Galatians 3 - Printer Friendly

What does Galatians 3 mean?

Chapter Commentary:

In Galatians 3, Paul continues to make the case that faith in Christ is all that is required to be justified—"made righteous"—in God's eyes. Paul also continues to write with great urgency. This matters deeply to him.

The Galatian Christians had believed in Jesus and began enjoying their freedom in Christ. Then a group of false teachers known as the Judaizers showed up. These men from Jerusalem agreed that it was necessary to believe in Jesus. However, they also claimed that, in order for non-Jewish people to truly be included in the family of God, the men must be circumcised and all must follow the law of Moses.

Paul begins this chapter by calling the Galatians Christians foolish for beginning to believe such teaching. He then presents three separate arguments for why it does not make sense for the Galatians to begin to follow the law of Moses.

First, Paul talks about the Galatian believers' own experience of coming to Christ. Not only did they "see" Christ crucified in Paul's teaching, they experienced firsthand the arrival of the Holy Spirit after they believed (Galatians 3:1). Often in the New Testament, the Holy Spirit demonstrated God's power in some supernatural way when coming to indwell new Christians. That had apparently happened to the Galatians. Perhaps they spoke in tongues or experienced some other supernatural event. In addition, they saw miracles happen through the work of God's Spirit.

Paul asks them directly: Did the Spirit come from God as a result of your hearing the truth by faith or did it happen by doing works of the law? Since they had not done any works before believing in Jesus, the clear answer is that God sent His Spirit in response to their faith. What, then, do they have to gain from following the law (Galatians 3:2–5)?

Second, Paul begins to quote the Scriptures. Perhaps the Galatians will be persuaded from the same parts of God's Word the Judaizers are distorting to mislead them. Paul shows that the Scriptures have always pointed to God's blessing coming by faith and a curse from God coming through the law. Paul states flatly that people of faith—not "people of the law"—are Abraham's children. After all, Abraham was counted righteous—"justified"—for believing God (Genesis 15:6), and God told Abraham that all the nations would be blessed through him (Genesis 12:3). Thus, those of faith are the ones blessed along with Abraham (Galatians 3:6–9).

Paul then quotes Deuteronomy, Habakkuk, and Leviticus to show that the law brings only a curse to those who fail to follow it in any way. It's not about faith; it's about action. Since all people fail to keep the law in some way, Christ had to pay the curse with His own life. That's how He redeemed those in slavery under the law so that they could be justified by faith in Him (Galatians 3:10–14).

Finally, Paul presents to the Galatians a legal argument. Covenants are legal documents. As such, the covenant God made with Israel, recorded in the Law, did not undo the covenant He made with Abraham. The promises of that covenant remained in place all the way until the arrival of Jesus, who legally claimed those promises. Now all who come to Christ by faith are entitled to share in that inheritance, including non-Jewish people known as Gentiles. In fact, that legal transaction gives believers a permanent standing as God's children, whether Jewish, Greek, slave, free, male, or female. All are one in Christ, since all are equal heirs to the inheritance God promised to Abraham (Galatians 3:15–29).

Galatians 3:1–9 begins with Paul calling the Galatian Christians he loves ''foolish.'' They have begun to believe they must follow the law of Moses in order to be included in the family of God. Paul asks: did God give His Spirit to them with great power after they believed, or after doing works of the law? Clearly, the Spirit arrived in response to their faith. Abraham also was declared righteous by God in response to his own faith. Paul insists God's promise to Abraham that all nations would be blessed through him pointed to this time when Gentiles would be saved by faith in Christ.

Galatians 3:10–14 describes Paul's argument that blessing does not come by following the law of Moses. In fact, the rules described in the law bring the threat of God's curse if anyone fails to keep them in any way. Since all fail to keep it perfectly, no one can be justified—made right before God—by the law. Paul quotes three Old Testament Scriptures to show this is true, and that Christ took this curse on Himself when He died for our sin on the cross. That's how the blessing of Abraham has come to the Gentiles who believe in Christ by faith.

Galatians 3:15–22 begins with Paul making a legal argument about God's covenant with Abraham. This arrangement remained in place even during the later covenant of the law of Moses. Paul follows this by describing what the point of the law really is. It was given both to show what is sinful, and to show how sinful we are. By the law, we learn that we are not able to keep to God's standard and must be saved in another way. That other way is through faith in Christ. Once He arrived, this salvation was available to all people, including non-Jewish Gentiles.

Galatians 3:23–29 summarizes the idea that God never intended the law to be the final solution for the problem of sin. Instead, it was meant to ''guard'' mankind, until the arrival of Christ. This freedom from the captivity of the law also transcends all other barriers: race, gender, wealth, health, and culture are all irrelevant to our relationship with the Savior. Anyone who belongs to Christ, by faith, is promised to be an heir.

Chapter Summary:

Paul indicates the Galatian Christians are foolish for believing they need to follow the law of Moses to be right with God. He offers three specific arguments to support this. First, they received God's Spirit in a powerful way after believing in Jesus, but before doing any works of the law. Second, Scripture itself shows God's blessing coming by faith, and His curse coming by the law. Christ paid the price of that curse on the cross. Third, God's covenant with Abraham is like a legal document, and it cannot be revoked.

Chapter Context:

In Galatians chapter 2, Paul declared that we can only be justified—''made right with God''—by faith in Christ and not by following the law of Moses. In chapter 3, Paul offers three arguments for why that is true. He argues from the Galatians own experience, from the Scriptures themselves, and from the legal standpoint of a covenant contract. Finally, Paul answers what the law is for if it cannot save us from our sin. In part, it reveals our sinfulness and convinces us of our need to be saved by faith in Christ. The following chapter will expand on what it means to be an ''heir,'' spiritually.

Galatians is sometimes called “a short Romans” for its similar themes of justification and sanctification through faith. A group of Christians known as “Judaizers” were preaching a gospel of legalism, rather than grace. Paul’s main purpose in writing the letter to the Galatians was to reiterate the true nature of the gospel: we are justified (made righteous) and sanctified (made more Christlike) through our faith in Jesus Christ alone. This letter was probably written shortly before the church elders in Jerusalem issued their official refutation of the Judaizers, commonly called the Jerusalem Council.

Accessed 4/29/2024 8:34:29 AM