Galatians 3:1

Galatians 3:1-9. Justification by Faith, the dispensation of the Spirit

1. In the concluding verses of the preceding chapter the Apostle has not been directly addressing the Galatians. He has rather been following up his rebuke to Peter by an argument a soliloquy ending in a reductio ad absurdum. A doctrine which practically makes the death of Christ superfluous is impious and revolting. -And is this the doctrine which you were lightly disposed to accept? O foolish Galatians, to what spell of sorcery have you succumbed? Christ Crucified was lifted up before you as the object of faith. Instead of looking away (Hebrews 12:2) from all else to Jesus Christ alone, you allowed your eyes to wander to the Law and your own works, and so yielded to the deadly fascination of these Judaizing teachers."

O foolish Galatians The epithet -foolish" does not refer to a national characteristic. The Galatians, like other Keltic races, were quick-witted. Their folly consisted in not seeing the inconsistency of the new teaching with their own experience (Galatians 3:2) and the impious conclusion to which it inevitably led, c. Galatians 2:21. Our Lord addressed the two disciples at Emmaus in the same terms "O fools, &c." Luke 24:25.

hath bewitched Rather, -bewitched", cast a spell over you, the allusion being to the time when they -so readily" (c. Galatians 1:6) transferred their allegiance to the Judaizing teachers. The change so sudden, and so senseless, seems like the effect supposed to be produced by magical arts. This verb does not occur elsewhere in N. T., though not uncommon in Classical Greek. It is used of the spell which was supposed to be cast over persons, especially children, by the influence of the evil eyea superstition prevalent in ancient times, and still existing in the East, in Italy and among the Kelts in Brittany. The word sometimes expresses, as here, the baneful effect on the victim, sometimes the feeling of envy or jealousy on the part of the agent. There may be a combination of these two ideas here; for St Paul alludes (c. Galatians 4:17; Galatians 6:12) to the intense spirit of partisanship by which the Judaizers were actuated.

that ye should not obey the truth Rightly omitted in the R.V. The clause is not found in the best MSS., and has probably been inserted from ch. Galatians 5:7.

before whose eyes -to whom, confronting you, Christ was set forth".

hath been evidently set forth crucified This of course does not imply that they had actually witnessed His Crucifixion indeed the tense of the participle -crucified" (better, -as having been crucified") excludes such an explanation. One verb in the original stands for -hath been evidently set forth". Render, - was set forth ". The same word occurs Romans 15:4, where it is rightly translated "were written before". It is not probable that this can be the sense in this passage, first, because there is no specific mention of our Lord's death by Crucifixionin the Messianic prophecies of the O.T.; and secondly, because in such prophecies Christ could not be said to have been described as crucified - before their eyes". Two other explanations (both in a figurative sense) have been adopted, (1) -was described as in a picture, was pourtrayed, or delineated". This finds favour with Theod. Mops., Luther, Calvin, and others; and (2) -was publicly announced, proclaimed". The latter sense is preferred by Bp. Lightfoot, on the ground of its being "the common word to describe all public notices or proclamations". In Judges 4 we have a similar thought -whose names have been posted up as of men doomed to this condemnation".

among you Omitted in many MSS. and in R.V. If it is retained, it may refer to the fact that the doctrine of the Cross, -embracing the whole mystery of redemption by grace and freedom from legal obligation" (Alford), had been proclaimed without reserve among them, not as a passing announcement, but in the systematic teaching of the Church.