St.
Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Galatians: 3:15-18
Having
proved by authority that the Law does not justify and is not necessary for
justification, which is through faith, the Apostle then proves the same point
with human reasons.
He says therefore: It is clear that up to now I
have been speaking according to the authority of Sacred Scripture, which came
not by the will of man, but by the Holy Spirit, as is said in 2 Peter (1:21).
But now I speak after the manner of man and after the manners which human
reason and human custom follow. Here, indeed, we have an argument to show that
in discussions bearing on faith, we may use any truth of any science: “If thou
seest in the number of the captives a beautiful woman and lovest her and wilt
have her to wife, thou shalt bring her into thy house,” i.e., if you are
pleased with worldly wisdom and science, bring it within your boundaries, “and
she shall shave her hair, and pare her nails,” i.e., you shall cut away all
erroneous opinions (Deut 21:11). This is why in many places in his epistles the
Apostle uses the authority of the Gentiles; for example: “Evil communications corrupt
good manners” (1 Cor 15:33), and “The Cretans are always liars, evil beasts,
slothful bellies” (Tit. 1: 12).
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