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2:20 In this beautiful passage, Paul speaks of his total identi cation with Christ. Being baptized in Christ means dying with Christ and rising with him. Thus Saint Paul can say, “I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me.”
3:1 “Jesus was publicly portrayed as cruci ed.” In every Catholic Church, there is a cruci x—an image of the cross with the body of Christ upon it.
“Look down upon me, good and gentle Jesus,
while before Your face I humbly kneel.... While I contemplate,
with great love
and tender pity, Your ve most precious wounds,pondering over them within me...” (From a traditional Catholic prayer before a cruci x)
* [2:15–21] Following on the series of incidents cited above, Paul’s argument, whether spoken to Cephas at Antioch or only now articulated, is pertinent to the Galatian situation, where believers were having themselves circumcised (Gal 6:12–13) and obeying other aspects of Jewish law (Gal 4:9–10; 5:1–4). He insists that salvation is by faith in Christ, not by works of the law. His teaching on the gospel concerns justi cation by faith (Gal 2:16) in relation to sin (Gal 2:17), law (Gal 2:19), life in Christ (Gal 2:19–20), and grace (Gal 2:21).
* [2:16] No one will be justi ed: Ps 143:2 is re ected.
* [2:17] A minister of sin: literally, “a servant of sin” (cf. Rom 15:8), an agent of sin, one who promotes it. This is possibly a claim by opponents that justi cation on the basis of faith in Christ makes Christ an abettor of sin when Christians are found to be
sinners. Paul denies the conclusion (cf. Rom 6:1–4).
* [2:18] To return to observance of the law as the means to salvation would entangle one not only in inevitable transgressions of it but also in the admission that it was wrong
to have abandoned the law in the rst place.
* [2:19] Through the law I died to the law: this is variously
explained: the law revealed sin (Rom 7:7–9) and led to death and then to belief in Christ; or, the law itself brought the insight that law cannot justify (Gal 2:16; Ps 143:2); or, the “law of Christ” (Gal 6:2) led to abandoning the Mosaic law; or, the law put Christ to death (cf. Gal 3:13) and so provided a way to our salvation, through baptism into Christ, through which we die (cruci ed with Christ; see Rom 6:6). Cf. also Gal 3:19–25 on the role of the law in reference to salvation.
* [3:1–14] Paul’s contention that justi cation comes not through the law or the works of the law but by faith in Christ and in his death (Gal 2:16, 21) is supported by appeals to Christian experience (Gal 3:1–5) and to scripture (Gal 3:6–14). The gift of God’s Spirit to the Galatians came from the gospel received in faith, not from doing what the law enjoins. The story of Abraham shows that faith in God brings righteousness (Gal 3:6; Gn 15:6). The promise to Abraham (Gal 3:8; Gn 12:3) extends to the Gentiles (Gal 3:14).
* [3:1] Stupid: not just senseless, for they were in danger of deserting their salvation.
* [3:2] Faith in what you heard: Paul’s message received with faith. The Greek can also mean “the proclamation of the faith” or “a hearing that comes from faith.”
* [3:3] On the contrast of Spirit and esh, cf. Rom 8:1–11. Having received the Spirit, they need not be circumcised now.
* [3:4] Experience so many things: probably the mighty deeds of Gal 1:5 but possibly the experience of su erings.
* [3:6] Abraham. . .righteousness: see Gn 15:6; Rom 4:3. The Galatians like Abraham heard with faith and experienced justi cation. This rst argument forms the basis for the further scriptural evidence that follows.
CHAPTER 2
o. [2:19] 6:14; Rom 6:6, 8, 10; 7:6.
p. [2:20] 1:4; Rom 8:10–11; Col 3:3–4.
q. [2:21] 5:2.
CHAPTER 3
a. [3:1] 5:7; 1 Cor 1:23.
b. [3:2] 2:16 / 3:14; Rom 10:17. c. [3:3] 5:16–18.
d. [3:5] 2:16.
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GALATIANS -
among the Gentiles, 16n [yet] who know that a person is not justi ed by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus that we may be justi ed by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justi ed.* 17But if, in seeking to be justi ed in Christ, we ourselves are found to be sinners, is Christ then a minister of sin?* Of course not! 18But if I am building up again those things that I tore down, then I show myself to be a transgressor.* 19For through the law I died to the law,* that I might live for God. I have been cruci ed with Christ;o 20yet I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me; insofar as I now live in the esh, I live by faith in the Son of God who has loved me and given himself up for me.p 21I do not nullify the grace of God; for if justi cation comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing.q
IV. FAITH AND LIBERTY
Justi3 cation by Faith.*
1O stupid* Galatians! Who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was
publicly portrayed as cruci ed?a 2I want to learn only this from you:b did you receive the Spirit from works of the law, or from faith in what you heard?* 3Are you so stupid?c After beginning with the Spirit, are you now ending with the esh?* 4Did you experience so many things* in vain?—if indeed it was in vain. 5Does, then, the one who supplies the Spirit to you and works mighty deeds among you do so from works of the law or from faith in what you heard?d 6Thus