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GALATIANS 6

GALATIANS 6

Survey of the section
Having spoken of the fruit of the Spirit in chapter 5, the apostle now gives instances of how those who are Christ’s will manifest that fruit in their lives. The apostle has two matters on his mind as he brings the epistle to a close. First, he wants to dispel the notion that those who know the grace of God in Christ are unconcerned about works. He uses the dramatic phrase “the law of Christ”, as he deals with this. Second, that what he has said about the Law given to Israel does not in any way mean that there is no future for that nation. Hence he uses the phrase “the Israel of God” to emphasise that God still has that nation in mind, and will one day bring it into the good of the grace Christians know already.

Structure of the section

(a)	Verses 1-10	The law of Christ and its manifestation
(b)	Verses 11-18	The cross of Christ and its meaning

(a) Verses 1-10
The law of Christ and its manifestation

6:1
Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault- this is a continuation of the exhortations at the end of chapter 5, where the apostle warns against provoking, envying, and self-seeking. The test is now applied. What will be their reaction to a brother in need of help? Those who walk in the flesh will either have been responsible for his fall, or will not care that he has fallen. Those who walk after the Spirit will seek to help and rescue. It was those who lagged behind in Israel’s march across the wilderness who fell a prey to the enemy. Hence the warnings about being hindered, 5:7, for it rendered them vulnerable.

Ye which are spiritual- those who are walking in the Spirit, and are therefore morally qualified to help. Literally it is, “Ye, the spiritual ones”, so the idea is of more than one spiritual person on his own.

Restore such an one in the spirit of meekness- the spirit of meekness is an attitude of surrender to God’s will, which ensures that the path walked by such a one is pleasing to the Lord, being a constituent part of the fruit of the Spirit, 5:23. It is the opposite of vain-glory, 5:26, which selfishly seeks one’s own advancement even at the expense of others. The word restore is used of mending nets, so the idea is of restoration to usefulness, not restoration to assembly fellowship after excommunication, for that is a matter for the whole assembly.

Considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted- the Devil is opposed to the restoration of believers to usefulness, so will make those who seek to effect it a special target. The word for considering is “skope”, which is part of the word for overseer, “episkope”. Those who “look over” the welfare of others should first scrutinise their own lives. Note that the apostle has reverted to the singular, so individuals are to consider themselves personally. It may be that by learning of the specific details surrounding a believer’s fault the spiritual brother is brought into contact with things he is not accustomed to facing, and this may give the enemy an opportunity to tempt him.

6:2
Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ- if this were done, and every believer was the object of care, then perhaps the overtaking in a fault would not be so frequent. The word for burden emphasises the idea of weight of care; it is a burden more than one person can carry, whereas the burden in verse 5 is what any one person is given strength to carry, in terms of responsibility. The Lord Jesus was the supreme Burden-Bearer. In life He bore our griefs and carried our sorrows, Isaiah 53:4, and in death He bare our sins in His own body on the tree, 1 Peter 2:24. As Jehovah’s Perfect Servant He was fully qualified to bear the burdens of others. This is the law of Christ, perfectly displayed by Him when here. Paul by this answers any charge that the Christian, if he does not have the law of Moses to govern him, is lawless.

6:3
For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.

For if a man thinketh himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself- the law of Christ is truly carried out only by those who do not consider self, but only others. Christ looked not on His own things, but on the things of others, Philippians 2:4,5. He made Himself of no reputation, even though He was worthy of infinite repute. How much more should we, who in reality are nothing in ourselves! See 1 Corinthians 3:7. The priest and Levite in the Good Samaritan story no doubt thought themselves to be something, and therefore above helping the robbed man.

6:4
But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.

But let every man prove his own work- instead of claiming to be something as far as carrying out the law of Christ is concerned, and instead, also, of being critical of the work of others, the individual servant should carry out a thorough self-assessment of his labour, testing its genuineness and value.

And then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone- “in himself alone” is “as to himself alone”, that is in relation only to himself, for he personally has work that is worthy of God’s praise, and will not have to be content at the Judgement Seat with rejoicing that others have been rewarded.

And not in another- “as to another”. It is not that a believer does not rejoice in what another does, but the point here is that each is responsible for the work given him to do, and instead of only being able to rejoice in what others have done, each should assess their labour so that they have personal cause for rejoicing because of what they have done.

6:5
For every man shall bear his own burden.

For every man shall bear his own burden- as indicated on verse 2, this is the burden of responsibility that each believer has. That burden is to be borne in two senses. First, during the lifetime, full responsibility must be taken for the task allotted- the burden cannot be moved onto someone else. Second, at the Judgement Seat of Christ, the responsibility for what has been done shall be borne by the one doing it. “every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour”, 1 Corinthians 3:8.

6:6
Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things.

Let him that is taught in the word communicate to him that teacheth in all good things- teachers and taught constitute the sum total of believers. So the teacher is to “bear his own burden” of teaching, and those taught have a burden of responsibility to share the necessary good things of life to them as a token of appreciation. “Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn” is a verse from the Old Testament which the apostle used in 1 Corinthians 9:9-11 to encourage the duty of supporting those who teach the word. In certain circumstances the apostle did not use this means of support, but at other times he did, depending on the attitude of the local believers to him. We should remember, in connection with “all good things”, that according to 2 Corinthians 8:13 there should be an equality in this matter, so that the help given to those who teach should not be at such a level that they live in luxury, (“eased”), whilst others are “burdened” with the task of supporting them. We should also remember that apart from those whom the Lord chose to be apostles, and Matthias who replaced Judas, and Paul and Barnabas, none have the right to “forbear working”, 1 Corinthians 9:6. If that had been obeyed, the system of clergy and laity, whatever form it takes, would not have arisen. The gifts of the Lord’s people should not have to be diverted from helping the poor, (Galatians 2:10), to support those who are perfectly able to support themselves.

6:7
Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap- the subject of personal responsibility of the previous verses leads to a solemn warning. The God who created all things has enshrined the principle in His creation that what is sown is reaped. He will not allow those who try to evade this principle to succeed. Whatever is sown, whether the seed of good varieties of plant or the seed of evil, poisonous plants, will reproduce itself without fail.

6:8
For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

For he that soweth to his flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption- if seeds of selfishness are sown, (for the text reads, “his own flesh” or self), meaning that the one sowing has not been putting into effect the teaching of the previous verses regarding concern for others, then a like harvest will be reaped. The selfish believer will find that what he has produced is nothing more than a mass of corruption, which will be rejected at the Judgement Seat of Christ.

But he that soweth to the Spirit, shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting- the one who sows with a view to producing that which the Spirit approves of, (the fruit of the Spirit of 5:22,23), will find an abundant harvest at the Judgement Seat, and the Spirit of God will ensure that he has an enhanced appreciation and enjoyment of everlasting life in eternity. Every believer has everlasting life, so does not have to work by sowing to get it, but the degree of appreciation of it will vary according to whether a person has laid hold on eternal life in a practical way, 1 Timothy 6:19.

6:9
And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

And let us not be weary in well doing- the apostle is careful again to commend good works, lest the Judaisers should say that grace undermines them. The well doing in particular is that of sowing to the Spirit.

For in due season we shall reap, if we faint not- not only is the principle in creation that what is sown is reaped, there is also the regulation of the seasons. Each believer has his or her allotted span on earth to sow to the Spirit. He who is the Lord of the harvest can be trusted to allow that time of opportunity, whether long or short. When the moment of His choosing comes, then the sowing is done no more, and the reaping at the “due season” of the Bema is awaited. To not be weary in well doing means to not flag in enthusiasm. It may well be that this will mean weariness, but the apostle is not rebuking that. If we faint not means if we do not give up. If we leave the seed in the barn, or only half-sow the field, no harvest, or a small harvest will result.

6:10
As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

As we have therefore opportunity- the apostle is not saying that opportunities will be intermittent, and we should use them when they occur. Rather, he is saying that we have opportunity, for it is present all the time. “Ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good”, Mark 14:7. Significantly, the word “opportunity” means “a season”, and connects with the ideas of sowing and reaping of verses 7-9. Just as there is the “due season” of reaping, so there is a “due season” of sowing.

Let us do good unto all men- the Lord Jesus went about doing good, and whilst we cannot work miracles as He did, nonetheless we have a responsibility to follow the principle. He did not discriminate between men when he blessed them, and nor should we.

Especially unto them who are of the household of faith- the chief area of need is amongst the Lord’s people, since often their stand for the truth results in hardship. Note how the apostle is emphasising the need for good works on the part of those who have experienced the grace of God. The Judaisers would accuse the apostle of discounting good works, but he here show that is not so. He had signified his readiness to remember the poor in 2:10, and he had been instrumental in organising an Asia-wide collection for the poor saints of Judea, so none could justly charge him with indifference to the plight of the poor.

(b) Verses 11-18
The cross of Christ and its meaning

6:11
Ye see how large a letter I have written unto you with mine own hand.

Ye see how large a letter I have written unto you with mine own hand- most often, the apostle used an amanuensis, or secretary, to whom he would dictate his letters. Some Bibles give a note at the end of the epistles saying who it was thought had been the writer. No such note is attached to Galatians, but simply that it was written to the Galatians from Rome. If the apostle had eye problems, the fact that he had painstakingly written the letter himself was a token of his desire to do good, not only to the Galatian believers, but also to the wider world, as the truth found in the epistle was published abroad in the preaching of the gospel. How grateful we should be for this sturdy defence of the truth of the gospel, which has stood God’s people in good stead over the centuries.

6:12
As many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised; only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ.

As many as desire to make a fair show in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised- the false teachers wished to keep up good appearances, and be marked by zeal for religion. One way they did this was by compelling the Galatians to be circumcised, and thus commit themselves to keeping the law. Not in the sense of physically inflicting the ceremony on them, but by forceful words, threatening them that if they were not circumcised, then they were not truly saved. See Acts 15:1, and compare Galatians 2:3, where the apostle refuses to be compelled. The apostle doubtless had the gift of discerning of spirits, and could tell the motive of these men, and proceeds to tell us what it is.

Only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ- men are not prepared to willingly suffer and die for what they believe to be false, and these men believed that the preaching of the cross, with its assertion that the work of Christ was enough, and needed no works of man, was a false doctrine. The way they avoided being mistaken for being preachers of the gospel, and suffering as a consequence, was by denying the cross and championing the Law.

6:13
For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh.

For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law- the falseness of these men is seen in the fact that the very law they wanted the Galatians to commit themselves to, was the law they did not keep. The Lord condemned the lawyers, who placed heavy burdens on the people, yet would not move a finger to help them, Luke 11:45,46.

But desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh- circumcision is an operation on the flesh, and the Judaisers would rejoice if they managed to get some to have it done. But more than this, it would be a sign of carnality to go back to circumcision, and so if the Judaisers rejoiced at this, they showed that they had no spiritual life, and were only able to enjoy the things of the flesh.

6:14
But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.

But God forbid that I should glory- may it never be, writes the apostle, that I glory, or boast in this way. Paul desired to boast in spiritual things alone.

Save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ- by which he means not a piece of wood, but the doctrine of the cross, the truth that the death of Christ has dealt with everything that merited the judgement of God. By dying on a cross for Paul, the Lord Jesus crucified or cut off the world from Paul. As the Lord said, anticipating the cross, “Now is the judgement of this world”, John 12:31, and by submitting to death at the hands of the men of the world, the Lord allowed them to show their true character, and thus be judged. This signified Divine disapproval of all that the world contained and stood for. Inasmuch as the princes of this world crucified the Lord of glory, 1 Corinthians 2:8, and amongst these princes were the chief priests in Israel, then the religion of the law is part of the world from which the cross of Christ has cut Paul off.

And I unto the world- not only did Christ by His crucifixion cancel out the world as far as Paul was concerned, but He cancelled out Paul as far as the world was concerned. The Greek verb “to crucify”, also means “to build a palisade by driving in stakes”. So there may be a double thought. Christ has cancelled out the world by His crucifixion, but because the world still exists, and is a cause of trouble for the believer, He has, by His cross, erected a barrier between the believer and the world.

6:15
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything- this gives the clue as to what aspect of the world the apostle has in mind in the previous verse; it is the world of religion, where to be circumcised had religious significance. By the cross, however, Christ has cancelled the world as far as those who believe are concerned, so that instead of being in it, they are in Christ Jesus, the Risen Man. So bound up together with Christ are their interests, that wherever He is, (and He is gone from the world), they are. The world that began when Adam sinned, has met its full judgement in the cross of Christ, and the believer is now identified with the Last Adam. Circumcision has no force or power (availeth) to effect this, but the cross of Christ has.

Nor uncircumcision- whether a person is circumcised or not is of no account, now that a new situation prevails for the believer. So the uncircumcised Galatians would gain nothing by being circumcised, nor would they gain merit by being in a state of uncircumcision, and so have no religious links with the nation that crucified Christ.

But a new creature- having cancelled out the world and its religion, Christ, as head of the new creation, introduces His people to a new state altogether, where ceremonial and ritual differences are irrelevant. What are relevant in the new creation sphere are the spiritual things established by Christ. It is in Christ, identified with Him, that a person is a new creature, 2 Corinthians 5:17.

6:16
And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.

And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them- those who live their lives in accordance with the principles set out in verses 14 and 15 may have misgivings, for the outward support of religion is gone. Because of this, the apostle brings down upon them the peace of God that will calm their fears.

And mercy- refusal to give in to the forceful persuasions of the Judaisers may mean they are harassed by them. In such circumstances the Galatians need to appreciate and experience the mercy of God, who is kind to His people, and thus strengthens them to bear up when there is opposition.

And upon the Israel of God- clearly, when the apostle spoke of those who “walk according to this rule”, he was anticipating that this, ideally, would be true of all believers. He now speaks of another company, the Israel of God. In Romans 9:6 we learn that “they are not all Israel which are of Israel”, which means that not everyone who is descended from Jacob, otherwise known as Israel, is really “Governed by God”, which is what the name Israel means. As he brings his epistle to a close, the apostle is anxious to dispel any idea that his remarks about circumcision, and his rebukes for the Judaisers, mean that he is against Israel. Far from being against them, he expresses the desire in Romans 10:1 that they be saved. But beyond this, there is his belief that after the present age has run its course, God will begin dealings with the nation of Israel again, and from it will extract those who learn the lesson the Galatians had to learn, that mere religion is of no account with God. It is upon this future company that he brings down the peace and mercy of God, for they will pass through times which are anything but peaceful, and experience from men treatment that is anything but merciful.

6:17
From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.

From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus- perhaps this is not so much a request for rest from opposition, as a statement that his desire is that in the future, when men oppose him, this will cause him no trouble of mind. The reason why he was beyond being concerned about persecution, was that already there were, in his body, the scars inflicted by those who violently opposed him, see 2 Corinthians 11:23-27. The marks are stigmata, or brand-marks. It was the practice to brand slaves with the name of their master, and to brand soldiers with the name of their commander. The wounds inflicted on Paul were the sure sign of his service for his Master, and his loyalty to his Commander. No circumcision scars could compare with this. The Judaisers used circumcision as a way of escaping persecution, verse 12, whereas Paul’s scars showed he had endured it, for Christ’s sake.

6:18
Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.

Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen. The apostle ends with an affirmation of his fellowship with them in the family of God, despite the harsh words he has had to use at times in the epistle. He had begun the letter by associating his brethren with him as he wrote, 1:2, but hopefully, if they heed the teaching of the epistle, he now has the Galatians with him as brethren. He has had things to say about circumcision, the cutting of the flesh. He closes with an emphasis on the spirit, the inner core of being in which the believer serves and worships God, even if his body is not circumcised.

GALATIANS 3

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GALATIANS 3

We now come to that section of the epistle where the apostle brings forward seven reasons why grace is superior to law. It extends from Galatians 3:1-5:26. The seven reasons are presented in the form of contrasts between law and grace as follows:

Reason One
3:1-14
Grace results in blessing, whereas the law brings a curse.

Reason Two
3:15-29
Grace makes us heirs, law makes us transgressors.

Reason Three
4:1-10
Grace makes us sons, law is for infants.

Reason Four
4:11-18
Grace makes the apostle like an angel, law makes him like an enemy.

Reason Five
4:19-31
Grace makes us sons of free woman, the law, sons of the slave woman.

Reason Six
5:1-15
Grace helps us progress, the law only hinders.

Reason Seven
5:16-26
Grace results in the fruit of Spirit, the law results in works of the flesh.

By means of these reasons, the apostle deals with the errors of the three parties of law-teachers that opposed the gospel. These were:

1. Unbelieving Jews who taught that men should reject Christ and remain with the law of Moses.

2. False brethren who taught that Gentiles should be put under law before they believed the gospel, Acts 15:1.

3. Believers who were formerly of the Pharisees, who taught that believers should be circumcised and keep the law of Moses, Acts 15:5.

Each of these variations represents an attack on both the sufficiency of the work of Christ, and the grace of God. Just as the apostle gave no ground to Peter in chapter 2:11-21, so he gives no ground to these others. We should remember in this connection the words of Jude, telling us that the faith, (the body of Christian doctrine), has been delivered to the saints so that they contend for it. This may be done by preaching and teaching, or by conduct, as the truth is expressed in our lives.

Reason One
3:1-14
Grace brings blessing, law brings cursing

Structure of the section

(a)	Verse 1	Christ crucified
(b)	Verses 2-5	The Spirit received
(c)	Verses 6-9	Abraham blessed
(d)	Verses 10-12	Law-breaker cursed
(e)	Verse 13	Christ made a curse
(f)	Verse 14	Gentiles blessed

(a) 3:1
Christ crucified

3:1
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?

O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you- the apostle has not referred to the Galatians since 1:11, after he has marvelled that they had moved away from grace. In that chapter he pronounced a curse on those who were leading them astray with another gospel which mixed law and grace. Now he turns to the Galatians themselves, and condemns their foolishness for listening to the false teachers. They should have proved all things, and only held fast that which is good, 1 Thessalonians 5:21. Christ has cancelled the wisdom of this world, whether it be Jewish or Gentilish in origin, and He is made unto us wisdom, 1 Corinthians 1:30, which is communicated to us by the Spirit of God, 1 Corinthians 2:10. To turn from wisdom is, by definition, folly, hence his description of them. The word bewitch reminds us that the flesh is fascinated by error, and only the teaching of the Spirit can counteract this.
That ye should not obey the truth- gospel truth is presented to men for the obedience of faith, Romans 1:5; 16:26, and since the just shall live by faith, (that is, shall live as Christians on the same principle as they became Christians), then obedience should mark the believer at all times. Note that the apostle will not have it suggested that the Christian life is lawless, (for the word “obey” implies commands), which is part of what the law-teachers would be saying.
Before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been set forth, crucified, among you? Superstitious people around them would believe in “The evil eye”, the malign influence of evil spirits, to counteract which they would fix lucky charms to the walls of their houses. Believers do not fear the evil eye, however, for they know the power of evil was broken at the Cross. The setting forth of Christ crucified before their minds was enough to shield them from evil. Not in the form of an image or mascot, however, but in the preaching of the gospel.
The apostle borrows a word from civic life to convey the thought behind the word “set forth”. When a notable criminal was executed, the magistrate who dealt with the case would go to the marketplace and announce the fact publicly. This is what the apostle had done when he went to Galatia; he announced, not the death of a criminal, but the crucifixion of Christ between two criminals, for He was numbered with the transgressors, Isaiah 53:12; Mark 15:28.
Note that it is the crucifixion of Christ that is emphasised here, for the following reason. Our old man was crucified with Christ, so that what marked us before we were saved is gone as far as God is concerned. The apostle had used this truth in 2:20 to show that he, a man zealous for the law in former days, is crucified with Christ, and his life under the law is ended. Here there is a similar thought, but not as with the apostle the ending of his past as a Jew under the law, but the cancelling of the flesh, (the self-principle within us), which proudly thinks that it can keep the law.

(b) 3:2-5
The Spirit received.

3:2
This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

This only would I learn of you- the answer to this question will settle the matter. It is a question of several parts. Having called them foolish because they had listened to the wisdom of the world, he now implies that they had enough Spirit-taught truth to answer his question. Each part of this question will take them progressively through their Christian experience, and show that God acted consistently at every stage. He begins with their conversion, then moves on to their desire to make progress in their new-found life in Christ. Next he refers to the persecution they suffered as a result of these things, then moves into the present, (“ministereth…worketh” in the present tense), and the ministry of God by the Spirit they currently knew.
Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? The word “by” in both parts of the sentence is “ek”, meaning “on the principle of”. The references to the Spirit here after the mention of Christ crucified in verse 1 remind us that not until our old man has been crucified with Christ can the Spirit take up residence within us. He is holy and righteous, and cannot dwell where there are conditions contrary to His nature. The holy anointing oil, (a figure of the Spirit of God, see Zechariah 4:1-6), was not to be poured on man’s flesh; that is, literally, on Adam’s flesh, Exodus 30:32. The incident of the Brazen Serpent, (an illustration of the work of Calvary, John 3:14), was followed by the Springing Well, in Numbers 21:4-18, a reminder of the gift of the Holy Spirit, who is “a well of water, springing up into everlasting life”, John 4:14. The benefits of the crucifixion of Christ are received by faith, and on that same principle God gives the Spirit. This settles the question as to whether every believer has the Spirit, and on what condition. The apostle is very clear in Romans 8:9 when he writes, “Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his”.

3:3
Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?

Are ye so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit are ye now made perfect by the flesh? To receive the Spirit at the moment of initial faith in Christ is to be henceforth reckoned by God to be “in the Spirit”, Romans 8:9. It is our responsibility to work this out in practice, so that we are not only “in the Spirit” as to standing, but also walk after the Spirit, following His leading. By doing this we shall perfect ourselves; that is, bring ourselves progressively into conformity with the perfect standing that God reckons us to have. But going over to law for sanctification necessarily involves the effort of the flesh, for the law does not extend its influence beyond death, and believers are risen with Christ. We are dead to the law by the body of Christ, for the process of death, burial and resurrection which the body of Christ experienced is our process too, for we are identified with Him, see Romans 7:1-6. The path to perfection, or full maturity, is not by way of law-keeping, but rather by the reproduction of Christ in our hearts and lives by the power of the Spirit.

3:4
Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain.

Have ye suffered so many things in vain? Those who turned to Christ were liable to be persecuted by the Jews, as the Lord Himself had warned when He was here- “Remeber the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.” John 15:20. So convinced were the Jews that Christ was an imposter, that they took every opportunity to show their hostility to Him. Now that He was gone from their midst, they turned their attention to those who believed in His name.
The light that Christ brought into the world exposes the dark deeds of men, and so they hate the light, John 3:19-21. Believers are to shine as lights in the world, Philippians 2:15, and when they do this they attract the same hostility as Christ did from those who hate the light. King Saul not only threw his javelin at David, but at Jonathan also, when he realised he had sided with David, 1 Samuel 18:10,11; 19:9,10; 20:32,33.
It is not a vain thing to suffer in this way, for it bears testimony to the reality of salvation, which in turn is a token to the adversaries of the gospel that they are on the way to perdition, Philippians 1:28. This coupled with the fact that suffering is part of God’s process of refining our faith, and will result in praise for Him and His Son in a day to come, 1 Peter 1:7, shows that suffering for Christ is not a vain or pointless thing.
If it be yet in vain- whilst the apostle is clear in his own mind that to suffer for Christ is not a vain or empty thing to do, nevertheless he does wonder whether the Galatians still believe that. They would have suffered in vain if they reverted to Judaism, for they could have started off with the law, and avoided the trouble which receiving the grace of Christ brings. By continuing with grace, they could yet show that they were genuine, and that they still believed that their sufferings were to purpose and gain.

3:5
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?

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? The apostle has already made it clear in verse 2 that the Spirit is received initially when a person believes. Subsequently, the “supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ”, Philippians 1:19, is made when the need arises, the supply being, not more of the Spirit Himself, (for we cannot have anything less than the whole of a Divine person), but the power He gives to the believer to react to circumstances in the same way as Christ did.
Paul, confined to prison, had heard that there were those who preached so as to add affliction to his bonds. Lest he react to this situation in a way that is not Christ-like, he requested the Philippians to pray that a further supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ might be given him, to enable him to respond to circumstances as Christ did.
So also in Ephesians 1:17, where the apostle prays that the believers, (whom he has already said have received the Spirit when they believed, verse 13), may be granted the Spirit of wisdom and understanding. In other words, that the Spirit may be known in His wisdom-imparting role. Those who are already believers, then, may have Spirit ministered unto them further in this way.
Was it the law-teachers who were able to work miracles, or those who came with the gospel of God’s grace? The answer is, of course, the latter, and affords proof from the present experience of the Galatians that God was at work on the principle of faith, not works. The word for the gifts given to believers, including that of miracle-working, is “charismaton”, which may be rendered literally as “grace-gift”, 1 Corinthians 12:4,10. It was not a law-gift. The law was confirmed by the judgement of law-breakers, whereas grace is confirmed by miracles and wonders and signs, Hebrews 2:2-4. So when the apostle asks the question, “On what principle does God minister further help by the Spirit, and also give the power for miracles to be done by the power of the Spirit?” The answer can only be, “On the same principle as He gave the Spirit to them initially, even on the principle of faith”.

3:6
Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.

Even as- what happened to Abraham is on the same principle as what has happened to believers. The apostle introduces Abraham here because he is “the father of all them that believe”, Romans 4:11. He is the believer’s rôle model.
Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness- this is the first of seven quotations the apostle makes in this chapter. A simple promise was given to Abraham, as God showed him the stars of the night sky. The word was, “So shall thy seed be”, Genesis 15:5. Abraham believed in the Lord and His word to him, and God reckoned him righteous as a result.
Abraham, of course, lived long before the law was given, as the apostle will state in verse 17, and therefore if he was blessed of God, and became the father of those who believe, he did so, not through law-works, but through faith. The fact that God responded to Abraham’s faith by accounting him righteous, shows that faith is what God is looking for, not works. See Romans 4:1-5.

3:7
Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.

Know ye therefore- the apostle urges the Galatians to take in the implications of what happened to Abraham, for it had relevance to them. They would get to know the truth if they understood the implication of the quotation, and so be delivered from their foolishness.
That they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham- at around the age of 13, a Jewish boy went through a ceremony which made him a “son of the Law”, and he committed himself to keep the Law. In effect, this is what the law-teachers wanted the Gentile Galatians to do. The truth is, however, is that the Galatians had become, not sons of the law when they believed, but sons of Abraham, a much better position.

3:8
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.

And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith- it was always God’s intention to bless men when they believed, for “Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world.” Acts 15:18.
Preached before the gospel unto Abraham- since the gospel concerns God’s Son, and He is the ultimate “son of Abraham”, Matthew 1:1, then to announce blessing through Abraham was to preach beforehand gospel-blessing.
Saying, “In thee shall all nations be blessed”- this is an allusion to Genesis 12:3, which says, “all families of the earth”, an allusion to Genesis 10:31, where the descendants of Shem are listed “after their families…after their nations”. This is good news indeed, especially for Gentiles, for it shows God has not abandoned them. Peter, in Acts 3:25, quotes from Genesis 22:18, “And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed”, for he is emphasising that the first kindred to which Christ was sent was that of Israel, see verse 26. Here, however, the reference is Genesis 12:3. Abraham would be a blessing to all nations as he gave to them the example of faith. Other ways he would be a blessing are as follows:

1.	The worship of the True God would be maintained by him in the midst of universal idolatry.
2.	The tabernacle system of sacrifices, foreshadowing Calvary, would be given to his descendants.
3.	The prophets would be of Israel.
4.	Christ Himself would come of him.
5.	The apostles would be of Israel.

3:9
So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.

So then- because God had foreseen that he would justify the heathen through faith, in fulfilment of the prophecy of Scripture just referred to.
They which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham- every true man of faith from amongst the nations of the earth takes his stand alongside Abraham as he believes God, and is blessed in the same way as Abraham was blessed. The Gentile does not have to come via the law.

(d) 3:10-12
Law-breaker cursed

3:10
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.

For as many as are of the works of the law- who take their stand, so to speak, alongside of Moses rather than Abraham.
Are under the curse- far from knowing the blessing Abraham knew, they know the opposite. In verse 8 there was glad news, now we have bad news. It is “the curse”, because Paul is about to quote the climax to the curses recited on Mount Ebal; it is the one that sums them all up.
For it is written, “Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the law to do them”- this is the last curse that was to be recited from Mount Ebal when the children of Israel reached the land of Israel, Deuteronomy 27:13-26, Joshua 8:30-35. The words as found in the Old Testament are, “Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them”. This is a not a misquotation by the apostle, for he is writing as an inspired man, just as much as Moses was an inspired man as he wrote Deuteronomy 27:26. Instead of quoting the word “confirmeth”, the apostle writes “continueth”. The point is that to confirm the words of the law means to continue in the practise of them. This is the way a man may confirm God’s law. Further to that, the verb “confirmeth” is in what is known as the Fifth Hebrew conjugation, which gives the idea of “cause to confirm”, giving us the impression of one who is determined to confirm the law by his action. This is the sense the apostle gives to it by the words “continueth…in all things”.
The other difference is that “all the words of this law” is quoted as “all things that are written in the book of the law”. This is an explanation, especially for the Gentile believers, that “this law”, means “the book of the law” that was given to Israel. The words of the law were to be inscribed on great stones in Mount Ebal, and they were “the words of this law” that were recited. But Paul is ensuring we realise that what was written on the stones was what was written in the book of the law.
To do them- this is an unusual phrase, and is found again in Hebrews 10:7,9, “I come to do thy will O God”. The idea is not simply carrying out God’s will, but doing so with the utmost devotion. Wanting to do that will, not just complying out of a sense of duty.

Note that nothing less than perfection is demanded here, for it is:

“Every one”, meaning all the people.

“Continueth not”, meaning all the time.

“In all things”, meaning all the commands.

“To do them”, meaning with all the heart.

3:11
But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.

But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident- only those who perfectly carry out the will of God as expressed in the law would ever be justified that way. This rules everyone out. The only One who kept the law perfectly, was the only One who did not need to be justified. In any case, the way to be justified has ever been by faith, not by works.
For, The just shall live by faith- the principle by which a believer lives is the principle of faith. It follows, therefore, that the principle upon which his life was received in the first place was faith also. Law-keeping depends on our efforts, whereas faith realises our efforts can never be enough, given that we are marked by failure; it then goes on to depend on the work of God.

3:12
And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.

And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them- faith rests, law-keeping involves constant working, so the two are incompatible. To live “in” the works of law, means to live in virtue of the merit gained by doing them. The contrast is between living by faith in God, and living by supposed merit gained by ourselves.

(d) 3:12,13
Christ made a curse

3:13
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:

Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law- verse 10 has already stated that those who seek to please God by law-keeping are under His curse because of their failure to fully keep the law. Man is under obligation to God for his failure, yet has no means of discharging his debt of responsibility. This is why the apostle calls the principle of the law “beggarly elements”, 4:9, for they bring to poverty and bondage.
The answer to man’s bankrupt state as well as his state of bondage because of his failure to keep the law, is the redeeming work of Christ. In Old Testament times, a man who was hopelessly in debt could be rescued by a near-kinsman who had both the wealth and the willingness to redeem. Also, if a man was sold to be a slave, he could be rescued by his kinsman redeemer. By saying “us” the apostle first of all means believers who before had been Jews under the law; but in a secondary sense, Gentile believers are redeemed from the curse in the sense that the work of Christ ensures that they shall never know it in the future. Note that we are redeemed when we exercise initial faith in Christ, whereas the being made a curse happened at Calvary. In other words, we are redeemed at conversion, Christ was made a curse at Calvary.
Being made a curse for us, for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree- we need to know the context of these words, (for not everyone who is hanged is accursed of God, for he might be innocent). They come from Deuteronomy 21, where we read: “And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree: His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God;) that thy land be not defiled, which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.” Deuteronomy 21:22,23.
So the man in question has committed a crime which, under the law of Moses, required him to be put to death. Furthermore, “he be to be put to death”, that is, the trial has taken place and he is reckoned to be deserving of death. If, after he has been stoned to death, it is thought appropriate that he be made a further public example, then he was to be hanged on a tree. Not, indeed, that this was their way of execution, for that was by stoning. The hanging takes place after he has died. But if all this took place, they must remember that his crime had defiled the land, so whilst they could hang him up as a warning to others, his body must not stay on the tree beyond the end of the day.
We can see now why Paul does not say, “As it is written”, as if what happened to the man happened to Christ. Rather, he writes, “for it is written”, because he wants to select just one feature of the scenario, and relate it to Calvary. That one feature is that those hanged on a tree were cursed of God, since their presence there was the sure sign that they had committed a crime of such seriousness that a public example must be made. The reason they were cursed was because they had broken God’s law, as verse 10 of our chapter has told us.

We may see several differences between the man who was hanged and the Lord Jesus:
First, the man was guilty of breaking the law. Christ kept the law.
Second, the man was stoned to death. Christ was crucified.
Third, the man was hanged after he had died. Christ was hanged when alive.
Fourth, the man’s body defiled the land, as his sin had done. Christ defiled nothing.
Fifth, the man was accursed of God because of his law-breaking. Christ was cursed of God because of our law-breaking.
Sixth, the man was cursed personally. Christ was made a curse representatively.
Seventh, the man’s body was buried that same day. Christ was indeed buried the same day He died, but not because He defiled the land, but because the authorities did not want questions asked at Passover time. The reason the Jews gave to Pilate as to why His body should be removed, was not an appeal to Deuteronomy 21, but because the next day was a high day. This would mean that the people would have time to see the body on the cross and wonder why He was there, John 19:31.
So Christ undertook to be made a curse, for He was reckoned by God to be dealing with all that our law-breaking deserved, and was treated accordingly, as if He had done the law-breaking. He absorbed the consequences of our law-breaking in Himself, so that only blessing results. God has transformed an act which normally brought disgrace on Israel, into an act which brought blessing within their reach. He is a curse for us, not to us. Note that this quotation begins in exactly the same way as the one in verse 10, “Cursed is every one”. Note He had to be made a curse, for in no way did He bring ill upon the people. In fact, Peter says of Him, “God sent him to bless you”, Acts 3:26.
There is an eighth difference between the man of Deuteronomy 21 and Christ and it is this. The man suffered only for what he had done, whereas Christ suffered for what all men had done. We may learn something of the meaning of this when we remember that there were four main consequences threatened if Israel failed to keep the law, as detailed in Deuteronomy 28, as follows:
There was a financial penalty, for their crops would fail, The Lord Jesus became poor at the cross, for He was cut off and had nothing, Daniel 9:26, margin; 2 Corinthians 8:9.
There was the physical curse, with disease and illness brought upon them. The Lord Jesus suffered physically as no other has done, as He endured the agonies of the cross.
There was governmental judgement, with no answer from heaven, which would be as brass to them. We learn from Psalm 22 that Christ was not answered when He cried to God at Calvary, and far from rescuing Him, God abandoned Him.
There was the political judgement, and Israel would be handed over to their enemies. So Christ was delivered to the Gentiles, and suffered a Gentile form of execution.

(f) 3:14
Gentiles blessed

3:14
That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ- it is only through Christ that Gentiles may have a claim on the blessing that Abraham knew, for He is the one whom God had in view when He promised that Abraham would be a blessing to the nations. Two things must happen before the Gentiles can be blessed in this way. First, it must become evident that Israel, with all their advantages, cannot keep the law, verses 11,12, and second, that there is one who can deal with the curse that a broken law brings, verse 13. These two matters now being settled, the obstacle to the blessing of the Gentiles is removed.
That we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith- the promise of the Spirit is the promised Spirit. It is the Spirit that is received, not just the promise. Compare Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4; 2:33. The selection of the gift of the Spirit is significant, since His is the power by which the Christian life is lived, not the energy of the flesh which the law used, Romans 8:3. The apostle has emphasised the Spirit in verse 1-5, and now we see why.

Reason Two
3:15-29
Grace makes us heirs, the law makes us transgressors

Structure of the section

(a)	Verses 15-18	The promise to the Seed
(b)	Verses 19-25	The purpose of the Law
(c)	Verses 26-29	The position of the believer

(a) 3:15-18
The promise to the Seed

Verse 16	The promise is confined
Verse 17	The promise is confirmed
Verses 17,18	The promise is constant

3:15
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.

Brethren, I speak after the manner of men- the apostle argues from the case of a human situation to one in which God was involved. He does this in the next verses using several everyday things, as follows:

1.	3:15	A business contract
2.	3:24	A schoolmaster
3.	3:27	A cloak of manhood
4.	4:1	The laws of inheritance
5.	4:2	The powers of a father, known as “Pater potestas”
6.	4:3,4	Release from slavery
7.	4:5	The laws of adoption

Though it be but a man’s covenant- even though a covenant may only be between mere mortals.
Yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, nor addeth thereto- once a matter is agreed, then no cancelling or adding is considered proper.

The promise confined

3:16
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.

Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made- the literal order of the words is “Now to Abraham were the promises made, and to his seed”; this serves to distinguish the promises made to Abraham personally, and those made to his seed. Having established that a man-to-man covenant is stable, the apostle now brings in a God-to-man covenant, the one made with Abraham, and repeated subsequently. The word “made” means spoken, and now we learn the words that were spoken.
He saith not “And to seeds”, as of many- there are various groups and individuals who are called Abraham’s seed, and they are:

1.	Isaac	“in Isaac shall thy seed be called”, Genesis 21:12.
2.	Ishmael	“he is thy seed”, Genesis 21:13.
3.	Natural descendants of Abraham	“I know that ye are Abraham’s seed”, John 8:37.
4.	Christ	“And to thy seed, which is Christ, Galatians 3:16.
5.	Spiritual sons of Abraham	“And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed”, Galatians 3:29.

The context, and statements made in the New Testament, must decide who is in view in each case.

But as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ- the apostle makes clear here that God’s promise to Abraham’s seed was not to be shared. Only the one whom God had in mind as He promised would receive the blessing. Whether Abraham realised who was being spoken of it is not possible to determine, except that we know that he rejoiced to see Christ’s day, John 8:56, and so may have been given insights into this matter, especially as he was the “Friend of God”, James 2:23, and God was willing on another occasion to inform him of His intentions, Genesis 18:17.
The apostle is making clear that the promise of blessing was not made to any other than Christ, and He shares the blessing not with natural children of Abraham who are wedded to the law, (for they are of their father the Devil, John 8:44), but with those that He now calls His own, John 13:1, as we shall see in verse 29 of this chapter, where we read, “If ye be Christ’s”. “His own”, (meaning the nation of Israel), received Him not, John 1:11, and shut themselves out from blessing nationally.

The promise confirmed

3:17
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.

And this I say, that the covenant, which was confirmed before of God in Christ- this reminds us of the way in which the covenant made to Abraham was confirmed by God. We read of it in Genesis 15. God had promised Abraham that his seed would be as numerous as the stars of heaven, even though at that point he had no heir, verse 5. Abraham believed God when He said this, verse 6, (referred to in Galatians 3:6). Abraham asks how he will know that the promised land shall be his. In response God makes a covenant with him. The covenant victims were slain, and the carcases of the animals divided. Usually, after this, the parties entering into the covenant would walk between the pieces of the sacrifices, indicating that the covenant had been ratified in the death of the sacrifices, and also that if either party defaulted, then they deserved to be cut in pieces as those sacrificial victims had been.
On this occasion, however, there was a difference, for God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Abraham, Genesis 15:12. Instead of Abraham walking between the pieces, it was a burning lamp that passed between them. Now Isaiah looks on to the day when the covenant with Abraham will be fulfilled, and speaks of salvation going forth from Jerusalem as a “burning lamp”, Isaiah 62:1. But as is the case on several occasions in the Old Testament, the word for salvation is “yeshuah”, the equivalent to Jesus. He it is then that guarantees the covenant, so we can see why the apostle states that the covenant is confirmed in Christ. So the covenant is “to Christ”, for He is the Seed, verse 16, and it is “in Christ”, for He acts as surety for Abraham in the matter, verse 17.

The promise constant

The law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect- if a covenant between men is not alterable, how much more so a covenant between God and men. So nothing that was said by God at the giving of the law can cancel what He had previously said to Abraham, the father of the nation that was given the law. The four hundred and thirty years extends from the time of the original promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:7, BC 1921, and the giving of the law, in BC 1491, the same year Israel came out of Egypt. We are not told the precise date when God actually spoke the words of Genesis 13:15 quoted in verse 16 of this chapter. This shows the importance of the literal order of the words in verse 16, which serve to allow for the fact that the promise to Abraham and the promise to the seed in the words of Galatians 3:16, were at different times.
The dates actually given in the Scriptures are precise, so we should beware of thinking of them as rough approximations. For instance, we are told that the Israelites came out of Egypt “even the selfsame day” four hundred and thirty years after they began to sojourn in Canaan. They began their sojourn in Canaan when Abraham arrived in there at the first, for we read of him that “By faith he sojourned in the land of promise”, Hebrews 11:9. This was when he was seventy-five years old, Genesis 12:4,5. It was at that point that God appeared to Abraham and said, “Unto thy seed will I give this land”, verse 7. So the anniversary of the day Abraham crossed into Canaan, (“into the land of Canaan they came”), was the day they “went out from the land of Egypt”, Exodus 12:41.
The period of four hundred years mentioned on the day of the covenant with Abraham, Genesis 15:13 refers to the length of time that Egypt would afflict Abraham’s seed. This began when Ishmael, the son of Hagar, an Egyptian, mocked Isaac when he was made Abraham’s heir, Genesis 21:8,9. Ishmael was cast out, and his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt, showing where the sympathies and attitudes of both of them were, verse 21.

3:18
For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.

For if the inheritance be of law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise– it is important to notice the word for “gave”. It contains within it the idea of grace, so God gave the promise to Abraham on the basis of His grace. Clearly, the promise cannot be of law and promise at the same time. So of this promise we may say:
It is given by God in grace, verse 18.
It is received by faith, verse 14.
It cannot be cancelled by the law, verse 17.
It is available even to Gentiles, verse 29.

(b) 3:19-25
The purpose of the Law

Verse 17	Not to cancel
Verse 21	Not to compete
Verse 19	To condemn
Verse 23	To confine
Verse 24	To control

Law is given to condemn

3:19
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.

Wherefore then serveth the law? What purpose was served by giving the law to Israel, when the promise to Abraham was already confirmed? There is a double answer to this question.
It was added because of transgressions- that is, literally, to create transgressions, so that it might come home forcibly to men that their sins were a transgression of God’s will. The law was not added to the promise, (for that is ruled out in verse 15), but was added to God’s ways of dealing with men. This is the first reason. The second reason is next given.
Till the seed should come to whom the promise was made- the law was an interim measure, regulating and holding the people in check, until such times as Christ the Seed of Abraham should come in grace.
And it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator- the law was given by the disposition of angels, as Stephen said, Acts 7:53. Paul is emphasising here that the law was not an arrangement between God and men directly, but angelic agents and a human agent, Moses, interposed. There was not the personal character to the arrangement that Abraham knew.

3:20
Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one.

Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one- as just noticed, the law involved several parties; God, angels, Moses, and the people of Israel. The very fact that there was a mediator indicates this. With God’s arrangement with Abraham, however, one party, (Abraham), was asleep, and the covenant was confirmed not by him passing through the pieces, but the burning lamp, a figure of the Messiah, doing so. But Messiah is equal with God, so the Godhead alone is responsible for the fulfilment of the promise contained in the covenant. The unity of the Godhead is the guarantee of the fulfilment. The covenant of the law depended on man’s effort, whereas the covenant to Abraham depended on God’s oneness.

Law is not given to compete

3:21
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.

Is the law then against the promises of God? Is there a competition between the covenants, both of which were brought in by God? Do they fight against one another?
God forbid- that cannot be the case, for both were given by God, and He does not conflict with Himself.
For if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law- the purpose of the giving of the law was not to enable a man to be righteous, but rather to show up the fact that he was unrighteous. It is true that the Lord Jesus said to the lawyer, after he had correctly summed up the law, “Thou hast answered right: this do and thou shalt live”, Luke 10:28. But as soon as a man is left to himself to keep the law, he finds that the law is “weak through the flesh”, and is powerless to enable him to earn life, Romans 8:3. Only if a law had been given that enabled men to be righteous would there be competition between law and the promise. But Abraham believed God and was accounted righteous, and that is the abiding principle, as is seen by its use by the apostle as he explains the gospel, Romans 4:3. It is also seen in the three-fold use of the text, “the just shall live by faith”, Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11; Hebrews 10:38.

3:22
But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.

But the scripture hath concluded all under sin- the word “but” introduces the real effect of the law, which is not to give life, but to place men under the heading “sinners”. This is a similar statement to that in Romans 3:19, where Paul writes “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.” The scripture is the whole of the Old Testament considered as giving a united testimony.
That the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe- when the sinner realises that his only hope is faith in Christ, not faith in his own efforts through works of law, and when he exercises faith, the promise becomes good to him. So far from being against the promises of God, the law has a part to play in the conviction of the sinner, for he needs to realise he is a sinner, so that he will turn to Christ.

Law is given to confine

3:23
But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.

But before faith came- before faith in an incarnate, crucified and risen Christ was a possibility, or in other words, in Old Testament times.
We were kept under the law- notice the way in which the apostle uses “we” and “ye” in these verses. By “we” he means “we who are Jews by birth”, and by “ye”, he means “you who are Gentiles by birth”. The nation of Israel was protected and guarded by the law from the wild excesses of the nations all around them. This is why they had to be so ruthless in their dealings with the nations already in the land of Canaan when they arrived under Joshua. The iniquity of the Amorites had become full, and the inhabitants of the land were not fit to live.
Shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed- Israel was not only protected from things around, but also enclosed in view of things to come, the opportunity of faith in a manifested Christ. When Christ was revealed, so faith in Him was revealed as God’s way of blessing. The law and the prophets prophesied until John, and he exhorted the people that “they should believe on him which should come after him, that is on Christ Jesus”, Acts 19:4.

Law is given to control

3:24
Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ- a schoolmaster in those times was a person, often a trusted slave, responsible for the well-being of the child under his care. It is not that the law is able to bring to Christ by its commandments, but rather it was an interim measure, protecting Israel’s interests until Christ arrived, and encouraging them to cast themselves upon the mercy of God when they saw they could not keep the law perfectly. After all, the law included the provision of sacrifices for sin.
That we might be justified by faith- the apostle here defines what the result of the faith of verse 23 is. Abraham was reckoned righteous by God, and justification is the act of reckoning a person right.

3:25
But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster- as will be shown in the next verses, maturity comes in through Christ, and therefore the schoolmaster in charge of Israel in their state of immaturity is no longer needed. To cling to the law is to fail to realise that God’s purposes have moved on to their consummation in Christ.

3:26-29
The position of the believer

With the promise given, the law no longer needed, and with Christ come, the following new things are brought in for the believer:

Verse 26	New status
Verse 27	New start
Verse 27	New standard
Verses 28,29	New situation

New status

3:26
For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus- the apostle sees in the fact that those who were of the Gentiles have come into full relationship a sign that the need for the schoolmaster, the law, is over. Note it is not now, as in verse 7, that they were sons of Abraham, which indicated they followed Abraham’s example of faith. Here the point is that with the coming of the Son of God Himself, it is possible to be brought into the family of God by faith. Note it is Christ Jesus that their faith is in, the Risen and Ascended Man. As will be made clear in verse 28, the position given to the believer is one outside of this world system, and also outside the law system.

New start

3:27
For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

For as many of you as have been baptised into Christ have put on Christ- this does not suggest that some of them were not baptised, but rather, that every one that is baptised into Christ has indeed put on Christ. It is not possible to be baptised into Christ and not put Him on. Having been baptised, they pass, morally, out from the sphere where the law operates, and into the sphere where Christ is all.
The word of God to Joshua was “Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan”, Joshua 1:2. With the representative of the law gone, the promise to Abraham of a land can begin to be fulfilled. The land of Canaan was named after the man Canaan. When Israel were “baptised” in the river Jordan, they emerged into a territory which had the name of a man upon it. So we have been baptised into Christ, and have emerged out of the waters of baptism into a sphere where the name of Christ is all-pervading.

New standard

According to the custom of the day, when a child came to maturity, and he was recognised as the son of his father, a cloak would be placed upon his shoulders. This was called the cloak of manhood. When we are baptised, we pledge to display the character of God’s Son in our lives, as if the cloak of His manhood has been put upon us.

New situation

3:28
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.

There is neither Jew not Greek- the word “there” is an adverb with the same force as the preposition “in”. There is there, (that is, in Christ), neither Jew nor Greek. All such distinctions are irrelevant as far as our position in Christ is concerned, for that position is a heavenly one, whereas Jew and Gentile are distinctions that only relate to earth.
There is neither bond nor free- the distinctions of privilege which have come about as a result of the Fall are irrelevant. As the next verse will show, every believer is an heir; the fact that a slave had nothing, and that a free man only had riches of this world, is of no account.
There is neither male nor female- since to be in Christ Jesus is to be part of the heavenly order of things, even such basic things as gender differences are not relevant in this context. We have noticed that the apostle does make a distinction between “we” and “ye” in these verses. He elsewhere gives instruction as to the conduct of bond and free, and he maintains the distinction in the assembly between male and female. So the differences mentioned here are not completely eradicated, or else believers would not be able to get married. The point is that they are irrelevant, for the reason he now gives.
For ye are all one in Christ Jesus- however diverse they were before, they are, in Christ Jesus, a new entity. He will say in 6:15 that they are a new creation. Here, in context, they are the seed of Abraham. This phrase has nothing to do with church unity, but relates the the common position all believers have, whatever their earthly status.

3:29
And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

And- the apostle is carrying the argument forward from the statement of verse 28, and bringing it to a climax.
If ye be Christ’s- if Christ recognises you as His own, even though you were once Gentiles. He disowned the nation of Israel as a whole, even though it claimed to be the seed of Abraham, John 8:37. In 4:9 believers are said to be known of God, and here they are owned by Christ.
Then are ye Abraham’s seed- here is a further dimension to the idea of Abraham’s seed, and is the logical outcome of being the sons of Abraham by faith. This is a staggering statement, that Gentiles are Abraham’s seed! Zealous Jews would find this very difficult to accept, but John the Baptist had prepared them for the idea when he said that God was able to raise up children unto Abraham from the stones, Matthew 3:9. If He can do this with stones, He can do it with Gentile sinners. This does not mean that the nation of israel, as the descendants of Abraham, have no future. They are destined for greatness when they receive their Messiah when He returns to earth to reign.
And heirs according to the promise- the promise being that in Abraham all nations would be blessed, verse 8. They are heirs according to promise, but certainly not heirs according to works.

GALATIANS 2

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Survey of the chapter
If in chapter one Paul details his movements, showing that he did not make constant contact with the apostles, except for a courtesy call on Peter, in this chapter he details the contact he did have subsequently. First of all there was the right hand of fellowship, as the other apostles recognised his call from God, then there was a confrontation, because Peter and others had been influenced by those who taught that believers should put themselves under law.

Structure of the chapter

(a)	Verses 1-2	Paul was not summoned	He was sent to Jerusalem by God, not by the apostles
	Verses 3-5	Paul not subject	He refused to circumcise Titus the Greek
(c)	Verses 6-9	Paul not silenced	The apostles recognise his call to preach the gospel to the Gentiles
(d)	Verse 10	Paul not stony-hearted	The law commanded love, grace inspires love
(e)	Verses 11-13	Peter’s change of behaviour
(f)	Verse 14	His action was against logic
(g)	Verses 15-16	His action was against his beliefs
(h)	Verse 17	His action was against Christ
(i)	Verse 18	His action was against his vision
(j)	Verses 19-21	His action was against the gospel

(a) Verses 1-2
Paul not summoned

2:1
Then fourteen years after I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and took Titus with me also.

Then fourteen years after I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas- Paul was saved about AD 36, and died about AD 69, so for half of his Christian life he was fairly unknown. The same is true of Moses, John the Baptist, and, pre-eminently, Christ Himself. It is salutary to think how much he achieved for the sake of Christ in a relatively short time.

And took Titus with me also- Titus provided a test-case, to demonstrate that circumcision is not necessary for the believer. Note he took Titus also, meaning that Paul took Barnabas, not vice versa. Previously Barnabas had gone to Jerusalem to assure the believers that their former persecutor was genuinely saved, see Acts 9:26-28.

2:2
And I went up by revelation, and communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to them which were of reputation, lest by any means I should run, or had run, in vain.

And I went up by revelation- he was not summoned by the apostles to give account of himself, but is directed by a revelation from the Lord, showing he was in harmony with the Lord in his life. He is not behind Moses the lawgiver in this, who spake with God directly, Numbers 12:8; Deuteronomy 34:10.
There may also be the thought that he went to see the apostles to impart to them the revelation of the mystery of the church that had been given to him, as Ephesians 3:3,4 explains. It was revealed to Paul first, and then to the holy apostles and prophets, verse 5. His going up to Jerusalem as this verse tells us may be the time when he passed it on to them.

And communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles- not in the sense that he told them what they did not know, but laid it out before them in all its aspects, so they could see he was not preaching a mixed gospel. He had been preaching in the regions of Syria and Cilicia for many years without any sanction from the apostles.

But privately to them which were of reputation- Paul is concerned that those in responsible positions amongst the saints should be happy with what he was preaching. He was not intent on making a party for himself, but was in full fellowship with the apostles. He did this privately, not in a church council, which might look as if he were being called to account. When it was the truth of the gospel at risk, rather than his own service, he withstood Peter publicly, “before them all”, verse 14.

Lest by any means I should run, or had run, in vain- he was concerned that his activity should be useful in the future, and if it had not been in the past, he was ready to make amends.

(b) Verses 2:3-5
Paul not subject

2:3
But neither Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised:

But neither Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised- those who advocated a return to law-keeping, had to require circumcision if they were to be consistent. Circumcision had become a sign of submission to the law of Moses, even though it was “of the fathers”, John 7:22. That is, was known and practised by the patriarchs from Abraham onwards, to whom the rite was originally given. As the apostle wrote later, “Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of the God.” 1 Corinthians 7:19. The vital thing is to keep God’s commandments. To the Romans he wrote, “For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.” Romans 2:28,29.

2:4
And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage:

And that because of false brethren unawares brought in- if there were those who infiltrated the ranks of the believers in those early days, how careful we should be in these last days, when perilous times have come. The word unawares is used in classical Greek of enemies brought into a city by the help of traitors already within.

Who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus- the Lord could say, “In secret have I said nothing”, John 18:20, and Paul could say, “This thing was not done in a corner”, Acts 26:26. The words “spy out” are used in 2 Samuel 10:3, when the princes of Ammon said David had “Sent his servants unto thee, to search the city, and to spy it out, and to overthrow it”.

That they might bring us into bondage- they came with the intention of assessing the way Jewish believers were living, now that they were saved by grace, and far from desiring to share in this liberty, they came to persuade the Galatians to embrace the Law, and so go back to bondage.

2:5
To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.

To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not even an hour- Paul realised that the whole of God’s purpose would be frustrated if believers reverted to the law in any way, so he stood firm, and so should we in our day.
That the truth of the gospel might continue with you- he is sure that law and gospel do not mix; sure, also, that the gospel is truth, just as much as Law.

2:6
But of these who seemed to be somewhat, (whatsoever they were, it maketh no matter to me: God accepteth no man’s person:) for they who seemed to be somewhat in conference added nothing to me:

But of these who seemed to be somewhat- that is, those who were in positions of authority and influence, such as apostles who had been with the Lord when He was on earth, and others who had known the Lord when He was here on earth. Luke writes of those who were ministers of the word, having known Christ when He was on earth, Luke 1:2.
(Whatsoever they were, it maketh no matter to me, God accepteth no man’s person:)- this does not mean that the apostle was indifferent to the influence of these people, but simply that what they once were as disciples of the Lord before the cross, was not the point, for that did not give them any advantage over Paul, or the Galatians. God does not accept a believer because of his privileges, but because of his relationship with the risen Christ; all are equal in this connection. Peter described believers as those who had obtained like precious faith with the apostles, 2 Peter 1:1, so in that respect apostles are no different to other believers.

For they who seemed to be somewhat in conference added nothing to me- this is why the former privilege of these men was not the point, for they did not add anything to Paul’s knowledge of the gospel when he conferred with them.

2:7
But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter;

But contrariwise- the reverse was the case.

When they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter- there are not two gospels, but God did give Peter special responsibility to preach to Jews, (which makes the choice of him to preach to Cornelius all the more remarkable, although the Lord did give him the keys of the kingdom of heaven, one of which he used on the Day of Pentecost, and the other in the house of Cornelius), and gave Paul special responsibility to the Gentile world, for which he was admirably fitted by upbringing and outlook.

2:8
(For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:)

(For He who wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:)- the expression “wrought effectually” is the same as “mighty”, so exactly the same power is put forward by God in the case of each servant. There is no need for either of them to add the influence of the law to their gospel preaching. Note Paul’s recognition of Peter’s leading role- there is no personal jealousy.

2:9
And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision.

And when James, Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars- there is no irony in the word “seemed”; they were recognised as prominent leaders in the testimony. The word is translated as “of reputation” in verse 2.

Perceived the grace of God that was given unto me- the grace is not only God’s favourable help in the exercise of gift, but the gift itself. It was obvious to these spiritual men that Paul was greatly used of God. Believers are sometimes slow to recognise the gift God has given. On the other hand, it is possible to lay hands on a believer too hastily, 1 Timothy 5:22. A balance must be maintained.

They gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship- note the plural hands, for each of these three was willing to associate with Paul and Barnabas, which is why it is the right hands of fellowship. We tend to shake hands as a formality, but this is not the case here. Greeting was by a holy kiss, Romans 16:16, whereas today, in the Western world at least, we use a handshake to greet one another.

That we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision- so the personal mode of service was recognised. It was not that Peter, James and John would not preach if there were no Jews in the audience, but rather, that to evangelise their own nation was their special task, always remembering the gospel must be preached to every creature.

(d) Verse 10
Paul not stony-hearted

2:10
Only they would that we should remember the poor; the same which I also was forward to do.

Only- this is the only stipulation they gave to Paul and Barnabas, for they were in total agreement on the truths of the gospel. Grace, however, might be thought of as careless of works, hence this injunction.

That we should remember the poor- this is especially relevant, given the way the Jewish believers has taken joyfully the spoiling of their goods, Hebrews 10:34.

The same which I also was forward to do- Paul was “zealous of good works”, Titus 2:14, and this suggestion from the other apostles presented no problem to him, for it the logical outcome expected of those who have been made rich spiritually. An appreciation of the grace of God should prompt us to far exceed the stipulations of the law as regards giving. God is the God of the fatherless and the widows, but He most often supplies their needs through His people.

(e) Verses 11-13
Peter’s change of behaviour

2:11
But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed.

But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed- Antioch was the first assembly formed after regular preaching to Gentiles was established, hence the freedom of grace was specially enjoyed here, see Acts 11:19-21. The purpose of God was that the tidings of grace should flow out from Jerusalem to the nations, but here the bondage of the law is being brought from its centre, Jerusalem, Galatians 4:25. It was from Antioch that relief had been sent for the poor saints at Jerusalem, by the hands of Paul and Barnabas, Acts 11:27-30. That was the liberty of grace in operation, but Peter now, sadly, brings the bondage of law to Antioch from Jerusalem. Note that an apostle is here exposed as being in the wrong. The apostles were inspired of God to preach and write, and when they did this they were infallible, but at other times they were liable to error, in the measure in which they depended on their own strength. The idea of Papal Infallibility is completely without support in the Scriptures.

2:12
For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision.

For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles- as his vision had indicated it was permissible for him to do this, for Peter himself had said in Cornelius’s house, “Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or to come unto one of another nation; but God hath showed me that I should call no man common or unclean”, Acts 10:28.

But when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision- Peter, the ardent and forceful leader amongst the apostles, is here giving way to the influence of men. “The fear of man bringeth a snare”, Proverbs 29:25.

2:13
And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation.

And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation- dissimulation is hypocrisy, play-acting, appearing to be other than what you really are. The Christian is really delivered from the law, but if he lives as if he is not, then he is play-acting. Note the increasing consequences of Peter’s action, for no man liveth to himself, Romans 14:7. They were truly free men, but were acting as if they were in bondage.

(f) Verse 14
Peter’s action was against logic

2:14
But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?

But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel- Peter had strayed from the straight path of righteousness. That path of righteousness is now set out by the truth of the gospel, for the law of righteousness, holy and just as it is, did not supply the power to live righteously, but the gospel does, becasue it involves every believer having the Spirit of God within.

I said unto Peter before them all- the matter was of such concern, and was so harmful to the progress of the gospel, that it could not be dealt with privately. Fresh from his commendation by Peter, James and John, and as the apostle to the uncircumcised Gentiles, Paul had a special interest in contending for the truth in this way. Sometimes, no matter how revered the brother involved, and how much temporary disturbance there might be, it is the best course to deal with matters straightforwardly and openly. Of course some matters are of such a sort that they should be dealt with privately, but this was not one of those.

If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of the Gentiles- despite his temporary change of policy, Peter was committed to the truth that those outward things of mere religion which once divided Jew from Gentile, are no longer valid. Paul no doubt had the gift of discerning of spirits, and could tell that Peter’s change of behaviour was not from conviction.

And not as do the Jews- it is not that Peter had combined a Gentile manner of life with a Jewish one when he began to follow the Saviour, but he turned wholly from his religious observance when he turned to Christ, and so no longer lived as if he were a Jew.

Why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews? To live as do the Jews is not simply to adopt Jewish customs for the sake of a varied lifestyle, but in principle to put oneself under the law as a code of conduct for the believer. The matter of diet may seem to be of small account, but it represented a distinction between Jew and Gentile, which at a fundamental level involved commitment to the law which prescribed the diet. It was not logical, then, for Peter to renounce the law, then adopt legal customs of separation from Gentiles. Nor was it logical for him to expect Gentiles to virtually live like Jews when they were not Jews.

(g) Verses 15,16
Peter’s action was against his beliefs

2:15
We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles,

We who are Jews by nature- Peter and Paul were both born of Jewish parents, and had been brought up to live as Jews, so that it was part of their nature to live like a Jew. They were not converts to Judaism, who might be less zealous of Jewish customs.

And not sinners of the Gentiles- whilst it is true that Peter and Paul were “sinners of the Jews” as to their birth, nonetheless their upbringing under the law had shielded them from the unrestrained excesses of the nations around.

2:16
Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law- despite their upbringing, they had come to realise, (and the prophets would tell them this, as well as their own hearts when they failed to keep the law), that all attempts to be justified by works would fail.

But by the faith of Jesus Christ- this gospel truth had reached their ears, and they knew that for them, law and all its attendant customs and rites must be left behind. This is not the personal faith that marked the Lord Jesus as a dependant and submissive man on the earth, but the faith that that others put in Him.

Even we have believed in Jesus Christ- despite their upbringing under a God-given law, they had turned to Christ in faith.

That we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law- so their understanding of what was involved when they believed was clear, for they had no reservations about leaving “law for righteousness”, for Christ is the end of that as far as believers are concerned, Romans 10:4.
Note the titles of Christ that the apostle uses here: We are justified “by the faith of Jesus Christ”, the historical Jesus has been anointed as Christ on the banks of the Jordan, and is marked out thereby as God’s Approved One, well worthy to be believed. We are “justified by the faith of Christ”, the one who did all things well, as opposed to relying on our doing.

For by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified- an allusion to Psalm 143:2, which reads, “And enter not into judgement with Thy servant: for in Thy sight shall no man living be justified”. This confirms from the Old Testament that the stand they had taken when they believed the gospel was a wise one.

(h) Verse 17
Peter’s action was against Christ

2:17
But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid.

But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ- the “but if” indicates that the apostle is arguing as if he and Peter are where the Judaizers wanted them to be, and where Peter, by his change of practice, had put himself; namely, justified by Christ, but clinging to law for full salvation. See Acts 15:5, where the false teachers were saying that Christ was not enough, there must be law-works as well. This is why the apostle uses the word seek, for those who seek have not found what they are looking for, and this is the position of those who say that other things apart from Christ are necessary for justification. Peter had in fact found justification, but was acting as if he was still seeking it by keeping the law.

We also ourselves are found sinners- whenever and however we put ourselves under law, it tests us, and finds us wanting, even as believers. See Romans 7:7-25 for a demonstration of this. In those verses, the apostle defends the law, lest it be thought that the fact that the believer is delivered from it implied some defect in the law. The believer may be looked at from two different viewpoints; one, in accordance with God’s present reckoning of him, and the other, (because the body which he had before he was saved is still the same, even though now yielded to God), in accordance with what he was before he was saved.Paul, in the hypothetical situation he describes in that passage, was seeking and not finding, whereas the law was seeking to expose his sinfulness, and discovering it, hence the expression here, “found sinners”.

Is therefore Christ the minister of sin? To understand this question we should note the following things:
1. As the apostle Paul said in the synagogue at Antioch, “And by Him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses”, Acts 13:39.
2. Although that is true, it is also true that, until the resurrection day, believers still have the same body as before they believed. Paul describes this body as “the body of sin”, Romans 6:6. It is only to the degree that the believer applies the truth of the fact that “our old man is crucified with Him”, that the sin-principle is destroyed, or made of no effect. If it had been completely destroyed already, believers would never sin, which is clearly not the case, since John wrote “that ye sin not”, 1 John 2:1.
Believers owe the position they are in wholly to Christ’s ministry towards them, for they have no strength of our own. If that ministry only took them so far along the road to justification, and needed the law to supplement it and bring it to completion, and if that position is discovered to be one of sinfulness, as the verses from Romans 7 show it will be, are we to suggest that Christ is responsible for that? Such a thought would be too evil to contemplate. Such is the result if a believer puts himself under law, as Peter seemed to be doing. Note that he does not say even in this theoretical situation that Christ was the minister of sin, but only that it might lead to that question being asked, and he does not want even that to happen.

God forbid! The idea that Christ is the minister of sin is unthinkable, and therefore the situation Paul has imagined is not the true one, and it is otherwise with the believer than that he is in any way helped by the law.

(i) Verse 18
Peter’s action was against his vision from God

2:18
For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.

For if I build again the things I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor- far from Christ being the minister of sin, it would be Paul who was the transgressor, for if he went back to law in any way, then that law would expose him as a transgressor of that law. Before he had his vision at Joppa, Peter would not have even gone into a Gentile’s house. He was taught by God, however, that this was not the Christian way, see Acts 10:27-29. As a result of learning this important lesson, which had far-reaching consequences, Peter was happy to have to do with Gentiles. He destroyed the old restrictions, for the best possible reason, God had destroyed them, for the word came to him, “What God hath cleansed, that call not thou unclean”, Acts 10:15. This was like breaking down the “middle wall of partition” that separated the Court of the Gentiles from the rest of the Temple enclosure, see Acts 21:27-29; Ephesians 2:11-18. By reversing his decision, Peter would be building the middle wall of partition again. But Paul uses the personal pronoun “I”, for he is not yet certain that he can include Peter in his realisation of the gravity of building again what God had pulled down.

(j) Verses 19-21
Peter’s action was against the gospel Paul believed

2:19
For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.

For I, through the law, am dead to the law- as far as Paul was concerned, (and also as far as Peter was concerned, too, in principle, but not now in practice), the law had made its demands against him as a sinner. These demands he could not meet, but Christ met them for him, accepting the consequences of Paul’s law-breaking, and paying the penalty for it. But Paul was “dead to the law by the body of Christ”, Romans 7:4. In other words, the process which Christ went through in the body, namely, of paying the penalty for other’s law-breaking on the cross, being placed in a tomb as one who was really dead, and then rising again bodily, (the sure sign that the penalty the law demanded was paid), was the means of deliverance for Paul, for God was pleased to associate him with the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, Romans 6:1-11. So by the process the body of Christ went through, Paul was dead to the law, for the law only has dealings with living persons, see Romans 7:1-4, and Paul died with Christ. This position, however, came about because the law made its demands, so Paul can say that he is dead to the law through the law.

That I might live unto God- Christ lives unto God, Romans 6:10, and Paul is risen with Him, and thus also lives unto God. But the significant thing is that he lives unto God without being under the law.

2:20
I am crucified with Christ: neverthless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

I am crucified with Christ- the man who was born and brought up under the law is dead, for God has associated him with Christ when He died on the cross. He could not escape from the law by himself, only by Christ and His death.

Nevertheless I live- Christianity is positive, not simply death to former things, but real life through Christ. The Good Shepherd came to those in the fold of Judaism to lead them out of it, and give them life abundant, John 10:10.

Yet not I- association with Christ risen prevents a return to old things, for “if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature”, 2 Corinthians 5:17. The word “yet” as used here is a time-word. It is no longer I (emphatic), for the old person, Saul of Tarsus, is no longer alive, in God’s reckoning.

But Christ liveth in me- this is because at the moment of conversion the believer is indwelt by the Holy Spirit. This is emphasised in the following scriptures: “If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you…” Romans 8:9,10. “At that day ye shall know that I am in My Father, and ye in Me, and I in you.” John 14:20. By “that day” is meant the Day of Pentecost and after. These scriptures indicate that because the Spirit of God dwells within the believer, Christ can be said to dwell, too, for Divine persons are One. Because this is so, the features of Christ may be manifest through a believer’s life and character, and thus Christ is formed in us, Galatians 4:19.

And the life which I now live in the flesh- such is the power of the gospel that a true Christian life can be lived here and now, with no need to wait until we get to heaven. The law was weak through the flesh, Romans 8:3, and used the flesh to bring a person into bondage, Romans 7:5. By the power of the indwelling Spirit, however, the believer is enabled to live a victorious life, even though the flesh is still present with him as a hindrance. We should distinguish between living in the flesh, which in this verse means living in the body on earth, and living after the flesh in the Romans 8:9,12 sense, for the believer is not in the flesh but in the Spirit.

I live by the faith of the Son of God- faith of the Son of God is first of all, faith which associates with the Son of God, then secondly, faith as expressed in the life of the Son of God down here. He was full of grace and truth, as He expressed eternal life in His person, and of His fullness have all we received, John 1:14,16. Note it is the faith of the Son of God, not of Jesus, for Paul will later show that we are sons, and have the Son of God Himself as our example of dignity and responsibility.

Who loved me, and gave himself for me- the law demanded that man love God and his neighbour, whereas grace presents Christ loving men. This love was not theoretical, but practical, for He willingly surrendered Himself to the cross in the supreme act of grace. If Paul in any measure loves and gives, whether to God or men, it will be because Christ first loved and gave. “We love him, because he first loved us”, 1 John 4:19.

2:21
I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

I do not frustrate the grace of God- frustrate may either mean set aside, or think lightly of. Neither attitude is appropriate in view of what God in grace has done for us through Christ.

For if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain- the life which Paul lived by faith was a life of righteousness, but if that could have been achieved by the works of the law, then Christ need not have died. To frustrate the grace of God, then, is to suggest that the death of Christ was not necessary.

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Tag Archives: crucified

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