Galatians Chapter 3/Commentary

Galatians Chapter Three

Outline: I.

An appeal to the Personal Experience of the Galatians: 3:1-5

II.

Abraham was Justified by Faith as Well: 3:6-9

III.

Legal Justification is Impossible: 3:10-14

IV.

The Law and the Promise: 3:15-24:

V.

The Promise Gained by Obedient Believers in Christ: 3:25-29

“Hitherto, Paul has argued from his own spiritual experience, and the facts of Christian history. Now he will show that such experience is not subjective and illusory, but grounded upon the eternal purposes of God as revealed in His Word” (Cole pp. 84-85). “Paul has brought the Galatians the true gospel which was given to him by revelation, acknowledged by the Jerusalem conference (or apostles), attested in correcting Peter himself” (Lenski p. 121). “It is this same doctrine which Paul sets forth in the five opening chapters of his epistle to the Romans” (Erdman p.

66). In this chapter Paul will continue his assault on the false teaching of the Judaizers. He will point out: 1. Their own (the Galatians) experience following their conversion. Spiritual gifts had been granted to them, not by obeying the Law of Moses, but by trusting in Christ. 2. Abraham, a man who was declared right with God before circumcision, and before the Law of Moses, yet the gospel Paul preached was rooted in the Promise stated to Abraham. 3. Rightness with God is impossible on the basis of Law, for no one can ever keep the law perfectly, therefore the Judaizers are in reality bringing the Galatians under a curse, and not to a new level of spirituality. 4. The Law of Moses did not invalidate the Promise given to Abraham.

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5. The Law was never designed to "save" the soul, rather the Law was designed to bring us the awareness that we needed a Savior. 7. Believers in Christ now inherit the Promise stated to Abraham and Abraham's true descents are not merely physical Jews, or those who keep the Law, but rather Jews and Gentiles who manifest obedient faith in Christ.

Galatians 3:1 “O foolish Galatians, who did bewitch you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was openly set forth crucified?”

“O”: “With obvious emotion (indicated by the word ‘O’” (Fung p. 129). “This direct address confirms the division of material followed in 2:11-21, treating the entire section as Paul's comments to Peter in the presence of the brethren at Antioch rather than treating the passage as merging into an address to the Galatians” (Willis p. 108). “Foolish”: “O senseless Galatians” (Mof). “People who were not using their minds, who were not stopping to think” (Lenski p. 122). “He regards them as senseless, as utterly bereft of reason, and as guilty of conduct which has no rational defense” (Erdman p. 67). “It signifies senseless, an unworthy lack of understanding.

It certainly is important to observe that the word aphron, without reason, want of mental sanity and perception, is not used. The Galatians ‘were of well-known intellectual capacity, and their foolishness is not detecting the fallacious reasoning of the Judaizers was hard to understand’’. 1 God condemns unbelief and the acceptance of false teaching, because He knows that people can think better than that. Atheism, skepticism, humanism, evolution and all other false systems, are inferior uses of the human mind (Psalm 14:1; Romans 1:20-22). “The church has known such waves of thoughtlessness in its history from time to time. People are just swept along” (Lenski p. 123). “While it is true that spiritual things are spiritually discerned, it is equally true (to enlarge a famous definition) that theology is nothing more than the ordinary rules of grammar and logic applied to the text of Scripture” (Cole p. 87).

“Who did bewitch you”: Besides meaning to use witchcraft or magic on one, the word "bewitch" also means "to charm; to fascinate; to please to such a degree as to take way the powers of resistance” (Willis p. 108). “It is like our: ‘What has gotten into you?’” (Lenski p. 123). Paul believed in the existence of evil spiritual beings (Ephesians 6:12). “But he will not have the Galatians shift the blame from 1 "Studies in Galatians". Denton Lectures 1986, Goebel Music p. 104 2

themselves. A sheer lack of logical reasoning has led them into this inconsistency” (Cole p. 86). Usually there is always something "fascinating" about false teaching, that is, it usually always appeals to pride or self (1 John 2:16; 2 Timothy 4:3; 2 Peter 2:18). “Before whose eyes Jesus Christ was openly set forth crucified”: “Before whose eyes Jesus Christ was so graphically presented as crucified” (Ber). “Openly set forth”: “Publicly portrayed” (NASV). “Was posted up, placarded. It is the usual word to describe public notices or proclamations” (Vincent pp. 111-112). “Vividly depicted, graphically portrayed” (Erdman p. 67). The Galatians were without excuse.

Paul had preached the crucifixion of Jesus Christ openly, publicly and vividly. The crucifixion of the Son of God said something dramatic about the Law of Moses, that is, it failed to provide an adequate atonement for sin, and the Galatians had acknowledged this clear truth, when they became Christians. Yet a crucified Savior not only thunders that salvation is not possible through perfect obedience to the Law of Moses or circumcision. It states with a vengeance, that salvation is not possible in any other religion or person (Acts 4:12).

“The cross was no accident; it came of deliberate and set purpose of mind” (Cole p.

88). Premillennialism is a false theory for the dead of Christ was not a last minute decision by God, it was not a change in God's plans (Acts 2:23). “Openly or publicly portrayed. It is a New Testament commonplace to see the preacher as God's herald, God's town-crier (1 Timothy 2:7)” (Cole p. 88). “And let me add for those who believe only in ‘positive’ preaching, they need to be aware of this ‘stringent scolding’ of our brethren who were in Galatia! May God help us, naturally, in love, to rebuke when we see people moving away from the crucified Christ!” (Music p. 105).

An Argument from the Galatians Own Experience Galatians 3:2 “This only would I learn from you. Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?”

“This only would I learn from you”: “Paul pours out a flood of questions upon the Galatians, questions they should have asked, should now ask, the answers to which would certainly help to open their eyes” (Lenski pp. 121-122). “I will convince you of your error by this one point. Do you owe the gifts of the Spirit to the works of the law, or to the message of faith?” (Vincent p. 112). “Received ye”: They had actually received such in the past. “The Spirit”: This verse takes the Galatians back to the 3

time when Paul was preaching among them. Had they received the Spirit, probably in the form of spiritual gifts (3:5) on the basis of keeping the Law of Moses (the gospel of the Judaizers) or as the result of hearing and obeying the gospel message that Paul preached? “By”: As a result of. “Works of the Law”: Such as observing circumcision, the food laws of the Law of Moses. Including the idea of depending and relying upon perfect obedience of the Law for a right relationship with God (2:16), which the Judaizers were in effect advocating (Acts 15:1, 5). “The hearing of faith”: “Hearing with faith” (NASV). Some believe that 'faith' in the above verse, is “the faith”, that is, “hearing the gospel message”. How and what we hear is very important. Jesus dwelt with both issues. (Luke 8:18; Mark 4:24). Only one message can save our souls (Romans 1:16). All the book-reading in the world is rather pointless unless one first is willing to hear the greatest message of all. The gospel message, places all other messages in their proper place, priority and perspective.

“To Paul, hearing is very important: faith comes by hearing--that is why to preach God's word is so essential (Romans 10:14-17)” (Cole p. 89).

Galatians 3:3 “Are ye so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are ye now perfected in the flesh?”

“Are you so foolish?”: Paul is amazed at the illogical position these Christians have embraced (1:6). “So”: “Is emphatic and informs us very clearly that Paul does not take lightly the insistence that one must conform to the Law of Moses” (Music pp.

105-106). “Surely you can't be so idiotic as to think” (Phi). “Having begun”: Having commenced your Christian life. “In the Spirit”: “Or, by means of the Spirit” (Vincent p. 113). It was through hearing the Spirit's message, that these Galatians had become Christians (Ephesians 3:3-5). “It seems that having begun in the Spirit is equal to Paul's the hearing of faith (3:2)” (Music p. 106). “Are ye now perfected”: “Do you now look to the material to make you perfect” (NEB).”To bring to an end, completion, perfection (not used in the sense of sinless perfection but of maturity)” (Willis p. 115). “In the flesh”: By trying to gain spiritual maturity through such physical acts as circumcision.

This verse infers something about the way or slant which the Judaizers presented their message. That is, they claimed that spiritual maturity was only possible to those Christians who observed the Law of Moses, that "real Christians" still observe the Law. “And regard Paul as making an ironic reference to the Judaizers' claim to make perfect the Pauline version of Christianity which the Galatians had received by 4

insisting on their keeping the law as a necessary complement” (Fung p. 134).

Galatians 3:4 “Did ye suffer so many things in vain? If it be indeed in vain” “Did you suffer so many things in vain?”: “Have you experienced so much to no purpose” (Wey). “To experience good or ill” (Robertson p. 292). “So many things”: “To the large quantity of things suffered or to the intensity of things suffered” (Willis p. 116).

The Galatians had paid a price for becoming Christians (Acts 14:22). “It is possible that the word suffer could be understood ‘have you experienced’ so much in a good sense--God's promises and blessings” (Boles p. 73). There is no support for the theory of "once saved, always saved" in this verse. Paul plainly teaches that Christians can suffer "in vain" or experience God's blessings for nought. When one embraces error, everything accomplished in the past, will have been in vain (2 Peter 2:20-22). Adding the Law of Moses or various regulations from it, did not give one a "full gospel", but a perverted gospel, and such did not result in spiritual improvement, but only spiritual loss. The Galatians “were not on the pathway to advancement, but in the way of failure and of loss” (Erdman p. 69). Suffering that moves one away from God, is truly suffering that one has endured for no good purpose. We determine if the things we experience in life (good and bad), will be useful or useless (Romans 5:3-5; Psalm 119:71).

“If it be indeed in vain”: “If indeed it has been to no purpose” (Wey). We determine our destiny. Freewill is written all over the last statement. The "if" depends on whether the Galatians repent or not.

Galatians 3:5 “He therefore that supplieth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth He it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?”

“He therefore”: “Does he then” (NASV), that is the one who supplies the Spirit and works the miracles is God. “Supplieth”: “Indicates a generous and gracious and rich bestowal” (Erdman p. 69). “Means to stand the expense of bringing out a chorus at some public festival and thus in general to furnish, to supply, but always with the strong connotation of great, free generosity. The patron paid the entire expenses of the training, the costuming, and the staging of the chorus, which called for a lavish hand” (Lenski p. 130). “Worketh miracles among you”: The Galatians had been 5

given spiritual gifts as well. In addition, Paul had worked them too (2 Corinthians 12:12).

“Doeth he it by”: “Does God, who works miracles among you do it as a result of your obedience to the law, or because you have heard the gospel and believe it?”

(McGarvey p. 106). “Who ever knew a Judaizer to whom the Lord granted a single work of power? But wherever the apostles went, these works followed, yea, in abundance, granted lavishly by God” (Lenski p. 131). “Did the miraculous gifts come to authenticate the message of the Judaizers or of Paul? The miracles were demonstrative proof of the validity of the gospel of salvation by faith. The personal experience of the Galatians could verify this fact” (Willis p. 117).

The Example of Abraham Galatians 3:6 “Even as Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness” “Even as Abraham believed God”: “Paul's allusion to Abraham was a master-stroke.

His Judaizing opponents looked to Moses as their teacher. So Paul went centuries further back to Abraham himself” (Stott p. 72). “Paul links (the experience of the Galatians) to the experience of Abraham. 'Why, that is exactly what Abraham did', he says. Abraham, like the Galatians, had believed God, trusted God's word--and God accepted that faith” (Cole p. 91). “Nor is this principle of faith new or unique” (Erdman p. 70). The Judaizers insisted that one had to keep the Law of Moses and be circumcised to be saved (Acts 15:5). “They argued that one had to be circumcised and keep the Law of Moses to be an heir of the promises given to Abraham. Paul answers that argument in these verses by showing that Abraham himself was not justified by circumcision or through keeping the law. The argument is made in more detail in Romans 4” (Willis p. 118). “And it was reckoned unto him for righteousness”: “It refers simply to placing to one's account what is his.

‘Righteousness’ is standing before God without sin. Man stands before God as righteous because his sins have been forgiven (Romans 4:6-9). Faith is the condition for being declared righteous” (Willis pp. 120-121).

The passage that Paul quotes is from Genesis 15:6, two chapters before Abraham was circumcised and over 400 years before the Law of Moses was given Abraham is 6

said to be accounted right before God on the basis of faith. This is a crushing blow to the connection of the Judaizers that circumcision and law-keeping were inherently part of a right standing with God. The Seventh Day Adventists try to make the same "Judaizing" argument today. They claim that all the Patriarch's, from Adam and including Abraham kept such things as the Sabbath Day, hence the Sabbath and other laws from the Law of Moses are "eternal laws". The Judaizers tried to do the same thing with circumcision.

Because of Calvinism and the "faith-only" position we need to take some time and examine the "faith" which God accepted. Consider the following:  “There is only one kind of faith that could and does lead to justification” (Music p. 107). Not all "faith" saves. John 12:42-43 is a classic example of "faith-only" not saving, as well as James 2:19-20.  Genesis 15:6 was not the first time that Abraham believed in God (Hebrews 11:8). Paul never intended to suggest that Abraham was saved by mere mental assent. Other examples of Abraham's faith existed (Genesis 12:1-8; 22:16-18). Paul quotes from Genesis 15:6, because it contained the wording he needed to make his point.  The "faith" that gained approval with God was an obedient faith that did whatever God required at the moment, that is, move, offer your son, or simply trust the following statement (Romans 4:16-22).

Galatians 3:7 “Know therefore that they that are of faith, the same are sons of Abraham” “Know therefore that they that are of faith”: “The real descendents of Abraham are the men of faith” (Gspd). “You may take it, recognize” (Fung p. 138). Absolute, back and white truth does exist. “Obligates men of all times to recognize this fact” (Willis p. 123). The Judaizers probably had argued that only the circumcised are true children of Abraham on the basis of the events described in Genesis 17. Paul cuts them off at the pass. He does the same thing in Romans 4. John the Baptist (Matthew 3:7; Luke 3:7) and Jesus (John 8:37-44) made the same argument. “The reference to Abraham is significant. To him the Jewish teachers would point with pride as being the father of their race, the source of their spiritual blessings. To such supposed reasoning Paul makes a severe retort. He insists that all those who live by the principle of faith are the true children of Abraham” (Erdman p. 70). The point is 7

clear: Physical ancestry does not save, and neither does circumcision or keeping the ordinances of the Law of Moses. Making your own terms of salvation is not "of faith" (Romans 10:17). Adding human conditions and regulations to the gospel will cut us off from God (2 John 9), because such manifests a lack of faith. The faith that saves simply takes God at His word and humbly submits (Hebrews chapter 11).

Galatians 3:8 “And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all the nations be blessed” “And the Scripture”: Genesis 12:3. “Foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith”: Note that "Scripture" is personified in this quotation, "The Scriptures foreseeing”. “This is possible because the writings were identified with the God who inspired them; God, the author of the Scriptures, has the ability to foresee the future” (Willis p. 124). Cole adds, “Scripture says, is the equivalent of saying The Lord of Scripture says, it is the deliberate control by God of the content of Scripture” (p. 93). The "Gentiles" mentioned in this verse is parallel with "nations" or "families" of Genesis 12:3. The statement, "and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed", is what Paul is referring to in the above verse. “God's plan from the beginning was to justify Gentiles by faith. The plan was not an afterthought or a desperation measure taken after God's dealings with Adam, Noah, Abraham, and Moses fell through” (Boles p. 76). “By faith”: Someone might ask, “How do you find faith in Genesis 12:3?” Those familiar with "necessary inference" understand Paul's reasoning. (1) Abraham was justified by his faith in God (Genesis 15:6). (2) All nations would be "blessed" in his seed. (3) Therefore to end up blessed, they must "believe" as Abraham did.

“Preached the gospel beforehand unto Abraham, saying”: Genesis 12:3 and 18:18, constituted a hint or insight concerning the good news to come. These verses were the gospel in seed form. The fact that God would offer "blessing" to all nations in the seed of Abraham is another way of stating the gospel message. Of course thr "seed" is Jesus Christ (3:16). Abraham heard a "piece" of the gospel, as well as many other prophets (1 Peter 1:10-12).

Galatians 3:9 “So then they that are of faith are blessed with the faithful Abraham”

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“So then”: The conclusion of the argument. “They that are of faith”: Salvation is conditional. Never forget that being "of faith" means trusting and humbly submitting to God's view of things. It means much more than mere mental assent or merely believing that there is a God. “Are blessed with faithful Abraham”: Are declared righteous in the sight of God. The impossibility of Justification by Perfect Law-Keeping “Paul must now swing at once to meet a flank attack, real or expected. The Judaizers will have been fuming with impatience all this time. Why talk about Abraham when the real question is the law? Indeed, the Rabbis wasted much ingenuity in trying to prove that the patriarchs had in fact kept the law, though it had not yet been revealed. That was necessary to maintain the respectability of Abraham. What the Judaizers were preaching to the Galatians was the utter necessity of law-keeping (Acts 15:5). To them all this talk about Abraham was irrelevant to the main issue” (Cole p. 94). This section of Scripture (Galatians 3:1014) should be studied along with Romans 7:7-25. The problem or weakness was not in the law (Romans 7:12). Rather it is in man. Hence if man is going to end up being viewed as innocent, any system based on flawless law keeping will not cut it.

Galatians 3:10 “For as many as are of the works of the law are under a curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one who continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the law, to do them” “For”: “On the other hand” (Fung p. 141). Paul now makes another argument for justification by faith based on considering the only alternative--justification by observing law. “As many as are of the works of the law”: “Who rely on obedience to Law” (TCNT). “Those who take their stand on observing of the Law” (Knox). Paul is not downgrading obedience to God's laws (Galatians 5:19-21), even the Christian have laws to obey (James 1:22-25). Yet the Christian realizes that salvation is impossible through relying on flawless law-keeping. We trust Christ which means we obey His commands (Luke 6:46), and we also manifest our faith by repenting and confessing when we sin (1 John 1:8-10).

“Are under a curse”: “The common opinion of the Jewish scholar was that the common folk who had neither knowledge or, nor interest in, the law, were under God's curse (John 7:49). Here Paul turns the tables” (Cole pp. 94-95). Anyone attempting to find favor with God, by relying on law to save them, finds themselves 9

under a curse. The curse is now described. “For it is written”: Notice how Paul appeals to Scripture to make his points. “Cursed is everyone who continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the law, to do them”: This is a quotation from Deuteronomy 27:26. Continual, flawless law-keeping is the "curse" that hangs over the head of everyone who attempts to find favor with God on the sole basis of their adherence to law. Here is the answer to those who claim that living the Christian life is "too hard". Try finding favor with God, outside of Christ! Flawless perfection is the only way to God outside of Jesus Christ, so try living up to that standard. People too easily forget that in Christ, one has access to forgiveness, and a chance to repent (James 5:16). “Let all the Galatians who are listening to the Judaizers mark it well. Every one of these Judaizers is under this curse” (Lenski p.

142). And every religious body which turns to the Law of Moses for some item, such as the Sabbath observance, tithing, an official priesthood, instrumental music in worship, and so on, has just placed themselves under this curse. “Indeed, there is no need to be embarrassed by these outspoken words. They express what Scripture everywhere tells us about God in relation to sin, namely that no man can sin with impunity, for God is not a sentimental old Father Christmas” (Stott p. 79). This is also the conclusion of the first three chapters of the Roman letter. The Jews had the Law of Moses and yet found themselves to be sinners (Romans 3:23).

“It should be noticed that God never intended to save any man on the basis of perfect legal obedience. His method of salvation throughout all ages has been through faith (obedient faith of course). Therefore, Paul is not arguing that God sought to save man by perfect obedience in the former dispensation by now by grace” (Willis p. 128). “The Rabbis knew this, but there seemed no way out except by some clinging to the ‘merits of the Fathers’, and to those of Abraham in particular. That was why the Jews clung so insistently to the reassuring thought of physical descent from Abraham. The average Jew believed whole-heartedly that no son of Abraham who was circumcised would go to Gehenna (Hell)” (Cole p. 96).

Galatians 3:11 “Now that no man is justified by the law before God, is evident: for, The righteous shall live by faith” “No man”: “This is the position of every human being who has ever lived, except Jesus Christ. Paul assumes the universality of sin here. It includes righteous and respectable people, who think that they are excluded (Romans 3:22-23)” (Stott p.

79). “Justified by the Law before God”: No mere man ever found favor with God on 10

the basis of flawless obedience, not Noah, not Abraham, not Daniel. This section of Scripture completely destroys the Roman Catholic concept, that certain "saints" lived such wonderful lives, that some of the "good deeds" which they did not really need to make it to heaven, and their righteous leftovers are available to us today.

Even the apostles were told, that after their own lives of faithfulness, they were still unprofitable servants (Luke 17:10).

“Is evident”: “Is clear enough” (Knox). “For”: Paul anchors down this obvious truth with another Scripture. “The righteous shall live by faith”: Quotation from Habakkuk 2:4, which is also quoted in Romans 1:17 and Hebrews 10:38. Obedient faith has always been the path to eternal life (Hebrews 11). Even when the Law of Moses was operational, this truth was evident. The idea that saving faith is mere mental assent, completely disregards: The faith mentioned in the book of Habakkuk, see Habakkuk 3:16-19. The faith mentioned in Romans (1:5; 16:26). And the faith described in the Hebrew epistle (Chapter 11). “Paul is not discussing how the righteous man shall live; he is discussing how the man became righteous” (Willis p. 129). “Live”: Which includes the idea of "eternal life", because many faithful men, physically died because of their faith (Revelation 2:10).

Galatians 3:12 “and the law is not of faith; but, He that doeth them shall live in them” “And the Law is not of faith”: Paul is not saying that all those who lived under the Law had the absence of faith (See Hebrews 11), rather Paul is discussing the route chosen by the Judaizers, that is, relying on flawless obedience to Law to save. “The man who seeks to be justified by law seeks to be justified on the basis of perfect obedience. The man who seeks to be justified by faith admits that he is a sinner in need of forgiveness” (Willis p. 130). “But, he that doeth them shall live in them”: “Life" is only possible on the condition of perfect obedience. “Law demands complete obedience and rests not on mercy, faith, grace” (Robertson p. 293). "Faith" is valueless in a system that demands perfect obedience. In fact, so is repentance, because "justification on the basis of law", only is concerned about one question, "did you keep or break the law", all other issues become irrelevant.

Galatians 3:13 “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us; for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree”

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“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law”: “That the Galatians may realize the full meaning of their foolishness, Paul shows them that the condemnation to which they were returning, was the very thing from which the death of Christ redeemed them” (McGarvey p. 267). “Redeemed”: To rescue from loss, ransom, buy up. “To buy from, to buy back” (Robertson p. 294). Inferring that we were once with God, we were born innocent and pure (Romans 7:9). “Us from”: The same point is made in Romans 8:1-4.

Everyone outside of Christ stands condemned by law. The demand for flawless lawkeeping has been removed in Christ. While we still must observe God's law in Christ (Galatians 5:13-16) we also have access of mercy and forgiveness when we fail (1 John 1:8-10). “Having become”: Which tells us "how" Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law. “A curse for us”: “For us” in the sense of “on our behalf”, or “in our stead”. “Jesus became a curse, not because of anything that he had personally done, but take our place” (Willis p. 132). “He took it voluntarily upon Himself, in order to deliver us from it. It is this ‘becoming a curse for us’ which explains the awful cry of dereliction, of God-forsakenness, which He uttered from the cross” (Stott p. 81).

“Us”: Of course this would have a special meaning for Christians from a Jewish background, but this also includes Gentiles, for everyone is under God's law (Romans 1:18-32). Everyone, Jew or Gentile who is outside of Christ is under the curse demanded by pure law, that is, flawless perfection, and of course, all such people end up accursed, because they eventually fail. “For it is written”: This is an explanation of how Christ became a curse for us. The following quotation is from Deuteronomy 21:23. “Cursed is every one that hangeth upon a tree”: “Every criminal sentenced to death under the Mosaic legislation and executed, usually by stoning, was then fixed to a stake or ‘hanged on a tree’ as a symbol of his divine rejection, that death by hanging was the outward sign in Israel of a man who was thus cursed. No wonder the Jews at first could not believe that Jesus was the Christ.

How could Christ, the anointed of God, instead of reigning on a throne, hang on a tree? The fact that Jesus died hanging on a tree remained for Jews and insurmountable obstacle to faith (1 Corinthians 1:21), until they saw that the curse He bore was for them” (Stott p. 81).

Galatians 3:14 “that upon the Gentiles might come the blessing of Abraham in Christ Jesus; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith” 12

“That upon the Gentiles”: The death of Christ removed the Law (Colossians 2:14; Ephesians 2:13-16), and enabled Gentiles to obtain the promised blessing that had been first preached to Abraham. “The blessing of Abraham”: Compare with Galatians 3:8 “In Christ Jesus”: A very important phrase and condition. This means that the death of Christ did not just automatically remove a person’s sins. To obtain the benefit of His death one must be “in Christ” and this includes the conditions of faith and baptism (3:26-27). “Does this mean that everybody has been redeemed from the law's curse through the sin-bearing, curse-bearing cross of Christ? Indeed not we must be in Christ Jesus to receive it” (Stott pp. 81-82). “That we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith”: The we of this verse certainly includes Christians from a Jewish background, even Jews needed to be saved. “The promise of the Spirit”: Or all the things promised by the Spirit, compare with Acts 2:38. “Through faith”: The condition. In Acts 2:38 “faith” includes repentance and baptism.

The Law and the Promise “But surely, someone might argue, even if this were so, the law would have annulled any earlier such ‘arrangements with Abraham” (Cole p. 100). “All Judaistic errors rest on misconceptions regarding law. Too much is then naturally expected of law” (Lenski p. 155).

Galatians 3:15 “Brethren, I speak after the manner of men: Though it be but a man's covenant, yet when it hath been confirmed, no one maketh it void, or addeth thereto” “Brethren”: An affectionate appeal, in contrast to Galatians 3:1. “I speak after the manner of men”: “I am going to use a human illustration” (Wms). “Rather than bombard them with an endless array of Scriptures, Paul wisely varies his ammunition” (Boles p. 82).

“Though it be but a man’s covenant, yet when it hath been confirmed, no one maketh it void, or addeth thereto”: Roman law, as in American law, the testator could amend or annul his will in any way he pleased while he was living, but at the death of the testator (when the will or covenant when into effect, or was confirmed) the will could no longer be changed” (Boles p. 82). “Even a human contract, once it 13

has been ratified, no one can annul or change” (Wms). “It ought to be as plain as day that no testament, not even a merely human one, can be annulled or even altered after it is in force. It is preposterous to think that the Mosaic Law altered God's testament (the covenant with Abraham). This is the first great point” (Lenski pp.

155-156).

Galatians 3:16 “Now to Abraham were the promises spoken, and to his seed. He saith not, and to seeds, as of many; but as of one, and to thy seed, which is Christ” “Now to Abraham were the promises spoken”: See Genesis 12:1-3. “God made such a ratified or confirmed contract or covenant with Abraham” (McGarvey p. 268).

“And to His seed”: Genesis 12:3; 18:18. “He saith not, and to seeds, as of many”: “Like a Philadelphia lawyer reading the fine print, Paul examines carefully the wording of the original promise” (Boles p. 83). “But as of one, and to thy seed, which is Christ”: Christ was the beneficiary of this agreement. Hence, to receive the blessing of this promise, one must be "in Christ". It is significant that of the three "promises to Abraham" (land, great nation, and seed promise), the one that the New Testament emphasizes is the "seed promise". Every physical descendant of Abraham would not automatically receive a blessing. This "blessing" would only come through "one descendant", that is, Jesus Christ. Hence, no spiritual blessings would reside outside of Christ (Acts 4:12; Ephesians 1:3).

Some do not like the way that Paul argues in this verse, they feel that he is splitting hairs over whether a word was singular or plural. I like what Lenski said, “In its place we are told that Paul reverts to the rabbincial type of exegesis which he learned under Gamaliel in the days when he was a rabid Jew. Zahn answers this, ‘Paul knew his Old Testament and his Hebrew rather better than his commentators’” (p. 160).

“Paul must show that the promise had not been fulfilled before the giving of the Law, but that it found its true fulfillment in Christ” (Erdman p. 76). Of course, such "hair-splitting" and "fine print reading of Scripture" simply tells us that Paul believed that every single word in Scripture was significant, because every single word had been given by God (2 Timothy 3:16). Jesus treated Scripture in a similar fashion (Matthew 22).

Galatians 3:17 “Now this I say: A covenant confirmed beforehand by God, the Law, which came four hundred and thirty years after, doth not disannul, so as to make the promise of none effect” 14

“A covenant confirmed beforehand”: That is, the promise or covenant spoken to Abraham. “The Law”: The Law of Moses delivered from Sinai. “Four hundred and thirty years after”: The actual time between actual promise and the giving of the law was probably around 645 years. Clearly, Israel was in Egypt and in bondage for 400 years (Genesis 15:13; Acts 7:6), and Moses places the total time of sojourn as being 430 years (Exodus 12:40). Boles offers an interesting view: “The first part of the covenant promise which actually finds fulfillment is that Abraham's offspring would do down into a foreign land to be enslaved for 400 years (Genesis 15:13). It could well be argued, therefore, that this is the point at which the covenant becomes ‘previously established’” (p. 85).

Erdman adds: “It would hardly seem that Paul, with his careful training in the law, and his scrupulous exactness as a writer, was the man to make so glaring a mistake if he meant to measure, by four hundred and thirty years, the time between the first promise made to Abraham (Genesis 12:1ff) and the giving of the law at Sinai” (p.

77). Thus the 430 years does not refer to the time period between Genesis 12 and Exodus 19, rather it refers to the time period when the promise to Abraham was beginning to find fulfillment, when Israel starts multiplying and enters Egypt and Exodus 19.

“Doth not disannul, so as to make the promise of none effect”: “Does not invalidate a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to nullify the promise” (NASV). “Having established who the beneficiaries of the covenant were to be, Paul now examines the validity of the covenant itself. Has anything happened to make the original promise null and void? Or to put it bluntly, did the covenant at Sinai cancel the promises made to Abraham? Following the same principles as common legal systems among men, Paul has to conclude that the Sinai law was 430 years too late to cancel the Abrahamic covenant” (Boles p. 83). Therefore Christianity is not an "addition" or "Johnny come lately" to Judaism, rather it is the fulfillment of the promise given to Abraham. Christianity then is nothing more than the fulfillment of the good news spoken long ago to Abraham, spoken even before the Law of Moses.

Galatians 3:18 “For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no more of promise: but God hath granted it to Abraham by promise” “For if the inheritance is of the Law”: If receiving the blessing promised to Abraham 15

is based on observing the Law of Moses. “It is no more of promise”: “Then it has ceased to be the result of a promise” (TCNT). This is the same type of argument as found in Romans 4:13-14. Placing the blessing of Abraham on the basis of flawless law-keeping, would mean that the blessing is no longer a promise, but rather something that is "earned" or "merited", and this is exactly what the Judaizing were preaching. “But God hath granted it to Abraham by promise”: “By means of a promise” (NASV). God originally gave this promise to Abraham, without any connection with the Law of Moses. Hence one can never remove the "promise" aspect of this agreement. Obedience to the Law of Moses was not the terms under which the promise was given and neither would it be the terms under which the Promise could be received. In addition, if the promise were based on adherence to the Law of Moses, then it would have been unattainable, for all have sinned (Romans 3:23) The Law is not Contrary to the Promise Galatians 3:19 “What then is the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise hath been made; and it was ordained through angels by the hand of a mediator” “What then is the Law?”: “One can almost hear the indignant expostulation of one of the Judaizers, saying something like, ‘If it is through faith that a man is in Christ Jesus and becomes a beneficiary of God's promise to Abraham, what is the point of the law? Your theology so fuses Abraham and Christ,that you squeeze out Moses and law altogether’. But Paul had his answer ready. The Judaizers misunderstood and misrepresented his position. He was far from declaring the law unnecessary, for he was quite clear that it had an essential part to play in the purpose of God. The function of the law was not to bestow salvation, however, but to convince men of their need of it” (Stott p. 89). “Added”: “Not as an addition to the promise but as a temporary, intermediate institution” (Vincent p. 123). “Because of transgressions”: “To make men conscious of their wrong-doings” (TCNT). In a sense the law was given to restrain sin, especially by punishing the transgressor and warning others (1 Timothy 1:9-10). The law equally revealed what "sin" was (Romans 3:20; 4:15; 7:7).

“Satan would have us to prove ourselves holy by the law, which God gave to prove us sinners” (Stott p. 90). “It was rather intended to reveal sin. It showed men their need of justification. It convinced (or should of) men of their inability to save themselves. It measured the depth and the guilt of human disobedience” (Erdman 16

p. 78). “Till the seed should come”: Until Christ arrived and died for our sins (3:16).

This is one more verse that clearly reveals the temporary nature of the Law of Moses (Colossians 2:14-16; Hebrews 8:6-9:4; 10:9). Paul never divides us the Law into the "ceremonial aw" and the "moral law", or the "law of God" and the "law of Moses". The whole law, everything in the covenant given to Israel at Sinai ceased at the cross.

“And it was”: The Law of Moses was. “Ordained”: Arranged, instituted, set in order.

“Through angels”: See Acts 7:38; Hebrews 2:2; and Deuteronomy 33:2. “By the hand of a mediator”: “The third mark of the inferiority of the Law is that it was given from God to angels who gave it to a mediator who took it to the people. In contrast to the covenant that God made with Abraham, when he spoke directly to him, the Law was inferior” (Willis p. 153). “We can sum it up in the words of Stephen Neill, “The promise came to Abraham first-hand from God; and the law comes to the people third-hand--God--the angels--Moses the mediator--the people’” (Stott p. 90). The Seventh Day Adventists claim that the Ten Commandments are still in force (including the Sabbath Day command), seeing that they were written by the finger of God, r that God gave those commands "personally" to Moses. Yet this text says the whole Law was given by God, including the Ten Commandments, and it first came through angels, before it came to Moses.

Galatians 3:20 “Now a mediator is not a mediator of one; but God is one” “Not a mediator of one”: A mediator always stands between two parties. “The God who made the covenant is also the God who made the Law. Hence, the Law cannot be considered as being opposed to the covenant” (Willis p. 157).

Galatians 3:21 “Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could make alive, verily righteousness would have been of the law” “Is the Law then against the promises of God?”: “Does the Law, then, frustrate the promise of God?” “The law and the gospel are not competitive or contradictory” (Erdman p. 80). “The law has been called ‘intrusive, temporary, secondary and preparatory’. One reads such criticism of the law and begins to feel that the law is somehow our enemy, and the enemy of God's promises as well” (Boles pp. 88-89).

“God forbid”: “May it never be so. Shows that such a thought comes near 17

blasphemy, for it would imply inner conflict within the mind of God. Promise is from God; law is equally from God. It only remains to relate them in one coherent system” (Cole p. 106). “For if there had been a law given”: “The implication of the statement is the fact that law is always given, it is never produced by man himself.

All evolutionary origin of law is denied” (Lenski p. 173). “Which could make alive”: Impart spiritual life, redeem the sinner, declare the guilty innocent, and remove sin.

“Verily righteousness would have been of the Law”: “If any law had the ability to impart spiritual life, the Mosaical Law would have been the one. The fault did not lie in defects in the Law; the problem resided in man's failure to keep the Law perfectly.

So far as laws go, the Mosacial Law was as good as one could get if he was going to attempt to be saved through perfect obedience to a law” (Willis p. 158). Of course it is obvious if salvation could not be obtained based on the Law of Moses, then surely no law of human origin can impart life, such as any religion outside of Christianity.

Let it be remembered that nothing was wrong with the Law of Moses, as a Law. It contained high spiritual concepts, it was a holy, righteous, and good (Romans 7:12).

Galatians 3:22 “But the Scriptures shut up all things under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe” “Shut up all things under sin”: “Shut up all men under sin” (NASV). “The Scripture has all men imprisoned for their sins, because they are found guilty by the Law” (Phi). “The law grouped everything within the frontiers of acknowledged sin” (Cole p. 106). Since none could keep the law perfectly, all were placed in the category of being sinners (Romans 3:9-23; Psalm 14:3). “That”: “Were Paul to stop with the negative aspect of his doctrine of the place and purpose of the law we should indeed be in a terrible plight. But to him the purpose of classifying us all as ‘sinners’ (and making us accept the justice of this classification) is solely so that we may be eligible for salvation” (Cole pp. 106-107). “The promise by faith in Jesus Christ”: The condition for receiving salvation is an obedient faith (Mark 16:16). “Might be given”: Notice the conditional nature of the language here. The promise is not earned, rather it is given, yet neither is it unconditional, rather this is a might situation. “To them that believe”: This is the only way of escape from the bondage of sin (John 8:24), no other way of escape is available.

“Some people seem to think of the Bible as a trackless jungle, full of contradictions, a tangled undergrowth of unrelated ideas. In fact, it is quite the opposite. Here the apostle Paul, with a breadth of vision which leaves us far behind, brings together 18

Abraham, Moses and Jesus Christ. In eight short verses he spans about 2000 years.

He surveys practically the whole Old Testament landscape. The law exposed sin, condemned sin. The purpose of the law was, as it were, to lift the lid off man's respectability and disclose what he is really like underneath, helpless to save himself.

And the law must still be allowed to do its God-given duty today. One of the great faults of the contemporary church is the tendency to soft-pedal sin and judgment.

Like the false prophets we ‘heal the wound of God's people lightly’ (Jeremiah 6:14; 8:11)” (pp. 92-93).

The Law Bought us to Christ Galatians 3:23 “But before faith came, we were kept in ward under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed” “Before faith came”: Men and women have believed since day one, so the "faith" in this passage, is "the faith", that is, the gospel message. Before Jesus came, died, rose again and that message was proclaimed. “We were kept in ward”: “Hold in custody” (Stott p. 96). “During the period when the Mosaic law was in force it functioned as a legal guardsman. Call the law a warden for that period” (Lenski p.

178). “Shut up”: With no way out. Both Jews and Gentiles were in this condition (Romans 2:14-15). But, even taking all this together, the law is no grim captor-particularly in view of the fact that we are only being held in custody pending the arrival of the Queen's pardon. This custody also in a sense benefited mankind. The law also tended to protect people against self-destruction, and pronounced severe penalties for sin.

Galatians 3:24 “So that the law is become our tutor to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith” “So that the law is become our tutor”: The word tutor is defined as, “An escort for children. Those who remember the stern, old-fashioned ‘children's nanny’ or even more old-fashioned ‘governess’ will have a fair idea of the position and duties of the trusty, elderly slave who conducted his young master to and from school” (Cole p.

108). “A guide and guardian of boys. He was usually himself a slave, whose duty it was ‘to conduct the boy or youth to and from school, and to superintend his conduct generally’ (Arndt-Gingrich). Was not the boy's teacher so much as his disciplinarian. He was often harsh to the point of cruelty, and is usually depicted in 19

ancient drawings with a rod or cane in his hand” (Stott p. 97). “And kept him from hurtful associations and influences, from foolish and hurtful actions” (Lenski p. 181).

Therefore the law regulated actions, prescribed right conduct, imposed certain checks upon evil, warned of evil associations and actions, and provided enough knowledge to recognize Christ when He came (2 Timothy 3:15). So far from the law being unnecessary, Paul has pointed out that the Law was indispensible and that it provided a very needful service.

“To bring us unto Christ”: Compare with 2 Timothy 3:15; Acts 17:2-3.

Galatians 3:25 “But now that faith is come, we are no longer under a tutor” “Now that faith is come”: Jesus died, arose, and the gospel message has been proclaimed, one can know have faith in Christ as the Savior. “We are no longer under a tutor”: No longer under the Law of Moses, which is called the tutor. “The two cannot co-exist at the same time (as the Judaizers think)” (Cole p. 108). The sad thing, is that most denominations act like the Christian is under both and that he can pick and choose which parts of which covenant he wants to observe. “The reason that we do not offer animal sacrifices, have a separate priesthood, tithe, observe the Sabbath day, use mechanical instruments of music in worship, observe the dietary laws, observe the annual and monthly feast days, and obey any other thing commanded by the Law of Moses is because the Law is no longer binding. That includes all the Law. Whether one arbitrary divides the Law into ceremonial, moral, and national laws or simply distinguishes the Ten Commandments from the rest of the Law, all of the Law has been abrogated. Whatever requirements are place upon men are found in the New Testament, the gospel of Jesus Christ or the Law of Christ (Galatians 6:2; 1 Corinthians 9:21). Jesus is our Lawgiver today (James 4:12)” (Willis p. 165).

What we are in Christ Galatians 3:26 “For ye are all sons of God, through faith, in Christ Jesus” “All sons of God”: One is not a "child of God" apart from Christ Jesus. “This sonship of God is ‘in Christ’; it is not in ourselves. The doctrine of God as a universal Father was not taught by Christ nor by His apostles” (Stott p. 99). “Through faith, in Christ 20

Jesus”: Just any type of faith, or faith in anyone or anything will not save.

Galatians 3:27 “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ did put on Christ” “For as many of you as were baptized”: Paul did not recognize a category of people called ‘unbaptized’ Christians. In the First Century all Christians were baptized (Acts 2:41; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 4:4-6). “Some reply to this by stating that this makes baptism a work by which one earns his salvation. I challenge this affirmation.

The entire Context of Galatians 3 contrasts salvation by works with salvation by faith.

That baptism is placed on the side of faith rather than works is significant. The assertion that baptism is a work whereby one earns his salvation is contrary to what the scriptures teach” (Willis p. 168). The same is true in Ephesians 2:4-9; Colossians 2:11-13 and Titus 3:5.

“Into Christ”: See Ephesians 1:3,7. “Did put on Christ”: “Clothed yourselves with Christ” (TCNT). “Have taken on the character of Christ” (Mof). “Put on the family likeness of Christ” (Phi). “This last phrase denotes the taking upon oneself of the very virtues and excellencies of Christ. Faith is not merely an intellectual assent to certain doctrines. It is the going forth of the whole being toward a divine Person. It is the submission to the will of Christ. It implies devotion and obedience to Christ. It results here in a spiritual maturity which is manifested to the world by a likeness to the character of Christ” (Erdman p. 85).

Galatians 3:28 “There can be neither Jew nor Greek, there can be neither bond nor free, there can be no male and female; for ye all are one man in Christ Jesus” “This passage is designed to show that one's standing before God is not determined by nationality, social, position, or gender” (Willis p. 170). One stands approved in God's sight by believing and being baptized and cleansed by sin by the blood of Christ, and this is true for anyone, regardless of this social, racial and gender distinctions. “This passage is not teaching that there are no distinctions of a social matter” (Willis p. 170). Unfortunately, some have tried to twist this passage into teaching that all gender roles have become irrelevant in the church, thus women can be elders, and so on. Such reasoning is very, very short-sighted because the very man who wrote this verse, is the very same writer who recognized that the above relationships (slave and master, parent and child, husband and wife, man and woman still exist even after one has become a Christian. Paul addresses slaves in 21

the condition of being slaves (Ephesians 6:5-9); he addresses women as women, wives as wives, husbands as husbands (Ephesians 5:22-33; Titus 2:4-5; 1 Timothy 2:11-13) If women are no longer subject to the commands of submission to their husbands, then men are no longer subject to the commands to love their wives and provide for their families (Ephesians 5:25; 1 Timothy 5:8; 1 Peter 3:7), and children, are no longer subject to the command to honor and obey their parents (Ephesians 6:1-2).

“Are all one in Christ Jesus”: There is only "one" place where salvation is found, and there is only one body of believers (Ephesians 4:4-6; 2:16). “In the world, mankind will always be divided into warring camps over issues of race, nationality, creed, sex, and social status” (Boles p. 98). True unity, is only found when people submit to Christ.

Galatians 3:29 “And if ye are Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, heirs according to promise” “This is the test, not the accident of blood, pride or race or nation, habitants or environment of dress or family, whether man or woman” (Robertson p. 299). The true descendants of Abraham are those who obey Christ.

Closing Comments “These, then, are the results of being in Christ, and they speak with powerful relevance to us today. For our generation is busy developing a philosophy of meaninglessness. It is fashionable nowadays to believe (or to say you believe) that life has no meaning, no purpose. There are many who admit that they have nothing to live for. They do not feel that they belong anywhere, or, if they belong, it is to the group known as ‘the unattached’. They class themselves as ‘outsiders’, "misfits’.

They are without anchor, security or home. In biblical language, they are lost” (Stott p. 101).

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