10 For G1063 as many as G3745 are G1526 of G1537 the works G2041 of the law G3551 are G1526 under G5259 the curse: G2671 for G1063 it is written, G1125 Cursed G1944 is every one G3956 that G3739 continueth G1696 not G3756 in G1722 all things G3956 which G3588 are written G1125 in G1722 the book G975 of the law G3551 to do G4160 them. G846
Cursed H779 be he that confirmeth H6965 not all the words H1697 of this law H8451 to do H6213 them. And all the people H5971 shall say, H559 Amen. H543
And say H559 thou unto them, Thus saith H559 the LORD H3068 God H430 of Israel; H3478 Cursed H779 be the man H376 that obeyeth H8085 not the words H1697 of this covenant, H1285
Behold, H7200 I set H5414 before H6440 you this day H3117 a blessing H1293 and a curse; H7045 A blessing, H1293 if ye obey H8085 the commandments H4687 of the LORD H3068 your God, H430 which I command H6680 you this day: H3117 And a curse, H7045 if ye will not obey H8085 the commandments H4687 of the LORD H3068 your God, H430 but turn aside H5493 out of the way H1870 which I command H6680 you this day, H3117 to go H3212 after H310 other H312 gods, H430 which ye have not known. H3045
And G1161 he spake G2036 G2532 this G5026 parable G3850 unto G4314 certain G5100 which G3588 trusted G3982 in G1909 themselves G1438 that G3754 they were G1526 righteous, G1342 and G2532 despised G1848 others: G3062 Two G1417 men G444 went up G305 into G1519 the temple G2411 to pray; G4336 the one G1520 a Pharisee, G5330 and G2532 the other G2087 a publican. G5057 The Pharisee G5330 stood G2476 and prayed G4336 thus G5023 with G4314 himself, G1438 God, G2316 I thank G2168 thee, G4671 that G3754 I am G1510 not G3756 as G5618 other G3062 men G444 are, extortioners, G727 unjust, G94 adulterers, G3432 or G2228 even G2532 as G5613 this G3778 publican. G5057 I fast G3522 twice G1364 in the week, G4521 I give tithes G586 of all G3956 that G3745 I possess. G2932 And G2532 the publican, G5057 standing G2476 afar off, G3113 would G2309 not G3756 lift up G1869 so much as G3761 his eyes G3788 unto G1519 heaven, G3772 but G235 smote G5180 upon G1519 his G846 breast, G4738 saying, G3004 God G2316 be merciful G2433 to me G3427 a sinner. G268
Behold, all souls H5315 are mine; as the soul H5315 of the father, H1 so also the soul H5315 of the son H1121 is mine: the soul H5315 that sinneth, H2398 it shall die. H4191
The LORD H3068 will H14 not spare H5545 him, but then the anger H639 of the LORD H3068 and his jealousy H7068 shall smoke H6225 against that man, H376 and all the curses H423 that are written H3789 in this book H5612 shall lie H7257 upon him, and the LORD H3068 shall blot out H4229 his name H8034 from under heaven. H8064
Therefore I have profaned H2490 the princes H8269 of the sanctuary, H6944 and have given H5414 Jacob H3290 to the curse, H2764 and Israel H3478 to reproaches. H1421
Then G5119 shall he say G2046 also G2532 unto them on G1537 the left hand, G2176 Depart G4198 from G575 me, G1700 ye cursed, G2672 into G1519 everlasting G166 fire, G4442 prepared G2090 for the devil G1228 and G2532 his G846 angels: G32
Now G1161 we know G1492 that G3754 what things soever G3745 the law G3551 saith, G3004 it saith G2980 to them who are under G1722 the law: G3551 that G2443 every G3956 mouth G4750 may be stopped, G5420 and G2532 all G3956 the world G2889 may become G1096 guilty G5267 before God. G2316 Therefore G1360 by G1537 the deeds G2041 of the law G3551 there shall G1344 no G3956 G3756 flesh G4561 be justified G1344 in his G846 sight: G1799 for G1063 by G1223 the law G3551 is the knowledge G1922 of sin. G266
Because G1063 the law G3551 worketh G2716 wrath: G3709 for G1063 where G3757 no G3756 law G3551 is, G2076 there is no G3761 transgression. G3847
For G1063 the wages G3800 of sin G266 is death; G2288 but G1161 the gift G5486 of God G2316 is eternal G166 life G2222 through G1722 Jesus G2424 Christ G5547 our G2257 Lord. G2962
For G1161 I G1473 was alive G2198 without G5565 the law G3551 once: G4218 but G1161 when the commandment G1785 came, G2064 sin G266 revived, G326 and G1161 I G1473 died. G599 And G2532 the commandment, G1785 which G3588 was ordained to G1519 life, G2222 I G3427 found G2147 G3778 to be unto G1519 death. G2288 For G1063 sin, G266 taking G2983 occasion G874 by G1223 the commandment, G1785 deceived G1818 me, G3165 and G2532 by G1223 it G846 slew G615 me. Wherefore G5620 G3303 the law G3551 is holy, G40 and G2532 the commandment G1785 holy, G40 and G2532 just, G1342 and G2532 good. G18 Was then G3767 that which is good G18 made G1096 death G2288 unto me? G1698 God forbid. G3361 G1096 But G235 sin, G266 that G2443 it might appear G5316 sin, G266 working G2716 death G2288 in me G3427 by G1223 that which is good; G18 that G2443 sin G266 by G1223 the commandment G1785 might become G1096 exceeding G2596 G5236 sinful. G268
Because G1360 the carnal G4561 mind G5427 is enmity G2189 against G1519 God: G2316 for G1063 it is G5293 not G3756 subject G5293 to the law G3551 of God, G2316 neither G3761 indeed G1063 can be. G1410
Knowing G1492 that G3754 a man G444 is G1344 not G3756 justified G1344 by G1537 the works G2041 of the law, G3551 but G3362 by G1223 the faith G4102 of Jesus G2424 Christ, G5547 even G2532 we G2249 have believed G4100 in G1519 Jesus G2424 Christ, G5547 that G2443 we might be justified G1344 by G1537 the faith G4102 of Christ, G5547 and G2532 not G3756 by G1537 the works G2041 of the law: G3551 for G1360 by G1537 the works G2041 of the law G3551 shall G1344 no G3756 G3956 flesh G4561 be justified. G1344
But G1161 if G1487 ye have respect to persons, G4380 ye commit G2038 sin, G266 and are convinced G1651 of G5259 the law G3551 as G5613 transgressors. G3848 For G1063 whosoever G3748 shall keep G5083 the whole G3650 law, G3551 and yet G1161 offend G4417 in G1722 one G1520 point, he is G1096 guilty G1777 of all. G3956 For G1063 he that said, G2036 Do G3431 not G3361 commit adultery, G3431 said G2036 also, G2532 Do G5407 not G3361 kill. G5407 Now G1161 if G1487 thou commit G3431 no G3756 adultery, G3431 yet if G1161 thou kill, G5407 thou art become G1096 a transgressor G3848 of the law. G3551
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.