3 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
Christ G5547 is become of no effect unto you, G575 G2673 whosoever of you G3748 are justified G1344 by G1722 the law; G3551 ye are fallen from G1601 grace. G5485 For G1063 we G2249 through the Spirit G4151 wait for G553 the hope G1680 of righteousness G1343 by G1537 faith. G4102 For G1063 in G1722 Jesus G2424 Christ G5547 neither G3777 circumcision G4061 availeth G2480 any thing, G5100 nor G3777 uncircumcision; G203 but G235 faith G4102 which worketh G1754 by G1223 love. G26 Ye did run G5143 well; G2573 who G5101 did hinder G348 G1465 you G5209 that ye should G3982 not G3361 obey G3982 the truth? G225 This persuasion G3988 cometh not G3756 of G1537 him that calleth G2564 you. G5209
Wherefore G5620 thou art G1488 no more G3765 a servant, G1401 but G235 a son; G5207 and G1161 if G1487 a son, G5207 then G2532 an heir G2818 of God G2316 through G1223 Christ. G5547 Howbeit G235 then, G5119 G3303 when ye knew G1492 not G3756 God, G2316 ye did service G1398 unto them which by nature G5449 are G5607 no G3361 gods. G2316 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 Ye observe G3906 days, G2250 and G2532 months, G3376 and G2532 times, G2540 and G2532 years. G1763
As many as G3745 desire G2309 to make a fair shew G2146 in G1722 the flesh, G4561 they G3778 constrain G315 you G5209 to be circumcised; G4059 only G3440 lest G3363 they should suffer persecution G1377 for the cross G4716 of Christ. G5547 For G1063 neither G3761 they themselves G846 who are circumcised G4059 keep G5442 the law; G3551 but G235 desire G2309 to have G4059 you G5209 circumcised, G4059 that G2443 they may glory G2744 in G1722 your G5212 flesh. G4561 But G1161 God forbid G3361 G1096 that I G1698 should glory, G2744 save G1508 in G1722 the cross G4716 of our G2257 Lord G2962 Jesus G2424 Christ, G5547 by G1223 whom G3739 the world G2889 is crucified G4717 unto me, G1698 and I G2504 unto the world. G2889
Which G3748 was a figure G3850 for G1519 the time G2540 then present, G1764 in G2596 which G3739 were offered G4374 both G5037 gifts G1435 and G2532 sacrifices, G2378 that could G1410 not G3361 make G5048 him that did the service G3000 perfect, G5048 as pertaining to G2596 the conscience; G4893 Which stood only G3440 in G1909 meats G1033 and G2532 drinks, G4188 and G2532 divers G1313 washings, G909 and G2532 carnal G4561 ordinances, G1345 imposed G1945 on them until G3360 the time G2540 of reformation. G1357
Who G3739 is made, G1096 not G3756 after G2596 the law G3551 of a carnal G4559 commandment, G1785 but G235 after G2596 the power G1411 of an endless G179 life. G2222 For G1063 he testifieth, G3140 G3754 Thou G4771 art a priest G2409 for G1519 ever G165 after G2596 the order G5010 of Melchisedec. G3198 For G1063 there is G1096 verily G3303 a disannulling G115 of the commandment G1785 going before G4254 for G1223 the weakness G772 and G2532 unprofitableness G512 thereof. G846 For G1063 the law G3551 made G5048 nothing G3762 perfect, G5048 but G1161 the bringing in G1898 of a better G2909 hope G1680 did; by G1223 the which G3739 we draw nigh G1448 unto God. G2316
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.