Galatians 3:1-9

¹ “You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? ² This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? ³ Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? ⁴ Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? ⁵ So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?”⁶ Just as Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness. ⁷ Therefore, recognize that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham. ⁸ The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, ‘All the nations will be blessed in you.’ ⁹ So then, those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer.”

Verse 1: Paul is expressing his astonishment and frustration with the Galatians for turning away from the message of grace and being influenced by false teachings. He reminds them that they had witnessed the crucifixion of Christ and should have understood the sufficiency of His sacrifice. Instead, they were adding law-based living to his finished work.

Verse 2: Paul is challenging the Galatians to reflect on their own experience of receiving the Holy Spirit. He reminds them that it was not through their adherence to the law, but through their faith in the message they heard about Jesus. Therefore, they ought not be adding works of the law to the gospel.

Verse 3: Paul highlights the inconsistency of the Galatians’ behavior. They had initially embraced the Spirit and the freedom found in Christ, but now they were attempting to rely on their own efforts and works of the flesh to attain righteousness.

Verse 4: Paul questions whether the Galatians had truly understood and embraced the grace of God. He reminds them of the transformative power of the gospel and urges them not to abandon it.

Verse 5: Paul reiterates the point that the Holy Spirit and the miraculous works they had witnessed were not a result of their obedience to the law, but rather a result of their faith in the message of Christ.

Verse 6: Paul brings up the example of Abraham, the father of faith. He emphasizes that Abraham’s righteousness was not earned through works, but rather through his belief and trust in God. This was significant because Abraham received the promise of the gospel before the law.

Verse 7: Paul explains that it is not adherence to the law that makes one a child of Abraham, but rather faith in Christ. Those who believe in Jesus are considered true descendants of Abraham, not those who follow the law.

Verse 8: Paul highlights the prophetic nature of Scripture, which foretold that God would justify the Gentiles through faith. He reminds the Galatians that the gospel was preached to Abraham, and through him, all nations would be blessed. But this blessing was one of grace, not law.

Verse 9: Paul concludes by affirming that those who place their trust in faith, just like Abraham, are blessed. It is not through the works of the law, but through faith in Christ, that we receive the blessings of God.