Galatians Chapter 3:1-14 - Elder Matt Morrison

Full Handout Galatians 3: 1-14

Recap (Intro, Chapters 1 & 2)

False teachers (Judiazers) came after Paul planted the churches

To attempt to malign Paul’s apostolic authority

To subvert the gospel of justification by faith alone with the addition of law keeping

Paul defends his apostolic authority and introduces the gospel of justification by faith alone

Galatians 3 is a polemic for justification through faith in Christ alone.

Paul reminds us how we came to salvation by faith in the first place, shows the historicity of this truth in the character of Abraham, and exposes the futility of salvation by works of the law.

Two ways for eternal life: 1)Perfect obedience 2)Faith in Christ

Sin rendered option 1 impossible, leaving the only path for salvation to be Christ and his finished work.

Reminder of the perpetual pull to add to the simplicity of the gospel, changing it into another gospel

Man by nature hates a gospel that is all of free grace and all of God’s doing, but that is the gospel, and

nothing else can be good news apart from what God has revealed and provided in Christ alone!

Connect to the last verse of chapter 2:

I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.

3:1-5 The Vanity of Returning to the Law

O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you?

Paul firmly rebukes in love for straying to another gospel (Prov 27:6) (Luke 24:25)

It was Christ who offered up perfect obedience to the law! What foolishness to look elsewhere

“False brothers” have snuck into the churches of Galatia to teach faith + works for salvation

We must zealously guard the gospel in our hearts and in our churches(1 Tim 4:16, 6:20)

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

Preaching sets forth Christ crucified painted in words for the eyes of faith to conceive

We live by faith, not by sight. So, we must conceive Christ in word and in sacrament

The simplicity of the gospel must be constantly put before our eyes with the word preached

Galatians started with sound teaching (hence Paul’s astonishment) but wandered (2 Tim 4:3-4)

Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith?

Works of the law and faith in Christ are set in contradistinction

The law only reveals the disease, not the remedy (Rom 3:20) and is powerless to save (Rom 8:2-4)

The gospel shows us where we must look AND supplies the Spirit to make us able.

Death only has power because the law condemns (1 Cor 15:51)

Preaching the gospel is necessary because that is the instrument God has ordained (Rom 10:17)

God regenerates and pours out the Spirit as he wills and by his mean (Ezekiel 36)

Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?

If you started by faith in Christ for justification, are you sanctified now by your own works?

All of salvation is by grace through faith in Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit.

We are neither justified by our good works, nor sanctified by our good works.

This is THE persistent error of the church: starting with Christ, finishing by works.

God is the author AND finisher of our faith. WSC 33 and 35. (Ezekiel 36:27)

Did you suffer so many things in vain--if indeed it was in vain?

Shows Paul has not given up hope, but reproofs strongly out love

Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by

hearing with faith--