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Galatians 3 Commentary
by Brad Boyles
Correction is tough. Nobody wants to be corrected. It can be humiliating and degrading. Furthermore, the person who is doing the correcting usually comes across as arrogant or “holier than thou.” Anytime we are being corrected, we must ask ourselves, why is this person correcting me? Are they doing it out of selfish motives, or, do they really care about me? When we distinguish between these two very different types of correction, we begin to ignore the deconstructive criticism and accept the constructive criticism.
Here at the beginning of Chapter 3, Paul lets loose a barrage of frustration at the Galatians. He calls them foolish and hypnotized. However, as he continues to write, we begin to see his deep concern for the Galatian believers. His passion is for their souls and the stakes are eternal!
Because of this, Paul doesn’t just hurl insults their way. He wakes them up and then pierces them with instructive truth. Similar to Jesus’ method of making powerful points, Paul begins to ask more questions. Don’t miss that point. Before he makes any absolute or sweeping statements, he first asks leading questions.
“Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law or by hearing with faith? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now going to be made complete by the flesh? So then, does God supply you with the Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law or by hearing with faith?”
Notice how many times the Spirit is invoked into the questions above (from verses 2, 3, 5)? Consider that the Jewish Christian teachers would have expected for the Gentiles to follow the law before receiving the Spirit. Paul was ripping the scales right off the Galatian’s eyes. In essence, he was saying, “You already HAVE the Spirit of God!”
Strangely, the Gentiles may not have understood that the Spirit would fulfill the law. However, through their simple faith, they were given that power. Paul is reminding them of it. I personally know many Christians who couldn’t even tell you what the word ‘theology’ means. But they have such a powerful and simple faith in Jesus. You can tell they are filled with the Spirit and their faith is strong. Sometimes we over-complicate the Message of Christ for others by adding all kinds of theological and doctrinal hoops to jump through.
When I look over this chapter it reminds me that we need to be firm but gentle in our correction of others. We also must be reminded of the faithful work of Christ and how the Spirit has changed us from the inside out. Paul wants the Galatians to draw from their own experience with the Spirit so that it will renew their faith. In the same way, when we are tempted to doubt God loves us, or that He hears us, we can be restored simply by reminding ourselves of His faithfulness and goodness in His Word and in our lives.