‏ Galatians 3

Summary for Gal 3:1-5: 3:1–5:12  ^a Paul now defends the truth of his message—that right relationship with God comes by faith in Christ alone—and proves the fallacy of the message that Gentiles must keep the law in order to be acceptable to God.
Summary for Gal 3:1-9: 3:1-9  ^b Paul compares the Galatians’ spiritual experience (3:1-5  ^c) with Abraham’s (3:6-9  ^d), showing that they were made right with God in the same way, through faith and not through the law (Eph 2:8-9  ^e). 3:1  ^f Oh, foolish Galatians! Their foolishness was both intellectual and spiritual (cp. Luke 24:25  ^g; see 1 Sam 25:1-38  ^h) as they turned away from Christ (Gal 1:6  ⁱ) and put faith in the law.

• The Galatians were deceived by the teachers’ evil spell (cp. Gen 3:1-7  ^j)—not literal witchcraft, but enticing arguments.

• For the meaning of Jesus Christ’s death was made as clear to you as if you had seen a picture of his death on the cross (literally Before your eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified): Paul’s proclamation of the Good News clearly portrayed Christ’s death and explained its significance (see Rom 10:14-17  ^k).
3:2  ^l The Galatians, like all Christians, received the Spirit by faith in Christ, not by obeying the law of Moses (see Acts 2:38-39  ^m; Rom 8:9-11  ⁿ; 2 Cor 1:22  ^o; Eph 1:11-14  ^p; cp. Acts 10:44-48  ^q; 11:15-18  ^r). God accepted the Galatians because of their faith in the message . . . about Christ (cp. Rom 10:14-17  ^s), which made their turning to the law absurd (Gal 3:3-4  ^t).
3:3  ^u by ... human effort (literally by flesh): Paul makes a pun: The Galatians were trying to become perfect by human effort through keeping the law about circumcising the flesh of the male foreskin.
3:4  ^v Have you experienced (or suffered) so much for nothing? This could refer to suffering, but what is known about the Galatian church does not suggest this. Paul was probably referring to the spiritual experiences the Galatians had through the Holy Spirit (Gal 3:3  ^w, 5  ^x). Turning to the law for right standing with God would mean regarding the work of the Spirit as meaningless.
3:5  ^y work miracles: See 1 Cor 12:4-11  ^z. The Holy Spirit is present with believers and in the church because of faith in the message . . . about Christ.
Summary for Gal 3:6-9: 3:6-9  ^aa Abraham’s experience shows that faith has always been the basis for relationship with God and for receiving what God has promised. 3:6  ^ab This quote is from Gen 15:6  ^ac, where God established his covenant with Abraham (see Gen 15:1-21  ^ad; 17:1-27  ^ae). This statement is foundational in defining God’s relationship with humanity (see Hab 2:4  ^af; Rom 4:1-8  ^ag, 17-22  ^ah).
3:7  ^ai Gentile Christians—including the Galatians—are among the real children of Abraham, not by keeping the law of Moses, but by faith in God (see Rom 4:9-17  ^aj, 23-25  ^ak; cp. Matt 12:48-50  ^al).
3:8  ^am the Scriptures looked forward: By faith, Abraham foresaw the coming Messiah (cp. John 8:56  ^an) and received the message that “All nations will be blessed through you” (Gen 12:3  ^ao; 18:18  ^ap; 22:18  ^aq).Through Abraham’s offspring, the Messiah, God would accept all nations on the same basis as Abraham himself—by faith.
Summary for Gal 3:10-12: 3:10-12  ^ar By relying on circumcision, the Galatians depended on the law. Those who look to the law for right standing with God are under a curse. They cannot keep the whole law, so they cannot receive blessing under its terms. 3:10  ^as Paul here quotes Deut 27:26  ^at, which summarized the curse that Israel would experience if they failed to keep all the stipulations of God’s covenant (see Deut 27:9-26  ^au; cp. Deut 28:15-68  ^av; 31:26  ^aw; Josh 1:8  ^ax; Mal 2:2  ^ay; see also Gen 3:14-19  ^az; 4:10-12  ^ba). It is impossible for sinful human beings to obey God’s will completely (see Rom 3:9-20  ^bb).
3:11  ^bc So it is clear from Scripture, even if it was not clear to the Galatians or the false teachers who were insisting on circumcision for Gentile believers.

• “It is through faith that a righteous person has life”: Paul quotes Hab 2:4  ^bd, in which the prophet was waiting in faith for God’s promise to be fulfilled.
3:12  ^be The law itself is not opposed to faith (see 3:19-25  ^bf; Rom 7:7-13  ^bg), but trying to be righteous by keeping the law opposes righteousness by faith in Christ. Paul quotes Lev 18:5  ^bh to show that life under the law comes by obeying rather than believing. Right standing with God is impossible on that basis (Gal 3:10-11  ^bi).
Summary for Gal 3:13-14: 3:13-14  ^bj In contrast with those who depend on the law (3:10-12  ^bk), those who look to God through faith in Christ freely receive God’s life and blessings. 3:13  ^bl rescued us (or ransomed us): Christ paid a ransom to buy back his people (see 4:4-5  ^bm; 1 Pet 1:18-20  ^bn).

• “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree”: Paul quotes Deut 21:23  ^bo, in which executed criminals exposed for public shame were under God’s curse (see study note on Deut 21:22). Jesus, when he was crucified, took upon himself God’s curse that should have fallen upon all sinners (cp. 2 Cor 5:21  ^bp).
3:14  ^bq Christ Jesus has blessed the Gentiles with the same blessing ... promised to Abraham, as described in 3:6-13  ^br. Paul equates this blessing with receiving the promised Holy Spirit (3:2-6  ^bs; see also Rom 8:1-17  ^bt, 23  ^bu; Eph 1:13-14  ^bv).
Summary for Gal 3:15-18: 3:15-18  ^bw Christ, not the law, has fulfilled the promise and covenant given to Abraham. 3:15  ^bx An irrevocable agreement, such as a person’s last will and testament, is unalterable after the person has died, and it must be executed exactly as written.
3:16  ^by The promises to Abraham were primarily inherited by Abraham and his child (literally his seed)—the promised Messiah, the ultimate descendant of Abraham. “Seed” can refer to a single descendant or to many descendants (see Gen 12:7  ^bz; 13:15  ^ca). Although the promise has a plural sense (see Gal 3:29  ^cb; Gen 13:15-16  ^cc; 15:5-6  ^cd; 17:7-8  ^ce), this singular noun points to the one descendant, Christ, who completely fulfilled the promise. The heirs of the promise are not Jacob’s physical children, but the spiritual children of Christ by the Spirit through faith.
3:17  ^cf Just as irrevocable agreements cannot be canceled (3:15  ^cg), the terms of God’s covenant with Abraham were not changed by the giving of the law.

• 430 years: See study note on Exod 12:40.
3:18  ^ch The inheritance (see 4:1-7  ^ci) cannot come through keeping the law, because that would nullify God’s promise to Abraham, which was accepted by faith before the law.
Summary for Gal 3:19-22: 3:19-22  ^cj Paul’s argument so far might lead his readers to believe that the law had no purpose. Here, however, Paul emphasizes the law’s proper role in order to correct false teaching about the law. 3:19  ^ck If people do not receive God’s inheritance through the law, why, then, was the law given? It was to show people their sins and make it clear that sinful actions are offenses against God. People cannot rely on their own goodness to save them, but must turn to God in faith (see Rom 3:19-20  ^cl; 4:15  ^cm; 5:20  ^cn; 7:7-13  ^co).

• until the coming of the child who was promised: See Gal 3:16  ^cp. While the promise is permanent, the law was temporary. With Christ’s coming, the law was fulfilled (see Matt 5:17-20  ^cq; cp. Matt 3:13-15  ^cr; John 19:30  ^cs) and God’s acceptance is based entirely on faith in Christ.

• through angels: Deuteronomy 33:2  ^ct in the Greek version describes the Lord’s coming from Sinai “with myriads of holy ones, angels with him at his right hand.” See also Ps 68:17  ^cu; Acts 7:38  ^cv, 53  ^cw; Heb 2:2  ^cx.

• Moses, who was the mediator: See Exod 20:19  ^cy; Deut 5:24-27  ^cz.
3:20  ^da The law, given through angels and a mediator, required agreement between God and the people. The law was conditional, with blessings and curses attached to keeping or not keeping its statutes. In contrast, God gave his promise to Abraham directly; he did not use a mediator. It was God’s unilateral and unconditional commitment.

• God, who is one: Paul used the basic Jewish creed (Deut 6:4  ^db) to convince Gentile Christians not to become Jewish converts.
Summary for Gal 3:21-25: 3:21-25  ^dc See Rom 7:7-13  ^dd. 3:21  ^de No conflict of purpose exists between law and promise, or between law and faith. Law partners with the promise in bringing people to faith in Christ. Law has its proper roles of declaring people prisoners of sin (3:19  ^df, 22  ^dg) and of restraining sin (3:23-25  ^dh). In Galatia, the Judaizers tried to convince Gentile Christians that the law could do something it was never intended to do—give ... new life and make people right with God. God does these things on the basis of faith in his promise, which was fulfilled in Jesus Christ (see 3:22  ^di).
3:22  ^dj we are all prisoners of sin: See Rom 3:9  ^dk; 7:1-13  ^dl; 11:32  ^dm. Keeping the law is of no use in bringing salvation; only believing in Jesus Christ can bring freedom.
Summary for Gal 3:23-29: 3:23-29  ^dn Paul contrasts the condition of God’s people under the law before Christ with their condition now under Christ. 3:23  ^do Because sin had imprisoned us (3:22  ^dp), the law was a guard, keeping God’s people in protective custody . . . until the way of faith in Christ was revealed. It made God’s requirements explicit, and thus highlights the need for a Savior. The law also restrains sin by making the consequences of sin explicit.
3:24  ^dq The law is like a child’s guardian (Greek paidagōgos, “tutor”). In Greco-Roman culture, a guardian was a faithful slave responsible for training and protecting the heir until he came of age.
3:25  ^dr the way of faith has come: The principle of righteousness by faith was always operative (cp. 3:6-9  ^ds), but the object of that faith and the means of appropriating it are now clear to everyone through Jesus Christ.

• we no longer need the law as our guardian: In Greco-Roman culture, a freeborn child who came of age was no longer under the discipline of a guardian, but was free to rule himself. So, too, those who are “of age” through faith in Christ are free from the guardianship of the law. They serve Christ directly as he leads by his word and Spirit.
Summary for Gal 3:26-29: 3:26-29  ^dt Because of Christ, our condition under faith contrasts with our condition under the law (3:23-24  ^du). 3:26  ^dv Those who are children of God through faith in Christ Jesus (see also 4:4-7  ^dw; John 1:12  ^dx; Rom 9:8  ^dy) have come of age as heirs of his promises (see Gal 3:24-25  ^dz, 29  ^ea) and have received the down payment of that inheritance (3:14  ^eb; Eph 1:14  ^ec). The Galatians were foolish (Gal 3:1  ^ed) in trying to gain access to God through circumcision. As God’s children by faith, they already had the best possible access to God.
3:27  ^ee united with Christ in baptism: See Rom 6:3-4  ^ef. Baptism represents death of an old life and birth into a new one. In the new life, the law’s curse no longer has any force (cp. Rom 7:1-6  ^eg).

• have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes: Christ covers us and gives us a new identity. Cp. Col 3:12  ^eh; 1 Thes 5:8  ^ei.
3:28  ^ej There is no longer: Everyone comes to Christ and receives God’s promises in exactly the same way (cp. 1 Cor 12:12-13  ^ek; Eph 2:14  ^el; Col 3:11  ^em).

• male and female: Cp. Gen 1:27  ^en.

• you are all one: The community of believers is one body, the body of Christ (see Rom 12:4-5  ^eo; 1 Cor 12:27  ^ep; Eph 2:15-16  ^eq, 19-22  ^er).

• in Christ Jesus: See Col 2:6–3:11  ^es.
3:29  ^et Because Christ is the ideal descendant of Abraham (3:16  ^eu), it follows that those who are one with Christ (3:27-28  ^ev) are children of Abraham and heirs of all that was promised to him.

‏ Galatians 4

Summary for Gal 4:1-7: 4:1-7  ^ew Paul supports his argument that the law’s purpose for God’s children was fulfilled when Christ came, so that we are no longer bound by it.
Summary for Gal 4:1-3: 4:1-3  ^ex A child inheriting an estate might receive a large fortune, but before coming of age, the child must obey guardians and trustees until the time set by the father. Similarly, before Christ came, God’s people were under the guardianship of the law (see 3:23-24  ^ey).
4:3  ^ez Before Christ came, God’s people were like underage heirs to a large estate (4:1-2  ^fa). They would inherit a great fortune (4:5  ^fb), but they were still subject to their guardian (3:23-25  ^fc).

• the basic spiritual principles of this world: This probably refers to the principles of law that govern the world apart from Christ; these principles were fully expressed in the law of Moses (3:23-24  ^fd; cp. 4:5  ^fe).
Summary for Gal 4:4-5: 4:4-5  ^ff God set the right time in the course of history for Christ to come (cp. Luke 4:18-19  ^fg; Eph 4:8-10  ^fh).

• Christ was fully human (born of a woman) and subject to the law. Christ fulfilled the law (see Matt 3:13-15  ^fi; 5:17  ^fj) so that now God’s children have freedom and are no longer bound as slaves to it.

• to buy freedom: By fulfilling the law and bearing its curse, Christ ransomed us from its claims (Gal 3:13  ^fk; see also Rom 3:24  ^fl; Col 1:13-14  ^fm).

• so that he could adopt us: See also Rom 8:15-17  ^fn.
4:6  ^fo The Holy Spirit provides an inner testimony to assure us that we are God’s children (see Rom 8:16  ^fp; Eph 1:13-14  ^fq).

• Those who have the Spirit of his Son are able to address God as Father, just as Christ did (Mark 14:36  ^fr; cp. Matt 6:9  ^fs).
Summary for Gal 4:8-11: 4:8-11  ^ft Paul reminds the Galatians of their former paganism; he argues that practicing circumcision (and the law in general) would be a return to the same kind of slavery that they experienced before they knew God. 4:8  ^fu The Gentile Galatians had previously practiced pagan idolatry; they worshiped the elements and the seasons (cp. Rom 1:25  ^fv) and were slaves to the fear of offending these so-called gods (1 Cor 8:5-6  ^fw).
4:9  ^fx now that you know God: Christians have a relationship with God that is like a child to a parent rather than a slave to a master (4:5-7  ^fy).

• why do you want to go back? Paul was perplexed (cp. 4:19-20  ^fz) that Christians who had this standing would want to return to their old life of slavery.

• now that God knows you: God is the agent of salvation and had taken the initiative in laying their souls bare (cp. Ps 139:1-6  ^ga, 23-24  ^gb; Luke 2:34-35  ^gc; Heb 4:12  ^gd) and forgiving them freely.

• By turning to circumcision, the Galatians would be returning to the same useless spiritual principles of this world that they had known under paganism. In both cases, one must work to satisfy an unyielding master.
Summary for Gal 4:10-11: 4:10-11  ^ge Circumcision was not the Galatians’ only attempt to follow the law; it was one example of a whole way of thinking. They had also begun celebrating the Jewish festivals, thinking that it would make them more acceptable to God. To Paul, it was another indication that they did not understand, or had turned their backs on, the Good News of God’s grace through Christ.
4:11  ^gf I fear for you: The Galatians were in danger of turning away from Christ by relying upon the law. If they did, Paul’s hard work would have been for nothing. The Good News would have done them no good (cp. Heb 6:4-6  ^gg; 2 Pet 2:20-22  ^gh). See Acts 13:44–14:24  ^gi for a description of Paul’s work for the sake of the Christians in that region.
Summary for Gal 4:12-20: 4:12-20  ^gj Turning aside from scriptural arguments, Paul appeals personally to the Galatians by reminding them of their close relationship with him. 4:12  ^gk live as I do: Paul, the scrupulous Jew, abandoned his own efforts at righteousness and received the free grace of God in Christ. Now he calls these Gentiles to adopt his position rather than take on the practices he had abandoned. Paul’s exhortations throughout the rest of the letter (4:12–6:10  ^gl) grow out of this single command.

• You did not mistreat me: Likewise, the Galatians should not mistreat Paul now but should continue in their warm acceptance of his ministry and message.
Summary for Gal 4:13-14: 4:13-14  ^gm I was sick: Paul might have had a chronic physical ailment, but it is not certain what it was (cp. 2 Cor 12:7  ^gn). Paul’s condition was serious and apparently caused difficulty or even offense to the new church in Galatia. Physical trouble was often regarded by both Jews and Gentiles as a sign of God’s judgment (cp. John 9:1-2  ^go; Acts 28:4  ^gp). The Galatians saw past Paul’s outward condition and received him as God’s messenger (literally angel; Greek angelos).

• or even Christ Jesus himself: Cp. Luke 10:16  ^gq.
4:15  ^gr The Galatians had been joyful and grateful in response to Paul’s preaching of the Good News.

• your own eyes: Some conclude from this phrase that Paul’s eyes were diseased, but Paul might have been using eyes as a word-picture of a precious asset (cp. Deut 32:10  ^gs; Ps 17:8  ^gt; Matt 18:9  ^gu). In their gratitude to Paul for the message of good news, the Galatians would have ... given him their most valuable possession.
4:16  ^gv The contrast couldn’t be greater between the Galatians’ acceptance of Paul and his message at the beginning of their Christian life, and their current suspicion or even rejection of him.
4:17  ^gw are so eager: The Greek word can have the positive meaning of zeal and eagerness or the negative meaning of jealousy and envy. The same word is also translated will pay attention and “is eager” (4:18  ^gx).

• They are trying to shut you off from me: Perhaps the Judaizers were so eager because they envied the Galatians’ devotion to Paul and wanted it for themselves (cp. 2 Corinthians; see also Luke 11:46-52  ^gy). Another possibility is that the Judaizers wanted the Galatians to become dependent on them as interpreters of the law.
4:18  ^gz Paul’s statement might mean that it was fine for people to seek the Galatians’ loyalty, but those other teachers were not in fact eager to do good things for them. Alternatively, this verse could be translated It is good to be always sought eagerly for good things, and not just when I’m with you. In this case it would mean that it was good for the Galatians to continue eagerly embracing Paul and his message and not change their attitude toward him in his absence.
4:19  ^ha The Galatians were Paul’s spiritual children (cp. 1 Cor 4:14-15  ^hb; Phlm 1:10  ^hc). The process of bringing them to Christ had been like going through labor pains, a hard labor with a definite and joyful conclusion. Now Paul felt that it wasn’t finished after all.

• until Christ is fully developed in your lives: Paul uses wordplay, switching the metaphor so that the Galatians would give birth to Christ’s image if they continued in the faith that Paul delivered to them. However, if they took up the law, they would produce a stillbirth. Paul must continue his hard work as a midwife in order to prevent this from happening.
4:20  ^hd Had Paul been personally present, he would have been able to “read” his hearers and thus shape his appeal to their exact spiritual and emotional condition. From afar, he wasn’t sure if the tone he was using would be effective.
Summary for Gal 4:21-31: 4:21-31  ^he Paul now returns to arguing from Scripture, using the contrast between Hagar and Sarah and between their children. Paul argues for a similar contrast between those who are slaves under the law and those who are free in Christ.

• Paul’s argument uses the allegorical techniques of rabbinic Judaism (see study note on 4:24). Having been trained as a rabbi (Acts 22:3  ^hf), Paul could out-argue the Judaizers using their own methods. 4:21  ^hg do you know what the law actually says? They were trying to achieve righteousness by the law, but they did not truly understand its meaning (cp. Luke 24:25-27  ^hh; 1 Tim 1:7  ^hi).
Summary for Gal 4:22-23: 4:22-23  ^hj The son of the slave wife was Ishmael, born to Sarah’s servant Hagar (see Gen 16:15  ^hk). Sarah gave Hagar to Abraham in a human attempt to obtain the heir (see Gen 16:1-4  ^hl) that God had promised (see Gen 15:1-6  ^hm). Sarah’s son, Isaac, was the son of the freeborn wife (see Gen 21:2-3  ^hn); he was miraculously conceived as God’s own fulfillment of his promise (see Gen 17:15-21  ^ho).
Summary for Gal 4:24-25: 4:24-25  ^hp Paul connects Abraham’s human attempt to fulfill God’s promises (4:23  ^hq) with the human attempt in Galatia and elsewhere to attain salvation by keeping the law. Hagar’s status as a slave-wife corresponds with Israel’s enslaved status under the law. This status contrasts with the status of those who have faith in Christ (4:26-27  ^hr). 4:24  ^hs serve as an illustration (literally are being allegorized): In allegorical writing, every character and event is symbolic of a deeper meaning. Allegorical interpretations often ignore the historical meaning of the text and invent fanciful meanings. Here, by contrast, Paul understood the story correctly in its historical context and recognized the story as history. But he interpreted the characters of the historical story as symbolizing the current situation. Paul’s opponents were apparently also using allegorical methods of interpretation, so Paul refuted faulty allegory with true allegory (cp. 1 Cor 9:22  ^ht).

• God’s two covenants: The old covenant was formed through Moses; the new covenant came through Jesus Christ.

• Hagar represents Mount Sinai: Just as Hagar was a slave-wife who represents human effort, Mount Sinai brought slavery to following the law.
4:25  ^hu Both Hagar and Mount Sinai were symbols of Jerusalem, which stood for Judaism in Paul’s day. Judaism continued to trust in the law and in physical descent from Abraham for their status before God (cp. John 8:31-59  ^hv); they rejected Christ and continued to live in slavery to the law (Gal 3:23-24  ^hw; 4:1-3  ^hx).

• Mount Sinai in Arabia: The traditional location for Mount Sinai is in the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt. However, some have suggested that in Arabia means that Mount Sinai was in Midian, where Moses once lived (see Exod 3:1  ^hy).
4:26  ^hz Just as Hagar represents slavery to human effort based on Mount Sinai (4:24-25  ^ia), Sarah represents freedom in the heavenly Jerusalem, the ideal city of God. Abraham’s true children by faith (3:29  ^ib) now live in the reality of God’s reign in Christ.

• she is our mother: Sarah’s child, Isaac, was the freeborn recipient of all of God’s promises apart from the law. Similarly, Jews and Gentiles who live by faith in Christ are Sarah’s true children—they receive God’s promises to Abraham freely apart from the law (3:26-29  ^ic; 4:4-7  ^id).
4:27  ^ie The quoted passage, Isa 54:1  ^if, promised Israel that they would be fruitful after the Exile. Because those who have faith in Christ are Sarah’s children (Gal 4:26  ^ig), they fulfill the promise that Sarah (the childless woman) would be more abundantly fruitful than the slave-wife Hagar. To the Judaizers, those who don’t follow the law may have been considered “barren,” but through faith they are abundantly fruitful as the bride of Christ (2 Cor 11:2  ^ih; Eph 5:31-33  ⁱⁱ).
Summary for Gal 4:28-31: 4:28-31  ^ij Paul applies the allegory of Hagar and Sarah (4:21-27  ^ik) to the situation in Galatia. Isaac represents those who are born through God’s promise (3:8  ^il) by the power of the Spirit (3:2-5  ^im; cp. Eph 1:13-14  ⁱⁿ) and who trust in God for salvation through Christ by faith alone. Ishmael represents those who believe that human effort by keeping the law will make them acceptable to God (Gal 3:10-11  ^io). This identification would have been shocking to the Judaizers, who thought of themselves as the legitimate children of Abraham because of their insistence on law-keeping.
4:29  ^ip Ishmael persecuted Isaac, the child of the promise, at Isaac’s weaning ceremony (see Gen 21:9  ^iq). Similarly, in Galatia, those who want you to keep the law were persecuting those who trusted in God’s promise, the message of God’s grace through faith in Christ alone (cp. Acts 13:50-51  ^ir; 14:1-7  ^is).
Summary for Gal 4:30-31: 4:30-31  ^it Sarah’s demand regarding Ishmael, quoted from Gen 21:10  ^iu, becomes a principle (see Gen 21:12  ^iv) for dealing with the current son of the slave woman—anyone who refuses to abandon slavery to the law. God does not allow those who seek righteousness through human effort to share in his inheritance (see Rom 9:30-33  ^iw). Those who come to God through Christ alone, by faith and not by keeping the law, are children of the free woman who inherit God’s blessings.

‏ Galatians 5:1-12

5:1  ^ix Paul succinctly summarizes his message to the Galatians, decrying their foolish behavior and offering a positive alternative—freedom.

• So Christ has truly set us free: Christians are free to walk by faith in Christ alone (cp. Rom 8  ^iy).

• don’t get tied up (literally don’t take on a yoke): In Judaism, it was a duty and an honor to “take the yoke of the law.” God’s children in Christ are not called to bear this heavy burden (see Luke 11:46  ^iz; Acts 15:10  ^ja); instead, they enjoy Christ’s yoke of freedom (Matt 11:28-30  ^jb).
Summary for Gal 5:2-6: 5:2-6  ^jc The Judaizers taught that keeping the law would earn God’s favor (cp. Acts 15:1  ^jd), but that path actually leads to alienation from God. Real righteousness comes to those who live in Christ by the power of the Spirit. 5:2  ^je Paul reminded the Galatians of who was talking to them: the apostle of Christ who represented the Lord to the Gentiles and who had first proclaimed the Good News to them.
5:3  ^jf Those who seek righteousness through the law must obey every regulation of it (see 2:15-16  ^jg; cp. Jas 2:10  ^jh).
5:4  ^ji People who think circumcision is necessary for salvation are putting faith in the law and in themselves, not in Christ. Such people are cut off from Christ, outside of his grace (cp. Rom 5:2  ^jj); they are under the judgment of the law. They have fallen away from the benefits of God’s grace (cp. Gal 1:6  ^jk; 1 Pet 5:12  ^jl).
5:5  ^jm The alternative to living by faith in the law is to live by complete reliance on the Spirit to make us pleasing to God.

• eagerly wait to receive by faith the righteousness God has promised to us (or eagerly await by faith the hope that righteousness gives us): We receive God’s righteousness at our salvation (Rom 5:9-11  ^jn; 10:10  ^jo), in an ongoing way through the Spirit’s sanctification (Rom 8:1-14  ^jp), and fully at the resurrection when Christ returns (Rom 8:18-30  ^jq). It is God’s power that provides righteousness, and he fulfills his promise (Gal 3:14  ^jr, 22  ^js).
5:6  ^jt Faith in Christ Jesus provides access to all of God’s favor and grace, so no further benefit is available through human effort. Faith is expressed by exercising love toward others (cp. Rom 13:10  ^ju; 14:17-19  ^jv; 2 Cor 8:8-13  ^jw).
5:7  ^jx The life of faith is like running a race (cp. 1 Cor 9:24-27  ^jy; Phil 3:13-14  ^jz; 2 Tim 4:7-8  ^ka). The law became a hindrance to the Galatians in this race rather than a help (cp. Luke 11:52  ^kb).
5:8  ^kc The Galatians thought that their commitment to the law would please God, but God wasn’t calling them to this slavery. God called them to freedom.
5:9  ^kd This verse was apparently a well-known adage (literally A little yeast makes the whole loaf rise; cp. Matt 13:33  ^ke; 16:6  ^kf, 11-12  ^kg; 1 Cor 5:6-7  ^kh). A little reliance on the law for acceptance by God soon results in forgetting that Christ saves by his work alone.
5:10  ^ki that person, whoever he is: Perhaps Paul did not know who the false teachers were, or perhaps he meant that their credentials were unimportant (cp. 2:6  ^kj).

• confusing you: The false teaching distorted the Good News, so Paul wrote to clear up their thinking.
5:11  ^kk if I were still preaching: This statement probably refers to Paul’s preaching as an ardent zealot of Judaism before his conversion to Christ (1:13-14  ^kl; Acts 7:58–8:3  ^km). As a Christian, Paul had never preached that Gentiles must be circumcised.

• why am I still being persecuted? If Paul had been preaching a law-based religion, the zealous Jews would not have been persecuting him wherever he went. They found the rejection of the necessity of their laws to be scandalous (cp. Rom 9:33  ^kn; 1 Cor 1:23  ^ko).
5:12  ^kp mutilate themselves (literally cut themselves off; cp. Phil 3:2  ^kq): Paul uses biting sarcasm and wordplay with multiple levels of meaning: (1) Paul might be alluding to pagan priests in the province of Galatia who castrated themselves in devotion to pagan gods. An insistence on circumcision for Christians is essentially no different. It involved cutting the flesh to become acceptable to God by physical deeds rather than by faith in Christ. (2) Depending on circumcision mutilated the false teachers’ standing before God, so they might as well mutilate themselves physically. (3) In the old covenant, emasculated men were not allowed to enter the congregation (Deut 23:1  ^kr); similarly, those who rely on circumcision have no place in the new covenant community. Paul probably wished that the Judaizers would cut themselves off by removing themselves from the community.