Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians The Righteousness Received by Faith Galatians 3:1-29

In this superb book of Galatians, Paul had affirmed that Justification by faith is completely dependent on God’s grace and is appropriated by faith alone.  In other words, saving faith is based solely on God’s actions to save us, not on human actions to help Him or to save ourselves.  Moreover, if mankind is to be righteous before God, he or she must completely trust in Christ’s atonement for salvation and reject any gospel that says otherwise.

In this grand book of Galatians, there were some false teachers call Judaizers who were teaching a false gospel stressing that salvation required the keeping of the Old Testament Law.  Paul confronted them bluntly and directly with the truth that righteousness before God is gained by faith in Christ alone!  Galatians 3:1-29 may be outlined as follows:  I. Righteousness is by Faith Alone Apart from the Law – Galatians 3:1-18; II. The Purpose of the Law – Galatians 3:19-25; III.  The Present Position of the Believers – Galatians 3:26-29.

Righteousness is by Faith Alone Apart from the Law – Galatians 3:1-18

Beginning with verse 1, Paul uttered a rather harsh expression in addressing the Galatians: “O foolish Galatians.”  These Galatians had been bewitched, cast under some evil spell by a injurious or malign influence.  They had been deceived and deluded by the devious teaching of the Judaizers.  These Galatians were being diverted from obeying the truth of the gospel due to one of two things; either they had lost their minds, or some sorcerer had cast a malevolent spell on them!  Paul was extremely astonished (Galatians 1:6) as to how they could be so easily duped and quickly led astray.

Whatever the reason for their senseless choice to follow the Judaizers, Paul was certain of one thing: it was not because he had failed to preach Christ among them. So vivid and clear was Paul’s portrayal of Christ crucified that it was as if they had actually witnessed the event themselves (I Cor. 2:2).  Paul therefore thought it strange that the false teachers (Judaizers) could delude or deceive them with so little effort!

From verses 2-3, Paul now asked a series of rhetorical questions designed to help the Galatians see the absurdity of their choices.  The first question concerned the presence of God’s Spirit among them.  All believers have received the Holy Spirit at the moment of salvation (I Cor. 12:13; Rom. 8:9, I Cor. 6:19).  However, believers are not given the gifts of the Spirit given to the Apostles (Mark 16:17-18).  This first rhetorical question was raised to point out simply this: “Did the Galatians receive God’s Spirit by obeying the Mosaic Law or by believing the Gospel?”  We as believers receive the Holy Spirit by faith.

The second rhetorical question was designed in verse 3 to raise this point: “How will the Galatians be sanctified?”  Since the Galatians had begun their Christian lives through the convicting and converting power of the Holy Spirit, Paul was indeed astonished that they would now seek to be “made perfect (or complete) by the flesh” (Gal. 3:3).  By “flesh”, Paul had in mind the external rituals of the Law, especially circumcision, which was very essential to salvation by the Judaizers (Acts 15:1).  Paul asked in verse 3 if they were so foolish as to think they could begin the Christian life in one way (faith) and move on to spiritual maturity in another (by works).  Paul wanted these foolish believers to understand that the means of justification and sanctification are the same.

The rhetorical question in verse 4 was simply this: “Did the Galatians suffer in vain?’  As Paul and Barnabas retraced their steps at the end of the first missionary journey, they warned the believers that they would suffer as believers (Acts 14:21-22).  If the “churches of Galatia” (Gal. 1:2) were in fact in the southern part of the province, the believers were well aware that Paul had suffered intense persecution when he arrived in this area (Acts 14:1-7).  He was stoned in Lystra and even presumed dead (vs. 19-20).  While in Galatia, Paul warned, “We must through much tribulation enter into the Kingdom of God (v. 22).  The Galatian believers indeed suffered persecution at the hands of unbelievers.  Paul’s point was this: if the gospel were not true, the Galatians would have “suffered so many things in vain.”  From the Divine perspective, no suffering for the Lord or labor in His vineyard is ever in vain (I Cor. 15:58).

In verse 5, Paul raised another rhetorical question: “What basis did God perform miracles?”  Paul’s argument in verse 5 is similar to the one presented in verse 2, but not identical.  In verse 2, Paul had in mind the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, a promise to all believers (v. 14).  In verse 5, however, he alluded to those miraculous endowments the Spirit gave to some (I Cor. 12:4-11) but not to all (vv. 28-30). Paul’s argument was quite clear: Miracles did not come “by the works of the laws”, but by “the hearing of faith” (v. 5), that is through the gospel message.

Having effectively argued that the Galatian believers received the Spirit by faith, Paul turned his attention to the Scriptures.  He used the example of Abraham to show that one is justified by faith alone (vv. 6-7).  Abraham was a “tremendous believer,” meaning that he trusted God and His promises.  Since the faith (Genesis 15:6) Abraham embraced preceded the right of circumcision (Genesis 17:10), it was clearly by faith alone that he was justified or declared righteous in God’s sight.  Abraham was counted or credited with righteousness because of his faith, not because of any work he performed, such as circumcision.

To use Abraham as a legitimate argument against circumcision was certainly a skillful rebuttal to the Judaizers’ assertion that this rite was necessary for redemption (Acts 15:1).  Paul went on to assert that “They which are of faith” refers to those who trust Christ, that is Christian.  Paul asserted that the real “children of Abraham” are followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, not those who are physical descendants of the great patriarch (Abraham).