1 O G5599 foolish G453 Galatians, G1052 who G5101 hath bewitched G940 you, G5209 that ye should G3982 not G3361 obey G3982 the truth, G225 before G2596 whose G3739 eyes G3788 Jesus G2424 Christ G5547 hath been evidently set forth, G4270 crucified G4717 among G1722 you? G5213
And G2532 being made perfect, G5048 he became G1096 the author G159 of eternal G166 salvation G4991 unto all G3956 them that obey G5219 him; G846
Are ye G2075 so G3779 foolish? G453 having begun G1728 in the Spirit, G4151 are ye G2005 now G3568 made perfect G2005 by the flesh? G4561
But G235 when G3753 I saw G1492 that G3754 they walked G3716 not G3756 uprightly G3716 according to G4314 the truth G225 of the gospel, G2098 I said G2036 unto Peter G4074 before G1715 them all, G3956 If G1487 thou, G4771 being G5225 a Jew, G2453 livest G2198 after the manner of Gentiles, G1483 and G2532 not G3756 as do the Jews, G2452 why G5101 compellest thou G315 the Gentiles G1484 to live as do the Jews? G2450
But G1161 now, G3568 after that ye have known G1097 God, G2316 or G1161 rather G3123 are known G1097 of G5259 God, G2316 how G4459 turn ye G1994 again G3825 to G1909 the weak G772 and G2532 beggarly G4434 elements, G4747 whereunto G3739 ye desire G2309 again G3825 G509 to be in bondage? G1398
That G2443 we henceforth be G5600 no more G3371 children, G3516 tossed to and fro, G2831 and G2532 carried about with G4064 every G3956 wind G417 of doctrine, G1319 by G1722 the sleight G2940 of men, G444 and cunning craftiness, G1722 G3834 whereby G4314 they lie in wait G3180 to deceive; G4106
Even him, whose G3739 coming G3952 is G2076 after G2596 the working G1753 of Satan G4567 with G1722 all G3956 power G1411 and G2532 signs G4592 and G2532 lying G5579 wonders, G5059 And G2532 with G1722 all G3956 deceivableness G539 of unrighteousness G93 in G1722 them that perish; G622 because G473 G3739 they received G1209 not G3756 the love G26 of the truth, G225 that G1519 they G846 might be saved. G4982 And G2532 for this G5124 cause G1223 God G2316 shall send G3992 them G846 strong G1753 delusion, G4106 that G1519 they G846 should believe G4100 a lie: G5579 That G2443 they all G3956 might be damned G2919 who G3588 believed G4100 not G3361 the truth, G225 but G235 had pleasure G2106 in G1722 unrighteousness. G93
He is proud, G5187 knowing G1987 nothing, G3367 but G235 doting G3552 about G4012 questions G2214 and G2532 strifes of words, G3055 whereof G1537 G3739 cometh G1096 envy, G5355 strife, G2054 railings, G988 evil G4190 surmisings, G5283
Seeing ye have purified G48 your G5216 souls G5590 in G1722 obeying G5218 the truth G225 through G1223 the Spirit G4151 unto G1519 unfeigned G505 love of the brethren, G5360 see that ye love G25 one another G240 with G1537 a pure G2513 heart G2588 fervently: G1619
For G3754 the time G2540 is come that judgment G2917 must begin G756 at G575 the house G3624 of God: G2316 and G1161 if G1487 it first G4412 begin at G575 us, G2257 what G5101 shall the end G5056 be of them that obey not G544 the gospel G2098 of God? G2316
Notwithstanding G235 I have G2192 a few things G3641 against G2596 thee, G4675 because G3754 thou sufferest G1439 that woman G1135 Jezebel, G2403 which G3588 calleth G3004 herself G1438 a prophetess, G4398 to teach G1321 and G2532 to seduce G4105 my G1699 servants G1401 to commit fornication, G4203 and G2532 to eat G5315 things sacrificed unto idols. G1494
And G2532 he doeth G4160 great G3173 wonders, G4592 so G2532 that G2443 he maketh G4160 fire G4442 come down G2597 from G1537 heaven G3772 on G1519 the earth G1093 in the sight G1799 of men, G444 And G2532 deceiveth G4105 them that dwell G2730 on G1909 the earth G1093 by G1223 the means of those miracles G4592 which G3739 he G846 had power G1325 to do G4160 in the sight G1799 of the beast; G2342 saying G3004 to them that dwell G2730 on G1909 the earth, G1093 that they should make G4160 an image G1504 to the beast, G2342 which G3739 had G2192 the wound G4127 by a sword, G3162 and G2532 did live. G2198
For G3754 all G3956 nations G1484 have drunk G4095 of G1537 the wine G3631 of the wrath G2372 of her G846 fornication, G4202 and G2532 the kings G935 of the earth G1093 have committed fornication G4203 with G3326 her, G846 and G2532 the merchants G1713 of the earth G1093 are waxed rich G4147 through G1537 the abundance G1411 of her G846 delicacies. G4764
But G235 they have G5219 not G3756 all G3956 obeyed G5219 the gospel. G2098 For G1063 Esaias G2268 saith, G3004 Lord, G2962 who G5101 hath believed G4100 our G2257 report? G189
And Samuel H8050 said H559 to Saul, H7586 Thou hast done foolishly: H5528 thou hast not kept H8104 the commandment H4687 of the LORD H3068 thy God, H430 which he commanded H6680 thee: for now would the LORD H3068 have established H3559 thy kingdom H4467 upon Israel H3478 for H5704 ever. H5769
For G1063 there shall arise G1453 false Christs, G5580 and G2532 false prophets, G5578 and G2532 shall shew G1325 great G3173 signs G4592 and G2532 wonders; G5059 insomuch that, G5620 if G1487 it were possible, G1415 they shall deceive G4105 the very G2532 elect. G1588
Then G2532 he G846 said G2036 unto G4314 them, G846 O G5599 fools, G453 and G2532 slow G1021 of heart G2588 to believe G4100 G1909 all G3956 that G3739 the prophets G4396 have spoken: G2980
But G1161 there was a certain G5100 man, G435 called G3686 Simon, G4613 which beforetime G4391 in G1722 the same city G4172 used sorcery, G3096 and G2532 bewitched G1839 the people G1484 of Samaria, G4540 giving out G3004 that himself G1438 was G1511 some G5100 great one: G3173 To whom G3739 they all G3956 gave heed, G4337 from G575 the least G3398 to G2193 the greatest, G3173 saying, G3004 This man G3778 is G2076 the great G3173 power G1411 of God. G2316 And G1161 to him G846 they had regard, G4337 because G1223 that of long G2425 time G5550 he had bewitched G1839 them G846 with sorceries. G3095
Do ye thus requite H1580 the LORD, H3068 O foolish H5036 people H5971 and unwise? H2450 is not he thy father H1 that hath bought H7069 thee? hath he not made H6213 thee, and established H3559 thee?
But G1161 we G2249 preach G2784 Christ G5547 crucified, G4717 unto the Jews G2453 a stumblingblock, G3303 G4625 and G1161 unto the Greeks G1672 foolishness; G3472 But G1161 unto them G846 which G3588 are called, G2822 both G5037 Jews G2453 and G2532 Greeks, G1672 Christ G5547 the power G1411 of God, G2316 and G2532 the wisdom G4678 of God. G2316
For G1063 as often as G302 G3740 ye eat G2068 this G5126 bread, G740 and G2532 drink G4095 this G5124 cup, G4221 ye do shew G2605 the Lord's G2962 death G2288 till G891 G302 he G3739 come. G2064
Casting down G2507 imaginations, G3053 and G2532 every G3956 high thing G5313 that exalteth itself G1869 against G2596 the knowledge G1108 of God, G2316 and G2532 bringing into captivity G163 every G3956 thought G3540 to G1519 the obedience G5218 of Christ; G5547
For G1063 such G5108 are false apostles, G5570 deceitful G1386 workers, G2040 transforming themselves G3345 into G1519 the apostles G652 of Christ. G5547 And G2532 no G3756 marvel; G2298 for G1063 Satan G4567 himself G846 is transformed G3345 into G1519 an angel G32 of light. G5457 Therefore G3767 it is no G3756 great thing G3173 if G1499 his G846 ministers G1249 also G1499 be transformed G3345 as G5613 the ministers G1249 of righteousness; G1343 whose G3739 end G5056 shall be G2071 according G2596 to their G846 works. G2041
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Galatians 3
Commentary on Galatians 3 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 3
The apostle in this chapter,
Gal 3:1-5
The apostle is here dealing with those who, having embraced the faith of Christ, still continued to seek for justification by the works of the law; that is, who depended upon their own obedience to the moral precepts as their righteousness before God, and, wherein that was defective, had recourse to the legal sacrifices and purifications to make it up. These he first sharply reproves, and then endeavours, by the evidence of truth, to convince them. This is the right method, when we reprove any for a fault or an error, to convince them that it is an error, that it is a fault.
He reproves them, and the reproof is very close and warm: he calls them foolish Galatians, v. 1. Though as Christians they were Wisdom's children, yet as corrupt Christians they were foolish children. Yea, he asks, Who hath bewitched you? whereby he represents them as enchanted by the arts and snares of their seducing teachers, and so far deluded as to act very unlike themselves. That wherein their folly and infatuation appeared was that they did not obey the truth; that is, they did not adhere to the gospel way of justification, wherein they had been taught, and which they had professed to embrace. Note, It is not enough to know the truth, and to say we believe it, but we must obey it too; we must heartily submit to it, and stedfastly abide by it. Note, also, Those are spiritually bewitched who, when the truth as it is in Jesus is plainly set before them, will not thus obey it. Several things proved and aggravated the folly of these Christians.
Gal 3:6-18
The apostle having reproved the Galatians for not obeying the truth, and endeavoured to impress them with a sense of their folly herein, in these verses he largely proves the doctrine which he had reproved them for rejecting, namely, that of justification by faith without the works of the law. This he does several ways.
Gal 3:19-29
The apostle having just before been speaking of the promise made to Abraham, and representing that as the rule of our justification, and not the law, lest they should think he did too much derogate from the law, and render it altogether useless, he thence takes occasion to discourse of the design and tendency of it, and to acquaint us for what purposes it was given. It might be asked, "If that promise be sufficient for salvation, wherefore then serveth the law? Or, Why did God give the law by Moses?' To this he answers,
The apostle adds that the law was given for this purpose till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; that is, either till Christ should come (the principle seed referred to in the promise, as he had before shown), or till the gospel dispensation should take place, when Jews and Gentiles, without distinction, should, upon believing, become the seed of Abraham. The law was added because of transgressions, till this fulness of time, or this complete dispensation, should come. But when the seed came, and a fuller discovery of divine grace in the promise was made, then the law, as given by Moses, was to cease; that covenant, being found faulty, was to give place to another, and a better, Heb. 8:7, 8. And though the law, considered as the law of nature, is always in force, and still continues to be of use to convince men of sin and to restrain them from it, yet we are now no longer under the bondage and terror of that legal covenant. The law then was not intended to discover another way of justification, different from that revealed by the promise, but only to lead men to see their need of the promise, by showing them the sinfulness of sin, and to point them to Christ, through whom alone they could be pardoned and justified.
As a further proof that the law was not designed to vacate the promise, the apostle adds, It was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator. It was given to different persons, and in a different manner from the promise, and therefore for different purposes. The promise was made to Abraham, and all his spiritual seed, including believers of all nations, even of the Gentiles as well as the Jews; but the law was given to the Israelites as a peculiar people, and separated from the rest of the world. And, whereas the promise was given immediately by God himself, the law was given by the ministry of angels, and the hand of a mediator. Hence it appeared that the law could not be designed to set aside the promise; for (v. 20), A mediator is not a mediator of one, of one party only; but God is one, but one party in the promise or covenant made with Abraham: and therefore it is not to be supposed that by a transaction which passed only between him and the nation of the Jews he should make void a promise which he had long before made to Abraham and all his spiritual seed, whether Jews or Gentiles. This would not have been consistent with his wisdom, nor with his truth and faithfulness. Moses was only a mediator between God and the spiritual seed of Abraham; and therefore the law that was given by him could not affect the promise made to them, much less be subversive of it.