Galatians
3
New
American Standard Bible (NASB)
Faith
Brings Righteousness
3 [a]You
foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was
publicly portrayed as crucified? 2 This is the only thing I want to find out
from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of [b]the Law, or by
[c]hearing with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun [d]by the Spirit,
are you now [e]being perfected by the flesh? 4 Did you [f]suffer so many
things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? 5 So then, does He who provides you
with the Spirit and works [g]miracles among you, do it by the works of [h]the
Law, or by [i]hearing with faith?
6
[j]Even so Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness. 7
Therefore, [k]be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of
Abraham. 8 The Scripture, foreseeing that God [l]would justify the [m]Gentiles
by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “All the nations
will be blessed in you.” 9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with
[n]Abraham, the believer.
10
For as many as are of the works of [o]the Law are under a curse; for it is
written, “Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the
book of the law, to perform them.” 11 Now that no one is justified [p]by [q]the
Law before God is evident; for, “[r]The righteous man shall live by faith.” 12
[s]However, the Law is not [t]of faith; on the contrary, “He who practices them
shall live [u]by them.” 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having
become a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a [v]tree”—
14 in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might [w]come to the
Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
Intent
of the Law
15
Brethren, I speak [x]in terms of human relations: even though it is only a
man’s [y]covenant, yet when it has been ratified, no one sets it aside or adds
[z]conditions to it. 16 Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his
seed. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as referring to many, but rather to one,
“And to your seed,” that is, Christ. 17 What I am saying is this: the Law,
which came four hundred and thirty years later, does not invalidate a covenant
previously ratified by God, so as to nullify the promise. 18 For if the
inheritance is [aa]based on law, it is no longer [ab]based on a promise; but
God has granted it to Abraham by means of a promise.
19
Why the Law then? It was added [ac]because of transgressions, having been
ordained through angels by the [ad]agency of a mediator, until the seed would
come to whom the promise had been made. 20 Now a mediator is not [ae]for one
party only; whereas God is only one. 21 Is the Law then contrary to the
promises of God? May it never be! For if a law had been given which was able to
impart life, then righteousness [af]would indeed have been [ag]based on law. 22
But the Scripture has shut up [ah]everyone under sin, so that the promise by
faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
23
But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the
faith which was later to be revealed. 24 Therefore the Law has become our tutor
to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. 25 But now that
faith has come, we are no longer under a [ai]tutor. 26 For you are all sons of
God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For all of you who were baptized into
Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek,
there is neither slave nor free man, there is [aj]neither male nor female; for
you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you [ak]belong to Christ, then you
are Abraham’s [al]descendants, heirs according to promise.
The
IVP New Testament Commentary Series
Progress
Toward Maturity by the Spirit (3:3)
Not
only was the beginning a gift, but progress is also a gift, as the question in
verse 3 indicates. The contrast between beginning with the Spirit and trying to
attain your goal by the flesh (remember that the NIV translates
"flesh" as human effort) sets up the antithesis between spirit and
flesh which recurs in 4:29, 5:16-23 and 6:8. In 4:23 and 29 the son born
according to the flesh ("born in the ordinary way") is a reference to
Jews who hold to the Sinai covenant (4:24) and to the present Jerusalem (4:25)
as the basis of their identity. These are the same ones who desire to boast in
circumcised flesh—in other words, in the proselytization of Gentile believers
at Galatia (6:13). We need to keep this historical conflict in mind so that we
do not slip into an interpretation derived from Greek dualism where the spirit
is good and the body (flesh) is inherently evil. Paul's specific point is that
the Galatians' alternative is between living by the Spirit, whom they received
when they believed the message of Christ crucified, and seeking perfection by
circumcision (and other rites such as food laws and sabbath observance), which
would identify them as proselyte Jews. Trying to attain perfection by the flesh
in that context meant the attempt to attain spiritual status by conforming to
Jewish customs in order to become Jews.
Sincere
Christian people have often felt that belonging to a specific cultural or
religious group would enhance their spiritual status. They have sometimes
conformed to extreme requirements just to gain acceptance. All such efforts to
achieve spiritual progress are classified here by Paul as merely human effort
(NIV), efforts of the flesh. Paul's question in verse 3 reminds us that our
beginning in the Christian life was based on our response of faith to the
message of Christ crucified and the consequent experience of the Spirit, and
our progress in the Christian life must be on the same basis.
New
Spiritual Relationships in Christ (3:26-27)
In
the old set of relationships under the law, Jews were the children of God and
Gentiles were sinners (see 2:15). But now Gentile Christians are all sons of
God through faith in Christ Jesus. This must have been a shocking declaration
for a Jew to hear. In Jewish literature, sons of God was a title of highest
honor, used only for "the members of righteous Israel, destined to inherit
the eschatological blessings" (Byrne 1979:174). But now Gentiles—the
rejected, the outsiders, the sinners, those who do not observe the law—are
called sons of God. Indeed this is a "new creation" (6:15). How could
a Gentile ever be called a child of God? Paul's answer is clear—through faith
in Christ Jesus (v. 26). Since Christ Jesus is the "Son of God"
(2:20), all who by faith are in Christ are also sons of God.
The
next verse points to the basis for the new spiritual relationship depicted by
this title, sons of God: they are children of God because they have been united
with Christ in baptism and, as a result, clothed with Christ. In the light of
his repeated emphasis on faith in this context, Paul cannot possibly mean that
the ritual of baptism by itself, apart from faith, would accomplish union with
Christ. Only when there is genuine faith in Christ is baptism a sign of union
with Christ. Paul is reminding the Galatian Christians of their baptism in
order to renew their sense of belonging to Christ. That ceremony of initiation
into Christ and the Christian community points to the solid foundation for
their new relationship as children of God. Moreover, their baptism has led to
being clothed . . . with Christ. This metaphor, probably drawn from the
ceremony of rerobing after baptism, pictures the reality of complete
identification with Christ. In the Old Testament there are frequent references
to being clothed with righteousness, salvation, strength and glory (2 Chron
6:41; Job 29:14; Ps 132:9, 16, 18; Prov 31:25; Is 51:9; 52:1; 61:10; Zech
3:3-5). And in other letters Paul uses this metaphor of putting on clothing to
mean taking on the virtues of Christ (Col 3:12; 1 Thess 5:8). As baptism
pictures the initial union with Christ by faith, being clothed with Christ
portrays our participation in the moral perfection of Christ by faith. As the
hymnwriter put it, Christians are "dressed in his righteousness alone, faultless
to stand before the throne." That is why Christians can be called the
children of God: in Christ they truly are the members of righteous Israel.
The
title sons of God and the two ceremonies of baptism and being clothed with
Christ point to the reality of our new relationship with God in Christ.
The
Bible Panorama
Galatians
3
V
1–9: FOOLISHNESS AND FAITH Paul now tells the Galatians that it is foolish to
seek to be perfected in Christ by keeping Jewish legal observances. We are
saved by faith and indwelt by the Holy Spirit because, like Abraham, we believe
and trust in the promise of God.
V 10–14: CHRIST WAS CURSED To attempt to be
saved by keeping God’s law and then to fail would mean coming under the curse
of God’s judgement on sin. But Christ has taken our sin and our curse when He
died on the cross in our place. When we trust Him, we are forgiven, cleansed,
and counted as righteous because He has been cursed in our place. God gives us
His Spirit to confirm this. The principle is the same as that through which
Abraham was blessed, namely receiving God’s promise through faith.
V 15–18: PERMANENCE OF PROMISE Paul stresses
that there is only one spiritual seed of Abraham. It is not to do with Jewish
nationality or race, but with trusting God’s promise. In that sense, Abraham is
the father of all who are justified by faith in God’s promise, whether Jew or
Gentile. The arrival of the law, 430 years after the promise to Abraham, cannot
annul that fact. In Christ we are saved through trusting God’s promise.
V 19–25: LAW IS LEGITIMATE The law is not
intended to make us righteous before God and cannot do so. It is not against
the promises of God, but shows us our sin, so that it leads us to faith in
Christ alone. Righteousness and salvation become ours only in Christ, as we
trust Him, realising that we can do nothing to save ourselves. The law
imprisons us, but faith in Christ sets us free. Just as a tutor would lead an
infant to school for education, the law leads us to Christ for salvation. He is
our mediator.
V 26–29: SONS IN SALVATION Faith in Christ
makes us sons of God and, as those who have believed Him, also Abraham’s
spiritual seed. We inherit that ancient promise in our crucified and living
Saviour. So does every other Christian, irrespective of background, social
status or gender.
Yours
by His Grace
Blair
Humphreys
Southport, Merseyside
January
13th 2014
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