Galatians Study, Part 2

 

I'm continuing this winter in my study of Galatians and decided to just do the summary notes on Chapter 3 as it's quite detailed.  I'm half-way through my study! Phrases in bold type and quotes are taken from the study I'm using. 

In chapter three, Paul focuses on preaching Christ crucified---he asks the people if they were saved by keeping the law or my responding with faith.  

Of course it was by faith!

In his message at verse 3, Paul is saying the common approach to growth is works of the law.....and that is foolish! He asks questions because he's perplexed as to why they turned so easily away from the gospel. Paul points out that the gospel works by faith----faith grows as we believe. 

Paul refers to the Holy Spirit three times in the first 5 verses of chapter 3. The main points from there are: 

• It's by the Holy Spirit that Christ lives in us and we're united to Him.
• It's not the law that gives us righteousness; it's the Holy Spirit of God working in us.  

"The law shows us where we are falling short, but it does not make us holy" 

What produces righteousness in us? The life and love of God.  Paul goes back to the days of Abraham:

"God's plan has always been to draw people to Himeself by faith rather than performance." 

Paul wants the Galatians to be immersed in Scripture and he reminds tehm of how the gospel works.  In verses 7-9 Paul shows us that it's people of faith not law-keepers who are truly sons of Abraham.  Verse 10 is basically Paul quoting Deuteronomy 27:26:

In verse 11 he quotes Habbakuk 2:4 to show that  the righteous person lives by faith:

In verse 12, Paul is saying we either live by the law or by faith.  Verse 13 explains that Christ became a curse for us to bring us back from the curse of the law----He hung on the tree of Calvary (quoting Deut 21:23) (and of course we know the "tree" is the Cross) 

In verse 14, Paul shows us the blessing promised to believing Gentiles....it's the promise of the Holy Spirit!

The Holy Spirit is the promised blessing because the loss of the Spirit was the center of the fall of humanity:  when Adam and Eve sinned, they began to die physically but died instantly on a spiritual level.  God promised to solve the sin problem through Jesus' death on the Cross and that bought the Spirit for believers. We can be united with God again! 

"The key to salvation and the Christian life is not mere faith; it is the presence of the Holy Spirit Himself" 

In verses 15-18 Paul shows us that God  established a covenant with Abraham well before the law was added.  Paul says that God made promises to Abraham and his "seed" (offspring) and the ultimate fulfillment of that promise is Jesus (Gen 3: 15) This is the first prophecy of Jesus coming: 

In verses 17 and 18 we learn that the law doesn't change God's plan.  The blessing is based on the promise not based on performance. You can see this in Genesis 15.  We do not have to perform to receive God's covenant promise.  

"The giving of the law did not change God's plan to give the blessing of salvation based on promise, not performance." 

Verses 19-22 explain why the law was given.  Paul gives us the reason for the alw and the time frame. the law was given because of sin, and it was given until the promised Seed (Jesus) should come. It was also given to highlight failure. Exodus and Leviticus show us a progression of God's people failing, then God gave the law, and then more failure, and then more law!

In I Timothy 1:8-11 we see that there is a right way to use the law and that is to identify sin. 

It's for the ungodly and sinners not for the just. 

"As we go through the Bible, the law shines a light on our failure to love God and live for Him." 

The law was never intended to produce righteousness.  the law doesn't contradict the gospel---it's just that the law is NOT the gospel.  

"The law imprisons everything under sin so that we know we are trapped and need a Rescuer". 

It was given to prepare the sinful world for the coming of Christ.  He (Jesus) is the rescuer for those who believe and trust Him. Paul uses more imagery in verses 23-29 about the guardianship of a tutor (the law). the tutor (guardian) would raise a child during the immature years of life, but in Christ Jesus we are now grown "children of God" through faith. (verse 26). 

Instead of external compulsion (a tutor) we're baptised into Christ and have put on Christ. (v 27). 

Paul is thinking about the Holy Spirit here:  we're baptized into Christ by the Spirit which means we are united to Him and have Him living in us.  This points us back to Galatians 2: 20 (see first image on this post). 

The character of Christ becomes our character. 

The gospel is not about what we bring to God.  Christianity is a true inclusive faith.  the result of salvation is that we aren't differentiated based on our gender, nationality, or social status, etc. We all are equally lost and we can all be equally saved as we simply trust in Jesus.