Galatians 3:1. O SENSELESS GALATIANS, to think that righteousness comes through the law, and thus virtually to deny the necessity and efficacy of Christ's death (Galatians 2:21). No reference to natural dullness or stupidity (for the Galatians, like all the Celtic races, were bright and intelligent)... [ Continue Reading ]
Galatians 3:2. Paul appeals to their own experience at their conversion, which alone should be sufficient to convince them of the error of their present position. THIS ONLY, among other concessions which I might draw from your own spiritual experience. The ‘only' indicates that this is sufficient. W... [ Continue Reading ]
Galatians 3:3. HAVING BEGUN IN THE SPIRIT, ARE YE NOW ENDING (or FINISHING) IN THE FLESH? A fine irony. The middle voice of the Greek verb (ἐ πιτελε ῑ σθε) is preferable to the passive (‘are ye now brought to perfection') on account of the correspondence with ‘begun,' and on account of the parallel... [ Continue Reading ]
Galatians 3:4. DID YE EXPERIENCE SO MANY THINGS IN VAIN? The usual rendering ‘suffer' would refer to persecutions which the Galatians had to endure (probably from the Jews); but as we know nothing of them, it seems preferable to take the Greek verb (ἐ πάθετε) in the neutral and wider sense (otherwis... [ Continue Reading ]
Galatians 3:5. The present tense MINISTERETH and WORKETH is used to indicate the continued communication and abundant supply of the spiritual gifts. POWERS, miraculous powers, 1 Corinthians 12:10; 1 Corinthians 12:28-29. IN YOU, _i.e.,_ in your heart and will; comp. Matthew 14:2. Paul probably m... [ Continue Reading ]
Galatians 3:6. The only reply the Galatians could make to the foregoing question was: ‘By the preaching of faith.' Taxing this for granted, Paul proceeds (as in Romans 4:1) to give the historical and scriptural proof from the example of Abraham, the father of the faithful. The words are a quotation... [ Continue Reading ]
Galatians 3:7. YE PERCEIVE, THEREFORE. The Greek may be the indicative or the imperative. The former agrees better with the argumentative character of the sentence and with the parti cle ‘therefore' (άρα). Others maintain that the imperative (‘know ye') is more animated. THOSE OF FAITH, emphatic,... [ Continue Reading ]
Galatians 3:8. THE SCRIPTURE, personified, as in Galatians 3:22, for the author of the Scripture. JUSTIFIETH, now when Paul wrote, and at all times. It is the normal present indicating the only way of God's justification, and sure accomplishment of his purpose. DECLARED BEFOREHAND THE GOOD TIDIN... [ Continue Reading ]
Galatians 3:9. The emphasis lies on FAITH, as in Galatians 3:7.... [ Continue Reading ]
Galatians 3:10-12. Negative proof of Galatians 3:9, by showing the impossibility of justification by law, because we cannot keep the law, and the violation of the law subjects us to its curse (comp. Romans 3:9-20; Romans 7:7-25). No man lives up even to his own imperfect standard of goodness, much l... [ Continue Reading ]
Galatians 3:13. CHRIST REDEEMED US FROM THE CURSE OF THE LAW BY BECOMING A CURSE FOR US. One of the strongest passages for the doctrine of a vicarious atonement Christ, out of infinite love and in full agreement with the Father's eternal plan of redemption, voluntarily assumed, bore and abolished, b... [ Continue Reading ]
Galatians 3:14. THE BLESSING OF ABRAHAM, justification by faith and the whole Messianic salvation. We, _i.e.,_ all Christians whether of Jewish or Gentile descent RECEIVE THE PROMISE OF THE SPIRIT, refers back to Galatians 3:2. ‘After a wondrous chain of arguments, expressed with equal force, bre... [ Continue Reading ]
_The Educational Mission of the Law_. Paul now assumes a milder tone, and reasons with the Galatians from the common dealings of men. Even a human covenant is sacred and cannot be set aside, much more a divine covenant. Hence the promise of God to Abraham and to his seed, _i.e.,_ to his believing po... [ Continue Reading ]
Galatians 3:15. BRETHREN. Winning address, contrasting with the severe rebuke, Galatians 3:1; comp. Galatians 4:31; Galatians 6:1. ‘There is a touch of tenderness in the appeal here, as if to make amends for the severity of the foregoing rebuke' (Lightfoot). AFTER THE MANNER OF MEN, refers to the... [ Continue Reading ]
Galatians 3:16 introduces the new idea that the covenant of promise was not made with Abraham only, but with his whole seed which centres in Christ, and was therefore still waiting its fulfilment at the time when the law was given; so that it could not be abolished by the law. The emphasis lies on t... [ Continue Reading ]
Galatians 3:17 contains an inference from Galatians 3:15, in the form of a condensed restatement of the argument. It is impossible that the law should cancel the promise which was given repeatedly at least four hundred and thirty years earlier to the patriarchs, and which looked from the beginning t... [ Continue Reading ]
Galatians 3:18. If ‘the inheritance,' _i.e._, all the temporal and spiritual blessings promised to Abraham and culminating in the Christian salvation (comp. the word ‘inheritance,' Matthew 5:5; Acts 20:32; 1 Corinthians 6:9; Galatians 5:21), proceeded from the Law and depended on its observance, it... [ Continue Reading ]
Galatians 3:19. WHAT THEN IS THE LAW? Since the law has properly nothing to do with the Christian salvation, the question arises: To what end was it then given at all, what is its use and import? The difficulty leads the Apostle to a profound exposition or the relation of the Mosaic to the Christian... [ Continue Reading ]
Galatians 3:20. The natural translation and meaning of this famous cross of interpreters seems to be this: NOW A MEDIATOR (every mediator, including Moses, Galatians 3:19) [1] IS NOT OF ONE (of one party only, but always presupposes two or more parties; in this case God and the Jewish people); BUT G... [ Continue Reading ]
Galatians 3:21. If the law had the power to break sin and to impart righteousness and life, it would indeed be a rival of the promise and enter into conflict with it. But this is not the aim of the law at all; on the contrary it is intended merely to bring sin to its proper crisis and thereby to pre... [ Continue Reading ]
Galatians 3:22. THE SCRIPTURE, the whole Old Testament, including the law. It is here personified as in Galatians 3:8, and stands for the author of the Scripture. The Apostle may have had in mind a special passage, as Psalms 143:2 (quoted above Galatians 2:16) or Deuteronomy 27:26 (quoted Galatians... [ Continue Reading ]
Galatians 3:23. BEFORE THE FAITH CAME, the faith in Jesus Christ just mentioned (Galatians 3:22), which under the legal dispensation existed only as a latent element of life. WE WERE SHUT UP AND KEPT IN WARD UNDER THE LAW FOR THE FAITH ABOUT TO BE REVEALED, _i.e.,_ in order to be prepared for the f... [ Continue Reading ]
Galatians 3:24. SO THEN THE LAW HAS BEEN OUR TUTOR UNTO CHRIST. This sentence expresses in a few words the true philosophy of the law in its relation to Christ ‘Tutor,' literally _pædagogue_ (leader of boys), one intrusted with the moral supervision and instruction of minors. In Greek and Roman fami... [ Continue Reading ]
Galatians 3:26. FOR YE ALL ARE SONS OF GOD. ‘All,' Jews and Gentiles alike (comp. Galatians 3:27-28). ‘Sons' (not ‘children,' E. V.), implies here the idea of age and freedom, as distinct from the state of childhood and pupilage under the training of the pædagogue. Comp. Galatians 4:6-7; Romans 8:14... [ Continue Reading ]
Galatians 3:27. AS MANY OF YOU AS WERE BAPTIZED INTO CHRIST, DID PUT ON CHRIST. The Greek tenses (aorists) make the two acts simultaneous; in the act and at the time of your baptism ye did clothe yourselves with Christ. ‘Into' implies introduction into union with Christ, mystical incorporation in Ch... [ Continue Reading ]
Galatians 3:28. THERE IS NEITHER JEW NOR GREEK, etc., there is no room for, and there can be no room. Paul negatives, ‘not the fact only, but the possibility, as James 1:17.' The great idea of freedom, fraternity, and equality, then, is to be traced to Christianity, although it is often carnally mis... [ Continue Reading ]
Galatians 3:29. AND IF YE ARE CHRIST'S, THEN ARE YE ABRAHAM'S SEED, HEIRS ACCORDING to premise. The final conclusion of this profound, comprehensive, varied, and terse reasoning, in proof of the assertion Galatians 3:7, that the believers are the true children of Abraham, and consequently heirs by p... [ Continue Reading ]