Read the Passage: Galatians 3

Listen to the Redeemed Mind Podcast: Galatians 3

Place of the Law (3:1–9)

As a means of combating the works-based salvation scheme that was being taught by the Judaizers, as well as reaffirming his own gospel message, in Gal. 3:1–9 Paul begins to present evidence for the doctrine of salvation by faith alone. In Gal. 3:1–4 Paul appeals to the Galatians’ own experience of salvation. Indeed, Paul reminds the Galatians that they were saved “by the hearing of faith” (Gal. 3:2). The fact that the Galatians were saved by God’s grace, and not by their own works, made their adoption of a works-based salvation scheme “foolish” (Gal. 3:1, 3). Paul points out the Judaizer had somehow “bewitched” (Gal. 3:1a) the Galatians, which implies emotional manipulation or mystical deception, while Paul had “clearly portrayed” (Gal. 3:1b) Jesus Christ to them as being crucified for their sins. It is helpful to remember that all believers need to be reminded of the gospel.

In Gal. 3:5–9 Paul furthers his case against the Judaizers and for the gospel by appealing to history, showing that works-based salvation is absent from the pages of Scripture. As the apostle notes, even Abraham was justified “by the hearing of faith” (Gal. 3:5). This argument would have been devastating to the Judaizers, for Abraham was the first person to be circumcised in Scripture (cf. Gen. 17:24). In an important verse, Paul notes, “The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, ‘In you all the nations of the earth shall be blessed’” (Gal. 3:8). This is similar to Jesus’ statement, “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad” (John 8:56). Moreover, Paul teaches that “only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham . . . [and] are blessed with believing Abraham” (Gal. 3:7, 9).

Effect of the Law (3:10–18)

In Gal. 3:10–14, Paul further discusses the effects of putting one’s hope in the law for salvation. In this passage Paul quotes the Old Testament four times to argue that natural man’s attempts at salvation by law-keeping will always end in failure. Furthermore, Paul teaches that Jesus has already taken away the curse of sin by becoming a curse for us. In short, this passage unfolds as follows: first, in Gal. 3:10 Paul quotes Deut. 27:26 to argue that salvation by the law would require total law-keeping; second, in Gal. 3:11 Paul quotes Hab. 2:4 to show that God’s plan has always been salvation by faith alone; third, in Gal. 3:12 Paul cites Lev. 18:5 to show that salvation by faith and salvation by law are not compatible; and fourth, in Gal. 3:13–14 Paul quotes Deut. 21:23 to show that Jesus has provided salvation, via substitutionary atonement, for all who put their trust in Him.

Some of the Judaizers likely agreed with Paul’s teaching that salvation by faith alone was God’s plan under Abraham. Yet, given their veneration of Moses, the Judaizers taught that God later changed His plan to salvation by law-keeping. In light of this idea, in Gal. 3:15–18 Paul addresses this argument by teaching that when God made a covenant with Abraham in Gen. 12:1–3, it was not primarily Abraham’s descendants who were in view, but Jesus Himself. The verse that Paul cites here is Gen. 12:7. This, then, is Paul’s basic argument: Since covenants are indissoluble, if God initiated a covenant with Abraham that centered upon Jesus and the salvation made possible through faith in Him, then: (1) it is impossible for this not always to be the way of salvation, and (2) it cannot have been altered by the giving of the moral law four hundred and thirty years later on Mount Sinai.

Purpose of the Law (3:19–29)

After continuing to argue against works-based salvation in Gal. 3:10–18, Paul addresses the logical question that would have been on his readers’ minds, “What purpose then does the law serve?” (Gal. 3:19). In the following eleven verses the apostle states and explains three purposes for the law. First, Paul answers, “It [i.e., the law] was added because of transgressions. . . . We were kept under guard by the law” (Gal. 3:19, 23). Second, Paul noted, “The law was our tutor to bring us to Christ that we may be justified by faith” (Gal. 3:24). Third, Paul teaches, “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Gal. 3:27). In Protestant theology these three purposes of the law that Paul cites are called the social use of the law, the convictional use of the law, and the pedagogical use of the law. To illustrate, the law is a chain, a mirror, and a lamp.

Application Questions:

1. What is the proper relationship between works and the gospel? What kind of works ought Christians to perform (cf. Phil. 2:12–13)?
2. Why are Christians prone to forget the gospel? Why are we tempted toward a works-based justification and sanctification?
3. In what sense can Gen. 12:3, which Paul quotes in Gal. 3:8, be said to be the gospel message (cf. Luke 16:31; Col. 1:23; Heb. 4:2)?
4. Why is the world attracted to works based salvation and offended by the idea of substitutionary atonement (cf. 2 Cor. 5:21; Phil. 3:8–10; 1 Pet. 3:18)?
5. If God’s plan has always been salvation by faith alone, why did He give the law to His people on Mount Sinai?