christ, the faith that justifies us and delivers us from condemnation.

"Who loved me and gave Himself for me." Although He gave Himself for all and loved all, Paul reflected on what Christ freed us from and what He granted.

Burning with love, he ascribes the common gift to himself, just as the Prophets say, "God, my God." At the same time he shows that each person should render such gratitude to Christ as though He had died for him alone.

But only those who believed in Him made use of these benefits. Therefore one who clings to the Law shows that Christ did not die for him.

How, then, do you not fear this, but return again to the Law, making the Lord's death useless for you? Note the expression "gave Himself," against the Arians.

The one who rejects himself is the one who yesterday was dissolute and today has become continent. Such was Paul, who denied himself according to the saying, "It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me."

He chooses the cross, having died and crucified himself to the world.

But Christ lives in him: wisdom, power, word, peace, joy, and the other virtues. If anyone does not have these, he cannot say, "Christ lives in me."

All this the Apostle Paul says in his own person against Peter, concerning Peter.

"And the life which I now live in the flesh." It is one thing to be in the flesh, and another to live in the flesh.

Indeed, those who exist in the flesh cannot please God (Rom 8:8). Therefore it is said to those who live well, "But you do not exist in the flesh" (Rom 8:9).

"I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." To the Romans it is said of God that He did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us.

Here it is said of Christ that He gave Himself up: "who loved me," he says, "and gave Himself for me."

In the Gospel, where the Apostles are listed, it is added, "Judas Iscariot," or Scariot, "who also betrayed Him" (Lk 6:16). Again concerning him it says, "Behold, the one who betrays Me has drawn near" (Mt 26:46).

Concerning the chief priests and elders of the people, Scripture mentions that they condemned Jesus to death, bound Him, led Him away, and delivered Him to Pilate the governor, praesidi (Mt 27; Mk 15).

And again concerning Pilate it is said, "He released Barabbas to them, but Jesus, after scourging Him, he delivered to them to be crucified" (Jn 19).

Thus both the Father gave up the Son, and the Son gave Himself up. Judas and the priests delivered Him to the chief priests, and finally Pilate himself delivered Him, after He had been given into his hands.

But the Father gave Him up in order to save the lost world. Jesus gave Himself up in order to fulfill the Father's will and His own.

Judas, the priests, the elders of the people, and Pilate, in ignorance, gave Life over to death. Yet although Life gave Himself for our salvation, blessed and very happy is the man in whom Christ lives.

Such a man can say in every thought and action, "I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."

"And the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God." As long as I live in the body, and as long as I live this mortal life, I always behold immortal life.

I am directed toward it by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself over to death for my salvation. "Who loved me and gave Himself for me."

Notice how by this word he appropriates to himself what is common, teaching that every person owes such thanksgiving to Jesus Christ as he would offer if Christ loved only him and gave Himself to death only for his salvation.

Rather, He is in me in very deed and essentially. I was joined to Him, and He to me. I was grafted onto Him like a wild olive, and He filled me with His life. He acts in all things within me, directing everything to the glory of God and to the salvation of myself and others.

From Him comes the impulse, and from Him also the strength. This does not happen so that the person disappears. Rather, the soul consciously and freely gives itself over to the all-working activity of Christ.

He acts in all things in the soul, according to the soul’s desire, seeking, and loving reception of His all-working activity. Thus in practice it appears as though the soul itself acts. For "he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with the Lord" (cf. 1 Cor 6:17).

By faith Christ dwells in hearts (see Eph 3:17), and what He promised is fulfilled: "You are in Me, and I in you" (see Jn 15:4). Hence whatever a believer does that is truly precious in the eyes of God, he does not do without Him (see Jn 15:5). Without Him no one can do such deeds.

Oecumenius writes: "Therefore Christ lives in me, because nothing takes place in me that is displeasing to Him. Or thus: He lives in me by acting, ruling, and being all things for me."

St. Chrysostom depicts both sides of this mystery of life in Christ more fully: "Having said, 'I live no longer,' he pointed to the manner of life after baptism, by which the members are put to death.

"What does 'Christ lives in me' mean? It means, he says, that I do nothing that is displeasing to Christ. As by life he does not mean common life, but sinful life, so by death he means liberation from sins.

"For it is impossible to live for God except by dying to sin. Thus, as Christ died bodily, so I died to sin. 'Put to death, therefore,' he says, 'your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion' (cf. Col 3:5).

"Likewise: 'Our old man was crucified with Him' (Rom 6:6), that is, in the font of baptism. Now, if you remain dead to sin, you will be alive and live to God. But if you rise again for sin, you will lose this life.

"Paul, however, was not such. Throughout his whole life he remained dead to sin. See how strict and pure his life is, and above all others marvel at this blessed soul. He did not say, 'I live,' but 'Christ lives in me.'

"Who will dare dispute the truth of what was said? Although he gave himself wholly to Christ, renounced everything temporal, and did everything according to His will, nevertheless he did not say, 'Therefore I live for Christ.' He said what is far greater: 'Christ lives in me.'

"For when sin gains mastery over a man, it already lives in him and governs his soul according to its own will. So also, when sin has been put to death and a man does what is pleasing to Christ, such a life is no longer the life of a man.

"It is the life of Christ living in him, that is, acting in him and governing him."

"And the life which I now live in the flesh." This is a conclusion from what precedes. To live according to the flesh means to live carnally, sensually, in desires. To live in the flesh means to live in the body, visibly before all, in this life.

The Apostle directs the attention of those listening to him to how he conducted himself visibly before all. He speaks as if saying: if I conduct myself visibly in such and such a way, free from all obligations of the law, this is because I live by faith in the Son of God.

I offer no sacrifices. I accept no washings. I observe neither Sabbaths nor feasts. I count circumcision itself as nothing. If I now visibly live this way, it is because I rely on nothing other than Him.

On Him I have placed all hope of salvation, in unshakable certainty that He will forgive my sins, correct my life, and lead me into His eternal Kingdom. By this faith I live. It constitutes the whole order of my inner life.

The legal sacrifices and all the prescriptions of the law had value because they prefigured Christ, the Son of God. Now that the Son of God has come and given Himself for us, all Old Testament rites have lost their meaning.

We must abandon the law and cleave to Christ by faith, and this is what I do. I have counted all things as refuse, that I may gain Christ, and I live by faith in Him alone.

The Son of God, Who loved us, came to earth and gave Himself for us. He became our Mediator, the Propitiator of divine righteousness, and the Giver of the grace of God, which grants us new life. I accept this and make it my own by faith, and I wish to know nothing else.

This is why I live as you see me living, in complete detachment from the law. Here, according to St. Chrysostom, there is a strong rebuke to those to whom Paul’s speech was addressed.

He seems to say to each of them: "Christ loved you so much that He gave Himself. When you had no hope of salvation, He brought you to such a great and exalted life. Yet you, having received such blessings, turn back again to the old."

St. Chrysostom also gives special attention to why St. Paul applies to himself alone the salvation accomplished by the Lord for all.

"What are you doing, Paul? Why do you appropriate to yourself what is common to all? Why do you refer to yourself alone what was done for all men? You did not say, 'Who loved us,' but, 'Who loved me.' Yet the Evangelist says, 'God so loved the world' (cf. Jn 3:16).

"And you yourself say elsewhere, 'He Who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up,' not for you, but 'for us all' (cf. Rom 8:32). Why then does he speak so here?

"He considered the whole hopelessness of human nature and the ineffable care of Jesus Christ for us. He considered from what He delivered us and what He granted us. Having considered all this, he was wholly seized by the flame of love for Him. Therefore he speaks so.

"For the Prophets too often call the God common to all their own, saying, 'O God, my God, early will I seek You' (cf. Ps 62:2). Moreover, by this he showed that each of us owes Christ the same rightful gratitude as he would owe if Christ had come for him alone.

"For He would not have refused to take upon Himself such mediation even for one alone, because He loves each man individually as much as the whole world. Furthermore, although the sacrifice was offered for all and was sufficient for the salvation of all, only those who believed made use of its benefit."