The Freedom in Christ. Contemporary Relevance of Thomas Aquinas’ Teaching about Christian Freedom in the Fifth Chapter of „Super Epistolam S. Pauli Apostoli ad Galatas Lectura”

Abstract

The St. Paul’s call from the first verse of the fifth chapter of the Epistle to the Galatians leads all Christians to constantly looking at the Christ, especially the crucified, who reveals the authentic meaning of freedom, the fruit of God’s saving action. St. Thomas Aquinas, commenting on this letter, notes that human freedom is realized through union with Christ. In addition, he notes that Christian teachings present to a believer the prospect of living in a relationship of love with God and another man. It is an unique elevation of the dignity of creation and perfect revelation of God’s mercy. Through the grace and mercy exceeding the strict measure of justice, sinners are capable of relationship with another man in the image of God.

St. Paul wrote: „For, brethren, you have been called unto liberty. […] by love serve one another” (Gal 5, 13). St. Thomas, in the aforementioned commentary, stresses very strongly that the mentioned gift, making freedom real, is love. This truth is revealed especially by the Christ on the cross, who with love (serving God and people) took on the sins of the whole world (cf. Phil 2, 6-11) and, in his innocence, let himself to be killed because of them, so that sinners may live in freedom.

The article outlines the teachings of St. Thomas Aquinas on Christian liberty, on the basis of his commentary on the Epistle to the Galatians. In this way, it shows the enduring topicality of the thought of Aquinas, presenting it against some of the philosophical currents of thought which occurred in the history after the death of the Angelic Doctor, and comparing it with the Church’s teachings in papal encyclicals from the end of the twentieth century.