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Gal.3:1. O foolish Galatians! Who deceived you not to submit to the truth, you, who had before your eyes Jesus Christ as if he were crucified? “O foolish Galatians, who has deceived you, 2 not to submit to the truth?” Reproach is combined with praise. For they envy the rich and not the poor, the prosperous and not the unfortunate. Why does the apostolic word make it possible to see their former zeal for piety; He also shows fatherly love in the Apostle, because he laments about them as having lost their collected wealth. What envious and malicious demon, says the Apostle, stole your wonderful wealth? “For before their eyes Christ was ordained to be, crucified in you.” So you believed, as if you had seen the very Cross of Christ. Then the Apostle compares law and grace and gives indisputable evidence. Gal.3:2. I just want to know this from you: did you receive the Spirit through the works of the law, or through instruction in faith? “This is the only thing I want to take away from you, whether you have received the Spirit from the works of the law, or from the hearing of faith?” At that time, those who were worthy of spiritual grace spoke, prophesied, and performed miracles in various languages, confirming the preaching with miracles. Therefore, the Apostle said the following here: did the law give you the effectiveness of the Divine Spirit or only faith in the Lord? Gal.3:3. Are you so foolish that, having begun in the spirit, you are now ending in the flesh? “Is it so senseless? Having begun in spirit, are you now finished in the flesh?” He called grace spirit, and life under the law - flesh, because what was excessive in the law seemed like bodies; the body included circumcision, keeping the Sabbath, leprosy, sprinkling, and all the like. Then the Apostle takes the blame from the suffering they suffered Gal.3:4. Have you gone through so much without any benefit? Oh, if only there was no benefit! “Are you going to suffer too much?” For we suffered not for the law, but for Christ. But, having left Christ and loved the lawful life, you no longer have any benefit from suffering. However, showing them good hope, the Apostle added: “Also totoiyu and tuna.” For if you wish to remain in grace, then you will receive the reward for your suffering. Then he expresses himself more clearly about talents. Gal.3:5. Does He who gives you the Spirit and performs miracles among you do these things through the works of the law, or through instruction in faith? “Give therefore the Spirit and make power work in you, whether by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith?” Thus, having shown the fruit of faith, he again praises them for what they had done before. Gal.3:6. So Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness. “Like Abraham believed God, and count it to him as righteousness.” He wrote about this at greater length in the Epistle to the Romans, but here he briefly lets us know that Abraham was justified by faith and that the children of faith are called the sons of Abraham. For this is what he added. Gal.3:7. Know then that those who believe are the sons of Abraham. “Understand that these are of faith, these are the sons of Abraham.” He says exactly how one becomes sons. Gal.3:8. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, foreshadowed to Abraham: in you all nations will be blessed. Gal.3:9. So believers are blessed with faithful Abraham. “Now the scripture foreknew, that by faith God would justify the nations, first preaching the gospel to Abraham: that through thee all the nations shall be blessed. In the same way, those who are of faith will be blessed with faithful Abraham." God has long since determined and foretold this. For Abraham promised the blessing of the nations. Therefore, if anyone wants to be worthy of kinship with Abraham, then let him imitate his faith. Thus, having praised faith and its fruits, showing it in the gifts of the Spirit, proving by the testimony of the law itself that faith is older than the law, because the Old Testament tells about Abraham, the Apostle compares the law with faith, showing their difference. Gal.3:10. And all who are established in the works of the law are under an oath. For it is written: Cursed is everyone who does not continually do all that is written in the book of the law. “Those who are born of the works of the law are those who are under an oath.” Where does this come from? “For it is written: Cursed is everyone who does not abide in all that is written in the Book of Law, as I have done.” The law commands to fulfill everything prescribed in it and subjects those who violate anything to oaths. Gal.3:11. But that by law no one is justified before God is clear, because the righteous will live by faith. And “for in the law no one will be justified by God.” Where does "yave" come from? For the righteous will live by faith” (Hab. 2:4). The Apostle confirmed his word by prophetic testimony. Gal.3:12. But the law is not of faith; but whoever does it will live by it. “The law does not come from faith, but whoever created it will live in them.” The law does not seek faith, but requires activity and promises life to those who keep it. Gal.3:13. Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, becoming a curse for us (for it is written: Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree). “Christ has redeemed us from the legal oath, becoming an oath against us.” The Apostle, having shown that the law curses all those who do not preserve everything prescribed in it, also showed that according to the law no one can be justified. Therefore, it shows that since everyone was under the curse of the law, Christ freed us from this curse. He says exactly how he freed him. “It is written: Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree” (Deut. 21:23). since everyone was subject to the oaths of the law, he himself accepted death, cursed by the law, in order to free all people from the oath and grant everyone the promised blessing. For this is added by the Apostle. Gal.3:14. So that the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith. “Let the blessing of Abramlah be upon Christ Jesus among the nations, that we may receive the promise of the Spirit by faith.” For the blessing promised to the nations through Abraham bestows upon those who believe the grace of the Spirit. Having thus shown that faith is older than the law, it also makes it clear that the law cannot become an obstacle to the Divine promises. Gal.3:15. Brethren! I speak from human reasoning: even a will approved by a person cannot be canceled or added to by anyone. “Brethren, I speak according to man,” that is, I am guided by what is happening among people. “No one rejects or commands both the pre-established covenant of mankind.” A will drawn up by someone well, with a good purpose in all order, is not allowed to be distorted, and it is impossible to add anything to it. Then from this similarity the Apostle moves on to his subject. Gal.3:16. But promises were given to Abraham and to his seed. It is not said: and to descendants, as if about many, but as about one: and to your seed, which is Christ. Gal.3:17. What I say is that the covenant about Christ, previously established by God, is not abolished by the law, which appeared four hundred and thirty years later, so that the promise loses its validity. “The vows were made to Abraham, and to his seed. He does not say: “And by seed, as about many, but as about one, and to your Seed, who is Christ: but this I say, the covenant that was foretold of God in Christ, which was four hundred years old, and the law did not sweep away thirty years, so as to destroy the promise.” And the Old Testament Scripture calls the promise that was to Abraham the covenant of God. Therefore, it is impossible that any addition or violation should follow in it as a result of the law that occurred after a long time. The God of all promised to bless the nations with the seed of Abraham; and this Seed is the Lord Christ Himself. For by Him this promise was fulfilled and the nations received the blessing. All the others, even those who have achieved the highest virtue, Moses, Samuel, Elijah, in a word, all who descend from Israel by nature, although they are called the seed of Abraham, are not the Seed that brought the source of blessing to the nations. For this is what the divine Apostle says: “He does not say: and by seed, as of many, but as of one: and to your Seed, Who is Christ.” Consequently, it is not because they also descend from Abraham that they are called the seed of Abraham, but because Christ in the proper sense has this name, as the only one who had the promise to bestow blessing on the nations. God said: “All the nations of the earth will be blessed because of your seed” (Gen. 22:18). But the peoples did not receive this blessing from anyone else. Therefore the divine Apostle proves that the promise is stronger than the law, and says: Gal.3:18. For if the inheritance is by law, it is no longer by promise; but God gave it to Abraham according to promise. “For if the inheritance is from the law, no one is from the promise: but to Abraham was given God by promise.” For the law imposed an oath on those subject to the law, frightening them with this threat and thereby wanting to lead them to the fulfillment of what was due, but the promise offers blessing to the nations. Then the Apostle resolves the objection that presents itself, namely the following: the law was given unnecessarily if the promise contained a blessing. Therefore, it explains the need for legislation. Gal.3:19. What is the law for? It was given after the transgressions, before the coming of the seed to which the promise relates, and was given through the Angels, by the hand of a mediator. “What the hell is the law?” This should be read as the objection of the Galatians. It would be desirable for you, says the Apostle, to find out why the law was given? I'll explain this to you. “For the sake of transgressions, be added, until the Seed comes, to whom it was promised, the Angels committed it by the hand of an intercessor.” The law was given to encourage the care of that generation from which this Seed was to arise in the flesh; given with the assistance of Angels and in the service of the legislation of Moses, because the Apostle called him an intercessor. He also mentioned Angels in the Epistle to the Hebrews and said this: “If the word spoken by the Angels” (Heb. 2:2). For the God of all has set Michael over them. And this is what blessed Daniel taught us (Dan. 10:21). And God promised the great Moses that he would send an Angel with him to the people (Ex. 32:34). Gal.3:20. But there is no mediator with one, but there is only one God. “There is but one intercessor.” For he was a mediator between the people and God. “There is one God,” who gave the promise to Abraham, and who established the law, and who has now shown us the fulfillment of the promise. For it was not another God who organized the first, but another the last. Gal.3:21. So the law is contrary to the promises of God? No way! For if a law had been given that could give life, then true righteousness would have come from the law. “Is the law then against the promise of God? It won't happen. If the law had been given so that it could be revived, there would truly be righteousness from the law.” The God of all things spoke this through the mouth of Ezekiel: “And I gave them commandments that are not good and justifications, in which they shall not live” (Ezekiel 20:25), expressing himself in such a way that there was excess in the law, which nature itself did not prescribe, and meaning the laws about sacrifices, about lepers, about those who shed semen, and the like. For what is necessary in the law is life-giving, this was also spoken by God through the mouth of the same Prophet: “And I gave them commandments and justifications, whatever man would do, and he would live in them” (Ezek. 20:11). But since, God says, they violated them, He gave them “commandments that are not good and excuses that you will not live in.” And he called these commandments not bad, but unkind, completely indecent to the perfect. Likewise, breast milk is unpleasant for those who have reached adulthood, but suitable for babies. The divine Apostle said the same thing here: “If the law were given so that it could be revived, truly there would be righteousness from the law.” For the excesses of the law aroused astonishment in the Divine Church. Gal.3:22. But the Scripture has concluded everyone under sin, so that the promise might be given to those who believe through faith in Jesus Christ. “But shut up the scripture of all under sin, so that the promise of faith in Jesus Christ may be given to those who believe.” For. The Divine Scripture convicted everyone - both those who lived before the law and those who lived under the law - of violating, some - the natural law, and others - the Law of Moses, while offering healing to both of them the promised salvation through faith. For the Apostle said again: “shut,” instead of: “convicted.” Gal.3:23. And before the coming of faith, we were imprisoned under the guard of the law, until the time when it was necessary to open ourselves to faith. “Before the coming of faith under the law, be careful that it is closed to the faith that wants to be opened.” For, as if by some kind of wall, the Israelite race was supposed to be protected until the “expectation of the tongues” came forth (Gen. 49:10). Gal.3:24. So the law was our guide to Christ, so that we might be justified by faith. “The same law guides us to be in Christ, that we may be justified by faith.” Therefore, the law was given out of necessity, for it replaced a teacher for us, and as it freed us from previous wickedness, it taught us the knowledge of God; as if to some wise mentor, leads us to the Lord Christ, so that we can hear perfect lessons from Him and acquire justification by faith. Gal.3:25. But with the coming of faith, we are no longer under the guidance of a teacher. “The faith that has come is no longer under the guidance of Esma.” Those who have reached a perfect state no longer need a mentor to take care of them. Gal.3:26. For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.” The apostle showed the perfection of those who believed. For what is more perfect than those who are called sons of God? It also indicates the method of birth. Gal.3:27. All of you who were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. “For as many as you have been baptized into Christ, have put on Christ.” since he said that “you are all sons of God,” he explains how you achieved this, and says: “put on Christ,” the true Son of God; having put on Him, you are rightly called sons of God. Gal.3:28. There is no longer Jew or Gentile; there is neither slave nor free; there is neither male nor female: for you are all one in Christ Jesus. “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.” He said: “one”, instead of: “one body”; because Christ is our head. And therefore, one should not know the difference between a servant and a master, between male and female, between Jew and Greek. Gal.3:29. If you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise. “Are you Christ’s, for you are Abraham’s seed and an heir according to the promise.” The Apostle called the faithful sons of God. Then he showed the method of sonhood. For he says: “Having put on Christ, who is truly the Son of God, you are rightly called sons of God.” Thus again pairs us with Abraham. For if we are the body of Christ, and Christ is our head, who is called the seed of Abraham, then through Him we are united by faith with Abraham and have received the promised blessing. For it is impossible for the head to be recognized as Abraham’s, and the body to belong to someone else. In Greek: έβάσκανε, which means: seduced and envied. You might be interested in: