Galatians 5:8Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

"He who called you did not call you so that you should waver in this way. He did not give you a commandment to live as Jews." Then, lest someone say, "Why do you magnify the matter so much and present it as so dreadful? We have kept only one commandment of the law, and you make such an outcry," hear how he frightens them, not by their present act, but by the consequences that will come from it.

That is, this attention to deceivers is not from Christ. He did not call you so that you would heed those who incline you toward Judaism.

For what you first believed comes from Him who called you. But this persuasion, contrary to the former one, comes from him who deceived you and has now stopped you. Or else: your persuasion is from God, from whom comes the calling of all the Gentiles.

Your persuasion does not come from Him who called you. In the Latin codices of the holy books we find it written thus: Your persuasion is from God, who called you. But I think that the text here had from Him, ex eo, and this was not understood. Gradually, through resemblance, from God, ex Deo, crept in instead of the earlier from Him, ex eo. Yet even such a meaning cannot be accepted as certain. The Apostle has just accused them of not obeying the truth, showing that it depends on their freedom whether to obey or not obey. But now, according to that reading, he would assert the opposite. He would say their persuasion and obedience depend not so much on those who are called as on Him who called them.

It is true that the Jews placed the yoke of the law upon them according to human reasoning, and not according to the persuasion of God, who through His Apostle called them to grace.

It belongs to God to call, and to those who hear the calling to obey.

"This persuasion is not from Him who calls you." The word peimone means the persuasion that circumcision is necessary, and it does not come from Christ. Theodoret understands peimone as obedience to the law. Chrysostom understands it as wavering between faith and the law.

"Such persuasion," that is, your former conviction that the law was unnecessary and faith alone was needed, "is not from Him who calls you." In other words, it was not forced upon you, but was a matter of freedom. What followed from this? It followed that you yourselves became convinced of the truth, you yourselves wavered in this conviction, and you yourselves must now return to it. There is no labor and no obstacle in this. Cast off the new lie. Take back the former truth fully, as it is and as it was handed down to you. It is known to you, tested by you, and you were convinced of it. The turn back is easy (Bishop Theophan).

Having shown the true path to salvation, the Apostle tells the Galatians that they were walking well upon it. Then someone led them astray from this path. Certainly it was not the Lord, in whose name the Apostles preach, but false teachers. Their apostasy is not final. Yet this Judaism is like leaven (Mt 16:12). Whoever receives even a little of it can turn completely aside into Judaism. Therefore, clearly, one must hasten to be rid of this dangerous leaven. Blessed Jerome writes: In conversion, one thing is the work of God, and another is the work of men. God's work is to call; men's work is to believe or not believe. Whether we incline toward good or evil, the cause is neither God nor the devil.

Persuasion, πεισμονη, means conviction. It corresponds directly to the preceding μη πειθεσθαι, which means not to maintain conviction, or not to continue nourishing conviction. The thought is this: the conviction is not from Him who called you, not from God who called you into His grace. Blessed Jerome writes: In conversion, one thing is the work of God, and another is the work of men. God's work is to call. The work of men is to believe or not believe. Whether we incline toward good or evil, the cause is neither God nor the devil. Our conviction is never from the one who calls, but from us, who of ourselves agree or do not agree with the one calling. Since conviction is placed here in relation to God who calls, it should be understood as conviction in Gospel truth.