Frameworks:
Galatians 3
See
preliminaries in chapter 1
CHAPTER
3
[Chapter
Synopsis: He had preached Christ crucified to the Galatians
but they now appeared to have reverted to salvation by good works
instead of salvation by faith in Christ alone. He explains about
covenants, the inadequacy of the Law and how faith was the key,
not works, to make us children of God]
v.1-5
The Galatians' backward path
v.6-14
Back to the basics of faith
v.15-22
The Covenant Promises & the Subsequent Law
v.23-29
Now all Children of God
v.1-5
The Galatians' backward path
[Passage
Synopsis: how
Paul had preached the gospel but the Galatians had backed away
from it to rely on works]
v.1
(Right!
Let's confront your folly. We clearly preached that Christ died
for your sins to justify you) You
foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes
Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified.
v.2
(at
the beginning, did you receive the Holy Spirit by keeping the
Law or simply believing what we preached?) I
would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the
Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard?
v.3
(are
you actually going backwards in your beliefs?) Are
you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you
now trying to finish by means of the flesh?
v.4
(was
all you experienced with us in vain?) Have
you experienced so much in vain—if it really was in vain?
v.5
(supernatural
life and ministry by keeping the Law or by the Spirit?) So
again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among
you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard?
v.6-14
Back to the basics of faith
[Passage
Synopsis: he has
to restate salvation by faith in Christ and the Cross and not
the Law]
v.6
(go back to
the beginning@ Abraham was justified by believing? right?)
So
also Abraham “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”
[Gen.
15:6]
v.7
(his real children
are therefore faith people ) Understand,
then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham.
v.8
(the fact that
this would apply to the whole world was told him) Scripture
foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced
the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed
through you.” [Gen.
12:3; 18:18; 22:18]
v.9
(it's faith-believers
who are blessed by God) So
those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man
of faith.
v.10
(the Law only
brings a curse [failure + guilt = judgment]) For
all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it
is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything
written in the Book of the Law.” [Deut.
27:26]
v.11
(no one relying
on the Law is put right in God's eyes) Clearly
no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because
“the righteous will live by faith.” [
Hab. 2:4]
v.12
(faith and the
Law don't go together because it requires impossible obedience
) The
law is not based on faith; on the contrary, it says, “The person
who does these things will live by them.” [Lev.
18:5]
v.13
(Christ saved
us on the Cross by taking our punishment) Christ
redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for
us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.
” [Deut.
21:23]
v.14
(he
bought us from sin and judgment so we could receive all God has
for us) He
redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might
come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we
might receive the promise of the Spirit.
v.15-22
The Covenant Promises & the Subsequent Law
[Passage
Synopsis: how
the Law did not supersede the covenant promise to Abram but emphasised
our need of the promise, so faith still prevails]
v.15
(consider [for
us] a will that can't be put aside) Brothers
and sisters, let me take an example from everyday life. Just as
no one can set aside or add to a human covenant that has been
duly established, so it is in this case.
v.16
(God's promises
[which can't be put aside] referred to Christ and all who follow
him) The
promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. Scripture does
not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your
seed,” [Gen.
12:7; 13:15; 24:7] meaning
one person, who is Christ.
v.17
(the Law coming
a lot later didn't put aside those promises) What
I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years later, does not
set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus
do away with the promise.
v.18
(the inheritance
of the promises doesn't rely on the subsequent Law) For
if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends
on the promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through
a promise.
v.19
(why the Law?
it was like an Addendum to the Promises, pointing sinners to their
need until Christ came) Why,
then, was the law given at all? It was added because of transgressions
until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. The law
was given through angels and entrusted to a mediator.
v.20
(Moses was the
middle-man bringing the Law, but the promises comes directly from
God) A
mediator, however, implies more than one party; but God is one.
v.21
(the Law isn't
against the promises because, unlike the promises, it can't bring
life) Is
the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely
not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then
righteousness would certainly have come by the law.
v.22
(the Old Testament
condemns all failure to keep the Law, but faith in Christ releases
every believer) But
Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin, so
that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ,
might be given to those who believe.
v.23-29
Now all Children of God
[Passage
Synopsis: whereas
the Law acted as our guardian, now we are sons who inherit]
v.23
(before faith
we were locked up in the Law) Before
the coming of this faith, we were held in custody under the law,
locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed.
v.24
(it watched
over our failures until Christ came to justify [and thus release]
us) So
the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified
by faith.
v.25
(faith has released
us from the watchful eye of the Law) Now
that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.
v.26,27
(so
now we are 'in Christ') So
in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for
all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves
with Christ.
v.28
(so there are
no distinctions between any of us believers) There
is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there
male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
v.29
(‘in Christ'
we are faith people, following Abraham's example and heirs [receivers]
of the promises he was given) If
you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according
to the promise.