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 ]