Verse 1 O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?
The Greek word translated as “foolish” is “anoetos” and it only occurs in the Bible six times, four of those times translated as “foolish”. It means not understood, unintelligible, unwise, foolish, or not understanding. The Greek word translated as “bewitched” is “baskaino” and it means to speak ill of one, to slander, to bring evil on one by feigning praise, an evil eye, to charm, or to bewitch. The Apostle Paul is asking these unwise Galatians who seem to be lacking understanding, who is responsible for speaking ill of the Gospel message brought to them by the Apostle Paul who received the message straight from the LORD Jesus Christ so that they would foolishly follow another doctrine. Who was responsible for charming or casting a spell over them so that they would run after error and not after truth. The Greek word translated as “set forth” is “prographo” and it means to write before hand as in the Old Testament Scripture, to depict or portray openly, to write before the eyes of all who can read, and to paint before the eyes”. Jesus Christ had been presented to them by the apostles’ testimony and by the Scripture proving that He was the promised Messiah and that through Him and Him only was salvation attainable.
Verse 2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
This question should have proved all that the Apostle Paul was saying in this epistle. The Galatians who had converted and followed the Gospel in repentance, baptism, and the filling of the Holy Ghost should know where that experience had come from and they should also know that no man-made law could provide salvation and the power that came with the filling of the Holy Ghost. It was only by being obedient to the Gospel through faith believing that the Gospel was true that they would have had a conversion experience and have met Jesus Christ. They didn’t meet Jesus through any law.
Verses 3-4 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? 4 Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain.
The followup question was to make the Galatians think about how they were when they were living in the flesh and not walking in the Spirit. Were they perfect or complete people, righteous and without sin, and destined for eternity in Heaven before they received forgiveness and the gift of the very Spirit of Jesus Christ to live inside of them? Was their dying to self and following Jesus with any resultant temptations and persecution in vain?
Verse 5 He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
And the final question was were the miracles seen or experienced by the Galatians ever done by anyone through the law, or were they done only through those converted Christian believers filled with the Holy Ghost/Spirit who were ministering to the Galatian believers? So the Apostle Paul was comparing the benefits if any of the law versus the benefits of living by faith in Jesus Christ. It should have been evident that life with Jesus was more peaceful and rewarding than life trying to follow the ordinances, rules, and regulations of man-made law. It should also have been evident that those living by faith in Jesus had power and those living under the burden of the law did not have power to work miracles that were beneficial to the people and which glorified the LORD.
Verses 6-7 Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. 7 Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.
Abraham was chosen to be the father of many nations not because he was a Syrian by nationality, but because he had faith in God and he believed God. Here the Apostle Paul is telling the mostly Gentile Galatians that they, because of their faith in God (Jesus Christ) were children of Abraham by adoption and therefore on equal standing with Jewish believers who may be able to trace their heritage back to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. So there was no need to go back to Old Covenant laws to be accepted by the LORD God, as it was their faith in Him that made them acceptable in the beloved. “To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.” Ephesians 1:6
Application: The Israel of God today is not the people living in the geographical area of Palestine who reject the LORD Jesus Christ and worship other gods. The Israel of God today is made up of people who by faith worship and serve the LORD Jesus Christ and who comprise the Church and who come from every nation and tongue on Earth. The Church is the true Israel of God and it has no geographical boundaries, it is not a race of people but people of every race, and it is people saved from sin, death and Hell by the grace of God. Contrary to most teachings from mainstream, organized, evangelical establishment churches, the gather of Israel in the end times as prophesied in Genesis 49:10 was not to the land on the Mediterranean Sea in 1948, but to Jesus Christ. “The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.” This happened when God in the form of a man, Jesus Christ, came to Earth to minister to mankind and then was murdered, buried and resurrected to ascend into Heaven and be seated on the right hand of God. The Church was born on the Day of Pentecost 50 days after His ascension into Heaven, and people have been gathering unto Him ever since. So true, converted Christian believers are the children of Abraham by faith in the LORD Jesus Christ and therefore comprise the Israel of God and are true Israel.
Verses 8-9 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. 9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.
Abraham started the genetic line through which physical Israel came, in which physical kings were crowned and many physical nations came into being. Israel, Edom, and other nations started from children that Abraham fathered. The physical body of Jesus came from the line of Judah and it is through Jesus Christ that all nations are blessed. Blessings from God were not reserved for physical Israel and the Jews only, but were/are for all people who put their faith in the Gospel message and in the LORD Jesus Christ.
Application: To justify means to render someone righteous or to declare one to be just, righteous, or such as he ought to be. Notice that it is not the work of the individual being made righteous but it is through that which is outside of the one being justified. So way back in Genesis, the book of beginnings, God made it clear that the heathen or Gentiles would be made righteous not by obeying the law given by Moses to the Hebrews, but by having faith in the LORD. And throughout Hebrew history as recorded in the Scripture, Gentiles were adopted into physical Israel so that the Hebrews were never a pure, genetic race of people, but were a mixed multitude. And the Hebrews living in Judah who became known as “Jews” were also a mixed race people. So everyone, Gentile or Jew, who has faith in the LORD Jesus Christ and in His promises is blessed.
Verse 10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.
The problem with the Old Testament covenant and the Law was that if one piece of the law was broken, it was all broken. For example, if someone stole their neighbor’s animal, under the law that person was an adulterer, a murderer, and so forth. To be guilty of one part was to be guilty of all of the parts of the Law. So no one could keep the Law, and no one ever did keep it except the LORD Jesus Christ. Jesus gave the Law and Jesus kept the Law. So the Apostle Paul is explaining that the law was really a curse because no one could keep it perfectly. And to live under the Law was to basically be living under a curse.
Verses 11-12 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. 12 And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.
No one is declared to be righteous by the Law. Only those who, by faith in Jesus Christ, have His righteousness covering them through His shed blood at Calvary are justified. Laws of any kind are restrictive and come with a promised punishment if broken. Jesus Christ fulfilled the Law perfectly, then provided the perfect unblemished Lamb or sacrifice for sin as required by the Law by His body being lifted up on a cross and physically dying, thereby providing a way for His people to be righteous through Him via His Holy Ghost/Spirit who dwells within and directs the path of each believer through this sin filled world.
Verses 13-14 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: 14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
Jesus Christ was hung as a common criminal. But as a result, His physical death lead to the Holy Ghost/Spirit being sent to dwell with repentant, converted people, which included the Gentiles, who walk by faith. Thus prophecy was fulfilled.
Application: What is a curse? The word is used commonly and therefore has several meanings in English. As a noun, one meaning is that it is an offensive word or phrase used to express anger or annoyance. Another is that it is a solemn utterance intended to invoke a supernatural power to inflict harm or punishment on someone or something. Witches like to invoke curses as part of their spell casting. Curse can also be used as a verb. In verse 13 above it is used both ways. The Greek words translated as “curse or cursed” is “katara and epikataratos” and they mean exposed to divine vengeance or lying under God’s curse, accursed, or execrable (extremely bad or unpleasant). So the Law was given because of people’s transgressions and because no one could keep the law a curse was always present. Look at how many times the nation of Israel came under control of pagan nations because of their failure to keep the Law and because of their transgressions against God. But it was prophesied that even the pagan or Gentile nations would be justified by faith someday, and that day happened when Jesus, the Son of God, came to Earth and kept the Law perfectly and then offered Himself a sacrifice for all of mankind’s transgressions so that the penalty was paid and people were no longer under the Law which they could not keep. The Gentiles were officially brought into the family of God through faith in Jesus Christ. The Jews were to be released from the curse and bondage of the Law through faith in Jesus Christ, but the majority of them chose to reject this free gift of salvation. So Jesus Christ became the One upon whom the anger and punishment of a righteous God was laid thereby taking the curse that was from disobeying the Law away from all who will come to Him in faith.
Verse 15 Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man’s covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto.
The Greek word translated as “confirmed” is “kuroo” and it means to make valid, to confirm publicly or solemnly, or to ratify. The Greek word translated as “disannulleth” is “atheteo” and it means to do away with, to set aside, to disregard, to make void, or to reject. The Apostle Paul is saying that in the natural world when a covenant or agreement is made by a man it cannot be done away with, disregarded, or made void by other men, nor can it be changed by other men by adding to it. It is binding in its original state. So it is with God’s covenant or agreement with mankind.
Verse 16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.
God covenanted with Abraham that through him all the nations would be blessed and this covenant extended to His seed, singular, meaning to Jesus Christ. The covenant between Abraham and God did not extend to the Hebrew people or the Jews as the people of Judah were later called. But the blessing referred to in this covenant was for all people in all nations, including the Hebrews.
Verses 17-18 And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect. 18 For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.
This promise made by God to Abraham happened 430 years prior to the giving of the Law through the prophet Moses. Therefore, since neither God nor Abraham dis-annulled this covenant or added to it, it remains intact and binding at the time of the writing of this Epistle and today. So the promise cannot be broken. And the promise that all people who follow Jesus by faith will be counted as children of Abraham and therefore inherit eternal life in Heaven has not changed and is for all people in every nation and not just for the physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Application: The promise or covenant has nothing to do with the Law as given by Moses, and trying to follow the Law today will not secure that promise because no man or woman can keep the Law. Only through faith in the LORD Jesus Christ can anyone be saved and inherit eternal life in Heaven and the things of the spiritual Kingdom of God.
Verses 19-21 Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator. 20 Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one. 21 Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.
The Apostle Paul goes on to explain why the Law was given – because of sin and rebellion against God, and to serve as a way of controlling sinful behavior of the people of Israel until the seed or the Messiah should come to whom the promise was made and who would be a blessing to all the nations. If people could have been made righteous by the Law then eternal life would have been inherited by the people of God through the Law. But righteousness only comes by faith in Jesus Christ and not by the Law.
Verses 22-24 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. 23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. 24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
So the law served to teach people right from wrong so that when Jesus Christ came and preached salvation and eternal life through faith in Him, people would come to Him and be justified or declared righteous because of their faith in the One who was the giver of the Law, the giver of faith, and the giver of the Holy Ghost/Spirit that would guide believers from this life into the next in the Kingdom of God. The Law did not and could not take away sin.
Verses 25-27 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. 26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
Once people have faith in Jesus, they are no longer under the Law which includes the judicial and religious aspects. The moral law or the 10 Commandments are still in effect but reduced to the simplicity of the command to love one’s neighbor and to love God with one’s whole being.
Application: As has been stated and will continue to be stated when appropriate to the verses being studied, the current movement of people calling themselves Christians which involves celebrating the feast days and performing the religious rituals commanded by the Law of Moses is not Scriptural and is sin. All the feast days served, as did the rest of the Law, to point to the LORD Jesus Christ. To practice these feast days as prescribed by Moses makes a mockery out of the ministry, suffering, and sacrifice of the Son of God. Plain and simple. Jesus is the Passover Lamb (Feast of the Passover). Jesus is the Bread of Life (Feast of Unleavened Bread). Jesus is the First Fruits of the Resurrection (First Fruits). Jesus is the head of the Church (Pentecost). Jesus is the Trumpet proclaiming liberty to the captives of sin, death, and Hell (Feast of Trumpets). Jesus is the One who atoned for mankind’s sin (Feast of Atonement). Jesus is the believer’s shelter and protective covering (Feast of Tabernacles). Jesus is all in all and the Church is in Him and He is in the Church and therefore these seven feasts passed away with the Old Covenant when the New Covenant was put into effect with the establishment of the Church of Jesus Christ.
Verses 28-29 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. (Galatians 3)
The Apostle Paul sums up the doctrine of the New Covenant in this verse: the true Church today made up of repentant, baptized, Spirit filled followers of the LORD Jesus Christ are the seed of Abraham and are heirs to the Kingdom of God. The Church is the Israel of God today.