Galatians 3 – Flesh or Spirit?
As we come to the third chapter, Paul does not mince words. He starts with the phrase “You foolish Galatians!” He tells us how he really feels! Before we dive in to this chapter, I want to go back to vs. 19-21 of the previous chapter. “For through the law I have died to the law, so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body. I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing.” I want to focus in on the last phrase – then Christ died for nothing. If Christ’s death is once for all then we can’t go back to being under the law. Faith in Christ, who conquered sin and death, brings life. This is what it means to live by faith in the Son of God. When we walk in faith, Christ brings us life. Now let’s jump into chapter three.
Vs 1-5 You foolish Galatians! Who has hypnotized you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was vividly portrayed as crucified? I only want to learn this from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now going to be made complete by the flesh? Did you suffer so much for nothing if in fact it was for nothing? So then, does God supply you with the Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law or by hearing with faith?
As I stated above, Paul does not mince words. “You foolish Galatians”. The Greek word for foolish is anoētoi, which means unwise, unintelligent and inconsiderate. I find the third definition very enlightening. Foolishness isn’t just being unwise, it is also inconsiderate. By being foolish, the Galatians are inconsiderate of the work Christ did to bring salvation into the world. Paul then asks them a question: “Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law or by hearing with faith?” We have to ask ourselves – does God’s work in us through the flesh or does He work through the Spirit? If by the flesh, then man would be able to fulfill the law, but we know that isn’t the case. In fact, we have failed enormously. No, salvation comes by the Spirit though Christ. We must put our faith in Christ, who fulfilled the law.
Vs. 6-14 Just as Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him for righteousness, then understand that those who have faith are Abraham’s sons. Now the Scripture saw in advance that God would justify the Gentiles by faith and told the good news ahead of time to Abraham, saying All the nations will be blessed through you. So those who have faith are blessed with Abraham, who had faith. For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, because it is written: Everyone who does not continue doing everything written in the book of the law is cursed. Now it is clear that no one is justified before God by the law, because the righteous will live by faith. But the law is not based on faith; instead, the one who does these things will live by them. Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, because it is written: Everyone who is hung on a tree is cursed. The purpose was that the blessing of Abraham would come to the Gentiles by Christ Jesus, so that we could receive the promised Spirit through faith.
Abraham is our example for many reasons. First, he was chosen by God to be the father of a nation, and then many nations. Second, he was a man of great faith. In this passage, Paul makes reference to Genesis 15. Here God tells Abram that he will be the father of a nation and that it will be through a son born by he and Sarah not through Ishmael. Genesis 15:4-6 says, “Now the word of the Lord came to him: “This one will not be your heir; instead, one who comes from your own body will be your heir.” He took him outside and said, “Look at the sky and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” Then He said to him, “Your offspring will be that numerous.” Abram believed the Lord, and He credited it to him as righteousness.” Later in Genesis 18:18 God tells Abraham that all nations will be blessed through him. “Abraham is to become a great and powerful nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed through him.” This is a promise for salvation for all the peoples of the earth. And then, we must understand that those who live by the law are under it’s curse. The consequences to not fulfilling the law is death. If we live in the flesh then death is our destiny. But, if we live in the Spirit, Christ became a curse for us on the cross so we could have life.
Vs. 15-18 Brothers, I’m using a human illustration. No one sets aside or makes additions to even a human covenant that has been ratified. Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say “and to seeds,” as though referring to many, but referring to one, and to your seed, who is Christ. And I say this: The law which came 430 years later, does not revoke a covenant that was previously ratified by God and cancel the promise. For if the inheritance is from the law, it is no longer from the promise; but God granted it to Abraham through the promise.
To go back, Paul is speaking of the original covenant promise given to Abraham. It was a very specific promise to Abraham’s seed. Notice the promise is through the child of Abraham and Sarah, not Abraham and Hagar. There is a promise attached to Ishmael, but it is not the same. God even changed Abraham’s name from Abram, which means exalted father or father of a nation, to Abraham, which means father of a multitude of nations. But, the promise is through Abraham, Issac and Jacob. On a side note, I find it very interesting that both Issac and Jacob are the second sons. Inheritance in these days went to the first son, but God shows us that His way is not our way. We can look at this further down the line and see the line of Jesus actually came through the 4th son of Jacob – Judah. This promise is our inheritance, our hope, our way back to a relationship with God. The law came 430 years after this promise. The law is the standard God has set for us, but the promise is always at the heart of God. It is the only way the standard can be fulfilled. Without the promise, the law crushes us. With the promise, hope exists.
Vs. 19-29 Why then was the law given? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise was made would come. The law was put into effect through angels by means of a mediator. Now a mediator is not for just one person, but God is one. Is the law therefore contrary to God’s promises? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that was able to give life, then righteousness would certainly be by the law. But the Scripture has imprisoned everything under sin’s power, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. Before this faith came, we were confined under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith was revealed. The law, then, was our guardian until Christ, so that we could be justified by faith. But since that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ like a garment. There is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, heirs according to the promise.
If you have ever wondered why the law came in the first place, this is your answer. The law came because of our sin. It was our guardian while we waited for the promise to come. There had to be a standard for holiness and righteousness. There had to be a target for us to aim at. This is what the law gives us. It is not contrary to the promise – it puts a magnifying glass on our need for the promise. Righteousness was never to come from the law – it is impossible to keep the law perfectly. This is why the promise precedes the law. God already had a plan in place to give us hope. The law was our guardian, and we were confined by it. We did not have freedom until the promise came to total fruition. Now, Christ has come and He fulfilled the law. He freed us from the bondage of the law. Does this negate the law? No. The law is still the standard God has set for holiness. The difference is that Jesus fulfilled the law. Now we come to God through Him. This is why Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. In Christ there is no Jew or Greek, no slave or free, no male or female – there is only a oneness in Christ. The good news – we are joint heirs because of the promise. In Christ we have salvation, hope, and a renewed relationship with a holy and awesome God.
Bible Study Blog 