Galatians 3 – Page 3 – Ministry of Grace Church

Category: Galatians 3

Galatians 3:9 – Believer’s Eulogy

Posted on October 17, 2007 by admin

Galatians 3:9

So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.

Truth to Learn

God’s eulogy for us will depend on what we believe, not on what we do.

Behind the Words

We saw in the previous verse that God promised Abraham that all nations would be blessed in him. The word in the previous verse which is translated as “nations” is the Greek word “ethnē” which refers to “a group of people as distinguished by their race or familiar characteristics.” This is the word, however, that Jews used to refer to all who are not Jewish; hence it is often translated as “Gentiles.” God’s message to Abraham, however, was that all nations, including both Jews and Gentiles, would be blessed in him, therefore it is best to translate this word as “nations” in this instance.

In the current verse, the word translated “blessed” is “eulogountai” which is a compound word made up of “eu” meaning “good” or “well” and a form of “logos” meaning “word.” Hence, it literally means “good words.” It is what we get our English word eulogy from and anyone who has been to a funeral knows that the eulogy is where good things are said about the deceased.

Meaning Explained

Paul’s point is that all nations are blessed (spoken well of by God) because of Abraham’s seed, that is, Jesus Christ. But, actually it’s even more than that. The ones who are blessed are the ones whom God justifies, that is, those who believe in Jesus as the Christ, the Messiah. It is because God has declared them as righteous (justified) that He can speak well of them. But those who reject Christ are not blessed, in fact, not only will God not speak well of them, they will receive God’s wrath for rejecting His Son.

And Paul ties this in with the major point that he has been making all along, that God’s blessing, salvation, comes from faith in Jesus Christ, Abraham’s seed, not believing this plus doing good works. That’s not to say that we shouldn’t do good works, for we clearly should. It’s just that our good works should be a result of our salvation, not a source of our salvation.

Application

Are you a believer in God’s promise that you will be saved if you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? If not, God will not have good words for you when you appear before Him at the end of your earthly life. If, on the other hand, you have humbled yourself before Him, accepting the blood of Jesus to pay the penalty for your sins, then God has good words waiting for you. What do you want to hear?

If you wait until you appear before Him, it will be too late. The time to believe is now. Don’t put it off any longer! Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.

In God’s service, for His glory,

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Galatians 3:8 – God’s Blessing

Posted on October 16, 2007 by admin

Galatians 3:8

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.”

Truth to Learn

God’s blessing on our lives comes by faith.

Behind the Words

When we read the first part of this verse we have to ask ourselves, “How can the Scripture foresee anything.” Of course, since the Scripture is not a person, it is impossible. However, the Jewish Rabbis used this as a way of citing passages of Scripture. They would say, “What does the Scripture foresee?” or “What does the law foresee?” We understand, then, that this is a personification of Scripture. That is, the reference to the Scripture is really a reference to the true author, God Himself. This is what the Rabbis intended in their teaching so we believe that this is also what Paul intended here.

So, we could paraphrase the opening part of this verse as, “And God, foreseeing that He would justify the Gentiles by faith …”

As another indication that “the Scripture” is a personification of God, Paul goes on to say that the Scripture, “preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, …” The word translated “preached the gospel beforehand” is “proeuēngelidzomai” which simply means “to announce the good news ahead of time.” This is not a reference to what we call “the gospel of Christ,” that Christ died on the cross to pay for our sins, was buried, and rose again. Rather it is a reference to the good news given ahead of time to Abraham that “in you all the nations shall be blessed.” This good news was given to Abraham directly by God while Abram was still in Ur of the Chaldeans and is recorded for us in:

I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. (Genesis 12:3)

Meaning Explained

As Paul will make clearer in the following verse, those of us who are saved by faith in Christ are the ones who are blessed along with Abraham, simply because we believe God’s word, not because we keep the requirements of the law. We do not have to become Jews and become circumcised, we simply have to believe! And in doing so, we Gentiles are blessed in Abraham.

God, knowing that Gentiles would believe the good news of Jesus Christ, and knowing that he would declare us as righteous because of that belief, told Abraham that in him (that is in his seed, Jesus Christ) all nations of the world would be blessed. And now we know that there are Christian believers in all nations who believe God’s promises.

Application

You too can be free from sin guilt and know eternal salvation:

that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. ( Romans 10:9)

Want God’s blessing? That says it all!

In God’s service, for His glory,

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Galatians 3:7 – Abraham’s Child

Posted on October 15, 2007 by admin

Galatians 3:7

Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham.

Truth to Learn

Who your earthly father is has no bearing at all on your standing before God. Having God as your Heavenly Father is the important matter.

Review

As we pointed out in the previous verse, the false teachers who had traveled through Galatia were teaching the Christians there that they had to obey the Law of Moses in order to be completely saved. Apparently they taught that a Christian had to become a Jew and become circumcised in order to be truly saved. Paul argued in the previous verse that circumcision was not what resulted in Abraham being saved (proclaimed righteous), it was his faith in God’s promise for which God proclaimed him righteous. And that occurred some twenty or so years before Abraham was circumcised, and four hundred and 30 years before the Law was given to Moses.

Behind the Words

Before we see Paul’s summation of this idea let’s look at a couple of words in the current verse. The word “only” is not in the original Greek, it was inserted by the translators. The other word we want to look at is the word translated “know.” This is from the word “ginōskete.” This verb can be rendered as being in the indicative mood or the imperative mood for they both have the same spelling. If it is in the indicative mood it means, “Therefore you know that those who are of faith are sons of Abraham.” But if it is an imperative then Paul is saying this almost as a command, “Therefore understand that those who are of faith are sons of Abraham.” Since this is a point that Paul is trying to prove, it makes sense that this verb is in the imperative mood.

Meaning Explained

All Jews had been taught that being a descendent of Abraham guaranteed them righteousness and the indication of their being a son of Abraham was circumcision. Even a convert to Judaism who was circumcised after conversion was considered a son of Abraham.

But here, Paul is telling the Christians in Galatia that circumcision is not the thing which determines who is a son of Abraham, hence a son of God. Rather, he is saying that those who believe God’s word, the good news of Christ’s death and resurrection, are the ones who God sees as sons of Abraham. It is to those who believe His word that He imputes righteousness.

Application

So, are you trusting your salvation on the belief that Christ died on the cross to pay the penalty for your sins and that He rose from the dead as proof of His being the Son of God? Or are you trying to live a certain way and obey a set of rules in order to secure your salvation?

In God’s service, for His glory,

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Galatians 3:6 – Credited Righteousness

Posted on October 14, 2007 by admin

Galatians 3:6

just as Abraham “Believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness”

Truth to Learn

Our righteousness is not earned, it is credited to us.

Behind the Words

The word translated “accounted” is a form of “logidzomai” which is an accounting term meaning, “to credit something to someone’s account.” In the current verse we are told that God credited righteousness to Abraham’s account. In other words, God declared Abraham righteous when he believed.

Meaning Explained

Paul has been demonstrating to the Christian believers in the churches in Galatia that salvation comes by faith and by faith alone. The false teachers who had been teaching in these churches had convinced the Galatians that they needed to observe at least some of the Law of Moses in order to make their salvation complete. Paul has just pointed out to these believers that God provided His Holy Spirit to them, just as He does with all believers in the church age, by “the hearing of faith” and not by “works of the law.”

These false teachers were using the Hebrew Scriptures (what we now call the Old Testament) to demonstrate that circumcision and works of law were necessary for salvation. They may very likely have quoted from Geneses chapter 17 to support their argument.

Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. That very same day Abraham was circumcised, and his son Ishmael; and all the men of his house, born in the house or bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him. (Genesis 17:24-27)

In response to this Paul will now use another example from the Old Testament to show why works of the law are not necessary. Paul also uses Abraham as his example.

Then He (God) brought him (Abraham) outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He (God) said to him (Abraham), “So shall your descendants be.” And he (Abraham) believed in the LORD, and He (God) accounted it to him (Abraham) for righteousness. (Genesis 15:5, 6)

When Abraham believed God, God credited it to him for righteousness. The subtlety of argument is the fact that Abraham was declared righteous (Genesis 15:6) some 20 years or so before Abraham was circumcised (Genesis 17:24). God declared Abraham righteous (saved him) based on faith alone without any works just as He declares us righteous based on faith alone.

Application

Have you earned the right for God to declare you righteous? No! Righteousness is a gift from God credited to us because we believe, not because we earned it.

In God’s service, for His glory,

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Galatians 3:5 – Indwelling Spirit

Posted on October 11, 2007 by Will

Galatians 3:5

⁵Therefore 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?

Truth to Learn

We were given the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit as a result of faith, not as a result of obedience to the Law.

Behind the Words

Two verses back Paul asked the Christians in Galatia if that which was begun by the Holy Spirit (their salvation) was completed by works of the flesh. The answer, of course, is “No.” He now continues with that thought by asking another rhetorical question very similar to the one asked in verse two. The problem with this rhetorical question is that Biblical scholars over the centuries are divided as to who Paul means by “He.” (note that the capitalization of the word “He” is in the English translation, not in the original Greek.)

The two dissenting opinions are:

1) The Apostle Paul is referring to himself as the one who was responsible for imparting the Spirit to them through his ministry and he was the one working miracles among them. If this is the case then Paul is saying that, as the instrument of their salvation, he is the one who has preached against the effectual works of the Law and in favor of salvation by faith alone. Therefore, the Galatians should pay attention to Paul and not to the new teachers who are trying to bind them again to the Law.

Or,

2) Paul is referring to God as the one who imparted the Holy Spirit to them and God is the one who worked the miracles among them. If this is the case then the imparting of the Spirit and the working of miracles was a result, not of the works of the Law but of their hearing the truth and believing it in faith.

The second opinion seems to be more plausible since Paul is not one to brag about the miracles that he has done in the power of the Spirit and this opinion is also more in keeping with the rest of what Paul has to say to the Galatians.

Meaning Explained

The difference between what Paul said to the Christians in Galatia in verse two and what he is saying in this verse has to do with the working of miracles. Whereas in verse two Paul asked whether they received the Spirit by faith or by works, here he is saying that the working of miracles by the Spirit of God is proof that they were completely saved before they began following the legalistic practices of the false teachers.

In the coming verses Paul will demonstrate that even Abraham was not justified by works of law but by faith.

So What?

Do you believe that Jesus died for your sins? If so, then your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who lives in you.

In God’s service, for His glory,

Galatians 3:4 – Joyful Suffering

Posted on October 10, 2007 by Will

Galatians 3:4

⁴Have you suffered so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain?

Truth to Learn

Suffering for having saving faith in Jesus Christ is honorable.

Behind the Words

Before getting into an explanation of this verse we need to look at one word. The word translated “suffered” is a form of the Greek word “paskō” from which we get our English word, passion. It means “to be affected by something from without, to be acted upon, to undergo an experience.” This word can be used to express a good experience or a painful one, although in the New Testament it is most often used as a reference to a painful experience. For example, the writer of Hebrews used this word when talking about the suffering of our Lord.

Hebrews 2:9 ⁹But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.

Now, the question we have to ask ourselves is whether Paul is referring to good experiences or painful experiences with his use of this word in the current verse. Although there is some disagreement among Biblical scholars regarding Paul’s intent with this word, I believe that he is referring to painful suffering.

Meaning Explained

The Galatians, like many Christians in the first century of the church, suffered persecution because of their adherence to faith in Christ and much of this persecution came at the hands of unbelieving Jews. In Acts chapter 14 we read about the ministry of Paul and Barnabas in the regions of Galatia (Iconium, Lystra, & Derbe) and how the Jews stirred up such persecution against the Gospel that they even stoned Paul.

Acts 14:19 ¹⁹Then Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there; and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead.

From the earliest days of the church it has been considered honorable to suffer for the cause of Christ as experienced by Peter and several other apostles who were imprisoned and beaten for preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ:

Acts 5:41 ⁴¹So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name.

Paul’s point to these Galatian Christians is that if they suffered so much at the hands of Jews because of their simple faith in the sacrificial death of Christ, then it was in vain if they now embrace the legalism of the Jews. If they had embraced these legalistic practices in the beginning then the Jews wouldn’t have persecuted them, but they also wouldn’t have been saved!

So What?

Are you suffering for your faith in Jesus Christ? If so, then rejoice that you have been counted worthy to suffer for Him. After all, He suffered even more for you!

In God’s service, for His glory,

Galatians 3:3 – Completely Saved

Posted on October 9, 2007 by Will

Galatians 3:3

³Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?

Truth to Learn

Doing good deeds or obeying a set of rules does not complete your salvation. God has already taken care of that.

Behind the Words

The word in the current verse that is translated “being made perfect” is from the Greek word “epiteleisthe.” This is a compound word made up of “epi” used in this case as an intensifier and a form of “teleō” meaning “to finish” or “to complete.” Hence, this word carries the idea of completely finishing something so that there is no more left to be done.

Meaning Explained

Paul continues on with the thought that he introduced in the previous verse. And, he once again reminds the Christians of Galatia that their thinking in this regard is not very clear. In the previous verse his rhetorical question, “Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?” should have caused them to recognize that they were saved by faith, not by anything which they did themselves.

Now he asks them, “If your salvation began by faith and was the work of the Holy Spirit, is it now made complete by works of your own doing?” In other words, does salvation which is initiated by the Holy Spirit have to be completed by human action?

Paul is not suggesting that salvation is a two-step process, faith plus works. On the contrary, he is pointing out that just such a notion is foolishness. God does not need our help to complete something that He started. That which the Spirit of God began with regard to salvation He also completed. Once and for all.

Works of our flesh, that is deeds or actions which we do with our body, do not add anything to the work of salvation which God accomplished by His Spirit. The moment you believed God’s truth you were saved and the work was completely done by the Holy Spirit. There’s nothing left to be done. You are as completely saved as you will ever be. Not partially saved, not temporarily saved, but completely saved.

So What?

Are you, like the Galatian Christians, still trying to complete something that God started?

Do you feel the need to do something to make your own salvation complete or secure?

Are you afraid you might do something that causes you to lose your salvation?

Is your church telling you that you have to become a member of their body or adhere to a set of rules that they have devised to be completely saved?

According to Paul, you don’t need to worry. God has already done it all!

In God’s service, for His glory,

Galatians 3:2 – Listen Up

Posted on October 5, 2007 by Will

Galatians 3:2

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

Truth to Learn

The Holy Spirit, who is our guarantee that we are eternally saved, is given to us because we believe not because we perform some deed or action.

Behind the Words

The word translated “works” is “ergon,” which is “an action or deed performed.” The word translated “hearing” is “akuon,” which here means “the sense of hearing” not “the act of hearing.”

Meaning Explained

Paul now gets to the heart of the matter with another of his rhetorical questions. He says that there is but one thing that he wants to learn from the Galatians. That is, there is only one question that he wants them to think about. And, though it’s rhetorical it is nonetheless a question which should cause any Christian to carefully think about the true source of their salvation in Christ Jesus. The question is: “Did you receive the Spirit (the Holy Spirit) from the works of the Law, or from of the hearing of faith?” In other words, “Was it by your works that you received the Spirit of God, or was it simply the result of being able to hear and believe the gospel message?”

Remember what Paul told the Ephesian Christians?

Ephesians 1:13, 14 ¹³In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, ¹⁴who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

Paul’s point to the Galatian Christians is that if they were saved by faith and sealed with the Holy Spirit at the point of salvation, and if the Holy Spirit is our guarantee (our earnest) that we will receive our inheritance as the children of God, then we have all that we need for salvation. And since that salvation is guaranteed to us no matter what we do (we have the guarantee of the Holy Spirit living in us), then there are no good works of the Law that can add anything to our position in Christ. Incidentally, this also means that there are no bad works that we can do that will cause us to lose this salvation either.

So, Paul’s point in the current verse is, “You did not earn your salvation by works of the Law but by simple faith. Therefore, you are saved by faith without any additional works of the Law.”

Ephesians 2:8 ⁸For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,

And all the praise goes to God!

So What?

Are you listening to God, or are you too busy working to hear Him?

In God’s service, for His glory,

Galatians 3:1 – Trick or Truth

Posted on October 4, 2007 by Will

Galatians 3:1

¹O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified?

Truth to Learn

As careful as we try to adhere strictly to the truth of God’s Word, our enemy has ways of leading us into paths of error.

Review

In the past few verses Paul has demonstrated to the Galatians how he interacted with Peter, Barnabas, and others when they appeared to leave the simple truth of salvation unto righteousness by faith alone. This was presented to them not only to show how strongly Paul felt about this doctrine but also to show the Galatian Christians that even the strongest of Christians can be fooled into thinking that we need to do something to justify or secure our salvation.

Behind the Words

The word translated “bewitched” is “ebaskanen” which means “to bewitch with the eye” or “to cast an evil eye.” People of the first century believed that great harm might result from the “evil eye.” What Paul is saying is that they have been tricked into believing something that isn’t true

Meaning Explained

Paul now turns his attention again to addressing the Galatians directly. He starts off this section with what on the surface appears to be an insult, “O foolish Galatians!” Clearly this is an admonition expressed in a manner to get their attention but it is not meant to insult nor to offend. It is said to get their attention focused on the truth at hand instead of the peripheral stuff going on. It is given in a manner similar to how Christ addressed a couple of His own disciples. On the day of His resurrection, Jesus appeared to two of them on the road out of Jerusalem heading toward the town of Emmaus. After talking with them and listening to their explanation of the events that had transpired that day he finally responded to them:

Luke 24:25 ²⁵Then He said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!”

Paul now asks, “Who has bewitched you?” He is clearly indicating to them that they have been tricked into believing the legalistic doctrines that were presented to them, through which they thought they could be made secure in their righteousness. He is using a play on words to show them that they have been tricked by the “evil eye” when the truth of Christ has been presented clearly to their eyes. And the Christ that has been portrayed to them is not a Christ of legalism but a suffering Christ who was crucified to pay the price for their righteousness.

So What?

Have you been tricked into believing you have to obey part or all of the Law of Moses or some private church doctrines in order to secure your salvation which was initially received by faith?

If so, pay close attention to the next few verses!

In God’s service, for His glory,