Rusty's Notes | |
I hope you get this right:
- In the Gospels, what did Jesus teach?
- Did Jesus obey God’s Law?
- How many times did Jesus die on the cross?
- What did His blood do?
Galatians 3
- (1) Paul’s Personal argument (v 1-5)
1 You foolish Galatians! Who has cast a spell on you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified?
- It would be like asking our country, “Have you gone mad?”
- Is it mental incompetence or just lack of wisdom?
- “Foolish” here means “spiritually dull” whereas being called actual fools in the Gospel meant “godless person”.
- But I focus on the part of the question, “Who has hypnotized you?”
- “Who told you that you were naked?” – Genesis 3:11
- The scheme of the evil one is to confuse the truth. To make it seem like something it is not.
- Paul did not say that the Galatians had had less than a fully genuine experience of the Holy Spirit.
- Indeed, he argued from precisely the opposite premise: since they had certainly received the Holy Spirit and witnessed his mighty works, why were they now retrogressing back from the Spirit to the flesh, that is, from faith back to works and from grace back to law?
- The answer is implied in Paul’s critical word of address: somehow the balance between sound doctrine and Spirit-filled living had gotten out of kilter among the churches of Galatia.[3]
2 I only want to learn this from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law or by believing what you heard?
- Did we not teach you that as Jews, you are no longer subject to circumcision, food restrictions and calendar observances? As a Gentile, you never were?
- Gentiles didn’t even start with the Law. Why would you bring that into your beliefs?
- What saved you? Your works or your faith?
3 Are you so foolish? After beginning by the Spirit, are you now finishing by the flesh? 4 Did you experience so much for nothing—if in fact it was for nothing?
- Did you not learn your lesson enough in the flesh that you want to give up on the Spirit already?
- “flesh” being things done in your own strength… whether bad or good.
5 So then, does God give you the Spirit and work miracles among you by your doing the works of the law? Or is it by believing what you heard--
- This is what the Spirit does:
- John 16:8-11 – The Spirit convicts the world of its unbelief.
- Acts 7:51 - “You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are always resisting the Holy Spirit. As your ancestors did, you do also.[4]
- Ephesians 1:13-14 - 13 In him you also were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and when you believed. 14 The Holy Spirit is the down payment of our inheritance, until the redemption of the possession, to the praise of his glory. [5]
- (2) Paul’s Scriptural argument (v 6-14)
- In verses 1-5 Paul asked 6 questions
- In verses 6-14 Paul uses 6 OT quotes
6 just like Abraham who believed God, and it was credited to him for righteousness?
- Genesis 18:18 - Abraham is to become a great and powerful nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed through him.[8].
9 Consequently those who have faith are blessed with Abraham, who had faith.
- The logic here is evident: if God promised to save the Gentiles by faith, then the Judaizers are wrong in wanting to take the Gentile believers back into Law.
- The true “children of Abraham” are not the Jews by physical descent, but Jews and Gentiles who have believed in Jesus Christ. All those who are “of faith” (believers) are blessed with “believing Abraham.”[9]
- Serve carrots… then a donut… back to carrots!
LAW AND PROMISE
10 For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, because it is written, Everyone who does not do everything written in the book of the law is cursed.
- Paul uses contrasts/antithesis:
- Crucified with Christ - Alive to God
- The hearing of faith - The doing of works
- Beginning in the Spirit - Ending in the flesh
- Promise – Fulfillment
- Blessed - Cursed[10]
- Vs. 9 – Blessed – Vs. 10 – Cursed
- Deuteronomy 27:26 - ‘Anyone who does not put the words of this law into practice is cursed.’
And all the people will say, ‘Amen!’ [11]
-Deuteronomy 28:58 - “If you are not careful to obey all the words of this law, which are written in this scroll, by fearing this glorious and awe-inspiring name—the Lord, your God[12]
- James 2:10 - For whoever keeps the entire law, and yet stumbles at one point, is guilty of breaking it all.[13]
11 Now it is clear that no one is justified before God by the law, because the righteous will live by faith.
- It is obvious…
- Habakkuk 2:4 -
- The Righteous – Romans 1:17
- Will live – Galatians 3:11
- By faith - Hebrews 10:37
- It doesn’t say “those who live by faith are righteous.”
- Nor is it a command.
- It is a simple statement of fact.
- Those who have been made righteous will naturally live by faith.
- If these are words by Habakkuk… they were still under the law… This was about the future.
- If Daniel was here today… could he see the righteous.
- Paul saw and experienced living under the Law vs living by faith because of his righteousness.
12 But the law is not based on faith; instead, the one who does these things will live by them.
- Leviticus 18:5 - Keep my statutes and ordinances; a person will live if he does them. I am the Lord. [14]
- The Law is based on doing… not trusting!
- God never intended the Law to make people righteous.
- God intended to send a Savior to save us from our own works.
- God intended to send a Helper to live our life for us.
- “How in the world am I going to get through this?”
- You’re not in your own strength.
- You will by trusting Him to do it in your own life!
- Eating carrots vs eating a donut
- Why go back to carrots!?!
13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, because it is written, Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree. 14 The purpose was that the blessing of Abraham would come to the Gentiles by Christ Jesus, so that we could receive the promised Spirit through faith.
- Deuteronomy 21:22 - “If anyone is found guilty of an offense deserving the death penalty and is executed, and you hang his body on a tree, 23 you are not to leave his corpse on the tree overnight but are to bury him that day, for anyone hung on a tree is under God’s curse. You must not defile the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance.[15]
- Jews were stoned first and then hung on a tree for display.
- They are not talking about crucifixion here.
- This was major since the Jews were careful with treatment of a dead body.
- The word redeemed means to purchase a slave for the purpose of setting him free.
- It is possible to purchase a slave and keep him as a slave, but this is not what Christ did.
- By shedding His blood on the cross, He purchased us that we might be set free.
- The Judaizers wanted to lead the Christians into slavery, but Christ died to set them free.
- Salvation is not exchanging one form of bondage for another.
- Salvation is being set free from the bondage of sin and the Law into the liberty of God’s grace through Christ.[16]
- God’s provision through Christ’s death on the cross enables believers to no longer live under the threat of condemnation.[17]
- You… my friend… have been released from the curse.
- There is no one who can condemn you for what you have done or going to do.
- There will be logical negative consequences.
- But you can never be condemned.
- Judgment Day will be a good day.
- To the Jew – “Do you want the blessing of Abraham? It comes through Jesus.”
- To the Gentile – “Do you want to be included in the blessing?” It comes through Jesus.
[1] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Heb 10:14). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[2] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Heb 10:4). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[3] George, T. (1994). Galatians (Vol. 30, p. 206). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
[4] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Ac 7:51). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[5] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Eph 1:13–14). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[6] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Ge 15:6). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[7] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Ge 17:9–12). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[8] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Ge 18:18). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[9] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 699). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[10] George, T. (1994). Galatians (Vol. 30, p. 229). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
[11] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Dt 27:26). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[12] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Dt 28:58). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[13] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Jas 2:10). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[14] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Le 18:5). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[15] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Dt 21:22–23). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[16] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 700). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[17] Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., … Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (Ga 3:13). Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
- In the Gospels, what did Jesus teach?
- Did Jesus obey God’s Law?
- How many times did Jesus die on the cross?
- What did His blood do?
- Hebrews 10:14 – For by one offering he has perfected forever those who are sanctified. [1].
- Hebrews 10:4 – For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. [2]
- What were Jesus’ last words?
- As believers, what do you have to do now?
- Are you now a “child of God”?
Galatians 3
- (1) Paul’s Personal argument (v 1-5)
1 You foolish Galatians! Who has cast a spell on you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified?
- It would be like asking our country, “Have you gone mad?”
- Is it mental incompetence or just lack of wisdom?
- “Foolish” here means “spiritually dull” whereas being called actual fools in the Gospel meant “godless person”.
- But I focus on the part of the question, “Who has hypnotized you?”
- “Who told you that you were naked?” – Genesis 3:11
- The scheme of the evil one is to confuse the truth. To make it seem like something it is not.
- Paul did not say that the Galatians had had less than a fully genuine experience of the Holy Spirit.
- Indeed, he argued from precisely the opposite premise: since they had certainly received the Holy Spirit and witnessed his mighty works, why were they now retrogressing back from the Spirit to the flesh, that is, from faith back to works and from grace back to law?
- The answer is implied in Paul’s critical word of address: somehow the balance between sound doctrine and Spirit-filled living had gotten out of kilter among the churches of Galatia.[3]
2 I only want to learn this from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law or by believing what you heard?
- Did we not teach you that as Jews, you are no longer subject to circumcision, food restrictions and calendar observances? As a Gentile, you never were?
- Gentiles didn’t even start with the Law. Why would you bring that into your beliefs?
- What saved you? Your works or your faith?
3 Are you so foolish? After beginning by the Spirit, are you now finishing by the flesh? 4 Did you experience so much for nothing—if in fact it was for nothing?
- Did you not learn your lesson enough in the flesh that you want to give up on the Spirit already?
- “flesh” being things done in your own strength… whether bad or good.
5 So then, does God give you the Spirit and work miracles among you by your doing the works of the law? Or is it by believing what you heard--
- This is what the Spirit does:
- John 16:8-11 – The Spirit convicts the world of its unbelief.
- Acts 7:51 - “You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are always resisting the Holy Spirit. As your ancestors did, you do also.[4]
- Ephesians 1:13-14 - 13 In him you also were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and when you believed. 14 The Holy Spirit is the down payment of our inheritance, until the redemption of the possession, to the praise of his glory. [5]
- (2) Paul’s Scriptural argument (v 6-14)
- In verses 1-5 Paul asked 6 questions
- In verses 6-14 Paul uses 6 OT quotes
6 just like Abraham who believed God, and it was credited to him for righteousness?
- Genesis 15:6 - Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.[6]
- Genesis 17:9-12 - God also said to Abraham, “As for you, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations are to keep my covenant. 10 This is my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you, which you are to keep: Every one of your males must be circumcised. 11 You must circumcise the flesh of your foreskin to serve as a sign of the covenant between me and you. 12 Throughout your generations, every male among you is to be circumcised at eight days old—every male born in your household or purchased from any foreigner and not your offspring.[7]
- Exodus 20 – The Ten Commandments.
- Genesis 18:18 - Abraham is to become a great and powerful nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed through him.[8].
9 Consequently those who have faith are blessed with Abraham, who had faith.
- The logic here is evident: if God promised to save the Gentiles by faith, then the Judaizers are wrong in wanting to take the Gentile believers back into Law.
- The true “children of Abraham” are not the Jews by physical descent, but Jews and Gentiles who have believed in Jesus Christ. All those who are “of faith” (believers) are blessed with “believing Abraham.”[9]
- Serve carrots… then a donut… back to carrots!
LAW AND PROMISE
10 For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, because it is written, Everyone who does not do everything written in the book of the law is cursed.
- Paul uses contrasts/antithesis:
- Crucified with Christ - Alive to God
- The hearing of faith - The doing of works
- Beginning in the Spirit - Ending in the flesh
- Promise – Fulfillment
- Blessed - Cursed[10]
- Vs. 9 – Blessed – Vs. 10 – Cursed
- Deuteronomy 27:26 - ‘Anyone who does not put the words of this law into practice is cursed.’
And all the people will say, ‘Amen!’ [11]
-Deuteronomy 28:58 - “If you are not careful to obey all the words of this law, which are written in this scroll, by fearing this glorious and awe-inspiring name—the Lord, your God[12]
- James 2:10 - For whoever keeps the entire law, and yet stumbles at one point, is guilty of breaking it all.[13]
11 Now it is clear that no one is justified before God by the law, because the righteous will live by faith.
- It is obvious…
- Habakkuk 2:4 -
- The Righteous – Romans 1:17
- Will live – Galatians 3:11
- By faith - Hebrews 10:37
- It doesn’t say “those who live by faith are righteous.”
- Nor is it a command.
- It is a simple statement of fact.
- Those who have been made righteous will naturally live by faith.
- If these are words by Habakkuk… they were still under the law… This was about the future.
- If Daniel was here today… could he see the righteous.
- Paul saw and experienced living under the Law vs living by faith because of his righteousness.
12 But the law is not based on faith; instead, the one who does these things will live by them.
- Leviticus 18:5 - Keep my statutes and ordinances; a person will live if he does them. I am the Lord. [14]
- The Law is based on doing… not trusting!
- God never intended the Law to make people righteous.
- God intended to send a Savior to save us from our own works.
- God intended to send a Helper to live our life for us.
- “How in the world am I going to get through this?”
- You’re not in your own strength.
- You will by trusting Him to do it in your own life!
- Eating carrots vs eating a donut
- Why go back to carrots!?!
13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, because it is written, Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree. 14 The purpose was that the blessing of Abraham would come to the Gentiles by Christ Jesus, so that we could receive the promised Spirit through faith.
- Deuteronomy 21:22 - “If anyone is found guilty of an offense deserving the death penalty and is executed, and you hang his body on a tree, 23 you are not to leave his corpse on the tree overnight but are to bury him that day, for anyone hung on a tree is under God’s curse. You must not defile the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance.[15]
- Jews were stoned first and then hung on a tree for display.
- They are not talking about crucifixion here.
- This was major since the Jews were careful with treatment of a dead body.
- The word redeemed means to purchase a slave for the purpose of setting him free.
- It is possible to purchase a slave and keep him as a slave, but this is not what Christ did.
- By shedding His blood on the cross, He purchased us that we might be set free.
- The Judaizers wanted to lead the Christians into slavery, but Christ died to set them free.
- Salvation is not exchanging one form of bondage for another.
- Salvation is being set free from the bondage of sin and the Law into the liberty of God’s grace through Christ.[16]
- God’s provision through Christ’s death on the cross enables believers to no longer live under the threat of condemnation.[17]
- You… my friend… have been released from the curse.
- There is no one who can condemn you for what you have done or going to do.
- There will be logical negative consequences.
- But you can never be condemned.
- Judgment Day will be a good day.
- To the Jew – “Do you want the blessing of Abraham? It comes through Jesus.”
- To the Gentile – “Do you want to be included in the blessing?” It comes through Jesus.
[1] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Heb 10:14). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[2] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Heb 10:4). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[3] George, T. (1994). Galatians (Vol. 30, p. 206). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
[4] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Ac 7:51). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[5] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Eph 1:13–14). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[6] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Ge 15:6). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[7] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Ge 17:9–12). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[8] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Ge 18:18). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[9] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 699). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[10] George, T. (1994). Galatians (Vol. 30, p. 229). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
[11] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Dt 27:26). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[12] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Dt 28:58). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[13] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Jas 2:10). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[14] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Le 18:5). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[15] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Dt 21:22–23). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[16] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 700). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[17] Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., … Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (Ga 3:13). Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
RSS Feed