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Galatians 3
Galatians chapter 3
In chapters 3 and 4 of Galatians, Paul uses six different arguments to prove that God saves sinners by grace and not the works of the Law. These arguments are:
1. Personal Argument (Gal 3:1-5)
2. Scriptural Argument (Gal 3:6-14)
3. Logical Argument (Gal 3: 15-29)
4. Historical Argument (Gal 4:1-11)
5. Sentimental Argument (Gal 4:12-18)
6. Allegorical Argument (Gal 4:19 -31)
Personal Argument (Gal 3:1-5)
[1] 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] This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
[3] Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?
[4] Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain.
[5] 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?
It was evident to Paul that the people had experienced something when they had heard the gospel and believed it. Evidences of miracles and a changed life were apparent; however, the Judaizers came along and told them that their experiences were not sufficient – they needed something else. That ‘something else’ was the Law of Moses. They ‘bewitched’ the Galatians. This literally means ‘to cast a spell over or to fascinate’. The Judaizers fascinated the Galatians with their eloquence and their articulation of the Law – they made it sound so appealing. But what is there about the Law that fascinates? It is not so much the Law but the flesh. Let me repeat what I stated in my notes on Romans chapter 14:
The human nature, as we are aware, wants to maintain its grip, and retain control, of the Christian’s life. As Christians we are not to permit this as we are commanded to walk in the spirit, in our new nature, by faith. Yet many believers today are trying to live the Christian life in the energy of the flesh. All of our problems come from the flesh. In the spirit we cannot sin but when we choose to yield to the flesh we sin and cause problems for ourselves and those around us. The human nature loves “law keeping” as it becomes a measuring device to judge one’s performance against others. In our study of Romans we have learned that, no system of human effort, religion, or any system of law or rules will enable a believer to mature in Christ. It is only through a persistent and diligent walk with Christ, in the spirit, that spiritual growth is possible (Know, Reckon and Yield – Romans 6).The ‘flesh’ loves religion. It loves to perform in order to make itself righteous and, mistakenly, believe that it is accepted by God. This was all that the Judaizers could offer but it appealed to the flesh and many Galatians turned from liberty to bondage and from grace to Law. There are many believers today who are ensnared by this teaching. How do you recognise them? They will always give you an account of what they are doing and what others are not or what they are not doing and others are – they are always right though. Those, however, who are walking in the Spirit will not compare themselves to others and will not judge others on their own preferences.
We must also be careful with experiences because any experience can be misleading. So often believers try to interpret the Word of God on the basis of their own experiences. This is very dangerous. Experiences can be manufactured and counterfeited. We must always interpret our experiences on the basis of the Word of God because the Word is the only solid, sure and reliable means that we have to be guided into truth. The Holy Spirit uses God’s Word to guide us.
Paul calls the Galatians ‘foolish’ in v1. He is not violating the words of Christ in Matthew 5:22.| But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. |
Two different words are used and two different ideas are being expressed. Foolish in Galatians 3:1 means ‘spiritually dull’. The word Jesus used in Matthew 5:22 is of a Godless person. Paul is declaring a fact and Jesus is warning us against the danger of verbal abuse.
The personal argument is directed primarily at the experiences of the Galatians. In Christ they have had a life changing experience. Why should they desire to be brought into the bondage of Law and cease to grow? But what were their experiences?
- They saw the Son of God by faith. The words that Paul presented to them in the gospel had been believed.
- They received God the Holy Spirit. Paul asks the question: Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? They knew they had the Spirit of God as there would have been evidences of His indwelling them. They also knew that they receive Him by faith alone. Remember in these early days of the Church when believers received the Holy Spirit they spoke in tongues and magnified God. Some may also have prophesied. Paul also states: Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? Being made perfect refers to Spiritual Maturity. This can only happen when the believer walks in the Spirit by faith. No believer will ever reach spiritual maturity by believing that the keeping of the Law or rules or any performance related activity will help him. On the contrary, such activities always result in failure. Remember Romans 7 – the Christian life can only be lived by faith and the enabling power of the Holy Spirit.
- They experienced miracles from God the Father. Again Paul states: 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? The ‘He’ here refers to God the Father. God the Father gave them the Holy Spirit to work miracles in them (among you is better translated as in you). We know from Pentecost that when the Holy Spirit was given there were always signs following. Some I have mentioned above, for example, speaking in tongues and prophesying. It is with confidence that we can believe that the signs also followed the conversion of the Galatians.
[7] Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.
[8] 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] So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.
[10] 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] 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] And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.
[13] 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] That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
Paul now turns from the subjective experiences of the Galatians to the objective evidence of the Word of God. Remember we must always test experiences against the Word of God otherwise we will allow experience to lead us and inevitably – mislead us!
Abraham was saved by faith. He believed God. “Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” We know that Abraham was characterised by faith. He took God at His word and acted accordingly. Certainly there were lapses but generally his life was one lived by faith. The word accounted here refers to placing to one’s account which is the same word that is used in Romans 4:11.
| After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. | |
| And Abram said, LORD God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus? | |
| And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir. | |
| And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir. | |
| And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. | |
| And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness. Genesis 15:1-6 |
When the sinner agrees with God and believes the gospel God places him into Christ. Christ’s finished work on the cross had already dealt with sins so the believer is not only seen as sinless but the righteousness of God is placed to his account. God imputes His righteousness to the believer’s account. Unfortunately the Jew believed that he was saved because of his tie to Abraham. Remember how Jesus told Nicodemus that he needed to be born again?
| There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: | |
| The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. | |
| Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. | |
| Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? | |
| Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. | |
| That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. | |
| Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. John 3:1-7 |
The new birth is spiritual. It is accomplished by faith in Christ alone. It has been said that God has children but no grandchildren. We become children of God by faith in Christ alone. Our children must come to faith in Christ themselves. Abraham’s descendants had to come to saving faith in Christ. The Jews however, made the Law of Moses a religion and crucified Christ because He did not fit into their religion. We understand, however, that Christ fulfilled the Law in every detail and its righteous demands have been met. In many legalistic churches today preachers will tell the congregation that they have to do some form of Law keeping. However, the Law cannot be treated like some religious cafeteria where one picks the nicest things and leaves the rest. The whole of the Law had to be kept and it had to be kept continually 24/7. To break one detail of the Law was to break it all. If we hold to the Law of Moses then we should also be keeping the sacrificial system and remembering to keep all of the Holy days to mention a few. The Law said Do (it all) and Live but Grace says Believe (trust in Christ alone for salvation and for your walk) and Live. Note Leviticus 18:5
Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the LORD. Leviticus 18:5 |
Jesus kept the Law in its entirety. He met its righteous demands fully. Hence you and I who believe are no longer under the Law but under Grace. When Christ said, ‘it is finished’, He brought the Law to an end. All of the typology contained in the Law and in the lives of the Patriarchs etc. points to Christ. John 1:29 states:
| The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. John 1:29 |
All of the sacrifices spoke of Christ; however they were only temporary. When Christ, the spotless, sinless, Lamb of God died, was buried and rose again, the Law of Moses had been fulfilled. On the basis, therefore, of this scriptural argument we are not under Law but Grace.
Logical Argument. (Gal 3:15-29)[15] 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 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] 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] For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.
[19] 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 a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one.
[21] 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 hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.
[23] But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
[24] Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
[25] But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
[26] For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
[27] For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
[28] 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] And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. The Law cannot change the Promise
In Genesis 12:1-3 God promised that He would make Abraham a great nation and that all of the families of the earth would be blessed. This promise was to be fulfilled to the nations in the person of Christ.
| Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: | |
| And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: | |
| And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. Genesis 12:1-3 |
The promise was given to Abraham around 2000 B.C. and this preceded the Law of Moses by centuries (≈1450 B.C.). The Judaizers implied that the giving of the Law changed the original covenant of promise. Paul argued that it could not.
When two parties agree on something they enter into a contract that is legally binding. There is, so to speak, a ‘meeting of the minds’. No other person can nullify the contract or change it. Only the original parties can change it if both agree. This is how we conduct our business today. However, in Abraham’s day contracts were made in a similar manner and were also binding. Someone coming 500 years later could not change the contract.
The covenant that God made with Abraham was unconditional. Abraham was actually asleep when God ratified the covenant.
| And he said unto him, I am the LORD that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it. | |
| And he said, LORD God, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it? | |
| And he said unto him, Take me an heifer of three years old, and a she goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon. | |
| And he took unto him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against another: but the birds divided he not. | |
| And when the fowls came down upon the carcases, Abram drove them away. | |
| And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him. | |
| And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not their's, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; | |
| And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance. | |
| And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age. | |
| But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full. | |
| And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces. | |
| In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates: Genesis 15:7-18 |
Notice that, not only was the covenant unconditional, it was given by Grace! God did not ask Abraham to do anything. Abraham believed that God would bring these things to pass. You and I are also at this place in our Christian lives. We have believed God for our salvation and now we are trusting Him to fulfill His promises in us i.e. to make us more like Christ. But note - we have to believe God and allow Him to work in us so that these things may be accomplished.
The period of 430 years has puzzled many scholars. The time period from Abraham to the giving of the Law was actually 645 years. However, if we examine this further we will see that Paul is correct.
Abraham was 75 when God called him and 100 when Isaac was born 100= 25 years
So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran. Genesis 12:4 |
And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him. Genesis 21:5 |
And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau's heel; and his name was called Jacob: and Isaac was threescore years old when she bare them. Genesis 25:26 |
And Jacob said unto Pharaoh, The days of the years of my pilgrimage are an hundred and thirty years: few and evil have the days of the years of my life been, and have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage. Genesis 47:9 |
The time in Egypt…………………………………………………………. = 430 years
Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years. Exodus 12:40
If we total this we get 645 years. That is from Abraham’s call to the Law at Sinai. Paul states in v17 that it was 430 later. As we know that the Bible does not contradict itself we must seek the answer in the context. Remember he is referring to the promise given by God to Abraham. However, this promise was reaffirmed to Jacob when he entered Egypt. The same promise that was given to Abraham and to Isaac was now given to Jacob and his seed. The 430 years, therefore, is correct and also tells us that God’s promises are always up to date-they do not change with the passing of time.
| And Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices unto the God of his father Isaac. | |
| And God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Here am I. | |
And he said, I am God, the God of thy father: fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation: Genesis 46:1-3 |
The Law is inferior to the Covenant of Promise for two reasons:
1. The Law was temporary. V19 (a) ‘Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made;’ We know that the seed was Jesus Christ who fulfilled the Law.
2. The Law required a Mediator. V19 (b) -20 ‘and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.’ ‘ Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one.’ God gave the Law by angels and then through the mediation of Moses. Israel received the Law third hand whereas the Promise was given personally by God. The promise of God was permanent and no mediator was required.
The Law was given to reveal sin. Law shows the sinner his guilt and grace shows him how he can have forgiveness in Christ. The Law is ‘holy, and just, and good.’ Romans 7:12. But we are unholy, unjust and bad. The Law does not make us sinners it simply reveals to us that we already are sinners.
There is a lawful use of the Law and an unlawful use of the Law. 1 Timothy 1:8-11
| But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully; | |
| Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, | |
| For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine; | |
According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust. 1 Timothy 1:8-11 |
The lawful use is, as stated above, to show men that they are sinners and that they need a Saviour in Christ. The unlawful use of the Law, however, is to try to obtain salvation by keeping the Law. When people claim they are saved by ‘keeping the Ten Commandments’ they are revealing their ignorance of the true meaning of the Law.
With the coming of Jesus Christ the nation of Israel moved out of childhood into adulthood. The phrase ‘For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.’ Refers to a change of garments. The believer has laid aside his dirty garments of sin and, by faith, received the robes of righteousness in Christ.
| But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. | |
| Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; | |
| And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: | |
| Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all. | |
| Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; | |
| Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. | |
| And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. | |
| And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. Colossians 3:8-15 |
However, the idea of changing garments would have held another meaning for the Galatians. When a Roman child came of age he took off the childhood garments and put on the Toga of the adult citizen. You see, the believer is not just a ‘child of God’ but also a son of God. The believer has adult status before God. Why then should any believer seek to go back into the childhood of the Law?
‘And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.’In this final verse we note that all those who trust in Christ are Abraham’s seed. This may appear to be contradictory; however, the promise that was given to Abraham was for the blessing of all nations. Abraham believed God and all those who believe are his spiritual seed. We are also heirs of the promise. Finally the Law could never make us heirs of God nor could it ever bring life.