O, unreflecting Galatians, who bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was placarded publicly as the crucified One? This only am I desiring to learn from you. By means of law works did you receive the Spirit or by means of the message which proclaims faith? Are you so unreflecting? Having begun by means of the Spirit, now are you being brought to spiritual maturity by the flesh? So many things did you suffer in vain? If indeed they really were in vain? Therefore, the One who is constantly supplying the Spirit to you in bountiful measure, and constantly working miracles among you, by means of law works is He doing these things, or by means of the message which proclaims faith?
Just as Abraham believed God, and his act of faith was credited to him, resulting in his righteousness. You perceive, therefore, that those who are of faith, these are sons of Abraham. And the scripture, forseeing that on a basis of faith God justifies the Gentiles, announced the good news beforehand to Abraham, namely, All the Gentiles shall be blessed in you. So that those who are believing ones are being blessed in company with believing Abraham.
10–14 For as many as are of the works of the law are under curse, for it stands written, Cursed is every one who is not remaining constantly in all things which stand written in the book of the law in order to do them. But that in a sphere of law no one is being justified in the sight of God is clear, because, The righteous man shall live by means of faith. And the law is not of faith; but the one who has done them shall live in them. Christ delivered us by the payment of ransom from the curse of the law by becoming a curse in behalf of us, because it stands written, Accursed is everyone who is suspended upon a tree, in order that to the Gentiles the blessing of Abraham might come in Jesus Christ, to the end that the promise of the Spirit we [Jew and Gentile] might receive through faith.
15–18 Brethren, what I have to say is in accordance with common human practice. Even though it be a man’s covenant, when it has finally been ratified, no man annuls it nor adds stipulations to it. Now to Abraham were made the promises, and to his Descendant. He does not say, And to the descendants, as in respect to many descendants, but in respect to one Descendant, and to your Descendant, who is Christ. This now is what I mean. A covenant previously established by God, the law which came after four hundred and thirty years does not render void with the result that the promise becomes inoperative, for if the inheritance is from law [as a method of divine dealing], no longer is it from promise [as a method of divine dealing]. But to Abraham, through the intermediate instrumentality of promise, God has in grace freely bestowed it.
19–23 What is then the significance of the law? For the sake of transgressions it was added until there should come the Descendant to whom the promise was made, having been promulgated by angels through the instrumentality of the hand of a mediator. Now, the mediator is not a go-between representing the interests of one individual, but God is one individual. Is therefore the law against the promises of God? God forbid. For if a law had been given which was able to impart life, righteousness in that case would have been from the law. But the scripture shut up all under sin in order that the promise on the ground of faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. But before the aforementioned faith came, under law we were constantly being guarded, being shut up with a view to the faith about to be revealed.
24–29 So that the law became our guardian until Christ, in order that on the grounds of faith we might be justified; but this faith having come, no longer are we under the guardian, for all of you are God’s sons through faith in Christ Jesus, for as many as were introduced into union with Christ, put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. And since you are Christ’s, then are you Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to the promise.
1–7 Now I say, that as long as the heir is in his minority, he does not differ one bit from a slave, even though he is owner of all, but is under guardians and stewards until the time previously fixed by his father. In like manner, we also, when we were in our minority, were in a permanent state of servitude under the rudimentary first principles of mankind. But when there came the fulness of the time, God sent off His Son, woman-born, made subject to law, in order that He might deliver those under law to the end that we might be placed as adult sons. And because you are sons, God sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts crying, Abba [namely], my Father. So that no longer are you a slave but a son, and since you are a son, you are also an heir through God
8–11 But at that time, in fact, not knowing God, you were in a slave’s bondage to the gods which are not gods by nature. But now having come to know God, indeed, rather having become known by God, how is it possible that you are turning back again to the weak and beggarly rudimentary principles to which you are again bent on being in bondage? Days you are scrupulously and religiously observing, and months, and seasons, and years. I am afraid about you lest perhaps in vain I have labored to the point of exhaustion for you.
12–20 Become as I am, because I also became as you were, brethren; I am beseeching you. You had done me no wrong. But you know that because of an infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel to you on the occasion of my first visit. And the test to which you were subjected and which was in my flesh, you did not loathe nor utterly despise, but as a messenger of God you received me, as Christ Jesus. Where is therefore your spiritually prosperous state? For I bear witness to you that if it had been possible, you would have dug out your own eyes and given them to me. So then I have become your enemy because I am telling you the truth? They are zealously paying you court, but not honestly, desiring to isolate you in order that you might be paying court to them. But it is good to be zealously courted in a good thing at all times, and not only when I am present with you, my born ones, concerning whom I am again striving with intense effort and anguish until Christ be outwardly expressed in you. Moreover, I was wishing that I were present with you at this very moment and could thus change my tone, because I am perplexed about you.
21–31 Be telling me, you that are bent upon being under law, are you not hearing the law? For it stands written, Abraham had two sons, one from the maidservant and one from the freewoman. But, on the one hand, the son of the maidservant was one born in the ordinary course of nature. On the other hand, the son of the freewoman was one born through the promise, which class of things is allegorical. For these are two covenants, one from Mount Sinai, begetting bondage, which is as to its nature classed as Hagar. Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to the Jerusalem which now is, for she is in bondage with her children. But the Jerusalem which is above is free, which is our Mother. For it stands written, Rejoice, barren woman who does not bear. Break forth and cry, you who do not travail, because more are the children of the desolate than of the one who has a husband. And, as for you, brethren, after the manner of Isaac are you children of promise. But just as then, he who was born according to the flesh was constantly persecuting him who was born according to the Spirit, so also now. But what does the scripture say? Throw out the maidservant and her son. For the son of the maidservant shall by no means inherit with the son of the freewoman. Therefore, brethren, we are children, not of a maidservant, but of the freewoman.
1–12 For this aforementioned freedom Christ set you free. Keep on standing firm therefore and stop being subject again to a yoke of bondage. Behold, I, Paul, am saying to you that if you persist in being circumcised, Christ will be advantageous to you in not even one thing, and I solemnly affirm again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to do the whole law. You are without effect from Christ, such of you as in the sphere of the law are seeking your justification. You have lost your hold upon [sanctifying] grace. For, as for us, through the agency of the Spirit, on the ground of faith, a hoped-for righteousness we are eagerly awaiting, for in Christ Jesus neither circumcision is of any power nor uncircumcision, but faith coming to effective expression through love. You were running well. Who cut in on you and thus hindered you from obeying the truth? This persuasion is not from the One who calls you. A little yeast is permeating the whole lump. As for myself, I have come to a settled persuasion in the Lord with respect to you, namely, that you will take no other view than this. But the one who troubles you shall bear his judgment, whoever he is. And I, brethren, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I in spite of this fact still being persecuted? Then the stumbling block of the Cross has been done away. I would that they who are upsetting you would even have themselves mutilated.
13–15 For, as for you, upon the basis of freedom you were called, brethren. Only do not turn your liberty into a base of operations for the evil nature, but through love keep on constantly serving one another, for the whole law in one utterance stands fully obeyed, namely, in this, Love your neighbor as you do yourself. But if, as is the case, you are biting and devouring one another, take heed lest you be consumed by one another.
16–21 But I say, Through the instrumentality of the Spirit habitually order your manner of life, and you will in no wise execute the passionate desire of the evil nature, for the evil nature constantly has a strong desire to suppress the Spirit, and the Spirit constantly has a strong desire to suppress the evil nature. And these are entrenched in an attitude of mutual opposition to one another so that you may not do the things that you desire to do. But if you are being led by the Spirit you are not under law. Now the works of the evil nature are well known, works of such a nature as, for example, fornication, uncleanness, wantonness, idolatry, witchcraft, enmities, strife, jealousy, angers, self-seekings, divisions, factions, envyings, drunkenness, carousings, and the things of such a nature which are like these things, respecting which things I am telling you beforehand even as I told you in advance, that those who are in the habit of practicing things of that nature shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
22–26 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, self-control. Against such things as these there is no law. And they who belong to Christ Jesus crucified the evil nature with its dispositions and cravings once for all. In view of the fact that we are being sustained in spiritual life by the Spirit, by means of the Spirit let us go on ordering our conduct. Let us stop becoming vain-glorious, provoking one another, envying one another.
Kenneth S. Wuest, The New Testament: An Expanded Translation (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1961), Ga 3:1–5:26.
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