Galatians 3

Galatians 3:1-4

The Defense of Paul’s Gospel – In Galatians 3:1 to Galatians 4:31 Paul defends his Gospel of justification by faith in Jesus Christ alone. As a basis for this argument he explains to them how the faith that allowed them to receive the Holy Spirit was operated in the Old Testament through Abraham (Galatians 3:1-18). Paul then explains the meaning of the Mosaic Law in light of the New Testament Church (Galatians 3:19 to Galatians 4:7). Finally, he admonishes them to stand fast in their liberties in Christ (Galatians 4:8-31). Thus, Paul contrasts the difference between the New Testament, which establishes righteousness in our lives through the promise of the Spirit, and between the Old Testament Law, which failed to establish righteousness in any individual because of man’s weakness towards sin. In this three-fold defense Paul attempts to stir up their faith in Christ (Galatians 3:1-18), their understanding of Christ (Galatians 3:19 to Galatians 4:7), and their actions for Christ (Galatians 4:8-31), which applies to our spirit, mind and body. Outline - Note the proposed outline:

1. The Promise of the Spirit — Galatians 3:1-18a. The Promise Comes by Faith — Galatians 3:1-5b. The Promise Began in Abraham — Galatians 3:6-9c. The Promise Comes Thru Christ — Galatians 3:10-14d. The Promise Ratified by Covenant — Galatians 3:15-182. The Law — Galatians 3:19-29a. The Illustration of the House Attendant — Galatians 3:19-29b. Illustration of the Son as an Heir — Galatians 4:1-73. The Admonition to Stand Fast — Galatians 4:8-31a. Personal Admonition — Galatians 4:8-20b. Biblical Illustration of Sarah & Hagar — Galatians 4:21-31

Galatians 3:6-9

The Promise Began in Abraham – Paul now tells them in Galatians 3:6-9 why the promise comes by faith. He bases it upon the fact that Abraham was justified before God because of his faith in God’s promises and apart from his own works. Paul explains to the Galatians how they are the seed of righteous Abraham because of their faith in Christ, which righteousness is apart from the Mosaic Law, and thus, apart from their works. They are blessed with Abraham’s blessings because they are his spiritual descendants. Galatians 3:7-8 — Comments – The Theme of Redemption - The underlying theme of the Holy Scriptures is God’s redemptive plan for mankind. The structural theme for the book of Genesis is for mankind to be fruitful and multiply. We know that God commanded Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply and take dominion over the earth. We understand that God wanted them to produce a righteous seed, children who had faith in God. We see this underlying theme in Galatians 3:7-8 as Paul tells the believers that they are the children of Abraham. When God called Abraham to depart from his family and live in Canaan, He promised him that his offspring would bless all nations. Galatians 3:9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. Galatians 3:9 — Comments – Kenneth Copeland said, “The two most outstanding things in the Old Testament are the Blessings of Abraham and the Faith of Abraham.”[89] He said that faith is the key to activating the blessings of God in one’s life. Faith comes by hearing the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Faith works (or is manifested) by love (that is, the love walk). The epistle of James tells us that faith without works is dead. This reveals that through the preaching of God’s Word faith is planted in a receptive heart and is manifested by works of love towards God and humanity. [89] Kenneth Copeland, “Kenneth Copeland Ministries Newsletter,” January 2008 (Kenneth Copeland Ministries, Fort Worth, Texas).He says the blessing of Abraham includes everything that Jesus obtained for us on the Cross so that our lives could be abundant in every area.

Galatians 3:10-14

The Promise Comes Thru Christ - Paul then explains in 310-14 how these blessings reached the Gentiles through Christ’s redemptive work on Calvary. In this passage Paul explains that righteousness has always been imparted by faith in God’s promises, even under the Law of Moses. Since no Jew had fully obeyed every point of the Law, then they were left under its curse. Christ paid the price for us by becoming a curse for us so that the blessings of Abraham might come to us. Galatians 3:12 — Comments - The Law justifies men upon different principles. It says that justification comes by keeping all of the laws. Unfortunately, if man fails and breaks just one law, he might as well have broken them all, because he becomes guilty before God as if he had broken all; for, this is what James meant in his epistle when he wrote, “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.” (Galatians 2:10) Knowing man’s sinful nature, the Lord intended the Law to be our “schoolmaster” as a tool to lead us to Christ, as man realized his sinful nature while living under the Law. Galatians 3:11-12 — Comments – The Gospel Declares Faith in Christ Alone Apart from Works - Paul was taught the Gospel by the revelation of Jesus Christ. Romans 16:25-26, “Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:” Ephesians 3:3, “How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; as I wrote afore in few words,” Paul was taught the Lord’s Supper by revelation: 1 Corinthians 11:23, “For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:” We see the message that was revealed to him: Acts 26:22-23, “Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come: That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles.” Galatians 3:13 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: Galatians 3:13 — “being made a curse for us” – Comments - When Christ became the curse, He “took our infirmities and bare our sicknesses” (Matthew 8:17). Matthew 8:17, “That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.” Galatians 3:13 — “for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree” - Old Testament Quotes in the New Testament – The Old Testament quote in Galatians 3:13 comes from Deuteronomy 21:23, “His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God;) that thy land be not defiled, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.” Galatians 3:13 — Comments - Joseph Prince says that it was necessary that Jesus Christ be crucified on a tree in order to redeem mankind from the curse of the Law. One drop of His shed blood by any other method of death would have paid for our sins, but His death on Calvary provided our redemption from the curse that came through the Law.[90] [90] Joseph Prince, Destined to Reign, on Lighthouse Television (Kampala, Uganda), television program, 8 December 2009.Galatians 3:14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. Galatians 3:14 — Comments - Paul began his discussion of receiving God’s promise of the Holy Spirit by faith and not by works in Galatians 3:2. He then explained his statement in Galatians 3:4-14 by following a logical course of reasoning. He, thus, concludes with the same statement in Galatians 3:14. The promise of the Spirit could not come upon any people, neither Gentiles nor Jew, until the blessing of Abraham was fulfilled in Christ Jesus. This is why Paul says in this verse, “that we might receive.” He included himself, a Jew, as one who can now received the promise of the Spirit. This promise was given to Abraham on Mount Moriah (Genesis 22:15-18). Genesis 22:15-18, “And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.” God told Abraham that in his seed, that is, Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:16), all nations of the earth will be blessed. The phrase “all nations” includes the nation of Israel. The Jews were promised the coming of the Messiah and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit as well as the Gentiles. They all needed the work that He completed on the Cross in order to redeem them from the curse of the Law (Galatians 3:13) so that they might receive the blessing of Abraham (Galatians 3:14).

Galatians 3:15-18

The Promise was Ratified by a Covenant - Finally, Paul explains in Galatians 3:15-18 how the promise comes through Jesus Christ. He says that the promise was established by God’s covenant with Abraham, while the curse of the Law was established by the Mosaic Law. Although the Law was established with a covenant, these blessed promises also were established by a covenant between God and Abraham and his seed, which was Christ. Thus, the Law, which came four hundred and thirty years later, could not disannul this promise. Galatians 3:15 — “I speak after the manner of men” – Comments - Montgomery reads, “Let me illustrate, brothers, from every-day life.” The NLT reads, “here’s an example from everyday life.” Galatians 3:15 — Comments - Paul is going to say next in Galatians 3:16-18 that when God made a promise to Abraham, He could not add to it four hundred thirty (430) years later in the form of the Mosaic Law. The promise stood alone and unaffected by the Law. The promise did not need the Law to find its fulfillment. Galatians 3:16 — Comments - The promise mentioned in Galatians 3:16 that was made to Abraham is mentioned in Genesis 12:7, “And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him.” The word seed refers to Abraham’s descendents. Galatians 3:18 For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.

Galatians 3:19-4

The Law: Explaining the Law in Light of the New Covenant – In 2 Corinthians 3:19 to 2 Corinthians 4:7 Paul explains the Law in light of the new covenant in Christ Jesus. He does this by using two illustrations from their culture, that of the house keeper attending the son, and that of the son as an heir. Outline – Here is a proposed outline:

1. The Illustration of the House Attendant — Galatians 3:19-292. Illustration of the Son as an Heir — Galatians 4:1-7