Galatians 3

May 28, 2025

Galatians 3 ESV

O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified.  Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith?  Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?  Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain?  Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith—  just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”?  Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham.  And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.”  So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.  For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.”  Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.”  But the law is not of faith, rather “The one who does them shall live by them.”  Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”—  so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.  To give a human example, brothers: even with a man-made covenant, no one annuls it or adds to it once it has been ratified.  Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ.  This is what I mean: the law, which came 430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to make the promise void.  For if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but God gave it to Abraham by a promise.  Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was put in place through angels by an intermediary.  Now an intermediary implies more than one, but God is one.  Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law.  But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.  Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed.  So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith.  But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian,  for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.  For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.  There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.  And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.

Discussion Question:

Our challenge this week is to understand Apostle Paul’s doctrinal argument in Galatians chapter 3. 

Our question for discussion is:  What are the points the Apostle Paul is making in his argument? 

The chapter can be broken down into the following sections or the Apostle Paul’s paragraphs. 

Sections:

1-5:  Intro to Galatian brethren

6-9:  Abrahamic Promise

10-14:  Curse of the Law

15-18:  Abrahamic Covenant and Law Covenant

19-25:  Purpose of the Law

26-29:  New way for Christians – putting on Christ

Discussion Summary:

The gentile Christians in Galatia had been converted by Paul.  He did not teach that they had to observe the law when they converted.  He is asking them if it is only now, as they are being pressured to observe the law that they are truly Christian?

Christians believe that the promise made to Abraham that through him all the nations would be blessed is fulfilled in Jesus.  He inherited that promise.

The law given at Mt. Sinai came after the promise to Abraham.  The law showed that no one until Jesus was able to keep the law perfectly.  No one was able to inherit.  Paul quotes Habakkuk 2:4 and Leviticus 18:5 to prove this point.  The law was also designed to put the people into an attitude that they would need to have their failure to keep the law, their sins, forgiven.

Once Jesus proved worthy to inherit the Abrahamic promise by obeying the law of God perfectly, he then gave up that perfect life for all humans.  Those who now have faith in Jesus Christ and in his ability to forgive sins have the opportunity to become Christians and inherit the promise.