Galatians 3
3
1Foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you not to obey the truth, before whose eyes Yeshua the Messiah was openly portrayed among you as crucified? 2I just want to learn this from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by hearing of faith? 3Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now completed in the flesh? 4Did you suffer so many things in vain, if it is indeed in vain? 5He therefore who supplies the Spirit to you and does miracles among you, does he do it by the works of the law, or by hearing of faith? 6Even so, Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness.”#Genesis 15:6 7Know therefore that those who are of faith are children of Abraham. 8The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the Good News beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you all the nations will be blessed.”#Genesis 12:3; 18:18; 22:18 9So then, those who are of faith are blessed with the faithful Abraham.
10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under a curse. For it is written, “Cursed is everyone who doesn’t continue in all things that are written in the scroll of the Torah, to do them.”#Deuteronomy 27:26 11Now that no man is justified by the law before God is evident, for, “The righteous will live by faith.”#Habakkuk 2:4 12The law is not of faith, but, “The man who does them will live by them.”#Leviticus 18:5
13 Messiah 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 tree,”#Deuteronomy 21:23 14that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Messiah Yeshua, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
15Brothers, speaking of human terms, though it is only a man’s covenant, yet when it has been confirmed, no one makes it void or adds to it. 16Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his offspring.#3:16 or, seed He doesn’t say, “To descendants#3:16 or, seeds”, as of many, but as of one, “To your offspring”,#Genesis 12:7; 13:15; 24:7 which is Messiah. 17Now I say this: A covenant confirmed beforehand by God in Messiah, the law, which came four hundred thirty years after, does not annul, so as to make the promise of no effect. 18For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no more of promise; but God has granted it to Abraham by promise.
19 Then why is there the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise has been made. It was ordained through angels by the hand of a mediator. 20Now a mediator is not between one, but God is one.
21 Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could make alive, most certainly righteousness would have been of the law. 22But the Scripture imprisoned all things under sin, that the promise by faith in Yeshua the Messiah might be given to those who believe.
23 But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, confined for the faith which should afterwards be revealed. 24So that the law has become our tutor to bring us to Messiah, that we might be justified by faith. 25But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. 26For you are all children of God, through faith in Messiah Yeshua. 27For as many of you as were immersed into Messiah have put on Messiah. 28There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Messiah Yeshua. 29If you are Messiah’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring and heirs according to promise.
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Galatians 3
3
Justification by Faith.#Paul’s contention that justification comes not through the law or the works of the law but by faith in Christ and in his death (Gal 2:16, 21) is supported by appeals to Christian experience (Gal 3:1–5) and to scripture (Gal 3:6–14). The gift of God’s Spirit to the Galatians came from the gospel received in faith, not from doing what the law enjoins. The story of Abraham shows that faith in God brings righteousness (Gal 3:6; Gn 15:6). The promise to Abraham (Gal 3:8; Gn 12:3) extends to the Gentiles (Gal 3:14). 1O stupid#Stupid: not just senseless, for they were in danger of deserting their salvation. Galatians! Who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified?#5:7; 1 Cor 1:23. 2I want to learn only this from you:#2:16 / 3:14; Rom 10:17. did you receive the Spirit from works of the law, or from faith in what you heard?#Faith in what you heard: Paul’s message received with faith. The Greek can also mean “the proclamation of the faith” or “a hearing that comes from faith.” 3Are you so stupid?#5:16–18. After beginning with the Spirit, are you now ending with the flesh?#On the contrast of Spirit and flesh, cf. Rom 8:1–11. Having received the Spirit, they need not be circumcised now. 4Did you experience so many things#Experience so many things: probably the mighty deeds of Gal 3:5 but possibly the experience of sufferings. in vain?—if indeed it was in vain. 5Does, then, the one who supplies the Spirit to you and works mighty deeds among you do so from works of the law or from faith in what you heard?#2:16. 6Thus Abraham “believed God,#Gn 15:6; Rom 4:3; Jas 2:23. and it was credited to him as righteousness.”#Abraham…righteousness: see Gn 15:6; Rom 4:3. The Galatians like Abraham heard with faith and experienced justification. This first argument forms the basis for the further scriptural evidence that follows.
7#Faith is what matters, for Abraham and the children of Abraham, in contrast to the claims of the opponents that circumcision and observance of the law are needed to bring the promised blessing of Gn 12:3; cf. Gn 18:18; Sir 44:21; Acts 3:25. Realize then that it is those who have faith who are children of Abraham.#3:29; Rom 4:11–12 / Sir 44:19–21. 8Scripture, which saw in advance that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, foretold the good news to Abraham, saying, “Through you shall all the nations be blessed.”#Gn 12:3; 18:17–19; Acts 3:25. 9Consequently, those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham who had faith.#Rom 4:16. 10#Those who depend not on promise and faith but on works of the law are under a curse because they do not persevere in doing all the things written in the book of the law (Gal 3:10; Dt 27:26) in order to gain life (Gal 3:12; Lv 18:5; cf. Rom 10:5). But scripture teaches that no one is justified before God by the law (Gal 3:11; Heb 2:4, adapted from the Greek version of Habakkuk; cf. Rom 1:17; Heb 10:38). Salvation, then, depends on faith in Christ who died on the cross (Gal 3:13), taking upon himself a curse found in Dt 21:23 (about executed criminals hanged in public view), to free us from the curse of the law (Gal 3:13). That the Gentile Galatians have received the promised Spirit (Gal 3:14) by faith and in no other way returns the argument to the experience cited in Gal 3:1–5. For all who depend on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not persevere in doing all the things written in the book of the law.”#Dt 27:26; Jas 2:10. 11And that no one is justified before God by the law is clear, for “the one who is righteous by faith will live.”#2:16; Hb 2:4; Rom 1:17. 12But the law does not depend on faith; rather, “the one who does these things will live by them.”#Lv 18:5; Rom 10:5. 13Christ ransomed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who hangs on a tree,”#Dt 21:23; Rom 8:3; 2 Cor 5:21. 14that the blessing of Abraham might be extended to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.#3:2–3, 5; Is 44:3; Jl 3:1–2; Acts 2:33.
The Law Did Not Nullify the Promise. 15#A third argument to support Paul’s position that salvation is not through the law but by promise (Gal 3:1–14) comes from legal practice and scriptural history. A legal agreement or human will, duly ratified, is unalterable (Gal 3:15). God’s covenant with Abraham and its repeated promises (Gn 12:2–3, 7; 13:15; 17:7–8; 22:16–18; 24:7) is not superseded by the law, which came much later, in the time of Moses. The inheritance (of the Spirit and the blessings) is by promise, not by law (Gal 3:18). Paul’s argument hinges on the fact that the same Greek word, diathēkē, can be rendered as will or testament (Gal 3:15) and as covenant (Gal 3:17). Brothers, in human terms I say that no one can annul or amend even a human will once ratified.#Rom 3:5 / Heb 9:16–17. 16Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his descendant.#Descendant: literally, “and to his seed.” The Hebrew, as in Gn 12:7; 15:18; 22:17–18, is a collective singular, traditionally rendered as a plural, descendants, but taken by Paul in its literal number to refer to Christ as descendant of Abraham. It does not say, “And to descendants,” as referring to many, but as referring to one, “And to your descendant,” who is Christ.#Gn 12:7; 13:15; 17:8; 22:17; 24:7; Mt 1:1. 17This is what I mean: the law, which came four hundred and thirty years afterward,#Four hundred and thirty years afterward: follows Ex 12:40 in the Greek (Septuagint) version, in contrast to Gn 15:13 and Acts 7:6, for chronology. does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to cancel the promise.#Ex 12:40. 18For if the inheritance comes from the law,#Rom 4:16; 11:6. it is no longer from a promise; but God bestowed it on Abraham through a promise.#This refutes the opponents’ contention that the promises of God are fulfilled only as a reward for human observance of the law.
19#A digression: if the Mosaic law, then, does not save or bring life, why was it given? Elsewhere, Paul says the law served to show what sin is (Rom 3:20; 7:7–8). Here the further implication is that the law in effect served to produce transgressions. Moreover, it was received at second hand by angels, through a mediator, not directly from God (Gal 3:19). The law does not, however, oppose God’s purposes, for it carries out its function (Gal 3:22), so that righteousness comes by faith and promise, not by human works of the law. Why, then, the law? It was added for transgressions, until the descendant#The descendant: Christ (Gal 3:16). By angels: Dt 33:2–4 stressed their presence as enhancing the importance of the law; Paul uses their role to diminish its significance (cf. Acts 7:38, 53). A mediator: Moses. But in a covenant of promise, where all depends on the one God, no mediator is needed (Gal 3:20). came to whom the promise had been made; it was promulgated by angels at the hand of a mediator.#Rom 4:15; 5:20; 7:7, 13 / Acts 7:38, 53. 20Now there is no mediator when only one party is involved, and God is one.#Dt 6:4. 21Is the law then opposed to the promises [of God]? Of course not! For if a law had been given that could bring life, then righteousness would in reality come from the law.#Rom 7:7, 10; 8:2–4. 22But scripture confined all things under the power of sin, that through faith in Jesus Christ the promise might be given to those who believe.#Rom 3:9–20, 23; 11:32.
What Faith Has Brought Us.#Paul adds a further argument in support of righteousness or justification by faith and through God’s promise rather than by works of the law (Gal 2:16; 3:22): as children of God, baptized into Christ, the Galatians are all Abraham’s descendant and heirs of the promise to Abraham (Gal 3:8, 14, 16–18, 29). The teaching in Gal 3:23–25, that since faith (Christianity) has come, we are no longer under the law, could be taken with the previous paragraph on the role of the Mosaic law, but it also fits here as a contrast between the situation before faith (Gal 3:23) and the results after faith has come (Gal 3:25–29). 23Before faith came, we were held in custody under law, confined for the faith that was to be revealed.#4:3–5; 5:18. 24Consequently, the law was our disciplinarian#Disciplinarian: the Greek paidagōgos referred to a slave who escorted a child to school but did not teach or tutor; hence, a guardian or monitor. Applying this to the law fits the role of the law described in Gal 3:19–25. for Christ, that we might be justified by faith.#2:16. 25But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a disciplinarian.#Rom 10:4. 26For through faith you are all children of God#Children of God: literally “sons,” in contrast to the young child under the disciplinarian in Gal 3:24–25. The term includes males and females (Gal 3:28). in Christ Jesus.#4:5–7; Jn 1:12; Rom 8:14–17. 27#Likely a formula used at baptism that expresses racial, social-economic, and sexual equality in Christ (cf. Col 3:11). For all of you who were baptized into Christ#Rom 6:3; 13:14; Eph 4:24. have clothed yourselves with Christ.#Clothed yourselves with Christ: literally, “have put on Christ”; cf. Rom 13:14; Eph 4:24; Col 3:10. Baptismal imagery, traceable to the Old Testament (Jb 29:14; Is 59:17) but also found in pagan mystery cults. 28There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free person, there is not male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.#Rom 10:12; 1 Cor 12:13; Col 3:11. 29And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendant, heirs according to the promise.#3:7, 14, 16, 18; Rom 4:16–17; 9:7 / Gal 4:1, 7; Rom 4:13–14; 8:17; Heb 6:12; Jas 2:5.
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