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| Chapter 3 |
| Bible Text | Notes and Thoughts |
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1 ¶ O foolish Galatians! Who hath bewitched you, that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been clearly set forth, crucified among you? 2 This only would I learn of you: Did ye receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? 3 Are ye so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? 4 Have ye suffered so many things in vain--if it be yet in vain? 5 He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit and worketh miracles among you, doeth He it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? 6 ¶ Even as Abraham "believed God, and it was accounted to him as righteousness." 7 Know ye therefore that those who are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. 8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached beforehand the Gospel unto Abraham, saying, "In thee shall all nations be blessed." 9 So then, those who are of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. 10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written: "Cursed is every one who continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them." 11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for "the just shall live by faith." 12 And the law is not of faith, but "The man who doeth them shall live in them." 13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is every one who hangeth on a tree"), 14 that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. 15 Brethren, I speak after the manner of men: A covenant, though it be but a man’s covenant, yet if it is confirmed, no man annulleth or addeth thereto. 16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, "and to seeds," as though many; but as though one: "and to thy Seed," who is Christ. 17 And this I say, that the Covenant which was confirmed earlier by God in Christ cannot be annulled by the law, which came four hundred and thirty years after, so as to make the promise of no effect. 18 For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more by promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise. 19 ¶ For what then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels through the hand of a mediator. 20 Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one. 21 Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should then have come by the law. 22 But the Scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. 23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, being shut apart from the faith which should afterwards be revealed. 24 Therefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after faith has come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. 26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ, have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female; for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise. |
The Judaizers had used every possible means to capture the Galatian churches, but in the following two chapters Paul goes into battle with them. He uses six different arguments to prove that faith in Christ is the way of salvation. v1-5 Personal experience. To prove something based upon your experience can be dangerous because your experience may not be the same as others or may even be a wrong experience, but if this experience agrees with the Truth taught in the Word of God it. The Holy Spirit is mentioned 18 times in this letter and is an important witness in the proof. Rom 8:8,9. Paul asks the Galatian’s to think back to the time when they first came to know the Saviour. 1) v2,3 How did you receive the Holy Spirit? By obeying the Law or by faith in Jesus? The Judaizers had tried to tell the Galatian church that what they had experienced was not complete, they needed something else, that "something else" was obedience to the Law of Moses. v3 Paul calls them "fools" spiritually or having no interest spiritually, you started out in the Power of the Spirit, but want to end with the power of the flesh. Compare Luke 24:25. v3 The only real evidence of forgiveness in Jesus is the presence of the Holy Spirit in the persons life. Rom 8:9 The Spirit comes into a believers life because of trust and belief in Jesus. v5 The Father ministers the Spirit and so is able to "work miracles among you,," changes within the believer and the church. Paul asks "are these done by the works of the law or by faith?" v6-14 Using the Scripture. The Judaizers wanted to take the believers back to the Law so Paul now uses Scripture to prove salvation is by faith. v6,7 He starts with Abraham. Paul quotes Moses to show that Abraham was made right by faith in the promise Gen 15:6, Rom 4:1-8 "put to his account" Rom 4:18-25. When we believe in Christ the righteousness of God is placed in our account with Him, our sin not in our account with God. Rom 4:18-25; Rom 4:7,8. The Jew is very proud of their connection and relationship to Abraham, unfortunately they thought that this would give them salvation. John the Baptist warned them that this was wrong Matt 3:9. Jesus showed the difference between Abraham’s physical children and Abraham’s spiritual children John 8:31-47. v8,9 The promise to Abraham was to affect all nations, Gen 12:3, sinners are made right, justified by faith, not keeping the law. The "children of Abraham" are the Jews and Gentiles who believe in Jesus. v9-14 Are we Cursed? "Curse" Has a number of meanings today but at the time of this letter it was an announcement of things to come, which could be punishment, rejection. God’s curse is real, it will happen. v10 Route to God by keeping the Law, but does not give salvation as cursed by keeping the law. Who are cursed? All except Jesus, none of us can keep the law,Rom 2:22-23, The Law was given to condemn us, it actually hurts God as we fail to follow His Law. v12 The Law says "Do and live," but the grace of God says "Believe and live" Gal 2:16,21; see Phil 3:1-10. The Law cannot give life, make a sinner right with God, give the Holy Spirit, make a believer the child of God - so why go back to the Law. v13 The Law has set the standard of God, has put mankind under the curse of the Law, so someone had to take the punishment. Christ’s work removes the curse, by doing this He became the greatest sinner ever, he took all our sins on Him. God had to reject Him on the cross, our sins made Christ "cursed." 1 Cor 12:3. But he redeemed us v13, and this is final. The normal meaning for "redeemed" was in the purchase of a slave, to become your slave, but Christ paid the price and let us become free. v14 We are blessed through Jesus. This blessing is by our faith in Him. We receive the Holy Spirit as part of this faith. v13 The Jews method of punishment was by stoning them to death. For a Jew, to die on a "tree" or cross was a curse Deuteronomy 21:22,23. If returning to the Law was so bad why were the Galatian Christians taking it on? Legalism appeals to the flesh, we love to be religious, to obey laws, have special days, self punish by fasting etc. Nothing wrong with these actions if part of worshipping God and controlled by the Spirit, but we can use them in pride, boasting how "good and holy" we are. People like to "see the worship" they have to have a religion which satisfies their senses. True Spiritual worship does involve the senses but they are all a "window pointing" to the true place of faith, we measure our worship in Christ not others. Consider Gal 6:12-14. v15-29 Why then was the Law given? The word "promise" is used eight times in the passage, all referring to God’s promises made to Abraham. These promises were made many years before the Law of Moses. Gen 12:2,3; Gen 15:1ff; Gen 17:1-22. The Judaizers were trying to now saying that the Law makes changes to these promises God made to Abraham. Paul argues that this cannot be right, if two people agree to a promise or covenant, a third person cannot later make changes, only the original two can do that. At this point we must note that God made the covenants with Abraham, not Abraham with God, Abraham was a sleep during the making of one promise. Gen 15:12. Note that with each promise God did not set any conditions on Abraham. v16,17 The promise made by God was made through His Seed, Jesus Christ, Gen 3:15 this promise cannot be changed, "annulled," by the Law of Moses which came later. v19-20 The Law is Greater? Suppose the Law was greater than the previous promises. Paul replies that:- 1) The Law was only temporary v19 it was only "until the Seed should come." With the death and resurrection of Jesus the Law was done away with. 2) The Law required a mediator or third person v19,20 Moses and angels brought the Law to Israel. But the promise was made by God directly to Abraham, God was part of the covenant and it was permanent. Therefore the Promise was greater than the Law. v21-26 Is the Law against the promise? Is God contradicting Himself? Law and grace must be the opposite to each other, "No" Paul said, The law was not to give life, it controlled the life of the Jews but did not give spiritual life. The death of Jesus and faith in Him by the believer gives the life, v21. The Jew was so committed to the Law that they did not see the way of salvation and rejected Jesus. v22 The Law has shown that we all have failed the standard of God, it does not make us sinners, just shows that we are already sinners. There is no way salvation can be obtained by keeping the Law, only God’s grace can do that. v23-26 The word "teacher" would be more a ‘guardian’ who made sure the children attended school. Often the "teacher" may have also taught the child as in the time of Paul the person was often an educated slave. The Jew was therefore taught the law, the "teacher" was the child’s protector and controller, it regulated the life but not essential to life as the Judaizers were teaching. The "teacher" was also how the child learnt to become an adult, so was part of the preparation of the Jewish nation for the coming Messiah. v23 "before faith came, we were kept under the law." v25 The Saviour has now come and so there is no need for the "teacher," unfortunately the Jewish nation failed to accept so God had to destroy the temple and so stop the instructions of the law, no temple, no priesthood, no alter, no sacrifices. v27-29 What the promise can do. The law was not able to allow a person to have a close relationship with God, only the High priest was allowed to enter the Holy of Holies, now the believer has access to the Father through His Son Jesus. A Believers faith has made them baptized into the Body of Christ 1 Cor 12:12-14, all one in Christ, no Jew or Gentile, slave or freeman, man or woman. "Put on Christ," v27 is indicating a "change of clothing," ‘dirty’ sins clothes have been replaced by the robes of Christ Col 3:8-15. v29 The Law cannot make us heirs of the promise of God, only faith in Christ allows us to become heirs of the blessing of God. |
Easy English Translation
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