Search The Scriptures —Study 3 — Galatians 3:1-18

Study 3 From The Book of Galatians Is: Galatians 3:1-18

These verses are a fourfold argument in proof of 2:16: (a) verses 1-5, an argument from experience, (b) verses 6-9, an argument from Scripture teaching about Abraham (c) verses 10-14, an argument from the meaning of Christ’s death, and (d) verses 15-18, an argument from the fact that the covenant of promise was long prior to the giving of the law.

     1.      Unravel the arguments used by Paul in these verses to demonstrate that justification and enjoyment of the gift of the Spirit are by faith in Christ, and not by ‘works of the law’ (i.e., our own law-keeping).

2.      Verses 10-18. Distinguish between law and promise and between works and faith as bases in God’s dealing with men.  What two benefits has Christ made available for us by His redeeming work?

Notes

1. Verses 2, 5. ‘By hearing with faith’: this is an abbreviate expression for hearing the word of the gospel and receiving it with responsive or obedient faith. Cf. Rom. 10:8-17
2. Verse 7. 'The sons of Abraham': in the sense of spiritual likeness. Jn. 8:39.
3. Verses 8.9. Paul interprets the promise of Gn. 12:3b to mean that just as Abraham received the blessing of justification by faith (Gn. 15:6), so a time would come when men of all nations would ' in Abraham', i e, through his seed, which is Christ (verse 14, 16), receive the same blessing in the same way.LINK TO THE VERSES LISTED