For further examination of Galatians see also the following books in this library:
Introduction
This epistle was written to the churches in the region of Galatia in present day Turkey. Galatia included cities such as Derbe, Lystra, Iconium and Antioch. The apostle visited each of these cities in Galatia. Over time, however, false teachers also visited these cities preaching that the true Christian needed to be circumcised and follow the Jewish laws and traditions. These false teachers were influencing many to turn from the message Paul preached of freedom from the law and salvation by faith in Jesus and His work.
Paul writes the letter to clarify the message the Lord had given him to preach. He reminded the Galatians that the true believer was free from the law and that the work of Jesus alone was sufficient for salvation. To support his argument, the apostle shares the testimony of his personal conversion from Judaism to Christ. He supports his message also by showing the Galatians that salvation by grace through faith was not a new concept, but one that was older than the law itself.
The apostle reminds that Galatians that freedom from the law was not lawlessness. In fact, the believer, who accepted the work of Christ was indwelt by His Spirit, and enabled by that Spirit to live the life God required. For Paul, the only way to experience salvation was through the work of Christ Jesus on the cross. The only way to live the life God required, was by means of the Spirit of Christ given to all who experienced a new birth.
Select Chapter
Chapter 1
Verse 1
Paul identifies himself as the author of the epistle in this opening verse. He refers to himself as an apostle. Notice, however, that this calling was “not from men nor through man.” In other words, he was not given this position by another human being who recognized his qualifications and decided he would be good for the job. This reference to men here included himself. Paul did not choose this ministry himself. He know that he was on a very different path before he met the Lord. He persecuted the church and wanted nothing to do with the Lord Jesus and His message.
Paul’s calling to be an apostle was “through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead.” Notice the reference to the Father who raised Christ from the dead. Paul makes a connection between his calling as an apostle and the death of Jesus Christ.
It was the death of the Lord Jesus that made his calling possible and gave it purpose. The death of Jesus Christ was Paul’s forgiveness. It was this death and resurrection that formed the basis of his message. All Paul’s hope lay in the work of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary.
Verse 2
Paul sends his greetings from “all the brothers who are with me.” He does not mention any names in particular. The greeting, however, shows the connection between brothers and sisters in Christ. They saw themselves as being part of the same family and demonstrate their concern for each other through this greeting.
The letter is addressed to the churches of Galatia. Galatia was a Roman province with many cities. Paul had travelled through this region and planted different churches in it. Obviously it was the wish of Paul that the letter be circulated among the various churches of Galatia.
Verse 3
Paul’s prayer for the Galatians was that they experience grace and peace.
Grace is the unmerited favour of God. By praying for grace, Paul is reminding the Galatians that they did not deserve what God had to offer. It is also, however, a reminder that the Lord God was merciful and compassionate and willing to pardon.
Peace relates to their relationship with God which was the result of grace. Through the work of the Lord Jesus, they could have peace with the Father.
Notice that this grace and peace is from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. No mention is made here of the Holy Spirit. While the Holy Spirit clearly has a role in the work of salvation and holiness, the focus of Paul at this time is on the work of the person of Jesus Christ.
Verse 4
Paul has three things to tell the Galatians about the work of the Lord Jesus here.
First, He “gave himself for our sins.” The grace of the Lord Jesus toward undeserving sinners is found in the fact that He was willing to lay His life down for us. The words, “he gave himself,” indicate that His life was not taken from Him. He came to die and willingly surrendered His life as a payment for our sin.
Second, Paul goes on to tell us that Jesus died “to deliver us from the present evil age.” The apostle John had this to say about this world in which we live:
19 We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. – 1Jn 5:19
This present evil age is under the control of the evil one. Satan and sin have ravaged this earth. The curse of sin has stripped us of a relationship with God, broken our relationships with each other, and plunged us into sickness and death. All of this is rushing toward an eternal separation from God. According to Paul, Jesus came to rescue us from this destiny and give us hope and new life.
Third, Paul tells the Galatians that the death of Jesus was “according to the will of our God and Father.” God the Father was willing to let His Son died so that we could have hope and know the forgiveness of sin. Why should God the Father demonstrate such love? This is purely an act of compassionate love and grace on His part.
Verse 5
For His wonderful love and mercy, Paul’s heart was that the name of the Lord be glorified forever and ever.
To glorify the name of the Lord Jesus implies a recognition of worth. We glorify His name in what we say and speak about Him. We do this in worship and praise, but also in our daily conversations.
Glorifying the name of the Lord Jesus is much more than words. We glorify His name also by how we live our lives. Consider the words of the apostle Paul to the Corinthians:
31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. – 1Co 10:31
We are called to live our lives in such a way that Christ is elevated in whatever we do. The apostles glorified the Lord in their willingness not only to live for Christ but also to die for Him.
Verse 6
Paul begins his letter on a somewhat abrupt note – “I am astonished.” The use of this word leaves us to understand that something was out of the ordinary and left Paul baffled and perplexed.
The matter that perplexed Paul was that the Galatians were quickly deserting “him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel.”
Notice first that the Galatians were deserting “him who called you in the grace of Christ.” The question we must ask here is who is the one who called them in the grace of Christ? Commentators are divided over this matter.
Some suggest that the “him” referred to here is Paul who had preached the gospel to the Galatians and called them to come to Christ. Those who interpret the verse to refer to Paul, refer to his words in Galatians 4:
13 You know it was because of a bodily ailment that I preached the gospel to you at first, 14 and though my condition was a trial to you, you did not scorn or despise me, but received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus. 15 What then has become of your blessedness? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have gouged out your eyes and given them to me. 16 Have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth? – Ga 4:13-16
The apostle makes is quite clear that he preached the gospel to them first but they were deserting his teaching and treating him as an enemy.
Other commentators believe that the one the Galatians were deserting was God the Father who called them to Christ and His salvation. Those who interpret the verse to refer to God, point to Galatians 1:15-16 where Paul tells the Galatians that It was the Father God who was pleased to call him to his Son:
15 But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, 16 was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone; – Ga 1:15-16
Ultimately, it was God who called the Galatians into the grace of Jesus Christ through the ministry of the apostle Paul.
Paul accuses the Galatians of “turning to a different gospel.” He explains this more fully in verse 7.
Verse 7
Paul accused the Galatians of turning to another gospel in verse 6. He qualifies this by telling them, however, that, in reality, there was only one gospel. The problem was that there were teachers among them that distorted the message of the gospel of Christ. This was causing trouble in the churches of Galatia.
Paul teaches a very valuable truth here. To change anything in the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ is to preach another gospel. The gospel must be preached in its purity and there is no room for compromise. It is all too easy for us to water down the message so that it does not offend. This, however, falls under the category of another gospel.
Verse 8
Notice how strongly the apostle Paul felt about preaching the message of the gospel without compromise or distortion. He tells the Galatians that if an apostle or even and angel from heaven preached anything contrary to the message they had given them, they were to be cursed as enemies of the cross of Jesus Christ.
The message of the gospel was non-negotiable. Neither apostle nor angel of heaven could change this message. There was only one means of salvation and apart from that means there was no salvation at all. Everyone had to pass through the same door, and the path to that door was very narrow.
The severest of punishment awaited those who would declare another means of salvation. Those who did so denied the work of Jesus Christ and would be forever cursed.
Verse 9
Paul repeats his words in verse 8 to emphasize them. Anyone who preached a gospel contrary to the one he preached was cursed.
This shows us just how serious a matter the preaching of the gospel in all its purity is. We must examine this message clearly and be sure that all who preach it do so in accordance with the truth the apostles and Jesus Himself delivered to us. We must not compromise this truth in any way lest we too fall under the curse Paul proclaims here.
Verse 10
One of the great temptations in the preaching of the gospel is to seek the “approval of man.” There are times when what God calls us to preach is not popular. The prophets of the Old Testament often suffered for what they preached. The apostles were beaten and put in prison for their message of the gospel they proclaimed. This message cannot be changed to please people. It must be preached as it is without compromise. Paul determined that he would preach to please the Lord God. This of course would result in much rejection, stoning and beatings. He would ultimately be thrown into prison for this decision but this was the price he was willing to pay.
Paul knew he had one of two choices to make in the preaching of the gospel – either he would choose to please man by compromising the truth and distorting it to suit his desires for human approval, or he would preach the unadulterated truth and suffer the consequences. He chose to preach the truth.
This decision brought him into conflict with the Galatians in this letter. He risks the anger of these believers and their rejection, but he would fight for the purity of the gospel message.
Verse 11
Paul reminds the Galatians that the gospel that he preached was not of human origin. The plan of salvation was not of human design but God’s purpose from eternity past. Because it was not of earthly origin, it could not be changed to suit the wishes of the preacher or the desires of the listener. It was to be accepted as presented to them. They had no right to compromise, or distort this message lest they be guilty of mishandling the truth of God.
Verse 12
Paul assured the Galatians that he did not receive the message of the gospel from any human source. No one taught it to him. It came to him by means of a direct revelation of Jesus Christ.
While Paul was not one of the twelve disciples of Jesus, he did encounter the Lord on the road to Damascus. In those days, the Lord spoke to Him and revealed the truth of the gospel to him. Remember that Paul was radically opposed to this message when he set our for Damascus to persecute believers in Jesus Christ. His heart was transformed, however, when he met Jesus and learned the truth of the gospel from Him directly.
Paul was a direct witness to this truth, having heard it from Jesus, Himself. He felt compelled to maintain the purity of what Jesus had delivered to Him.
Verse 13
The apostle reminds the Galatians of his former lifestyle as a Jew who persecuted the church of Jesus Christ. Notice what Paul tells them about this past lifestyle.
First, Paul admits that he persecuted the church of God. He believed that he was doing the right thing by removing heresy. He felt he was serving God by removing those who would say that Jesus was His Son. Paul travelled from place to place rooting out Christian and bringing then to Jerusalem to be tried and sentenced for such blasphemy.
Second, how Paul describes his persecution of Chrisitans – “I persecuted the church of God violently.” Paul’s hostility toward the church of Jesus Christ was such that he acted violently toward all who professed the name of the Lord Jesus. Believers were dragged from their homes and beaten for their faith.
Third, Paul tells us here that his great ambition in those days was to destroy the church of Jesus Christ. He saw Christians and the church as a plague on his nation that needed to be uprooted and destroyed.
Verse 14
Paul knew what it was like to seek approval and advancement in his faith. He tells the Galatians that as a young Jewish man, he was advancing in Judaism beyond many of his age. This advancement was in knowledge, position and influence. He described himself as “extremely zealous” for the traditions of his fathers.
It is clear from this that Paul had devoted his life to being a Jewish leader and advancing in Judaism. He certainly had no questions about the legitimacy of his faith. The fact that Paul would become a Christian, and accept the message of the gospel was a miracle in itself. He had no intention of doing so, and in fact, did all he could to persecute and stop anyone who preached this message.
The apostle seems to be showing the Galatians how unlikely he was to accept this message and how powerful that gospel must have been to transform Him into its greatest ambassador.
Verse 15
As zealous as Paul was to advance in Judaism and follow the traditions of his fathers, he could not resist the power of the gospel message. Notice what Paul tells us about this message that broke this religious zeal.
First, he came to understand that he had been set apart before he was born. This is refected in the words – “when he who had set me apart before I was born.” Clearly, Paul had a hunger for the things of God. That hunger drove him to do all he could for the cause of Judaism. That was not the heart of God for Paul, however. Even before Paul was born, God had set him apart for a cause. That cause was to preach the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In time, the Lord Jesus revealed that message to Paul, transformed his heart and broke all resistance. It was in this gospel that Paul found his purpose in life.
Notice second that Paul was called by the grace of God to this gospel. He did not deserve to be forgiven for all he was doing to the followers of Jesus. He was not even seeking to be a follower of Christ when he met the Lord. Christ, appeared to Him, however, and offered him forgiveness and pardon. More than this, He called him to be His ambassador to preach the very message he despised.
Paul shows the Galatians that he could not fight the truth of the gospel. He had been chosen before he was born to be a servant of that gospel. Even his strong opposition to its message was not a barrier to God’s call on his life. The gospel found Paul when he was not looking for it or expecting it. It overpowered him and transformed him from a zealous Pharisee to a humble believer in Jesus Christ.
Verse 16
Paul knew about Jesus Christ prior to his conversion but opposed everything he heard about Him. He could not accept the claims of Jesus about Himself.
The apostle tells us, however, that God revealed his Son to him. The word Paul uses here is ἀποκαλύπτω (apokalúptō) which means to remove a veil or to reveal something that to that point was hidden. In other words, God opened Paul’s eyes to see His Son Jesus Christ in a new way. That day, Paul saw Jesus as He had never seen Him before. This was not an intellectual exercise but a spiritual revelation. In that moment, Paul was convinced of the claims of Jesus Christ to be the Son of God and promised Messiah. God blinded Paul’s physical eyes for a time but gave him new spiritual eyes to see what he had never seen before. He saw Christ as God, the Saviour of His people.
Along with this new vision, God commissioned Paul that day to preach what he had seen and heard to the Gentiles. All the passion he had for Judaism was now transferred to the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The persecutor of the gospel, now becomes its greatest ambassador.
Notice that Paul tells the Galatians that when God revealed His Son to him and called him to preach the gospel, he “did not immediately consult with anyone.” There are various ways to understand what Paul is saying here.
First, Paul did not consult with anyone else to confirm this call on his life. There was no need to have this confirmation for there was no question in his heart about what God had asked him to do. He did not need human approval to do what God had told him to do.
Second, Paul did not immediately seek the approval of the church of the day to preach the message of the gospel. Remember here that he had been the church’s greatest persecutor. We can only imagine how they would have received him with suspicion. Instead, Paul was forced to prove himself over time. He did not work under the authority of the church in those initial years. He knew the call of God on his life and stepped out in obedience despite not having the approval of the church.
Third, Paul did not consult other believers in regard to training in how to preach the gospel. He had heard from the Lord God and shared what God had revealed to him in those days.
Paul stepped out into ministry without human confirmation of his calling, without the approval of the church to preach and without any formal training or diplomas to preach. He was dependant on God alone.
Verse 17
After his conversion to Christ, Paul did not return to Jerusalem or meet with the apostles. Instead he went to Damascus. Acts 9:19-25 tells us what took place when Paul was in Damascus. He connected with the disciples in that city and began to preach in the Jewish synagogues (Acts 9:19-20). Those who heard him preaching Jesus were amazed that the one who persecuted believers would now preach so powerfully of Christ (Acts 9:21-22). His impact in Damascus for the cause of Christ became so powerful that the Jews eventually plotted to kill him (Acts 9:23). Chrisitans in the city, discovered the plot and helped him escape (Acts 9:23-25).
Verse 18
Only after three years of absence, did Paul return to Jerusalem. At that time Paul visited with Cephas (Peter) for fifteen days. The wording, “I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas,” leads us to believe that Paul’s intended purpose in going to the city was to spend time with Peter.
It is unclear what took place in those days with Peter but after three years of proving himself in Damascus, it was time for Paul to consult with the leaders of the church and for them to get to know him. Acts 9:27 tells us that Barnabas took Paul to meet the apostles in Jerusalem and told them how he had proven himself in the city of Damascus:
27 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles and declared to them how on the road he had seen the Lord, who spoke to him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus. Acts 9:27
It appears that Paul was accepted by the apostles and began to preach boldly in Jerusalsm until the Hellenistic Jews sought to kill him there as well (Acts 9:28-30).
Becoming a believer was not easy for Paul. Already to this point in his life he has death threats in Damascus and in Jerusalem.
Verse 19
During this initial time that Paul went to Jerusalem to see Peter, he tells the Galatians that he saw no other apostle except James, the Lord’s brother.
In Acts 9:27 Barnabas brought Paul to Jerusalem where he met with the apostles. It would be easy to assume that all the apostles were together in Jerusalem at the time. This does not seem to be the case. Galatians 1:18 tells us that Paul spent fifteen days with Peter. Here we discover that he also saw James the brother of Jesus there as well. Obviously, these were the only apostles that Paul saw in those days in Jerusalem. We are not told where the other apostles were at this time.
Verse 20
Paul has been sharing his testimony of conversion with the Galatians. He shared with them that his conversion had nothing to do with anyone in the church. No one shared the message of the gospel with him. In fact, even after three years the only apostles he had met were Peter and James. His calling was not confirmed by the church, nor had he any formal training from her leaders. It was God alone who broke his stubborn resistance to the gospel. It was God who revealed the truth to him by revelation. God also called him into full time ministry to the Gentiles.
This testimony seemed quite incredible but the apostle assured the Galatians that what he was writing to them was the absolute truth.
Verse 21
Acts 9 tells us that after Paul spent fifteen days with Peter, he preached boldly in Jerusalem. This boldness brought about the wrath of the Hellenistic Jews and they determined to kill Paul. When the church discovered the plot they brought him to the seaport of Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus in Cilicia.
28 So he went in and out among them at Jerusalem, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord. 29 And he spoke and disputed against the Hellenists. But they were seeking to kill him. 30 And when the brothers learned this, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus. – Ac 9:28-30
Paul also mentions going into the region of Syria with its cities of Damascus and Antioch.
The plot to kill him in Damascus and Jerusalem, did not discourage Paul. He simply went into Syria and Cilicia and continued to preach the gospel.
Verse 22
While Paul spent some time in the Jerusalem in Judea, he had been converted to Christ and ministered in Damascus, Syria. He had not ministered in Judea and for the most part he was unknown in that region.
Verse 23
While believers in Judea had not met Paul personally, they had heard of his reputation. Paul was known as the one who had persecuted the church, but was now preaching the faith he had at one point tried to destroy. To this point, however, God had not called him to minister in Judea.
Verse 24
Note that though the believers in Judea, they had never met Paul, they glorified God that the one who had persecuted the church had been converted to the faith and was now preaching the gospel faithfully. Paul’s reputation ministered to those who had never met him. They saw the change in his life and the boldness with which he preached and praised the Lord. They were grateful for their deliverance from the persecution generated by Paul, but also for the incredible change God has brought to his life. To this day, the story of Paul’s conversion to Christianity has been a blessing to many.
Chapter 2
Verse 1
In Galatians 1:8 Paul told the Galatians that three years after his conversion he went to Jerusalem and spent time with Peter. After the Hellenistic Jews wanted to kill him, he left for Syria and Celicia where he continued to preach the gospel. Here in verse 1, Paul tells us that fourteen years later he went again to Jerusalem with Barnabas and Titus. The only clear reference to Paul going to Jerusalem in the book of Acts around this time is found in Acts 15 when he attended a church council meeting with the apostles. At this meeting they debated the matter of whether circumcision was required for Gentile converts.
Verse 2
Paul told the Galatians that he went to Jerusalem because of a revelation. He does not tell us what that revelation was but there may be a connection here to what he told the Galatians in chapter 1:
11 For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man’s gospel. 12 For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. – Ga 1:11-12
Notice how Paul told the Galatians that the gospel was given to him as a revelation from God. Here in verse 2, Paul connects this revelation with the gospel he proclaimed to the Gentiles – “I went up because of a revelation and set before them … the gospel that I proclaim among the Gentiles.” It is possible that the revelation of the gospel to Paul for the Gentiles was what brought him to Jerusalem to see the apostles.
When Paul was in Jerusalem, he spoke with the church about the gospel he preached to the Gentiles. He did this in both public and private sessions, speaking privately with those who “seemed influential.”
The reference to those who “seemed influential,” may indicate that Paul was not familiar with the church in Jerusalem and its leaders. He had no reason to know them as his ministry took him to other regions.
While Paul was convinced personally of the message God gave him for the Gentiles, he does take the time to explain it to the leadership in Jerusalem. He tells the Galatians that did so becasue he wanted to make sure that he “was not running or had not run in vain.”
It is likely that God brought Paul to Jerusalem to help the church sort through their understanding of the role of circumcision and other Jewish traditions in the Christian faith. This was an important decision made by the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15. If this was when Paul was in Jerusalem, his input at this critical time would have been very important.
Verse 3
When Paul went to Jerusalem, he brought Titus with him. According to the apostle, Titus was an uncircumcised Greek convert. The church in Jerusalem received him and made no requirement of circumcision for fellowship. Obviously, this was a blessing to Paul and corresponded with the revelation God had given him about the salvation of the Gentiles apart from the Jewish law.
Verse 4
While the Jerusalem church made no requirement of circumcision for fellowship and good standing, the matter of circumcision was still an issue for some in the community. Among them were Jewish converts to Christianity who wanted to maintain the Jewish traditions and saw them as a requirement for every believer in Christ.
This matter threatened to divide the church. In fact, Paul tells us that “false brothers” were secretly brought in to “spy our our freedom.” That is to say, to get information from them about who was circumcised and whether they believed circumcision was a requirement for the believer in Jesus Christ.
Notice how Paul speaks of these individuals who had slipped in among them as “false brothers.” There may be a couple of reasons why Paul sees these individuals as false brothers.
First, these individuals preached a gospel that was different from what Paul had learned from Christ. That it to say, a gospel that required circumcision and the observation of Jewish traditions and laws for salvation. Paul taught that salvation was apart from the practice of the law.
Second, Paul called these individuals “false brothers” because of the attitude they held. These brothers were secretive and deceptive in their dealings. They had no intererst in truly seeking the will of the Lord in this matter but wanted to harm those who held a view that was different from theirs. They were not motivated by love but by deceiption, and deceit. This was not from the Lord. Their intention, according to Paul was to bring the church “into slavery.” That is to say, under the yoke of Jewish law and a faith that was not based on the grace of God but on human efforts which only led to bondage and slavery.
Verse 5
Paul tells the Galatians that he refused to yield, “even for a moment,” to “false brothers” who wanted to impose the Jewish law on Christians.
The question we are forced to ask here is this: What is the harm in circumcision and the practice of Jewish traditions in the Christian life? Can’t a person who is circumcised be saved? Is circumcision and the practice of Jewish traditions really a hindrance to salvation?
To answer this we need to see things from Paul’s perspective. Paul, came to Christ as a circumcised Jew and was powerfully used by God in the preaching of the gospel. He came to understand, however, that circumcision and the Jewish traditions had nothing to do with salvtion at all. The Lord Jesus accepted the circumcised and the uncircumcised. The false brothers of his day, however, believed that circumcision was a requirement for salvation and in order to be right with God, the believer had to follow the Jewish traditions. This is where Paul held his ground in opposition.
Paul believed that salvation was by faith in what the Lord Jesus did alone. He taught that salvation had nothing to do with circumcision and the Jewish law. It had everything to do with Jesus and His work on the cross. Christ’s work alone would save. His work alone paid our debt in full. The uncircumcised was as saved as the circumcised. The one who practiced Jewish law was no more saved than the one who had never done so. The only requirement for salvation was faith in the work of Jesus Christ to pay for our sin.
It was vital that the purity of the gospel message be preserved. Paul woud not compromise that message by adding anything to it, or taking anything away from it.
Verse 6
Paul’s time in Jerusalem was important. Admittedly, there were “false brothers” whose desire was to add the requirement of circumcision and the law to salvation, but their teaching was ultimately rejected. The overall decision of those in authority was to accept the revelation of Jesus to Paul. That it to say, salvation was apart from the law. In the end, Paul tells the Galatians that the influential leaders in the church “added nothing” to him.
The phrase “added nothing to me,” can be somewhat confusing. Understand, however, that Paul came to seek the church’s advice on the matter of salvation apart from the law and its obligations. He was opposed by those who taught that salvation had to be accompanied by circumcision and the observation of the Jewish law. As the influential leaders of that day heard what Paul had to say, prayed about it and debated the matter, they came to the conclusion that the work of Jesus alone was sufficient for salvation and they added no further qualifications or obligations.
Notice one final detail here in this verse. Paul speaks once again about “those who seemed to be influential.” He qualifies this by saying, “what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality.” Let me say two things here.
First, these words seem to indicate that Paul was somewhat uncertain about the leadership of the church in Jerusalem and surrounding regions. He had not worked in this region for very long and did not really know the leadership.
Second, this matter of who was influential and who was not really did not matter to Paul. Admittedly, before coming to know the Lord, he was concerned about advancing in Judaism, but the Lord had taken that desire from him as a believer. He did not see people in this way anymore. The message of the gospel showed Paul that every single person is a sinner and without the work of Christ would be eternally lost. Because salvation was based on the work of Christ, and not on what anyone did in their human effort, all glory went to God. No one was any better than the other. God saved the Jew as well as the Gentile. He revealed Himself to the persecutor of the church as well as that influential. God showed no partiality. No one was better than another. The rich, the poor, or the influential and the common person all needed the grace of God and were eternally lost without it. This, in the mind of Paul, put everyone on the same level.
Verse 7
Paul has been speaking to the Galatians about a meeting he had in Jerusalem where the church heard his proclamation of the gospel as it had been revealed to him. Having heard his presentation, the church determined that they could add nothing. They endorsed his message and call to preach to the “uncircumcised” just as Peter had been called to preach to the Jews.
Notice that the church confirmed that he had been “entrusted” with the gospel to the uncircumcised. The idea here is that having heard Paul’s testimony, they came to the conviction that God had called him and placed this message in his hands for the Gentiles. They understood that Paul had an obligation to share this message with the uncircumcised just as Peter did with the circumcised.
Verse 8
It took a while for the Jewish Christians to accept that the message of the gospel was for the Gentile world. Throughout the New Testament there are hints of false teachers promoting a mix of Christianity and Judaism, claiming that the true believer needed to be circumcised and practice the law of Moses.
The church in Jerusalem, however, came to the conviction that the gospel was for both Jews and Gentiles and that God placed no obligation on either to follow the practice of circumcision or the Jewish traditions. Having heard Paul’s testimony, the believers were convinced that God had called Paul to preach that message of salvation apart from the law to the Gentiles.
While Peter had been called to preach to the Jews, Paul had received a call from God to go to the Gentiles. The church fully endorsed this call in Paul’s life. We can only imagine how encouraging this must have been to Paul in those days.
Paul shared this testimony with the Galatians to show them that not only had he received the message of the gospel as a revelation from God but the leaders and apostles of the church stood firmly behind what he preached.
Verse 9
Notice how the church of Jerusalem sealed their endorsement of Paul’s ministry. The apostles, James, Peter and John were present at these meetings and sensed that God’s hand was on Paul for this ministry to the Gentiles.
Sensing that God was with Paul and had entrusted this message to him for the Gentiles, they “gave the right hand of fellowship” to both Barnabas and Paul, commissioning them to go to the Gentiles and preach the gospel.
Note the reference here to the “right hand of fellowship.” The right hand was a symbol of favour or blessing. When the right hand was extended to another it was a symbol of agreement, confidence and partnership. By extending their right hand to Paul and Barnabas, Peter, James and John were expressing their blessing and agreement. It was a symbol of their fellowship with them in the ministry of the gospel.
Verse 10
As part of this partnership agreement, Peter, James and John encouaged Paul and Barnabas not only to share the message of the Gospel but also to minister to the needs of the poor.
When Jesus was on this earth he preached the gospel and healed the sick. His ministry was wholistic in nature. It reached the whole person, body, soul and spirit. The apostles in Jerusalem encouraged Paul to adopt this type of ministry. Paul told he Galatians that he was very eager to do this.
The ministry of the church must be to the whole person. Listen to the words of James in his epistle:
27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.- Jas 1:27
James believed that the ministry of the church was to care for the needy and afflicted. We have an example of the apostle Paul bringing offering the believers in Jesusalem:
1 Now concerning the collection for the saints: as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do. 2 On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come. 3 And when I arrive, I will send those whom you accredit by letter to carry your gift to Jerusalem. – 1Co 16:1-3
He also counselled Timothy in how to set up a ministry for poor widows in 1 Timothy 5.
Verse 11
Paul’s stand on the equality of Gentiles to the Jews was so strongly held that he did not hesitate to oppose even Peter when he came to Antioch. Notice how he expresses this:
“I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. – Ga 2:11
It appears that this interaction took place after the council of Jerusalem in Acts 15. The verse tells us that Paul opposed Peter to his face. Remember here that for centuries, Jews considered Gentiles to be pagans, unworthy of salvation. They did not associate easily with the Gentiles and would certainly never worship with them or even enter their homes. Obviously these traditions were not easily broken in Peter.
Verse 12
Paul explains more fully the nature of his conflict with Peter here. When Peter came to Antioch he had no problem eating with the Gentiles, something a Jews would not traditionally do. It was important to Paul that the Jews be willing to eat with Gentiles to demonstrate that they were equal partners before God. The Jew was as much a sinner in need of a Saviour as the Gentile. Paul did not see two classes of believers.
While Peter ate with the Gentiles initially, it appears that after some men connected with James came to Antioch, he stopped eating with the Gentiles, and separated himself from them to eat only with these Jews. Paul makes it clear that the reason Peter did this was because he feared the “circumcision party.” The circumcision party was a group who taught that Chrisitans needed to be circumcised and follow the Jewish traditions to be in a right relationship with God.
For Paul, Peter should have stood his ground in this matter. As a leader, it was his obligation to demonstrate that there was no division between Gentiles and Jews. Peter, however, feared offending the Jewish brothers who came from James and refused to eat with Gentile believers. In doing so, Peter sided with those who believed circumcision gave them a special standing with God. This was contrary to everything Paul believed and only created division among true believers.
This conflict between Peter and Paul shows us that even the apostles clashed at times. They were not perfect and even these great men of God needed correction.
Verse 13
When Peter chose not to eat with the Gentiles, other Jews followed his example. Having observed this practice all their lives, it would have been very easy for them to slip into old ways. Notice Paul’s response toward this decision here.
First, Paul calls the decision not to eat with the Gentiles, hypocritical. According to Paul, these Jews were saying that the Gentiles were equal partners in salvation but they were acting as if they were second class Christians by refusing to eat with them.
Second, Paul was angry with this hypocrisy because it led even Barnabas astray. Barnabas was the one who introduced Paul to the apostles. Here now, because of Peter’s decision, he stood in opposition to Paul. According to Paul, Peter was leading believers astray into hypocrisy and error. He was not creating division in the body of Christ and not walking in the truth of the gospel.
Paul believed that the gospel taught that Jew and Gentiles were equal partners in Christ. He believed that salvation was wholly on the basis of the work of Jesus on the cross, apart from the practice of the Jewish law. Those who taught the reqirement of circumcision for Christians were false teachers.
Paul’s words in verse 13 are strong. Peter was being a hypocrite by siding with false teachers. He was leading believers astray by encouraging them to walk in a way that was contrary to the gospel.
Verse 14
When Paul saw how Peter and the Jews refused to eat with the Gentiles, he declared that thier “conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel.” It is easy to say we believe, but quite another to see the implication of that truth to our daily life. In this case, these Jews declared their allegiance to the gospel but still practised their old ways. The truth of the gospel, demanded a change of lifestyle, according to Paul. It required that all Jewish believers examine their traditions and customs, to see if they were in line with the gospel they now declared. In this case, these Jewish Christians said they accepted Gentiles as equal partners in Christ but refused to eat with them. What they declared by their actions, was contrary to the truth of the gospel they proclaimed.
Notice that Paul challenged Peter “before them all.” In this case, he does not take Peter aside but rebukes him publically saying:
“If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?” – Ga 2:14
Let’s break down what Paul is saying to Peter here.
Paul accused Peter of living like a Gentile. At first glance, it appears that Peter was living more like a Jew by refusing to eat with Gentiles. This reference to Peter living like a Gentile can be taken two ways.
First, in the Jewish mind, a Gentile was a law breaker who did not walk in fellowship with God. It was clear in the mind of Paul, that the Council of Jerusalam in Acts 15 declared Gentiles to be equal partners with Jews in the gospel. Peter’s actions here were opposed to the truth he declared. Like a Gentile, he turned his back on the truth of the gospel and lived like a pagan Gentile.
Second, remember that Peter initially had eaten with Gentiles (see verse 12). In fact, we have a record of how Peter in Acts 10 went to the home of a Gentile by the name of Cornelius because of a vision from God. Peter shared the gospel with this man and his family and they became Christians. Word of this got back to Jerusalem and when Peter returned, he was questioned by the circumcision party.
2 So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcision party criticized him, saying, 3 “You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them.” – Ac 11:2-3
That day, Peter defended his actions by explaining the vision he had of a sheet filled with unclean animals and the words of God about not declaring unclean what He now declared clean. Peter went on to say that the Spirit of God told him to no longer make a distinction between the Jew and the Gentile:
11 And behold, at that very moment three men arrived at the house in which we were, sent to me from Caesarea. 12 And the Spirit told me to go with them, making no distinction. These six brothers also accompanied me, and we entered the man’s house. – Ac 11:11-12
In obedience to the leading of the Spirit, Peter ate with and associated with Gentiles, contrary to the custom of the Jews. In those days, Peter, denied the customs of the Jews and acted like a Gentile.
Notice Paul’s second point to Peter here: “how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?” Paul is telling Peter here, that by refusing to eat with Gentiles, he was declaring that the traditions and the law of the Jews were still in effect for the Gentile Christians. In other words, they could not be truly accepted unless they were circumcised and obeyed the law of Moses.
What Paul is saying is something like this: Peter, you ate with Gentiles and broke the law of the Jews but now you are requiring that the Gentiles obey the very law you broke. How can you expect these Gentiles to obey the Jewish law if you break it yourself?
Of course, Paul does not expect that Peter force these Gentile Christians to follow the law of Moses. His purpose here is to simply remind him of how God had spoken to him on this matter and how he had defended his decision to eat with Gentiles before the church in Jerusalem.
Verse 15
Having spoken about his controversy with Peter in the previous verses, Paul moves now to a theological explanation of his position. He begins with a perplexing statement:
We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners – Ga 2:15
Paul speaks as a Jew here. Remember that God had chosen the Jewish nation above all other nations to reveal Himself to the world. They were His people. The Gentiles, for the most part, were left in the darkness of their sin and pagan practices. The general understanding was that salvation was for the Jew. They alone had a relationship with the one true God and creator of the world.
Verse 16
Though he knew that he had been born a Jew, Paul understood that his salvation was not by virtue of his race, but by faith in Christ and his work – “yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ.”
The word Paul uses for “justified” is δικαιόω (dikaióō). It refers to someone who is just and righteous. In this case it is the process by which a person is declared right with God.
What Paul is telling the Galatians here is that a person is never made right with God by “works of the law.” In other words, obeying the law of God will never make you right with God. Imagine a murderer declaring before the judge that he should be excused of his crime because, after he murdered, he was very careful to obey the law. His obedience of the law does not excuse his crime in the past. We are all sinners and while we may obey God’s law, it doesn’t change the reality of our guilt.
Paul goes on to tell the Galatians that while the law cannot make them right before God, “faith in Jesus Christ” would indeed change their status – “so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law.”
Notice that Paul tells the Galatians that they believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified. In other words, their right standing with God came through thier faith in Christ and His work.
What was it about the work of Jesus Christ that gave them a right standing with God? The Lord Jesus took on human flesh and died in my place. He took my penalty and paid the price for my sin. I can be pardonned from my sin because He died on my behalf.
Jesus did more than pardon my sin. As a result of His work on the cross the Spirit of Christ has taken up residence in me, giving me new life. Writing to the Corinthians, the apostle Paul put it this way:
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. – 2Co 5:17
Those in whom the Spirit of God comes to live, are a “new creation.” Their lives have been transformed by Christ and the presence of His Spirit in them. This new life in us is in the person of Jesus Christ. It is His presence in us that chases away the guilt. It is His presence in us that enables us to live the Christian life. As the apostle will say later in this chapter:
20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. – Ga 2:20
The apostle saw himself crucified with Jesus Christ. He no longer lived in the flesh but by faith in the Son of God who lived in Him.
Paul concludes the verse with the clear statement that no one will ever be justified or declared right with God by means of the law. Our right standing with God depends entirely on the work of Jesus Christ who not only pardons us, but also come to live the Christian life in us and through us.
Verse 17
The apostle brings up the issue here of why believers still sin – “But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners.”
Is it possible for a believer, in whom the Lord Jesus dwells, and for whom He has died, to sin? Speaking from personal experience, I can assure you that as one who loves the Lord Jesus, I fall short of His standard. There is no such thing as a perfect Christian who never sins in attitude, thought or deed.
Having established that even believers in whom Christ dwells, sin, the apostle then brings up an important question: “Is Christ then a servant of sin?” If I have given my life to Jesus, and He lives in me, enabling me to live the Christian life, how do I explain my failures and sinful shortcomings? If He is able to overcome those sins, why then doesn’t He keep me from falling? Why do I still sin? Is He the author of my sin? Paul answers this question by a resounding: “Certainly not!”
Verse 18
Paul responds to the question of whether Christ, who lives in the believer, is the author of his or her sin. Notice two points here:
The first response of Paul to this question is found in the words: “For if I rebuild what I tore down.” What has the believer torn down? The context indicates that we tore down our dependance on the law and our efforts for salavation and right standing with God.
Paul speaks here about a believer, rebuilding or renewing that dependence on his or her flesh in order to be right with God. This is, according to Paul, what Peter was doing when he chose not to eat with Gentiles. It is also what we do when we begin to think that we can change our lives in the flesh. Instead of relying on the work of Christ we turn to our flesh. As a man after God’s own heart, David fell into adultery. As one of Christ’s closest disciples, Peter denied the Lord three times. They fell not because Christ was insufficient to keep them, but rather because they leaned on their own flesh and did not lean on Christ. They renewed their trust in the flesh and fell into sin as a result.
Paul makes it clear here that it was not because Christ authored their sin, nor was it because He was unable to give them victory, but because they proved themselves to be transgressors by wandering from Him and not trusting His enabling.
Verse 19
To understand what Paul is saying here let’s break it down into three words: “through,” “to,” and “that.”
First, notice the words, “through the law.” Paul was a student of the law of the Old Testament. He was born a Jew and carefully followed the Jewish law. That law showed him how God expected him to live. It taught him the penalty for disobedience. More than anything else, however, it showed him that perfect obedience was impossible and he stood condemned before a perfect God in whom there was no shadow of sin.
Second, Paul tells the Galatians that through the law he died to the law. We have seen that the Law of God pointed out Paul’s sin and condemnation. No matter how hard he tried, he could not perfectly obey this law. No matter how hard he tried, he always fell short of God’s standard and was guilty of being a law breaker. There was no hope of ever being right with God in this law. Ultimately, the apostle saw that he was trapped in a sytem of human effort that would ultimately lead to his death and separation from God. This brings us to the word, “that.”
Third, Paul tell us that he died to the law “so that” he might live to God. I like to picture this as a marriage. Paul was bound to the law as it’s marriage partner. The only way he could break that commitment was through death. This is exactly what took place. The apostle died to the law and its ways and took on a new partner. He chose to “live to God.” As long as he was bound to the law, he could not have the relationship he wanted with God. It was only by dying to the law and its obligations that Paul could experience the freedom to fully live for God.
The idea here is that to live for God, he needed to die to the law. The law showed him his guilt and drove him to death. That death opened the door for a relationship with Christ
Verse 20
Paul explains here how he died to the law – “I have been crucified with Christ.”
The law condemned him as a law breaker. The penalty for this crime was death. The Lord Jesus died in his place. It was as if Paul died on that cross with Jesus. The apostle took this very seriously and committed himself to live as one whose fleshly nature had died with Jesus on the cross. Consider this in the context of divorce. When a person divorces his or her partner and marries another, they no longer have the right to go back to their former partner. That partner may be alive and living near them, but they no longer have any commitment to each other. Their commitment is exclusively now to their new partners. They have died to their former relationship in order to live in another. This how Paul saw what took place on the cross. He died to the law in order to commit himself to Christ alone.
Paul goes on to tell the Galatians: “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” Notice that Christ lived in Paul. This is the reality for every believer. He is the spiritual life in us. Jesus declared Himself to be life (John 14:6) and without His presence, we have no spiritual life.
Paul tells the Galatians here that he no longer lived. Paul identifies himself with the old fleshly nature of sin. Consider what he told the Romans in Romans 7:
18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. – Ro 7:18-19
It was this fleshly nature that Paul chose to die to. He would treat is like a diviorced partner who was still alive. He accepted that he no longer had any right to her and devoted himself instead to Christ in Him.
And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
The apostle’s commitment now was to Christ in Him. He would no longer listen to the flesh and its ways. He would walk away from it and ignore its call. Instead, his total devotion and allegiance was to Jesus Christ.
Notice finally that this commitment to Jesus Christ in him was a commitment of faith. We can see the flesh and hear its cry. The voice of the Lord Jesus, however, is a voice heard by faith. We trust Him we do not see. We hear him whose words are not audible to our physical ears. The reality of Christ in us, however, is as real as our flesh.
Verse 21
By preaching the necessity of the law to be saved, we “nullify the grace of God.” In other words if we could have a right standing with God by means of the law, than Jesus Christ died in vain.
Paul refused to do this. He chose to rely completely on the work of Jesus Christ for his salvation. He placed no confidence in his flesh and its ability to be good enough to merit salvation. According to Paul, to claim that you could do anything for your own salvation was to diminish the work of Jesus Christ on the cross. For Paul, salvation was from beginning to end, a work of God.
Chapter 3
Verse 1
Paul speaks directly to the Galatians here about the practical application of salvation by faith in Christ alone.
Notice first, that Paul calls the Galatians foolish. The word for foolish here is ἀνόητος (anóētos). It is derived from the word, “a” meaning, without, and “noéō” meaning, to comprehend. In other words, Paul is accusing the Galatians of being without understanding.
Secondly, notice how Paul asks them who had “bewitched” them. The picture Paul paints here is of a magician deceiving his spectators by slight of hand and trickery. In other words, they were being deceived by the clever words and arguments by false teachers.
The context of this verse shows us that the apostle is speaking about those who taught circumcision and the practice of Jewish law for all Christians. The Galatians were listening to these false teachers and falling prey to their teaching. He felt it was important to correct their misunderstanding and point out the error of these teachers.
Notice how Paul addresses this matter of placing Christians under the law:
It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified.
The apostle points the Galatians to the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus. This was the most powerful argument against this falsehood. If salvation could be obtained by means of the law, then why did Christ have to die? If salvation could be obtained by our perfect obedience, than the cross has no value. Jesus, as the perfect
Son of God, took on flesh, and died on the cross of Calvary because their was no other way for us to be saved. The law was insufficient.
Verse 2
Paul moves on now to the application of the truth of the cross. To do this, he asks a very simple question: “Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith?”
Consider first what Paul means by receiving the Spirit. To understand what Paul means here listen to what he told the Romans:
9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. – Ro 8:9
The apostle tells the Romans that they were no longer in the flesh but in the Spirit. In other words, their lives had been changed by the presence of God’s Holy Spirit in them. He want on to say that if the Holy Spirit was not in them, they did not belong to the Lord Jesus. In other words, the sign that they belonged to Christ was the presence of the Spirit of Christ in their lives. He equates receiving the Spirit with receiving the new life of salvation. They became new creatures in Christ by means of the Holy Spirit’s indwelling in their lives.
Paul asks the Galatians here how they received salvation and new life through the Holy Spirit. He offers them two possibilities. Either by “works of the law or by hearing with faith.”
What Paul is asking is this: Did the Holy Spirit come to live in you because you were good enough to meet His high standard, or did He come to live in you because, apart from Him, you could never meet God’s requirements. If the Holy Spirit is a reward for good works, than why does He even need to dwell in the believer. If we can meet God’s standards by ourselves, than He is not necessary.
Clearly, the Holy Spirit is given to those who do not deserve His presence. He comes to give us faith and confidence in the work of Christ. He comes to give us spiritual life. He is a gift of God giving life to those who were dead in sin.
Verse 3
Notice how Paul applies the message of salvation to the Christian life. He tells the Galatians that if their Christian life began by a powerful work of God’s Spirit, than it would be foolish to think that it could be perfected in the flesh. In other words, if they could not be saved by human effort, it is equally as impossible to live the Christian life in human effort. What is begun in the Spirit, must also be completed in the Spirit.
We received the Spirit of Christ by faith. We must also live by faith. We heard the voice of the Spirit calling us to Christ. That same voice continues to call us to Christ now that we belong to Him. The Spirit of Christ did a powerful work in our lives, making us new creatures in Christ. He does not stop that work when we come to the Lord. He continues to lead us and change us. The implication is that we need God’s Spirit to work in us. We are not saved by faith and matured by the flesh. We must be matured also as a work of God’s Spirit. Just as we depended on Him for salvation, so we must depend on Him to live the Christian life and develop the character of Christ in us. We cannot perfect ourselves, this requires the work of God’s Spirit.
Verse 4
We have here the first hint in the epistle of what it cost the Galatians to accept Christ. Paul understood that these Galatian Christians had suffered “many things.” He does not go into detail about the things they suffered but the insinuation here seems to be that this suffering was because of thier faith in Jesus Christ.
Remember the context here. Paul has been rebuking false teachers in their midst. These teachers wanted to bring them back to Judaism and its laws. If these Galatians had suffered for believing in the salvation of Jesus Christ apart from the law, why would they return to the law again. If they did so, their suffering would be in vain.
Paul ends the verse with the words “if indeed it was in vain?.” In this statement He places a question mark on the vanity of their suffering.
Is it ever truly vain to live in the truth? Yes, the walk may be strenuous and there are obstacles on the path, but if we open our eyes to the blessings, those obstacles seem to fade into the background. The struggles will draw us closer to Christ and reveal His real presence in a deeper way.
There was certainly a sense in which, if the Galatians returned to the Jewish law, what they suffered would have been for nothing. At the same time, however, their suffering for Christ was a blessed experience. In their pain they saw Him work. They experienced His comfort and peace. Their faith was very real to them in their persecution.
Verse 5
Paul goes back now to the main subject of grace versus law. Notice, however, here how he applies this not just to salvation but to their ongoing walk with Christ.
Paul draws the attention of the Galatians to the work of God’s Spirit among them. “Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you…” Paul says two things here.
First, Paul tells the Galatians that God supplied them with the Holy Spirit. We know that all who come to the Lord Jesus are sealed by the presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives. As these believers met, the presence of the Holy Spirit was among them.
Second, the Spirit of God was working miracles among them. We are not told what those miracles were. We should not limit this to impreseive signs and wonders. Some of the most powerful miracles are very simple answers to prayer. The miracle of unity in the body of Christ is one we often fail to recognize. God’s Spirit works in many different ways in our midst and every work He does is a miracle.
Paul moves now to an important question. Can we attribute this miraculous work of God’s Spirit to the fact that we were good enough to deserve it or does he move among us despite our unworthiness? If I am honest with you, I want to believe that somehow the work of God’s Spirit in me is because I did something right. I want to take some of the credit for myself when God answers my prayers or uses me in some way. I want to believe that God was able to use me because I was good enough or strong enough in myself. The fact that I believe this demonstrates how unworthy I am. In my pride, I am seeking to take the glory from God and place it on myself. I want people to think I am strong and spiritual. I want them to look at me and not at Christ. This sin of pride is a great sin. That God would determine to use me with this horrible sin in my life demonstrates that it is not because I am good that God uses me but because He is gracious.
Every miraculous work of God’s Spirit is an act of grace originating from a heart of grace that responds to sinners who simply recognize their need and seek His intervention.
Verse 6
To prove from Scripture that righteousness is by faith and not by works, Paul brings up a story in the life of Abraham.
At this point in Abraham’s life, he and his wife were old. In fact, Sarah was well beyond the years of bearing children. God had promised Abraham that he would make him into a great nation but this perplexed Abraham, as he could not have any children. Confused about this, Abraham spoke to God, questioning His promise. Notice here that Abraham comes to God, not strong in faith and confidence but with a questioning heart and uncertainty about how God would fulfil His promise.
That day, God brought Abraham outside, asked him to look up into the sky and told him that if he could count the stars then he would know how numerous his descendants would be (Genesis 15:5). When Abraham heard what God said, he believed. Genesis 15:6 tells us that this belief was counted to him as righteousness.
What was it that God accepted in Abraham? It was his belief. Abraham trusted what God said, even when it made no sense to Him. He believed, that even through he could not understand God’s ways, he could still trust Him to be faithful to His word. Just as God made the multitude of stars, so He was able to bring about what He promised. He accepted God to be true and trustworthy.
According to Paul, this is what God is looking for in us — a heart that believes in Him and trusts His purpose. Abraham was incapable of producing a great nation, but God could do what He could not do. Abraham trusted God, and not His own efforts.
Verse 7
Paul tells the Galatians that those who come to God like Abraham are his sons. Paul refers here to Genesis 15 when Abraham came to God as an old man, with a wife who was biologically incapable of bearing children. He questioned God’s promise of making him into a great nation. God spoke to Abraham that day and reassured him that He would be faithful to His promise. Abraham believed the words of God, even when they made no sense to Him.
Paul tells the Galatians that this is how we need to come to God. We come with our questions and weakness but we come believing by faith that He is everything He tells us He is. We come recognizing that we are incapable in ourselves but God is fully able to accomplish through us what we cannot on our own. We come in complete dependence on Him for everything.
Verse 8
Continuing with the example of Abraham, Paul attempts to prove that salvation and the Christian life is by faith. To do this Paul quotes Genesis 12:3: “In you shall all the nations be blessed.”
These were the words of God to Abraham in his old age. Paul shows the Galatians here that this prophetic word of God revealed that God would open the door for the Gentiles to hear and receive the gospel. Let’s consider what Paul is saying here.
First, Paul has been showing us in this context that Abraham was right with God not because he was an observer of the law but because he trusted God’s word. According to Paul, Abraham is the father of those who believe (Galatians 3:7).
Second, God told Abraham that through him, all the nations of the earth would be blessed. How would that blessing come? It would come through his seed. He would become the father of the Jewish nation. That nation would give birth to the Messiah Jesus who would bring salvation and forgiveness to people of all nations. Notice here that this blessing was not just for the Jews but for “all nation,” which included the Gentiles as well.
This blessing for all nations, however, was not just through Abraham’s physical descendant but also through his faith. In other words, Abraham would become the father of all who believed by faith. His children would live by faith, just as he did. They would trust when they were incapable in themselves. They would believe even what it made no sense to their fleshly minds. They would trust by faith as Abraham did, and the blessing of God would flow through that faith into every nation of the world.
There is one final point we need to make here. These Gentile nations did not know the law of the Jews. They did not practise this law or observe these traditions. According to Paul, God was telling Abraham that the day was coming when those who did not practice the law and lived in paganism and the bondage of sin would be delievered and become his children through faith alone. They would experience a salvation apart from Judaism and the law.
Verse 9
The promise of God was that all nations of the world would be blessed along with Abraham. That blessing of salvation and fellowship with God, would come to them, not through their nationality or through the law but by the same faith that Abraham demonstrated in God.
Notice, Paul’s emphasis here on “Abraham, the man of faith.” Abraham was an example of what God expected. God was looking for men and women who would look to Him by faith and trust His word. Men and women who would not trust in their own skills and abilities but rather in what God could do through those who would simply have faith in Him.
Paul shows us that the Christian life is not so much a life of human effort and ability as it is of trust in God and His ability to do what we cannot. It is not so much about our planning and goals for God as it is a life of simple obedience and faith in His purpose for us.
Verse 10
Paul taught that anyone who relied on the works of the law was under a curse. Paul tells the Galatians that the law itself placed everyone who did not observe it under this curse. In Deuteronomy 27:26 we have a case where God required His people to agree to be cursed if they did not follow all the words of His law:
26 “‘Cursed be anyone who does not confirm the words of this law by doing them.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’ – Dt 27:26
The apostle makes is clear to the Galatians that if they relied on the Law they would be placed under this curse of God if they did not keep it perfectly.
Verse 11
Paul points out an obvious fact here. If anyone who did not perfectly obey the law of God was under a curse, it was evident that no one would be made right with God by means of the law. There is no one but Jesus who could perfectly keep the law of God.
This led Paul to the only other solution — “The righteous shall live by faith.” Paul quotes Habakkuk 2:4 here. The faith that Paul speaks about is in the person of Jesus Christ and His work on the cross to pardon us from our sin. The only solution to our sin is forgiveness. That forgiveness comes from the Lord Jesus.
Verse 12
Notice how Paul makes a clear distinction between the law and faith here. He tells the Galatians that the “law is not of faith.” He backs this up with a quote from Leviticus 18:5:
5 You shall therefore keep my statutes and my rules; if a person does them, he shall live by them: I am the LORD. – Lev 18:5
Leviticus 18:5 tells us that, under the law, if a person chose to follow God, they were to keep His statues and rules and they would be judged on this basis. Adam Clarke in his comments on this verse puts is this way:
“It is not, What do you believe? but, What have you done?”
(Commentary on the Bible by Adam Clarke, notes on Galatians 3:12)
The law was about “What have you done?” It was not about faith but about human effort to achieve favour with God.
Faith, on the other hand relates to “What do you believe?” To be more specific, In whom do you believe?” Of course the subject of faith is the person of the Lord Jesus and His work on the cross.
According to Paul, to live by the law is to trust yourself and your own efforts. To live by faith is to trust the work of Christ for everything.
Verse 13
Paul has been speaking about the curse under which those who rely on the law have found themselves. He reassures the Galatians that they do not have to remain under this curse. Notice the means by which they could be freed: “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us.”
Freedom from the curse is available through the Lord Jesus. The curse brought both physical and spiritual death. Ultimately it brought separation from God, for none of us could keep the law of God perfectly.
Paul tells us that Jesus “redeemed us from the curse.” The word, redeemed, in the Greek language is ἐξαγοράζω (exagorázō). It is derived from two words. The first is, ek, meaing out or from. The second word is agorázō, which simply means to buy. ἐξαγοράζω means to buy something out of or from. In this case Jesus bought us out of the curse. What is important for us to understand here is that redeeming us from the curse was not a simple matter of overruling the law. The Lord Jesus respected the law and paid the penalty on our behalf. Everything was done legally and there could be no questioning the result. Our penalty is recorded as being paid in full and we are released from the curse.
Notice here that Paul tells the Galatians that Jesus was cursed for them. To prove this point, Paul points them to the law of God in Deuteronomy 21 which says:
22 “And if a man has committed a crime punishable by death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, 23 his body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall bury him the same day, for a hanged man is cursed by God. You shall not defile your land that the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance. – Dt 21:22-23
When Jesus was hung on the cross taking our sins, He was cursed. Not only did the He take our sin but He also took our curse with Him to that tree. Overcoming sin and death, however, he rose triumphant over both.
Verse 14
The Lord Jesus died on the cross, taking our sin and the curse upon Himself so that “the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles.” Paul refers back here to what he said in Galatians 3:6:
6 just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”?- Ga 3:6
What is the blessing of Abraham? According to Galatians 3:6 it is a right standing with God through faith apart from the works of the law. The death of the Lord Jesus opened the door for all who believe, regardless of race and nationality, to be forgiven and placed in a right standing before God. Gentiles who were once strangers to salvation, now were equal partners by faith in Jesus Christ and His work.
Notice how Paul concludes the verse here: “so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.” Because Jesus died, the door is now open for all who believe, to receive the promised Spirit. The new life we receive at conversion is the life of the Spirit of Christ in us. This is not some abstract life but the very person of the Holy Spirit who has come to live in every believer. He is our spiritual life. He it is that transforms us and draws us to the Saviour.
Notice something else in the phrase, “so that we might receive the promised Spirit.” By using the word “we” here, Paul groups himself with the Gentiles. The blessing of Abraham was salvation and new life through the promised Spirit. That salvation came to the Gentiles as well as the Jews. Together, as one people, they received this new life of the Spirit.
Verse 15
It would be easy to believe that Paul was against the law of God. This was not the case, however. Paul takes a moment here in the remainder of the chapter to explain his position on the law of God.
He begins by reminding that Galatians that even a “man-made covenant” was legally binding and could not be annuled or added to once it was agreed upon by both parties. There were serious consequences to breaking or changing a legal agreement.
How much more would this be the case when it came to the Law of God and His covenant agreement with His people. Paul did not take this matter lightly. If this is the case, why does Paul tell the Galatians that they were free from the Law? He goes on to explain this in the proceeding verses.
Verse 16
Paul begins here by reminding the Galatians about the promises of God to Abraham and his offspring — “Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring.”
What were the promises made to Abraham? Paul has already shown us the answer in this chapter.
First, God promised a right standing with Him:
6 just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”? – Ga 3:6
Second, God promised that all nations would be blessed through Abraham:
8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” – Ga 3:8
Third, God promised a blessing that came by faith apart from the law to all who believed:
9 So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. – Ga 3:9
The promise given to Abraham was that through his descendants, a salvation apart from the law would come to all nations.
Paul goes on in this verse to show the Galatians that the promise God made was to both Abraham and his offspring. It would be easy for the Jewish scholars of the day to interpret this word “offspring” to refer to the Jewish people who claimed Abraham as their father. Paul interpreted this word, “offspring” to refer not to the Jewish people but to the person who would fulfil the promises made to Abraham. That offspring was the person of Jesus Christ. The promise of blessing and salvation to the nations was accomplished in Jesus Christ. It is revealed in our day in His church, comprised of people from every tribe and nation who bow a grateful knee to their Saviour and Lord.
The covenant agreement God made with Abraham is being accomplished. God is fulfilling His side of this legal agreement and promise through His Son and the gathering unto Him of peoples from all nations.
Verse 17
When Abraham believed God, God counted this as righteousnesss (Galatians 3:6). According to Paul, Abraham is the father of all who belive by faith, whether they be law-abiding Jews or Gentiles who never heard of the law (Galatians 3:7). He reminds the Galatians here that God promised Abraham that he would be a blessing to all nations (both Jewish and Gentile), and the father of those who experienced a righteousness apart from the law. This promise was given many years prior to the giving of the law through Moses. In other words, before the law was even given, God promised a salvation of people from all nations by faith apart from the law.
It is in this context that Paul says: “the law, which came 430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God.” Most commentators agree that the mention of 430 years here relates to the time between when God spoke to Abraham and sent him to Canaan until the time that God called Moses and gave him the Law.
Paul tells the Galatians that the covenant God made with Abraham was not anulled by the law that came 430 years later. God had promised to make Abraham the father of nation who would enter a relationship with Him by faith. God would still be true to His promise to Abraham. Salvation by grace through faith was the intention of God 430 year before the Law of Moses was given. Paul makes this clear in Galatians 3:8-9 where he says:
8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” 9 So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. – Ga 3:8-9
Hundreds of years before Moses the lawgiver, was the promise of God to bring a salvation by faith apart from the law. Paul assures that Galatians that this was still the intent of God.
Verse 18
God promised a salvation apart from the law for all nations. He gave this promise to Abraham 430 years prior to the law of Moses.
Consider the implication of this promise. If we can only receive our spiritual inheritance by means of the law, then what does this say about God and His promise to Abraham? Doesn’t it render it void? Did God promise Abraham one thing and than change His mind in the days of Moses? Obviously not. As Paul said in verse 17, the law did not annul God’s promise to Abraham. Salvation has always been by faith and not by works of the Law.
Verse 19
If the promise of salvation by grace through faith apart from the law was the promise given to Abraham,”why then the law?” The question is certainly an important one and one which Paul answers here in this verse.
Paul tells the Galatians that the law was given “because of transgressions.” Let’s consider this a momet.
The law was a means defining sin. Paul put it this way when writing to the Romans:
7 What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” – Ro 7:7
The law defined God’s standard and showed us what sin was. In this case, Paul tells the Romans that he would not have even known what coveting was if it were not for the law. He certainly would not have known that it was sinful before God apart from the law. The law defined sin.
Secondly, the law also restrained sin. Punishments were assigned by the law on sin. Knowing that we are accountable for our action keeps us from doing things for which we will be punished.
Finally, the law prepared us for the coming of the Saviour. It revealed just how far we were from the standard God required. It showed us our inability to be right with God by our own efforts. It showed us that we needed a Savour. The law was given as a preparation for the Messiah who would bring salvation by faith. It was put in place “until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made.”
Notice that Paul told the Galatians that this law was put into place “through angels by an intermediary.” While it is not clearly revealed in the Old Testament, it was understood that the angels of God played a role in the giving of the Law of Moses.
Before being stoned to death, Stephen declared to the Jewish leaders:
53 you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it.” – Ac 7:53
The writer to the Hebrews writes:
2 For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution – Heb 2:2
Both of these writers declare that angels delivered the Law. Paul tells the Galatians that while angels delivered this law they did so through an “intermediary.” That intermediary was Moses.
Verse 20
In Galatians 3:19, Paul told the Galatians that the law was “put in place through angels by an intermediary.” In other words, God gave the law to Israel by Moses though angels. This was done in a legally binding way.
In Galatians 3:14, Paul also declared that “the blessing of Abraham” would come to the Gentiles, “through faith.”
This immediately presents a problem. Are there two ways to God? Do the Jews need to observe the law to be saved, while the Gentiles are saved by faith in Jesus Christ? Does God present one way of salvation through His promise to Abraham and another by means of the law given to Moses?
To answer this Paul tells the Galatians that “God is one.” In other words, God is not divided. He is not one God to the Jews and another to the Gentiles. He says something very similar in Romans 3:28-30:
28 For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. 29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30 since God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. – Ro 3:28-30
Paul tells the Romans that since God is one, He will justify both the circumcised and the uncirccumcised by faith.
Verse 21
Paul wants to reassure the Galatians that the promise God made to Abraham of salvation by faith was not contrary to the law He gave Moses. God was not offering two ways to be saved.
The apostle goes on to tell them that if there was a law that could offer salvation, than salvation could indeed be by the law. The reality of the matter, however, is that not one of us can perfectly keep the law. Every one of us falls short of His standard and so a salvation apart from the law was required. This is why the promise of God to Abraham was so important. It offers us hope that despite our inability to keep the law, God would not abandon us in our sin.
Verse 22
If there was one thing that Law did, it “imprisoned everything under sin.” That is to say, it set a standard that we are to live by. When we could not live by that standard it condemned us.
This is where the promise of God to Abraham came into play. The promise of salvation by faith, given to Abraham, was offered to all who would believe. If there is one thing the Law of Moses did, it elevated the promise of God to Abraham. It revealed our need and pushed us to the promise.
Verse 23
Paul begins this verse with the words, “Now before faith came.” These words can be confusing if they are not taken in their context. We read, for example in Hebrews 11:
7 By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith. – Heb 11:7
It is clear from Hebrews 11 that many men and women exercised faith in God by their actions. Notice here in Hebrews 11:7, that by exercising this faith, Noah “became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.” Once again we see that even before the law of Moses was given, there was a righteousness that came by faith.
When Paul speaks about the coming of faith, he speaks here about the object of that faith –the Lord Jesus Himself and the accomplishment of our salvation on the cross.
The apostle told the Galatians that they were held captive under the law until the coming of the Lord Jesus who would set them free. The word used here for captive is φρουρέω (phrouréō) which refers to a guard. The idea is that the law watched over them like a military guard. It kept track of their every movement to keep them in line. When they fell short they were punished and corrected.
The picture that Paul paints here is one of guilty crimminals in prison. They have disobeyed the law and were being held in their prison cell awaiting their sentencing. The penalty for sin was death. This would continue until salvation by faith in Jesus Christ would be revealed.
Verse 24
According to Paul, the law was a guardian until Jesus came. The Greek word used here is παιδαγωγός (paidagōgós) which is an instructor of children. Like a schoolmaster, the law kept God’s children in line and instructed them in the way He expected them to walk.
Notice, however, the intention of this law — “in order that we might be justified by faith.” In saying this, Paul reminds the Galatians that the law was not an end in itself. Its purpose was to point these children to faith in Jesus Christ and His work. The law would reveal God’s purpose, their inability to keep that purpose in themselves, and the solution that was found in the death of Christ on their behalf.
Verse 25
Everything changed with the coming of the Lord Jesus and the way of faith. According to Paul, we are no longer under a guardian. That is to say, we are no longer under the law.
The law required animal sacrifices for our sins. It showed us that the wages of our disobedience was death. One animal after another was offered to God as a payment for sin. All of this pointed to the death of the Lamb of God who would pay for all sin. When He died, no more sacrifice was required. Forgiveness was extended to all who would, by faith, accept His death on their behalf. This death was sufficient for all their sin. Pardon was extended to all who would believe.
Verse 26
Paul tells the Galatians here that in Christ Jesus we are sons of God through faith.
Notice first, the words, “in Christ.” These words indicate a confidence and trust in Him. They speak of a personal relationship and reliance on His work for salvation and forgiveness. Those who are in Christ, hide themselves in Him. They believe in what He has done and place their full weight on Him as their Saviour and Lord.
Those who trust in the Lord Jesus and are in Him are sons of God. Paul places no other restriction on this. Gentiles who trusted by faith in the work of Christ, were children of God – “you are all sons of God, through faith.”
Verse 27
Paul describes what it means to be “sons of God” (verse 26). Note the two qualities of a son of God here.
First, the son of God is “baptized into Christ.” Gentiles who converted to Judaism were baptised. Jesus also instituted baptism as a symbol of cleansing and new life. What it important for us to understand here is that there are many who have undergone a Christian baptism who do not belong to the Lord Jesus. In speaking about a baptism into Christ here, Paul is not merely speaking about a physical baptism. He is speaking about something very real and powerful. Listen to what John the Baptist said when he baptised people coming to him:
11 “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. – Mt 3:11
The physical baptism we practise as believers is merely a symbol of a greater baptism. It speaks of the pouring out of the Holy Spirit and His life in us because of the work of Jesus Christ.
Speaking to the Colossians, the apostle tells them that they were buried with him in baptism and raised to new life through faith in the “powerful working of God.”
12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. – Col 2:11-12
The baptism to which Paul refers here is not just a physical baptism but a dying to oneself and an infilling of the Spirit of Christ giving new life.
Second the son of God has put on Christ. The Greek word translated “put on” is ἐνδύω (endúō). The first part of this word “en” means, in. The second part, dúō means to sink or go under. It is also used to speak of putting on a garment. The idea of sinking into Christ is quite powerful. The idea is that we clothe ourselves with Him so that we are hidden and He is visible. We die to ourselves and let Him live in and through us.
Verse 28
One of the wonderful truths of the gospel is that it reaches out to the world and to every status in society. There is no distinction made between the law abiding Jew or the Gentile Greek. There is no difference between the slave or the free. Males and females are equally included in this salvation. All who receive Jesus by faith can know His forgiveness and pardon.
Verse 29
Paul brings all of this back to the promise God made to Abraham. Paul tells us what that promise is in Galatians 3:8 when he says:
8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” – Ga 3:8
God promised that even Gentile nations that did not observe the law, would be blessed through Abraham. “Just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”” (Ga 3:5-6), so it would be for these nations. They too would believe God and it would be counted for them as righteousness. Abraham would be the father of those who by faith believed in the Lord Jesus and became God’s children
7 Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. – Ga 3:7
Believers today are inheritors of the promised salvation by faith. The promise was made to Abraham and made real in our lives by the person of Jesus Christ.
Chapter 4
Verse 1
As the apostle begins chapter 4 he uses the illustration of a child heir to a great fortune. This child will not inherit this fortune, however, until he reaches a certain age. While it is set apart for him, he has not yet received it, nor does he have any say in how it is used. Paul compares this child to a slave who is governed by other people and has no authority over his possessions.
Verse 2
The child heir to a fortune, because he is not mature, is under guardians and managers until he reaches a certain age. These guardians teach him to be wise and responsible. The managers care for his inheritance until he is mature enough to make decisions himself. He has no authority over how it is used until the date set by the father arrives when everything will be signed over to him and under his care.
Verse 3
Paul now shows the Galatians the purpose of his illustration in verses one and two – “when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world.”
Consider the phrase, “when we were children.” The apostle includes himself in this statement. He speaks about a time of immaturity and lack of understanding. This describes a time when they too were under a guardian who trained them in what was right. He describes this guardian as the law in Galatians 3:24:
24 So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. – Ga 3:24
The law of Moses showed us what God required but it was given only for a period of time – “until Christ came.” When Christ came, we who were under the law were set free to enjoy the fullness of our inheritance. Christ brought pardon and eternal life for all who received him.
Until Christ came, according to Paul, we were “enslaved to the elementary principles of the world.” He tells us that this slavery was to the “elementary principles of this world.” In other words, we were trapped in a world view that did not understand heavenly things. We did the best we could but did not grasp the forgiveness and power of God. We did not have the mind of God nor the life of the Spirit.
Verse 4
Paul continues with his illustration of a child waiting for the day of his inheritance. He tells us that the day finally came when God sent His Son Jesus Christ to this earth. It was He who would finally bring this day.
Paul tells the Galatians two things about the Lord Jesus. Notice first that He was born of a woman. This emphasizes the fact that He took on human form and became a man. He can identify with us in this humanity.
The second point Paul makes here is that Jesus was also born under the law. That is to say, He submitted to the requirements of the law just as any Jewish born man was required to do. He was accountable to live according to this law and any disobedience would render Him guilty before His heavenly Father.
Verse 5
Paul tells us that Jesus submitted to the Law for a purpose – “to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.”
Notice first that Jesus redeemed “those who were under the law.” The word “redeem” in the Greek language is ἐξαγοράζω (exagorázō) which means to buy out of or from. There was a cost to pay to set us free from the penalty of the law. The penalty of our sin was death. Jesus would pay this on our behalf so that we would be free.
There is a second point we need to see here from the word “to.” The word, “to” links this verse with verse 4 which tells us that Jesus was born of a woman under the law. What is important to note here is that these two qualifications were necessary for Jesus to redeem us.
In order to truly represent us, Jesus needed to be one of us. By becoming man, Jesus suffered just as we did. The writer to the Hebrews tells us that He was also tempted just as we are:
15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. – Heb 4:15
Jesus was a perfect representative. He was one of us and identified perfectly with us. He understood our pain, our struggles and our temptations.
More than this, however, Paul tells us that Jesus placed Himself under the law. The one who represented us before the Father faced the law head on and overcame. As he stood before Father there was no sin in him. As he stood before Satan, the devil had no claim on Him. He identified with us as human being, but He also identified with us as one who lived under the law. He was a perfect representative to intercede on our behalf. Having paid that penalty for us, Satan now had no legal claim on us.
There is one final point Paul makes here. Notice that we were redeemed from the curse and penalty of the law so that we could be adopted as sons of God. Jesus did not pay our penalty and leave us on our own. He worked on behalf of the Father whose desire was to adopt us as His children. We now belong to Him who adopted us. He cares for us now as His own children.
Verse 6
One of the wonderful privileges of being a child of God is that God places the “Spirit of His Son” in our hearts. In other words, the Spirit of God lives in every child of God. The life we receive is not some impersonal force but the very presence of the Spirit of God in us.
Paul tells us that it is because we are sons (and daughters) of God that we receive the Holy Spirit in our lives. The Christian is defined as one who has been pardoned by Jesus Christ and in whom the Spirit of God dwells. This gives us a right standing with God and the power to live as He requires.
Notice what takes place when the Spirit of God comes to dwell in the hearts of His children. Those hearts cry out “Abba! Father!” The word “Abba” is a term of endearment used to speak of a father. It indicates intimacy and love toward the father. We see, in this term, the work of the Spirit of God. He comes to bring us into a deeper relationship with the Father. With all barriers now removed this is actually possible by means of the Spirit’s work in our lives. It should be noted here that the relationship we can now have with the Father is one of deep intimacy and tenderness.
Under the law, we were enemies to God and under His condemnation. We could not keep the law and stood helpless before our Judge. Jesus paid the penalty for our sin and the Spirit of Christ came to dwell in us, enabling us to experience intimacy with God and empowering in life and service.
Verse 7
Paul concludes this section by reminding the Galatians that they were no longer slaves to their guardian. They had been adopted by the Father, through the work of His Son Jesus Christ. As children of God now, the life of His Spirit dwelt in them. They were not the same people they used to be. The Spirit of God directed, led and gave them victory over their flesh. As sons and daughters of God, it was their privilege to know the life of God in them and the promise of eternal life in His presence.
This was something that law could not do for them. The Law condemned. The Spirit of Christ gave them live.
The challenge for us as believers is to learn to live a children of God. We who know the life of Christ in us, must learn to tap into this source of enabling and live in victory. This is our heritage and privilege as children of God.
Verse 8
Paul has been speaking here about the slavery and bondage of those who do not know the freedom found in the Lord Jesus. In this verse, he reminds the Galatians that before coming to know the one true God of Israel, they had been enslaved to “those that by nature are not gods.”
To understand this phrase it is helpful to look at what Paul told the Thessalonians:
9 For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, – 1Th 1:9
Paul, writing to the Thessalonians, reminds them of how they had turned from idols to the “living and true God.” He expands on this in his letter to the Corinthians when he said:
4 Therefore, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that “an idol has no real existence,” and that “there is no God but one.” – 1Co 8:4
The apostle tells the Corinthians that these idols had “no real existence” because there “is no God but one.”
It seem then that what Paul is telling us in Galatians 4:8 is that the Galatians, like other Gentiles in Thessalonica and Corinth were enslaved to idol worship. As such they believed these pieces of wood, gold and metal were gods when in reality there is only one true God- the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Verse 9
Paul tells us here that the Galatians had come to know God. Having said this, he seems to correct himself in mid sentence in order to be more precise and says “or rather to be known by God.” What is the difference between knowing God and being known by God and why is this difference important enough for Paul to correct himself?
It is true that the Galatians had come to know God. They heard the message of the gospel and understood that Jesus came to pay for their sin. What was more important than knowing about God was the fact that God knew them. Now there is a sense that God knows everyone in a very general way. Paul is not speaking about this general knowledge of God about all things. When he tells the Galatians that they were “known by God,” he is telling them that God took a very special interest in them, send His Son to pardon their sin by His death, adopted them as His children, placed His Spirit in them and gave them an eternal inheritance in His presence. Yes, the Galatians knew God but is was infinately more precise to say that God knew them. It was because God took note of them that they came to know Him and all His wonderful blessings.
The blessing that came from God knowing the Galatians personally were such that it was absolutely unthinkable that they would ever want to return to their old ways and idols. But this is what Paul was accusing them of doing. They were being tempted to return to a religions of works and enslavement. The apostle rebukes them for this.
Verse 10
Paul accuses the Galatians of returning to a religion of enslavement in verse 9. He explains what he means more fully here in verse 10 when he says:
You observe days and months and seasons and years! – Ga 4:10
Now Paul was not necessarilly against the keeping of certain days for the Lord. In fact he encouraged the Romans to respect those who chose to esteem one day better than another:
5 One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. – Ro 14:5-6
While Paul encouraged respect for those who held one day above another, he taught that this was not to be imposed on everyone. Just as one person had freedom to eat all things and another chose to abstain from certain foods for the Lord, so it was with the celebration of religious days, months and years.
When Paul speaks about the Galatians observing days, months and years, he is speaking about the practice of the law as a requirement in their mind. He is reminding them that the observation of a day does not make one holy. By falling back into a system of rules, regulations and laws, the Galatians were failing to understand that true holiness is not the result of what we do. It is the inner work of the Spirit of Christ that makes us holy and not our personal efforts. Instead of looking to Christ for holiness, they were falling back into the ways of the law and looking to themselves.
Verse 11
Paul expresses his concern that his teaching about the grace of God and the work of Christ was in vain. He does not question the validity of his message here, but rather the effort he made for the Galatians. By returning to the law and its observation, they were falling way from the central teaching of Paul that Christ’s work and the resulting presence of God’s Spirit in them was sufficient for their holiness and acceptance before God. He expresses his disappointment that these Galatians had not fully grasped this teaching.
Verse 12
Paul’s words to the Galatians here can be quite confusing and there are various interpretations of what Paul means here. The apostle says three things in this verse.
First, speaking to the Galatians as “brothers,” Paul pleads with them to become as he was – “Brothers, I entreat you, become as I am.” What do we know about the apostle Paul? Listen to how he described himself to the Philippians:
4 though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; – Phl 3:4-5
Paul tells the Philippians that if anyone could have confidence in the flesh it was him. He was a “Hebrew of Hebrews,” observing the law to the smallest detail. The apostle goes on, however, to tell the Philippians:
7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— – Phl 3:7-9
Paul tells the Philippians that he came to a place where he counted all his observation of the law to mean absolutely nothing compared to knowing Christ. This was where his heart was now. To know a righteousness that was apart from the law by faith in Jesus Christ. When the apostle tells the Galatians to become like him, he is pleading with them to follow his example and make Christ and the righteousness that comes by faith in Him their sole focus.
Paul tells the Galatians here in this verse secondly that he had become like them. Remember here that Paul, as a “Hebrew of Hebrews” (Philippins 3:5) was called to preach to the Gentiles. These Gentiles did not observe the law of Moses nor did they see themselves as obligated to the customs and traditions of the Jewish nation. While Paul was a zealous Jew who practiced the law faithfully and observed every Jewish traditon, he gave that up to follow the Lord Jesus. He became like the Gentiles in that he no longer saw himself as being under the Jewish law or obligated to it.
The verse concludes with the words: “You did me no wrong.” It is likely best to see these words as belonging to what Paul is going to say in the verses that follow. In verse 13-15, the apostle focuses on his time with the Galatians and how, despite his ailment they received him and cared for him as a genuine messenger from God.
Verse 13
Continuing from his introduction in verse 12 – “You did me no wrong,” Paul reminds that Galatians that it was because of a physical affliction that he first preached the gospel to them.
Some of the principle cities of the region of Galatia were cities such as Antioch, Pisidea, Lystra, Iconium and Derbe. Consider what Acts 14 has to tell us about the time when Paul was in these Galatian cities:
19 But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having persuaded the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead. 20 But when the disciples gathered about him, he rose up and entered the city, and on the next day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe. 21 When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, 22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. – Ac 14:19-22
While Paul does not specifically say what his physical affliction was when he preached the gospel to them, there is clear evidence that he had been stoned and left for dead because of his preaching in the region.
Verse 14
What was the response of the Galatian church to Paul’s physical condition in those days?
First, it was a trial to them. Paul does not explain this any further. It may be that they felt burdened because he had suffered so much to bring the gospel to them. It may be that the trial was related to their attempt to help him through this affliction.
Second, Paul reminds the Galatians that they did not scorn or despise him. When Paul was among them he was physically afflicted. He did not come among adorned in fancy robes and a large following. He may have come among them in tattered robes, bleeding and dying from being stoned and rejected in other towns of their region. These Galatians had compassion on him, however, and received him in his humbled condition.
Third, the Galatians received Paul “as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus.” An angel is a messenger. Paul is telling us that the Galatians received him as a messenger of God. They also received him as a messenger of Jesus Christ and His representative. Obviously, Paul was grateful to the Galatians for the compassion, hospitality and friendship demonstrated to him in his time of need.
Verse 15
Paul has expressed his gratitude to the Galatians for their compassion and genuine concern for him and the message he preached among them in his affliction. In fact Paul declared that they would have gouge out their eyes and given them to him if it was possible.
Over time, however, that relationship with Paul began to diminish, and the Galatians distanced themselves from him and his teaching. This may have been due to the false teachers who had come among.
Notice Paul’s question here: “What then has become of your blessedness?” Paul wants to know what was the cause for their loss of compassion and friendship and why they were turning against him.
Verse 16
Paul questions the Galatians on why they were distancing themselves from him in verse 15. He attemts to answer this question himself here: “Have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth?” – G
Paul understood that the Galatians were being influenced by false teachers who were leading them astray from the truth he had taught them. This accounted for their coldness toward him. Instead of seeing Paul as a messenger of God, they saw him as a false teacher who took people away from the law and its requirements.
Paul does not back down here. He clearly states that he was telling them the truth in what he taught. He would not compromise the truth of the gospel just to be their friends. He clearly longed to experience this friendship again but he would not do so at the expense of truth.
Verse 17
Paul understood that the reason for the coldness in a once warm relationship with the Galatians had to do with false teachers. These false teachers were causing the Galatians to question the truth Paul taught about salvation by faith in Christ alone. Instead, these teachers were promoting a Christianity based on the Jewish law. Paul has two things to say here in this verse about the motivation of these false teachers.
First, “they make much of you, but for no good purpose.” These false teachers were friendly and knew how to flatter their students. They had mastered the art of befriending and gaining the favour of those they taught. They were easy to get along with and enjoyable to be with. While this in itself is a good thing, there was a motivation behind this friendliness that was somewhat sinister.
Paul tells the Galatians that the intention of these friendly false teachers was to “shut you out, that you may make much of them.” There is some debate here about the words “shut you out.” The idea seems to be that the intention of these false teachers was to cut these Galatians off from the fellowship of the church, and the teaching of Paul. More than this, however, they were looking for their own disciples who would look up to them and respect them as great spiritual leaders. The concern of these teachers was for themselves and not for the truth.
Verse 18
Paul tells the Galatians that it is “good to made much of.” In fact, listen to what Jesus had to say about this:
14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. – Mt 5:14-16
Jesus tells us that we are to live our lives to be seen by others. We are not to hide our light under a basket. People need to see the light of Jesus in us.
What Paul is telling the Galatians here is that it is always good that people see the light of Christ in us. There is, however, a “being made much of” that is not good. These false teacher of Paul’s day were not concerned about the light of Christ shining through them. Their only concern was for themselves and gaining a following.
Notice also in this verse that there is another kind of “being made much of” that Paul addresses. He does so in the words “not only when I am present with you.” These words show us that there are those who change how they act depending on the group they are with. The focus of this type of people is to fit in and be respected as one of the group. They do not have deep convictions, however. They sway from one thing to another like a tree blowing in the wind. These are not individuals you can depend on. Once again, their concern is not for the truth so much as it is for themselves.
Verse 19
Paul speaks of the Galatians as children here. They were immature in their faith and being influenced by false teachers who deceived them and made much of them.
Notice the phrase “my little children.” These words demonstrate Paul’s compassion for the Galatian believers. He was like a loving father to them. Despite the fact that they were wandering from the truth, the apostle had a deep concern and love for them.
Paul goes on to tell the Galatians that he was “again in the anguish of childbirth” for them. The word “again” shows us that this is not the first time he experienced this anguish. He likely experienced this before they came to Christ. He anguished for them to be born again as children of God. Paul tells the Galatians, however, that once again he was experiencing this angish. This time, however, he angished “until Christ is formed in you!”
The idea of Christ being formed in us is powerful. Scripture is quite clear that the life of Christ is in every believer. What Paul is teaching us here, however, is that that presence of Christ needs to be formed in us. While the Spirit of Christ lives in every believer, not every believer is mature. Maturity comes through surrender to the presence of Christ and His purpose. This is a lifelong process.
The Spirit of Christ works in the lives of all who belong to Christ. He convicts us of sin, teaches us the heart of the Father and leads us into His purpose. While I have known the Lord for many years, I am seeing that this work does not stop. The Spirit of God in me continues to show me areas of my life that need to be fully surrendered and matured. I don’t ever expect to reach perfection in this world. I expect that the Lord Jesus will continue to be formed in me until I stand before him on that final day. I expect also that there will be a tinge of shame because I did not allow His character to be formed even more.
Paul’s great passion was that the Lord Jesus and His character be formed more and more in the Galatians.
Verse 20
Paul expresses his desire to be with the Galatians. Notice two details here.
First, Paul wanted to change his tone, toward them. We get a sense of that tone from his letter. He speaks of the Galatians as believers who were wandering from the truth, as little children who were immature in the faith, and as brothers and sisters who were growing cold in their relationship to him as an apostle. Paul did not want to remain in this kind of feeling toward the Galatians. He wanted to know that they were growing and maturing in Christ. His desire was to know unhindered fellowship and love for them. His desire was to be with them to work out these hindrances so that he could speak more positively of them.
Second, Paul tells the Galatians that he was perplexed about them. The word used for perplexed is ἀπορέω (aporéō) which literally means to be without resources. The idea is that he had no direction or knowlege about how to proceed. This would have been a burden on the heart of the apostle. It was likely for this reason that he wanted to be with them. Remember that communication was not what it is in these days. The only way the apostle could minister to these Galatians was through letters that took a long time to arrive or by his physical presence in their midst.
Verse 21
At one point in his life Paul was a very diligent teacher and observer of the Jewish law. When he met the Lord Jesus, however, all that changed. He found in Jesus the answer the law could never provide. Notice here how Paul questions the Galatians: “Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not listen to the law?”
The apostle speaks here as one who himself had not fully understood the teaching of the law, though he followed it strictly.
Verse 22
Paul explains here what he discovered from the law after he came to Christ. He reminds the Galatians that Abraham had two sons.
The first son was born through his wife’s servant Hagar. His name as Ishmael (Genesis 16:1-16). The second son was born to Sarah, Abraham’s wife when she was beyond the years of childbearing. He was the result of a miraculous work of God in her life and the fulfilment of a promise God made to Abraham. His name was Isaac (Genesis 21:1-7).
Notice how Paul told the Galatians that Ishmael was born to a slave, while Isaac was born to a free woman. The implication here is that God was wanting to communicate something very important to His people through the birth of these two sons.
Verse 23
Paul tells the Galatians here that Ishmael, the son of Abraham, through his wife’s slave Hagar, was born “according to the flesh.” That it to say, he was born in a very natural way, just as every child is born.
On the other hand, Isaac, the son of the free woman, Sarah, Abraham’s wife, was born in fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham. He was born in a miraculous way, when Sarah should not have been able to conceive and bear children.
This fact was very important to Paul. God was communicating to His people through these two children. He was revealing His purpose for the days to come.
Verse 24
Paul goes on to explain the significance of the story of Hagar, Sarah and their two sons. He tells the Galatians that the story could be “interpreted allegorically.” In other words, God intented to commicate His purpose through the birth of Ishmael and Isaac.
According to Paul, Hagar and Sarah represented two covenants. Hagar, the slave, whose son was born by natural means, represented the covenant made through Moses at Mount Sinai.
Notice that Paul tells the Galatians that the children of Hagar were slaves. As the child of a slave, Ishmael would not be Abraham’s true heir.
Genesis 21:9-12 recounts how after the birth of Isaac, Sarah demand that Hagar and Ishmael be driven away. When Abraham protested, God reminded him that it was indeed through Isaac that “his offspring would be named.”
11 And the thing was very displeasing to Abraham on account of his son. 12 But God said to Abraham, “Be not displeased because of the boy and because of your slave woman. Whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for through Isaac shall your offspring be named. – Ge 21:11-12
The Jewish Scriputres taught that while Ishmael was a son of Abraham, it would not be through him that the promise of God would be fulfilled.
Verse 25
According to Paul, Hagar represented Mount Sinai and the “present Jerusalem.” That is to say those who were remained under the law of Moses and all its requirements.
The picture here is of a slave woman, who was banished from the blessings of Abraham’s true family. This picture would not have gone over well with the Jews of that day. Paul saw them as spiritual descendants of Ishmael, under the bondage of the law and separated from the promised blessings of God. Of course all who continue under the law are descendants of Ishmael in this sense.
Verse 26
Paul compared Hagar, Sarah’s slave to the “present Jerusalem” under the law but separated from the promised blessings. He moves now to the “Jerusalem above.” He says two things about this Jerusalem.
First, the Jerusalem above or the heavenly Jerusalem, represented by Sarah, was free. In this sense, she was free from the law. She was free from sin and the curse of sin. All this comes about as a result of the work of Jesus Christ the promised Saviour.
Second the heavenly Jerusalem is our mother. Paul speaks here to believers in Jesus Christ. Our citizenship is in heaven because of the forgiveness offered by Jesus Christ.
Verse 27
Paul backs up his illustration of Hagar and Sarah by quoting from Isaiah 54:1. In his prophecy, Isaiah, calls the “barren one” (Sarah) to rejoice and cry aloud. The reason for this rejoicing was that her children would be more numerous than the woman who had a husband.
We should not see Isaiah as saying that the barren woman had no husband or that her children would be illegitimate. She would not have known her barrenness if she had no husband. The idea here is that this women and her husband, like Sarah and Abraham, could not bear children but God promised them numerous descendants.
Paul uses Isaiah’s words here to show how Isaiah picks up on this idea of God’s promise to a barren couple. Like Sarah, the descendants of this barren couple would fill the earth.
Verse 28
Paul explains his quote in verse 27 from Isaiah 54:1 by telling the Galatians that they were, like Isaac, children of promise. God promised through Abraham to raise up a people to be His children. They would be born miraculously into a new nation. That new nation is the heavenly Jerusalem he speaks about in verse 26. Those who would be citizens of this heavenly kingdom were born as a result of the work of the promised Messiah.
Verse 29
Paul reminds the Galatians of a time when Ishmael persecuted his half-brother Isaac. This may be a reference to what took place in Genesis 21:8-9 where Ishmael laughs mockingly at Isaac.
Paul seems to be telling the Galatians that those who belong to the Lord Jesus, born “according to the Spirit,” will be persecuted by those born “according to the flesh.”
What is important for us to note in this context is how Paul distinguished between those born according to the flesh and those born according to the Spirit. One is born to “this present Jerusalem” and the other to the “Jerusalem above.” One is of this world and the other is born of God. One is under the law and its condemnation. The other is free from the law and experiences the forgiveness of God’s Son.
One again, Paul show how the law illustrated the message of the gospel and that living out that gospel in a dark world would be difficult.
Verse 30
Continuing his illustration of how Ishmael persecuted Isaac, Paul quotes the words of Sarah to her husband:
“Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman shall not inherit with the son of the free woman.”
Unknown to herself at the time, Sarah speaks prophetically. Hagar’s descendants would not inherit the blessing of Sarah’s descendants. God would make a distinction between the two. According to Paul, the descendants of Isaac were not the Jewish nation but all those who would accept the Lord Jesus and experience new birth into the kingdom of God. This was the great nation God promised Abraham. It was a kingdom that would span generations and cultures. It was a generation of individuals born again as children of God’s promise to bless all nations through the coming Messiah. It was an exclusive nation of people from every language and tribe born again through the Spirit of God as inheritors of eternal life through the work of Jesus Christ, apart from the law.
The sons of the slave woman Hagar, would not inherit this kingdom. Only those who who were born again of the Spirit would experience the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham as the father of those who were free from the law and pardoned by Jesus Christ.
Verse 31
The apostle concludes by telling the Galatians that if they had been born again through the work of God’s Spirit, they were no longer children of the slave Hagar but of the free woman Sarah. Their new birth set them free from the burden of the law. As children of the free woman, they were pardoned and accepted by the work of Jesus Christ on their behalf.
As children of Sarah, the free woman, they were not to return to the bondage and slavery of the law but rather rejoice in their acceptance and forgiveness through Jesus Christ.
Chapter 5
Verse 1
Paul begins chapter five with a statement about freedom.
First, “Christ has set us free.” The idea is that we were in bondage. That bondage came from sin and the law. These held us under the judgement of God. The sinful nature kept us hostage to its lusts and desires. The law was powerless to free us. What the law could not do, Jesus Christ did through His sacrificial death for us.
Second, notice why we were set free – “for freedom.” Jesus Christ came to this earth so that we could be freed from sin and the sinful flesh. He came to release us from the condemnation of the law. He set us free from the way of the law with it’s impossible standards. His death provided full atonement for our sin. All who accept Him and His work, experience full and total pardon.
It is the desire of God that we walk in this freedom and pardon. It is not His purpose that we spend or lives bound up in a system that can never give us assurance and right standing. He wants all who belong to Him to know that they are loved by the Father, endwelled by His Spirit and eternally and fully saved by His Son. There is no more condemnation for those who have come to Christ. They are freed from the obligations and condemnation of the law.
Finally, the apostle Paul tells the Galatians that they were to stand firm. That is to say, they were not to give in to the teaching of the false teachers who were telling them that they should return to the bondage of the Jewish law and its obligations.
According to Paul, they were free from the obligations of the Jewish law. Their salvation was completely in the work of the Lord Jesus. Their acceptance was not based on how well they observed the requirements of the law. To believe this, was to depreciate what the Lord Jesus had done for them. Paul challenged the Galatians to walk in the freedom they had in the Lord Jesus, and not trust in thier own efforts through the law for a right standing.
Verse 2
The apostle continues what he began in verse one here. He speaks to the Galatians about their freedom from the Jewish law through the work of the Lord Jesus.
The false teachers circulating in Galatia were telling the Galatians that they needed to submit to circumcision if they were to be true children of God. We need to understand here that Paul is not just speaking here about a medical procedure. Circumcision, in our day, is practiced for a variety of reasons. When Paul speaks of circumcision here, he speaks about a religious practice and belief, held by the Jews, that circumcision was a required sign of a covenant relationship with God and obligation to His law. If you wanted to know whether a man was a Jew, and by extension, a child of God, you would ask if he was circumcised. This was the sign that they belonged to the people of God.
Notice what Paul tells the Galatians about this mentality: “if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you.” What Paul is saying here is this. If you believe that circumcision and following the Jewish law makes you a Christian, than what is the purpose of Christ and His work. Why not just convert to Judaism.
Paul is telling the Galatians that they cannot turn to Judaism and the practice of its laws and call themseslves Chrisians. The work of Christ set us free from the Jewish law. His death made a difference and radically changed our relationship with the Father.
Verse 3
Paul tells the Galatians that if they accepted circumcision, they were then obligated to keep the whole law.
Notice first the words “accept circumcision.” Paul speaks here about men who accept circumcision. Usually we speak of infants being circmcision but Paul speaks here about men. Many of those who were accepting the Lord were of Gentile background and had never been circumcised as children. These men were being asked by the false teachers to submit to the Jewish laws and traditions.
Paul tells these men, that if they accepted circumcision as their entrance into relationship with God, then they were also required to keep the rest of the Jewish law as well. In other words, if they chose the Jewish law as the means to God, then the only way that they could achieve their goal was to keep that law perfectly. This was something no one apart from Jesus Christ had ever been able to do.
Verse 4
Paul tells the Galatians that any one who accepts circumcision and the Jewish law has severed himself from Christ. The word used here is καταργέω (katargéō) which literally means to render inactive or useless. The idea is that if they choose the way of the Jewish law to be justified before God they declare the work of Christ to be in vain.
The English Standard says that all who choose the way of circumcision and the law “sever” themselves from Christ. In other words they cut themselves off from the work of Christ and attempt to merit their salvation on their own.
The New International Version interprets the word καταργέω (katargéō) with the word “alienate” saying: “You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ.” Once again the sense is that they have pulled themselves away from the work of Jesus on their behalf.
The King James Version seems to catch the sense of καταργέω (katargéō) a little more when it interprets: “Christ is become of no effect unto you.” That is to say, the work of Jesus has had no effect on them because they have turned from Him to the Jewish law.
What Paul is telling the Galatians here is that those who have turned to the Jewish law to obtain a right standing with God have “fallen from grace.” That is to say, they have rejected the offer of salvation through Christ and have chosen a futile and hopeless path that will lead them astray. The apostle Paul could offer no hope to anyone who chose a path other than the gospel of Jesus Christ crucified and risen from the dead.
Verse 5
The only hope of a right standing with the Father, according to Paul, was “through the Spirit by faith.”
First, our right standing with God is “through the Spirit.” The implication is that it is not about anything we do. It is a miraculous work of God’s Spirit on our behalf. He opens our heart. He gives us understanding. He comes to dwell in our lives giving us new life.
Second, our right standing with God is “by faith.” Where there is faith, there needs to be an object of that faith. Faith must be in something or someone. That “someone” is the person of the Lord Jesus and His work on the cross. His work is sufficient to pay our penalty and bring us into a right standing with the Father. The Spirit of God convinces us of this reality.
Notice what Paul told the Galatians about the work of the Spirit in their lives by faith. The apostle and those who experienced this gracious work of God’s Spirit by faith, “eagerly awaited for the hope of righteousness.”
Notice first that these believers were eagerly awaiting. There is confidence in these words. Their is no fear in this eager anticipation. There is only confidence. The work of God’s Spirit by faith was sufficient. They eagerly awaited now to stand before the Father, forgiven and cleansed, to receive their eternal inheritance.
Notice also the phrase “hope of righteousness.” Hope in this sense does not portray any uncertainty. On the contrary, it is a certain expectation. That certainty is not based on their ability to keep the law of God and measure up to God’s standard. Instead it is a conviction and confidence in the work of Christ and His Spirit who cannot fail. What the law could never give, the Spirit gives with absolute assurance.
Verse 6
The only hope of a right standing with the Father, according to Paul, was “through the Spirit by faith.”
First, our right standing with God is “through the Spirit.” The implication is that it is not about anything we do. It is a miraculous work of God’s Spirit on our behalf. He opens our heart. He gives us understanding. He comes to dwell in our lives giving us new life.
Second, our right standing with God is “by faith.” Where there is faith, there needs to be an object of that faith. Faith must be in something or someone. That “someone” is the person of the Lord Jesus and His work on the cross. His work is sufficient to pay our penalty and bring us into a right standing with the Father. The Spirit of God convinces us of this reality.
Notice what Paul told the Galatians about the work of the Spirit in thier lives by faith. The apostle and those who experienced this gracious work of God’s Spirit by faith, “eagerly awaited for the hope of righteousness.”
Notice first that these believers were eagerly awaiting. There is confidence in these words. Their is no fear in this eager anticipation. There is only confidence. The work of God’s Spirit by faith was sufficient. They eagerly awaited now to stand before the Father, forgiven and cleansed, to receive their eternal inheritance.
Notice also the phrase “hope of righteousness.” Hope in this sense does not portray any uncertainty. On the contrary, it is certain expectation. That certainty is not based on their ability to keep the law of God and measure up to God’s standard. Instead it is a conviction and confidence in the work of Christ and His Spirit who cannot fail. What the law could never give, the Spirit gives with absolute assurance.
Verse 7
Notice how the apostle tells the Galatians that they had been “running well.” The writer to the Hebrews challenges his readers in a similar way when he encourages them to “run with endurance.”
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us – Heb 12:1
The idea here is that the Galatians had been faithful to the Lord and the truth Paul had taught them. This, however, was no longer the case. Paul asks them now: “Who hindered you from obeying the truth?”
There is a very important reminder to us here in this verse. Paul addresses those who walked in the truth but wandered from it through false teaching. It is all too easy to be influenced by false teaching in our day. This teaching distracts us from Christ and His purpose. Paul does not accuse those who had fallen into false teaching of not being believers. If anything, he speaks of how they had, at one point, run a good race. Even sincere believers can be distracted in their Christian life.
The second lesson we neeed to see here is the influence of our teaching. Consider the words of James to teachers:
1 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. – Jas 3:1
When Paul asked the question, “Who has hindered you from obeying the truth?” he speaks directly to teachers. There is a great responsibility placed on teachers. This is something we dare not take for granted. There was a great judgement coming for these false teachers who had hindered the Galatians in their walk with Christ by teaching error.
Verse 8
False teachers had persuaded the Galatians to return to circumcision and the Jewish law. In doing so, they had set them on a path of error and hindered their spiritual walk.
Paul boldly tells the Galatians that this “persuasion” was not from “Him who calls you.” That it to say, the instruction of these false teachers was not from God. They were being deceived and led down the wrong path.
Verse 9
Leaven was put in dough to make it rise. Just a little bit of leaven was required for this to take place. Because of this quality, it is used in Scripture to illustrate the effects of sin in the church.
In 1 Corinthians 5, Paul addresses a problem of immorality in the life of an individual in the Corinthians church. Paul rebuked the church for not removing this person from fellowship. Listen to what he wrote to the Corinthians about this matter:
6 Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? 7 Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. – 1Co 5:6-7
Paul reminds the Corinthians that just “a little leaven will leaven te whole lump.” In other words, by leaving this individual in the church, he would have a negative impact on the members. This is what the apostle is telling the Galatians here. These false teachers were like an evil leaven that hindered the fellowship and blessing of the entire church.
Verse 10
Paul begins verse 10 with a declaration of confidence in the Lord. This confidence is two-fold:
First, “that you will take no other view.” Paul had been called to preach the gospel among the Gentiles. He took his role seriously. The fact that he wrote this difficult letter is an indication of just how serious he took this responsibility. It grieved Paul deeply that the Galatians were wandering into error. Despite this, the apostle’s confidence was not in himself, but in the Lord. He understood that the Lord was also concerned for the Galatians. As a tender shepherd, the Lord would work among them and reveal the truth to them. He had to believe that the Lord would not abandon his children into the hands of falsehood and error.
The apostle was also confident in an second great truth. That is that the “one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is.”
Notice here that Paul did not know who it was who was disrupting the church with falsehood. Paul was sure, however, that God knew this individual and would call him to account for his falsehood. Paul is quite specific in this verse: “the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty.” There are two details to note in this phrase.
First, God will punish those who lead His children astray. It is a serious matter to cause one of God’s children to wander from the path of truth. This places a serious obligation on any teacher of the Word to be diligent and faithful in the proclamation of the truth for we will be held accountable to God.
Second, the fact that God will punish those who lead His children astray, ought to be a blessing and encouragement to us. This demonstrates just how much He cares for us. He will hold anyone who misleads us accountable. He will punish anyone who leads us astray. He values our relationship with Him and will punish anyone who does anything to hinder that relationship.
Verse 11
Paul reminds the Galatians that the preaching of the cross was offensive to many. He could have avoided much persecution, if he had preached circumcision and the observation of the Jewish law.
There was a cost for Paul to preach the truth of the gospel. This however, was a cost he was willing to pay. The cross stood in opposition to the law. It demonstrated that human effort was insufficient to give one a right standing with God. It underlined our sinfulness and helplessness before a holy God, and demanded surrender, submission and death to self.
The cross is the central focus of the gospel. Though offensive to this world, its message must never be compromised or watered down. The death of our Lord on this cross is our hope and confidence of forgiveness and eternal life. The apostle Paul willingly suffered and died to share this truth with the world.
Verse 12
Paul felt strongly about the message of the cross. It grieved him deeply that false teachers opposed this message and turned people back to the Jewish laws and traditions. In fact, this grieved him so much that that he said: “I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves!”
The interpretation of this phrase is varied among Bible commentaries. The word, translated “emasculate” is ἀποκόπτω (apokóptō). It is derived from two words. The first is apó which means, from or away. The second part of the word is kóptō, meaning to cut down, to cut off, or to cut away. It could also be interpreted by the word amputate.
Most commentators agree that Paul is using that illustraton of circumcision and the cutting of the forskin when he speaks here. But not all commentators agree as to what Paul was thinking when he said that he wished these false teachers, who promoted circumcision, would emasculate themselves.
There are those who interpret this to mean that Paul wished that these men who were so keen on cutting off their foreskins would cut off thier entire genitals. This interpretation, however, is quite harsh and apart from finding some sinful satisfaction in the suffering and pain of these false teachers, would accomplish nothing for the sake of the kingdom. This is hardly the godly wish of the apostle here.
A better way to understand what Paul is saying is that his wish was that these false teachers would remove themselves from the people of God. He wanted them to be cut off (circumcised) from the church and their impact on the church. Their presence was only having a negative impact and he wanted to see their influence cut off.
Verse 13
Notice how Paul tells the Galatians that they were called to freedom. That freedom is from sin through the work of Jesus Christ on the cross:
18 and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. – Ro 6:18
It is also a freedom from the law:
2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. – Ro 8:2
This call to freedom came by means of the gospel message and the work of God’s Spirit through that message in their hearts. It was the message of salvation by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ and His work alone.
Paul tells the Galatians, however, that being free from the law did not mean that they could do what they wanted. They were not to use this freedom for the flesh and its satisfaction. When the apostle speaks of the flesh here he refers to our old nature with its lusts and evil desires. Paul teaches that we are to die to these fleshly passions.
Instead, they were to use their freedom to love and serve one another. In other words their freedom in Christ was not to become all about them, their passions, desires and ambitions but about others. They were to be willing to sacrifice their personal freedom for others.
This is a very different way to think of freedom. But consider this for a moment. When we were still in sin or focus was on ourselves. We took from others, hurt them with our words, and took advantage of them. We used them to advance or own interests, and ignored their needs to satisfy our lusts. This world is filled with sinful pride, selfishness and greed. The freedom the gospel gives us is a freedom from this selfish pride. It frees is to care for each other. It frees us to sacrifice for our brother and sister. It releases us to love and minister just as Christ did for us. This is true freedom.
Verse 14
Paul reminded the Galatians in verse 13 that their freedom from the law was not for the purpose of satisfying the flesh, but rather to minister and love each other. He goes on here to say that “the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.””
Jesus was asked one day about what he considered to be the greatest commandment. Listen to His response:
29 Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” – Mk 12:29-31
This law about loving one’s neighbours comes in the context of Paul’s statement about being freed from sin and the law. Remember that under sin, we were unable to love one another as God intended. The law mandated responsible behaviour, and compassion but was powerless to change human nature. When Jesus died, he opened the door, not only for our pardon, but also for the the indwelling of His Spirit in our lives. The very life and power of God is given to all who believe in Jesus Christ. That power not only pardons us but also enables us to live as God intends. The Spirit of God begins to do a work in our hearts, transforming them day by day into the image of Jesus Christ. He does what the law could never do. Freedom from the law implies greater holiness and love for each other. What the law, with all its mandates could not do, the Spirit of God is doing in our hearts. He is enabling us to love God and our neighbours. Despite all our efforts to obey the law in the flesh, we could never do what God’s Spirit is doing in us. We are without law but we are not lawless. The Spirit of God replaces the law in our lives. Living in us, He transforms and shapes us into the image of Christ. He directs us into holiness and love for God and our neighbours.
Verse 15
Paul seems to address a particular issue in the churches of Galatia. They were being divided and arguing with each other. This may, in part, be the result of the false teaching that was circulating in the region. We have clear evidence of the presence of Judaisers in Galatia who wanted to bring believers back to Judaism. This would likely have divided the church.
The apostle speaks directly to this. He reminds them that this infighting among themselves would only destroy them and the work of the church in Galatia.
In essence, he is calling them to a greater submission to the work of God’s Spirit. His role was to enable and teach them to love each other. He would point them to Christ and the sufficiency of His work for their salvation. The Galatians were free from the law, but they were called now to submit to the work and conviction of God’s Spirit who would direct them in more loving relationships with each other and in the knowledge of the truth.
Verse 16
While Paul was convinced that the believer was no longer under the law, he also taught that they were now under the Lordship of the Spirit of Christ. He challenges the Galatians, therefore, to “walk by the Spirit.”
What does it mean to “walk by the Spirit.” Our understanding of this phrase hinges on the little word “by.” The word “by” implies that we walk under the direction and in the enabling of the Spirit of Christ. In other words, we allow Him to lead and empower us.
Paul tells the Galatians here that if they walked by the Spirit, they would “not gratify the desires of the flesh.” In other words, the Spirit of Christ would give them victory over the flesh with its sinful desires and passions.
If we want victory over our sinful passions and desires, we must learn to walk by the Spirit. This is not so much an effort of our flesh as it is a surrender of our spirit to the work and leading of God’s Spirit. To do this, we must accept the reality of His presence in our lives. We must accept His leading, warning and conviction, and commit ourselves to walk in obedience. His heart is to lead us into victory. It is to our great disadvantage that we ignore or deny His presence in our lives.
Verse 17
In verse 16 Paul told the Galatians to walk by the Spirit so they did not gratify the desires and passions of the flesh. He explains why it is important not to gratify these lusts and desires here in verse 17.
First, note that “the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit.” What the flesh longs and craves for is not in tune with the purpose of the Spirit of God. It is affected by sin and does not take God into account. Consider what would happen if you did whatever your flesh wanted to do without restraining it. What would happen if you allowed the sexual desires of the flesh to have whatever they wanted? What would be the result if you let the angry outburst of the flesh have free reign? Even the unbeliever knows that the flesh and its impulses need to be restrained for the good of society. Our prisons are filled with people who followed the impulses and desires of the flesh without restraint.
Second, Paul tells the Galatians that the “desires of the Spirit are against the flesh.” What God wants and what the flesh wants are not the same. As believers we struggle with this. We want to do great things for God. We see the needs around us and determine that we are going to do something about them. We build big ministries and make great plans to serve God. The problem, however, is that all of this is done in the flesh. Even the unbeliever could do the same. The question is: What is the desire of te Spirit? What does God’s Spirit want to do? Have we been in tune with God in this matter or have we pushed forward our own agenda. The words, “the desires of the spirit are against the flesh,” ought to speak deeply to our soul. Don’t trust what your flesh leads you to do. Don’t trust what you are able to reason out in your mind. Don’t trust your own ideas and experience. Listen to the words of God through Isaiah:
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. – Isa 55:8-9
God’s ways are not our ways. He doesn’t think the way we do. His desires are contrary to our fleshly ways. The older I get, the more I understand just how much I cannot trust my understanding and experience. I must learn to listen to and discern the desire of the Spirit.
Paul tells us that the flesh and the Spirit of God “are opposed to each other.” That is to say, to follow one is to abandon the other. You cannot follow the flesh and God at the same time. We must decide between one or the other. Either we will be guided by the flesh and its wisdom or we will be guided by the Spirit. We cannot have it both ways.
The apostle concludes here by telling the Galatians that this battle between the Spirit and the flesh will keep us from doing what we want to do. Let’s consider this from the perspective of the believers in Galatia. They were saved by faith in Christ Jesus. They had a desire to follow after Him and His ways. What would keep them from pursuing this? The answer is the flesh. By living the Christian life in the flesh, trying to change in their own strength what could only be changed by the Spirit, only led to defeat. Trying to accomplish in human wisdom what could only be achieved by the wisdom and leading of the Spirit only led to disappointment. The desire to honour, know and please God could never become a reality in the flesh. This was the work of God’s Spirit.
As believers we need to understand this vital truth Paul teaches here. The flesh cannot please God. The flesh cannot accomplish the purpose of God. This is the work of God’s Spirit. Only as we “walk by the Spirit” can we live as God’s intends. Just as we cannot save ourselves, neither can we live the Christian life apart from the ministry of His Spirit in and through us.
Verse 18
Paul tells the Galatians here that if they were led by the Spirit, they were not under the law. Consider what the apostle is saying here.
What is the role of the Spirit? He comes to point us to Christ. He will teach us the things of God and direct us into the purpose of God for our lives. More then this however, He will remove the obstacles and hindrances in our life that keep us from walking in that purpose. He will cultivate and mature our character so that it reflects the image of Jesus. He is the very presence of God in us, transforming and shaping us into the person God wants us to be. As God, He is fully able to change us. As the source of all truth and righteousness, He will never lead us astray. He will do what the law could never do. His presence in us is greater than that law. In fact, with Him directing, maturing and empowering, there is no more need of the law for He fulfills in us all that the law intended and more.
Verse 19
Paul has told the Galatians that the flesh and the Spirit are opposed to each other. He takes the time here to explain this more fully by examining the fruit of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit. He begins with the fruit of the flesh.
The apostle begins by telling the Galatians that the first fruit of the flesh is sexual immorality. The word used here is πορνεία (porneía) which is a general term uses to speak of any sexual sin forbidden by the Word of God.
It is worth noting that the King James Version of the Bible, following the Textus Receptus Greek texts, adds the sin of adultery to this list. This word is not included in the Westcott and Hort Greek texts and, therefore, not in translations using these manuscripts of the Bible. While not included in the English Standard Version and others, it is quite clear that adultery is another fruit of the flesh. It is a sexual sin involving at least one individual who is being unfaithful to his or her marriage vows.
The next fruit of the flesh is “impurity.” The word ἀκαθαρσία (akatharsía) is a general term that refers to uncleanness in a variety of forms. The word speaks of physical or moral uncleanness but it can also refer to ungodly characteristics such as demonstrated in the hypocrisy of Pharisees in Matthew 23:27
27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. – Mt 23:27
In this case, Jesus described the hypocrisy of the Pharisees’ hearts as an uncleanness.
Paul uses this word in Romans 1:24 to refer to individuals who dishonoured thier bodies with each other:
24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, – Ro 1:24
The apostle would go on to connect this “impurity” to homosexual acts in the verses to follow.
Finally, in this verse, Paul speaks about sensuality. The word ἀσέλγεια (asélgeia) refers to an absence of restraint and a excessive desire for pleasure and the satisfaction of the flesh.
Verse 20
Paul continues his list of the fruit of the flesh here from verse 19. The next fruit is idolatry. The word εἰδωλολατρεία (eidōlolatreía) comes from two words. The first is eídōlon meaning idol and the second word latreía meaning service or worship. Together these words refer to the worship of idols. Of course idols do not have to be made of wood, stone or metal. They can be anything that we live for or desire more than God.
The next fruit Paul mentions is sorcery. The Greek word is φαρμακεία (pharmakeía). The word comes from the Greek word phármakon meaning, a drug. The word φαρμακεία (pharmakeía) speaks of occultic activities, use of drugs or a combination of both. There may be a sense here of giving control of our bodies to either evil spirits or drugs.
Enmity is the next fruit on Paul’s list. The word ἐˊχθρα (échthra) refers to hatred, and hostility. This is demonstrated in relationships between human beings.
Closely related to this is the fruit if strife (ἐˊρις, éris). The word speaks of contention. The idea here is that this fruit causes discord and division among brothers and sisters.
Jealousy is next on Paul’s list. The word ζη̃λος (zḗlos) comes from zéō meaning to be hot or zealous. This can be a good thing but in this case we should see this in a negative sense. The person who experiences this emotion can become angry or hostile. This emotion is produced when it sees someone else with something it does not have.
The apostle goes on to describe fits of anger next. θυμός (thumós) refers to a violent motion or emotion. It can be used to speak of a strong wind that blows with force. The idea here is that an individual, no longer in control of his emotions, bursts out in a fit of rage either by means of a physical action or angry words.
The next fruit is rivalries. The Greek word ἐριθεία (eritheía) literally means, to work for hire. While this can be a good thing, the word is used here in a negative sense. Consider a hired killer for example, hired to take the life of someone else for money. This person cares nothing for the life of the one he targets. His only concern in the money it will bring him. It can also be used to speak of individuals, hired to scheme and deceive in order to make a profit. There is deep insensitivity toward other people here. The individuals involved in rivalries seek to promote their own ideas and interests at any cost.
Paul goes on here to speak about dissensions. The word διχοστασία (dichostasía) refers to division. Those in whom this fruit grows, cause division. This may be over some theological, political or cultural issue. These individuals do not seem to be able to let issues go, but use them to trouble and divide those with whom they come in contact.
Finally, in this verse Paul lists the fruit of divisions. The word αἱˊρεσις (haíresis) means heresy. The idea here is that of an opinion or belief that it contrary to the norm or standard. This causes trouble in the body to which this individual belongs.
Verse 21
Paul lists three more fruit of the flesh here. Once again we have a difference in this verse between the Greek texts. The Westcott and Hort Greek New Testament includes, envy, drunkenness and feasting on the list. The Textus Receptus lists these three fruit but also adds murder. As a result the King James Version and the New King James Version derived from the Textus Receptus manuscripts include murder in the list while other English versions tend to omit it. Of course, it is very obvious that murder is a fruit of the flesh.
Paul begins verse 21 with the fruit of envy. The Greek word φθόνος (phthónos) refers to a sense of jealouosy when we see someone do something better than we can, or experience something that we only wish we could experience. This leads to a negative or critical attitude toward that individual. Envy cannot rejoice in the blessing of another person. Instead it becomes angry or bitter toward that individual.
The meaning of “drunkenness” word is quite obvious. It has to do with being controlled by alcoholic drinks. Paul is not telling the Galatians here that they cannot drink in moderation. He does, however, speak of drunkenness as a fruit of the flesh and a sin to be avoided.
The final item on Pauls fruit of the flesh is orgies. The Greek word κω̃μος (kṓmos) literally means, “feasting.” While feasting is not wrong, the word came to be associated with wild parties where there was feasting and drinking and immoral activities.
The apostle concludes his list of the fruit of the flesh with the words:
I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Paul tells the Galatians that those who do these things will not inherit the kingdom of God. Have you ever felt jealousy or envy in your heart? Have you ever caused division? To be honest, even as believers we have experienced the lusts of the flesh. We have had times when that flesh exploded in an angry outburst. We are called daily to die to the fruit of the flesh and to resist its temptations. This is why the words “those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God,” are so concerning for us. What does Paul mean when he says that those who practice the fruit of the flesh will not inherit the kingdom of God.
First, to understand what Paul is saying to the Galatians we need to see it in the light of what he wrote to the Corinthians. The apostle told the Corinthians something very similar when he wrote:
9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. – 1Co 6:9-11
The Corinthians lived in the fruit of the flesh prior to coming to know the Lord Jesus. While guilty before God, they experienced His wonderful forgiveness and pardon. There is forgiveness for living in the fruit of the flesh. If you are surrendering to any of the fleshly fruits, you need to confess this to God, make no excuse for your actions, and seek His forgiveness. He is willing to forgive.
Second, consider the words John heard in his vision on the island of Patmos. Speaking about the heavenly city John says:
24 By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, 25 and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. 26 They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. 27 But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life. – Rev 21:24-27
John makes it quite clear that nothing unclean, detestable or false will ever enter that heavenly city. It is only those who have been pardonned from their sin who will enter. There will be no more struggle with the flesh in the heavenly city for its desires will be destroyed.
You see, the fact of the matter is this. God has something much greater for us. This world with all its lust, anger, jealousy and pride will only drag us down and keep us from the true purpose of God for our lives. Our challenge is to die to the fruit of the flesh and let God produce the fruit of heaven in us.
Verse 22
Paul moves next to the fruit of the Spirit which he contrasts with the fruit of the flesh he has just described.
The first fruit of the Spirit, according to Paul, is love. The word ἀγάπη (agápē) is the word used when speaking of God’s love toward us. It is a love the loves the unworthy, and sacrifices for those who are its enemies. This is not a love that comes naturally to us, but is given as a fruit of the Spirit who lives in us.
The second fruit of the Spirit is joy. The Greek word χαρά (chará) refers to gladness and rejoicing of heart. Joy is not a fluffy emotion dependant on our life circumstance, but a character trait being built in us by the ministry of the Holy Spirit. This joy is not dependent on circumstances but reveals itself even in the most trying circumstances. It is the heart of God to fill us with joy, rejoicing and gladness.
Peace is the next fruit listed here by the apostle Paul. The word translated peace is εἰρήνη (eirḗne). This peace is reflected in harmonious relationships or in the assurance of a right relationship with God. Peace is also the result of a confidence in God, His purpose, and His care for us in every circumstance of life.
The word patience is translated from the word μακροθυμία (makrothumía). The word speaks of somone who is long-suffering. I like to think of it in the sense of an individual bearing a heavy load from point A to point B. He does so faithfully without giving up, despite the weight he bears.
The word μακροθυμία (makrothumía) does not relate only to trials and suffering but also to our relationships with brothers and sisters. Patience is the ability to bear with other people, their insults and difficult personalities. The patient person refrains from seeking revenge or exploding in angry outbursts when under pressure or in a difficult relationship. Instead, they endure with grace, trusting God for the strength necessary to continue.
Kindness, the next item on the list is translated from the Greek word χρηστότης (chrēstótēs) meaning useful or profitable. It is also used to express gentleness of character that is not demanding but generous and compassionate.
Goodness (ἀγαθωσύνη, agathōsúnē) refers to the character of an individual who is motivated by what it right and holy. This person strives for holiness not only in his or her person but seeks to influence or challenge others toward this holiness of life and heart.
Finally in this verse Paul adds faithfulness to the list of the fruit of the Spirit. The word πίστις (pístis) can literally be translated by the word “faith.” It is a conviction and solid belief in the truth. More than this, however, it is a commitment to that truth no matter the cost.
Verse 23
Paul concludes his list of the fruit of the Spirit here with two last fruit. The first fruit is gentleness. The word πραότης (praótēs) speaks of a calmness of soul and the acceptance of the circumstances that God brings into ones life with grace.
The final fruit of the Spirit is self-control. Remember here that this is the fruit that the Spirit of God produces in the life of the believer. It is the God-given ability to hold ones actions, emotions, attitudes and thoughts in check.
Paul concludes this list of the fruit of the Spirit with the words, “against such things there is no law.” What Paul appears to be saying is that when the Spirit of God is in control and produces these fruit in our lives, there is no need of a law to show us what is right. What the Spirit of God produces in us is in line with the purpose of the Father for our lives. How much better it is to have the Spirit of God produce His fruit in us that to attempt to follow the law in our human strength.
Verse 24
Paul goes on to tell the Galatians here that those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
Consider this for a moment. Why did the Lord Jesus die on the cross? He died to set us free from the penalty of sin in our lives. That penalty was death. Jesus died in our place.
That, however, is not all that Jesus accomplished on the cross. He also set us free from the curse of sin. What is the curse of sin? Genesis describes how when Adam and Eve fell into sin they were cursed by death and suffering. Eve would give birth to children in great pain. Adam would work by the sweat of his brow to bring crops from the soil. The death of Jesus Christ sets us free from this in that we are promised victory over death and eternal life. We will dwell eternally with Christ where there will be no more suffering. Even now, the Spirit of God is demonstrating the power of the kingdom of God over sickness and suffering on this earth. Countless men and women around the work have experienced healing of body and soul through the power of prayer on their behalf.
Finally, the death of Christ sets us free from the power of sin over us. With the indwelling of God’s Spirit in the believer, there is power now to overcome sin.
Christ died so that the sinful flesh with its passions and desires would no longer have any authority over us. He died so that the power of sin could be broken in us and we would be set free to walk in a right relationship with the Father.
Those who belong to Christ have been set free from the power and authority of sin with all its passions and desires. I have often compared this to a divorce. When a man divorces his wife and remarries, he has no right to return to his former partner. She may live nearby and want to return to him but he resists every temptation to be faithful now to his new partner.
The illustration may not be the best, but it shows us that when Christ died, he broke the hold and relationship we had with sin, our former partner. When that happened we entered a covenant relationship with Him as our new partner. Yes, sin and the flesh will tempt us but we have no longer any right to them. We must consider ourselves dead to them for this is what we are legally and spiritually before Christ.
Verse 25
The apostle encouraged the Galatians to consider the flesh with all its sinful desires and passions crucified to themselves. Instead they were to “live by the Spirit.” That is to say, they were to live under His authority and direction and in His power. They were to allow Him to transform them in character and action.
Notice also how Paul encourages all who lived by the Spirit to “keep in step with the Spirit.” To keep in step with the Spirit is to walk with Him and in His leading. It is to have an ear open at all times for His direction. It is to have our eyes open to see what He is doing and stand with Him. It is to have our minds in tune with His heart for our lives and our churches. If we are not under the law, we must learn to discern the leading and direction of the Spirit.
Verse 26
Paul concludes the chapter with a challenge to the Galatians about their relationship with each other. He has encouraged them to walk by the Spirit but he also wants to see them live in harmony with each other.
The testimony of the church and its effectiveness depends on its love for one another. The apostle challenges the believers, therefore, not to let conceit and pride stand between them and a brother of sister. Paul reminds that Galatians of what conceit would do.
First, conceit would cause them to provoke one another. Pride has a tendancy to look down on a brother or sister. It hardens us to their needs. I makes us say and do things that divide the church and cause bad feelings between brothers and sisters.
Second, conceit would cause them to envy one another. That is to say, they would not be able to accept a brother or sister being able to do something better them, or receive more recoginition them them. They would resent the fact that a brother or sister had something they didn’t. Envy would stir up division and hard feelings among sincere believers.
Instead, they were to be humble, and rejoice with a brother or sister who was blessed by God. They were to be willing to take a back seat and give place to someone else.
Chapter 6
Verse 1
Paul begins this chapter with a word about how to deal with a brother or sister who has fallen into a transgression. It is important to define the word transgression here. The word παράπτωμα (paráptōma) refers to a error, mistake or weakness which makes us guilty before God. It is not a wilful sin committed as a deliberate act of rebellion against God, but rather a sin committed by mistake or in weakness. While the sin may not have been deliberate, it nonetheless renders the individual guilty before God, and in need of repentance.
What is important to note here is that even those who attempt to walk by the Spirit fall into error. The flesh is weak. We do not always walk in the leading of the Spirit of God. We continue to fall short of God’s standard for our lives even as believers. Nonetheless, we do have forgiveness in Christ and the presence of the Spirit of Christ in us to support and enable us as we rely on Him.
What should be our response when a brother or sister is caught in a transgression? Paul tells the Galatians that those who are spiritual should restore him.
There is often the temptation for a local church to cast those who fall into error and transgression out of their fellowship. The idea here is that we want to maintain the purity of the church. We fall into error here because the church is not contained inside four walls. The church is comprised of brothers and sisters who belong to the Lord Jesus. Taking someone off a membership list does not maintain the purity of the church, it simply removes a person from our building. Only by correcting and restoring that person to fellowship with Christ can we maintain the purity of the church.
Notice also that it was those who were spiritual who were to restore this person to fellowship. How can we discern a spiritual person? Paul answered this in the last chapter by listing the fruit of the Spirit. A spiritual person is one whose life demonstrates the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Paul places special emphasis here on the fruit of gentleness in this verse. It is these kind of individuals you want to restore a brother or sister who has fallen into a transgression. When those who do not demonstrate this fruit are given the task of restoring a brother to faith, the result is often catastrophic. Paul hints at this when he says: “Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.”
In my life I have seen great sin committed by unspiritual leadership against those who tresspassed. God sees our pride and anger. He is aware of bitter words and demands. When we treat a brother or sister God loves with contempt, we will have to answer to God for this. This is why Paul demands that only those who are spiritual, demonstrating the fruit of the Spirit, seek to restore a brother. He challenges them also to beware list they be tempted by the enemy in this process of restoring a brother or sister to faith.
Verse 2
Paul tells the Galatians that they were not to live for themselves alone. Instead, they were to “bear one another’s burdens.” How easy it is for us to live with eyes only for our own needs. Paul has just told the Galatians that they were to restore someone who transgressed. In other words they were to assist them to get back on thier feet again and restored to fellowship with Christ. This bearing of burdens is not just related to helping a brother or sister who has fallen, however. Paul’s exhortation to bear each others burdens also requires caring for the emotional and physical needs in the body of Christ. This means a willing sacrifice for one another of time, resources and energy.
Paul tells the Galatians that by bearing one another’s burdens, they were fulfilling the law of Christ. This law is recorded in John’s gospel where Jesus said:
34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. – Jn 13:34
The command of Jesus was that we love one another just as He loved us. It is the duty and responsibility of every believer to follow this command of Jesus by bearing each other’s burden.
Verse 3
Notice that verse 3 begins with the word “for.” The implication is that the thought is connected with what Paul has just said in the previous verses. The apostle has just reminded that Galatians that they were to restore a person who was caught in a transgression with gentleness and bear each others burdens. All of this takes great humility and sacrifice.
There would be, however, those who felt superior to a brother or sister who had fallen into transgression or found themselves in desperate need. Paul describes these individuals as those who thought they were something. That it to say, they believed they were important, spiritual and superior to the brother in need or the brother who had fallen into transgression.
By looking down on their brother in need, however, these individuals proved that they were just as much in transgression as their brother. By refusing to bear their brother’s need, they showed themselves to be nothing. That is to say, they proved their pride, hardness of heart and lack of empathy and compassion for their brother and sister in Christ.
According to Paul, these individuals deceived themselves into thinking they were something when their actions were proof that they were worse than their brothers and sisters.
Verse 4
Paul speaks in this context about a brother who was caught in a transgression or found himself in a need that required the support of the larger body. In verse three, the apostle speaks particularly to those, who, upon comparing themselves to these brothers in need, felt superior.
The apostle warns the Galatians not to judge themselves by comparing themselves to other people. Instead, they were to test their own work. We will not have to answer to God based on how we did in comparison to a brother or sister, but rather by how we did with what God has given us personally. Imagine the athlete boasting that he can run faster than the cripple or the scholar that he understands more than the toddler. Paul speaks here about how foolish it is to boast that we are better than our neighbour. God does not expect you to do as well as your neighbour, He expects you to do and be everything He has called you to be. Take pride not in the fact that you did better than your neighbour, but in the fact that you did the best you could before God.
Verse 5
Paul continues his thought from verse four here. In verse four he told the Galatians that they were not to compare themselves with their brother and sister but be everything God had called them to be.
The apostle reminds the Galatians that God has given us each a burden to bear that it unique to us alone. Your burden may be a result of a troubled past or a present infirmity. This is a unique cross you must bear before God. As you bear that particular burden, you demonstrate the power of Christ in your life. That burden may be in the form of God’s gifting or ministry calling in your life. You may be called as an evangelist and bear the burden on your heart for the lostness of humanity. Maybe the weight you carry is a pastoral one with a deep passion for the hurts and needs of God’s people. Not everyone will have the same burden to bear but we must bear the burden of responsibility God has given to us and be faithful in what He has called us to do. Not everyone is gifted and called to the same ministry but each one is called to faithful to the ministry and calling God has personally placed on their life.
Verse 6
Paul’s ministry of teaching brought him to many places and people. All of this cost him a sigificant amount of money. He supported these missionary journies with a job making tents on the side. This, however, did not always provide for all his needs. Listen to how he describes these times to the Corinthians:
27 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. – 2Co 11:27
For Paul the “one who is taught the word” should “share all good things with the one who teaches.” The idea here is that teaching the Word of God was a noble profession and one that was worthy of a salary. It would have been easy for the early believers to neglect the financial needs of their teachers. Under the law, there was a requiremeent of paying a tithe, and bringing sacrifices to the temple. The needs of the priests was provided for by this means. Now that the believers were no longer under the law, those who served the Lord had no guaranteed wage. Paul tells the Galatians that they were to recognize this need and do what they could to minister to their teachers. He says the same thing to the Corinthians when he writes:
11 If we have sown spiritual things among you, is it too much if we reap material things from you? – 1Co 9:11
What Paul is saying here is that the church was to do all they could to provide for the needs of those who taught the Word of God among them.
Verse 7
Verse 7 begins a section about sowing and reaping. It is written in the context of restoring a brother who has fallen, bearing one another’s burdens, providing for the needs of teachers among them, and doing good.
Paul begins the verse with a warning — “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked.” We should understand this in the context of generosity, and compassion which surrounds the verse on both sides.
God knows our heart. He knows what motivates us and what it truly important to us. He will not be deceived by external shows of generosity when He sees us give grudgingly. He will not be mocked by hypocritical demonstrations of compassion when He sees anger and hatred in our heart. Paul tells us that what we sow will come back to us. People around us may see our “generous gifts” but God sees our heart and the attitude with which those gifts have been given.
Verse 8
Continuing from verse 7, Paul goes on to say that “the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption.” When our desire is to invest in this world, its pleasures, and delights, we will, according to Paul, “reap corruption.” The word corruption is translated from the Greek word φθορά (phthorá) which refers to things that spoil or decay and eventually come to nothing. When we invest in the flesh we must realize that we invest in something that is temporary and will eventually waste away.
On the other hand, Paul tells the Galatians that when they sow “to the Spirit” they “will from the Spirit reap eternal life.” In other words, what is invested in the work of the Spirit will produce eternal fruit and eternal blessing. This was true for example when the Galatians provided for the needs of the teachers of the gospel. By supporting them to share the good news, they were investing in what would endure throughout all eternity. Paul encourages the Galatians here to examine their priorities.
Verse 9
One of the things about sowing “in the Spirit,” is that we will not always see the fruit for our labours. For example, I write this commentary for the purpose of investing in the spiritual lives of those who read it. I may never know if anyone has been touched by this effort and must content myself with sowing this seed by faith that God will use it whether I see any fruit or not.
At other times, we may be mocked for our passion to sow spiritual fruit rather than invest it into our own lives. Missionaries leaving the prosperity of their homeland to serve in impoverished countries may not be understood. They may even serve for years without seeing fruit for their labours. We may be unappreciated for our efforts. Jesus, was mocked and crucified for His spiritual efforts. The apostle Paul, who writes this letter, understood how easy it is to be discouraged when being stoned, mocked, cast out of cities imprisoned for the faith he preached.
It is for this reason that the apostle tells the Galatians not to grow weary of doing good. He challenged them instead to continue sowing good seed and assures them that by doing good and walking faithfully in the call of God on their lives, they would reap the harvest God intended for their lives. That harvest may not look like we anticipated, but their sincere efforts for the kingdom would not be unrewarded.
Verse 10
Knowing that their efforts would not be unrewarded, Paul encouraged the Galatians to use every opportunity available to them to do good to everyone.
By using the word “everyone” Paul is telling the Galatians that they were not to limit their acts of compassion, mercy and generosity to any special group but to be willing to minister to everyone who had need whether they be believer or unbeliever, sinner or saint.
Notice, however, that while they were to do good to everyone, there was a special obligation to care for one another in the family of God. As brothers and sisters, they were to see it as their special obligation to care for each other.
Verse 11
As the apostle concludes his letter, he draws attention to the large letters he had written with his own hand. This comment has perplexed commentators and there are a variety of opinions on how to interpret what the apostle is saying here.
Notice first the word “large.” The word here is πηλίκος (pēlíkos). It can refer to something that is either large in size or length.
Second, the word “letters” is translated from the the Greek word γράμμα (grámma) which refers to something that it written such as a letter of the alphabet, a book or a letter.
The question we are left to answer is whether Paul’s use of he word letters (or “a letter” in the KJV), refers to letters of the alphabet or his epistle.
Those who see Paul referring to large letters of the alphabet refer to the practice of Paul in dictating his letters and signing them with his own handwriting. Here in this case, however, he wrote a section of the epistle in large characters.
It is obvious that writing lage letters was not common as paper was not as readily available as it is today. There was obviously a reason for Paul to write in large characters. Some believe that it was because he had poor eyesight. Others believe that his hands were crippled in some way and he did not have the dexterity to write small letters as was customary.
Other commentators believe that the word letters refers to Paul’s epistle. This seems to be the understanding of the translators of the KJV when they translated:
11 Ye see how large a letter I have written unto you with mine own hand. – Ga 6:11
The insinuation in the KJV is that Paul is referring to His epistle and that it was a long epistle. Those who interpret the word “letter” to refer to Paul’s epistle, emphasize the fact that he must have written the whole epistle with his own hand. The implication here is that it was genuine.
Verse 12
Paul speaks here about the motivation of the false teachers in their midst.
First, they “want to make a good showing in the flesh.” To make a good showing is to look good before others. In other words, they wanted to be be able to report how many converts they had to their teaching. They wanted a large following and for people to think highly of them.
Notice also that Paul tells the Galatians that they “force you to be circumcised, and only in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ.” Who was persecuting for the preaching of the cross. It was often the Jewish religious authorities who objected the most strongly. Paul, himself, at one time, was one of these religious leaders who persecuted followers of Jesus.
Many of these Judaisers heard the message of the gospel and were impacted by it, but were afraid of the Jews. We read about these people in the Gospel of John:
42 Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God. – Jn 12:42-43
The individuals Paul speaks about here were unwilling to suffer for Christ. They would not commit themselves wholly to the message of the gospel, but compromised for their own comfort.
Verse 13
Continuing his thought from verse twelve, the apostle reminds the Galatians that those who taught that circumcision was a requirement still disobeyed the law – “for not even those who are circumcised keep the law.” The implication is that these individuals, turned their back on the cross of Christ, as the means of pardon, and chose the law of Moses instead. The problem, however, was that they could not keep that law perfectly and were still guilty before God as lawbreakers. Circumcision did not remove their guilt. Only the cross of Jesus could bring this pardon.
If circumcision did not remove guilt or give a right standing before God, why then did these false teachers require their followers to practice this Jewish tradition? Paul tells the Galatians that it was to boast in their flesh. That is to say, to boast in their following.
I have seen pastors and churches where it is more important for them to have a following than it is to be true to the Word of God. These churches are willing to compromise the truth for a following. They have been so caught up in seeking glory for themselves that they no longer honour God or His Word but mislead His people into error. This is a grave sin for which they will one day be accountable to God.
Verse 14
Contrary to the false teachers who boasted in their following, the apostle Paul made it is goal and commitment to boast in nothing but the cross of Jesus Christ.
This cross was a symbol of Paul’s inability to save himself. It revealed to the world that he was a sinner in need of a Saviour. Paul’s boasting was not in his sinfulness, however, but in the cross of Jesus that removed his guilt. He made it his ambition to lift up this cross as the solution to the problem of sin and a right standing with God. He chose to preach Christ cricified and risen from the dead as the hope of humanity. His boasting would not be in himself but in the work of Jesus Christ. He sought no glory for himself but desired that all praise and recognition go to the Lord Jesus alone as Saviour and Lord. This is in direct contrast to the false teachers in Galatia who gloried in their following.
Notice also the impact of the cross of Jesus in Paul’s life – “by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” When the Lord Jesus died on the cross, Paul understood that it was for him. Jesus died because Paul was caught up in this world’s system with its desires and sins. Jesus died to set him free from the curse of sin on his life. He had been married to this world and under obligation to it but the Lord Jesus set him free from that obligation. He divorced this world and entered a new relationship with Jesus Christ at the cross. Now that he was in Christ, he had no more right to the world. His allegiance was now to Christ. For Paul, the cross changed everything. His sin and obligations to the flesh were crucified with Christ on that cross. He lived now for Christ and His glory.
Verse 15
For Paul, being “in Christ Jesus” was all that mattered. To be in Christ, in this context, is to be under His pardon and forgiveness. It is to be indwelt and enlivened by His Spirit. This is all that mattered to Paul. It did not matter if a person was circumcised or uncircumcised, if they had Jesus Christ, they were new creatures. It was the presence of Christ that made all the difference. To have Christ is to be forgiven of sin. To have Christ is to become a new creation, a child of God and inheriter of eternal life.
Verse 16
The apostle Paul offers a blessing to all who will walk “according to this rule.” The rule Paul refers to here relates to what he has spoken about in verses 14-15. In these verses Paul tells the Galatians three things.
First, that his boast was in the cross of Jesus alone. That is to say, that the cross of Jesus Christ is the only hope of pardon and right standing with God.
14 But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ – Ga 6:14a
Second, because of the cross, Paul chose to consider himself dead to the world and no longer under any obligation to it. Instead, his complete allegiance was now to Christ and His purpose.
by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. – Ga 6:14b
Finally, Paul experienced a new birth in Christ Jesus. This new relationship with Christ through the cross, removed all obligation to do anything else to assure His salvation.
15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation. – Ga 6:15
The cross of Jesus Christ, death to the world and becoming a new creation is the rule Paul refers to here.
Paul told the Galatians that those who walked according to this rule would know the peace and mercy of God. That peace come through the total forgiveness and pardon offered by the cross. They would also experience God’s wonderful mercy through His inner work in their lives, making them new creatures and inheritors of eternal life and fellowship with God.
Notice how Paul calls all who have this hope, “the Israel of God.” That is to say, they are the true people of God, a new Israel.
Verse 17
It was the desire of Paul that his letter would resolve this matter of false teaching in Galatia. He expresses this in the words: “from now on let no one trouble me.” The idea seems to be that the influence of these false teachers impacting the church was troubling to Paul. His heart was that the Galatians walk in the truth. It was his hope that this letter would enlighten their eyes so that they would resist the error in their midst and return to Christ.
Paul concludes the verse with the words: “for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.” Some commentators see here a reference to what would happen to slaves in the day. They would be branded with a mark, indicating to whom they belonged. Paul may have been telling the Galatians that he bore the mark of his calling for Jesus Christ and was His true servant. He appeals to them as one who had been called as an apostle to listen to what he wrote.
Beyond this, however, was the reality that the marks on Paul’s body were the result of persecution and rejection for preaching the truth. He was willing to suffer physical and even die for the truth he preached. Unlike the false teachers in Galatia who were only looking for a following, Paul risked his life for the sake of the truth. He challenges the Galatians not to be afraid to suffer for the truth.
Verse 18
The apostle ends with his blessing. He prays here for the grace of Jesus Christ to be with their spirit. Throughout the entire epistle, the apostle has been communicating that salvation was by grace. His prayer now is that the truth he had been communicating would now be the experience of the Galatian church. He commits this matter to God now to make what he has taught real in their lives.
