Galatians 3:1-29 Bible Study

Q: While still forgivable sins, I’m assuming no one reading this has murdered someone, robbed their neighbor, or stabbed an innocent old lady. It’s against the LAW. What if there were no law…would you do it then? (The point is the law doesn’t restrain us. The heart does). We are wrong when we think we need the law to guide us. What we need is Christ, in us, and he’ll never lead you to sin.

Recap: Distractions/Being Duped/ Fooled. This is what religion does. It distracts you from Jesus by having you focus on yourself for righteousness and closeness to God.

Chapter 1: Paul uses strong language and says even if an ANGEL comes to you with a different gospel let him be accursed.

Chapter 2: We see other distractions like religious peer pressure to fit in. James and Peter wouldn’t even eat with the Gentiles for fear of what the religious elite would think.

The law causes us to pursue righteousness through the flesh while Scripture teaches us we obtain it through faith in Jesus. So perusing righteousness through flesh and works of the law is a major distraction and we are being fools when we that.

Galatians Chapter 3 – Faith Brings Righteousness

[Galatians 3:1] 3 You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified?

Paul so upset he’s calling them names!

Matthew 5:22 “ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, You good-for-nothing,’ shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.

Q: How could Paul call them fools and get away with it?
A: He’s not under the law.

Why are they fools? They are fools partially because they are Greeks and were never even given the law. The only Got Christ, crucified. The law was only given to the Jewish people.

Romans 2:14 “Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law.

[Galatians 3:2] 2 This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?

So some say this isn’t about the law. Clearly, it is.

[Galatians 3:3] 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?

The do more, be more to be right with God Gospel. Someone is teaching you must do this and that to be right with God. They need to point to Christ alone.

[Galatians 3:4-6] 4 Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? 5 So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? 6 Even so Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.

God is clear. It’s believing that makes us righteous. It was never the law. God made this covenant to Abraham BEFORE the law came in. Only it was not enacted until a death occurred.

Hebrews 9:15-18 “For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. 16 For where a covenant is, there must of necessity be the death of the one who made it. 17 For a covenant is valid only when men are dead, for it is never in force while the one who made it lives.18 Therefore even the first covenant was not inaugurated without blood.”

[Galatians 3:7-9] 7 Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham. 8 The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “All the nations will be blessed in you.” 9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer.

It’s all faith.

[Galatians 3:10] 10 For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse;

Some Christians water this down. But they shouldn’t. If you cling to the law at any level you are under a curse. Jesus or Law. We don’t get both. Paul calls it spiritual adultery when try to be married to the law and Christ at the same time.

[Galatians 3:10 contd.] for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law, to perform them.”

James 2:10 “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.”

[Galatians 3:11] 11 Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, “The righteous man shall live by faith.”

[Galatians 3:12-14] 12 However, the Law is not of faith; on the contrary, “He who practices them shall live by them.” 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”—14 in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Some are praying for God’s blessing. We own it, NOW. It’s not earned by good behavior. It’s by faith. It’s a Spiritual Blessing.

Ephesians 1:3-4 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love”

Q: If you bought a car 3 years ago and the dealership called you up and said they were changing the contract terms, would they be allowed to do it or is the original contract firm?

Now as you answer that question let’s continue our study and discover something neat.

[Galatians 3:15] 15 Brethren, I speak in terms of human relations: even though it is only a man’s covenant,

What is a MAN’s Covenant? The Old or New? It’s the old covenant brought in by Moses.

[Galatians 3:115-18] yet when it has been ratified, no one sets it aside or adds conditions to it.16 Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as referring to many, but rather to one, “And to your seed,” that is, Christ.17 What I am saying is this: the Law, which came four hundred and thirty years later, does not invalidate a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to nullify the promise.18 For if the inheritance is based on law, it is no longer based on a promise; but God has granted it to Abraham by means of a promise.

The point is the new covenant promise was made 430 years before the law ever came in and the law does NOT override the new covenant promise.

[Galatians 3:19-24] 19 Why the Law then? It was added because of transgressions, having been ordained through angels by the agency of a mediator, until the seed would come to whom the promise had been made. 20 Now a mediator is not for one party only; whereas God is only one. 21 Is the Law then contrary to the promises of God? May it never be! For if a law had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed have been based on law. 22 But the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

23 But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed. 24 Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ,

Now you know the purpose of the law. It came because of transgression and to shut you up and lead you to Christ.

[Galatians 3:25-27] so that we may be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a  tutor. 26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

Baptized means placed in. You are always clothed with Christ. You can’t be “unbaptized” by your performance, or lack thereof.

[Galatians 3:28-29] 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. ²⁹ And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.

We are all united as one. Sadly one guy sees predestination a certain way, another has a view on baptism, one a view on grace, another his own opinion on tithing, and then we divide ourselves into denominations and we won’t even talk to each other in some cases. We need to be able to disagree on some points and remain united. Christ is what we have in common and He’s the big deal. We should be talking amongst each other a lot more about Jesus and less about every line of doctrine.

I leave you with this from 1 Corinthians 2:1- 2

And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. ² For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.

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