CHAPTER 3
That sanctification is through faith, not through the law.
Galatians 3:1-6 You foolish Galatians! Who has cast a spell on you to not obey the truth, to whom Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified before your eyes? I only want to learn this from you: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law, or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being perfected in the flesh? Did you suffer so many things in vain, if indeed in vain? So then, the One who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, does He do it by works of the law, or by hearing with faith? As Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.
Having shown himself taught not by men but by the Lord, Paul now teaches with greater authority, making a comparison between the law and faith. And he calls them foolish . For indeed it is foolish to abandon Christ and hold to the law.
" Who has cast a spell on you ?" He did not say, "Who has deceived you?" so that insult would not be joined to insult; but, "Who has cast a spell on you and envied you?" showing that they had previously been doing things worthy of envy.
“ to whom Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified before your eyes .” And indeed he was crucified in Jerusalem. How then does he say, “Which is before your eyes and among you”? He shows the power of faith, and that you see things afar off. But because it was previously proclaimed he said, that is, through the written proclamation of the Scripture, as if he were saying: The proclamation has painted the cross for you, but you with the eyes of faith as if present have seen it.
— [THEODORET] For you have believed in this way: having seen the very cross of Christ. [ end of the excerpt by Theodoret ] —
" I only wish to learn this from you ." Since, he says, you do not pay attention to so great a privilege, I will say something brief to you. Did you receive the Holy Spirit through the works prescribed by the law, and perform so many powers and signs, or through faith? Since you were not under the law but were esteemed to be in the Spirit, how then, having abandoned faith, do you again submit yourselves to the law?
He says, “ Are you so foolish ,” because, as time has passed, you are running backward. For having begun to be perfected in the Spirit (for this is in general), now you are being perfected in the flesh . For they were being perfected in the Spirit, performing signs, but were being circumcised in the flesh. See, he did not say, “Be perfected,” but, “ you are being perfected ,” indicating that, like sheep, they were receiving circumcision, neither knowing nor suffering.
“ now you are being perfected in the flesh .”He indeed spoke of the Spirit as grace, but of the flesh as conduct according to the law.
“ you suffered so much in vain .” Many had been tempted while struggling for Christ. Therefore he says, “ you suffered so much ,” therefore, “ in vain .” For if you are circumcised, you have in vain lost those things; then, for fear that he plunge them into despair, he says, “ if indeed in vain .” For if you wished to be restored, it would not be in vain.
— [PHOTIUS] “ if indeed in vain ,” but not without loss. For it is without reason to neither take up nor set down anything. But the one who began in the Spirit, and because of this having fallen into many trials, then being changed, not only suffered without reason what he suffered, but also to his disadvantage, having lost what belonged to him, suffered because of the tribulations for Christ and the temptations. [ end of the excerpt by Photius ] —
" So then, the One who provides you with ." He says that the One providing, the Spirit of God, is present among you and working, that is, producing powers of signs in you, doing these things on account of the works from the law; he says, From which you have completed signs, you ought to know the power of faith. Moreover, do not be unbelieving toward the forefather Abraham, for he too was justified by faith.
That Abraham was also justified by faith as an example for us.
Galatians 3:7-9 You see then that those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, "In you shall all the nations be blessed." So those who are of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.
Since they were afraid to abandon the law, for fear that they fall away from the kinship of Abraham, he turns the argument the other way. The " then ," [ἄρα] is “so therefore” [τοιγαροῦν] 1 .
" that those who are of faith ." Therefore these were especially opposed to the law, scorning its antiquity. It must then be shown that faith was established before the law, and that above all by it one is pleasing to God from above.
“ preached the gospel beforehand .” As signifying a great good, salvation through faith. For this is what the phrase “ preached the gospel beforehand ” indicates.
" In you shall all the nations be blessed .” The “ in you ” that is, in your seed, who is Christ. But how are they blessed? Through faith, namely, of which Abraham is the pioneer. Moreover, the “in you” can be understood as through the faith from him. The “in you,” according to your pattern and likeness, is interpreted by Saint Cyril, in the second book of his treatise on worship, which is On the Spirit and on Truth 2 , interprets at the beginning of the book ἐν σοί as " in you ," that is, to your imitation and likeness.
" Therefore those who are of faith are blessed ." Those who are of faith united to Abraham and are counted as his offspring, not those who are of the flesh.
That the law does not justify, but convicts, and imposes a curse, which Christ removes.
Galatians 3:10-11 For those who are of the works of the law are under a curse. For it is written, Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things written in the book of the law to do them. Now that no one is justified before God by the law is evident: the righteous shall live by faith. The law is not of faith; rather, the one who does them shall live by them.
Those who , he says, rely on the works of the law are under a curse . For since he feared to allow those people to rely on the law for fear that they become subject to a curse, because it is written, " Cursed is everyone who does not continue ," (Deut. 27:26) he himself strives to show that those who continue in the law are under a curse. How? Because no one , he says, fulfills the law, therefore they are cursed. As if they had departed from the law and so been freed from the curse. " Everyone who does not continue ." For this reason then those who rely on the law are under a curse, because they are not able to fulfill the law.
“ no one is justified before God .” For perhaps he may seem righteous before men.
“ the righteous shall live by faith .” For there is one way of being justified, he says, the one through faith.
" The law is not of faith ,” but from works. And from this it is clear that “ the one who does them shall live by them .” Therefore salvation in the law is through works, and not through faith.
Galatians 3:13-14 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us. For it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree." So that the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
Paul removes a prevailing contradiction. Abraham, he says, was justified by faith for the very reason that he was among those who existed before the law, not being subject to the yoke of the law. For, he says, faith indeed justifies, let us be persuaded, but those who did not become subject to the law, just like Abraham. But we, having already become subject to the law, if we abandon it and rely on faith alone, who will redeem us from the curse of the law, because it is written, he says, "Cursed are those who do not remain faithful to the law"? (Gal. 3:10) This therefore resolves it, showing Christ to have ransomed us from the curse of the law by his own curse.
And rightly it says, " Christ redeemed us ." For having paid the price, himself to become a curse, he has bought us from the curse of the law. See then: we were under a curse because we did not fulfill the law. Christ was not under this curse; for he fulfilled it; and yet he accepted a curse which he did not owe, namely that of being hung on a tree , (quoting Deut. 21:23) in order to free us from our curse. Just as if someone were to ransom those ordered to die by choosing death for them.
" might come to the Gentiles ." For it is said, Christ was willing to be accursed so that it might be to the Gentiles, that is, to those who do not possess the law, the things of the promise of Abraham might come. And let it come through this Christ. How through him? Since the promises are bound to the seed of Abraham, and his seed is Christ. Therefore Christ, insofar as he is and is conceived as a man, having inherited the promises, bestowed these upon the rest of the human race who believe in him.
" that we might receive the promise of the Spirit ." He says that in this way we receive the Spirit. For the curse was removed by the cross, and righteousness has been affected through faith in Christ; and from righteousness comes the drawing of the Advocate, the Spirit. Indeed, the Spirit was also in the promise. For the one who said, "In you all the nations shall be blessed," (Gen. 12:3, 22:18) promised the blessing through the outpouring of the Spirit.
That the blessings are not from the law, but from the promise. But the law is a preparer through conviction.
Galatians 3:15-18 Brothers, I speak according to men. Yet a human-confirmed covenant no one annuls or adds to. Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. It does not say, “And to seeds,” as of many, but as of one, “And to your seed,” who is Christ. Now this I say: a covenant confirmed beforehand by God in Christ, the law, which came four hundred and thirty years later, does not annul the promise so as to make it void. For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise. But God granted it to Abraham by promise.
Since from the signs given by them, and from the revealing of the Holy Spirit, and from the cross of Christ, and from those things by which Abraham was saved, faith was shown to save, and not the law; now he seeks to persuade them by a human example. For the phrase “ according to men ” stands for “according to a human argument and example.” And he rightly calls them brothers, having called them foolish. For it is necessary sometimes to rebuke sharply, and sometimes to soften.
" a human-confirmed covenant ." See what he wishes to prove by the example of the covenant. "I will bless," says God to Abraham, "and in his seed shall all the nations be blessed." ( Gen. 22:18) Now the seed of Abraham, according to the flesh, is Christ. The law was given four hundred and thirty years later. If then, he says, the law committed the blessings and righteousness, the promise and the covenant of God to Abraham become void. But a man's covenant no one annuls; and the covenant of God is annulled, and it lasted a long time, namely four hundred and thirty years. For if that one promised to bless through Christ, but the law instead of Christ blesses, then the covenant of God to Abraham is annulled.
— [PHOTIUS] “Which he says has been confirmed .” For it was authorized by an oath. And he says precisely, “has been confirmed.” For the nullified thing is also transferred, just as the law itself, into the Gospel. It is ordered additionally, that is, it adds on. [ end of the excerpt by Photius ] —
" Now the promises ." As if they had been pledged.
" Now this I say: a covenant ." For the sake of clarity he continues the discourse.
" by God in Christ ." For the promise was to Christ. For he said, "In your seed all the nations shall be blessed." For this is, "in you." And the seed of Abraham according to the flesh is Christ.
— [PHOTIUS] “ which came four hundred and thirty years later .” Four hundred and thirty years are therefore gathered: from Abraham’s seventy-fifth year to the one hundredth (when Isaac was born) are counted twenty-five years; Isaac was sixty years old (when Jacob was born); Jacob was ninety-five years old (when he begot Joseph); Joseph was one hundred and ten years old; the years spent in Egypt were one hundred and forty-four (from Joseph’s death, according to the translation of the Seventy Translators 3 , as appears in Exodus 12): together four hundred and thirty-four. [ end of the excerpt by Photius ] —
“ For if the inheritance is of the law .” He himself so interpreted it. For if the blessing came through the law and not through Christ, the promise and covenant of God is annulled and terminated. He gave by the promise. He gave the blessing, he says, by the promise of God and not by the law.
Galatians 3:19-20 What then is the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the seed to whom the promise referred should come; it was administered through angels by the hand of a mediator. Now a mediator is not of one, but God is one.
" What then is the law? " As it was said by way of contrast to it. Why then was the law given, he says, if it cannot save?
" It was added because of transgressions ." It was not given in vain, he says, but in order that what appears to be from God may not be transgressed, so that even small faults may be prevented. " added ." He rightly says " added " to show that the law is not original, as the promises are, but was given as something following arising from what preceded.
" until the seed to whom the promise referred should come ." But the law was not given for eternity, he says, but until Christ comes, to whom it has been promised that all the nations will be blessed.
" administered through angels ." The law was given, that is, enjoined, served and commanded through the intervention of messengers, whether of the priests or indeed of angels.
It is said to have been given into the hand of a mediator , that is, of Christ. For he wishes to show that the law was given under Christ, so that he might also be the Lord to abolish it. For the one who gives also has power to abolish. He calls Christ a mediator because he mediates to the Father and to men, as it were toward friendship, and reconciles us to God, to whom we were at enmity.
— [CHRYSOSTOM] " by the hand of a mediator ." Here he calls Christ the Mediator, showing that he also gave the law beforehand.
" Now a mediator is not of one, but God is one ." The mediator, he says, is the mediator of two. Of whom then is Christ the mediator? Clearly of both men and God. Do you see how he shows that he both gave the law himself, and would also be Master and to loosen it again?
" Now a mediator is not of one ." He says therefore that Moses indeed mediated for the giving of the law, but he mediated for only one nation.
— [GENNADIUS] It is necessary, however, that the one who truly is to mediate should mediate toward the one God of all nations, not on behalf of one nation, but should make the mediation common for all, since the God of all nations is one. And this mediator would not be a mere man like Moses, but Christ the Son of God, both God truly at the same time, and truly man, and by kinship toward each nature uniting the two into one in himself. "For he himself is our peace, who has made both one." (Eph. 2:14) [ end of the excerpt by Gennadius ] —
“ is not of one .” For there is not one mediator, but God and men. And if he himself mediated, he says, he himself shall save.
" God is one ." If then a mediator must necessarily be someone between two parties or more who are different from one another, and God is one, it is clear that he interceded between God and humans and reconciled us to him. If then Christ reconciled us and not the law, it is evident that Christ and the faith in him save, and not the law.
— in another way . [PHOTIUS] God is the one who gave both the Law and the Gospel, and who acted as mediator and reconciled to the Father. That is to say, he is the same who is Christ. For even if the things mediated are two, the mediator is one; for he must be one. [ end of the excerpt by Photius ] —
Galatians 3:21-22 Then is the law against the promises of God? Certainly not. For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would indeed have been based on the law; but Scripture has limited everything under sin, so that the promise might be given to those who believe in Jesus Christ through faith.
— [GENNADIUS] Therefore the promises bless, but the law makes accursed; consequently the law was given against the promises of God, that is, to hinder them from blessing. [ end of the excerpt by Gennadius ] —
This indeed resolves the opposition, both by what follows and by the prohibition: For let it not be, he says.
— In another way . [PHOTIUS] “ Then is the law against the promises of God? ” On the contrary, it dissolves them. For some might say, the law has seized the entitlement of the promises, and has stood against them. But may it not be. For if it had the power to give life, one would reasonably think it to be set against the promises and to have seized their entitlement, since it is able to justify by its own power. But since it has no power to do any such thing, neither to give life nor to justify, it is clear that it was not appointed against the promises. For these promises will show their proper right, saving and justifying the one who is of faith. And see the wisdom. What another might have brought forward as an accusation against the law, that it neither gives life nor justifies, this very thing he has turned into a defense of the charge and into its praise. For this reason, he says, the law was not set against the promises, because it had no power either to save or to justify. Not only did he not act against them, but in a certain way he cooperated with them and served them. For what he did not save nor justify by other means, he urged to take refuge in faith. And by which he brought them to faith, he also conspired to bring about the fulfillment of the promises. [ end of the excerpt by Photius ] —
" For if a law had been given that could impart life ." For on the one hand, he says, the law had the power to save, so that faith would not even be necessary. But for this reason it did not have the power to give life, so that faith might have room; except that it beforehand purified and led as a kind of guardian 4 [παιδαγωγοῦ] and made us capable and receptive of faith. How then does the one who makes progress by the promises oppose the promises of God? It is therefore neither possible nor reasonable to say that the law was given for the removal of the blessings.
" then righteousness would indeed have been based on the law ." But now, Paul says, he himself did not have strength, so that faith might have strength.
" but Scripture has limited ," that is, he allowed it to be confined and, as it were, to squeeze everyone into sin, God, through his various proper reasons and administrations.
But Scripture says that faith in Christ would be given a place. For even formerly the law, by being transgressed, taught men that they are sinners. But having taught, it did not free them from sin, so that from now men might gladly approach by faith to be delivered from their sins by the one who wills to save. And all this, he says, happened so that the promises made to Abraham, that the nations would be blessed, might be given to those who accept them through faith in Christ.
— [PHOTIUS] " but Scripture has limited everything ." The Law, he says, as it were contained and shut up all into sin, proved them to be sinners. How? For he said, " For it is written, Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things written in the book of the law to do them ;" and this is impossible. For not only did not all men do everything, but not even some of them did all, but at most the more visible of them did the greater part. Therefore whoever did not do everything was under a curse and sin. So they all were shut up and found to be in sin. Therefore, they are able to obtain the promise only through faith. For from the Law, being rather exposed as into sin, they all were shown. [ end of the excerpt by Photius ] —
— [THEODORET] The Divine Scripture reproved both those before the law and those under the law. It reproved some for transgressing the law of nature, and others for transgressing the Mosaic law. To both sets, however, the promised salvation through faith was offered as a solution. For again it placed the word “convicted” instead of “reproved.” [ end of the excerpt by Theodoret ] —
Galatians 3:23-26 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, restrained until the faith that was to come would be revealed. So the law became our guardian until Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But when faith came, we were no longer under a guardian. For all of you are sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
“ before faith came .” For indeed it did not afford the kind of security that would prevent most people from committing sins.
" restrained ." Being guarded, he says, toward the faith that was to come. How? For the law, which was exposing our sins but was not able to rescue, did nothing else than urge those who were more eager to run toward the faith that would be revealed for the deliverance from sins.
— [OECUMENIUS] “ until the faith that was to come would be revealed .” He declared that the faith in Christ had been predestined from above, but has now been revealed to men, when the Incarnation also took place. [ end of the excerpt by Oecumenius ] —
“ So the law became our guardian .” It prepares the way, of course, for the faith that is in Christ, by pointing out to us our sins and making us ready to run to the revealed faith and to forgiveness. Therefore the law is not contrary to faith. For the guardian is not opposed to the teacher, but desires the same thing as he and beforehand teaches certain disciplines.
" until Christ ." For just as the guardian instructs the children beforehand, so that when they go to teachers they may be more ready to learn and to receive from those who teach them, so too the law, by showing us beforehand that we are sinners, made nothing else than readier to run to Christ when He appeared, who was the longed-for deliverance from the sins that had become evident to us through the law. Therefore the example of the guardian has been most aptly spoken of him.
" by faith ." For he was proving the sins, and being unable to justify, he was referring us to Christ.
" But when faith came ." Therefore, then, the perfection and the adoption as sons being given.
" we were no longer under a guardian ." For being children, it was necessary to act under a guardian, although not having become fully grown. "Proof of perfection, to be made sons to God."
— [CHRYSOSTOM] " through faith in Christ Jesus ." Through the faith in Christ Jesus. For such is the construction. See also earlier, when he says "sons of Abraham," now he calls them " sons of God ."
Galatians 3:27-29 For all who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with 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 belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.
Since he called us children of God in a splendid way, he also speaks of the manner in which we became so. But it is fitting to say regarding the preceding sense, “All who were baptized into Christ have become children of God”; for this is the consequence. Yet now he has said the same thing in another way, more appropriately expressing it. For if we have put on the Son of God, and as it were have clothed ourselves with his image, it is clear that we are also sharers in his sonship. Even if he possesses it by nature, we have it by adoption.
" for you are all one in Christ Jesus ." To be clothed with the one form and one likeness of Christ, and to have him as one head, and to bring all together into one body. He says, " in Christ Jesus ." For through him we have being, through his cross, and his death, and his grace.
" if you belong to Christ, then ." If then you are the form and body of Christ, he says, it is fittingly that you are the seed of Abraham. For since previously he said that Christ is the seed of Abraham according to the flesh (and to that seed of Abraham the promises were given, that is, to Christ), now the same thing is summed up. If you are, he says, the body of Christ, you are also the seed of Abraham and heirs of the promise given to his seed; Christ is, he says, the author of these things for us, having made us his body, and therefore also introducing us into the seed of Abraham, not, however, the law.
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Translator notes for Galatians chapter 3.
1. While ἄρα indicates a simple "then," τοιγαροῦν is more emphatic and formal. Τοιγαροῦν is a formal Greek conjunctive particle meaning "wherefore then," "so therefore," or "consequently". It emphasizes a conclusion based on preceding arguments, functioning as a strong logical connector. It is a compound of τοι (truly/surely), γάρ (for), and οὖν (then)
2. Cyril of Alexandria, On the Veneration and Worship in Spirit and Truth, 68.219. [God speaking clearly, that, "In you All the nations shall be blessed." The phrase "in you" would signify, in likeness, your own; thus Paul says knowingly: "But the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the nations by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, 'All the nations shall be blessed in you.' So those who are of faith are blessed with the faithful Abraham." Therefore circumcision is a sign of faith in uncircumcision, and it is not justified by works of the law, and the distinctions of circumcision in the flesh appear inferior to those gains through faith. For he was called a friend of God.]
3. Seventy translators means what is called today the “Greek Septuagint”.
4. “guardian” [παιδαγωγοῦ] the Mosaic Law is described as a παιδαγωγός—a "tutor" “pedagogue” "guardian"—designed to lead people toward Christ.