3:1 O foolish Galatians One of most emotionally charged addresses in all of Paul’s letters. Paul is referring not to mental incompetence, but to a lack of wisdom.

who has bewitched you Paul asks this question rhetorically of his audience. He isn’t seeking the identities of the agitators; rather, he is commenting on the Galatians’ rejection of freedom in Christ. It’s as though someone has cast a spell on them.

Christ was publicly portrayed as having been crucified Refers to the gospel, which Paul himself had presented to the Galatians (1:8). Elsewhere in his letters, Paul uses the crucifixion as shorthand for the gospel message (1 Cor 1:23; 2:2).

3:2 the Spirit by the works of the law Paul’s question is an appeal to the Galatians’ own experience. When Paul presented his gospel message, the Galatians believed and received the Spirit without submitting to the agitators’ instruction about circumcision, food laws, or calendar observance.

3:3 trying to be made complete by the flesh The agitators might have told the Galatians that keeping the law would make them legitimate or mature believers.

3:4 Have you suffered Refers to the Galatians’ spiritual experiences (Gal 3:5) or possibly to social ostracism experienced because of the gospel. Paul rhetorically asks the Galatians whether they forgot these experiences in favor of observing the law.

3:5 by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith Paul’s question sets up a contrast between law and faith that will be addressed further in chs. 3–4 (compare 2:16).

3:6 believed God Refers to trusting that God will fulfill His promises (Gen 15:6). God had promised Abraham an heir and countless descendants (Gen 15:4–5).

3:7 sons of Abraham Refers to those who express faith like Abraham—not Abraham’s biological sons. Abraham represents the model of faith for all believers, both Jews and non-Jewish people (Gentiles).

3:8 scripture In this context, this refers to what is now called the ot.

God would justify the Gentiles by faith Paul argues here that his gospel message—the justification of Gentiles through faith apart from the law—was always part of God’s plan. Elsewhere, Paul refers to this as a mystery (Rom 16:25; Eph 1:9; 3:9). Inclusion in the people of God would occur by faith in Christ, the promised seed of Abraham (Gal 3:7–8).

Faith

In you all the nations will be blessed This quotation comes from Gen 12:3. In the context of Galatians, this blessing is the Spirit and the gift of justification by faith.

3:9 who have faith are blessed together with Abraham Paul emphasizes that faith, not ethnicity, is the determining factor—which means that Gentile believers like the Galatians can share in Abraham’s blessing.

3:10 law are under a curse Paul draws on Deut 27:26 and 28:58 to show that every person—whether Jew or Gentile—who relies on works of the law is under the curse of the law. That curse stands in direct contrast to the blessing of Abraham that comes to those who trust God—including Gentiles (Gal 3:6–9).

for it is written A standard formula used to introduce a quotation from Scripture.

abide by all the things that are written Paul quotes Deut 27:26 to inform the Galatians that they must obey the entire law, not just portions of it. Failure to do so results in curse, not blessing.

3:11 by the law See Gal 2:16 and note.

who is righteous will live by faith Paul’s quotation from Hab 2:4 provides evidence that justification by faith was always part of God’s plan of salvation. People were not saved by the law in the ot only to be saved by faith in the nt—salvation has always come by faith. Also important to Paul’s argument is that Hab 2:4 does not distinguish between Gentiles and Jews in reference to righteousness. Faith is what matters to God—not a person’s ethnicity.

3:12 the law is not from faith This phrase means that the law is based on doing, not trusting. Paul’s point here is not that the law fails to justify those who do its works, but that God did not intend for the law to make people righteous. Paul cites Lev 18:5 in this verse to show that Scripture itself teaches that the law’s function is to provide a way to live obediently under God’s rule (see Rom 10:5; compare Luke 10:27–28).

3:13 Christ redeemed us from the curse God’s provision through Christ’s death on the cross enables believers to no longer live under the threat of condemnation.

Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree This quotation is from Deut 21:23. When Christ became a curse for us through His loving sacrifice on the cross, He accomplished redemption and atonement for those who believe.

Jesus’ Fulfillment of Old Testament Prophecy Table

3:14 blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles It has always been God’s plan to provide righteousness based on faith, as modeled by Abraham.

receive the promise of the Spirit through faith Paul began this section with rhetorical questions implying that the Galatians had received the Spirit through faith (Gal 3:2–5). Given this, the Galatians had already experienced the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham.

3:15 according to a human perspective Paul uses a common situation to help the Galatians understand the argument of vv. 1–14.

covenant of a man has been ratified In Paul’s example, the covenant refers to the promise that God made to Abraham (before God instructed Abraham to be circumcised; Gen 17). This covenant was ratified not by circumcision, but by God Himself (Gen 15:9–21).

3:16 and to your descendant The promise of blessing and the Spirit is given to Christ through Abraham. This narrow application of the promise then expands to all who believe, leading to one people of faith descended from Abraham (including Jews and Gentiles).

3:17 four hundred and thirty years Refers to the Israelites’ period of slavery in Egypt. After the exodus (Exod 12:40–41), Yahweh gave the law to the Israelites in the wilderness (Exod 20–24).

in order to nullify the promise Paul’s point is that the law does not alter anything about God’s earlier covenant with Abraham (Gen 15:12–21).

3:18 it is no longer from the promise The law is not, and never was intended to be, the means by which believers experience their inheritance as God’s children.

3:19 It was added on account of transgressions Paul’s point is that the law was added subsequent to the covenant that God had made with Abraham. Paul’s statement here can be interpreted to mean that the law’s purpose was to define sin (Rom 4:15) or to increase sin (Rom 5:20).

until the descendant should come Christ is the descendant (Gal 3:16).

ordered through angels by the hand of a mediator The tradition of angels’ participation in the giving of the law is based on Deut 33:2 (compare Acts 7:38, 53). The mediator Paul envisions here most likely is Moses.

3:20 the mediator is not for one, but God is one This verse is notoriously difficult to interpret. Regardless of the precise meaning, Paul seems to be emphasizing unity. In Gal 3:16, he contrasted the many with the one to show that Christ fulfills the promise given to Abraham. Similarly here, the law mediated by Moses leads to divisions (i.e., Jews and Gentiles), rather than to one family of faith worshiping the one true God. See v. 28 and note.

3:21 is the law opposed Although the law cannot give life, it does not counteract God’s covenant promises. It simply serves a different—but complementary—purpose.

3:22 the scripture imprisoned all under sin Paul is further explaining the purpose of the law—to make all people aware of their need for deliverance from sin.

given by faith in Jesus Christ This would seem to suggest that people in the ot were saved by the law, while those in the nt were saved by faith. Abraham, however, was justified before God through faith. Paul refers not to faith in the general sense here, but specifically to faith in Christ.

3:24 guardian The law had a temporary and protective role. It kept people mindful of their condition and guided them toward maturity in God’s ways.

3:26 sons of God Although they are Gentiles and thus not Jewish, the Galatians are eligible for adoption into God’s family through faith in Christ. Observance of the law is not a condition for becoming a child of God. Adding the law to their faith would be misguided and destructive.

3:27 baptized into Christ have put on Christ Believers who have been baptized have participated in Christ’s death and resurrection (see 2:19; compare Rom 6:6). Paul does not, however, present baptism as a replacement for circumcision; faith in Christ Jesus is the only requirement for entrance into the family of God (Gal 3:26).

Baptism

3:28 neither Jew nor Greek Paul emphasizes that the standard categories that often divide people—race, social status, gender—do not apply to those who are in Christ. It is not that such criteria cease to exist; rather, these distinctions are not grounds for exclusion from the life that God offers to all people in Christ. Because God is one (v. 20), He seeks to establish through Christ a single, unified family.

3:29 descendants of Abraham Faith is what makes a person a descendant of Abraham—not ethnicity or circumcision. Those who have aligned themselves with Abrahamic faith are not obligated to become circumcised or to observe the law, both of which came later. Paul sees the work of Christ as the fulfillment of God’s covenant with Abraham (vv. 7–9; Gen 12:1–3).