Galatians 3 Verses 1 to 14 Bewitched February 4, 2024

Galatians 3 Verses 1 to 14 Bewitched February 4, 2024 Lesson 5 in A Cry for Freedom series Class Presentation Notes AAAAAA

Background Scriptures:

· 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 (NKJV)

Main Idea:

· This lesson can help you understand the benefits of grace and avoid legalism in your walk with Christ.

Study Aim:

· To understand it is not only His grace that saves you, but also sustains you in times of suffering.

Create Interest:

· Paul was defending the gospel in the earlier chapters, but there he was asserting his authority as an apostle, and that the gospel he received was directly from Christ.

· Now he turns from his experience to the Scriptures to defend the gospel.

o He will first draw the attention of the Galatians to their own experience, that of receiving the Spirit by faith (1–5).

o Then he will go to the experience of Abraham to show that he was justified by faith (6–9).

o Finally, he will show the inability of the law in these realms and declare the triumph of Christ (10–14).[1]

Lesson in Historical Context:

· Paul wrote an emotional letter to the Galatians. He chided them for listening to the false teachers who told the believers of their need to keep the rules of the Jewish law. He pointed out that they were in danger of turning from Christ and His way. Paul asked them if they were saved by the Spirit or by keeping the law. Paul explained that those who try to live under the demands of the law are under a curse because no one can keep the law perfectly. Christ set us free from the curse by becoming a curse for us. Paul explained that the purpose of the law was not to provide a way of salvation but to show us our sins. The law reveals our sinfulness and our need for a Savior. By believing in Christ, we now have the promise of faith and a personal relationship with God in Christ.[2]

· Some influential people had joined the churches of Galatia and the churches took pride in their presence. The new members were so capable and the churches were so glad to have them that they were immediately placed in positions of leadership and teaching. However, these new members had not been truly converted by Christ or else their understanding of the gospel was all confused. They began to teach that faith alone was not enough to save a person, that a person had to undergo the basic ritual of religion (circumcision) and focus his life upon the law to become acceptable to God.[3]

Bible Study:

Galatians 3:1 (NASB) 1 You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed ascrucified?

· You—emphatical. “You, before whose eyes Jesus Christ has been graphically set forth (literally, in writing, namely, by vivid portraiturein preaching) among you, crucified”. As Christ was “crucified,” so you ought to have been by faith “crucified with Christ,” and so “dead to the law” (Ga 2:19, 20). Reference to the “eyes” is appropriate, as fascination was supposed to be exercised through the eyes. The sight of Christ crucified ought to have been enough to counteract all fascination.[4]

· Paul is on the side of his converts, for he asks Who has bewitched you? To be bewitched is to be victim of someone’s “evil eye,” to be under another’s spell. Paul is using language that will go straight to the pagan heart of his converts and thereby distance them somewhat from Jewish influence.

· Furthermore, Paul may have chosen the word “bewitch” to denigrate his opponents by casting them as magicians (see Betz, Galatians, p. 131). Here as elsewhere in the letter Paul does not condescend to name his opponent(s).

· The central and determining feature of the gospel for Paul is Jesus Christ … crucified. This is Paul’s shorthand for reminding his readers of the gospel and that there is no need for Gentiles to adopt the law. As he said in the previous verse, “if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!”

· For Paul, the death of Christ proves his point: the death of Christ means that the law is no longer the means by which to live for God or to live righteously…We accept Christ by Grace through faith alone.

· Paul reminds the Galatians that while their vision may at the moment be obscured by their acceptance of a false gospel, they have seen the truth.

o For before their very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. Here Paul asserts what may be the very thing that his opponents are hiding—the scandal of the cross.

o Paul boldly identifies his gospel and the basis of his converts’ faith with the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Paul’s gospel is a gospel that preaches the crucified one, who was unexpected, although continuous, with God’s activity with the Jewish people. And Paul will go on to underscore for the Galatians that the truth of this gospel was demonstrated for them in their own experience—reception of the Spirit.[5]

o To demonstrate convincingly that faith alone is God’s method of dealing, the apostle asked fourquestions in verses 2 to 5.

In preparation for the questions Paul is about to ask the Galatians let’s soak on the following:

· The fact that Christ is a life-giving spirit (pneuma zōopoious) suggests that because of the fact the Father has given Him to have life in himself, Christ is able to make alive those who are dead in their sins (Ephesians 2:1–5). The Spirit of Christ is therefore called the Spirit of life (Romans 8:2). The person that is “in Christ” is a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). Eternal life is Christ’s life within believers that flows as long as they maintain faith in Him, just as the branch never has life independently but must abide or remain in living contact with the vine (John 15:1–6).

· More than 250 New Testament occurrences of pneumaspeak of the Holy Spirit. “The Spirit” in the absolute sense occurs about 90 times and also refers to the Third Person of the Trinity. His nature is expressed in John 6:63 with the word “to make alive.” Here we see an allusion to the Old Testament’s presentation of the Spirit as the principle of life itself. The Spirit gives life to everything that is alive: men (Genesis 2:7; Ezekiel 37:4f.); the animal world (Genesis 6:17; 7:15, 22; Ecclesiastes 3:19–21). Everyone and everything depend upon the renewing power of the Spirit for existence (Psalm 104:30 [LXX 103:30]; cf. Genesis 45:27; Numbers 27:16; Ezekiel 37:14). All of existence would slip back into a state of death if God were to withdraw His Spirit (Genesis 6:3; Psalm 104:29 [LXX 103:29]).

· The Spirit’s distinct personality is portrayed in the Bible in vivid terms. There is no question that He is the Third Person of the Godhead. God’s sending of the Spirit parallels the sending of the Son (Galatians 4:4, 6). Jesus called the Spirit “another Comforter” whom the Father would send in Christ’s name (John 14:16, 26). The word “another” (Greek allos [241]) means “another of the same kind.” He would do for us the same sort of thing Jesus did for His disciples.

o He teaches, reproves, guides, makes intercession, distributes gifts, makes responses, and glorifies Christ (John 14:26; 16:8, 13, 14; Acts 15:28; Romans 8:26; 1 Corinthians 12:11.[6]

· It is important that we understand the work of the Spirit in salvation and Christian living.

o The Holy Spirit convicts the lost sinner and reveals Christ to him (John 16:7–11).

o The sinner can resist the Spirit (Acts 7:51) or yield to the Spirit and trust Jesus Christ.

o When the sinner believes in Christ, he is then born of the Spirit (John 3:1–8) and receives new life.

o He is also baptized by the Spirit so that he becomes a part of the spiritual body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:12–14).

o The believer is sealed by the Spirit (Eph. 1:13–14) as a guarantee that he will one day share in the glory of Christ.

· Since the Holy Spirit does so much for the believer, this means that the believer has a responsibility to the Holy Spirit, who lives within his body (1 Cor. 6:19–20).

o The Christian should walk in the Spirit (Gal. 5:16, 25) by reading the Word, praying, and obeying God’s will.

o If he disobeys God, then he is grieving the Spirit (Eph. 4:30),

o If he persists in doing this, he may quench the Spirit(1 Thes. 5:19).

§ This does not mean that the Holy Spirit will leave him, because Jesus has promised that the Spirit abides forever (John 14:16).

§ But it does mean that the Spirit cannot give him the joy and power that he needs for daily Christian living during that time.

o Believers should be filled with the Spirit (Eph. 5:18–21), which simply means “controlled by the Spirit.”

📷 This is a continuous experience, enjoyed like drinking cool water from a fresh stream (John 7:37–39).[7]

Galatians 3:2 (NKJV) 2 This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

· How did you receive the Holy Spirit? This firstquestion is a rhetorical question and pointed to the time of their conversions, when they received the Holy Spirit (cf. 4:6). Thus, Paul did not question their salvation but challenged them to consider whether they were saved and received the Spirit by faith or on the basis of works.

o It was of course by faith when they heard Paul preach the gospel.As an essentially Gentile church they did not possess the Mosaic Law anyway.

Galatians 3:3 (NKJV) 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?

· How will you be sanctified? The second question is presupposing the answer that the Galatians became Christians by faith. Paul asked if they were so foolish as to think they could begin the Christian life in one way (by faith) and move on to spiritual maturity in another (by works). This was what the Judaizers promoted (cf. 4:10; 5:2; 6:13), but the means of justification and sanctification were (and are) the same.

o There was no provision under the Law for the Holy Spirit to do a work of sanctification. The Galatian believers probably thought that keeping the old Law would aid them in their spiritual lives, but it would not.

Let’s pause and focus on the word, sanctification and its relationship to justificationand salvation before moving on😊.

o The triune God not only declares his children righteous but also progressively makes them righteous, setting them apart for himself and freeing them from the entanglements of sin. This process, referred to as “sanctification,” does not happen in a moment but is the ongoing work of God throughout the life of a believer.

o In “justification,” Christ’s righteousness is imputed (credited) to believers: it is reckoned(counted) to their account, judicially speaking. In sanctification, Christ’s righteousness is imparted by the power of the Spirit, and the converted sinner becomes more like Christ. The sinner is transformed in every area of his or her life: inward and outward, heart and action, relationships, and purpose.

o Sanctification is the work of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (John 17:17, 19; 1 Cor 1:2, 30; Eph 5:25–27; Col 1:22; 1 Thess 5:23; Heb 10:10–13; 13:12, 20–21). Yet it is the Holy Spirit who applies this triune work, freeing and empowering believers to become like Christ (Rom 8:12–14; 15:16; 2 Thess 2:13; Titus 3:5; 1 Pet 1:2). Scripture’s frequent designation of the HolySpirit speaks to the fitting nature of the Spirit’s role as sanctifier.

o Sanctification does not occur as a separate step after salvation; rather, it is the working out of one’s salvation into the whole of life and practice. It is not simply ethical conformity but the conformity of one’s entire life into the image of God. Sanctification is the natural application of justification: those who have been declared holy are now made holy. It is the natural development of regeneration: those who have received new life now live out this life as they grow in Christ. It is also the natural implication of adoption: God’s beloved children imitate Him in holiness and purity. Christians are enabled to do good works that please and honor God, love and serve others,

o and represent God’s character and ways before the world (John 15:5, 8; Rom 7:4; 1 Cor 10:31; Gal 6:2; Jas 2:14–22).[8]

Let’s move on…that was much to take in and soak on. This is a good time to take a break, stretch, and get ready to focus again😊.

Galatians 3:4 (NKJV) 4 Have you suffered so many things in vain--if indeed it was in vain?

· Did you suffer in vain? The third question looked back on the persecution the apostles and new believers experienced in the region of Galatia. As Paul and Barnabas retraced their steps at the end of the first missionary journey, they warned the Galatian converts that they would suffer as Christians (Acts 14:21–22).

o Persecution evidently soon followed, and Paul reminded them that if they turned from grace to Law, they would brand their former position in error and would then have suffered so much for nothing. But the apostle was unwilling to believe that this was so.

Galatians 3:5 (NKJV) 5 Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?—

· On what basis did God perform miracles? The fourthquestion focuses on miracles that were performed among the Galatians by divine power and were recorded in the Book of Acts (14:3, 8–11).

o It was clear, furthermore, that these supernatural works were not the result of the works of the Law but from the hearing that leads to faith. The Galatians did not know the Law, and Paul’s message was that of justification by faith.[9]

Galatians 3:6-9 (NKJV) 6 just as Abraham "believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." 7 Therefore know that onlythose who are of faith are sons of Abraham. 8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, "In you all the nations shall be blessed." 9 So then those who areof faith are blessed with believing Abraham.

· Vs. 6: Believed God: It wasn’t that Abraham believed in God (as we usually speak of believing in God). Instead, it was that Abraham believed God. Those who only believe in God, in the sense that they believe He exists, are only as spiritual as demons are. (James 2:19)

o “Believed, of course, means more than that he accepted what God said as true (though, of course, he did that); it means that he trusted God.” (Morris)

o Generally speaking, ancient Rabbis did not really admire Abraham’s faith. They believed he was so loved by God because he was thought to have kept the law hundreds of years before it was given. For these and other reasons, when Paul brought up Abraham, it would have been a complete surprise to his opponents, who believed that Abraham proved their point. “Paul’s emphasis on Abraham’s faith must have come as a complete surprise to the Galatians.” (Morris)

o However, some Rabbis had seen the importance of Abraham’s faith. “It is remarkable that the Jews themselves maintained that Abraham was saved by faith. Mehilta, in Yalcut Simeoni, page 1, fol. 69, makes this assertion: ‘It is evident that Abraham could not obtain an inheritance either in this world or in the world to come, but by faith.’ ” (Clarke)

o “Faith in God constitutes the highest worship, the prime duty, the first obedience, and the foremost sacrifice. Without faith God forfeits His glory, wisdom, truth, and mercy in us.

§ The first duty of man is to believe God and to honor Him with his faith. Faith is truly the height of wisdom, the right kind of righteousness, the only real religion … Faith says to God: ‘I believe what you say.’ ” (Luther)[10]

· Vs. 7-9: Paul uses still another argument to show that it is faith and not works of the law which puts a man right with God. In the early Church converts nearly always received the Holy Spirit in a visible way. The early chapters of Acts show that happening again and again (cp. Acts 8:14–17; 10:44). There came to them a new surge of life and power that anyone could see. That experience had happened to the Galatians and had happened, said Paul, not because they had obeyed the regulations of the law, because at that time they had never heard of the law, but because they had heard the good news of the love of God and had responded to it in an act of perfect trust.

· The easiest way to grasp an idea is to see it embodied in a person. In a sense, every great word must become flesh. So, Paul pointed the Galatians to a man who embodied faith, Abraham. He was the man to whom God had made the great promise that in him all families of the earth would be blessed (Genesis 12:3). He was the man whom God had specially chosen as the man who pleased him. Wherein did Abraham specially please God? It was not by doing the works of the law, because at that time the law did not exist; it was by taking God at His word in a great act of faith.

o Now the promise of blessedness was made to the descendants of Abraham. On that the Jew relied; he held that simple physical descent from Abraham set him on a different footing with God from other men. Paul declares that to be a true descendant of Abraham is not a matter of flesh and blood; the real descendant(successor) is the man who makes the same venture of faith. Therefore, it is not those who seek merit through the law who inherit the promise made to Abraham; but those of every nation who repeat his act of faith in God. It was by an act of faith that the Galatians had begun.[11]

Galatians 3:10-14 (NKJV) 10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them." 11 But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for "the just shall live by faith." 12 Yet the law is not of faith, but "the man who does them shall live by them."

· In order to bring home to his readers how grave a matter it was to be now observing the law for their justification, and how vital it was that they return to their former trust in the Savior, the apostle solemnly announces in verse 10 that ‘All who rely on observing the law’—that is, for justification—‘are under a curse’. The curse in question is the penalty imposed by God for breaking his law, and Scripture is emphatic that no law-breaker is exempt from that curse: ‘… it is written [Deut. 27:26], “Cursed is everyonewho does not continue to do everythingwritten in the Book of the Law” ’ (v. 10, emphasis added).

· It is perfectly true that this curse would hold no terrors for us if our obedience to God’s law was perfect. When verse 12 quotes from Leviticus 18:5,‘The man who does these things will live by them’, it is being admitted as a general principle that obedience to the law of God will issue in eternal life. The righteous God will certainly justify righteous people and treat them accordingly! But………………….(keep on reading or miss the point)

· There is a universal problem, however. In Romans 3, Paul declares that ‘Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin’ (Rom. 3:9), and that ‘all have sinnedand fall short of the glory of God’ (v. 23, emphasis added). We are all law-breakers!

o The Jew has failed to keep the whole of the duties imposed in the Book of the Law, the Gentile to keep the great moral principles of that law which are written on his or her heart (Rom. 2:12–15).

o We are all under the curse! And that is why the insistence that we observe the law for justification is so utterly preposterous.

§ It is to try to attain righteousness by the very law that condemns us, by a law that has justly placed us under a curse for our transgressions.[12]

Galatians 3:13-14 (NKJV) 13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"), 14 that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

· But Paul doesn’t ignore it. He tells the story differently. He speaks of a gigantic roadblock in the plan of God. God’s promise to Abraham wasn’t simply about the Jews; it was designed for all the nations. The very opening lines of Genesis 12 said so. That was the road down which the plan was supposed to be going. Abraham’s family were to bring God’s plan of salvation to the rest of the world. That’s why there was such a family in the first place.

· Jesus, as Israel’s Messiah, took the weight of Israel’s curse on himself, not just in some abstract theological sense but quite literally and historically, when he died on the cross.

· Vs. 14: The blessing of Abraham comes on the nations in the Messiah, Jesus’: that’s Paul’s shorthand way of putting it.

o through faith—not by works. Here he resumes the thought in Ga 3:2. “The Spirit from without, kindles within us some spark of faith whereby we lay hold of Christ, and even of the Spirit Himself, that He may dwell within us” [Flacius].[13]

· The cross of Jesus and the gift of the spirit mean that God has dealt with the problem that stood in the way of the blessing reaching out into the world, and embracing Israel as well as it did so.[14]

So, lets wrap up this study with a few thoughts to remember😊

What are some lasting truths of Galatians 3:10–14?

· All who rely on the law for salvation are under the curse of divine judgment.

· No one but Jesus kept the whole law continually.

· No one can be justified by keeping the law.

· Sinners are under the curse of divine judgment.

· Christ became a curse for us by dying a sinner’s death.

· Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law.

· The law was given to show people their sins.

· The law was a temporary stage in God’s redemptive plan.

· The law was never a way of salvation.[15]

· God’s grace: “For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—not from works, so that no one can boast” (Eph. 2:8–9)[16]

· We are reminded here that you cannot earn salvation. It is a gift to be received.

o Even dedicated Christians tend to forget the gospel daily.

o They tend to revert to legalism, as the book of Galatians so powerfully points out (see Gal 3:1-9).

· Legalism is self-atonement. It is a self-salvation project that only leads to pride or despair. We must resist the gospel of human achievement.

Grace and Peace as you go your way!

[1]Jack Hunter, “Galatians,” in Galatians to Ephesians, ed. T. Wilson and K. Stapley, What the Bible Teaches (John Ritchie Ltd., 2000), 39. [2]Robert J. Dean, Bible Studies for Life, Summer 2011, Herschel Hobbs Commentary (LifeWay Christian Resources, n.d.), 61. [3]Leadership Ministries Worldwide, Galatians–Colossians, The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible (Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide, 1996), 36. [4]Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset, and David Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, vol. 2 (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997), 328. [5]L. Ann Jervis, Galatians, Understanding the Bible Commentary Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book, 2011), 78–79. [6]Thoralf Gilbrant, “Πνεῦμα,” The New Testament Greek-English Dictionary, The Complete Biblical Library (WORDsearch, 1991). [7]Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 698. [8]Susanne Calhoun, “Sanctification,” in Lexham Survey of Theology, ed. Mark Ward et al. (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2018). [9]Donald K. Campbell, “Galatians,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 597. [10]David Guzik, Galatians, David Guzik’s Commentaries on the Bible (Santa Barbara, CA: David Guzik, 2013), Ga 3:6. [11]William Barclay, ed., The Letters to the Galatians and Ephesians, The Daily Study Bible Series (Philadelphia, PA: The Westminster John Knox Press, 1976), 23–24. [12]David Campbell, Opening Up Galatians, Opening Up Commentary (Leominster: Day One Publications, 2009), 55–56. [13]Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset, and David Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, vol. 2 (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997), 330. [14]Tom Wright, Paul for Everyone: Galatians and Thessalonians (London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 2004), 34. [15]Robert J. Dean, Bible Studies for Life, Summer 2011, Herschel Hobbs Commentary (LifeWay Christian Resources, n.d.), 67. [16]Tony Merida, Exalting Jesus in Ephesians (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2014), 50.