Galatians 3

In Galatians 1–2, Paul defends his apostleship and declares that a person is justified not by the works of the law but by faith. In chapter 3 he develops this claim from the Old Testament.

Outline

• Verses 1–5 Paul rebukes the Galatians, calling them "foolish." He then asks whether they received the Spirit by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith.
• Verses 6–9 Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Therefore those who are of faith are the children of Abraham, and the Gentiles are blessed together with him.
• Verses 10–14 Those who are of the works of the law are under the curse. Christ redeemed them by becoming a curse, being hanged on a tree.
• Verses 15–18 The promised seed is one, namely Christ. The law, which came four hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul the covenant God had previously confirmed.
• Verses 19–22 The law was added because of transgressions, and it is not against the promises of God.
• Verses 23–29 The law was a schoolmaster (a household tutor who supervised children) to bring people to Christ. Those who have become children of God by faith are one in Christ and are Abraham's seed.

Key Verses

• Galatians 3:11 "The just shall live by faith" — Quoting Habakkuk 2:4, Paul grounds justification in faith.
• Galatians 3:13 "Christ ... being made a curse for us" — The cross is interpreted as a curse borne in the place of others, making this a major text for the understanding of the atonement.
• Galatians 3:28 "Ye are all one in Christ Jesus" — The verse speaks of a unity that transcends ethnicity, social status, and gender.

People and Places

• Abraham — Presented as the model of one justified by faith.
• Jesus Christ — The one seed promised to Abraham.
• Galatia — The region of central Asia Minor where the churches that received the letter were located.
• The "mediator" in verse 19 is commonly understood to refer to Moses.

Considerations for Reading

• The meaning of "the works of the law": The Reformation tradition reads the phrase as referring broadly to deeds by which one seeks to earn righteousness through merit. The so-called New Perspective on Paul, represented by N. T. Wright and others, reads it as referring to the markers that set Jews apart, such as circumcision and the food laws.
• "Abraham's seed" in verse 29: Covenant theology regards the church as the heir of the Abrahamic covenant. Dispensationalism reads the promises to Israel as distinct from the church.
• Verse 28 and women's ordination: This verse is frequently cited in the debate over women's ordination. Proponents cite it in support of their position, while opponents hold that it speaks only of equality in salvation and is a separate matter from the order of church offices.
• Connections within the New Testament: The argument from Abraham reappears in Romans 4. The quotation from Habakkuk is also used in Romans 1:17 and Hebrews 10:38.