Galatians 3

Galatians 3

A page showing Galatia 1:2-10 on Papyrus 51, ca. AD 400.
Book Epistle to the Galatians
Bible part New Testament
Order in the Bible part 9
Category Pauline epistles

Galatians 3 is the third chapter of the Epistle to the Galatians in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. It is authored by Paul the Apostle and "the brethren that are with" him.[1][2]

Text

Structure

This chapter can be grouped (with cross references to other parts of the Bible):

Cross references

Verse 6

New King James Version

just as Abraham “believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”[3]

Paul cited from the Old Testament, Genesis 15:6.

Verse 11

New King James Version

But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for “the just shall live by faith.”[4]

Citation from: Habakkuk 2:4

The Pulpit Commentary paraphrases as "but that in the Law no man is justified with God, is evident," that "be justified" means to be brought out of a state of guiltiness and cursedness into a state of acceptance.[5] This commentary asserts that Paul, assuming every one guilty and under a curse, now shows that the Law offers no means of justification, and thus by "adducing that cardinal aphorism of Habakkuk" substantiates the doctrine of justification by faith (also cited in Romans 1:17; Hebrews 10:38).[5] When in Acts 13:39-41 it is read that in the synagogue at the Pisidian Antioch, in close connection with the statement that through believing in Christ a man is justified, Paul cited another passage of Habakkuk (Habakkuk 1:5), denouncing unbelieving despisers, indicating to the Pulpit Commentary that he had made good his statement about justification by alleging this same probative text.[5]

The "law" is defined in the Pulpit Commentary as "being it", "the sphere and domain of the Law", comparing the use of the same preposition with Romans 2:12 ("As many as have sinned under [Greek, 'in'] the Law;") Romans 3:19 ("It saith to them that are under [Greek, 'in'] the Law."), whereas an exactly parallel construction is found in Acts 13:39 ("From all things from which ye could not by [Greek, 'in'] the Law be justified.").[5]

Noted in the Pulpit Commentary that the preposition "with" (παρά, para) is used similarly in Romans 2:13 ("For not the hearers of the Law are righteous with God"); 1 Corinthians 3:19 ("The wisdom of this world is foolishness with God"), so it is God himself that justifies the sinner (Romans 3:30; Romans 4:5).[5]

A paraphrase based on direct translation from Greek in the Pulpit Commentary: "the righteous by faith shall live".[5] It is noted in the Pulpit Commentary that the text doesn't use the usual phrase "as Scripture saith", same as in the next verse out of Leviticus; which is also the case in Romans 9:7, but in Romans 15:3 and 1 Corinthians 2:9 the apostle inserts, "according as it is written," as in parenthesis, before adding the words of Scripture in such a way as to form a continuation of his own sentence.[5] The same commentary claims to be generally agreed upon by Hebrew scholars that in the original passage (Habakkuk 2:4) the words, "by his faith" (or possibly, adopting another reading of the Hebrew text, "by my faith," that is, by faith in me) belong to "shall live," rather than to "the righteous" (see on this point Delitzsch on Hebrews 10:38, and Canon Cook on Habakkuk 2:4, in 'Speaker's Commentary').[5] The "faith" spoken of is shown by the context in Habakkuk to mean such reliance upon God as is of a steadfast character, and not a mere fleeting or occasional acceptance of God's promises as true, as the Pulpit Commentary points that this is plainly the view of the passage which is taken by the Pauline writer of the Hebrews in Hebrews 10:38.[5]

Verse 13

New King James Version

Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”),[6]

Following Gill, the "Redeemer" is Christ, the Son of God, who was appointed and called to this work by his Father, and which he himself agreed to, fulfilling the prophecy under this character, qualified as man, as a near kinsman, to whom the right of redemption belonged; and as God, to accomplish it; whereas the persons "redeemed" are "us", God's elect (both Jews and Gentiles), the people of Christ, whom the Father gave unto him out of every kindred, tongue, people, and nation; to grant "redemption"; a buying of them again, as the word signifies.[7] Gill wrote that "they were his before by the Father's gift, and now he purchases them with the price of his own blood, and so delivers them "from the curse of the law"; its sentence of condemnation and death, and the execution of it; so that they shall never be hurt by it, he having delivered them from wrath to come, and redeemed from the second death, the lake which burns with fire and brimstone."[7]

Gill put this in the sense that Christ "was like an accursed person", despised by people of his generation, calling him a sinner, a Samaritan, and a devil; but also "was even accursed by the law", as he was made under the law, stood in the people's legal place and take the burden of their sins according to the law, charges him with the sins, and curses him for them; and lastly also was accursed by the justice of God, his Father, who doesn't spare him, placing justice against him, delivering him up to death, even the accursed death of the cross, so that it appeared that "he was made a curse", where "made" here is "by the will, counsel, and determination of God", and also his own will and free consent, as "he freely laid down his life, and gave himself, and made his soul an offering for sin".[7]

"cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree:"

Citation from (Deuteronomy 21:23)

Verse 16

New King James Version

Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as of many, but as of one, “And to your Seed,” who is Christ.[8]

Paul cited from the Old Testament, Genesis 12:7; 13:15; 24:7.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Halley, Henry H. Halley's Bible Handbook: an abbreviated Bible commentary. 23rd edition. Zondervan Publishing House. 1962.
  2. ↑ Holman Illustrated Bible Handbook. Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee. 2012.
  3. ↑ Galatians 3:6
  4. ↑ Galatians 3:11
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Pulpit Commentary, edited by H.D.M. Spence and Joseph S. Exell, 1890.
  6. ↑ Galatians 3:13
  7. 1 2 3 John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible, - Galatians 3:13
  8. ↑ Galatians 3:16
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