Law or faith
3
1 O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you not be persuaded by the Truth* Perhaps 3% of the Greek manuscripts omit “that you not be persuaded by the Truth” (as in NIV, NASB, LB, TEV, etc.), which weakens the statement considerably.—Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as having been crucified, before your very eyes!† It almost sounds like there was a dramatic demonstration. 2 Just tell me one thing: Did you receive the Spirit by works of law, or by hearing of faith? 3 Can you be so foolish? Having begun in spirit, do you finish in flesh? 4 Have you suffered so much for nothing—if it really was for nothing? 5 Furthermore, He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, is He activated by works of law, or by hearing of faith?‡ Although I have capitalized the pronoun, there must have been a human being involved as well.— 6 just as Abraham ‘believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness.’§ This is a quote from Genesis 15:6, but is not presented as such.
7 Now you must know that only those who are of faith are ‘sons’ of Abraham. 8 Further, the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the nations by faith,* The form of the verb is ambiguous as to mood; it could be either Indicative or Subjunctive. The Indicative would give a direct quote, “God justifies the nations by faith”, but we don't find this quote in the OT, so I chose the Subjunctive. Notice that ‘the Scripture’ is personified! It/He sees/knows in advance what God is going to do. proclaimed the Gospel in advance to Abraham: “All the nations will be blessed through you.”† This is a direct quote from Genesis 12:3, which, of course, had not been written yet in Abraham's day (in his day the only written Scripture available was the book of Job). Notice that the personification of ‘Scripture’ continues; It/He is the One who said this to Abraham, so all we need to do is go back to Genesis to find out who it is—Jehovah Himself, presumably the Son! 9 So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the faithful.
The curse of the law
10 Now as many as are ‘by works of law’ are under a curse; because it stands written, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all the things written in the Book of the Law, to do them.”‡ This is a direct quote from Deuteronomy 27:26. 11 Further, it is evident that no one is justified by law before God, because “the righteous one will live by faith.”§ This is a quote from Habakkuk 2:4. 12 While the law is not of faith but, “the man who does them will live by them.”* This is a quote from Leviticus 18:5.
13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse in our place—because it stands written, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree”† This is a direct quote from Deuteronomy 21:23.— 14 so that the blessing of Abraham might come to the nations/Gentiles through Christ Jesus; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through the faith.
The covenant with Abraham
15 Brothers: as a man I speak a covenant; though only of a man, once it has been ratified no one annuls or adds to it. 16 But to Abraham were spoken the promises,‡ Paul draws a contrast between a hypothetical covenant he might speak as a man, and the promises actually spoken to Abraham and his Seed. and to his Seed. He does not say “and to seeds,” as about many, but “and to your seed,” as about one, who is Christ. 17 Further, I say this: a covenant confirmed beforehand by God in Christ§ Less than 3% of the Greek manuscripts, of inferior quality, omit “in Christ” (as in NIV, NASB, LB, TEV, etc.). Without Christ, the Seed, there would have been no promise. The incarnation of Jehovah the Son was in the Plan before the creation of this world (1 Peter 1:19-20). cannot be annulled by the law that came four hundred and thirty years later,* Abraham left Haran in 1921 bc, when he was 75. The Exodus occurred in 1491 bc. 1921 – 1491 = 430. For an explanation of these dates see the excellent discussion by Floyd Nolen Jones in his Chronology of the Old Testament: A Return to the Basics, Kings Word Press, 1999 (14th edition). so as to make the promise of no effect. 18 For if the inheritance were of law, it would no longer be of promise, but God granted it to Abraham by promise.
The law was a guardian
19 Why then the law? It was added on account of the transgressions, until the Seed should come to whom the inheritance had been promised; and it was ordered through angels by the hand of a mediator.† “By the hand of a mediator” would presumably refer to Moses, since he passed the Law on to the people, but the reference to “angels” puzzles me. The OT account has God dealing directly with Moses, or so it seems to me. Perhaps God used angels to communicate some of the lesser details, or to refresh Moses' memory. 20 (Now that mediator is not for just one, but God is one.)‡ I take this verse to be parenthetical because it does not seem to contribute to the argument. The word ‘mediator’ that ends verse 19 gives rise to the parenthetical comment, because Paul then used the definite article with the same word at the beginning of verse 20, which is why I render “that mediator”. Paul then states the obvious—for someone to be a mediator there must be at least two parties at odds—which he contrasts with something even more obvious—God is one. Perhaps the point is that which lies behind the question in verse 21: since God is the source of both Law and Promise, and He being one cannot be at odds with Himself, then Law and Promise cannot be at odds. Moses functioned as mediator between God and the people. 21 Is the law then against the promises of God? Of course not! Rather, if a law had been given that was capable of imparting life, truly righteousness would have been by the law. 22 But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin,§ “Everything”, not ‘everyone’—that is what the Text says. Romans 8:19-22 spells it out—the consequences of Adam's fall extended to and included the creation. How could a perfect world be administered by a fallen man? so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
23 Now before this faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, in confinement until the coming faith was revealed. 24 So then, the law became our guardian until Christ, so that we might be justified by faith. 25 Now that the faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.
26 So all of you are sons of God through the faith in Christ Jesus. 27 As many of you as were baptized into Christ* See 1 Corinthians 12:13. have clothed yourselves with Christ 28 —there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no ‘male and female’;† The Text does not have ‘neither male nor female’; the formula changes, as I have indicated. I suppose the reference is to Genesis 1:27, and the reason for the female in Genesis 2:18. All are saved on the same basis. all of you are one in Christ Jesus‡ The reference is to the spiritual realm, not the physical—a Jew who believes into Jesus does not stop being a physical Jew, a slave who believes into Jesus does not automatically change social status, a male who believes into Jesus does not stop being a physical male, etc. But if we are all “clothed with Christ”, verse 27, we will all look alike, at least from a distance. People looking at us should think they are looking at Him.— 29 so if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed§ Abraham's seed, not Jacob's. and heirs according to the promise.

*3:1 Perhaps 3% of the Greek manuscripts omit “that you not be persuaded by the Truth” (as in NIV, NASB, LB, TEV, etc.), which weakens the statement considerably.

†3:1 It almost sounds like there was a dramatic demonstration.

‡3:5 Although I have capitalized the pronoun, there must have been a human being involved as well.

§3:6 This is a quote from Genesis 15:6, but is not presented as such.

*3:8 The form of the verb is ambiguous as to mood; it could be either Indicative or Subjunctive. The Indicative would give a direct quote, “God justifies the nations by faith”, but we don't find this quote in the OT, so I chose the Subjunctive. Notice that ‘the Scripture’ is personified! It/He sees/knows in advance what God is going to do.

†3:8 This is a direct quote from Genesis 12:3, which, of course, had not been written yet in Abraham's day (in his day the only written Scripture available was the book of Job). Notice that the personification of ‘Scripture’ continues; It/He is the One who said this to Abraham, so all we need to do is go back to Genesis to find out who it is—Jehovah Himself, presumably the Son!

‡3:10 This is a direct quote from Deuteronomy 27:26.

§3:11 This is a quote from Habakkuk 2:4.

*3:12 This is a quote from Leviticus 18:5.

†3:13 This is a direct quote from Deuteronomy 21:23.

‡3:16 Paul draws a contrast between a hypothetical covenant he might speak as a man, and the promises actually spoken to Abraham and his Seed.

§3:17 Less than 3% of the Greek manuscripts, of inferior quality, omit “in Christ” (as in NIV, NASB, LB, TEV, etc.). Without Christ, the Seed, there would have been no promise. The incarnation of Jehovah the Son was in the Plan before the creation of this world (1 Peter 1:19-20).

*3:17 Abraham left Haran in 1921 bc, when he was 75. The Exodus occurred in 1491 bc. 1921 – 1491 = 430. For an explanation of these dates see the excellent discussion by Floyd Nolen Jones in his Chronology of the Old Testament: A Return to the Basics, Kings Word Press, 1999 (14th edition).

†3:19 “By the hand of a mediator” would presumably refer to Moses, since he passed the Law on to the people, but the reference to “angels” puzzles me. The OT account has God dealing directly with Moses, or so it seems to me. Perhaps God used angels to communicate some of the lesser details, or to refresh Moses' memory.

‡3:20 I take this verse to be parenthetical because it does not seem to contribute to the argument. The word ‘mediator’ that ends verse 19 gives rise to the parenthetical comment, because Paul then used the definite article with the same word at the beginning of verse 20, which is why I render “that mediator”. Paul then states the obvious—for someone to be a mediator there must be at least two parties at odds—which he contrasts with something even more obvious—God is one. Perhaps the point is that which lies behind the question in verse 21: since God is the source of both Law and Promise, and He being one cannot be at odds with Himself, then Law and Promise cannot be at odds. Moses functioned as mediator between God and the people.

§3:22 “Everything”, not ‘everyone’—that is what the Text says. Romans 8:19-22 spells it out—the consequences of Adam's fall extended to and included the creation. How could a perfect world be administered by a fallen man?

*3:27 See 1 Corinthians 12:13.

†3:28 The Text does not have ‘neither male nor female’; the formula changes, as I have indicated. I suppose the reference is to Genesis 1:27, and the reason for the female in Genesis 2:18. All are saved on the same basis.

‡3:28 The reference is to the spiritual realm, not the physical—a Jew who believes into Jesus does not stop being a physical Jew, a slave who believes into Jesus does not automatically change social status, a male who believes into Jesus does not stop being a physical male, etc. But if we are all “clothed with Christ”, verse 27, we will all look alike, at least from a distance. People looking at us should think they are looking at Him.

§3:29 Abraham's seed, not Jacob's.

© 2016 Wilbur N. Pickering, ThM, PhD