Martin Luther on Galatians 6:15

Verſe. 15. For in Chriſte Ieſu, neither circumciſion auaileth any thing, nor vncircumciſion, but a nevv creature. This is a wonderfull kinde of ſpeech which Paule here vſeth when he ſayth: neither circūciſion nor vncircūciſion preuaileth any thing. It may ſeeme that he ſhould rather haue ſayd: either circumciſion or vncircumciſion auaileth ſomwhat, ſeeing theſe are two contrary things. But now he denieth that either the one or ye other do any thing auaile. As if he ſhuld haue ſaid: Ye muſt mount vp higher: for circūciſion and vncircūciſion are things of no ſuch importāce that they are able to obtaine righteouſnes before God. True it is yt they are cōtrary ye one to ye other:Chriſtiā righteouſnes. but this is nothing as touching chriſtian righteouſnes, which is not earthly but heauēly, & therfore it cōſiſteth not in corporal thīgs. Therfore, whether thou be circūciſed or vncircūciſed, it is al one thīg: for in Chriſt Ieſu neither ye one nor the other auaileth any thing at all. The Iewes were greatly offended when they heard that circumciſion auailed nothing. They eaſily graunted ye vncircūciſion auailed nothing. But they could not abide to heare yt ſo much ſhuld be ſaid of circūciſion: for they fought euen vnto bloud for ye defence of the law & circūciſion. The Papiſtes alſo at this day do vehemently contend for the maintenāce of their traditiōs as touching ye eating of fleſh, ſingle life, holy daies & ſuch other: and they excōmunicate & curſe vs which teach yt in Chriſt Ieſu theſe things do nothing auaile. But Paule ſayth that we muſt haue an other thing which is much more excellēt & precious, whereby we may obtaine righteouſnes before God. In Chriſte Ieſu (ſayth he) neither circūciſion nor vncircūciſion,1. Cor. 1.[illegible: 1 letter]. neither ſingle life nor mariage, neither meate nor faſting do any whit auaile. Meate maketh vs not acceptable before God. We are neither yt better by abſtaining, nor the worſe by eating. All theſe things, yea the whole world with all the lawes and righteouſnes therof, auaile nothing to Iuſtification. Reaſon and the wiſedom of the fleſh doth not vnderſtand this: for it perceiueth not thoſe things vvhich are of the ſpirit of God. 1. Cor. 2.14. Therefore it will needes haue righteouſnes to ſtand in outward things. But we are taught out of the word of God, that there is nothing vnder the ſonne which auaileth vnto righteouſnes before God, but Chriſt only,VVithout Chriſt there is no ſaluation. or (as Paule ſayeth here) a new creature. Politike lawes, mens traditions, ceremonies of the church, yea and the law of Moiſes are ſuch things as are without Chriſte: therefore they auaile not vnto righteouſnes before God. We may vſe them as things both good and neceſſary, but in their place and time. But if we talke of the matter of iuſtification, they auaile nothing, but hurt very much. And by theſe two things: Circumciſion & vncircumciſion, Paule reiecteth al other things what ſo euer, and denieth that they auaile any thing in Chriſt Ieſu, that is, in the cauſe of faith and ſaluation. For he taketh here a part for the whole, that is,Vncircumciſion ſignifieth all the Gentiles, Circumciſion all the Ievves. by vncircumciſion he vnderſtandeth all the Gentiles, by circumciſion all the Iewes with all their force and all their glory. As if he ſayd: whatſoeuer the Gentiles can doe with all their wiſedom, righteouſnes, lawes, power, kingdomes, Empires, it auaileth nothing in Chriſte Ieſus. Alſo, whatſoeuer the Iewes are able to do, with their Moiſes, their law, their circumciſion, their worſhippings, their temple, their kingdom and prieſthoode, it nothing auaileth. Wherefore in Chriſt Ieſu or in the matter of Iuſtification we muſt not diſpute of the lawes either of the Gentiles or of the Iewes, but we muſt ſimply pronounce that neither circumciſion nor vncircumciſion auaileth any thing. Are the lawes then of no effect? Not ſo. They be good and profitable:Lavves be good. albeit in their place and time, that is, in corporall and ciuill things, which without lawes cannot be guided. Moreouer we vſe alſo in the churches certaine ceremonies and lawes:The vſe of ceremonies and lavves. 1. Cor. 14.40. not that the keping of them auaileth vnto righteouſnes, but for good order, example, quietnes & concord, according to that ſaying: Let all things be done comely and orderly. But if lawes be ſo ſet forth and vrged as though ye keping of them did iuſtifie a man, or the breaking thereof did condemne him, they ought to be taken away and to be aboliſhed: for then Chriſt loſeth his office and his glory,Gal. 3.5. who onely iuſtifieth vs, and geueth vnto vs the holy Ghoſt. The Apoſtle therfore by theſe words plainly affirmeth that neither circumciſion nor vncircumciſion auaileth any thing, but the new creature, &c. Now, ſince that neither the lawes of ye Gentiles nor of the Iewes auaile any thing, the Pope hath done moſt wickedly, in that he hath conſtrained men to keepe his lawes with the opinion of righteouſnes. Eph. 4.24. A nevv creature.Now, a new creature whereby the image of God is renewed, is not made by any colour or coūterfaiting of good works (for in Chriſt Ieſu neither circumciſion auaileth any thing, nor vncircumciſion) but by Chriſt, by whom it is created after ye image of God in righteouſnes and true holines. When workes are done, they bring in deede a newe ſhew and outward appearance wherwith the world & the fleſh are delited, but not a new creature: for the heart remaineth wicked as it was before, full of the contempt of God & infidelitie. Therfore a new creature is the worke of the holy Ghoſt,Actes. 15.9. which clenſeth our heart by faith, & worketh the feare of God, loue, chaſtity and other chriſtian vertues, and geueth power to bridle the fleſh & to reiect the righteouſnes and wiſedom of the world. Here is no colouring or new outward ſhew, but a thing done in deede. Here is created an other ſenſe and an other iudgement, that is to ſay, altogether ſpirituall, which abhorreth thoſe things that before it greatly eſtemed. The Mōkiſh life and Order did ſo bewitch vs in time paſt, that we thought there was no other way to ſaluation. But now we iudge of it farre otherwiſe. We are now aſhamed of thoſe things which we adored as moſt heauēly and holy, before we were regenerate into this new creature. The renevving of the members of the body folovv the renevving of the minde.Wherfore the chaunging of garments & other outward things is not a new creature (as the Monkes dreame): but it is the renewing of the minde by the holy Ghoſt: after the which foloweth a chaunge of the members and ſenſes of the whole body. For when the heart hath conceaued a new light, a new iudgement and new motions through ye Goſpell, it commeth to paſſe that the inward ſenſes are alſo renewed: for the eares deſire to heare the word of God, and not the traditiōs and dreames of men. The mouth and tounge doe not vaunt of their owne works, righteouſnes and Rules: but they ſet forth the mercy of God onely offered vnto vs in Chriſt. Theſe chaunges conſiſt not in words, but are effectuall, and bring a new ſpirit, a new will, new ſenſes & new operations of the fleſh, ſo that the eyes, eares, mouth and tounge doe not onely ſee, heare and ſpeake otherwiſe than they did before, but the minde alſo approueth, loueth and foloweth an other thing than it did before. For before being blinded with popiſh errours and darknes, it imagined God to be a marchaūt,The Papiſts imagined God to be a marchaunt, and to ſell his grace for vvorkes and merites. who would ſell vnto vs his grace for our works and merites. But now in the light of the Goſpell it aſſureth vs that we are counted righteous by faith onely in Chriſt. Therfore it now reiecteth all wilworkes and accomliſheth the workes of charitie & of our vocation cōmaunded by God. It praiſeth & magnifieth God: it reioyceth and glorieth in the only truſt and confidence of Gods mercy through Ieſus Chriſt. If it muſt ſuffer any trouble or affliction, it endureth the ſame cherefully and gladly, although the fleſh repine and grudge thereat. This Paule calleth a new creature.