"THE EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS"
Chapter Three
OBJECTIVES IN STUDYING THIS CHAPTER
1) To perceive how we are clearly justified by faith in Christ, and not
by the works of the Law
2) To understand why the Law was given, what purpose it served, and how
long it was to last
3) To appreciate the purpose of baptism as it relates to becoming sons
of God
SUMMARY
With a defense of his apostleship behind him, Paul spends the next two
chapters defending the gospel he received by revelation. It is a
gospel which proclaims justification by faith in Christ, not by keeping
the works of the Law. As support, Paul begins by providing a personal
argument, asking the Galatians to recall how they themselves had
received the Spirit, and from Whom. That it came not by the works of
the Law but through the hearing of faith should be obvious to them. If
they were so begun in the Spirit, why seek to be made perfect by the
flesh (1-5)?
For his next argument, Paul appeals to the Scriptures. First, Genesis
15:6 reveals that Abraham's faith was accounted to him as
righteousness, and Genesis 12:3 foretold that in Abraham all the
nations would be blessed. Therefore, those who are of faith are sons
of Abraham and blessed along with him (6-9). As for the Law itself,
the Scriptures reveal that those who are of the works of the Law are
under a curse, while proclaiming that the just shall live by faith (Deu
27:26; Hab 2:4). Christ, however, has redeemed us from the curse of
the Law and made it possible for the blessing of Abraham to come upon
the Gentiles, especially that the promise of the Spirit might be
received through faith (10-14).
Continuing in his argument from the Scriptures, Paul reminds them that
the covenantal nature of the promise made to Abraham means it cannot be
broken. Therefore, the promise (along with its inheritance) to Abraham
and His "Seed" (Christ) remained firm, even when the Law came along 430
years later (15-18). What was the purpose of the Law then? Paul
answers that it was added because of transgressions until the Seed
(Christ) should come. It was not against the promises of God, but
because it could not provide life itself, it served the purpose of
confining all under sin until the promise by faith in Jesus could be
given to those who believe (19-22). Thus the law served to keep them
under guard, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. To
put it another way, it was like a tutor leading them to Christ where
they could be justified by faith. Once faith had arrived, the tutor
was no longer over them (23-25).
Paul then proceeds with a practical argument to prove we are justified
by faith in Christ, which will be continued on into the fourth chapter.
Through faith they have become sons of God in Christ, for in being
baptized into Christ they had put on Christ (26-27). Being in Christ,
they are now one in Him, with all racial, social, and sexual
distinctions removed as it pertains to salvation. Being in Christ also
makes them Abraham's seed and thereby heirs according to promise God
made to him (28-29).
OUTLINE
I. JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH: THE PERSONAL ARGUMENT (1-5)
A. HOW THEY RECEIVED THE SPIRIT (1-4)
1. Paul's concern that they have been misled (1)
2. Did they received the Spirit by the hearing of faith, or by
the works of the Law? (2)
3. Having begun the Christian life in the Spirit, did they expect
to be made perfect by the flesh? (3)
4. Would this not make their previous suffering in vain? (4)
B. FROM WHOM THEY RECEIVED THE SPIRIT (5)
1. Consider the One who supplies the Spirit and works miracles
among them (5a)
2. Does He do it by the works of the Law, or by the hearing of
faith? (5b)
II. JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH: THE SCRIPTURAL ARGUMENT (6-25)
A. THE EXAMPLE OF ABRAHAM (6-9)
1. Abraham's faith was accounted to him for righteousness (6)
2. Those who are of faith are sons of Abraham (7)
3. As foretold by Scripture, God would justify the nations by
faith (8)
4. Thus, those of faith are blessed along with believing Abraham
(9)
B. THE CURSE OF THE LAW (10-14)
1. Those who live by the works of the Law are under a curse (10)
2. The Old Testament proclaimed that one would be justified by
faith, and not by the Law, which itself was based upon works
(11-12)
3. Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the Law, by His death
on the cross (13)
4. Making it possible for Gentiles to receive the blessing of
Abraham in Christ, in particular the promise of the Spirit
which is received through faith (14)
C. THE PRIORITY OF THE PROMISE OVER THE LAW (15-18)
1. The Law, given 430 years after the promises to Abraham, did
not nullify the covenant and its promises that God made with
Abraham and His "Seed" (15-17)
a. Just as a man's covenant is not to be broken or added to it
(15)
b. God made promises to Abraham and His "Seed", that is,
Christ (16)
c. The Law cannot annul the covenant God confirmed with
Abraham, so as to make the promise of no effect (17)
2. If the inheritance was based the Law, then it is no longer
based upon a promise; but it is obvious that God gave the
inheritance by promise, not by the Law (18)
D. THE PURPOSE OF THE LAW (19-25)
1. It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should
come (19-20)
2. The Law was not against the promises of God, but served to
confine all under sin until the promise by faith in Jesus
could be given to those who believe (21-23)
3. The Law served as a tutor, leading people to Christ, where
they could be justified by faith and eliminating the need for
a tutor (24-25)
III. JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH: THE PRACTICAL ARGUMENT (26-29)
A. THEY BECAME SONS OF GOD BY FAITH IN CHRIST JESUS (26-27)
1. It was through faith in Jesus they became sons of God (26)
2. For by being baptized into Christ (an act of faith), they had
put on Christ (27)
B. THEY ARE ONE IN CHRIST, AND THUS ABRAHAM'S SEED (28-29)
1. In Christ, there is no distinction, they are all one (28)
2. In Christ, they rightfully become Abraham's seed, and thus
heirs according to the promise (29)
REVIEW QUESTIONS FOR THE CHAPTER
1) What are the main points of this chapter?
- Justification by faith: The personal argument (1-5)
- Justification by faith: The scriptural argument (6-25)
- Justification by faith: The practical argument (26-29)
2) What was Paul afraid had happened to the Galatians? (1)
- Someone had "bewitched" them, so that they should not obey the
truth
3) To demonstrate that they were justified by faith in Christ and not
by the works of the Law, what did Paul ask them? (2)
- How did they receive the Spirit? By the works of the Law, or by
the hearing of faith?
3) What did Paul consider foolish on their part? (3)
- Having begun in the Spirit, trying to be made perfect by the flesh
(i.e., the Law)
4) To further show that they were justified by faith, what did Paul ask
them? (5)
- How did the One who supplied the Spirit, and worked miracles among
them, do it? By the works of the Law, or by the hearing of faith?
5) What was accounted to Abraham for righteousness? (6)
- That he believed God
6) Who are the true sons of Abraham? (7)
- Those who are of faith
7) What did the Scripture foresee that God would do? (8)
- Justify the nations by faith
8) What is the condition of those who are of the works of the Law? (10)
- They are under the curse
9) What did the Old Testament say that makes it evident no one is
justified by the Law? (11)
- "The just shall live by faith"
10) What did Christ do by becoming a curse for us? (13)
- He has redeemed us from the curse of the Law
11) What else did Christ make possible by becoming a curse? (14)
- That the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in
Christ Jesus
- That we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith
12) To whom were the promises made? Who is the "Seed"? (16)
- Abraham and his "Seed"
- Christ
13) How long after the promise or covenant that God made with Abraham
did the Law come in? Did the Law annul the promise? (17)
- 430 years
- No
14) What was the purpose did the Law serve? How long was it to last?
(19)
- It was added because of transgressions
- Till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made
15) What function did the Law serve then? Are we still under the Law?
(24-25)
- A tutor, to bring them to Christ so that they can be justified by
faith
- No
16) How does one become a son of God? (26-27)
- Through faith in Christ Jesus
- By putting Christ on in baptism
17) What happens to the racial, social, and sexual differences in
Christ as they relate to salvation? (28)
- They are no more, for we are one in Christ
18) If we are Christ's, who are we? (29)
- Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise
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