Key Ideas

1. Paul's frustration is evident as his tone becomes harsh. Who has charmed you by falsehood? “You've witnessed Christ and the power of His word, you've seen it with your own eyes so why are you now changing the method when the results are already prevalent!?”

2. Here is the crux of the whole matter. Did the Galatians receive the Spirit by keeping the old law, or was its source faith in Jesus? To Paul, the answer is self-evident based on their own experience.

3. Paul says why look for the same results through a different pathway?

4. Their past stand for the truth has apparently come at a great price in terms of suffering, all that will be for nothing if they abandon the faith.

 5. The manifestation of God’s Spirit in them is not the result of obeying rules (the law), but of faith - further evidence that a return to the law is foolish, and that the law itself does not achieve life.

 6. Proof of the power of faith is found in Abraham. He believed and his belief was accounted as “righteousness” – which simply means “right-ness, or being right with God”. The formula looks like this:  Works≠Righteousness : Faith=Righteousness

7. The Israelites put great emphasis on their lineage from Abraham, but Paul says that it isn’t genealogical descent that is important, but rather exercising the same faith – a “Spiritual heritage”.

8. God’s plan has been the same since the beginning, that all people should be blessed – come to know God – through Abraham and his people.

9. Conclusion: If we have faith, we are children of Abraham; If children of Abraham, we are called to be a blessing.

10. The attempt to earn our salvation via works is deadly because:

• none can keep the law perfectly
• we are cursed if we violate the law

11. Justification comes by faith, not by the law.

12. Faith and law are unconnected. One cannot live by both at the same time.

13. Jesus took the full weight of the law’s curse when he died – that is, he experienced that natural conclusion of trying to be righteous by the law: dying, cursed. Christ rescued us by being cursed through the hanging on the cross (Deut 21:23).

14. Christ's crucifixion and faith brings the blessings and promise of Abraham to Jew and Gentile – the blessing Abraham was called to be for all people.

15. Analogous to man's law, a legal contract once confirmed can neither be set aside or amended.

 16. Similarly, the contract between God and Abraham (and his seed, Christ) was confirmed and cannot be set aside or amended.

17. The law came 430 years after the promise to Abraham and cannot 1) set aside or 2) amend the promise that preceded it.

18. If the promise of heirship had been conditional on law keeping, then it would no longer be a promise. Law and promise are fundamentally different.

19. If the promise preceded the law, then why was the law given? What purpose does it serve? Some suggest it was added to check the growing number of transgressions, others that it was given to expose sin and make man aware of his sin and guilt (see Rom 7:7). In either case, the law was temporary until such time as the seed (Christ) should come and fulfill the promise.

20. The presence of a mediator (Moses) at the giving of the law, implies two other parties - God and humans. But in the story of Abraham’s blessing, there is only one party making the agreement (God), thus it is not an agreement, but a promise. And since it is a promise from God only, it will not be broken

21. Again a rhetorical question. The answer is a resounding "no." If righteousness had been possible by law keeping, then the law would have been adequate.

22. The "scripture" (law) reveals that all are imperfect. It is faith that leads to the promise in Christ.

23-24. The purpose of the law was to show us how inept we are being “good enough.” The law was a tutor to show us our need for Christ that via faith we might be justified. The law was to illuminate the promise, “if we are descendants of Abraham, then we are called to be a blessing to all people. However, in order to be a blessing, we need to understand and accept God’s love that only comes by way of promise. When we try to do it ourselves, on our own terms and by our own knowledge or strength, things tend to get mucky.”

25. And now that Jesus has come toreveal the purpose of the law and the blessing, the law is “fulfilled” by following Jesus through faith.

26. It is faith in Christ that makes us the children of God by adoption (see Gal. 4:5; Rom 8:15; Eph 1:5).

27. Like putting on new clothes, baptism is what brings us into Christ. If we have not been baptized, we are outside of Christ (see Job 29:14; Isa. 59:17; 61:10). Paul may be alluding to a Roman boyhood to manhood ceremony of laying aside childhood clothing (toga praetexta) and putting on adult clothing (toga virilis).

28. All worldly designations, titles or Distinctions, affiliations, preferences and judgements are meaningless in Christ. We are all called to the same mission and same love (blessing) to all people (see matt 28:18-19).

29. This is the conclusion: In Christ = Abraham's seed = heir = blessing.

Scripture

1 Oh, foolish Galatians! Who has cast an evil spell on you? For the meaning of Jesus Christ’s death was made as clear to you as if you had seen a picture of his death on the cross. 2 Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the Holy Spirit by obeying the law of Moses? Of course not! You received the Spirit because you believed the message you heard about Christ. 3 How foolish can you be? After starting your new lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort? 4 Have you experienced so much for nothing? Surely it was not in vain, was it?

5 I ask you again, does God give you the Holy Spirit and work miracles among you because you obey the law? Of course not! It is because you believe the message you heard about Christ.

6 In the same way, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” 7 The real children of Abraham, then, are those who put their faith in God.

8 What’s more, the Scriptures looked forward to this time when God would make the Gentiles right in his sight because of their faith. God proclaimed this good news to Abraham long ago when he said, “All nations will be blessed through you.” 9 So all who put their faith in Christ share the same blessing Abraham received because of his faith.

10 But those who depend on the law to make them right with God are under his curse, for the Scriptures say, “Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the commands that are written in God’s Book of the Law.” 11 So it is clear that no one can be made right with God by trying to keep the law. For the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.” 12 This way of faith is very different from the way of law, which says, “It is through obeying the law that a person has life.”

13 But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” 14 Through Christ Jesus, God has blessed the Gentiles with the same blessing he promised to Abraham, so that we who are believers might receive the promised Holy Spirit through faith.

15 Dear brothers and sisters, here’s an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or amend an irrevocable agreement, so it is in this case. 16 God gave the promises to Abraham and his child. And notice that the Scripture doesn’t say “to his children,” as if it meant many descendants. Rather, it says “to his child”—and that, of course, means Christ.

17 This is what I am trying to say: The agreement God made with Abraham could not be canceled 430 years later when God gave the law to Moses. God would be breaking his promise. 18 For if the inheritance could be received by keeping the law, then it would not be the result of accepting God’s promise. But God graciously gave it to Abraham as a promise.

19 Why, then, was the law given? It was given alongside the promise to show people their sins. But the law was designed to last only until the coming of the child who was promised. God gave his law through angels to Moses, who was the mediator between God and the people. 20 Now a mediator is helpful if more than one party must reach an agreement. But God, who is one, did not use a mediator when he gave his promise to Abraham.

21 Is there a conflict, then, between God’s law and God’s promises? Absolutely not! If the law could give us new life, we could be made right with God by obeying it. 22 But the Scriptures declare that we are all prisoners of sin, so we receive God’s promise of freedom only by believing in Jesus Christ.

23 Before the way of faith in Christ was available to us, we were placed under guard by the law. We were kept in protective custody, so to speak, until the way of faith was revealed. 24 Let me put it another way. The law was our guardian until Christ came; it protected us until we could be made right with God through faith. 25 And now that the way of faith has come, we no longer need the law as our guardian.

26 For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes.

28 There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God’s promise to Abraham belongs to you.

word study

Cast an evil spell (baskaino) to charm, to fascinate by false representations.

Made as clear (prographō); to depict or portray openly, paint, before the eyes; to write before the eyes of all who can read;

Receive (lambanō); to receive (what is given), to gain, get, obtain, to get back.

Believed (pistis); belief with the predominate idea of trust (or confidence).

Perfect (epiteleo) complete, to fulfill further (or completely).

Human effort (ergon) toil, effort, an act.

Experienced (pascho) to experience a sensation or impression (usually painful).

Heard (akoe) hearing, the receiving of a message - more than the mere sense of hearing.

Righteousness (dikaiosune) equity, justification; quality of being right.

Children (huios) a "son"; used very widely of immediate, remote or figurative kinship.

Looked Forward (proeidon) seeing before the event; foreseeing.

Right (dikaioo) to render, to regard as just or innocent.

Proclaimed (proeuaggelizomai) to announce glad news in advance.

Blessed (eneulogeo) to confer a benefit on.

Through (dia); a primary preposition denoting the channel of an act; the ground or reason by which something is or is not done.

Depend (ek); a primary preposition denoting origin (the point whence action or motion proceeds.

Observe (emmeno) to stay in the same place, to persevere.

Clear (delos) clear to the mind, certain, evident.

Right (dikaios) innocent, holy.

Rescued (exagorazo) to buy up, ransom; to rescue from loss.

Took upon himself (ginomai); to be made, finished; to become.

Through (en) position; in place, time or state; instrumentality.

Promised (epaggelia) an announcement, a divine assurance of good.

Holy Spirit (pneuma) a current of air,

breath (blast) or a breeze; vital principle, mental disposition

Set Aside (atheteo) to disesteem, neutralize or violate

Irrevocable agreement (diatheked) a disposition, a contract; a will.

Gave (kuroo) to make authoritative, to ratify.

Promises (epaggelia) pledge; divine assurance of good.

Child (sperma) something sown, offspring; a remnant.

Made (prokuroo) to ratify previously.

Inheritance (kleronomia) heirship; a patrimony; a possession.

Graciously gave (charizomai); to give graciously, give freely, bestow; to forgive; graciously to restore one to another

Alongside (charin); in favor of, for the pleasure of; for the sake of; on this account, for this cause.

Sins (parabasis) violation; going aside.

Designed (diatassō); to arrange thoroughly, i.e. (specially) institute, prescribe, etc.:—appoint, command, give, (set in) order, ordain.

Mediator (mesites) a go between; a reconciler; intercessor.

Conflict (kata); a preposition denoting motion or diffusion or direction from higher to lower; as in class.

New life (zoopoieo) to revitalize.

Declare (sugkleio) to shut together; include or embrace in a common subjection to.

Placed under guard (sygkleiō); to shut up together, enclose (as a group of fish in a net); embrace in a common subjection

Kept (phroureo) to be a watcher in advance, i.e. to mount guard as a sentinel; to hem in, protect.

Guardian (paidagogos) a boy-leader; instructor; tutor.

Faith (pistis) persuasion, credence; conviction of religious truth.

United (eis) to or into, indicating the point reached or entered, of place, time, or result.

Baptism (baptizo) to overwhelm; make fully wet; to dip; immerse.

Put on (enduo) to clothe; to enter into; get into.

Slave (doulos) a slave; subjection or subservience.

Free (eleutheros) not a slave.

Heirs (kleronomos) a sharer by lot; an inheritor; a possessor