Galatians 3

Galatians 3:1

O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?

O ye foolish Galatians, how comes it to pass, that ye are so bewitched, by your glozing and false teachers, as to be carried away from your obedience to the truth of the Gospel; ye, which have Christ Jesus so clearly and openly preached unto you, as if ye had seen him hanging upon the cross before you?

Galatians 3:2

This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

Let me ask you but this question: Ye believe that ye have received the Spirit of God; tell me then, whence had you it? did you receive it by doing the Works of the Law; by the gift of these circumcisers? or did ye receive it upon your hearing and believing of the Gospel, and that word of Faith which ye heard of us?

Galatians 3:3

Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?

Are ye so foolish, as having begun in the profession of the doctrine of Justification by Faith, ye will now seek to be perfected by circumcision in the flesh, and other carnal observances?

Galatians 3:4

Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain.

Have ye in vain suffered so much for the defence and profession of the Gospel? if, at least, it be in vain; as certainly it is in vain, if ye now fly off from the sincerity and truth thereof.

Galatians 3:5

He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

The Apostles of Christ, who, by laying on of hands, gave you the miraculous gifts of the Spirit, and wrought strange wonders among you, did they do it upon your doing of the Works of the Law, or upon your receipt of the doctrine of Faith?

Galatians 3:8

Preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.

Preached before unto Abraham, even ere he was circum- VOL. IV. E e cised, this glad tidings of the Gospel; saying, Thy name shall be used in all benedictions; and thou shalt be a pattern and rule of blessings to all nations.

Galatians 3:9

So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.

So then, they, which do truly believe, are so blessed, as faithful Abraham was.

Galatians 3:10

For as many as are of the works of the law, are under the curse: &c.

For, as many as depend upon the Works of the Law for their Justification, are under the curse, in not performing the Law; as it is written, Cursed, &c.

Galatians 3:12

And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.

The Law doth not stand upon the requiring of our Faith as a condition of our Justification and Salvation; but stands upon these terms, The man, that doth them, shall in and by them obtain life.

Galatians 3:13

Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:

Christ hath redeemed us from that curse, which must needs follow upon the breach of the Law; in that he, who was in his own person most holy and blessed, in the person of us sinners and for us for whose sins he came to satisfy his Father he is made a curse; as it is written, &c. See Deut. xxi. 23.

Galatians 3:14

That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ.

That the blessing, which was promised to Abraham, might, &c. that we, through Faith, might receive that good Spirit of Sanctification, which he hath promised.

Galatians 3:15

Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man’s covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulled, or addeth thereto.

Brethren, let me fetch an argument even from your human affairs: If it be but a man’s covenant, yet, if it be ratified and confirmed, no man takes upon him to disannul or to alter it: how much more shall the covenant, that God himself made with Abraham, be firm and inviolable!

Galatians 3:16

Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.

Now to Abraham and to his seed were the promises made; I will be the God of thee and thy seed; and, In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed: and though the word Seed do, in the signification thereof, imply a collection or multitude; yet, in this sense, it is, in the use and intention of God, restrained to one, even Christ, who is, by a specialty, that seed

Galatians 3:17

And this I say, that the covenant that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.

And this I infer hereupon: this being an Evangelical Covenant, which was made beforehand with Abraham of blessing and salvation, to be had by and in his seed Christ; it cannot be, that the Law, which was given four hundred and thirty years after, should disannul it, and make this so ancient and firm a promise of none effect.

Galatians 3:18

For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.

For the Law and the Promise cannot both stand together: if Righteousness and Salvation be by the Works of the Law, then it is not to be had, by virtue of the Promise; but God gave it to Abraham, by Promise; therefore not upon Works.

Galatians 3:19

Wherefore then serveth the law? it was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.

If the Promise then were sufficient, wherefore serves the Law? why came that so long after, if the Promise, made so long before, were enough to save men? Surely there are other uses of the Law, and other occasions of the delivering of it: as, for one, the Law was given to bridle and restrain the transgressions of men; to shew them their sins and imperfections, that, in a sense of their vileness, they might seek unto Christ, who is that seed in whom the promise of the blessing was both made and accomplished; and this law was ordained and given of God, by the ministry of angels, in the hand of a third person, that should go between God and his people, as a messenger or mediator; even Moses, who was to take the Law from the hand of angels, and deliver it to the people.

Galatians 3:20

Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one.

Now a mediator implies a difference: there cannot be a mediator, where there is but one side: God being one therefore, the people must be the other party; and thereupon it will follow, that the Law is so far from an intendment of giving life, as that, in the delivery of it, it argues a difference betwixt God and his people.

Galatians 3:21

Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.

What then? is God, in these proceedings, contrary to himself, in giving a Law and Promises contrary to each other? as if he would have saved men by the Law first; and then, alter- E e 2 ing his purpose, resolved to save them by his Promise? God forbid: no; God is constant to his own determinations herein: for if men could have attained to life by the keeping of the Law, there had been no use of the Righteousness of Faith.

Galatians 3:22

But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.

But now the Scripture hath made known to us our universal sinfulness, wherewith every soul is tainted, and bound over to death; so as no man can look for any advantage from the Law; so as now there is just room made for the necessary supply of the promises of salvation by Faith in Christ, to be obtained of all them, that believe in him.

Galatians 3:23

But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.

But, before this happy supply of Faith came, we were all obnoxious unto the Law, and to the condemnation threatened to the breakers of it; and were, as it were, shut up close prisoners under the Law, and reserved for this comfortable release of Faith in that Saviour which should afterward be revealed.

Galatians 3:24

Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

Wherefore the Law was not intended to perfect us, as of itself; but only to be our schoolmaster, to train us up unto the higher form of Christ; that by it we, being convinced of our own imperfections and dangers, might seek for our Justification by Faith in Christ.

Galatians 3:25

But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

But after that Faith is once wrought in the heart, we are no longer under the tyranny, rigour, malediction of the Law; which is as the ferule of that hard schoolmaster.

Galatians 3:26

For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

For ye are all now the children of God by Faith in Jesus Christ; even the children of God, not the slaves or pupils of the Law: and therefore do now obey the Law, as out of the duty of sons, not out of constraint; as a rule of life, not as a means of your Justification.

Galatians 3:27

For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

For as many of you, as have been baptized into Christ, have made Christ your own; and are clothed with his graces, with his merits.

Galatians 3:28

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

God makes no difference now betwixt nations and persons:

Galatians 3:29

And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye that special seed of Abraham, to which the Promise is made; and, by consequence, ye are the inheritors of the blessing promised.