Galatians Chapter 3 1~~ O stupid/asinine Galatians! Who has hypnotized you? Before whose eyes {the mind's eye of the Galatians} Jesus Christ has been publicly displayed crucified among you! {4 questions to illustrate the principal of Grace - 1st - how did you get filled with the Spirit?} 2~~ I could rest my case on this one point only - I desire to learn from you and only you - once and for all - did you receive the Spirit by means of the works of the law or by means of the hearing of doctrine/faith {pistis}? {Note: Pistis means faith or 'that in which we believe' or doctrine. 'Hearing of doctrine/faith' - in the Greek, the phrase more accurately means the whole process of:   1) the willingness to listen to the gospel/bible teaching and then   2) having positive volition and accept what was taught, and   3) accept by faith Christ as your savior and then putting your faith   in His Word/bible doctrine. Paul was asking the Galatians, did they receive the filling the Holy Spirit through the Mosaic Law or when they put their faith in Christ? The obvious answer is 'faith in Christ'. The Galatians did not even hear of the Mosaic Law until after Paul left. Paul only taught Bible Doctrine - the Grace Plan of God. Later the legalistic Jews followed behind Paul to 'straighten out' Paul's teaching. They said the gentiles had to be circumcised to be saved, could not eat pork, keep the Sabbath, on and on.} {2nd question- Are They Questioning the Adequacy of the Filling of the Holy Spirit?} 3~~ Are you so stupid? {Yes we are so stupid!} Having begun in the sphere of the Spirit, are you, yourselves, now made perfect by means of the work the flesh? {Note: Greek syntax requires a Yes response, 'Yes we are that stupid' - verb of absolute status -one who departs from Grace Teachings is 'stupid'.} {3rd question- Are You Questioning the Sustaining Ministry of the Holy Spirit?} 4~~ Have you suffered so many things in vain? If so indeed . . . in vain. {Note: Means then all the persecutions, trials and heartaches of Paul and his team were in vain, empty, and void of effect.} {4th question- Are They Questioning the Manifestation of the Spirit?} 5~~ Therefore, He {God} Who keeps on giving graciously, without limits, to you - to your advantage - the Spirit and {Who - God the Holy Spirit} works with effectiveness providing abilities {both natural and supernatural} inside of you, does He do it by the works of the law or by the hearing of doctrine/faith? {An illustration of Faith} 6-7~~ Even as Abraham BELIEVED in The {Revealed} God, and it {salvation} was credited to him for righteousness 7~~ know you therefore {by study} that they - out from the source of faith/doctrine - the same ones ARE the adult sons of Abraham. {Note: RBT says Christ was the only member of the Godhead to be revealed. Abraham believed in Christ. Salvation has ALWAYS been and ALWAYS will be FAITH ALONE IN CHRIST ALONE.} 8~~ And the scripture foreseeing that God would justify the heathen out from the source of faith/doctrine preached before the gospel unto Abraham saying {Genesis 12:3}, "In you {Abraham} shall all nations be blessed." 9~~So then in conclusion, they - out of the source of faith/doctrine receive blessing in association with The Believing Abraham. {Note: Abraham was born again. He received the gospel directly from God. He saw prophetically that, through the salvation work of Christ on the Cross, 'his descendant' would bring blessing to all nations.} 10~~ For as many as are under the works of the law are under the curse {of the Mosaic Law}. For it is written {Deuteronomy 27:26}, "Cursed be all ones that fail to keep on abiding in ALL things, which are written in the book of the law to do them". {Note: Break one Mosaic Law and you are guilt of breaking them all - Deuteronomy 27:26 - which is part of the Mosaic Law. To be saved by WORKS you must be PERFECT! And, only Christ fulfilled the Mosaic Law. "I do not come to break the law, but to fulfill it."} 11~~ But that no one receives justification in the sphere of the law in the sight of God . . . evident. For, the justified ones shall live out of the source of faith/doctrine. 12~~ And the law is not of faith/doctrine {Leviticus 18:5}, "But, the man that having done them, shall live, in the future, in them." 13~~ Christ has once and for all redeemed us out from the curse of the law, (for it is written {Deuteronomy 21:22-23}, "Under a curse is every one who keeps on hanging on The Wood") having become a curse for us. 14~~For the purpose that the blessing of Abraham might once and for all come on the Gentiles in Jesus Christ with the result that we might once and for all receive the promise of the Spirit through the instrumentality of faith/doctrine. {Note: The 'blessing of Abraham' was 'justification by faith in Christ'.} {Verse 15 continues in 17 with verse 16 in a Parenthetical Clause} 15~~ Brethren, I keep on speaking from the human viewpoint   {debater's technique, assumes something true to prove it false} even though a "human's contract" yet if it be confirmed in the past with the result it continues to be a contract forever   {even human contracts once confirmed are fixed and not   subject to change} then no man keeps on voiding/canceling/reneging on it . . . or adds to it. {Note: The idea here is that 'a man's word was important in these days. How much more important would God's word be to Him?'} 16~~(Now to Abraham and his Seed {singular - only one} were the promises once and for all made. He {God} said not 'and to seeds {plural} as of many {physical Jews}'. But {God did say} 'as of ONE'. And to your Seed {the promises were made} . . . Which/Who is Christ.) 17~~ And this I keep on saying that the covenant that which was ratified before under the authority of God - in Christ - the {Mosaic} law, which was four hundred and thirty years after can NOT disannul {God's contract can not be changed either!} with the result that it should make the promise void {or the contract would be voided - as with a human's contract}! {Note: The Mosaic Law was not an addition to the unconditional promise to Abraham . . . that salvation was by faith in Christ. In Paul's day a contract was binding! There was NO changing it! Even unbelievers kept their word. So, how much stronger was a promise from the Almighty GOD? Would He do less? And in this context, Paul is saying the Mosaic Law was NOT about salvation. It did not add or detract from God's unconditional promise to Abraham in the Abrahamic covenant - and it goes and on forever - faith in Christ will result in salvation - always was, always will be. Second point is by adding anything (legalism) to faith, one is saying God wants to add to the contract. This concept is blasphemy!} 18~~For if the inheritance . . . {be} of the law {then it is} no further by means of promise   {because it would be by means of law}. But God gave {the promise of inheritance} to Abraham by means of promise   {and since it is God's unconditional contract and He will NOT renege}. {Reasons the Mosaic Law is Inferior to the Law of Grace -   1) Mosaic Law is Temporary} 19~~ What is the purpose of the {Mosaic} law? It was added 'because of'/'for the sake of' transgressions   {so mankind could recognize they were breaking God's laws} - ordained through the instrumentality of angels in the hand of a mediator until the Seed {Jesus Christ} should come. To Whom {the Seed - Jesus Christ} the promise was made. {Reasons the Mosaic Law is inferior to the Law of Grace -   2) The Mosaic Law has an Inferior Mediator} 20~~ Now a mediator is not a mediator of one {many angels} but God is one {in essence}. {Reasons the Mosaic Law is inferior to the Law of Grace -   3) Mosaic Law Can Not Give Life} 21~~ Is the {Mosaic} law then against the promises of God? Let it NOT be SO! For if there had been a law given which could have given life - but there isn't - verily righteousness should have been from the source of the law! {Note: The Mosaic Law was trememdous. If any law could have given eternal life, it would have been the Mosaic Law. But there is no following of any law sufficient to give anyone eternal life. All eternal life is in the Son.} {Reasons the Mosaic Law is inferior to the Law of Grace -   4) Mosaic Law is a Jailer - Not a Savior} 22~~ But the scripture has concluded once and for all the human race is under the control of sin for the purpose that a promise {of eternal life} by faith in Jesus Christ might be - once and for all - given to them who believe. {Why Do We Have the Mosaic Law?  What is the Purpose of the Mosaic Law?} 23~~ But before The faith/doctrine came {before we were saved} we were kept under the law {guarded by a jailer} shut up outside the area of the faith/doctrine which should afterwards {after salvation} about to be revealed. {Note: The Mosaic Law is for all humanity - believer and unbeliever alike. If an unbelieving society adopts the 'laws for establishment' set up in the Mosaic Law, they will develop a strong society in which evangelism can thrive. In the Church Age, bible doctrine can only be understood under the ministry of the filling of God the Holy Spirit. Unbelievers can not understand doctrine until they are saved. And, believers can not grow spiritually without the use of rebound (I John 1:9) restoring fellowship and the filling of God the Holy Spirit.} 24~~ Wherefore the law became our 'paidagogos' which lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith/doctrine. {Note: A 'paidagogos' was a slave that took the children to school . . . an olden day 'school bus'. Coming up, we will see that until salvation we are minor children - hardly greater than slaves - at salvation we go through a change or 'adoption' and become 'adult sons' in union with Christ.} 25~~ But after that faith/doctrine is come we are no longer under a paidagog. {Note: Means we get off the bus! See the previous verse.} 26~~ For you keep on being all the children of God through the instrumentality of faith in Christ Jesus. {Verses 27-29 Principal of Inheritance} 27~~ For as many of you as have once and for all received baptism {of the Holy Spirit} into {union with} Christ {spiritual baptism} have once and for all put on Christ. {Note: The 'toga' of adulthood'.} 28~~ There is neither Jew nor Greek {no racial distinctions at the point of salvation}, there is neither bond nor free {no economic class differences}, there is neither male nor female {no sexual differences} . . . for you are all ONE in Christ Jesus. 29~~ And if you are Christ's - and you are - then you are Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise. {Note: Here Paul is referring to the Abrahamic covenant salvation by faith in Christ - by the Grace of God.} ************************************************ This page is sponsored by Kenneth Sidley, CPA, an Orange County California CPA (949) 706-3133. 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