The Law and the Spirit: Galatians 3

A study of Galatians 3

How could anyone believe it? How could the people taught by Paul himself go so quickly astray into false doctrines? Paul, who had seen many things in his ministry, was flabbergasted. He was aghast that the people were being persuaded by such a foolish idea. He wrote a strongly worded letter to stop this nonsense!

Let's see what he wrote in Galatians 3, starting in verse 1: "You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified." Here's the starting point, Paul says: Jesus Christ has been crucified. That is the foundation on which we build. His crucifixion changes everything, as Paul will explain.

"I would like to learn just one thing from you," Paul writes. "Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard?" (v. 2). Obviously, they received the Spirit through faith, by accepting what they heard. This is another foundational point. Paul was astounded that the Galatians did not see the consequences of their experience with the Spirit.

"Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?" (v. 3). The Galatian Christians were apparently being taught that they needed to add the Law to their faith. False teachers were saying that they needed to progress further in the faith by observing the Torah. They were teaching circumcision and the entire Law of Moses (Gal. 5:2-3; Acts 15:5).

Paul says this is a ridiculous idea — if a person is given the Holy Spirit on the basis of faith, without deserving this gift, then Christianity is based on faith, and there is no place for works as far as salvation is concerned. (Paul will later comment on how Christians should behave in response to Christ's work, but here he makes it clear that salvation is on the foundation of faith in what Christ has done.) Our goal cannot be attained by human effort, and that is why Jesus died on the cross. Whatever work had to be done, he did on the cross. That is our foundation.

Paul asks, "Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard?" (3:5). The people had seen miracles in their midst. And it was on the basis of faith, not of works of the Law.

Abraham

Paul then supports his argument from the Torah itself. "Consider Abraham," he said, quoting from Genesis 15:6: "He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." Paul concludes, "Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham" (3:6-7). Paul's point is that even in the Old Testament, a right relationship with God came through faith. Abraham was accounted righteous on the basis of faith, not because of his obedience. If we have faith, then we are accepted just as Abraham was.

Can non-Jewish people really have a relationship with God on that kind of basis? Yes, says Paul, and he again quotes the Torah: "The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: `All nations will be blessed through you'"(v. 8). The Torah says that non-Jews will be blessed through Abraham — and that blessing is by faith, not by the Law. Abraham did not need to be given the Law of Moses, and his spiritual followers do not need it, either.

Paul concludes,"Those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith" (v. 9). God's blessing is by faith.

The Law vs. faith

The Law brings penalties, not blessing. "All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: `Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law'" (v. 10). The Law is not a way to earn favor with God. It functions in the reverse way, since we all fall short of its demands. If we think we have to observe the Torah, if we want to be under the Law, we will be under its condemnation.

"No one is justified before God by the law, because, `The righteous will live by faith.' The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, `The man who does these things will live by them'" (vv. 11-12). Paul is contrasting faith and law. Righteous people should live by faith (Hab. 2:4), but the Law is based on performance (Lev. 18:5). The Law emphasizes human effort, but salvation is given by grace through faith in what Jesus has done.

Law-keeping cannot earn us God's favor. If we look to it, it can bring only a curse, since we all fall short. But even in the curse, there is good news — in the crucifixion of Christ: "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: `Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree'" (v. 13, quoting Deut. 21:23). The Law demanded a penalty for law-breaking, and Jesus Christ paid the worst penalty of the Law.

Paul is using several lines of reasoning to show that Christians are not under the authority of the Law of Moses; we are not obligated to obey it. Not only is the law ineffective, bringing a curse rather than a blessing, Jesus has also paid its worst penalty. His crucifixion gives Paul the basis for saying that Christians are not under the Law.

"He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit" (v. 14). The blessing is by faith as opposed to the Law.

God's promise not changed by his Law

Paul then argues from another angle, using the example of a contract. "Let me take an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or add to a human covenant that has been duly established, so it is in this case" (v. 15).

Paul is talking about God's promise to Abraham, which includes being accounted righteous by faith. Paul writes, "The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say `and to seeds,' meaning many people, but `and to your seed,' meaning one person, who is Christ" (v. 16).

Here Paul notes that the word seed is singular. Although the singular word can be used for many seeds, Paul is saying that this scripture finds its fulfillment most perfectly in one Seed, Jesus Christ. It is through him that gentiles can become part of Abraham's descendants (v. 29).

"The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise" (v. 17). What law is Paul talking about? The law given 430 years after Abraham — the Law of Moses. The laws that came through Moses cannot change the fact that God accepts people as righteous on the basis of faith, not by human efforts.

Paul then reasons, "For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on a promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise" (v. 18). Either it is one way or the other — either by laws and works, or by faith and gift. Paul does not try to combine the two. Rather, he is saying they cannot be combined.

Purpose of the Law

Why did God give the law? Paul answers: "It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come" (v. 19). Were laws added because the people were already breaking them? Or were they added so that people could see more clearly that they were sinners? Either way, the Law of Moses was added for only a certain length of time — until Christ came. After that, the Law of Moses became obsolete.

"Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law" (v. 21). The Law did not nullify the promise of salvation by faith, for it was not designed as another means of salvation. If there was any way possible for laws to bring us right standing with God, then God would have given us those laws. But the Law of Moses is not designed to give us eternal life.

People who think they can improve their standing with God through the Law are misunderstanding its purpose and are not accepting the biblical evidence that salvation is simply by faith, without any role for human efforts. We receive the Spirit by faith and are counted righteous by faith, without any need to add the Law of Moses.

The Law cannot give life, because we all fall short of what it requires. "The Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe" (v. 22). Instead of giving life, the Law prescribes penalties, and the result is that the promise of salvation can come only through God's grace. The Law makes it clear that we all fall short and need the salvation that Jesus offers by faith.

But before faith in Christ came, "we [the Jewish people] were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed" (v. 23). The Jews were under the restrictions of the law, under its temporary jurisdiction or custody. "So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith" (v. 24). The law had authority from Moses until Christ. It showed that humans are prisoners of sin, unable to save themselves through human effort. It showed that salvation can be received only through faith, not by law.

Now that the Law of Moses has fulfilled its purpose, it has become obsolete: "Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law" (v. 25). The Torah does not have authority over us. It is not a way to get right with God. It is not a way to enter his kingdom nor a way to stay in his kingdom nor a way to improve our standing with God. Because of Jesus' crucifixion, our relationship with God depends entirely on faith. "You are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus" (v. 26).