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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Gal_3:1-5
1You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? 2This 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? 3Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? 4Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? 5So 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?
Gal_3:1; Gal_3:3
NASB, NKJV,
NRSV, TEV "You foolish Galatians"
NJB "are you people in Galatia mad"
This is the term "mind" [nous] with the alpha privative which is translated "foolish" (cf. Luk_24:25). Paul asserts emphatically that they had not clearly thought through the implications of the Judaizers' false teachings (cf. Gal_1:6). As always, these false teachers must have been strong, gifted, logical personalities!
▣ "who has bewitched you" The use of the singular pronoun "who" may be a method of pointing out one primary false teacher to whom Paul was referring (cf. Gal_5:7; Gal_5:10). But this may be reading too much into this context since the plural is used in Gal_5:12.
"Bewitched" is likely a metaphor for mental confusion, though some scholars see it in this context as an OT allusion to "the evil eye," (cf. Deu_15:9; Deu_28:54; Pro_23:6; Pro_28:22; Mat_20:15; Mar_7:22).
▣ "before whose eyes Jesus Christ was portrayed" The Koine Greek papyri found in Egypt (cf. Moulton and Milligan, The Vocabulary of the Greek Testament) have shown that "portrayed" meant (1) to "vividly portray" or (2) an official legal notice posted publicly. This metaphor was used of Paul's clear teaching and preaching of the person and work of Jesus Christ. Evidently, the Galatian churches were turning from Paul's teaching to Jewish legalism.
▣ "as crucified" "Crucified" is a perfect passive participle implying that Jesus remains the crucified One. This may be a title, "the crucified One" (cf. Mat_28:5; Mar_16:6; 1Co_1:23; 1Co_2:2). When we see Him, He will still have the marks of His crucifixion. They are now symbols of His victory!
The passive voice may speak of God the Father as the true agent in the sacrifice of the Son (cf. Isa_53:10; Joh_3:16; 2Co_5:21).
Gal_3:2 "did you receive the Spirit" Receiving the Spirit is not a secondary act of grace (i.e., Act_8:14-17); it occurs when one becomes a Christian (cf. Rom_8:9). One has the Spirit or he/she is not a Christian. The Spirit here is seen as a sign of the New Age spoken of in Jer_31:31-34. "Receive the Spirit" is another way of saying "receive the gospel." Beyond this point in Galatians, Paul mentions the Holy Spirit sixteen times. Paul and John develop the theology of the Spirit more than any other NT authors.
NASB "by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith"
NKJV "by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith"
NRSV "by doing the works of the law or by believing what you heard"
TEV "by doing what the Law requires, or by hearing and believing the gospel"
NJB "was it because you practiced the Law that you received the Spirit, or because you believed what was preached to you"
"Faith" [pistis] is used repeatedly in this chapter and may be interpreted or translated in English as "faith," "trust," or "believe." See the Special Topics on both the OT and NT use of faith at Gal_3:6. The English concepts of believing and trusting are very similar (cf. Gal. 2:26; Gal_3:2; Gal_3:6-9; Gal_3:11-12; Gal_3:14; Gal_3:22; Gal_3:26).
Gal_3:3 "Are you so foolish" This is the same term as in Gal_3:1.
NASB "Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh"
NKJV "Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh"
NRSV "Having started with the Spirit, are you now ending with the flesh"
TEV "You began by God's Spirit; do you now want to finish by your own power"
NJB "Are you foolish enough to end in outward observances what you began in the Spirit"
The grammatical structure of this second clause can be understood as (1) middle voice (NRSV, TEV, JB) or (2) Passive voice (NASB, NKJV). The middle voice emphasized the Galatians' actions while the passive would emphasize an outside agent. The middle voice fits the context best. The Galatians were trying to complete their salvation by their own efforts in fulfilling the Mosaic Law. Both our salvation and maturity are appropriated by grace through faith! The two significant terms in this phrase are also used together in Php_1:6. The rest of Paul's argument will focus on the fact that believers are complete and mature in Jesus Christ and Christ alone.
Paul's statement in Gal_3:3 does not imply that believers do not make choices about how they live. Salvation is a response to God's initiating grace; so, too, is the Christian life is a continuing response to the Spirit's guidance by repentance, faith, obedience, and perseverance. This is progressive Christlikeness (cf. Gal_5:1 to Gal_6:10)!
For "flesh" see Special Topic at Gal_1:16.
Gal_3:4
NASB "Did you suffer so many things in vain"
NKJV "Have you suffered so many things in vain"
NRSV "Did you experience so much for nothing"
TEV "Did all your experience mean nothing at all"
NJB "Have all the favours you received been wasted"
"Suffer" may refer to
1. physical suffering (we do have some record of the churches in southern Asia Minor experiencing Jewish persecution as in Act_14:2; Act_14:5; Act_14:19; Act_14:22)
2. emotional upheaval in their conversion
3. in Greek literature the term can refer to "benefits" (cf. Magill NT TransLine, p. 688)
▣ "if indeed it was in vain" This is a third class conditional sentence. There are two theories about this phrase: (1) it may relate to Gal_1:16 (i.e., Paul's ministry to the Gentiles) or (2) it may relate to Paul's sustained argument about the spiritual futility of trusting in human performance of the Mosaic Law. If they are reverting to human effort then Christ's grace will not help them (cf. Gal_4:11; Gal_5:2-4; 1Co_15:2).
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Gal_3:5 "So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit" God's provision of the Spirit is a reference to initial salvation (cf. Gal_3:14; Rom_8:9). The participle is present active, also used of God's provision in 2Co_9:10. Earlier uses of the word suggest it meant "to lavish upon" or "to grant freely."
▣ "and works miracles among you" This is also a present active participle which may indicate the continuing effect of
1. the miracle of their salvation
2. the accompanying signs and miracles which confirmed the gospel
3. the spiritual gifts (cf. 1 Corinthians 12) which were being manifested within the Galatian congregations
Translators disagree whether the phrase should read "in you," speaking of individuals, or "among you," speaking of "in your midst," speaking of the church.
Did God graciously give all His blessings because they were performing the Law of Moses? No! These miracles were God's confirmation of the true gospel that they received by grace through faith.