Gálatas 3
George MacDonald · Citado em PreceptAustin
Gálatas 3
MacDonald - One question should be sufficient to settle the whole matter. Let them go back to the time of their conversion—the time when the Holy Spirit came to dwell in their bodies. How did they receive the Spirit? By doing, or by believing? Obviously it was by believing. No one ever received the Spirit by keeping the law. FAITH IS THE KEY THAT OPENS THE DOOR TO ABUNDANT LIFE IN CHRIST Faith is clearly a key word in Galatians 3 where it is mentioned in 50% of the passages - 14x in 13 verses (Gal. 3:2; Gal. 3:5; Gal. 3:7; Gal. 3:8; Gal. 3:9; Gal. 3:11; Gal. 3:12; Gal. 3:14; Gal. 3:22; Gal. 3:23; Gal. 3:24; Gal. 3:25; Gal. 3:26). The related word believe, believer or believed is used 3x in 3 verses. The contrasting word Law is also a key word in Galatians 3 - 15x in 12 verses.(Gal. 3:2; Gal. 3:5; Gal. 3:10; Gal. 3:11; Gal. 3:12; Gal. 3:13; Gal. 3:17; Gal. 3:18; Gal. 3:19; Gal. 3:21; Gal. 3:23; Gal. 3:24) Maxie Dunnam on faith in this passage - Paul is talking here not about the content of faith, or the state of mind of the listener, but of the believing kind of hearing that is open to the gospel, welcomes it, and leads the hearer to yield to Christ and entrust his life to Christ. To hear the law and the traditions set down by Moses and the fathers carried with it the burden of straining nobly to keep it, and the guilt of inevitable failure. Hearing the gospel creates faith (God gives us that faith) in which the Spirit is received. Jack Arnold - Faith in Christ results in justification and the receiving of the Holy Spirit. Every one who is justified receives the Spirit and everyone who receives the Spirit is justified. This puts an end to the false teaching that salvation is in two stages. Some say that a person is justified when he initially receives Christ but he must receive the Holy Spirit at a later time in the Christian life. Paul says that justification and the coming of the Spirit occur when a person trusts in Jesus Christ as His Lord and Savior. Paul’s whole point is that the Galatians received the Holy Spirit by an act of faith not by the works of the law. (Sermon) Faith (4102) (pistis) means trust or confidence and in the active sense equates with belief. As pistis relates to God, it is the conviction that God exists and is the Creator and Ruler of all things well as the Provider and Bestower of eternal salvation through Christ. As faith relates to Christ it represents a strong and welcome conviction or belief that Jesus is the Messiah, through Whom we obtain eternal salvation and entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven. Stated another way, eternal salvation comes only through belief in Jesus Christ and no other way. Wayne Grudem defines faith that saves one's soul and opens the door to enter the Kingdom of Heaven as follows - Saving faith is trust in Jesus Christ as a living person for forgiveness of sins and for eternal life with God. This definition emphasizes that saving faith is not just a belief in facts but personal trust in Jesus to save me....The definition emphasizes personal trust in Christ....Because saving faith in Scripture involves this personal trust, the word "trust" is a better word to use in contemporary culture than the word "faith" or "belief." The reason is that we can "believe" something to be true with no personal commitment or dependence involved in it. (Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine) W E Vine has this descriptive definition of the related verb pisteuo... (1) a firm conviction which produces full acknowledgment of God's revelation of Truth - (2Th 2:11-"in order that they all may be judged who did not believe [pisteuo] the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.") (2) a personal surrender to the Truth (Jn 1:12 "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe [pisteuo] in His name") and (3) a conduct inspired by and consistent with that surrender. (See discussion of the obedience of faith) Donald Macleod - The Law and the Gift of the Spirit - There is one thing further: we do not depend on the law for our experience of Spirit baptism or for the gift of the Holy Spirit. Again, this has become a serious issue. The Charismatic Movement proposes a view of our experience of the Holy Spirit which is essentially legalistic. Its preachers and teachers tell us that the church is in a dreadful spiritual state and the answer to the problem is Holy Spirit baptism, which can be ‘got’ by going through various steps such as believing in Christ, renouncing all known sin, thirsting for God, praying expectantly and so on. There are variations on this theme but the core technology remains: there are things we have to do. Furthermore, if the poor believer comes back and says he has been through all these steps but nothing has happened, he is then asked, ‘But have you really gone through all these steps? Have you really renounced all sin? Have you made a surrender of your will to God—an absolute surrender? Have you really, really thirsted?’ Of course, the poor Christian says, ‘Well, maybe not!’ But this is pure legalism: the gift of the Spirit depending upon our personally attaining some kind of higher life. Paul deals with the problem directly and specifically in Galatians 3. ‘Did you,’ he asks, ‘receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard?’ (verse 2). The gift of the Spirit is as much a matter of sola fide (by faith alone) as is justification. The New Testament preaches a glorious gospel. But when we tamper with it and add bits to it in the interests of moralism we create all kinds of problems. If our receiving the gift of the Spirit depended on our doing something, on the quality of our believing or on the strength of our religious desires, we would never have the Spirit. (A Faith to Live By - Understanding Christian Doctrine) Adrian Rogers - No one can believe God unless God enables him to believe. And how does God enable you to believe? He gives you a word. As the verse said that we referenced yesterday, "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Ro 10:17NKJV). Therefore, contrary to the popular belief of some in the Christian community, you don't just "name it and claim it." Rather, you listen for God to speak, then you "believe it and receive it." Faith is not an achievement we earn for ourselves; it's an endowment that is given to us by God. Galatians 3:3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? Greek houtos anoetoi este (2PAAI) enarchamenoi (AMPMPN) pneumati nun sarki epiteleisthe (2PPMI) Amplified Are you so foolish and so senseless and so silly? Having begun [your new life spiritually] with the [Holy] Spirit, are you now reaching perfection [by dependence] on the flesh? Barclay Are you so senseless? After beginning your experience of God in the Spirit, are you now going to try to complete it by making it dependent upon what human nature can do? Phillips Surely you can't be so idiotic as to think that a man begins his spiritual life in the Spirit and then completes it by reverting to outward observances? Wuest Are you so unreflecting? Having begun by means of the Spirit, now are you being brought to maturity by the flesh? (Eerdmans Publishing) NET Galatians 3:3 Are you so foolish? Although you began with the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by human effort? GNT Galatians 3:3 οὕτως ἀνόητοί ἐστε, ἐναρξάμενοι πνεύματι νῦν σαρκὶ ἐπιτελεῖσθε; NLT Galatians 3:3 How foolish can you be? After starting your Christian lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort? KJV Galatians 3:3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? ESV Galatians 3:3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? ASV Galatians 3:3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now perfected in the flesh? CSB Galatians 3:3 Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now going to be made complete by the flesh? NIV Galatians 3:3 Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? NKJ Galatians 3:3 Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? NRS Galatians 3:3 Are you so foolish? Having started with the Spirit, are you now ending with the flesh? YLT Galatians 3:3 so thoughtless are ye! having begun in the Spirit, now in the flesh do ye end? NAB Galatians 3:3 Are you so stupid? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now ending with the flesh? NJB Galatians 3:3 Having begun in the Spirit, can you be so stupid as to end in the flesh? GWN Galatians 3:3 Are you that stupid? Did you begin in a spiritual way only to end up doing things in a human way? BBE Galatians 3:3 Are you so foolish? having made a start in the Spirit, will you now be made complete in the flesh? having (KJV): Ga 4:7-10 Gal 5:4-8 Gal 6:12-14 Heb 7:16-19 Heb 9:2,9,10 Galatians 3: The Purpose of the Law - John MacArthur Galatians 3:1-5 Bewitched - John MacArthur Galatians 3:1-3: Whatever Happened to Holy Spirit? - John MacArthur Galatians 3:1-5: Ministries of the Holy Spirit- 1 - John MacArthur Galatians 3:1-5: Ministries of the Holy Spirit- 2 - John MacArthur Galatians 3:1-5: Ministries of the Holy Spirit- 3 - John MacArthur Galatians 3:3: The Work of the Holy Spirit - C H Spurgeon Galatians Commentary - Verse by Verse - Kenneth Wuest Galatians 3 Resources - Multiple sermons, commentaries NECESSITY OF SPIRIT IN SANCTIFICATION Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? - Two questions that are really one rhetorical question to stir their mind and their conscience regarding the beginning (justification) and the time up to the end of their Christian lives (sanctification). Paul’s argument is powerful - If a person has received salvation trusting in the crucified Christ, and received the Spirit the moment they believed and has the Spirit's supernatural power working within, why would they now seek fleshly efforts (works, circumcision) in an attempt to please God or to merit His favor? The Phillips paraphrase is pithy - "Surely you can't be so idiotic as to think that a man begins his spiritual life in the Spirit and then completes it by reverting to outward observances?" So the first question in Gal 3:2 is about how one becomes a Christian and now in Gal 3:3 the question is about how one lives as a Christian. Gal 3:2 deals with justification by faith and Gal 3:3 deals with sanctification by faith. Donald Campbell - the means of justification and sanctification were (and are) the same. There was no provision under the Law for the Holy Spirit to do a work of sanctification. The Galatian believers probably thought that keeping the old Law would aid them in their spiritual lives, but it would not. (See The Bible Knowledge Commentary) Don Anderson titles this section "You Were Running Well UNTIL: You Said, I Do It Myself.” In other words: “They were running well” in their Christian life and experiences as long as they were dependent upon the Spirit of God to produce the life of Jesus Christ in and through them. “They were running well” until they decided to take over and produce spiritual maturity on their own. They are saying: “I DID IT MY WAY. (ED: THEY WERE LIVING THE FRANK SINATRA SYNDROME!) I DID IT ON MY OWN.” Are you so foolish? - "Are you so irrational." Barclay = "Are you so senseless?" Wuest = "Are you so unreflecting?" GWN = "Are you that stupid?" Paul used the Greek anoetos to convey the idea of those who could think but who had failed to use their power of perception. "The principles Paul referred to are things the Galatians knew, things they had been taught. The knowledge and understanding were there, but they were not using them." (Guzik) THOUGHT - I am a bit convicted here -- it is one thing to possess spiritual knowledge but is a problem if we don't allow the knowledge to "possess us!" Woe! I would not work my soul to save, For this my Lord has done; But I work like any slave, For love of God’s dear Son. (source unknown) Guzik on this foolishness - This deception was cultivated by Satan to set our Christian life off-track. If he cannot stop us from being saved by faith, then he will attempt to hinder our blessing and growth and maturity by faith. (Galatians 3 Commentary) Foolish (453) see preceding discussion on anoetos used in Gal 3:1. Anoetos speaks of someone who is lacking in discernment. The Galatians had been taught the truth of the Gospel and Jesus, but they failed to examine the teachings of the Judaizers in the light of this truth with the result that the Judaizers led them out of truth and the lie that they needed to perform works in order to grow spiritually. Bartlett - Sanctification, no less than regeneration, is the work of the HOLY SPIRIT, conditioned by faith on the part of the Christians. This is a further reason why all forms of legalism should be cast out root and branch. Is it reasonable, Paul asks in effect that you can by conforming to rites and ceremonies bring to fruition that which the HOLY SPIRIT alone could initiate in your souls? Merely to ask such a question is to answer it in the negative. What has been in-planted by the SPIRIT must be un-folded in the SPIRIT. What He begins He will complete (Php 1:6+) (Galatians 3:1-22 - Doctrinal Exposition)
Gálatas 3
MacDonald points out that "The key words in Gal 3:22 are faith, given, and believe. There is no mention of "doing" or "law-keeping." (Believer's Bible Commentary) Faith (4102)(pistis) in this context refers to personal belief directed toward a person, in this case Jesus Christ, in whom one places their full confidence, trust, and reliance in His faithfulness and reliability to save us from the guttermost to the uttermost. Promise (1860)(epaggelia/epangelia) describes what God Himself commits to do for us (and to refrain from doing) in the future. This word refers to the content of what God promised, new life in Christ and reckoning of His righteousness to our spiritual bank account just as occurred in the case of our spiritual father Abraham when he believed God in Genesis 15:6+. The English dictionary says a promise is a verbal commitment by one person to another agreeing to do (or not to do) something in the future. Promise is clearly a key word (see importance of recognizing and interrogating key words) in Galatians especially in chapter 3 where it occurs 7 times - Gal. 3:14; Gal. 3:16; Gal. 3:17; Gal. 3:18; Gal. 3:21; Gal. 3:22; Gal. 3:29. It is used again Gal. 4:23; Gal. 4:28. In the parallel discussion of Abraham in Romans 4 the word promise occurs 4 times - Rom. 4:13; Rom. 4:14; Rom. 4:16; Rom. 4:20. W E Vine has a good discussion of epaggelia as it relates to Galatians 3 (see preceding note) Gerald Borchert sums up verse 22 and this section on the law - "While law and promise may at first glance appear to be at odds, they are actually partners in providing a solution to the human problem. In summary, the law was a temporary parenthesis to the basic promise that was given to Abraham; the law functioned to identify human sin and to prepare people for God’s solution of faith in Christ Jesus. The law could never replace the expected promise; it did not enable direct communication with God, and it never had the power to give life. Rather, the law judged humanity by showing the divine standard. It pointed beyond itself to the coming promise of life through faith in Christ. This way of faith in the living Christ is the only way that leads to life." (Cornerstone Biblical Commentary – Volume 14: Romans and Galatians) John Stott asks "How, then, is it possible to create a harmony between the law and the promise? Only by seeing that men inherit the promise because they cannot keep the law, and that their inability to keep the law makes the promise all the more desirable, indeed indispensable. Verse 22: The scripture consigned all things to sin, for the Old Testament plainly declares the universality of human sin, e.g. ‘there is none that does good, no, not one’ (Ps. 14:3). And Scripture holds every sinner in prison for his sins, in order that what was promised to faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. Luther expresses the matter with his usual forcefulness: ‘The principal point … of the law … is to make men not better but worse; that is to say, it sheweth unto them their sin, that by the knowledge thereof they may be humbled, terrified, bruised and broken, and by this means may be driven to seek grace, and so to come to that blessed Seed (sc. Christ).’ (The Message of Galatians)