The Gospel is Received

1. The Foolishness of Works-Salvation (3:1-5)

Galatians 3:1 ESV

O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified.

Bewitch = “to turn an evil eye on”

“to attract or delight (someone) in a way that seems magical” (Britannica); “to attract or impress somebody so much that they cannot think in a sensible way” (Oxford Learner’s Dic)

“It was before your eyes”: There is no way they could have missed the truth about grace. Note the play on words bewitched and “before your eyes.”

Don’t replace the cross with works-salvation

Did You Work for the HS? (v.2)

Galatians 3:2 ESV

Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith?

This is asking whether they had to work to initially receive the HS.

Faith + work = salvation?

OT prophecy of HS:

Ezekiel 36:26–27 ESV

And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.

Jesus’ promise of HS:

John 14:16–17 ESV

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.

The coming of the HS:

To the Jews:

Acts 2:1–4 ESV

When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

To the Gentiles:

Acts 10:44–45 ESV

While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles.

The HS as promise, not to be worked for

Are You Perfected by Works? (v.3)

Galatians 3:3 ESV

Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?

Note the repetitive comment of being foolish.

This is asking whether, after beginning by faith, are they now turning back to the Law to become “perfect” “complete?”

The Spirit and the flesh are in opposition to each other.

It is the Spirit who works salvation in us and then continues to renew new, make us more complete:

1 Corinthians 6:11 ESV

And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

They are saved and being made more like Christ not because they are following the law, but because the HS is transforming them.

Do You Suffer because You Follow the Law? (v.4)

Galatians 3:4 ESV

Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain?

Evidence that this was possible persecution: Paul and Barnabas encountered it at first visit in the region—Acts 13:50ff; 14:5-6; 14:19-20. By accepting circumcision and following the Law, the Galatians could avoid persecution by Judaizers.

This is what the Judaizers were doing:

Galatians 6:12 ESV

It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh who would force you to be circumcised, and only in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ.

They are suffering because they stand for justification by faith alone apart from works. Is this persecution in vain?

Galatians: Verse by Verse The Question of an Empty Religious Experience (3:4)

To have so much, and to throw it all away on a lie—that is the quintessential tragedy!

They are suffering because they do not follow the law, but the law of faith.

Are Miracles Done because You Follow the Law? (v.5)

Galatians 3:5 ESV

Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith—

Signs and wonders had occurred among them: Acts 14:3, 8-10

In Iconium, Paul & Barnabas healed people, etc.

In Lystra, Paul healed a man lame from birth.

They were healed and miracles were done not because they followed the commandments/law.

(1) Did you receive the HS because of what you did?

(2) Are we becoming more like Christ by what we do?

(3) Do we suffer because we do not obey the laws of God?

(4) Does God answer prayers and watch over you based upon how well you follow his commandments?

Illustrations from other PP here

2. The Faith of Father Abraham (3:6-9)

Abraham Was Justified by Faith (v.6)

Galatians 3:6 ESV

just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”?

God’s covenant with Abraham:

Genesis 12:1–3 (ESV)

Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.

And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.

I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Genesis 15:6 ESV

And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.

“counted it to him” - forensic legal term

It is a right standing before God, not right conduct

Galatians: Verse by Verse (Thesis: Faith Credited as Righteousness (3:6))

Obedience does not produce righteousness but results from the righteous status that accrues to us only by faith

Faith Makes Abraham our Faith-Forefather (v.7-9)

Galatians 3:7–9 ESV

Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

It is not the Judaizers who are Abraham’s descendents; it is the Galatian Gentiles b/c they are of the faith of Abraham.

Abraham is the exemplar of faith.

Paul sees this as a prophetic plan of God: God had all along planned for Abraham to be the conduit by which the nations would come to salvation.

v.9 literally “those of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.”

Who are the true descendents of Abraham? Israel? Jews? No, says Paul, but those who are of faith.

3. The Futility of Works-Salvation (3:10-12)

Those Under Law Are Cursed (v.10)

Galatians 3:10 ESV

For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.”

Reference to Deut. 27:26 when Moses sets before Israel the laws that they must follow. If they do not follow them, curses (punishments) will follow.

This is how the law works: “Keep the commandments, escape the penalties; Break the commandments, suffer the penalties.”

The problem: no one can keep all the commandments. Thus, if you are trying to live by law, you are still under a curse (punishment; penalties)

Those of Faith Are Righteous (v.11-12)

Galatians 3:11–12 ESV

Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.” But the law is not of faith, rather “The one who does them shall live by them.”

This is how salvation by grace works: You shall live by faith. Better way to say it: “By faith, you shall LIVE.”

4. Conclusion: The Gospel is Received (v.13-14)

Christ Took Our Curse (v.13)

Galatians 3:13 ESV

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”—

How salvation by grace actually works: “Keep the commandments, suffer the penalty; Break the commandments, escape the penalty.”

Jesus as only one who lived perfectly:

Hebrews 4:15 ESV

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.

1 Peter 2:22 ESV

He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth.

Jesus lived by the law and fulfilled the law in every way. He was perfectly holy but was put to death for the sins of the world.

The result for us?

We Receive Salvation, the Spirit, by Faith (v.14)

Galatians 3:14 ESV

so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.

We escape the penalty for our sins by believing and trusting in the work Jesus did on our behalf.

Romans 5:6–10 ESV

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.

Illustration of cross being both penalty (law) and forgiveness/salvation (grace)

The Great Exchange:

“But when our unrighteousness was fulfilled, and it had been made perfectly clear that its wages—punishment and death—were to be expected, then the season arrived during which God had decided to reveal at last his goodness and power (o, the surpassing kindness and love of God!) He did not hate us, or reject us, or bear a grudge against us; instead he was patient and forbearing; in his mercy he took upon himself our sins; he himself gave up his own son as a ransom for us, the holy one for the lawless, the guiltless for the guilty, the just for the unjust, the incorruptible for the corruptible, the immortal for the immortal. For what else but his righteousness could have covered our sins? In whom was it possible for us, the lawless and ungodly, to be justified, except in the Son of God alone? O the sweet exchange, O the incomprehensible work of God, O the unexpected blessings, that the sinfulness of many should be hidden in one righteous man, while the righteousness of one should justify many sinners!”

Epistle to Diognetus 9:2-5 (AD second century)