Gal 3 | MHM | STEP | Justification by Faith Paul addresses the Galatians because some believers started to depend on obeying the law to be right with God, even after trusting Christ. He first strongly corrects them, then tries to show them the truth. It's important to help people see why something is wrong, not just to tell them so. v. 1 : Paul calls them foolish Galatians (Galatians 3:1 ). Even though they are Christians, their actions are not wise. He asks, Who has bewitched you? He means they are acting like someone has tricked them. Their mistake is that they do not obey the truth . They learned the gospel way to be right with God, but now they are not following it. It is not enough to know or say we believe the truth. We must follow it and stay strong in it. If we do not obey the clear truth about Jesus, we are acting foolishly, especially when we were taught and have accepted it before. Paul reminds them that Jesus Christ had been evidently set forth as crucified among them (Galatians 3:1 ). They heard about the cross and took part in the Lord’s Supper, which showed Christ’s death for them. It is very foolish for people who know these things to turn away from the gospel. The special blessings and holy events that Christians enjoy should remind us not to leave our faith in Christ.

‏ Galatians 3

Justification by Faith

Paul addresses the Galatians because some believers started to depend on obeying the law to be right with God, even after trusting Christ. He first strongly corrects them, then tries to show them the truth. It's important to help people see why something is wrong, not just to tell them so.

v. 1: Paul calls them foolish Galatians (Galatians 3:1 ^a). Even though they are Christians, their actions are not wise. He asks, Who has bewitched you? He means they are acting like someone has tricked them. Their mistake is that they do not obey the truth. They learned the gospel way to be right with God, but now they are not following it. It is not enough to know or say we believe the truth. We must follow it and stay strong in it. If we do not obey the clear truth about Jesus, we are acting foolishly, especially when we were taught and have accepted it before.

Paul reminds them that Jesus Christ had been evidently set forth as crucified among them (Galatians 3:1 ^b). They heard about the cross and took part in the Lord’s Supper, which showed Christ’s death for them. It is very foolish for people who know these things to turn away from the gospel. The special blessings and holy events that Christians enjoy should remind us not to leave our faith in Christ.

v. 2: Paul asks how they received the Holy Spirit. Was it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? (Galatians 3:2 ^c). He means that when they became Christians, they received the Holy Spirit, not just by being better people, but by believing in Jesus. Many of them even saw miracles and special gifts from God. These things were proof that faith in Christ brings us close to God, not just following rules. Usually, God gives His Spirit to people through the message of the gospel. It is not wise to turn away from the teaching that helped you grow in your faith.

v. 3–4: Paul tells them that they began in the Spirit but now want to be made perfect by the flesh (Galatians 3:3-4 ^d). They started their Christian life by believing in Jesus, but now they are trying to become better by adding the law. This does not help them grow, but actually moves them backward. If they leave the gospel, all their past efforts and even their suffering for their faith are wasted. It is very sad to work and suffer for something, and then throw it all away. It is foolish to lose the good you have done or suffered for in your faith.

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v. 5: Paul reminds them that they had teachers and leaders (like Paul himself) who brought God’s message with power. These leaders ministered the Spirit to them and worked miracles among them. He asks whether this happened by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith (Galatians 3:5 ^e). They know that miracles and the Holy Spirit came through faith in Christ, not by obeying the law. So, they have no good reason to leave the gospel for something that was never confirmed by God in this way.

Justification by Faith

Paul continues to explain why people are made right with God through faith, not by following the law. He uses examples and arguments to show that trusting God, as Abraham did, is the true way to be justified. He also explains that the law brings a curse because no one can keep it perfectly, but Jesus rescued us from that curse. Paul wants the Galatians to know that God’s promise to Abraham, which came before the law, still stands and is fulfilled in Christ.

v. 6: Paul points to Abraham as an example. Abraham believed God, and that was accounted to him for righteousness (Galatians 3:6 ^f). Abraham trusted God’s promise, and God accepted him as righteous because of his faith, not because of his works.

v. 7: So, Paul says, those who are of faith are the children of Abraham (Galatians 3:7 ^g). This means that anyone who trusts God, like Abraham did, is counted as his true child, not just those born into his family.

v. 8: Paul explains that God’s promise to Abraham, In you shall all nations be blessed (Genesis 12:3 ^h), shows that God planned to bless the whole world through faith. The scripture “preached the gospel to Abraham,” meaning God knew and announced that people from all nations would be justified by faith (Galatians 3:8 ⁱ).

v. 9: He concludes, those who are of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham . Anyone who believes, from any nation, shares the same blessing Abraham received.

v. 10: Paul warns that as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse (Galatians 3:10 ^j). He quotes, Cursed is everyone who does not continue in everything written in the book of the law to do them (Deuteronomy 27:26 ^k). The law demands perfect, never-ending obedience. If we fail even once, we are under its curse. Since everyone sins, no one can be justified this way.

v. 11: Paul then says, It is evident that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God, for the just shall live by faith (Habakkuk 2:4; Galatians 3:11 ^l). Righteous people live by faith, not by trying to keep the law perfectly.

v. 12: He adds, The law is not of faith, but the man who does them shall live in them (Leviticus 18:5; Galatians 3:12 ^m). The law says you must keep every command to have life, but it does not mention faith.

v. 13: Paul gives hope: Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (Galatians 3:13 ⁿ). Jesus took the curse on Himself by dying on the cross. He was not separated from God forever, but He faced the shame and pain the law described (Deuteronomy 21:22 ^o).

v. 14: The purpose of this was that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:14 ^p). Now, anyone who believes in Jesus, whether Jew or Gentile, can share in Abraham’s blessing and receive the Holy Spirit, as God promised.

v. 15: Paul explains that God’s covenant with Abraham is like a legal agreement. Though it is only a man’s covenant, yet if it is confirmed, no one annuls or adds to it . Once a promise is made, it cannot be changed, so God’s promise to Abraham remains firm.

v. 16: He points out that God’s promise was to Abraham and his Seed, not “seeds” as many, but as one: And to your Seed, who is Christ (Galatians 3:16 ^q). This means the promise is really about Christ and those who belong to Him.

v. 17–18: Paul says the law, which came later, does not set aside the promise God made before. If the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise (Galatians 3:18 ^r). So, the way to receive God’s blessing and become His people is still through faith in His promise, not by keeping the law.

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Design of the Law; The True Children of Abraham

In this section, Paul explains why God gave the law to Israel, even though the promise to Abraham already showed the way to salvation. Paul says the law was not meant to replace the promise or provide a different way to be justified before God. Instead, the law was given for a particular purpose, and only for a certain time, until Christ came.

v. 19: Paul says the law was added because of transgressions. This means it was given to help people see their sins and to show them how much they needed God's forgiveness (for by the law is the knowledge of sin; Romans 3:20 ^s). The law also helped to restrain sin and pointed people toward Christ, who would save them. But the law was only meant to be in place until the promised descendant—Jesus—came. The law was given through angels and a mediator (Moses), which shows it was not the final or highest way God related to people.

v. 20: Here Paul explains that a mediator is not needed when there is only one party. The promise to Abraham was given directly by God, but the law came through a mediator. This shows that the law and the promise are different, and the promise is higher because it came directly from God.

v. 21: Paul answers the question, "Does the law go against the promises of God?" He strongly says, "No!" The law is not against God's promises. If the law could have given life, then people could be justified by it. But the law cannot give life. Instead, the law shows us that everyone is a sinner and needs grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

v. 22: The Scriptures show that all people are under sin. This was so that the promise, given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe. The law's purpose was to point us to our need for Christ, not to be the way of salvation by itself.

v. 23–25: Before faith in Christ came, people were kept under the law, like prisoners. The law acted like a schoolmaster, teaching people and preparing them for Christ. But after faith has come, we are no longer under the schoolmaster. Now, through faith in Jesus, we are children of God and heirs of the promise, not slaves to the law.