In Chapter 2 Paul describes how he confronted Peter/Cephas. Peter had seen the vision of unclean animals with God’s command to “kill and eat” (Acts 10.9ff). As a result, he knew that believers are not compelled to follow the Jewish Law as a condition for acceptance by God. Bacon and prawns can now be added to the menu! Peter had then met with Gentiles and even gone to the home of Cornelius. Justification and salvation are not dependent on adherence to the Jewish Law, although messianic believers may wish to continue following their traditional Jewish life-style. But this must not prevent full fellowship with Gentile believers, including eating together. Peter, however, had gone back on God’s command: “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean” (Acts 10.15). So, in defence of the true Gospel and justification by faith alone, Paul had needed to confront Peter.
The Holy Spirit (3.1-5)
Now, he turns to the Galatians who were also in danger of backsliding from their assurance of having been justified by faith alone. He addresses them as ‘unintelligent/mindless’ (3.1 Greek: anoetoi; NIV “foolish”). They needed to get their thinking straight.
Paul challenges them with a direct question: “Who has bewitched you?” (3.1). Lightfoot points out that this word particularly refers to the use of the evil eye, a form of sorcery which is still common in some parts of southern Europe and in many Muslim cultures. Still today, Christians face a spiritual battle with evil spirits and a variety of occult practices.
The Galatians had begun so well. The crucified Jesus had been clearly ‘portrayed’ before their very eyes – the word translated ‘portrayed’ seems to indicate that the Gospel had been preached to them beforehand in writing. They had even been willing to suffer severely for their faith in Jesus (3.4).
Paul’s second question lies at the centre of these first five verses: “Did you receive the Spirit by works of law, or by the hearing of faith?”. It is clear from the Bible that God’s lavish generosity is to be received through faith in the crucified Jesus, not by rigid observance of the Jewish Law. Ridderbos helpfully observes that the gift of the Spirit is “the most unmistakable evidence of God’s favour and the plainest guarantee of eternal redemption”. The word used here for God ‘giving’ the Spirit strongly suggests real liberality.
Abraham (3.6-9)
Justification by faith does not come as some new teaching. It has its roots in the Old Testament. God does not change, nor does he go back on his Word which remains true throughout history. Abraham himself, the father of the Jewish people, believed and “it was credited to him as righteousness” (3.6; Genesis 15.6). This became the normal pattern for Israel throughout the Old Testament. If God’s people Israel trusted God, he poured out his saving blessings on them. Of course, trust in God automatically involves people following him in obedient holiness. But such obedience was never the preceding condition for God’s saving grace in justification.
In Genesis the call of Abraham is strongly linked to God’s international purposes for “all nations”. God promises Abraham that he would “be a blessing”, and “all peoples on earth will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12.3). So, Paul underlines that “those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham” (3.9) and “those who believe are children of Abraham” (3.7). The Old Testament Scriptures “foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith” (3.8). The universality of the Christian Gospel lies at the heart of our faith. God’s gift of justification by faith in Jesus should always widen our vision.
While God’s grace reaches out to the Gentiles, this does not mean that God’s election of the Jews as God’s people has been cancelled. “God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable” (Romans 11.29). Sadly, the Gentile Christian church, including great leaders like Jerome and Aquinas, has taught that Gentiles have now ‘replaced’ the Jews in God’s grace and calling. But, such teaching denies God’s great purpose of justifying both Jew and Gentile. These Church leaders say that the Gentile Christian church has become the new Israel. They have even taught that the Jews are now an accursed people because of their rejection of Jesus. They have accused the Jews of killing Jesus, whereas it is clear that Roman soldiers were responsible – but Christians never suggest that Italians are accursed as killers of Jesus!
The New Testament shows that God’s church is rooted in the Jewish people, but now Gentiles have been grafted into the Jewish tree (Romans 11).
The Curse (3.10-14)
In further defence of the biblical teaching that we are justified by faith, not by works of the Jewish Law, Paul shows the Old Testament teaching that all who base their identity on observing the works of the Law are “under a curse” (3.10) – the second time 3.10 speaks of the curse, it adds a prefix to strengthen even more the horror of God’s curse. Deuteronomy 27.26 declares that everyone (Jew and Gentile) who fails to observe every single element of the Law is under God’s curse (3). With our fallen human nature, none of us can possibly manage to live such a perfect life of absolute holiness. All of us sin repeatedly and thus incur the wrath of God.
In Deuteronomy 21.23 it is written that “cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree” (3.13). Jesus was nailed to a wooden cross and paid the penalty for all our sin. He was entirely sinless, so didn’t deserve to die such a death, but he ‘became a curse for us’ (3.13). Through his death on the cross he has taken our curse on himself and covered us with his righteousness. He has redeemed us (3.14), buying us back from slavery to sin with its fearful consequences. Through faith in Messiah Jesus, God has also opened the door for Gentiles as well as Jews. By faith all of us, not just the Galatian believers, can be justified and “receive the promise of the Spirit” (3.14). The Galatians began by receiving new and eternal life by the Spirit (3.2, 3) and now Paul reminds us all that we do indeed follow Abraham in receiving God’s promise of the Spirit through faith in Christ Jesus (3.14).
Hallelujah! What a Gospel! Justification by faith in Jesus Christ through his death for us on the cross!
Martin Goldsmith 
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