Galatians Commentary The epistle to the Galatians is a letter written by Paul, an apostle by Jesus Christ (Galatians 1:1), to the churches in the region of Galatia. There were four city churches in this region, Lystra, Derbe, Iconium, and Antioch Pisidia (Acts 14:6-8,21), which Paul had ministered to during his missionary journey. Paul s sole concern for the Galatian churches was in regard to the influence of the Old Covenant law being taught (Galatians 1:6-9) to them as something to live under, rather than living under the grace of God, through the rule of the Spirit of God. They are corrected strongly by Paul, This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? Did you suffer so many things in vain if indeed it was in vain (Galatians 3:2-4)? We must understand that the façade of the flesh was coming to the Galatians in the form of religious flesh, the Judaizers. Paul s solution to their error was simply for them to walk according to the Spirit as Paul states, But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh (Galatians 5:16-17). In Acts 14:8-10, where we read, And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother s womb, who never had walked: the same heard Paul speak: who steadfastly beholding him, perceiving that he had faith to be healed, said with a loud voice stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked. In Galatia here, Paul said with a loud voice, (The hearing of faith), stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked (working miracles among the Galatians, and empowering one of them to walk, one who never had walked). This first miracle in Lystra was a picture of the true condition of man in Lystra and universally. This was the problem with the law; it didn t empower one to walk with God. It is only by the hearing of faith, not by the works of the law (Galatians 3:5), which enables one to do so. No one is ever empowered to walk with God, except through a miracle of God!
We see this same theme in the phrase, from his mother s womb here in Acts 14:8. It is also in Galatians 1:16 when Paul says, But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother s womb, and called me by His grace, to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood. It was an act of the grace of God, planned from his mother s womb, which intervened to cause both Paul and the crippled man in Galatia to walk by the grace and power of God. The picture becomes clear in this portion of scripture that one s natural birth could never allow one to walk with God. The natural birth produces one who is spiritually crippled. Only after an encounter with the grace and power of God, could one ever walk with God. The natural birth is not enough, one has to be born again (John 3:3), from the mother of us all (Galatians 4:26), the Lamb s wife (Revelation 21:9), the church. Yes the church produces children, which are born from above (John 3:3), not by entering a second time into his mother s womb (John 3:4), but by being born of the Spirit (John 3:6, 8). The church proclaims the word of God, verbally, or in written form (John 17:20), and she gives birth. Being born again, not of corruptible seed (natural birth), but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which lives and abides forever (1 Peter 1:23). Psalm 87 communicates this clearly, Zion O city of God (Psalm 87:2-3, Hebrews 12:22, Galatians 4:26), And of Zion it will be said, "This one and that one were born in her; and the Most High Himself shall establish her." The Lord will record, When He registers the peoples: "This one was born there (Psalm 87:5-6). It truly takes an act of God in order for one to rise from their crippled state and walk with God. We see this with the man who was crippled for 38 years, where he was not able to lift himself up, and only Jesus was willing and able to do so for him (John 5:1-9). This was the problem with the law. One could not walk with God, in the promises of God. Even Moses, the representative of the law, could not even walk into the Promised Land, but was of that generation that had to die off (the first generation of the law, with no faith), and be replaced with a new generation (the second generation and faith) with Joshua (Yeshua). It is not a coincidence that it took 38 years (Deuteronomy 2:14) in the wilderness of not walking with God until a new generation in Israel rose up in faith and entered into the promises of God. Only a
remnant endured through faith, Joshua and Caleb. It is the same in the transition period, approximately 40 years (the crucifixion until AD 70), one generation s faith was tested (Matthew 24:9,13,21, Acts 14:22, Hebrews 3:19-4:11;12:25-26), and only a scarce number would endure and persevere (Matthew 10:22,34) through faith, when the Son of man cometh, shall he find the faith on the land (Luke 18:1-8)? There was a great falling away in that generation, led by the Jewish zealots (2 Thessalonians 2:3,4, Hebrews 6:6), which involved a deception of confessing Christians to turn from faith back to the Old Covenant, and even back to its practice of animal sacrifices in the temple. The Galatian churches had been bewitched (Galatians 3:1) with this same influence as they were returning to the Old Covenant practices (Galatians 1:6; 2:4, 18, 21, 4:9-11; 5:1). There was such peer pressure in Galatia that even Peter and Barnabas had to be corrected from its influence (Galatians 2:11-16). Peter, withdrew and separated himself, insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away (think of being carried away into Babylonian bondage, Babylon, that great city, Jerusalem, Revelation 11:8; 14:8; Galatians 4:25) with their dissimulation. The word withdrew (Greek, Hupostello: to withdraw, shrink from declaring, with stello (Strongs, 4724) meaning to haul down, lower, referring to a sail, to contract, thus not able to be moved by the wind of the Spirit, John 3:8) is very fitting here. Here is another resource for this Greek word, (Strongs,5288) Hupostello, "to draw back, withdraw," perhaps a metaphor from lowering a sail and so slackening the course, and hence of being remiss in holding the truth; in the active voice, rendered "drew back" in Galatians 2:12 (from Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, Copyright 1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers). It is the same word used in Hebrews where the exhortation was toward faith in the unseen, and away from the visible things of the Old Covenant. Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back (Hupostello), My soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition, but of them that believe to the saving of the soul. Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 10:38-11:1). The challenge was to not withdraw and shrink back into the shadows of the Law. It took the revelation and faith of God to declare those shadows as fulfilled in Christ. The Hebrew Christians were to, hold
fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for He is faithful that promised) as ye see that day approaching (Hebrews 10:23-25). Faith was what was required (Luke 18:8) to prevent shrinking back and declaring Jesus name and words. The Lord says, Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of Me and of My words in this adulteress and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when He cometh in the glory of His Father with the holy angels (Mark 8:38). The very next verse tells us that this coming with the glory of His Father and the angels would occur in the lifetime of these first century disciples, And He said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power (Mark 9:1, Matthew 16:27,28). This was not fulfilled in following verse through the transfiguration, which was only six days later. In that amount of time not one of the twelve disciples had died, and Christ did not reward every man according to their works on the mount of transfiguration (Matthew 16:27)! This same evil influence may have even affected Paul, where we read in Acts 16:1-3, Then he came to Derbe and Lystra. And behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a certain Jewish woman who believed, but his father was Greek. He was well spoken of by the brethren who were at Lystra and Iconium. Paul wanted to have him go on with him. And he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in that region, for they all knew that his father was Greek. This action by Paul in his early ministry was corrected by the Lord Jesus when he says, For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love (Galatians 5:6). He states it again in Galatians 6:15, For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation. Perhaps Paul was attempting to simply become as a Jew that he might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law that he might gain them that are under the law (1 Corinthians 9:20). What Paul did with Timothy by circumcising him created a problem down the road for him when he emphasized something other than Christ to have a normal Christian life Paul s revelation had grown to understand better that it is faith working
Christ to have a normal Christian life. Paul s revelation had grown to understand better that it is faith working through love in a new creation that is the reality. He then considers circumcision to be as nothing and only the new creation in the New Covenant nation as something (Galatians 2:3, 4:24-26, 6:15-16). Nevertheless, the pressure was overwhelming to conform to the age, the Old Covenant age. An age which Galatians 1:4 refers to as an, evil age, that He might deliver us from this present evil age. It was an evil and adulterous generation, which was to be condemned shortly for its lack of faith and disobedience. (Matthew 3:7-10; 12:39-42, 23:36, 24:34, Luke 18:8). Destruction (desolation) was about to be poured out upon that age which had chosen the broad way (Matthew 7:13-14), as opposed to the narrow way, a persecuted way, which leads to life. Relatively speaking, few were choosing the latter. This was the struggle the Galatian churches were facing. So quickly had they gone back, fallen from grace (Galatians 5:4, same idea as fallen away, 2 Thessalonians 2:3, Hebrews 6:6, 10:38), and were, so soon removed from Him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel (Galatians 1:6). The Greek word for removed here is, Metatithemi, which means to transfer, to change one s place, one thing that is put in the place of another, to fall away, to desert from one person or thing to another. In Galatians 1:6, "I marvel that ye are...removing," RV (not as KJV, "removed"); the present tense suggests that the abandonment of the Galatian believers from the truth was not yet complete, but they were gradually being infected with a crippling disease unless they returned to the faith alone and the Spirit. The middle voice specifies that the believers themselves were liable for their deterioration, rather than the Judaizers who had influenced them. We can see how a believer can be healed and set free and then fall back into bad and unhealthy habits of dieting on the Law and regulations. Their self-righteousness or condemnation affects their lives and they contract a disease spiritually, a crippling disease that prevents them from walking. The corrupting influence of the leaven of legalism cannot empower one to walk with God. (Galatians 5:9). Herein lays the problem, the Old Covenant law. The law only revealed emphatically that one cannot walk with God because men are sinners, Wherefore the law was our school master to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith (Galatians 3:24).
Adam being under the law, one law, thou shalt not eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:17, Hosea 6:7), never walked with God. In fact, only God did the walking in that day and Adam hid from God and then blamed everyone else, including God, for his short-comings. Adam was a spiritual cripple and could not walk with God because he was the natural man. But the natural (soulish) man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. (1 Corinthians 2:14). It wasn t until men began to call upon the name of the Lord in faith (Genesis 4:26), that we read of Enoch walking with God (Genesis 5:24)! Noah walked with God (Genesis. 6:9). And he blessed Joseph, and said: "God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked (Genesis. 48:15). The Galatians were coming under the influence of the present evil age, which was connected to the law, and none would be justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified (Galatians 2:16). Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace (Galatians 5:4). The word fallen here is also used in Mark 13:25 of stars falling from the heavens. As a believer is saved and justified by faith they are like stars set in the firmament (Daniel 12:3, Matthew 5:14,13:43, Philippians 2:15) to testify of God s grace to this dark world by holding forth the word of life. Paul says in Philippians, That you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights (a luminary, a star) in the world, holding forth the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain (Philippians 2:15-16). Even Peter, and those with him, had come under the influence of that evil age (Old Covenant Age) as they, walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel (Galatians 2:14). Paul had the serum to vaccinate Peter and those who were being infected, and he rebuked Peter to his face and was, in effect, saying to him, Take your medicine and don t allow what you have to spread to the others. Paul was not going to stand by and let Peter, or
anyone, build a wall of partition between the Jews and the Gentiles. The law builds that wall, while the gospel tears it down and makes us one (Ephesians 2:12-14). Death is separation and division, while life is found in union and oneness. Those who live according to that evil age (Galatians 1:4) were seeking to build again matters of the Old Covenant age in the hearts and minds of Christians. Paul said, For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor (Galatians 2:18). The law puts us to death as it is the ministry of death, it receives its ransom through Jesus death, and we in turn partake of Jesus death (2 Corinthians 3:7). For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them (Galatians 3:10). The criterion for being under the law is to do all of the law, not just some of it. No one can do all the law, therefore all fall short of the glory of God and are lawbreakers (Romans 3:23). Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us(for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree (Galatians 3:13). We are faced with true opposites and the battle in the Christian life is between the law and the gospel. Then we have the works of the law versus grace and faith. Paul is saying to choose the blessing over the curse, that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith (Galatians 3:14). Ultimately, we have the choice to walk according to the flesh or according to the Spirit. But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. (Galatians 4:4). Christ fulfilled the law (Matthew 5:17-18), and now dwells in us (Galatians 4:19), that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled IN US (not by us), who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit (Romans 8:4). We who come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), now have Christ in us, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27)! Therefore, For through the law I died to the law, that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live; but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me (Galatians 2:19-20).
What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made (Galatians 3:19). Once the seed comes then the need for the law is obsolete. We have a predicament in the world today. Jews claim to be the promised seed for all the promises of God. While Muslims claim the rights to all the promises of God. This is due to the fact that they since both claim to be descendants of Abraham. Paul clarifies who this seed is, yet it is so overlooked and rejected in our day. Paul states emphatically, Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, "And to seeds," as of many, but as of one, "And to your Seed," who is Christ (Galatians 3:16). Paul surely identifies the rightful heir of the Promises, plural, as Christ Jesus our Lord. It is not the Jews or the Muslims that have a right to the promises of God which He spoke to Abraham and to his SEED. Only Christ has a right and the claim. Paul adds to this with such accuracy, it s amazing! For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 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. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise (Galatians 3:26-29). This is so wonderful! How it would solve so many problems today in our world if this revelation was promoted with love and faith. Christ is the promised SEED and those who belong to Christ are the true seed of Abraham and we are called to inherit all things. The inheritance was based on covenant, and the Old Covenant had its inheritance which was fulfilled in the earthly realm. The Old Covenant inheritance was a type and shadow of the heavenly promises which are not temporal, but eternal, spiritual, invisible and superior. Paul uses the law as an allegory and lays out the scenario where Abraham had two sons (Galatians 4:22-31). The two sons each had a different mother. He says the two women are two covenants. He names one woman as Hagar. Paul says this Hagar is Mount Sinai bearing children of bondage. The question to ask at this point is what covenant came from Mount Sinai? The Law of Moses and it begets children of bondage. Now pay close attention at this point of Paul s allegory. Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, (first century
Jerusalem) for she is in slavery with her children (Galatians 4:25). Paul is allegorizing his present situation with Judaism and the current Jerusalem as a house of bondage. He reveals that those under the law in first century Judaism are in bondage. Then Paul mentions the Jerusalem above which is free and she is our mother (Galatians 4:26). Paul is very specific here to contrast those bound under the law, with those of the Jerusalem which is above and free, which is the mother of us all. What covenant is this women not mentioned by name? She is Sarah and corresponds to the New Covenant and her children, which are free. Hagar s son is Ishmael and Sarah s son is Isaac. Where many go astray here is when they don t understand the allegory which Paul is stressing. The son of Hagar is them that are the Jews under the Law of Moses in the Old Covenant. Paul is using this literal story as an allegory to paint a picture for the Galatian believers. The sons of Hagar are the Jews under the law. The sons of Sarah are they that are under the New Covenant who have come to Mount Zion and the heavenly Jerusalem which is above. (Hebrews 12:22). Now Paul s defines these two sons, and you brethren, like Isaac, are children of promise. But as at that time (back in Genesis) he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so it is now (first century) also (Galatians 4:28-30). This is also an ongoing experience of the believers with the religious and irreligious. What is Paul s instruction concerning Hagar and her son? But what does the Scripture say? "CAST OUT THE BONDWOMAN AND HER SON, FOR THE SON OF THE BONDWOMAN SHALL NOT BE AN HEIR WITH THE SON OF THE FREE WOMAN. So then, brethren, we are not children of a bondwoman, but of the free woman (Galatians 4:30-31). Paul says to cast out the Old Covenant as a guide for our lives, because he wants us to be free. If we live under the law with its influence we will fight against God s eternal purpose and reject God s ways and persecute those who are according to the Spirit. The most devastating of all is that it will keep us immature and dwarfed in our spiritual growth we will not be able to live in the Spirit so as to inherit the kingdom of God. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. Now the deeds of the flesh are these (Galatians 5:18-19), just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God (Galatians 5:21-22). The deeds of the flesh will keep us stunted and we will not be
able to grow to maturity. Look closely at this verse where Paul is explaining the difference between an heir as a child and an heir who inherits. Now I say, as long as the heir is a child, he does not differ at all from a slave although he is owner of everything, but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by the father (Galatians 4:1-2). An immature believer does not discontinue being a child of the father, but as an heir he must grow to maturity in order to inherit. It is critical, and one must be motivated to live according to the Spirit and not according to the flesh or the law. Our conflict is between our own flesh and the flesh of others and the enemy to keep us in our flesh and fulfill its desires, which keeps us in shackles. Our victory is to live in the Spirit and walk according to the Spirit and we will know the true meaning of being a free person. This is why our freedom is in the cross of Christ. He set us free to be yoked to Him alone and not to a list of regulations. He wants to regulate in our lives so we can through love serve one another. Set free to serve in the capacity of restoring and mending the lives that God has put in our lives. We serve in the Spirit sacrificially by taking the cross which is the Spirit and with His empowering we are responsible to bear our own burden, which our Lord says is light and our yoke with Him is easy. The more mature we are the more we will be able to help others and bear their overwhelming loads and burdens so as to be a blessing to them. The law free believer will sow to the Spirit and from the Spirit will he, or she, reap eternal life (Galatians 6:7,8). Those who are under law will sow to the flesh and from the flesh reap corruption. The Judaizers were sowing to the flesh and they could only expect corruption, (destruction, ruin, spoiled). Those who are not weary in well doing will be rewarded in God s proper time (Galatians 6:9). So we glory in the Cross of Christ! But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world (Greek: Kosmos, the arrangement, constitution, order and government, in this case that of the Old Covenant world) is crucified unto me, and I unto the world (Galatians 6:15). This Old Covenant world is (was passing and did pass away) passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. Children it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist (against Christ) is coming, so now many
antichrists have come, therefore we know that it is the last hour (1 John 2:17-18). The last days of the Old Covenant system countdown had begun, from the last days, to the last day, to the last hour, relatively speaking, nothing to do with twenty-four hours or sixty minutes! It was that Old Covenant system that was ready to pass away (Hebrews 8:13). It would be left desolate (Matthew 23:38, 24:15), not one stone would be left upon another (Matthew 24:2), it would all be thrown down (Mark 13:2, Luke 21:6) and destroyed (Acts 6:14)! All of the works under the law would burned up (2 Peter 3:10). The elements, Greek: Stoicheion: rudiments, principles, elements (think of the elementary school master) would all be burned up (2 Peter 3:10). The heavens shall pass away (Old Covenant heavens and earth replaced with a New Covenant heavens and earth (Matthew 5:17-18; 2 Peter 3:13, Deuteronomy 31:2, Isaiah 1:2, 51:16, Hebrews 12:25-28) with a great noise, and the elements (Stoicheion, Galatians 4:3,9; Heb. 5:12, Colossians 2:8,20) shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up (2 Peter 3:10). The children of the wicked one, the tares, were to be burned up at the end of the age, the Old Covenant age (Matthew 13:38-40). John the Baptist warns of the wrath to come upon these trees, that they will be cut down and cast into the fire (Matthew 3:7-10). This same chaff would God burn up with unquenchable fire (Matthew 3:12). After they seized His (King Jesus ) servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. The King (Jesus) was angry and sent His troops, and destroyed those murderers and burned their city (Matthew 22:6-7)! So the contrasts are so clear in Galatians. Those who were removing themselves from Him (Galatians 1:6), rather than, God Revealing His Son in me, that I might preach Him (Galatians 1:16). The only tool for change and dominion is the gospel, the cross, which is grace as opposed to works under the law. We can have fear, as Peter was subjected to it, or faith to influence our actions (Galatians 2:12). We can be cursed in our works under the law (Galatians 3:10), or blessed in the blessings of Abraham by faith (Galatians 3:14). We can be a slave, or a son (Galatians 4:7), present our works, or receive His grace (Galatians 2:21; 3:2-5), be in bondage, or in freedom (Galatians 5:1), in the flesh, or in the Spirit (Galatians 5:16-25), in the Old Covenant, or the New Covenant (Galatians 4:24-26), in the Old Israel, or the New Israel (Galatians 4:24-26;
6:16; Matthew 2:15; Ephesians 2:12-14), in the Old Creation, or in the New Creation (Galatians 6:15), in the Old Jerusalem (how many dispensationalists dwell here in our day), or in the New Jerusalem (Galatians 4:25-26; Hebrews 12:22-23), children of the harlot, or of the mother (Galatians 4:25,-26; Revelation 11:8, Babylon THE GREAT Harlot, Jerusalem,1 Peter 5:13), living for self, or for the cross and resurrection life (Galatians 2:18-20)?