Bracket of Galatians 3:1-14

The Galatians know from experience and from the Scripture that justification, the blessing of the Spirit, and becoming a true Israelite happens through faith alone .

3:1-14

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Galatians 3:1-14

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O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you?

z It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly a portrayed as crucified.

ideaexplanation

Let me ask you only this:

b Did you receive the Spirit

by works of the law

or by c hearing with faith?

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Are you so foolish?

d Having begun by the Spirit,

are you now being perfected by 1 the flesh?

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inference

e Did you suffer 1 so many things in vain—

if indeed it was in vain?

Does he who supplies the Spirit to you

and f works miracles among you

series

do so g by works of the law,

or by hearing with faith—

ground

just as h Abraham “believed God,

and it was counted to him as righteousness”?

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Know then

that it is i those of faith who are j the sons of Abraham.

And the Scripture ... preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham,

...foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, ...

saying, l “In you shall all the nations be blessed.”

progression

So then, those who are of faith are blessed

along with Abraham, the man of faith.

comparison

For all who rely on works of the law are m under a curse;

for it is written,

n “Cursed be everyone who does not o abide by all things written in the Book of the Law,

and do them.”

Now it is evident that p no one is justified before God by the law,

for q “The righteous shall live by faith.” 1

But the law is not of faith,

rather r “The one who does them shall live by them.”

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Christ s redeemed us from the curse of the law

by becoming a curse for us—

for it is written,

t “Cursed is everyone who is hanged u on a tree”—

so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might v come to the Gentiles,

so that w we might receive x the promised Spirit 1 through faith.

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bilateral

Paul is referring back to 2:15-21, esp. v. 21, where he asserts that justification by works opposes and nullifies the work of the cross! But the Galatians knew that Christ was crucified - so how can they believe in justification by works and the importance of the cross? They can't!

V. 2: "You received the Spirit by faith." V.3: "Therefore, will you be perfected by works?"

The only possible explanation for the Galatians forsaking the cross is some sort of bewitchment!

That's because the Galatians clearly know that their reception of the Spirit, and their current powerful experience of the Spirit, came about by faith .

Breaking the Law curses you.

But following the Law cannot justify you; only faith in Christ who was cursed for us can justify you.

The Scripture proves that those who believe are the children of Abraham.

The Scripture prophesied that all nations would receive the blessing of justification by faith.

The Scripture proves and prophesies all nations receiving the blessing by faith, and Christ died to redeem us from the curse of breaking the Law; therefore , those who believe receive the blessing of Abraham .

The Galatians know from experience that they are justified by faith, and they know from Scripture that justification is by faith.

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