Study of Galatians Part 7 - Galatians 3:1-7

Last week, we heard Paul laying the foundation for all he would now say to the Galatian Christians. He reminded them that no one, Jew or Gentile (non-Jew), could be declared “righteous” by works of the law, but only by faith in Jesus Christ, by the grace of God. The Jerusalem Council had clearly said that, and Paul knew that was true from what Christ Himself had revealed to him.

He could not “rebuild” a salvation based also on additional works of the law. In fact, he had died to his old life, centered in the law; and Christ, the Son of God, loved him and was crucified for him and now lived in him. If Christ had not done enough for him and he had to add to what Jesus did, then he would be saying that Christ had died for no real purpose, or at least did not accomplish enough fully to save people (Galatians 2:14-21).

As Chapter 3 of his letter began, Paul made some strong statements about the Galatians and gave a series of questions to make them think. He first called them “foolish” in their thinking. Jesus had used the same term for those who would not believe that He had to die for them and rise again, according to God’s saving plan revealed in the Old Testament (Luke 24:25-27). On another occasion, Paul would say that this plan to save by Christ’s death and resurrection might seem like “foolishness” to skeptical Jews who wanted more signs and proofs and to Greeks and other Gentiles who thought that their own human wisdom was superior to this “foolish” plan. In spite of that, Paul simply did what he was to do and preached “Christ and Him crucified” before the eyes of the Galatians (Galatians 3:1). (See also 1 Corinthians 1:18-2:2.)

Paul had spoken the simple truth to the Galatians. He had likely used, in his teaching, the story found in Numbers 21:4-9, when God’s people had rebelled against Him and poisonous snakes were beginning to bite them, and they were dying. God told Moses to make a bronze serpent and put it on a pole. If the people would look on that bronze serpent, they would live and not die, even if bitten.

Jesus then used this story in teaching Nicodemus in John 3:13-14 that He, the Son of Man, would be lifted up on the pole of the cross, that “whoever believes in Him” and his saving death and resurrection “would have eternal life” (Galatians 3:1). (See also John 3:16-18.).                                                  

It was the false teachers, the Judaizers, who had later come and “bewitched” the Galatians by adding additional requirements that they supposedly needed to do for "real" salvation. What Jesus did was not enough, these false teachers were claiming, and the Galatians were believing these additional ideas of what was really needed for salvation.

Paul then asked the Galatians to think back to when they first came to faith. Was it by Paul having them do a bunch of “works of the Old Testament law?” Or was it by the Holy Spirit working simply through what they had heard about Jesus and bringing them to believe in Him and, as we will hear later, receiving the gift of baptism? The Galatians would hopefully not have been “so foolish” as to have forgotten that they came to faith by the Spirit’s power, through the Word of God about Jesus (Galatians 3:2). (See again the words of Paul in 1 Corinthians 2:1-3 and 2:8-10, 12, and 14. See also 1 Corinthians 12:2-3.)

Paul went on to ask, “Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit are you now being perfected by the flesh?” (Galatians 3:3). The Galatians would remember, reminded by Paul, that they had come to believe through the message about Jesus by the miracle of faith that the Holy Spirit had worked in them and by some other miracles that happened, even though there was persecution from Jewish groups, especially aimed at Paul and any who followed him (Galatians 3:4-5).

See also Acts 14, again, where the joys of people coming to faith in Galatia are described, along with “signs and wonders” by the Spirit’s power, and some severe persecution at times. All along, though, Paul and others “preached the Gospel… 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” (Acts 14:3, 19, 21-22).

Notice that more than once, Paul contrasts “hearing with faith” and “works of the law.” He clearly focuses on “hearing” the Good News of Jesus and trusting Him as the way to salvation  - and not our doing many other “works of the law” in addition. He asks the Galatian believers if they feel they are now “being perfected by the flesh.” The “flesh” means our own human nature, in the Scriptures, and often is a reminder that our nature is a fallen, sinful human nature, ever since Adam and Eve’s fall into sin.

Paul is asking, do you think that your nature is being perfected by the new rules and regulations being required by the Judaizers, including being circumcised? Do you think that you are more likely to be saved by doing all these additional things? Getting the people to think about all this will hopefully get people ready for what Paul will be discussing next.

Paul ended this section by quoting one more Scripture, from Genesis 15:6: “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” He will say much more about this passage in what we look at next week, in its context in Genesis. On what basis was he “counted” as a righteous man? Why is this important? What would this mean for non-Jews who came to believe, also? Finally, what does Paul mean when he says that “those of faith are also sons of Abraham” (Galatians 3:7).

Keep reading ahead, if you have time, for more understanding. The Lord’s blessings on your week.