The Spirit Received by Faith
Study note
Paul confronts the Galatians with pointed questions: Did they receive the Spirit through law-keeping or through believing the gospel message? Having begun their spiritual life by the Spirit, why would they try to reach maturity through human effort? These rhetorical questions expose the absurdity of abandoning grace for legalism and remind the Galatians of their own powerful experience of the Spirit.
1 You foolish Galatians! Who has put a spell on you? The picture of Jesus Christ dying on the cross was painted so clearly right before your eyes! O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?
2 I want to ask you one thing. Did you receive the Spirit by following the law? Or did you receive him by hearing the message and believing it? This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
3 How can you be so foolish? You started out with the Spirit's power. Are you truly going to try to finish by your own human effort? Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?
4 Have you gone through all that suffering for nothing? I hope it has not been for nothing. Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain.
5 When God gives you his Spirit and does miracles among you, is it because you obey the law? Or is it because you heard the message and believed? 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?
Abraham's Faith and the Curse of the Law
Study note
Paul grounds his argument in Abraham, who believed God and was credited with righteousness. Those who share Abraham's faith are his true children and share in his blessing. In contrast, those who rely on law-keeping are under a curse because no one can perfectly fulfill every requirement. Christ redeemed believers from this curse by becoming a curse himself on the cross, so that Abraham's blessing of justification by faith might extend to all nations through him.
6 Think about Abraham. He believed God, and God counted him as right because of his faith. Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.
7 So understand this: the real children of Abraham are those who live by faith. Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.
8 Long ago, the Scripture looked ahead and saw that God would make non-Jewish people right with himself through faith. So God gave Abraham the good news ahead of time, saying, "Through you, every nation on earth will be blessed." And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.
9 That means everyone who lives by faith receives the same blessing that faithful Abraham received. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.
10 But everyone who depends on obeying the law to be made right with God is under a curse. The Scripture says, "Cursed is anyone who does not keep doing everything the law requires." For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.
11 It is clear that no one is made right with God by the law. The Scripture says, "The person who is right with God will live by faith." But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.
12 The law is not about faith at all. Instead, it says, "The person who obeys these rules will live by obeying them." And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.
13 Christ rescued us from the curse of the law by taking the curse on himself. The Scripture says, "Anyone who is hung on a tree is cursed." Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
14 Jesus did this so God's blessing to Abraham could reach non-Jewish people through him. This way, all of us could receive the promised Spirit through faith. That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
The Law and the Promise
Study note
Using a legal analogy, Paul argues that God's covenant promise to Abraham cannot be annulled by the law, which came 430 years later. The promise was made to Abraham and his 'seed' -- singular, referring to Christ. The law was added because of transgressions as a temporary measure, not as a replacement for the promise. The law and the promise serve different purposes: the law reveals sin and humanity's need, while the promise provides salvation through faith.
15 Brothers and sisters, let me use an everyday example. Once a legal agreement is officially signed, nobody can throw it out or add extra conditions to it. Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto.
16 Now, God made his promises to Abraham and to his offspring. Notice that the Scripture does not say "and to offsprings," meaning many people. It says "and to your offspring," meaning one person -- and that person is Christ. Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.
17 Here is my point: the law came 430 years after God made his agreement with Abraham. The law cannot cancel that agreement or undo the promise God already made. And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.
18 If we could receive the inheritance by obeying the law, then the promise would be worthless. But God freely gave it to Abraham through a promise. For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.
19 Then why did God give the law? It was added because people kept sinning. It was meant to last until the promised offspring -- Christ -- came. The law was given through angels and delivered by a mediator. Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.
20 Now, you only need a mediator when there are two parties involved. But God made his promise all by himself. Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one.
21 Does that mean the law goes against God's promises? Not at all! If any law could give people real life, then yes, we could be made right with God through the law. 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 have been by the law.
22 But the Scripture declares that everyone is trapped by sin. This happened so that the promise -- given through faith in Jesus Christ -- would be given to everyone who believes. But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.
Children of God Through Faith
Study note
Paul describes the law as a guardian or tutor that held God's people in custody until the coming of Christ and the age of faith. Now that faith has come, believers are no longer under the guardian's supervision. Through baptism into Christ, all distinctions of ethnicity, social status, and gender are transcended in a radical unity. All who belong to Christ are Abraham's descendants and heirs of the promise -- one of the most revolutionary equality statements in ancient literature.
23 Before faith in Christ came along, the law kept us locked up like prisoners, waiting for this faith to be revealed. But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
24 The law was like a guardian watching over us until Christ came, so we could be made right with God through faith. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
25 But now that faith has arrived, we no longer need that guardian. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
26 Through your faith in Jesus Christ, every one of you is now a child of God. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
27 Everyone who has been baptized into Christ has been dressed in Christ, like putting on new clothes. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
28 It does not matter if you are Jewish or Greek, slave or free, male or female. All of you are one because you are in Jesus Christ. 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 If you belong to Christ, then you are part of Abraham's family. You will receive everything God promised. And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.