Gal 3:2-5 | TNotes | STEP | 3:2 The Galatians, like all Christians, received the Spirit by faith in Christ, not by obeying the law of Moses (see Acts 2:38-39 ; Rom 8:9-11 ; 2 Cor 1:22 ; Eph 1:11-14 ; cp. Acts 10:44-48 ; 11:15-18 ). God accepted the Galatians because of their faith in the message . . . about Christ (cp. Rom 10:14-17 ), which made their turning to the law absurd (Gal 3:3-4 ).

a3:2►

bActs 2:38-39►

cRom 8:9-11►

d2 Cor 1:22►

eEph 1:11-14►

fActs 10:44-48►

g11:15-18►

hRom 10:14-17►

iGal 3:3-4►

j3:3►

k3:4►

lGal 3:3►

m5►

n3:5►

o1 Cor 12:4-11►

‏ Galatians 3:2-5

3:2 ^a The Galatians, like all Christians, received the Spirit by faith in Christ, not by obeying the law of Moses (see Acts 2:38-39 ^b; Rom 8:9-11 ^c; 2 Cor 1:22 ^d; Eph 1:11-14 ^e; cp. Acts 10:44-48 ^f; 11:15-18 ^g). God accepted the Galatians because of their faith in the message . . . about Christ (cp. Rom 10:14-17 ^h), which made their turning to the law absurd (Gal 3:3-4 ⁱ).
3:3 ^j 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 ^k 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 ^l, 5 ^m). Turning to the law for right standing with God would mean regarding the work of the Spirit as meaningless.
3:5 ⁿ work miracles: See 1 Cor 12:4-11 ^o. The Holy Spirit is present with believers and in the church because of faith in the message . . . about Christ.