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The Letters · New Testament

Galatians 3

Galatians 3: the promise to Abraham and the purpose of the law

General context

Paul calls the Galatians foolish, asks who has bewitched them, then presses one question: did they receive the Spirit by works of the law or by the hearing of faith? He asks whether people who began in the Spirit are now perfected by the flesh, whether their suffering was wasted, and which of the two produces the miracles among them. He answers from Abraham, who believed God and had it accounted for righteousness, and argues that those of faith are Abraham's children, since scripture announced beforehand a blessing on all nations in him. Those who rely on works of the law are under a curse, he says, stacking written lines: a curse on anyone who does not continue in all the law requires, the statement that the just shall live by faith, and the law's own rule that the man who does these things shall live in them. Christ redeemed them from that curse by becoming a curse, quoted from words about hanging on a tree, so Abraham's blessing reaches the Gentiles. He then argues from ordinary practice: a confirmed human covenant cannot be annulled or added to. The promises were made to Abraham and his seed, and he presses the singular noun, since the law came four hundred and thirty years later and cannot cancel the earlier covenant. So what was the law for? It was added because of transgressions until the seed came ordained by angels through a mediator. Scripture shut everything under sin so the promise could come by faith, and the law was a schoolmaster until Christ. Now those baptized into Christ have put him on, and Jew and Greek, bond and free, male and female no longer divide.

Cited passages: Galatians 3:1, Galatians 3:2, Galatians 3:3, Galatians 3:4, Galatians 3:5, Galatians 3:6, Galatians 3:7, Galatians 3:8, Galatians 3:10, Galatians 3:11, Galatians 3:12, Galatians 3:13, Galatians 3:14, Galatians 3:15, Galatians 3:16, Galatians 3:17, Galatians 3:18, Galatians 3:19, Galatians 3:21, Galatians 3:22, Galatians 3:24, Galatians 3:25, Galatians 3:27, Galatians 3:28, Galatians 3:29

Galatians 3 (KJV)

1O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?

2This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

3Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?

4Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain.

5He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

6Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.

7Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.

8And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.

9So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.

10For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.

11But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.

12And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.

13Christ 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:

14That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

15Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man’s covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto.

16Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.

17And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.

18For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.

19Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.

20Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one.

21Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.

22But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.

23But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.

24Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

25But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

26For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

27For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

28There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

29And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

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Historical context

The chapter quotes scripture repeatedly and never names a book for any of it. Verse 6 prints Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness, where Genesis 15:6 prints And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness, supplying the two names the older verse leaves as pronouns. Verse 8 prints In thee shall all nations be blessed; Genesis 12:3 prints in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. Verse 10 prints Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them, against Deuteronomy 27:26, Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them. Verse 11 prints The just shall live by faith where Habakkuk 2:4 prints the just shall live by his faith. Verse 12 compresses Leviticus 18:5, which reads which if a man do, he shall live in them. Verse 13 prints Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree, where Deuteronomy 21:23 reads he that is hanged is accursed of God. The figure of four hundred and thirty years is the chapter's own and it names no event at either end.

Cited passages: Galatians 3:6, Galatians 3:8, Galatians 3:10, Galatians 3:11, Galatians 3:12, Galatians 3:13, Galatians 3:17, Genesis 15:6, Genesis 12:3, Deuteronomy 27:26, Habakkuk 2:4, Leviticus 18:5, Deuteronomy 21:23

Literary context

The chapter opens at full volume with a vocative and six questions in five verses, none of them answered on the spot. The answer comes instead as a chain of quotations, each introduced by a short formula, it is written, or by no more than a for or a but, so the argument advances by stacking texts rather than by explaining them. Curse and blessing are the hinge words, applied first to those under the law, then to Christ, then to the Gentiles. One argument turns on a single letter: seed rather than seeds, and the chapter states the grammatical point outright, He saith not, And to seeds, as of many. The image of the schoolmaster gives the law a job with an end date, and the closing lines drop argument for a list of pairs that the chapter says no longer divide, ending on Abraham's name where it began.

Cited passages: Galatians 3:1, Galatians 3:2, Galatians 3:3, Galatians 3:5, Galatians 3:6, Galatians 3:10, Galatians 3:13, Galatians 3:14, Galatians 3:16, Galatians 3:24, Galatians 3:28, Galatians 3:29

Key moments

  1. Who hath bewitched you (Galatians 3:1). Paul opens with an accusation and a question, not an argument.
  2. How did you receive the Spirit (Galatians 3:2). He puts the whole dispute on one question about origin.
  3. Abraham believed God (Galatians 3:6). The argument turns to Abraham as the test case for faith.
  4. Under the curse (Galatians 3:10). A written curse is applied to those relying on works of the law.
  5. Not seeds, but seed (Galatians 3:16). The argument rests on a singular noun in the promise.
  6. The law as schoolmaster (Galatians 3:24). The law is given a role that ends when faith comes.
  7. All one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28). Three pairs of divisions are declared not to divide.

For reflection

Paul asks the Galatians whether what began in the Spirit is now being finished by the flesh. Where in your own life has something that started as trust quietly turned into a checklist?

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