3 23 GALATIA NS 2 :1 0

21 swear befo re God th a t what I ha ve j ust written is t he lite ral trut h. - Afte r th at Rm 1:9 +

22 I we nt to Syria a nd Ci licia, -and was st ill no t known by sight to t he churches of Ac 9:30 ; 11:
25-26
23 C hr ist in Ju daea, - who had hea rd no t hing except th at their one-time persecutor
24 was now prea chi ng the faith he had prev iously tr ied to destroy ; -and they ga ve
glo ry to God for me . ..J

Ac 11:30 +:
~
The meeting at Jerusalem 15:1 +

GA LATIA N S 2 It was no t till four teen years" had passed that I went up to Je rusalem aga in.
I went wi th Barnabas and too k Titus with me. ·1 went ther e as the result of Ac 4:36 +
:I:
0-
W
a reve latio n, and pr ivate ly I la id before the leadi ng men the Good News as I 2 Cn 2: 13 -i-

procla im it among th c pagan s ; I d id so for fear thc course I wa s adopting or had Ph 2:16
TH E LETTER OF PAUL a lready ado pted wou ld no t be allowed ." -And what ha ppe ned ? Eve n though Titus ..J
4 who had co me wit h me is a G reek , he was not ob liged to be circ umcise d. ' -T he i:
TO THE CHURCH I N GALATIA quest io n ca me up o nly becau se so me who do no t really belon g to th e bro t herh ood
t:l.

R rn 6:15 , -
ha ve furti vely c re pt in to s py o n t he libe rt y we e njoy in Ch rist Jesus, and wa nt
to reduce us a ll to slavery. ·1 was so de te rm ine d to safeguard for yo u t he t rue ..J
Address- meaning o f th c Good News , that I refu sed eve n o ut of de fere nce to yield to 0
U
R m l: l +

f' I :I H 1 F ro m Paul to the churches of Galatia, and from all the brothers who a re here
wit h me , an a postle who does not owe his authority to men or his appointment
6 suc h peop le for o ne mo me nt." • As a res u lt, these peo ple who are acknowledged
lcadcrs-no t t hat thei r im port ance matte rs to me, since God has no favo urites-
these lead er s, as I say, had nothin g to add to th e Good News as I pr eac h it. ' -O n
D t 10: 17 -+
AI.: 10:34
to a ny huma n being but who has been appointed by Jesus Christ a nd by G od the NW
(f)
R m 1:4 + Ac 1 5 : .~r,1 2 ~:I:
Father who raised Jesus from the dead . • We wish you the grace a nd peace of the contrar y, t hey recognised th at I had been co mm issio ned to preach t he Good H ill !5: 17-1 1) . f-
N ews to t he uncircumcised ju st as Pete r had been co m missio ned to preach it to 1 lm 2:7
G od our Father a nd of the Lord Jesus C hrist, -w ho in order to rescue us from
I T m 2:6
I Jn 5: 19 th is present wicked world" sac rificed himself for our sins, in accord ance with 8 thc circ umcised. -T he sa me per son whose action had made Pe ter t he apost le of
R m 16:27 + 1:19 i
t he will of God ou r Father, -to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. th e circumcised had given me a sim ila r mi ssion to th e paga ns . •So , Ja mes, Ac 12;(7 !· N ';
ED s.s ~ j:::
Ce phas a nd Jo hn," t hes e lead er s, th ese pill a rs, shook han ds wit h Barnabas an d Rv 3:/2
A warning' me as a sig n of pa rt ne rs hi p: we were to go to t he pagans and they to t he
2 T h 2:2 circ umc ised ." •The on ly th ing they insisted on was t hat we shou ld remembe r to 1 Co 16; 1 -1-
I a m astonished at the promptness with which you have turned aw a y fro m the 10
M19:16 hel p th e poor , as inde ed I was anx ious to do .
2 Co 11:4 o ne who called you and have decided to follow a different version o f the Good f-
5:/0
News. - N o t that there can be more than one Good News; it is merely that some 1=
tro u ble ma ke rs among you want to change the Good News of C hr ist ; - and let a. T h is oocnin a is shorter and less frie nd ly t ha n in ca ll as ap o st le of t he gen tile s.
:Iny o t her lcucr: t he re is n ot a s in~ lc wo rd o f p rai se l . Var . ' leave Iur", · J.!O to ' ,
me warn you that if anyone preaches a version of the Good News different from fo r the <i a tar tans. In vv. I and 4. Pa ul b rines in the tw o k . Probab ly the kin gd o m o f th e Nabatuca n Ara bs
::E
t he o ne we have a lrea d y preached to yo u, whether it be ourselves or a n angel mai n th emes o f his lett er : I. he is a true anost tc. cb. 1-2 , to t hc S , of Da mas cus. I M 5:25 -. , whe re Paut too k :r:
R m 9:3 + 2. he bnnus t hc <rood N ews t ha t we arc saved thr ou gh refuge from A rctu s. 2 C o 11:32, e,
fro m heaven, he is to be condemned." • I a m only repeating what we told you fai t h in Je su s C h ris t . a nd rh ut C hr istians arc th erefo re I. Lit. ' b U I (lilly Jame s , . " Ot her s t ransl ate 'c xccr u
~ Co 11:2+ free, c h . 3~5,
be fo re: if anyone preaches a version of the Good News different from the one Jam es' , cith cr idel1 t if~'i1 u: thi s James w it h the son o f
I Th2:4 h. T he p resent wo r ld a s oppo sed 10 th e ' wo r ld to A tnh ae us. M t Hl:3n , an d ta kin g hi m fo r one of the
you have already heard, he is to be condem ned . -So now whom am I try ing to 10 come' of t he mcsstanlc era, I t cotnctdes With th e rule Twe lve. or else un dcr stu nd tnz 'apost le' in t he Wider
please- ma n, or God? Would you say it is men's approval I am looking for? ' If of Sa ta n , AI.: 26: IR, 'u od of thi s world' , 2 Co 4:4. sense , cf. Rill 1:1 +,
R m 1: 1 c f'. Ep2:2: I n 12:31, a nd wit h t he r ule of sin an d la w,
I still wanted that, " I shou ld not be what I am-a ser va nt of Ch rist. {ia 3: 19 . By d y in ~ a nd ris ing C hr is t ha s fr eed us fro m 2 :1. Reckon in g from the las t meet ing wit h Pe ter o r
t hese fo rces a nd ma de us mem bers of his k tn ad orn . of els e , p referab ly, from Pa u l' s co nv ers io n. It is poss ible
Go d 's k ingd om , R m l·t l7 : Cot 1:13: En 5:5. tho ugh t ha t the ' t hree year s' of I : I K a nd thc ' fo ur teen' o f 2:1
we wil l not he co m p letely freed till we also rise fro m a rc no mo re th a n o ne-und -o-half a nd twelve-and -a -hal f
I. PAUL'S APOLOGIA t he d end a t th e oarousia. cf. Rm 5-X. rcsnc cuvc lv . s ince it wa s c us to m ary to co u nt ev en the
c. Th is wa r-ning ta kes t he p lace of th e rh an ksaivi na las t Few d :w s or t he lirs t few da ys o f a year as a who le
God ' s call with whic h Paul's lett ers usu all y bcain. Rm I: I '- . vear.
d . Lit. anathema, cf. Rm 9: 3 -1-. h. Li t. ' fo r fear I was r un ni ng o r h ad run to no
1: ( c , It appea rs tha t the J ud aisers accu sed Pa ul of pu r pose ' . Paul is nOI havin g seco nd t ho ug h ts ab out
The fact is," brothe rs, and I wa nt you to realise this, the Good News I II
the truth of his gos pe l. he is co ncer ned that when ne w
t r y in ~ to make l he pagans ' con version ea sier b y no t
preac hed is not a human message -that I was given by men , it is something 12 ins isunx o n cir cumcision. But o n th is occas io n <1 1 c h urc he s a re fo unded th e y s ho uld keep in to uch wit h
M116 :17 feast . he reto rt s, he can not be suspected of a co ncilia- th c mo th er ch u rc h : thi s is wh y he felt the col lec tio n
I lea rn t o n ly through a reve lation o f Jesus Christ." • You must have heard of 13
ro r t he ' p o o r " in Jer u su tcm tl ' be important, cf.
Ac 8:1- 3 I tory a tt it ude.
2 Co 11:12 I my career as a practisi ng Jew, how merciless I was in persecut ing t he C h urc h of r. As o nce he d id, i.e . before his conversion when 1 C o 16: 1 t: see v , 10,
Mk 7:Jf c. Pa u l in sisted tha t Timot hy be circu mcise d since
Ac 26:4- 5 G o d , how much damage I d id to it, -how I stood ou t among other Jews of my 14 he nreacbed cir cumci sio n .
~, Va r. 'B Ul' or 'Nov...•. his nuuh cr was a Jewess. AI.: 16:3, cf . I Co 9:2 0: a Jew
ge ne ra tio n, and how e nthusiastic I was for the tradi tions of my ancestors. heing dell ned as o ne whos e mothe r is Jew ish,
Is 4 9: I h. T he tw o aspect s of rc vet a tio n. l.e. 'as made by
J r J: 5 Then G od , who had specially chosen me while I was still in Illy moth er's 15 C h rist' an d 'about Chr ist '. Y. 16. T h is sho uld not he d. Li t. ' we d id no t yield , lIy omutina 'not", the
Lk 1:15 take n as mean ing tha t Pa u l received all his doct rine 0 11.1 Latin versio n make s Paul admit th ai he gave way
womb , ca lled me through his grace and chose -to reveal his So n in me ,' so that 16 for a m omen t. O m, '~HIt o f deference':
M1 16: 17 withou t hu ma n in ter medi aries , and mu ch less tha t o n
Ac9:3-1 9 f- I m igh t p rea ch t he Good Ne ws about him to th e pagans. I did no t stop to d iscuss th e Damascus roa d a ll was reveale d to him at o nce. c , Li t. ' Ia id down nllth tn g mor e for me ' . cf . ..... 2.
Rm 1:1 + He is refe rr in g to the doct rine tha t it is no t obey ing- f. 'James , Ce p has and Jo hn ' : vu r. 'Ja mes . Pet er
this with a ny h um an being, 'nor d id I go u p/ to Je rusa lem to see those who were 17
the Law t hat saves, but havin g' faith: this is the only a mi John ' . or 'Ja mes a nd J ohn' .
alrea d y apost les be fo re me, but I we nt off to Ara bia - at on ce and later went to p ic o f disc uss ion here . g , T h is disunc uo n is no t ral,,' ia l b ut g eo~ r :l p h ic a l :
Ac9:23-30 I
st ra ight back from t he re to Damascus . • Eve n whe n a fter three yea rs I wen t up 18 i. O ther s tr<lIlslate ' reveal h is So n to me '. Pa ul is ' the c lrc un u:iscd ' (li t. th e l,,;i fi:um d s in n' ) rde r ~ p r i-
2:9 not de ny ing t ha t his visio n was rea l. I Co 9: 1: 15:H; mari ly [0 the Je ws in Palest inc , a nu \\ hen Pau l . . \,ent
Ac 12:17 + to Je rusalem to visit Cephas and st a yed wit h him for fifte e n da ys, • I did not see 19 cr. Ac 9: 17 : 22: 14: 26: 16 , he is s tress ing t he inward ness am om : th e J,!:en tiles the res iden t Je ws were h is first
a n y of the other apostles; I only saw James, th e brot he r of the Lord,l .and I 10 of this real vision and r e latin ~ th is inw a rd ness to hi ~ concern . Ac l3: 5 +,
III
 2: 1 I G A L AT I AN S 324 3 25 GALATIANS 3:2 2
D12 1:23
Ac 15:1 Peter and Paul at Antioch curse of the Law by being cur sed fo r our sa ke,' since scr ipt ure says: Cursed be Ac 5:30 +

W hen Cephas came to Antioch, however, I opposed him to his face, sinc e II
I 14 e l'eryo ne who is hanged on a tree . • Th is was do ne so tha t in Christ Jes us the
R m 5:5 ~
Ac 11~:~l8 ; he was ma nifestly in the wro ng. h • His custo m had been to eat with th e pagan s,' 12
blessin g of Abra ha m might includ e the paga ns, a nd so tha t th rough fait h we might ED 1:3 .
Heb 6:12
but after certain friend s of Ja mes arrived he stopped doing thi s a nd kept a way receive the promised Spi rit ."
from th em altogether for fea r of the group that insisted on circumcision . •Th e 13
The Law did not cancel the promise
other Jews jo ined him in this pretence, and even Barnabas felt himself obliged
to copy th eir behaviou r. 15 Co mpa re th is, brot hers , wit h what ha ppens in ordi nar y life. If a will has
W hen I saw they were not respecting the true meaning of the Good Ne ws, 14
I 16 been drawn up in d ue for m, no one is allowed to d isrega rd it or add to it. •Now
Gn 12:7 +
:r
a.
1) I said to Cephas in front of everyone, 'I n spite of being a Jew , you live like the the prom ises were add ressed to Abra ham and to his descendan ts-« notice, in M I 1: l+ ;
21:38
W

pagans and not like the Jews, so you have no right to mak e th e pag a ns cop y passing, t hat scrip tu re doe s not usc a plura l word as if there were several Rm 8: 16
Jewish ways.' 17 descendants, it uses t he singul a r: to his posteri ty," which is Christ. • But my
poin t is this: once God had expressed his will in due for m, no law that ca me ..J
four hund red an d thirty years la ter co uld ca nce l t ha t and mak e the pro mise G n 15: 13
The Good News as proclaimed by Paull Ex 12:40 :E
a.
Ac 10:28
T hough we were born Jews and not pagan sinners, k -we acknowled ge th at : ~ IX meaningless." ·11' yo u inherit something as a lega l right , it does not co me to yo u
R m 3:22 R m 11:6
Ph 3:9 what makes a ma n righteous is not obed ience to the Law , but fait h in Jes us as the resu lt of a promi se, a nd it was precisely in the for m of a promi se t hat Go d
Christ. We had to beco me believers in C hrist Jes us no less than you had, a nd made his gift to Abra ha m . ..J
O
now we hold that faith in C hrist rat her than fidelity to the Law is what ju stifies Rm 7: 7 t- U
The purpose of the Law
R,:s3~2"6:; us, and th at no one can be just ified by keeping the La w.• Now if we were to 17
R m 5:20
ad mit th at th e result of looking to C hrist to justify us is to mak e us sinners like 19 What then was the pu rpose of add ing the Law? This was done to specify
th e rest, it would follow that Christ had induced us to sin, wh ich woul d be crimes,' unt il the poster ity came/ to who m th e promi se was ad d ressed . T he Law III
Ac 7:38.53 l- NW
a bsurd. • If I were to return to a position I had al ready a ba nd oned, I sho uld be I X 20 was pro mulgated by ange ls, k assis ted by a n intermed ia ry.• Now there can only Hcb 1 :2 ":r
f-
be a n intermedia ry between two parti es, yet God is o ne.' • Does t his mean that 4:J!
Rrntl~+; admitting I had done somet hing wro ng. -In ot her words, t hrough the Law I a m 19 21 C o 12 : 15 f
dead to the Law,' so th at now I can live fo r G od. I have been crucified with there is oppos itio n between the Law a nd the pro mises of G od '? Of course not.
We co uld have been justified by the Law if th e Law we were given had been Ps 14:1-3
Rrn~~?:i : C hrist, -and I live now not wit h my own life but with the life of C hrist who 20 Rm 3:9- 10,
~~
22 capable of giving life, •but it is not : scripture mak es no excep tio ns whe n it says 23
Co I 3:J.4 lives in me. m T he life I now live in this bod y" I live in fait h: faith in th e Son of - f-
R m 11:3 2
i:~s: n1 God" who loved me a nd who sac rificed him self for my sa ke.• 1 cann ot bring 2 1 that sin is master everyw here. In this way the prom ise ca n on ly be given th ro ugh
In l/ d myself to give up G od's gift: l' if t he Law ca n justify us, there is no po int in the faith in Jes us Christ and ca n only be given to those who have th is faith. '"
death of Christ. f-

h . Peter' s co nd uct was n o t in it self b la mewort hy .

a nd in d iffe re nt circ u ms ta nces Paul was III do t he sa me .
c . O thers rra nsta te ' Hav e yo u su ffe red so m uch
ilnd a ll tn n o p urp ose "
.
i=

Ac 16:3 ; 2 1:2tl ; J C oM: I3 : Rrn 14 :21: d . I Co 9:20 . d . La ws cxn crr In be obevcd in eve ry poi n t. v. 10
II. DOCTRINAL M ATT E R S But on th is occasion su ch a noli cv s u ~ ~c s l c d t ha t the a nd 5:] : cf . Jrn 2:10 . hut do no mina . of tbcm sc tvcs . to
o n ly t rue C h ris tia ns wer e c o n ver te d Je ws who obser ved ass u re thi s, cr. A~ 15 :10 ; R m 7:7 I ::It
:x:
Rrnl:1 6 +
Justification by faith
Are you peopl e in Gal atia mad ? H as someone put a spell on yo u, in spite
th e La w . and t h rea te ned to prod uce two separat e
co m m u ni u cs that co uld no t e ven meet to cele bra te t he
E uc h ar tst. Peter 's be hav io ur sho u ld h av e a dvert ised
e . To free t hc h u m a n rucc from th e cu rse (;nJ la id
n n it Ior Ll ef yill/.l t he la w. C h ri s t made h ims e lf a nswe r-
.
a.

I Co 2:2 3 of the plain expla na tion you ha ve ha d of the cr ucifixion of Jesu s C hrist?"
h is re al a tt it ude b ut instead {I f that he disauiscd n.
v, 13.
able for th e curse . cf . Rm H:3 : : 2 C o 5:1 1 i :
Col 2: 14 i ' Th e so mew ha t re mo te ana togv bet we en
the cr uc lfl ed C h r is t an d th e cnm tna l o f D1 21 :23 is
m
W
Let me as k yo u on e qu esti on: was it because yo u practi sed th e Law th at you i. C o n ve r ts from naa a ni sm . so al so in v . 14 . as
:r
4:6 o pposed (0 th e ' cir cumci sed ' w h o arc con ve r ted Je ws . used me re ly to illu stra te th is doc trtn e .
Rrn 5:5 + received th e Spirit, or becau se you believed what was pre ached to you? - Are you j. Pa ul is nor on ly spcaking to Pet er h ut mor e r. l .it . 't he prom ise of the Sp irit ' , V':If. ' I he bless ing
foo lish en ou gh to end in o utwa rd o bservances" what you bega n in th e Spirit? nanicula r tv to a ll t he Ju daise rs. C.R. t h o se of A ntioc h p( t h e Spiril ' ,
.IOLI s till m o re th o se o f Gala t i a. ~ , Li t. ' It docs nor s ay "A mI ro no stcruics " as if
H a ve all th e favou rs you received been wasted?' A nd if th is were so, t hey woul d k. T hi s is sl i~ h l h' iron ical . thoueh Pau l ne ver ' l hc rc were sevc rul n conlc . hU I "A nd to Y\1Ur nos te r hv "
Ac 1:8 +
mo st ce rta inly have been waste d.• Docs G od give you the Sp irit so freely a nd d o ub ted th a t Isr ael kept a p ri vil e~eLl nosuton . Rm ;:1" if there wer e o ne". Th e usc in sc r tru ure of a cot lcc n ve
I: 16 : 3: I ; 9:4-5, ev e n w hcn u nr aub fu t. Rill I I : u r. cuout-tc of in~li\.' i1 t i n ~ a n individ ua l e n a b le s Pa ul to
wo rk miracles a mo ng you becau se you practise the Law, or beca use yo u believed l. S(I lac o ni c as to be obsc ure: th er e h a ve be e n ill us tr at t.· hi s are u nu..nt with a ve r ba l pun ,
what was preac hed to yo u? va r io us ex p la na tio ns: I . C hr is tia ns, crucit tcd wi th h . (; lld wt1uld ha ve co n uad tc ted himsel f hatI he
Gn 15:6 C h ris t, ar c d ead with C h ris t an d th erefor e . like Ch ri s l, rcnlaccd u sc heme of sutv auou hased un a spo nrunco us
R rn 4:3 Take Abraha m fo r example: he put his f aith ill God, and this fait h was 6 dead to t he Mosa ic L:Jw, d . R ru 7: l f a n d ind eed in p romi se (com nared to il w ill in v. 15) w it h on e bas ed
Jm 2:23 un a b tkucral con rrucr. v. 20 , li e ,,'n u ld nOI ha ve made P:<
.S'i 44: /9- 2/ co nsidered as jus tifying him. • Don 't you see that it is t hose who rely on faith who 7 vir t ue {If t ha I Law. (,a .': 13 : t h is is wh v Cbris ttans
a lre ad y sh a re t hc lifc o f t he rts c n C h ris !. Rill (,:4·10 : th c tut film c nt llf l he ru o nus c lIc pc n d ' HI Ihe.' o bse rvance
are the so ns of Abraham? -Script ure foresaw that God was goi ng to use faith 7:4·6 w ith n ot e s . 2. Chri s ti an s o n ly ren oun ced t hc of a la w , as th is would h a ve been t o m a ke the nromisc
to j ustify the pagans, a nd procla imed th e Go od News long ago when Abrah am I.aw fur a d ec rie r obed ie nce 10 th e O ,T. , (;:1 ."1 : 11),24 : a Plll l11 isl' lU I Ion ac r . V \' . 1 1f, The l .a\v· wa s aivc u for
G o 12:3 + R m 10:4, 3, Chr ist ia ns ar c on ly dead III t hc Mosaic quir e a dtnc rcnt pu rpose , v v . IY,24 ,
Ac 3:25 was told : 111 you all the pagalls will be blessed. ·Those therefore who rely on Law in ohedic nl:c 10 a hiRher la w , t hc la w of fa ith a nd i. O n t hl' IIlca niliR o f thi s tcr se sta le me n t, iiI. ' lIn
faith receive t he same blessing as A bra ham, the man of faith. o f th e Sp ir it. R m H:2, ill:l:Olln l o f l:ri llll:S', d . R ill 7 ;7 I ,
m , The Iivinw: ac ts of a Ch riSlia n become so me how I, Lit. 'Why th e n thl.' La w',' It was i.l d de d on a l:l:o u n l
R rn 7:7 + lh e aCIS o f C h r is!. of Cl imes IIllli! th a I p lls ter ilY l:a mc . , ' Va L ' W h y the n
The curse brought by the Law n, Lil. ' in Ihe nesh ' . T ho URh s lill ph ysi cnlly ali ve , th e law o f wllr ks'.' It was a d ded u n til th at p o sterit y
Ac 15:10 Rm 7:5 I, C hr ist ia ns a rc a lready spir it ua lly a liv e , I.:allll"
O n th e other hand, t hose who rely on the keeping of th e La w a re und er a 10 d , Ep 3: 17 ; o n th is p a ra d o x. d . R m 8. k , In Je wis h n a d il io n a l\!u: ls were p rcsent .:!t S ina i
Dt 27:26
Rm4:15 curse, since scripture says : Cursed be e l'('ryone who does not persel'ere ill obser ving 0, Var. 'f a il h in ( 'od a nd in C h ris t' , w he n t he l.a ..... wa s /.livcn. The ' in ter m ed ia ry ' is Mnses ,
J :3 p, By re turn inR to th e Law, cf. 3: IR, cr. Ac 7:3K !
Jrn 2:10 e very thing prescribed in the book of the Law . • The Law will not ju stify a nyo ne II 3 a, T h e founda lio n of eve r y th in ll Pa u l le ac he s is I. T he I.a w was Iot h 'c n th H) URh a n i nlerme d ia ry :
Hab 2:4
Rrn 1: 17 in the sight of God, because we a re tol d: the righteo us lIIall finds life through fa ith. th e id ea t hat .....e are red eem ed be l.:au se C h ris l die d a nd th e p rom ise l::'l nlC di rel:l ly fr om ( i n tI,
Lv /8 :5 ro se ag a in , c f. I C o 15:3f m, J us ti til..'at itUl is a (rce Mift: to relo.'e ive t hi s Rift
R rn 3:24 The Law is not even base d on fa ith,d since we a re to ld: The man who practises 12 b. Refercnl.:c 10 being cir..:umcised a s urgell by a pe rso n mu st lirst rCl..'olot n ise th at it is not the pay m e n t
Ws 14:7
Is 53:5 these prece pts fin ds lite through practising them . • Christ rede emed us fro m the i3 J udalsina: p reachers. o f a debt ,
 32 7 GALATIANS 5: 13
3: 2 3 GALATIANS 326
The coming of faith 28 the f orsaken one than sons of the wedded wife. • N ow you, my brothers, like Isaac,
G n21:9
29 a re child ren of the promise, •and as at tha t time the child born in the ordinary I P 3:6
Before faith came, we were allowed no freedo m by t he Law; we were being 23 1 Th 2:14 +
Rm 3:22 ; 30 way per secuted the child bo rn in the Sp irit' s way, so also now.> -D oes not
10:4 loo ked after till faith was revealed . -The Law was to be our gua rd ian un til the 24 G o 2 1:10
scr ipture say: Drive away that slave-girl and her son; this slave-girl's son is not to J n 8:35
Christ came and we co uld be j ustified by faith. •Now that that time has co me 25
4:5-7 we are no longer under that guardian, -a nd you are, all of you," son s of God 26
31 share the inheritance with the son of th e free woman? -So, my brothers, we are
Jn 1: 12
Rm 8:14f.29 through faith in C hrist Jesus. -All bapt ised in Christ, " you have all clothed 27
the ch ildren , not of the slave-girl, but of the free- born wife.
Rm 6:4 + :
13:14 + yourselves in C hrist, -and there are no more distinct ions between Jew and 28
E D 4:24
Rm /() :J2
III. EXHORTATIO N J:
1 Cn 12:13 G reek, slave and free, male and fema le, but all of you are one in Christ Jesus. " a.
w
Col 3: 11 Merely by belonging to C hrist you are the posterity of Abraham, the heirs he 29 R m 6:1 5 +
JIl 17:2 / f
Hcb6: 12
Chr istian liberty
Jrn 2:5
was promised .
fI When Christ freed us, he meant us to remain free. a Sta nd firm, the refor e, I n 8:36

Rm4: 1+
Sons of God 5 and do not submit agai n to the yoke of slavery. - It is I, Pa ul, who tell you
this: if yo u allo w yourse lves to be circumcised, Chr ist will be of no benefit to
MI II :29
Ac 15: 10 ..J
;:
c..
Let me put this a not her way:" an heir, even if he has act ually inhe rited 1
Hc b 9: 16
4 eve ryt hing, is no d ifferent from a slave for as lon g as he rema ins a child.
He is under t he co ntro l of gua rd ians a nd adm inistrators until he reac hes the 2
yo u at all. •With all sole mn ity I repeat my warning: Everyone who accep ts
circumcisio n is obliged to keep the whole Law . • But if you do look to the Law
2:2 1

3:10
Jm 2: 10
Rm 8:2 3,25
CoI 2:M age fixed by his fat her . • Now befo re we came of age we were as good as slaves to to make yo u justified, t hen you have separated you rselves fro m Ch rist, a nd have ..J
I Co 7:19 0
ED 1:10 the eleme nta l pr inciples of th is wor ld," •but when t he appointed t ime" came, falle n from grace. -Christ ians are to ld by the Spir it to look to faith for those U
6:1 5
R m 1:3 God sent his So n, born of a wo man, born a subject of the Law, -to redeem th e rewards that righteou sness hopes for," -since in Christ Jesus whether you are
Rm 3:24 l- circumcised or not makes no difference -what matters is faith that makes its 1 Co 13:13+
subjects of the Law and to enable us to be adopted as sons ." •The proof that you In> 2:14
R m H:15-17
arc so ns is that Go d has sent the Sp irit of his Son into our hear ts: thc Spi rit power felt through love .. (J)
"' w
I Co 9:24 "J:
I n 15; 15
t hat cries, 'A bba, Father', -a nd it is this th at makes you a so n, you are not a 7 You began yo ur race well:' who made you less a nxious to obey the truth? P h 2:16 f-

slave a ny more ; a nd if God has ma de you son, t hen he has made you heir. ~ You were not prom pte d by him who called you ! -The yeast seems to be spreading 0 0 W: 1
I C o 5:6
Ph 2: 1-5
1 Co 12:2
Once you were igno ran t of God, a nd enslaved to 'gods' who are no t rea lly x 10 through the whole batch of you . • I feel sure that , uni ted in the Lord, you" will
1 Co 8:4 -5 1 Co 3:17
I Th 1:9
gods at a ll; •but now that you have come to ac knowledge G od-or ra ther, now ag ree with me, a nd a nybody who troubles yo u in fut ure will be condem ned , J: 7 e-:' ~
ICo lJ: 12 - f-
th at G od has acknowledged yo ur-s-how ca n you want to go bac k to eleme ntal II no matter who he is. • As for me, my brothers, if I still prea ch circumcision, e
I Co 1:23
Co l 2: 16.20 things like these, that ca n do noth ing a nd give nothin g, and be their slaves? •Yo u 10 why am I still persec uted ? If I did that now, would there be any scandal of the
Ph 3:2
a nd your special da ys a nd months a nd season s a nd yea rs! -You make me feel I I I 12 cross? -Tell those who are disturbing you I would like to see the knife slip.!
P h 2: 16 have was ted my time with you. f-
Liberty and charity l=

~I A personal a ppeal 13 My brothers, you were called, as you know, to liberty ; but be careful, or this Rm6; 15+

I C o 9:2 1
2 T h 3:7 l- Brothers, all I ask is that yo u sho uld copy me as I cop ied yo u.! Yo u have
Ac 16:6 + never treated me in a n unfriendly way befo re ; -evcn at the beginnin g, when th at
illness" ga ve me the o ppo rtunity to preach the G ood News to you , -you never
showed the least sign of bein g revolted or disgusted by my disease th at was such
M I I0: 40 +
a tri al to you ; instead yo u welcom ed me as a n ang el of Go d, as if I were C hr ist
Jes us himself. •Wha t has becom e of this ent husiasm you had? I swea r that you
woul d even have go ne so far as to pluck out yo ur eyes an d give them to me. • Is it
telling you the truth th at has mad e me yo ur enemy ? •T he blam e lies in the way
they have tried to win yo u over: by sepa ra ting you from me, they wa nt to win
yo u ove r to t hemselves. - It is always a good thin g to win peopl e over "- a nd
I do not have to be t here with you- but it must be for a good purp ose, - rny
I C o 4: 14- 15 child ren! I must go thr ou gh the pai n of giving birt h to you all over aga in, until
2 C o 6:13
I T h 2:7-8 C hrist is for med in you. · 1 wish I were with yo u now so that I co uld know exac tly
Phm 10
what to say ; as it is, I have no idea what to do for t he best.
The two covena nts: Ha gar a nd Sarah
liberty will provi de an open ing for self-indulgence. Serve one another, rather, in
12
13
n . A ll . i.e. not only 'we', who are Jews , but 'vcu '.
l' who are paga ns.
o. Fa ith a nd ba pt ism a rc n o t be ing co nt ras ted : o ne
in volv es the o ther, cf. R m 6:4 + .
n . Va r . 'YOU a rc a ll of C h ri s t Jes us ' ,
4 a. A fu rt he r co mp ariso n. a gai n ta ken from the la w
15
c ou rts. T ho ug h the Jews ar e cho se n as th e hei r p re-
16 su m p tive, yet they ar e o n ly slav es. v , 3. to t he Law:
a Ch ris tia n who wa nts to s ub mit to th is slave ry is
17
Ro ing ba c k to a s ta re of c h ild ho od , cf. v. 9.
b . Refer e nce to t he e le me n ts th at mak e UP t he
p h ys ica l u niver se. cf. v. 9 ; C o l 2:8.20 ; Paul uses the
18
p h ra se 10 ind ica te bo th t he L aw th a t m inu tel y re gu la te d
19 th e use of th ese e le men ts . v , 10 ; Co l 2: 16. a nd th e
sp ir its tha t used t he Law, Ga3: 19 + : Co I2 : 15 + . to
d o mi nat e t he un ive rse, Col 2:18+ .
20 c . Lit . ' ful ness of tim e ' ; th e p h rase in d ica tes ho w
whe n t he mes sia nic age co mes it will fill a need felt fo r
cen turies. ra t he r like filli n g up a lu g. Cf. Ac 1:7 +
a nd M k 1:15 ; I Co 10:11 ; Ep 1:10 ; Hob 1:2 ; 9:26 ;
1 P 1:20 .
I P 2:16
J ude 4 ::l'
:x;
to be descended fr om Abraha m like Is hm a el, it is n,
necessary to be descend ed as the result o f p ro m ise. like
Isa a c. v, 23 ; it is necess a ry to be a s pir itua l descendan t,
n o t jus t a ge nea lo gica l o ne . v. 29 ; th us Isa ac's b irth
a,
prefigured the rebirth of C hris tia ns . v. 28 ; cf. R m 9:6f.
T h is basic a rg u me n t is e mb e llishe d with o the r m ore w
co ntr ived co m p a riso ns .
J:
[ , Lit. 'accor d ing to th e flesh ' , t.e. in t he or di na ry
co urse o f nat ur e, cf'. R m 7:5 +, wit ho u t God worki n g
a mir a cle to fulfil his pr o m ise .
k , ' since Sina i is in Ara bia'; va r. 'Hagar s ta nds for
Sina i in A ra bia ' (o r ' in Ar ab ic') .
I. l.e . e ns laved to t he La w. as o pposed to th e
messian ic Jer usa le m , cf. Is 2:2 , lo ng barren , no w a
m othe r . v , 27; cf. Is 54: 1-6 .
m . Ha vin g de mo n st ra ted t he Ish mae l-J ews, Isaac-
C h ris t ia ns . pa ra lle l, Pa u l ma kes two o bse rv at io ns ,
~
vv , 29 a nd 30, Accordi ng to so me Jewis h tr a d iti o ns
Is hma el ' p er sec u ted ' Isa ac, and accord ing to th e sacred
te xt it self, Sarah sees Is h mae l as her so n 's r iva l and

Yo u wan t to be subject to the Law ? T hen listen to what the La w says.' -It g
G n 16: 15 ; sa ys, if yo u reme mber , that Abra ham had two so ns, one by t he slave-girl, and o ne
2 1:2
by his free-born wife. •T he child of the slave-girl was born in the ordina ry wa y ;' 23
G n 17: 16 t he child of th e free wom a n was born as the result of a promi se.• T his ca n be 24
I Co 10:6 +
rega rded as a n allegory : t he wome n sta nd fo r the two covenants. T he first who
co mes from Mo unt Sinai, a nd whose chi ldren are slaves, is Hag ar -s- vsincc Sina i 25
In 8: 32r
is in Ara biak- a nd she co rrespo nds to th e presen t Jerusalem' that is a slave like
Ps 87:5
Rv 2 1:2 her child ren. -T he Jerusalem above, ho wever, is free a nd is o ur moth er, -sincc ~~
Is 54:1 scripture says: Shout fo r joy , yo u barren women who bore no children ! Break into
shouts of j oy and gladness, yo u who were never in labour. For there are more sons of
d. T he two aspec ts of red e m p tlon, ne ga t ive a nd
po sit ive: the s lav e a tt a in s free d om by becomin g a so n .
F irs t an d for em ost t he ad o p tion to so ns hip is no t
sim p ly a le ga l r-ig ht to inherit , v. 7, b ut the re al a nd
inwa rd giv ing of the Sp irit , v , 6.
c. T he Ga la tia ns we re co nverted by God who
' kne w' t hem before t hey 'k new ' h im .
f. Proba bly by re fu si ng to prac tise the law 's ri tu al .
d ,ICo9:2 1.
g , T his probably pro lo nged Paul's s tay in Gala tia,
and he too k t he o pp o rt unity to p re a c h t he Good News .
h . Va r . 'B e won ov e r to wha t is good' .
i. I.e. t he witness of the script ure s , cf. Rm 3: 19 + ;
to in he rit th e prom ise it is n o t e no ugh just [0 be a
descendan t o f Abra ha m, cf. Mt 3:9 ; it is no t e no ug h
de ma nds Haga r's exp ulsio n. G n 21:9 .
5 a , Human bein gs mu s t c ho o se e it her C hr is t or the
La w as au t hor of sa lva tio n . So me witn esses ( Vu lg.)
join th cse words wi th the p reced ing verse ' with the
freedom bY wh ic h C hr is t has m ad e u s fr ee ' :
b , Or e lse "T h e ri ght e ou sness th at was hoped fo r'.
c . O ne o f Pa ul' s favouri te images, cf, 2:2 :
I C o 9:24-26; P h 2: 16 : 3: 12-14; 2 Tm 4:7; Hc b 12:1.
d , O r el se ' I have co nfide nce in th e Lord t ha t yo u' .
e . As Pa ul's e ne m ies ap parent ly clai med , cf. 1: 10:
2:3 1-.
r. Lit. ' I wish that th ose who a re d is turbing yo u
mi ght RO ev e n furt her <than ci rc umcis ion) and castrate
t hem se lves". Perhaps a llud ing to cast ra tio n in t he cu lt
of Cybele , the sa rc as m res e m blin g that o f Ph 3:2 ,
 5:14 GALAT IANS 32 8 329 GALATIANS 6:18
Rji J:8- works of love, -since the whole of the Law is summarised in a single command: 14
Lv 19 :18 Love your neighbour as yourself. -If you go snapping at each other and tearing 15
each other to pieces, you had bette r watch or you will destroy the who le
commu nity.
Rm 8:5f
Let me put it like this: if you are guided by the Spirit you will be in no dan ger 16
Rj~:~~f of yielding to self-indul gence, -since self-indu lgence is the opposite of the Spirit, 17
the Spirit is totally against such a thi ng, and it is precisely because the two are
so opposed that you do not alway s carry out your goo d intentions. -If you are 18 :I:
0-
) R m8:14
M 17 :17 led by the Spirit, no law can touch you . •When self-ind ulgence is at work the 19
W

Rm 1:29 + result s are obvious: fornic ation, gross indece ncy and sexual irre sponsibility;
1 Co 3:3+
Ep 5:3 ido latry and sorcery ; feuds and wrangling, jeal ousy, ba d tem per an d quarrels; 20
Jm 1:2 1
disagreements , factions, -en vy;« dru nkenness, orgies an d simila r th ings. I warn 21 -'
1 Co 6: 10 you now , as I warne d you before: those who behave like this will not inhe rit the ;:
a.
2 Co 6:6
Ep 5:9 kingdom of Go d.• Wh at the Spirit brings is very different: love, jo y, peace, 22
1 Tm 4:12 patience, kindness, goodness, trustfulness, •gent leness and self-control. h There 23
2 P 1:5-7
1 Co 13:4-7 can be no law against th ings like that, of cou rse. •You cannot belong to Christ 24
1 Tml :9 -'
Rm6:6 o
Col 3:5 Jesus unless you crucify all self-indulgent passions and desires . c
Rm8:/4 25
Ph 2:3 Since the Spirit is ou r life, let us be directed by the Spirit. •We mus t stop 26
being conceited , provocative an d envious.
III
On kindness and perseverance ~~
I-
M118:15 Brothers, if one of you misbehaves, the more spiritual of you who set him
2 Th 3:14-15
2 Tm 2:25
Jm 4:19f 6 right should do so in a spirit of gentleness, not forgetting that you may be
1 Cc ·:O:12 tempted yourselv es. •You should carry each other's troubles and fulfil - the
I

2
JnIJ:34 ~~
- I-
1~r:~.:~ law of Christ. -It is the people who are not important who often ma ke the 3
mistake of thinking that they are. •Let each of you examine his own conduct; 4

if you find anything to boast about, it will at least be something of your own, not
Rm 14:12 just something better than your neighbour has . •Everyone has his own burden 5 ....
F
to carry.
Rm- 15:27
People under instruction should always contribute something to the support 6
of the man who is instructing them. ~
J b 13:9 Don't delude yourself into thinking God can be cheated: where a man sows, 7 :r:
H o8:7 a.
D130:15-20 there he reaps: -if he sows in the field of self-indulgence he will get a harvest of 8
]b 15:35
P r 11: 18 corruption out of it; if he sows in the field of the Spirit he wi!! get from it a
Jn 3:6
Rm 6:21-2 2 harvest of eternal life. ·We mu st never get tired of doing good because if we 9
1 Co 15:35- III
W
49 don 't give up the struggle we shall get our harvest at the proper time. -While 10 :I:
1 Th5:15 we have the chance , b we mus t do goode to all,« and especia lly to our brothers

in the fait h.
Rm 16:17 Epilogue ~
1 Co 16:21 Take good note of what I am adding in my own handwriting and in large II
Col 4:18
Col Z:18 letters.' -It is only self-interest that makes them want! to force circumcision on 12
you -they want to escape persecution for the cross of Chri st-·they accep t 13
Rm 2:2 1f
circumcision bu t do not keep the Law themselves ; they only want you to be ~
Rm 3:27 +
circumcised so that they can boast of the fact. -As for me, the only thin g I can 14
boast about is the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, throu gh whom the world is
5:6+
cru cified to me, and I to the world." .hlt does not matter if a person is circumcised 15
1 Co 7:19
2Co 5:17+ or not; what matters is for him to become an altogether new creature. -Peace 16 g. A dd. (VuIR.) ' m u r der s' , cr. Rm 1:29. possibly R m 16:17-20 . Large letters were used fo r
~ ~.
and mercy to all who follow this rule, who form the Israe l of God. i h. Add . 'ch as tity'. em phasis.
Ps 125:5 6 a. 'fu lfil'; var. 'yOU will fu lfil' . f. li t. 'I t is those wh o want to make a fair show
I want no mor e trou ble from anybody after this; the marks on my body ar e 17 b. P ossibly allud ing to the time th a t still remains in {he ftesh who want
those of Jesus .' -The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you r spirit, my 18 be fore th e trarousia , cr. 2 Co 6:2 +. g. T his pr esent sinful world, cf. 1:4; 4:5: 1 Co 1:20;
c. ' we m ust do go od ' ; var. ' we do good' , 2 Co 4:4 : Ep 2:2. etc. : In 1:10+.
brothers. Amen. d . T he goo d act of a Christian is d one o ut of love. h. Add . ' In Ch rist Jesus ' .
and so is co ncern ed with others. 5: 14; in this way he i. The Christian community, the tru e Isr ael ,
gives witness in p ub lic, cf. Rm 12:17-18, an d a s he is cf . 3:29 ; Rm 9:6-8, as OPPosed to the Israel 'ac cording
spe cially no ticed by C h ristia ns, Rm 14:15, he he lps to to the ftesh ', I C o 10:18.
'bu ild up' the Ch urch. Rm 14:18-19. i, The marks of ill-treatment suffered for Christ,
rI e. As usual, Pa ul adds a few words in hi s own cf . 2 Co 6:4-5 ; 1I :23f.
hand . cf . 2 Th 3:17 ; 1 Co 16:21-24 : Co l 4:18. and