Galatians 3

Study Guide 140: Galatians 3:1-5:12 GOOD NEWS OF FAITH Overview In Galatians we have Paul’ s first powerful defense of the Gospel. Some from the Pharisee party in Judea who had trusted Christ apparently retained their zeal for the Mosaic Law. They traveled to the churches Paul had founded, and taught that the Gentile Christians they must be circumcised and must keep the Law of Moses to be saved. In essence, they said that to be a true Christian a Gentile must become Jewish in lifestyle, and live by the Old Testament’ s code. Paul confronted this view, insisting that what these men taught was different gospel from the Gospel of God’ s grace in Jesus Christ. Paul insisted that there can be no mixture of Law and grace in the Gospel of Christ without robbing the Gospel of its power. Now, in the extended and carefully argued bulk of Galatians, Paul explained why the Law is not for Christians now. Paul’ s argument emphasized three points: The Law is opposed to life (Galatians 3:1-18). The role given Law in Scripture is a limited one (3:19-4:7). And, the Law is an inferior path which leads to spiritual disasters (4:8-5:12). For further background on the New Testament’ s view of Law as it relates to the Christian life, see Study Guide 126.

Commentary In Paul’ s initial defense of his Gospel he reported a conflict which he had with Peter in Antioch. When even Peter was influenced by members of the Pharisee party, and separated himself from Gentile Christians, Paul confronted him. “ We who are Jews by birth,” Paul said, “ know that a man is not justified by observing the Law, but by faith in Jesus Christ” (Galatians 2:15-16). Paul then pointed out that all the Law was able to do was to demonstrate that the one under it was a lawbreaker. There was no power in the Law to create holiness. But the Christian is not under Law, because “ through the Law I died to the Law so that I might live for God” (Galatians 2:19). That is, because of the Christian’ s union with Christ the believer is legally released from the Law. How? By dying with the Saviour. For a person who is “ dead” is not responsible to keep the Old Testament code, but is released from its hold. Thus the Christian, as the old man who was crucified with Christ, no longer lives. But our union with Jesus was not just union in His death (Romans 6:1-6). It was also union with Jesus in His resurrection. Now “ Christ lives in me.” In fact, the daily life of the believer is the Christ life, lived “ by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). This is the key to understanding the Gospel. What the Gospel offers is not just forgiveness, but new life! And that new life is lived by faith, not by a return to the Law. And so, Paul concluded, “ I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the Law, Christ died for nothing” (Galatians 2:21). This powerful and wonderful affirmation of life in Christ, and of faith as the key to our experience of that life, is the background against which Paul now analyzed Law. The Law, while an expression of the holiness of God and good in itself, could never produce life, and indeed has nothing to do with life. If we think of the Gospel of God’ s grace in terms of the new life it provides, and then understand the faith principle which enables us to experience the new life, we will see why legalism is futile. In Galatians 3:1-5:12 we look at the first part of this spiritual equation: the futility of trying to link Law with life. Then, in Galatians 5:13-6:16, we see the second part: the secret of how to live our new life in Christ by faith. LINK TO LIFE: YOUTH / ADULT Begin this session with sharing. Ask simply: “ What has been the greatest help to you in learning to live a Christian life?” Encourage each person to share. When the sharing is complete, introduce the session with a brief review of Galatians 2:11-21. Paul in Galatians rejected the “ different gospel” of the Judaizers who would bring Law back into the believer’ s relationship with God. The contrast that Paul drew between life and Law is the key that helps us trace his argument and outline this great book.

Life Vs. Law Galatians 3-5 Why isn’ t the Law for us now? I. The Law is opposed to life (Galatians 3:1-18). This is demonstrated by: A. Experience: How did you first receive and live your spiritual life? (Galatians 3:1-5) B. Example: How did Old Testament saints receive spiritual life? (Galatians 3:6-9) C. Exposition: What does the Scripture teach about how life is to be received? (Galatians 3:10-18). II. The Law’ s role (3:19-4:7) is shown in Scripture to be severely limited: A. In extent: It is temporary (Galatians 3:19-20). B. In ability: It cannot make alive (Galatians 3:21-22). C. In function: It was a custodian (Galatians 3:23-24). D. In force: It is nullified today (3:25-4:8).

1. Because we are “ in Christ”
2. Because we are now sons III. The Law is an inferior way that now leads to tragic results for the believer (4:8-5:12). Law leads to: A. Dissatisfaction: It robs us of joy (Galatians 4:8-19). B. Bondage: It robs us of freedom (4:20-5:1). C. Powerlessness: It turns us from expectant faith to hopeless effort (Galatians 5:2-12)

Why Not Law? Galatians 3:1-5:12 The major portion of Galatians, as reflected in the outline, is a devastating critique of looking to the Law for help in living the Christian life. Before we trace through each passage, let’ s take a look at some of the particularly significant points Paul made. Importance of faith (Galatians 3:10). Paul spoke in this passage to “ all who rely on observing the Law.” He did not suggest that the Law itself is somehow bad or wrong. What he did insist was that the Law had never had anything to do with faith, and therefore that reliance on the Law, either as a way of salvation, or as a way to work out one’ s salvation, was inappropriate. Paul made an interesting point in Galatians 3:15-18. If the Law was so important, how did people ever get along without it? The Law wasn’ t even introduced until some 430 years after Abraham’ s day. Certainly Abraham and the other patriarchs had meaningful relationships with God! Most important, however, is the fact that the principle of faith in God’ s promise (Galatians 3:16) which was introduced in Abraham was never set aside by the subsequent introduction of Law. Faith has always been the way to God; God’ s promise has never depended on keeping that latecomer, the Law. Law for restraint (Galatians 3:19-29). The Law was introduced because of sin, and thus it relates to sin, not holiness. The Law was to be a temporary expedient, to function only until Christ came. Picture, if you will, a raging tiger trapped behind bars. The bars were introduced because the tiger’ s wild impulses make him dangerous to all. Would anyone expect the bars to tame the tiger? Of course not! That is not the purpose of bars; they are to restrain. What happens, then, if someone does succeed in taming the tiger, using a different principle than putting him in a cage? The bars can be removed! There is no longer any use for them. This, essentially, is Paul’ s argument. Now that faith has come and believers have been “ clothed . . . with Christ” (Galatians 3:27), we have been truly tamed! How foolish, then, to insist that the tamed beast continue to live behind bars! Especially when all along God had affirmed His intention of removing the bars as soon as the new and living Way came (see Jeremiah 31:31-34). Law as teacher (Galatians 4:1-7). Paul used another illustration to make the same point. It was common in the Greek culture of his day to place a young child under the supervision of a family slave, called a pedagogue (a word sometimes translated in Galatians 4:2 as “ guardian,” “ trustee,” “ manager,” etc.). The pedagogue made sure that the child obeyed the parent, whether the child wanted to obey, or not. Until the children would “ receive the full rights of sons” (Galatians 4:5) they were, in fact, no more than the slaves of a slave! They had to obey a slave who obeyed their father. But then the great day came when a child was accepted as an adult. Now the father spoke directly to him. Now the son responded directly to his father. The pedagogue had no more place in their relationship. The Law, Paul said, was a pedagogue. Jesus’ redemption act is that great event in history marking the transition from childhood to sonship. The Law, which up until Jesus had a pedagogue’ s purpose, now had nothing to do with our relationship with God! “ So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir” (Galatians 4:7). It is striking to see what happens when people, still fearing the tiger in them and unable to grasp the fact that Christ really does tame, seek to hide behind the bars of legalism. Such legalism seems at first to promise a certain kind of security. Its bars not only keep us in; they keep others out. But Christ’ s people are not made to cower in barred caves and cages! We have been shaped by God to live on the plains and in the mountains and, yes, in the jungles of the whole wide world. Jesus Himself set us the example. He stepped boldly from the security of heaven and was caught up in the rush and swirl, the joys and agonies of human experience. He entered the homes of publicans and sinners, enjoyed the wedding parties, reached out to touch and heal the hurting, and confronted the hardened Pharisees. Jesus was totally involved — yet uncontaminated. He rubbed shoulders with sinners — and remained pure. He lived with and like other men — and revealed God. His whole life was an adventure. It is to just this kind of adventurous life that you and I are called today. Jesus did not come to bring a new set of bars for our cages. He came to tame the tiger in us and to release us, to live as He Himself lived in the world of men. The meaning of our lives, the adventure of it, isn’ t to be found in the cages that Christians make for themselves and decorate so attractively. No, meaning and joy for us are to be found in stepping outside the old cages, dismissing the no-longer-needed pedagogues, and setting out into the future to live as sons. All too often, Christians draw back. We fear. We don’ t realize that as God’ s sons we now have His life. Like the Judaizers of Paul’ s day, we hurriedly try to shape new bars as fast as God tears them down. In deepest agony Paul cried out to the cage-builders of his day, “ How is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again?” (Galatians 4:9) You will lose your joy there (Galatians 4:15). You will lose your freedom (Galatians 5:1). You will lose your power (Galatians 5:3). You will lose all that Jesus died to make available to you as you live your new life in Him. Falling away (Galatians 5:4). This verse has troubled many. It reads, “ You who are trying to be justified by Law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.” What was Paul saying? It’ s important to realize that here Paul was focusing on present-tense salvation, not on past-tense. What Paul meant when he warned against falling away from grace must be grasped from the context of the passage. Paul had shown that the Law was a pedagogue. Once, Law was the avenue through which a believer experienced his relationship with God. But now that relationship is direct and personal, as with a child who at last receives the “ full rights” of sonship (Galatians 4:5). What, then, if a son keeps going back to his old pedagogue for directions? Clearly, he has alienated himself from the personal relationship. Such a fall from grace back into old practices and ways means simply that the individual is no better off than he was before! All the freedom, all the joy, all the adventure of the life a child of God is to live by faith, has been drained away — traded for something that is worse than nothing. “ Christ will be of no value to you at all” means simply that being a Christian will not make the difference in daily life He intends it to. A person will be no better off than he was before being a Christian, as far as living the Christian life is concerned. This seems a hard thing to say. No better off? Why, heaven has been won, at least. Yes, but the Christian faith is not solely concerned with eternity. The Christian faith includes God’ s affirmation that life now is important too — important to God, important to others, and important to you. The wonderful life that God offers you and me in Christ is one which provides a solid hope for meaning, joy, and fulfillment today. And that life is appropriated by faith, not by trying to keep the Law. LINK TO LIFE: YOUTH / ADULT Draw on the chalkboard the best tiger you can. Explain, as in the author’ s analogy, that the tiger’ s nature makes him dangerous. So we put bars around him to make a cage. Then set your group the task of coming up with predictions and guidelines. Predict: “ What will happen if the bars are removed?” Guidelines: “ Under what condition(s) will it be safe to remove the bars?” After discussion explain that we are the tigers, the Law the bars of the cage, and that if our tiger-nature is changed, there is no need for bars. Then give each group member the outline above, and ask pairs to read through Galatians 3:1-5:12, guided by it. Each pair is to (1) note every reason given why the believer is freed from Law, and (2) to put a check mark beside verses or phrases he or she does not understand. Come back together after 15 to 20 minutes to compare observations and ask questions.

Observations on the Text: Galatians 3:1-5:12 The Law is opposed to life (Galatians 3:1-18). Paul launched his argument against the “ different gospel” of the Judaizers by expressing amazement. Their own experience with God was rooted in faith, not Law (Galatians 3:1-5). “ Did you receive the Spirit by observing the Law, or by believing what you heard?” It was not Law that brought them life; the key in their conversion was faith. “ Are you so foolish?” Paul asked, that “ after beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?” (Galatians 3:3) The Spirit actually had operated among these churches and worked miracles not through observing Law, but “ because you believe what you heard.” It is clear, then, from the experience of modern Christians that life in Christ is a matter of faith from first to last. If life is received and lived by faith, why then turn to the Law as an aid to spiritual attainment? Not only has faith proven to be the key to modern Christian experience, but it was also the key to the experience of Old Testament saints (Galatians 3:6-9). Abraham “ believed God” and it was his faith that was credited to him as righteousness. But why hadn’ t the Law functioned in the spiritual experience of Abraham and all those generations after him whose relationship with God was rooted in faith? Because the Law and faith are contrary principles. Law condemns, bringing under its curse all who do not “ do everything” written in it (Galatians 3:10). Christ died to release us from the “ curse of the Law” so that we might relate to God through faith. The Law, according to the Scriptures, is severely limited (Gal. 3:19-4:7). First, Law was not only added long after faith was introduced as the principle by which we relate to God (Galatians 3:17-18), but was always intended to be temporary, in effect only until Christ (the Seed) came (Galatians 3:19-20). Second, Law never had the function of bringing life; that was the role given to faith (Galatians 3:21-22). Third, Law was merely a pedagogue, a family slave intended to watch over young children until “ faith should be revealed.” Its goal was to “ lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith” (Galatians 3:23-24). Finally, the Law is no longer in force as far as we are concerned (we are “ no longer under the supervision of the Law” ). In Christ we are now “ sons” and as such not subject to a pedagogue. We all — male and female, slave and free — have received the “ full rights of sons.” The phrase, “ full rights of sons,” reflects Roman law rather than Jewish traditions. In Roman law the father had authority over every member of his family. He was also considered to own his children’ s property, and had the right to control their behavior, including the right to discipline. But the father was also committed to help his child, and as an heir, what the father possessed was considered to belong to the child as well. All the resources of God become ours as heirs of God, and we are able to draw directly on them to live our new lives. This relationship is an immediate and personal one, and is not mediated through some go-between who, like Law, has no more standing than a family slave. Attempts to live by the Law lead only to spiritual disaster (Gal. 4:8-5:12). What happens within when a believer tries to live as if under the Law rather than as a son with a direct, immediate relationship with God? The person who tries to relate to God by rigorous legalism will, as the Galatians, lose his or her joy (see Galatians 4:15). That individual will find himself or herself in bondage, living as a slave rather than a freeman (4:21-5:1). Paul considered a historical event a figurative expression of a basic principle (see. Genesis 21:8-21). Sarah, childless, had urged Abraham to follow contemporary custom and father a child with her slave, Hagar. The child of this “ surrogate mother” would legally be Abraham’ s and Sarah’ s. Abraham had finally given in, and Hagar bore a son, Ishmael. But rather than joy, the child brought Sarah only pain. Hagar looked down on her mistress, for it was now clear that her childlessness was not due to Abraham’ s inability to father a child. Ishmael thus became a constant reminder to Sarah of her own failure as a wife. Later, when Sarah did have the child God promised Abraham, Isaac, Sarah’ s resentment increased. By custom Ishmael would receive a major share in Abraham’ s estate. Sarah wanted it all for her son, Isaac. She demanded that Abraham send Ishmael away. At first Abraham refused. He not only cared for Ishmael, but in those days to reject Ishmael would be a crime against the boy. But God intervened. God told Abraham to expel Ishmael and Hagar, and God promised that He would Himself take care of Ishmael and bless him. Reassured but reluctant, Abraham did as his wife urged, but only at God’ s command. Looking back, Paul realized why God told Abraham to do something so foreign to his character. Sarah had been right, but not for her selfish reason when she said, “ Get rid of the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman’ s son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman’ s son” (Genesis 21:10; Galatians 4:30). The principle of promise and of Law simply do not and cannot mix. Only the one who is a son on the basis of God’ s promise can inherit God’ s blessing. There is no hope for one who seeks relationship on the basis of Law. Paul concluded his argument with a powerful statement. Anyone who lets himself be circumcised (that is, places himself under Law) finds that “ Christ will be of no value to you at all” (Galatians 5:2). What did Paul mean? It’ s as if you stood at a fork in the road, with one path leading to the north and the other to the south. You must choose one path or the other. You cannot choose both, for they lead in opposite directions. The Galatian Christians, like you and I, stand always at just such a fork. We must either take the path of relating to God through Law, or of relating to God through the faith. We cannot have it both ways. If we are trying to relate to God through the Law, we are not living by faith. And if we are living by faith, we turn our backs on all that Law implied. Being a Christian will make no practical difference in our lives (“ Christ will be of no value to you” ). We who are called to live in the sphere of God’ s grace will fall from that grace. Our hope for transformation now will be replaced by futile self-effort, for “ the only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love” (Galatians 5:6). As we go on in Galatians we will discover more about what it means to live by faith. But for now, we know one thing for sure. Focusing our attention on trying to keep God’ s Law is not the answer, either for salvation or for the abundant Christian life. There is something, something linked with faith, that provides a far better way.

Teaching Guide Prepare If you are unclear about any of the concepts introduced in this study guide, check for references to the Law and to faith.

Explore Ask each person in your group to list three things that have been most helpful to him or her in growing in the Christian life. Then list on the chalkboard, and discuss. Note particularly whether or not anyone lists the Law or the Ten Commandments as an aid to his or her spiritual growth. If no one does, ask why not. If someone does, ask how it has helped.

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1. Tell the story of the tiger whose wild nature led him to be placed behind bars. Have your group both predict what would happen if the bars were removed, and define conditions under which the bars might be safely removed. See “ link-to-life” above.
2. Explain the image of the Law as pedagogue, which Paul used.
3. Distribute a copy of the outline of chapters 3-5 to each group member. Let them work through the passage in pairs, jotting down any questions, and recording Paul’ s reasons why the Law has no relevance to the Christian’ s life. See “ link-to-life” above.

Apply Share: “ What does it mean to you to hear Paul say: ‘ It is for freedom that Christ has set us free’ ? What is freedom, and how do we stand fast in it?” (Galatians 5:1)