The Epistle to the

Galatians

INTRODUCTION

This epistle was probably written by Paul (Gal. 1:1) about a.d. 57, on the third missionary journey from Ephesus during his two years of residence there. There is substantial basis, however, for the claim that it was written from Corinth, shortly before Paul wrote the Epistle to the Romans. Dr. Lenski advances the theory that it was written from Corinth on the second missionary journey about April, a.d. 53. After Paul visited the Galatians, he discovered that the Judaizers had followed him and the churches were listening to them. Paul wrote this letter to counteract their message and to state clearly the gospel.

Paul visited the Galatian churches on each of his three missionary journeys. There is no mention in the epistle of another visit to the churches. This epistle was evidently Paul’s last word to these churches, written after he had visited them on his third missionary journey.

In the case of the Epistle to the Galatians, the people to whom it was sent are important, which is not always true with other epistles. Also, the destination of this book has given rise to what is known as the North Galatian and the South Galatian theories. It seems more reasonable to suppose that it was sent to the churches in the area Paul visited on his first missionary journey, but this does not preclude the possibility that it had a wider circulation, even as far north as Pessinus, Ancyra, and Tavium. I believe that Paul was writing to all the churches of Galatia. This area was large and prominent and many churches had been established there.

The word Galatians could be used either in an ethnographic sense, which would refer to the nationality of the people, or it could be used in a geographic sense, which would refer to the Roman province by that name. Regardless of the position which is taken, there was a common blood strain which identified people in that area where there was a mixture of population. The people for whom the province was named were Gauls, a Celtic tribe from the same stock which inhabited France. In the fourth century b.c. they invaded the Roman Empire and sacked Rome. Later they crossed into Greece and captured Delphi in 280 b.c. They were warlike people and on the move. At the invitation of Nikomedes I, king of Bithynia, they crossed over into Asia Minor to help him in a civil war. They soon established themselves in Asia Minor. They liked it there. The climate was delightful, and the country was beautiful. When I visited Turkey, I was pleasantly surprised to find how lovely it is along the Aegean and inland, also along the Mediterranean.

In 189 b.c. these Celtic tribes were made subjects of the Roman Empire and became a province. Their boundaries varied, and for many years they retained their customs and own language. They actually were blond Orientals. The churches Paul established on his first missionary journey were included at one time in the territory of Galatia, and this is the name which Paul would normally give to these churches.

These Gallic Celts had much of the same temperament and characteristics of the American population, that is, of those who came out of Europe or England. It is interesting to see what was said concerning my ancestors (and maybe yours). Many of these Germanic tribes were wild and fierce. Caesar said of them: “The infirmity of the Gauls is that they are fickle in their resolves, fond of change, and not to be trusted.” This description fits the majority of Americans in our day. We are fickle in our resolves. We are fond of change—we want a new car every year. We like to get the magazine that is dated next week. Another described them as “frank, impetuous, impressible, eminently intelligent, fond of show, but extremely inconstant, the fruit of excessive vanity.” That is a picture of the American population today. A man runs for office and we vote for him. Then in four years we forget him. Do you remember who was president ten years ago? Or twenty years ago? We are fickle people, not very constant. I’m very happy that it was said we are eminently intelligent, because that’s what we think also. And the reason for our high estimation of ourselves is the fruit of excessive vanity.

In the Book of Acts we read that the Galatians wanted to make Paul a god one day, and the next day they stoned him. What do we do? We elect a man to the presidency and then we try to kill him in office. I think it is quite interesting that our system of government has survived as long as it has.

Therefore the Epistle to the Galatians has a particular message for us because it was written to people who were like us in many ways. They had a like temper, and they were beset on every hand by cults and “isms” innumerable—which take us, likewise, from our moorings in the gospel of grace.

1. It is a stern, severe, and solemn message (see Gal. 1:6–9; 3:1–5). It does not correct conduct as the Corinthian letters do, but it is corrective. The Galatian believers were in grave peril because the foundations of their faith were being attacked—everything was threatened.

The epistle, therefore, contains no word of commendation, praise, or thanksgiving. There is no request for prayer, and there is no mention of their standing in Christ. No one with him is mentioned by name. If you compare this epistle with the other Pauline epistles, you will see that it is different.

2. In this epistle the heart of Paul the apostle is laid bare, and there is deep emotion and strong feeling. This is his fighting epistle—he has on his war paint. He has no toleration for legalism. Someone has said that the Epistle to the Romans comes from the head of Paul while the Epistle to the Galatians comes from the heart of Paul. A theologian has said, “Galatians takes up controversially what Romans puts systematically.”

3. This epistle is a declaration of emancipation from legalism of any type. It is interesting to note that legalists do not spend much time with Galatians. It is a rebuke to them. This was Martin Luther’s favorite epistle. He said, “This is my epistle. I am wedded to it.” It was on the masthead of the Reformation. It has been called the Magna Carta of the early church. It is the manifesto of Christian liberty, the impregnable citadel, and a veritable Gibraltar against any attack on the heart of the gospel. As someone put it, “Immortal victory is set upon its brow.”

This is the epistle that moved John Wesley. He came to America as a missionary to the Indians. But he made a startling discovery. He said, “I came to America to convert Indians, but who is going to convert John Wesley?” He went back to London, England, and was converted. When I was in London I had a guide take us to Aldersgate and we saw the marker that designates the place where John Wesley was converted. (His was called an “evangelical conversion,” which is the only kind of conversion the Bible speaks of.) John Wesley went out to begin a revival—preaching from this Epistle to the Galatians—that saved England from revolution and brought multitudes to a saving knowledge of Christ. Wilberforce, one of his converts, had a great deal to do with the matter of child labor and the Industrial Revolution that brought about changes for the working man.

In a sense I believe this epistle has been the backbone and background for every great spiritual movement and revival that has taken place in the past nineteen hundred years. And, my friend, it will be the background for other revivals. I would like to see the Spirit of God move in our land today. I would like to hear the Epistle to the Galatians declared to America. I believe it would revolutionize lives.

4. Galatians is the strongest declaration and defense of the doctrine of justification by faith in or out of Scripture. It is God’s polemic on behalf of the most vital truth of the Christian faith against any attack. Not only is a sinner saved by grace through faith plus nothing, but the saved sinner lives by grace. Grace is a way to life and a way of life. These two go together, by the way.

OUTLINE

     I.     Introduction, Chapter 1:1–10

A.     Salutation—Cool Greeting, Chapter 1:1–5

B.     Subject Stated—Warm Declamation, Chapter 1:6–10

     II.     Personal—Authority of the Apostle and Glory of the Gospel, Chapters 1:11–2:14

A.     Experience of Paul in Arabia, Chapter 1:11–24

B.     Experience of Paul with the Apostles in Jerusalem, Chapter 2:1–10

C.     Experience of Paul in Antioch with Peter, Chapter 2:11–14

     III.     Doctrinal—Justification by Faith, Chapters 2:15–4:31
Faith vs. Works, Liberty vs. Bondage

A.     Justification by Faith—Doctrine Stated, Chapter 2:15–21

B.     Justification by Faith—Experience of Galatians, Chapter 3:1–5

C.     Justification by Faith—Illustration of Abraham, Chapters 3:6–4:18

D.     Justification by Faith—Allegory of Hagar and Sarai, Chapter 4:19–31

     IV.     Practical—Sanctification by the Spirit, Chapters 5:1–6:10
Spirit vs. Flesh, Liberty vs. Bondage

A.     Saved by Faith and Living by Law Perpetrates Falling from Grace, Chapter 5:1–15

B.     Saved by Faith and Walking in the Spirit Produces Fruit of the Spirit, Chapter 5:16–26

C.     Saved by Faith and Fruit of the Spirit Presents Christian Character, Chapter 6:1–10

     V.     Autographed Conclusion, Chapter 6:11–18

A.     Paul’s Own Handwriting, Chapter 6:11

B.     Paul’s Own Testimony, Chapter 6:12–18

1.     Cross of Christ vs. Circumcision, Chapter 6:12–15

2.     Christ’s Handwriting on Paul’s Body, Chapter 6:16–18
The New Circumcision of the New Creation

CHAPTER 1

Theme: Salutation—cool greeting; subject stated—warm declamation; Paul’s experience in Arabia

Galatians is God’s polemic against legalism of every and any description. The Mosaic Law is neither discredited, despised, nor disregarded. Its majesty, perfection, demands, fullness, and purpose are maintained. Yet these very qualities make it utterly impossible for man to come this route to God. Another way is opened for man to be justified before God, a way which entirely bypasses the Mosaic Law. The new route is by faith. Justification by faith is the theme, with the emphasis upon faith.

Three epistles in the New Testament quote Habakkuk 2:4, “The just shall live by his faith.” Romans 1:17 emphasizes the just. Hebrews 10:38 emphasizes shall live. Galatians 3:11 emphasizes by faith.

In Romans the emphasis is upon the fact that man apart from the Mosaic Law is justified before God by faith. In Galatians Paul is defending the gospel from those who would add law to justification by faith. Faith plus law was the thrust of Judaism. Faith plus nothing was the answer of Paul.

The Judaizers questioned Paul’s authority as an apostle and his teaching that simple faith was adequate for salvation. Paul defends his apostleship and demonstrates the sufficiency of the gospel of grace to save.

SALUTATION-COOL GREETING

Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;) [Gal. 1:1].

Actually there is no parenthesis necessary in this verse. Paul is simply stating that he is an apostle. The word apostle is used in a twofold sense:

     1.     One of the Twelve (Acts 1:21–26)

a.     With Jesus during His three-year ministry (v. 21);

b.     Witness of His postresurrection ministry (v. 22);

c.     Chosen by Christ (v. 22; Acts 9:15; 26:16–17).

     2.     One sent forth. This is the wider sense as used in Acts 11:22.

Paul, in my judgment, took the place of Judas. After the resurrection of Jesus, Matthias was chosen by the disciples to fill the place of Judas, but no information is given about Matthias except the account given in Acts 1:15–26. Matthias is never mentioned again. If the Holy Spirit had chosen him, certainly somewhere along the way He would have set His seal upon this man. Paul, however, proved he was an apostle, and Matthias did not. The election of Matthias as an apostle was held before Pentecost, which was before the Holy Spirit came into the church. For that reason I do not think that the Holy Spirit had anything to do with the selection of Matthias. There are also many elections in our churches today that are obviously not ordered by the Holy Spirit. I believe that Paul is the man whom the Spirit of God chose to take Judas’ place.

In this verse Paul also says that he is not “of men.” The preposition apo conveys the meaning of “not from men,” that is, it is not legalistic. He is not an apostle by appointment or commission after having attended a school or having taken a prescribed course.

Paul also declares that his apostleship is not “by man.” The preposition dia indicates that it was not through man, that is, not ritualistic by means of laying on of hands, as by a bishop or church court. Paul did not have the other apostles lay their hands on his head and say, “Hocus pocus, you are an apostle.”

Paul was an apostle. How? He was an apostle by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead. Jesus laid His hand upon Paul, called him, and set him apart for the office (see Acts 9:15–16).

Now I am an ordained minister from men and through men. I was told that I had to finish seminary and obtain certain degrees before I could be ordained. I did that. That was from men. That was the legalistic side. Next I went before a church body that examined me. Their decision was that I should be an ordained minister. In the Second Presbyterian Church in Nashville, Tennessee, I knelt, and a group of men put their hands on me and said, “You are now an ordained minister.” That is the kind of minister I am. Paul said, “I am not that kind of an apostle. Men had nothing to do with it. I am an apostle directly by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead.”

 

And all the brethren which are with me, unto the churches of Galatia [Gal. 1:2].

You will notice that Paul’s greeting is cool, brief, formal, and terse. No one is personally mentioned. He is not writing just to one church. He is writing to several churches—“churches of Galatia.”

The word church is used in two ways in the New Testament. One meaning of church includes the entire body of believers, of all different groups, who have trusted Christ as Savior. The other meaning of church refers to local assemblies, which is how Paul uses the word here. There were churches, or local assemblies, in many parts of Galatia. There was a church in Antioch of Pisidia, in Derbe, in Lystra, and in other places he had visited. Paul was writing to all the churches, to all of the local assemblies; hence the local church—not the corporate body of believers—is in view here. In the Epistle to the Ephesians we look at the church as a corporate body of believers—the invisible church. But the invisible body is to make itself visible today in a corporate body. Believers should be identified with a local body of believers.

Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ [Gal. 1:3].

This is Paul’s formal greeting that he uses in most of his epistles. The word grace (charis) in this verse was the gentile form of greeting in that day, while peace (shalom) was the religious greeting of the Jews. Now the grace of God must be experienced before the peace that is from God the Father can be experienced.

Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father [Gal. 1:4].

This is another marvelous verse—I can’t rise to the level of it; I will simply say some things about it.

Jesus Christ “gave himself for our sins.” There is nothing that we can add to the value of His sacrifice. Nothing! He gave Himself. What do you have to give, friend? Anything? Can you add anything to His sacrifice? He gave Himself. How wonderful and glorious that is! I am speechless when I read a verse like this. He gave Himself! When you give yourself, you have given everything—who you are, what you have, your time, your talent—everything. He gave Himself. He couldn’t give any more. Paul just couldn’t wait to say it. Having mentioned Him, he says, “Who gave himself for our sins.” This is the germ of Paul’s subject.

Paul calls Him, “our Lord Jesus Christ.” He is my Savior. Can you say, “The Lord is my Shepherd?” It is one thing to say He is a Shepherd; it is another thing to make it possessive. The Lord is my Shepherd. The Lord is my Savior. Can you say that He is yours?

Paul goes on to say, “that he might deliver us from this present evil world.” Notice that the Lord delivers us from this present evil age. There is, therefore, a present value of the gospel which proves its power and genuineness. The gospel can deliver you. I have received letters from thousands of folks who have turned to Christ and have been delivered. They have been delivered from drugs, from alcohol, and from sex sins. Christ alone can deliver in cases like that. This proves the genuineness of the gospel. Christ gave Himself for our sins. He took your place and my place on that cross. He died for us and rose from the dead “that he might deliver us from this present evil world.”

All we have seen so far does not exhaust the richness of this verse.

Notice that His deliverance is “according to the will of God and our Father.” He can deliver us—and it will not be according to law. But it must be according to the will of God, my friend. The will of God is that, after He has saved us, we are not to live in sin. How wonderful this is! He can deliver us. He wants to deliver us. He will deliver us, and He will do it according to the will of God. It is God’s will that you be delivered.

This verse still is not exhausted. Christ gave Himself that He might deliver us according to the will of God. God can deliver us, but it will not be according to the Law. It must be according to the will of God, my friend. The will of God is that when He saves you, you are not to live in sin. He can deliver us and He wants to deliver us. It is His will that you be delivered. My friend, this is a verse that makes you feel like throwing your hat in the air, does it not?

To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen [Gal. 1:5].

This is a moment wherein Paul stops to render praise to God. I am convinced that we should praise God more than we do. Let us get right down to the nitty-gritty, right down where the rubber meets the road. Did you praise the Lord’s name this morning when you got up? Did you thank Him for a new day? You say, “It was raining.” But did you thank Him for it? Did you praise His name that He brought you to a new day?

I had to have a bout with cancer before I came to the place where I thank Him as I should. Now the first thing I do every morning—whether the sun is shining or it’s pouring down rain—is to say, “Lord, thank you for bringing me to a new day.” How wonderful He is! We need to praise Him more. I want glory to go to the name of my God and my Savior. I don’t want to stand on the sidelines and compromise by endorsing these contemporary dramatic productions and songs that are belittling the Lord Jesus Christ. I am speaking out against them, because He is God manifest in the flesh. He gave Himself for me. I want to praise His name! “To whom be glory for ever and ever.”

“For ever and ever” begins right now and is going on right into eternity.

This concludes Paul’s salutation. Although it contains some glorious truths, I think you will have to admit that it is a cool, impersonal greeting from the apostle Paul.

SUBJECT STATED—WARM DECLAMATION

Paul now states his subject. He goes from cold to hot. In fact, he is hot under the collar. Why? Because there are those who are mutilating the gospel. Paul would give his life for the gospel.

I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel [Gal. 1:6].

There are two aspects of the gospel, and it can be used in two senses: (1) the facts of the gospel, and (2) the interpretation of the facts. The facts of the gospel are the death, burial, and bodily resurrection of Christ. Paul said to the Corinthians, “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received [Paul didn’t originate the gospel; he received it], how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures” (1 Cor. 15:3–4). These are the historical facts of the gospel which cannot be changed. You have never preached the gospel unless you have stated these facts. The second aspect of the gospel is the interpretation of the facts. They are to be received by faith plus nothing.

Now the subject of Paul’s letter to the Galatian believers concerns the interpretation of the facts of the gospel. The Judaizers had followed Paul into the Galatian country. They did not challenge the facts of the gospel. After all, five hundred people at once saw the Lord Jesus after His resurrection. When you have that many people around as witnesses, you don’t run around denying the facts of the gospel. The heresy they were promoting concerned the interpretation of those facts. They were very sly and subtle and said something like this, “Did Brother Paul come here among you?” The folk would say, “Yes, he came and preached the gospel and we accepted it. We are converted. We know Christ as our Savior, and we are in the body of believers.” The Judaizers would respond, “Oh, that’s wonderful. Brother Paul is accurate as far as he goes, but he doesn’t go far enough. Did he tell you that you should keep the Mosaic Law? Oh, he didn’t? Well, he should have told you that. Yes, you are to trust Christ, but you must also follow the Mosaic Law or you won’t be saved.”

This is one of the oldest heresies known, and it is still with us today. It is adding something to the gospel of grace; it is doing something rather than simply believing something. It is faith plus something rather than faith plus nothing. Every cult and “ism” has something for you to do in order to be saved.

It is interesting that Paul said to the Philippian jailer, “… Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved …” (Acts 16:31). Simon Peter said to the Sanhedrin, “Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Christ told the apostles to preach the gospel of salvation by grace. They were not to do anything to gain their salvation, but they were to trust what Christ already had done for them. The gospel shuts out all works.

Now Paul is writing to the Galatian believers and saying, “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel”—

Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ [Gal. 1:7].

The word pervert is the Greek word metastrephō. It is a strong word, used by Dr. Luke in speaking of the sun turned to darkness (see Acts 2:20), and by James, speaking of laughter turned to mourning (see James 4:9). To attempt to change the gospel has the effect of making it the very opposite of what it really is. This is important to see.

 

But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed [Gal. 1:8].

This verse is as strong as anything could possibly be. Paul says that if an angel dared to declare any other message than the gospel, he would be dismissed with a strong invective.

If an angel should appear to me right now and say, “You are right as far as you go, but you also have to do something to be saved”; or if an angel should appear to you as you read this and say, “McGee is correct as far as he goes, but you have to do something else,” both you and I should say, “Get out of here; I’m not listening to you although you are an angel from heaven.”

My friend, in our day we hear many speakers who are trying to give us another “gospel.” They may look like angels to you—after all, Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light, and his ministers are transformed as the ministers of righteousness (see 2 Cor. 11:14–15). Now hear Paul—

As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed [Gal. 1:9].

In strong language Paul says, “If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed,” which literally means let him be damned. Friend, I cannot make that statement any stronger.

The gospel shuts out all works. Romans 4:5 says, “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.” I find a great many folk who think they have to become good enough to be saved. The other day a man said to me, “McGee, I want to become a Christian. I am going to try to be a little better, and if I improve, I am going to become a Christian.” I said to him, “If you improve, you will never become a Christian. The only class that God is saving is the ungodly. The Lord Jesus said He didn’t come to call the righteous; He came to call sinners. The reason He said that was because there is none righteous, no, not one. Even the righteousness of man is as filthy rags in God’s sight. Law condemns us, and it must make us speechless before grace can save us.”

Romans 3:19 tells us that, “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.” The real difficulty is not that people should be “good enough” to be saved, but that they are not “bad enough” to be saved. Humanity refuses to recognize its lost condition before God. This is the human predicament.

The Judaizers did not deny the facts of the gospel—that Jesus died and rose again. What they denied was that this was adequate. They insisted that you have to keep the Law plus trusting Christ. Paul is saying that whoever tries to mingle law and grace—let him be damned! Why? Because they pervert the gospel. They do not deny the fact of the gospel, but they misinterpret those facts. They pervert the gospel.

For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ [Gal. 1:10].

The word persuade means “to make a friend of.” The Scofield Reference Bible translates it “seek the favor of.” In 1 Thessalonians 2:4 and 4:1 it is “please God” in contrast to self or others. The preaching of the gospel is not pleasing to lost man. No man can please both God and man.

If you preach the gospel of grace today, you may get into trouble because it is the gospel of the grace of God that the sinner hates. Many unsaved church members do not want to hear the message of grace. They want to hear a message that appeals to the flesh. The gospel of grace puts us in the dust and makes us beggars before God.

By nature man responds to legalism. He thinks he doesn’t need a Savior. All he needs is a helper. Oh, my friend, we are sinking for the third time! We need somebody to save us. Those who preach law are popular. Not long ago I listened to a local Southern California preacher on television. From a technical and professional standpoint he has one of the finest programs. In his message he talked about Jesus coming into the world. He spoke of Christ’s death and resurrection. But he failed to mention that the people to whom he was speaking were sinners and needed a Savior. He neglected to inform his audience that Jesus died for them and they needed to trust Him to be saved. Rather, he talked about commitment. He invited folk to commit their lives to Christ. Let us be honest, friend. Christ does not want your old life and He does not want mine. We have nothing to commit to Him. He wants to do something through us today. Oh, if only we could learn that!

God is not even asking you to live the Christian life. In fact, you cannot live it. God is asking that He might live the Christian life through you. The Epistle to the Galatians teaches this. But first of all we must come to Christ as sinners and be saved. Our churches are filled today with people who are not saved. Do you know why? They have never come to Christ and received Him as Savior. They feel like they have something to commit to Him. You have nothing to commit to Him, my friend. He wants to commit something to you. He is the One who died, and He is on the giving end. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom. 6:23). It is just as simple as that. Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior? This is the important thing.

Man’s conscience witnesses to the law, and legal conviction will lead to works. Man tries to compensate for the fact that he is not doing enough. He tries to balance his good works against his sins and have enough on the plus side to be saved. The apostle Paul, you recall, tried to do this. And he had a whole lot on the plus side. But one day he came to Christ. Then he said, “What was gain for me became loss, and what was loss became gain” (see Phil. 3:7–8).

The Holy Spirit witnesses to grace today. This is gospel conviction that leads to faith. Actually the law denies the fall of man—this was the position of Cain. Grace acknowledges the fall of man, as Abel did when he brought his offering to God.

We come now to a new section that deals with the apostle Paul personally—his experience in Arabia, his experience with the apostles in Jerusalem, and his experience in Antioch with Peter. This will take us through the first half of chapter 2.

PERSONAL—PAUL’S EXPERIENCE IN ARABIA

But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man [Gal. 1:11].

Paul is stating once again, as he did in verse 1, that he is a God-appointed apostle. When he says, “I certify you,” he means, “I remind you.” “After man” should be “according to man.” Paul did not get the gospel he preached from man. The Judaizers not only questioned Paul’s message, they also questioned his apostleship. He was not one of the original Twelve, but a Johnny-come-lately. They cast a shadow upon the validity of Paul’s authority as an apostle. Paul is going to take up this matter with them and show that his apostleship rests upon the fact that he was called directly by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ [Gal. 1:12].

Paul did not receive his apostleship by going to school. Neither did he receive it by being ordained or by hands being laid on his head. Paul’s apostleship and gospel came directly by a revelation (apokalupsis) of Jesus Christ. The Book of Revelation, sometimes called the Apocalypse, is from the same word. The gospel is a revelation as much as is the Book of Revelation. The gospel was unveiled to the apostle Paul. He did not become an apostle through Peter, James, or John. He was an apostle by the direct call of Jesus Christ.

For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews’ religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it:

And profited in the Jews’ religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers [Gal. 1:13–14].

Paul says, “For ye have heard of my conversation,” that is, you have heard of my manner of life. Paul now calls the religion in which he was brought up the “Jews’ religion.” Paul was saved, not in Judaism, not by Judaism, but from Judaism.

Now notice this tremendous statement:

But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace,

To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:

Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus [Gal. 1:15–17].

The phrase “but when it pleased God,” in verse 15, means that Paul was called according to the will of God. The word heathen in verse 16 refers to Gentiles. Paul conferred not with flesh and blood—he didn’t get it from any man. Paul received the gospel directly from Jesus Christ.

Many years ago a so-called modernist, who taught old heresy, wrote a book about Paul. He also gave lectures, which I heard. He gave the apostle Paul credit for being a great brain. (I personally believe Paul had the greatest mind of any man who has ever lived. Many scholars, who are better acquainted with Paul than I am, also make this statement.) He pointed out that Paul was a brilliant student of the Mosaic system of Judaism and was a brilliant student of Greek philosophy, and then declared that Paul combined the two and came up with Christianity. Now Paul says here in Galatians that he didn’t get the gospel that way. He received the gospel by direct revelation from Jesus Christ.

Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days [Gal. 1:18].

I suppose that this verse is the same record that is given in Acts 9:26–29 which says, “And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus. And he was with them coming in and going out at Jerusalem. And he spake boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus, and disputed against the Grecians: but they went about to slay him.”

When all of this is added up, it means that Paul spent less than three years in the desert. It is interesting how God has trained His men. He trained Moses in the desert. He put Abraham in a rather unique place to train him, and Elijah had that same type of experience. It has been God’s method to put His man out on the desert to train him. David was trained outdoors in the caves of the earth while he was running away from King Saul. Remember that he cried out to God that he was hunted like a partridge—it was open season on him all the time. The Lord used the same method with Paul. God sent him into the desert for less than three years. Then he went to Jerusalem, saw Peter, and stayed with him for fifteen days.

But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord’s brother [Gal. 1:19].

Paul had no contact with the apostles except Peter and James, the Lord’s brother. That is all the contact he had with them, and he received nothing from them, as we shall see.

Now the things which I write unto you, behold, before God, I lie not [Gal. 1:20].

The modernist or liberal, to whom I referred, said that Paul got his gospel by making an homogenized stew out of Greek philosophy and the Mosaic system. Paul says here that he didn’t get the gospel from anyone else. Paul also says he does not lie. Someone is lying. I am too polite to call that modernist a liar, but in effect Paul does.

Afterwards I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia;

And was unknown by face unto the churches of Judaea which were in Christ:

But they had heard only, That he which persecuted us in times past now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed.

And they glorified God in me [Gal. 1:21–24].

The believers in Jerusalem were rather reluctant to accept the apostle Paul. Without the help of Barnabas, Paul would probably have waited a long time before the church in Jerusalem would have received him. These men were hesitant to receive Paul because he had persecuted the church, but they knew what it was to be converted. They knew what it was to have an absolutely earth-shaking experience that would transform a man. Yet they could not believe that Saul of Tarsus could be converted. It seemed not only improbable but impossible.

In verses 21–24 Paul outlines his first years after his conversion. I don’t think, friend, that they were the happiest years of his life. Apparently he tells us something about the failure in his own personal life in the seventh chapter of Romans. There were three periods in the life of the apostle Paul. Notice briefly the first two periods.

1. Paul was a proud Pharisee. He had a marvelous mind and was an expert in the Mosaic Law. As many of his biographers have said, the world would have heard of Paul even if he had not been an apostle and even if he had not been converted. I don’t think there is any question about that. He was an outstanding man. But he was a proud young Pharisee who thought he knew it all. He hated Christ. He hated the church and attempted to eliminate it. He was ruthless in his persecution of the church.

2. The second period began on the Damascus road when he was knocked down into the dust. This brilliant Pharisee found out that he did not know Jesus Christ, whom to know is life. He had thought Jesus was dead. And he asked, “Who art thou, Lord?” Jesus replied, “I am Jesus whom you persecute. When you persecute My church, you persecute Me” (see Acts 9:5). When Paul became acquainted with his Lord, he immediately asked, “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?” After Paul met Christ, he spent some time in Arabia. During those first years he attempted to minister and found that what he wanted to do he could not do. Finally he cried out, “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” (Rom. 7:24). It was not an unsaved man who said that; it was Paul the apostle in the first stages of his conversion.

3. Then came that glorious period when he walked in the Spirit. That was the time he could live for God. That is the place where many of us need to be today. There are so many unhappy Christians. They are saved, I think, but as Dwight L. Moody put it in his quaint way, “Some people have just enough religion to make them miserable.”

I wish we had more information on Paul’s experience with the apostles in Jerusalem. I am sure a question has already come to your mind. If Paul received the gospel apart from the other apostles—who were with the Lord for three years and saw the resurrected Christ—is Paul preaching the same gospel? This is an important matter at this point because if Paul is not preaching the same gospel, something is radically wrong. In the next chapter we shall see that the apostles in Jerusalem approved Paul’s gospel and that it was the same Good News.

CHAPTER 2

Theme: Experience of Paul with the apostles in Jerusalem; experience of Paul in Antioch with Peter; justification by faith stated

Now we come to the second division of this personal section in Galatians. We have seen that the Lord Jesus Christ communicated the gospel directly to Paul. Was it the same gospel that the other apostles had received from the lips of the Lord? We will see the oneness of the gospel and Paul’s experience with the apostles in Jerusalem. We will see the communication of the gospel and see that the church in Jerusalem approved Paul’s gospel.

EXPERIENCE OF PAUL WITH THE APOSTLES IN JERUSALEM

Then fourteen years after I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and took Titus with me also [Gal. 2:1].

It was a master stroke of Paul to take Titus with him. Titus was a young preacher and a Gentile. This, I believe, was the first great council in Jerusalem as recorded in Acts 15. The question to be settled was whether men are saved by the grace of God or whether they should come in under the Mosaic Law. Paul had Titus there as exhibit number one. Titus had not been circumcised. Will he be forced to become circumcised? This was to become a very important matter.

You see, the Judaizers were going about saying that the church in Jerusalem held that all believers in Christ should be under the Mosaic Law. All of the men there at the Jerusalem church, which was an all-Jewish church, had certainly been under it. Many of them still went to the temple to worship. In fact, that must have been the Christian’s meeting place. Paul and Barnabas came there to get the official word regarding law and grace.

And I went up by revelation, and communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to them which were of reputation, lest by any means I should run, or had run, in vain [Gal. 2:2].

Paul recognized that if he were preaching a different gospel from what the other apostles were preaching, there was something radically wrong. Paul was willing to admit, “If I were preaching a different gospel, I would be wrong. I have run in vain. I have certainly been disillusioned and misinformed.” So he goes to Jerusalem and communicates that gospel to the apostles there.

But neither Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised:

And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage [Gal. 2:3–4].

Out where Paul was preaching some folk had come into the church under false colors. Apparently they were not believers. They just came in to spy out the liberty which believers had in Christ. They found out that this young preacher, Titus, was a Greek and Paul had not compelled him to be circumcised. So what will the church at Jerusalem decide about him? Paul says, “Well, they didn’t compel him to be circumcised. They didn’t listen to the false brethren. If they had, we would be put right back under the bondage of the Mosaic Law rather than enjoying the freedom by the Spirit of God and the freedom in Christ.”

To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you [Gal. 2:5].

Paul stood by his guns. These false brethren said, “This man Titus who is here meeting with the church (and it was practically all Jewish then) has not even been circumcised!” Paul says, “No, and he’s not going to be circumcised. He is as much a believer as any of you. He has been saved by faith apart from the Law. He is not about to follow any part of the Law for salvation.” This is a tremendous stand that Paul is taking.

But of these who seemed to be somewhat, (whatsoever they were, it maketh no matter to me: God accepteth no man’s person:) for they who seemed to be somewhat in conference added nothing to me [Gal. 2:6].

Paul says, “We sat down with the apostles [at least he did, and I suppose Barnabas and Titus were there also] and communicated the gospel.” They said, “Now, Brother Paul, we’ve been hearing these reports. Tell us what you preach.” And Paul told them. Paul finds out that these apostles didn’t have anything to add to what he was preaching. He was preaching the grace of God; they were preaching the grace of God. They find they are in full agreement. They all are preaching the same gospel. This is tremendous!

But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter [Gal. 2:7].

Let’s understand that there were not two gospels in the sense of Peter’s gospel and Paul’s gospel. These men were in complete agreement. The gospel of the circumcision and the gospel of the uncircumcision refer to the groups the gospel was going to. The Gentiles were the group that Paul was speaking to. He was called to go to the Gentiles, the uncircumcised. Peter was called to go to his own Jewish brethren who were the circumcised.

(For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:) [Gal. 2:8].

The proof of the pudding, of course, is always in the eating. What results were they getting? When Peter preached the gospel, quite a few people were saved. When Paul preached the gospel, quite a few people were saved. They were both preaching the same gospel.

Now bringing this principle down to where we live, the real test of any Christian work is not promotion. The real test is the results it gets. God’s people should be very sure that they are supporting a ministry that gets results. If it is not producing results, why in the world do you support it?

And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision [Gal. 2:9].

The apostles accepted Paul’s apostleship. “The right hands of fellowship”—fellowship is the Greek koinonia, one of the great words of the gospel and the highest expression of a personal relationship. It means sharing the things of Christ.

Only they would that we should remember the poor; the same which I also was forward to do [Gal. 2:10].

Paul came back later with an offering for the poor saints in Jerusalem because that church had been persecuted and was in a sad condition. Because Paul himself before his conversion had led the persecution, he wanted to bring the gift for the Jerusalem church with his own hands.

This was social service. A thing that we fundamentalists are guilty of is a lack of real service in this area. James, in his very practical epistle, says, “If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone” (James 2:15–17). And the apostles there in Jerusalem said, “Now, Brother Paul, don’t forget to help the poor folk.” And Paul said, “That was the very thing I was eager to do.”

EXPERIENCE OF PAUL IN ANTIOCH WITH PETER

In this personal section of Paul’s life we have seen his experience in Arabia with the Lord Jesus Christ, and his experience with the apostles in Jerusalem. Now we see Paul’s experience in Antioch with Simon Peter—I love this section.

The church in Antioch was largely a gentile church, although it was a mixture of Jew and Gentile. We will not understand what happened there unless we consider how the early church operated. They had a love feast which was held in connection with the Lord’s Supper. Paul has a great deal to say about this subject in 1 Corinthians. The early believers came together for a meal, a love feast, before they celebrated the Lord’s Supper. When Gentiles were saved, a problem was raised. In the congregation were Jews who had never eaten anything which had been sacrificed to idols. The Gentiles had been idolaters, and they were accustomed to eating meat that had first been offered to idols. They also ate pork and other animals designated as unclean in the law of Moses. It made no difference to them because they had been reared that way.

What was going to be done to keep from offending the Jewish Christians? Well, in Antioch two tables were established. One was the kosher table; the other was the gentile table. Paul ate at the gentile table. Although he was a Jew, he ate with the Gentiles because he taught that whether you eat meat or you don’t eat meat makes no difference—meat will not commend you to God.

When Simon Peter came up to visit Paul in Antioch, it was a new experience for him because, although converted, he had never eaten anything unclean. Remember what Peter told the Lord on the roof in Joppa before he went to the home of Cornelius. He had a vision of heaven opening and a sheet being lowered in which were all kinds of unclean animals. “And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat. But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean. And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common” (Acts 10:13–15).

Peter had been a believer for some time when he came to visit Paul in Antioch, but he had still followed the Jewish eating pattern. When Peter came to the church, he found there a gentile table and a kosher table. Now notice Peter’s reaction:

But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed.

For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision [Gal. 2:11–12].

Now this is probably what happened. When the time came to eat, Simon Peter went over to the kosher table, while Paul went over to the gentile table. Peter noticed that there was pork roast on the gentile table. After dinner Peter joined Paul and they went outside for a little walk. Peter said, “I noticed that you ate at the gentile table.” “Yes,” Paul said. “And I noticed that you ate pork tonight. Is it good? I never have tasted it.” “Yes,” Paul said, “it’s delicious.” Then Peter asked, “Do you think it would be all right if I ate over there?” And Paul said, “Well, it is my understanding that we are going to have some nice pork chops in the morning for breakfast. Why don’t you try it?” So in the morning when he came to breakfast, he went over to the gentile table, sat down gingerly and rather reluctantly took a pork chop. After he had tasted it, he said to Paul, “It is delicious, isn’t it!” Paul said, “Yes. After all, under grace you can either eat it or not eat it. It makes no difference. Meat won’t commend you to God.” So Simon Peter said, “I’ll be here tonight and I understand you are having ham tonight. I want to try that.” So at dinner time he starts rushing for the gentile table when he looks over and sees some of the elders from the Jerusalem church who had come to visit also. So Simon Peter went all the way around that gentile table, went over to the kosher table, and sat down like a little whipped puppy. Paul saw him do that, and this is what happened:

And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation.

But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews? [Gal. 2:13–14].

It was all right for Peter to eat at either table, kosher or Gentile. But after he had been eating at the gentile table and for fear of the brethren from Jerusalem goes back to the kosher table, he is saying by his action that the gentile table is wrong and the kosher table is right.

Now these brethren from Jerusalem were austere legalists. And under grace that was their privilege. I have no objection to folk today who feel that they should not eat certain meats. But they are also to give me the liberty of eating what I choose to eat. Frankly, I do not eat much pork myself for health reasons. But it is not a religious matter at all. Simon Peter turned from the liberty he had in Christ back to Judaism again.

The nature of Paul’s rebuke shows, first of all, the inconsistency of lawkeeping. If it was right for Simon Peter to live as the gentile believers lived, why should he desire the Gentiles to live as the Jews? That is what he was saying when he left the gentile table for the kosher table. If gentile living under grace apart from the Law was good enough for Peter, was it bad for the Gentiles themselves? If Simon Peter was free to live outside the Law, was it not lawful for the Gentiles to do the same?

DOCTRINAL—JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH

This brings us to the doctrinal section of this marvelous epistle, which deals with justification by faith. In this section Paul takes his position as a Jew.

We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles [Gal. 2:15].

The Jew in that day looked upon the Gentile as a sinner. In fact, Gentile and sinner were synonymous terms. Therefore, the rebuke that Paul gave shows the folly of lawkeeping—how really foolish it is.

Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified [Gal. 2:16].

This is a clear-cut and simple statement of justification by faith. Believe me, the legalist has trouble with this verse. I once heard a legalist preach on it, and it was certainly a travesty of interpretation. This verse will upset every legal system there is today. To say that you have to add anything to faith in Christ absolutely mutilates the gospel.

Notice what Paul says here. If a Jew had to leave the Law behind—that is, forsake it—in order to be justified by faith, Paul’s question is, “Why should the Gentile be brought under the Law?” That was the great argument at the council of Jerusalem in Acts 15: “Should the Gentile be brought under the Law?” Thank God, the answer, guided by the Spirit of God, was that the Gentile was not under the Law for salvation—not for his daily living, as he was called to a much higher plane.

Could the Gentile find justification under the Law when the Jew had already proven that it was impossible? The Jews had had the Law for almost fifteen hundred years and had not been able to keep the Law at all. Why force the Gentile under that which had not saved even one Israelite? Gentile believers were already justified by grace. It would be folly for the Gentiles to turn from grace to the Law which had been unable to justify the Jew.

“Knowing that a man.” Now let’s pick this verse apart. This is something you can know—you can know whether you are saved or not. What kind of “man” is this verse speaking about? Anthrōpos is the Greek word, a generic term meaning “mankind.” It speaks of the solidarity of the race, the common humanity that we all have. This breaks the social barrier of color. It breaks the barrier of race. It breaks the social barrier. All men are on one level before the Cross, and that level happens to be “sinner.” You are a sinner. I am a sinner. I don’t care who you are, you are a sinner in God’s sight.

“Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law”—the word the is not in the original; so it should read “not justified by works of law.” This includes the Mosaic system, and it includes any legal system. This is what I mean: if you say that you have to join a certain church or that you have to have a certain experience, or that you have to be baptized to be saved, you are contradicting this verse. “Knowing that a man is not justified by works of law”—any law. Paul embraces the whole legal system that is found in every religion. This makes Christianity different from every religion on topside of the earth. Every religion that I know anything about—and I have studied many of the cults and religions of this world—instruct us to do something. Christianity is different. It tells us that we are justified by faith; that is, faith is an accomplished act and fact for you. Every other religion says do. Christianity says done. The great transaction is done, and we are asked to believe it.

Let me call your attention to an important verse in 1 Corinthians: “Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost” (1 Cor. 12:3). Now the question for you and me is: how can we call Jesus accursed? If you say to me, “McGee, when you came to Christ and accepted Him as your Savior, you didn’t get all that was coming to you. The Holy Spirit can give you something that you didn’t get in Christ, and you ought to seek that today.” My friend, to do that depreciates the work of the Lord Jesus on the cross when He came to this earth to die for you and work out a salvation so perfect that when He went back to heaven He sat down at the right hand of God (see Heb. 1:3). He sat down because there was nothing else to be done. If there had been anything else, He would have done it before He sat down. When you say that He didn’t do it all for me, you are saying that Jesus is accursed. And you can’t say that by the Holy Spirit of God. That is, you are not giving me the word of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you” (John 16:13–14). My friend, when you came to Christ, He gave you everything you will need in this life. Christ is the One who administers all the gifts. The Holy Spirit is the One who gives them, but He is working down here under the supervision of the second Person of the Godhead. The Lord Jesus Christ is the Head of the church. My friend, we have everything in Him. He is the Alpha and the Omega. He is the Amen—and when you say “amen,” you are through, my friend. Christ did it all.

This verse is so clear it is impossible to misunderstand it. “Knowing that a man [any human being—man or woman, black or white, rich or poor, Roman, American, Chinese] is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ.” It is not faith plus something; it is faith plus nothing.

The verse continues: “even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ.” Who does Paul mean by “we”? He includes himself, meaning we Israelites. He is saying that he and his fellow Jews had to leave the Law, come to Christ, and trust Him in order to be justified by the faith of Christ rather than by the works of law.

The conclusion of this verse is so clear I feel that anybody can understand it: “for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.” Let’s not depreciate the work of the Lord Jesus by saying that we didn’t get everything from Him. I was a hell-doomed sinner. I trusted Him as my Savior, and I received a perfect salvation from Him.

Now the next verse, I am frank to say, is a little more difficult to understand.

But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid [Gal. 2:17].

The word justified is the Greek dikaioō, which means “to declare a person right,” or “to make him right.” We are declared to be right by our faith in Jesus Christ. It means that a sinner who is guilty before God, who is under condemnation and judgment, is declared to be right with God on the basis of his faith in the redemption which we have in Christ. It is not only forgiveness of sins, which is subtraction; it is the addition of the righteousness of Christ. He is declared righteous. The righteousness I have is not my own righteousness, because my righteousness is not acceptable; but I have a perfect righteousness which is Christ.

The sense of this verse seems to be this: Since the Jew had to forsake the Law in order to be justified by Christ and therefore take his place as a sinner, is Christ the One who makes him a sinner? Paul’s answer is, “Of course not.” The Jew, like the Gentile, was a sinner by nature. He could not be justified by the Law, as he demonstrated. This same thought was given by Peter in his address before the great council at Jerusalem: “Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they” (Acts 15:10–11). You see, Peter and Paul were in agreement on the doctrine of justification by faith.

For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor [Gal. 2:18].

In other words, Paul is saying, “If I go back under law, I make myself a transgressor.”

However, he is free from the Law. How did he become free from the Law?

For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God [Gal. 2:19].

Paul is saying, “When Christ died, He died for me. He died in my stead because the Law had condemned me.” You see, the Law was a ministration of condemnation; a ministration of death is what Paul calls it in 2 Corinthians 3:7. It condemns me. Even under the legal system, God would have had to destroy the nation Israel. But He gave the sacrificial system—five sacrifices—all of them pointing to Christ. God, by His marvelous grace, was able to save. Therefore the mercy seat was a throne of grace where a nation could find forgiveness of sins. The Law, therefore, condemned me. The Law has accused man. We stand guilty before the Law. So the Law actually is responsible for Jesus’ dying for us. The Law condemned us—said we had to die. All right now, if I am dead to the Law, then I am no longer responsible to the Law. The Law has already killed me. It has executed me, and I am dead—dead to the Law. Therefore, the Law could not do for me what Christ has done for me. He not only took my place and died for me, but He also did something else. He was able to give me life. He came back from the dead. You see, the Law arrested, condemned, sentenced, and slew us—that is all the Law could do for us. If you want to come by the Law route, you’ll get death. Only Christ can give you life. And, after all, life is what we need today.

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me [Gal. 2:20].

This verse states a fact which is true of every believer. We are not to seek to be crucified with Christ. I have been to many young people’s conferences, and I do not think I am exaggerating when I say that I have seen thousands of young people accept Christ. I have also heard many of those young people at testimony meetings quote verse 20 as they put a faggot on the fire. They did not know any more about what this verse means than does a goat grazing on a hillside.

There are many people today who talk about wanting to live the “crucified” life. That is not what Paul is talking about in this verse. We are not to seek to be crucified with Christ. We have already been crucified with Him. The principle of living is not by the Law which has slain us because it found us guilty. Now we are to live by faith. Faith in what? Faith in the Son of God. You see, friend, the death of Christ upon the cross was not only penal (that is, paying the penalty for our sins), but it was substitutionary also. He was not only the sacrifice for sin; He was the substitute for all who believe.

Paul declares, therefore, that under the Law he was tried, found guilty, was condemned, and in the person of his Substitute he was slain. When did that take place? It took place when Christ was crucified. Paul was crucified with Christ. But “nevertheless I live.” How do I live? In Christ. He is alive today at God’s right hand. We are told that we have been put in Christ. You cannot improve on that. That ought to get rid of the foolish notion that we can crucify ourselves.

When I was a pastor in Los Angeles, a young man came to me after a service and asked, “Dr. McGee, are you living the crucified life?” I think I rather startled the boy when I replied, “No, I am not.” Then I asked him, “Are you?” He hesitated for a moment and then said, “Well, I am trying to.” Then I told him, “That is not the question you asked me. You wanted to know if I am living the crucified life. I told you no. Now you tell me yes or no about your life. Are you living the crucified life?” Once again he replied, “I am trying to.” I said to him, “You are either living it, or you are not living it. The fact of the matter is you cannot live it.” “Oh,” he said, “why can’t I?” So I pointed out to him that there is something interesting to note about crucifixion. You can commit suicide in many different ways. You can hang yourself, shoot yourself, take poison, jump off of a high building, or jump in front of a truck. There are many ways to end your life, but you cannot crucify yourself. When you nail one hand to the cross, who is going to nail your other hand to the cross? You cannot do it yourself. You must understand what Paul is talking about when he says, “I am crucified with Christ.” Paul was crucified with Christ when Christ died. Christ died a substitutionary death. He died for Paul. He died for you. He died for me.

In Romans 6 we are told that we have been buried with Christ by baptism, by identification. We have been raised with Him in newness of life, and now we are joined to the living Christ. Paul says that we do not know Him any more after the flesh. He is not the Man of Galilee walking around the Sea of Galilee. I walked about in that area some time ago and did not see Him; He is not there today. He is at God’s right hand. He is the glorified Christ.

Paul is saying, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live.” You see, the Law executed us. The Law could not give us life. Who gave us life? “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live.” How do you live? “Yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.” My friend, that is the important thing. He died for me down here that I might live in Him up yonder and that He might live in me down here. “And the life,” Paul says, “which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God.” What kind of life is this? It is a life of faith—saved by faith, live by faith, walk by faith. This is what it means to walk in the Spirit.

“I live by the faith of the Son of God”—how tender this is—“who loved me, and gave himself for me.” Christ loved me, but He could not love me into heaven. He had to give Himself for me. The gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus. You can only receive a gift by faith. This applies to any gift, for that matter. You have to believe that the giver who holds out the gift to you is sincere. You must believe that he is telling the truth when he holds it out to you and says, “It is yours.” You have to reach out in faith and take it before it belongs to you. God offers you the gift of eternal life in Christ Jesus.

The content of this verse leads me to believe that Paul was present at the crucifixion of Christ. Paul was a Pharisee, and they were the ones who led in the Crucifixion. Paul was a leader in the persecution of the church. He was also one who hated the Lord Jesus Christ. He probably was attending school in Jerusalem, in the school of Gamaliel, at the time of the Crucifixion. I cannot believe this zealous young man would stay home on the day Jesus was crucified. The Scriptures tell us that the Pharisees ridiculed Jesus. They told Him to come down from the cross. Then they sat down and watched Him die—you cannot sink any lower than that. I believe Paul was there that day.

Now after Paul came to know the glorified Christ, the One who died down here, the One who rose again and is at God’s right hand, Paul could remember that day and say, “While I was there ridiculing Him, shooting out the lip at Him, expressing my hatred for Him, He loved me and He gave Himself for me!” He gave Himself—the supreme sacrifice. Paul called himself the chief of sinners, which was not hyperbole or an oratorical gesture. It was an actual fact; he was the chief of sinners.

My friend, you can tread underfoot the precious blood of Christ by ignoring Him, turning away from Him, or turning against Him as Paul did. But it was for that crowd that Jesus prayed, “… Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do …” (Luke 23:34). Even if you hate Him, He was loving you and giving Himself for you.

I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain [Gal. 2:21].

The main thought in this verse is simply that if there had been any other way to save sinners, then God would have used that method. If a law or a religion could have been given that would save sinners, God would have given it. The only way that an infinite God could save you and me was to send His Son to die. He was willing to make the supreme sacrifice.

CHAPTER 3

Theme: Justification by faith; experience of the Galatians; illustration of Abraham

EXPERIENCE OF THE GALATIANS

Paul now goes back to the experience of the Galatians. How were they saved? Were they saved by law or were they saved by faith in Jesus Christ? I personally believe in experience. I had a Methodist background as a boy. I went down to a penitent altar underneath a brush arbor in back of an unpainted Methodist church in southern Oklahoma. I was just a little fellow and I knelt there with an open heart. I believe in experience and when we come to chapter 4, we will deal further with the subject of experience.

O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? [Gal. 3:1].

“O foolish Galatians”—senseless Galatians. The Greek word is anoetoi from the root word nous, meaning “mind.” He is saying, “You’re not using your mind—you’re not using your nous.”

“Who hath bewitched you?” Let me translate that in good old Americano: What’s gotten into you? “Before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth”—“set forth” is literally placarded or painted. I am not sure that Paul actually drew pictures for the Galatians, but I am sure that he painted word pictures for them. I used to show a great many slides when I was a pastor. It is a marvelous way of teaching the Word of God. For example, I would not attempt to teach the tabernacle without using slides. Now that is the way you “set forth” a teaching, and that is the word Paul uses. “Set forth, crucified among you”—it was His death on the cross that made possible your salvation!

This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? [Gal. 3:2].

Now we need to be very careful here. The gospel is true irrespective of experience. What experience does is corroborate the gospel. There are many people today who reason from experience to truth. I personally believe that the Word of God reasons from truth to experience. Experience is not to be discounted, but it must be tested by truth.

Everyone has different experiences. I heard one of the founders of a cult tell about her experience. Then I heard another woman tell about her experience—and they are entirely different. Which person am I going to follow? To tell the truth, I am not going to follow either one of them.

One time a man got up in a meeting and read a passage of Scripture. He said, “Because there is a difference of opinion concerning the interpretation of this passage, and we don’t want any controversy, let me tell you about my experience.” Well, his experience was as far removed from what that Scripture said as anything could possibly be. He was basing truth on his experience. You simply cannot do that. Experience must corroborate the gospel.

“Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?” What does Paul mean by the hearing of faith? Does he mean the ear, the organ of hearing, or the receiving of the message, or the message itself? I think he means the whole process. You have to hear something before you can be saved, because the gospel is something God has done for you, and you need to know about it.

In this section Paul is raising several questions. He tells these folk to look back on what had happened to them and asks six questions that have to do with their experience.

This is his first question: “Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?” Nowhere—not even in the Old Testament—did anyone ever receive the Holy Spirit by the works of the Law. He is received by the hearing of faith. The Galatians never received the Spirit by the Law. The Holy Spirit is evidence of conversion. Scripture tells us, “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his” (Rom. 8:9). “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise” (Eph. 1:13).

Now here is the second question:

Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? [Gal. 3:3].

What Paul is asking is this: “If the Holy Spirit is the One who converted you, brought you to Christ, and now you are indwelt by the Spirit of God, are you going to turn back to the Law (which was given to control the flesh) and thick you are going to live on high plane?”

Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain [Gal. 3:4].

Paul asked the Galatians, “Are you going to let all of the things you have suffered come to naught?” He reminded them that they had paid a price for receiving the gospel. Was it all going to be in vain, without a purpose?

Now he raises this question:

He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? [Gal. 3:5].

Paul refers to the ministry that he has had among them. You will recall that his apostleship was attacked by the Judaizers. They said that he was a Johnny-come-lately apostle—not one of the original Twelve. He was not with Christ during His ministry but came along later. Paul reminded the Galatians that he was the one who had come into their country, preached the Word of God to them, and performed miracles among them. He did not do it by the works of the Law—Paul would be very careful to say that. He preached the Lord Jesus Christ as the One who died for them, was raised again, and in whom they placed their trust. When they did that, a miraculous thing took place. They were regenerated. Paul had the evidence that he was an apostle. In that day signs were given to the apostles. As I understand it, the apostles had practically all the gifts mentioned in Scripture; they certainly had all the sign gifts. Paul could perform miracles. He could heal the sick. He could raise the dead. Simon Peter, one of the original Twelve, could do that also. To do this was the mark of an apostle in that day.

Now the apostles have given us the Word of God. We have a faith that is built upon Jesus Christ as the chief cornerstone, and a faith built upon the foundation which was laid by the apostles and prophets. That which gave credence to the truth of their message was their ability to perform miracles. They had the sign gifts. (After they had given us the Word of God, the sign gifts disappeared. In fact, I think they disappeared with the apostles.) The important thing for us to note here is that Paul came to the Galatians not as a Pharisee preaching the Law, but as an apostle preaching Jesus Christ. That was something these people had experienced, and Paul rested upon that.

In summary, we have seen that justification by faith was the experience of the Galatians. That is why he asked them, “What has gotten into you?” He mentions the Holy Spirit three times in this section. He reminds them that they did not receive the Spirit by the Law. The Holy Spirit is evidence of conversion. It is important to see that the gospel is true irrespective of the experience of the Galatians or anyone else. The gospel is objective; it deals with what the Lord Jesus Christ did for us. Experience will corroborate the gospel, and that is what Paul is demonstrating in this section. The gospel is sufficient—experience confirms this.

ILLUSTRATION OF ABRAHAM

This section of justification by faith using Abraham as an illustration looms large in this epistle. Then follows an allegory of Hagar and Sarai, which takes us through the rest of chapter 4. So now we come to the heart of this book, the high water mark, where Abraham will be the illustration.

Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness [Gal. 3:6].

This verse is a quote from Genesis 15:6 concerning Abraham, “And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness.” This verse is also quoted in Romans 4:3. The illustration comes from the early part of the life of Abraham, his life of faith. Abraham is the great illustration of justification by faith. Paul uses him as an example in both the Roman and Galatian epistles. It cannot be said that Abraham was justified by the Law because the Mosaic Law was not given until four hundred years after Abraham. Neither can it be said that he was justified by circumcision because he was justified before God gave him the commandment of circumcision. Circumcision was the badge and evidence of Abraham’s faith, just as baptism is the badge and evidence of a believer’s faith today. Neither circumcision nor baptism can save. In fact, they make no contribution to salvation. They are simply outward evidences of an inward work.

The incident referred to is in Genesis 15. After Abraham encountered the kings of the East in his rescue of his nephew Lot, he refused to accept any booty from the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah. God appeared to Abraham to assure him that he had done right in turning down the booty, saying, “I am your shield, and your exceeding great reward.” Abraham was a practical sort of individual, and he began talking to the Lord rather straight—and I feel that the Lord wants us to do that, friend. He said, “I don’t have a son, and You told me I would.” The Lord said, “I’m glad you brought that up, Abraham, I’ve been wanting to tell you something.” God had already told him that his seed would be as numberless as the sand on the seashore. Now God takes him by the hand and tells him to look toward the heavens. It must have been night time. I am told that in that section of the world one can see about five thousand stars with the naked eye. With a sixteen inch telescope you would see fifty thousand stars, and I don’t know what you would see with a hundred inch or two hundred inch telescope. Be that as it may, I don’t think any telescope could give you the exact number of stars which could be seen at that time. In effect, God said to Abraham, “You can’t count the stars, and neither can you count your offspring.” Do you know what Abraham’s response was? “And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness” (Gen. 15:6). In the original it is very expressive. Literally it means that Abraham said “amen” to the Lord. God said, “I’m going to do it.” And Abraham said, “Amen.”

Does this have an application for your life and mine? It certainly does. God says to you and me, “I gave My Son to die for you. If you believe on Him you won’t perish. You will have everlasting life.” Will you say “amen” to that? Will you believe God? Will you accept His Son? If you do, you are justified by faith. This is what Abraham did. He believed God, and at that moment God declared him righteous. Because of his works? No! His works were imperfect. He didn’t have perfection to offer to God. (Paul will develop this thought a little later on.) Although Abraham did not have perfection at that time, afterwards he did because his faith was counted for righteousness. That is the doctrine of justification. Abraham stands justified before God.

Next Abraham said to the Lord, “Would you mind putting what you have told me in writing?” Perhaps you are saying, “I have read the Book of Genesis, and I don’t remember anything like that.” Well, it’s here in Genesis 15. Now notice: “And he said unto him, I am the Lord that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it” (Gen. 15:7). Listen to Abraham’s response. He is talking back to the Lord—he’s not one of these superpious saints. “And he said, Lord God, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?” (Gen. 15:8). In other words, put it in writing. God said to Abraham, “Meet me down at the courthouse and I will put it in writing.” Now somebody says, “Wait a minute. It doesn’t say that.” But it does, friend. “And he said unto him, Take me an heifer of three years old, and a she goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon” (Gen. 15:9). That is the way they made contracts in that day. (Jeremiah also tells about making a contract in this way in Jeremiah 34:18.) You see, when a contract was made in that day, one man agreed to do something, and the other man agreed to do something in turn. They cut a sacrifice into two parts and put half on one side and half on the other side, then they would join hands and walk between the two halves. That sealed the contract. It was the same as going before a notary at the courthouse.

So Abraham prepared the sacrifices and waited—he waited all day. Fowls came down upon the carcasses and Abraham drove them away. God was late meeting Abraham; He did not get there until sundown. “And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him” (Gen. 15:12). Just as he is about to sign the contract, God puts Abraham into a deep sleep. The reason for this is that Abraham is not to walk with God through the two halves—Abraham is not to promise anything. God is doing the promising. “And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces” (Gen. 15:17). You see, God passed through between those two halves alone because God made the covenant. And Abraham’s part was only to believe God. If the covenant depended on Abraham’s faithfulness—perhaps on his saying his prayers every night—he might miss one night, and then the promise would be no good. So God was the One who did all the promising, and the covenant depended on God’s faithfulness.

Friend, over nineteen hundred years ago Jesus Christ went to the cross to pay for your sins and mine. God is not asking you to say your prayers or be a nice little Sunday school boy to be saved. He is asking you to trust His Son who died for you. He makes the contract. He is the One who makes the promise, the covenant, and He will save you. That is the new contract, friend. The old covenant He made with Abraham. Abraham believed God. He said, “amen,” to God. Abraham believed, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. God is still asking us to believe Him. Put your trust in Christ and you will be saved. What a glorious picture we have here.

Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham [Gal. 3:7].

God did this for Abraham before the Law was ever given. God did not make the covenant with him because of Abraham’s good works. He told Abraham, “I’ll do this for you if you believe Me.” Abraham said, “I believe You.”

God wants your faith to rest on a solid foundation. But, my friend, if you come to God, you must come to Him by faith. He has come to the door of your heart. He cannot come any farther. He will not break down the door. He will knock and say, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me” (Rev. 3:20). Only you can open the door by faith, my friend. When you and I trust Christ as Savior, we are saved the same way that Abraham was saved—by faith.

And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed [Gal. 3:8].

“And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham.” If faith without works was sufficient for Abraham, why should we desire something different? And as the blessing was not for Abraham’s law-works, but for his faith, why should we turn from faith to law-works?

“God … preached … the gospel unto Abraham.” When did He do that? Well, the first illustration Paul gave us was at the beginning of Abraham’s life of faith. Now Paul refers to an incident near the end of Abraham’s life of faith recorded in Genesis 22. It was after Abraham had offered Isaac upon the altar. I say he offered him because he was just within a hair’s breadth of offering him when God stopped him. God considered that Abraham had actually done it. He demonstrated that he had faith in God, believing that God could raise Isaac from the dead (see Heb. 11:19). Now notice God’s response to Abraham’s act of faith: “And the angel of the Lord called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice” (Gen. 22:15–18). Apparently at this time God preached the gospel to Abraham, because the offering of Isaac is one of the finest pictures of the offering of Christ. Although God spared Abraham’s son, God did not spare His own Son but delivered Him up for us all.

The important thing that Paul wants us to see in Abraham’s life is that he obeyed the voice of God. Abraham was willing to offer his son when God commanded it, and when God said stop, he stopped. He obeyed the voice of God. He demonstrated by his action that he had faith in God. Again he believed God and He counted it to him for righteousness.

Some people are troubled because they feel that there is a contradiction in Scripture between what Paul says about Abraham and what James says about him. Paul says that Abraham was justified by faith. James says, “But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?” (James 2:20–21). However, James goes on to say, “Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?” (James 2:22). John Calvin said it like this: “Faith alone saves, but the faith that saves is not alone.” In other words, saving faith is a dynamic, vital faith that leads to works. I hope you understand that James is not talking about the works of law. James is talking about the works of faith. Faith produces works. This idea of saying that works will save you is putting the cart before the horse—in fact, some men put the horse in the cart!

It is important to see that faith leads to works, as it did in the life of Abraham. God sees our hearts. He knows whether or not we have trusted Christ as Savior. He knows whether or not we are genuine. Church member, why not be genuine? You can fool the people in the church, and you can fool your neighbors, and you can put up a pious front. But why not be real and have a lot of fun at the same time? You don’t have to pretend. You can be real and trust Christ as your Savior. And a living, dynamic faith will produce works.

A careful reading of the passage in James 2 reveals that James used the history of Abraham to show that faith without works is dead—it is the last of Abraham’s history because this is the last time God appeared to him. It is not that portion of Scripture to which Paul refers in Galatians where he says that Abraham was justified by faith. Paul says that faith alone is sufficient and proves his point from Abraham’s history as recorded in the fifteenth chapter of Genesis. James says that faith without works is dead and proves it by referring to Abraham’s history as found in the twenty-second chapter of Genesis. If Abraham had welshed in Genesis 22 and had said to God, “Wait a minute, I really do not believe what You say. I have been putting on an act all of these years,” then it would have been obvious that Abraham’s faith was a pseudofaith. But God knew back in Genesis 15 that Abraham had a genuine faith.

The works that James speaks about are not works of law at all. The Law had not been given during Abraham’s day. We need to recognize that. James 2:23 says, “And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.” James, at the beginning of this verse, is going back to the reference that Paul gives at first concerning the beginning of Abraham’s life of faith. Then Paul says that the gospel was preached to Abraham at the end of his life when God made this promise to him.

There is no contradiction when you examine passages like the ones written by Paul and James. They are saying the same thing. One is looking at faith at the beginning. The other is looking at faith at the end. One is looking at the root of faith. The other is looking at the fruit of faith. The root of faith is “faith alone saves you,” but that saving faith will produce works.

So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham [Gal. 3:9].

The word faithful in this verse is “believing”—believing Abraham. God saves the sinner today on the same basis that He saved Abraham. God asks faith of the sinner. God asked Abraham to believe that He would do certain things for him. God asks you and me to believe that He already has done certain things for us in giving His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for us. Faith is the modus operandi by which man is saved today.

For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them [Gal. 3:10].

The important word here is “continueth.” I am willing to grant that maybe there was a day in your life when you felt very good, when you were on top of the world and singing, “Everything’s coming up daisies.” On that day you walked with the Lord and did not stub your toe. Then you say, “Well, because I did that, God saved me.” But notice what this verse says, “Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law.” How about that? Do you keep the law day and night, twenty-four hours every day, seven days a week, fifty-two weeks out of the year in thought, word, and deed? If you are a human being, somewhere along the line you let down. You are not walking on top of the world all of the time. My friend, when you let down, the law can only condemn you.

I know a fine preacher who is always going around saying, “Hallelujah, praise the Lord.” Someone asked his wife if he was like that all the time. She said, “No, he has his bad days.” We all have bad days, don’t we?

If you are going to put yourself under the law, my friend, and you have a good day, you are not going to be rewarded for it. Suppose I had kept all of the laws of Pasadena, which is my home city, for twenty years. Then I wait at my house for the officials of Pasadena to come and present me with a medal for keeping those laws. Let me tell you, they do not give medals for keeping the law in Pasadena. If I had kept every law for twenty years and then stole something or broke a speeding law, I would be arrested. You see, the law does not reward you. It does not give you life. The law penalizes you.

Faith, my friend, gives you something. It gives you life.

But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith [Gal. 3:11].

Even the Old Testament taught that man was saved by faith. It does not say that anyone was saved by keeping the law. If you find that somebody living back under the law was saved by keeping the law, let me know. I have never read of anyone who was saved by keeping the Mosaic Law. As you know, the heart of the Mosaic system was the sacrificial system. Moses rejoiced that God could extend mercy and grace to people even under the law—that is the reason his face shone as it did. In Habakkuk 2:4 it says that “… the just shall live by his faith.”

And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them [Gal. 3:12].

This also is an important verse. Faith and law are contrary principles for salvation and also for living. One cancels out the other. They are diametrically opposed to each other. If you are going to live by the Law, then you cannot be saved by faith. You cannot combine them. They are contrary.

Let me illustrate this. Our daughter came to visit us while we were in Florida, and we wanted to return to California by train. That was the time when passenger trains were being phased out. We tried to get a train route to California without going through Chicago—both of us wanted to avoid Chicago. Well, it seemed as though we would have to go halfway around the world to go from Florida to California; so we had to come back by plane. When we got the tickets, I said, “Wouldn’t it be nice if we could go by train and plane at the same time—sit in the plane and put our feet down in the train!” (I would feel much safer with my feet in the train, I assure you.) But that’s absurd. If we go by plane, we go by plane; if we go by train, we go by train. They have made no arrangements for passengers to sit in a plane and put their feet down in a train. My friend, neither has God any arrangement for you to be saved by faith and by law. You have to choose one or the other. If you want to go by law, then you can try it—but I’ll warn you that God has already said you won’t make it. “The law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.”

Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree [Gal. 3:13].

“Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law”—the Mosaic Law condemned us. It is like the illustration I gave regarding keeping the civil laws in my hometown. I am not rewarded for keeping those laws, and if I break one I am condemned. Christ has redeemed us from the penalty of the Mosaic Law. How did He do it? By “being made a curse for us.” Christ bore that penalty.

“For it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.” This is a quotation from the Old Testament, as we shall see, and is a remarkable passage of Scripture for several reasons. One reason is that the children of Israel did not use hanging on a tree as a method of public execution. Instead they used stoning. When my wife went with me to the land of Israel, she noticed something that I had not thought of. She said, “I have often wondered why they used stoning as a means of execution. Now I know. Anywhere you turn in this land there are plenty of stones.” Capital punishment in Israel was by stoning, not hanging. However, when a reprehensible crime had been committed, this was the procedure: “And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree: His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God;) that thy land be not defiled, which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance” (Deut. 21:22–23). That is, if he had committed an awful crime and had been stoned to death, his body could be strung up on a tree that it might be a spectacle. But it was not to be left there overnight. The reason He gives is this: he is accursed of God—“that thy land be not defiled, which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.”

Christ was “made a curse for us.” The question is: When did Christ become a curse? Did He become a curse in His incarnation? Oh, no. When He was born He was called “… that holy thing …” (Luke 1:35). Did He become a curse during those silent years of which we have so little record? No, it says that He advanced “… in favour with God and man” (Luke 2:52). Did He become a curse during his ministry? Oh, no. It was during His ministry that the Father said, “… This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matt. 3:17). Then He must have become a curse while He was on the cross. Yes, but not during the first three hours on the cross, because when He offered up Himself, He was without blemish. It was during those last three hours on the cross that He was made a curse for us. It was then that it pleased the Lord to bruise Him and put Him to grief. He made His soul an offering for sin (see Isa. 53:10).

“Cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree.” The Greek word for “tree” is xulon, meaning “wood, timber, or tree.” Christ was hanged on a tree. What a contrast we have here. He went to that cross, which was to Him a tree of death, in order that He might make it for you and me a tree of life!

That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith [Gal. 3:14].

Israel had the Law for fifteen hundred years and failed to live by it. At the council of Jerusalem, in Acts 15, Peter said in effect, “We and our fathers were not able to keep the law. Why do we want to put the Gentiles under it? If we could not keep it, they won’t be able to keep it either.” Christ took our place that we might receive what the Law could never do. The Spirit is the peculiar gift in this age of grace.

Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man’s covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto [Gal. 3:15].

Suppose you make a contract with a man to pay him one hundred dollars. Then about a year later you decide you will pay him only fifty dollars. You go to him and say, “Here is the fifty dollars I owe you.” The man says, “Wait a minute, you agreed to pay me one hundred dollars.” You say, “Well, I’ve changed that.” He says, “Oh, no, you don’t! You can’t change your contract after it has been made.”

Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ [Gal. 3:16].

God called Abraham and promised to make him a blessing to the world. He made him a blessing to the world through Jesus Christ, a descendant of Abraham. Christ is the One who brought salvation to the world.

The word seed refers specifically to Christ (see Gen. 22:18). Christ said, “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad” (John 8:56).

And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect [Gal. 3:17].

God made a promise, a covenant, with Abrabarn. When the Law came along “four hundred and thirty years” later, it didn’t change anything as far as the promises made to Abraham were concerned. Actually, God never goes back on His promises. God promised Abraham, “I am going to give you this land. I am going to give you a son and a people that will be as numberless as the sand on the seashore.” God fulfilled that promise and brought from Abraham the nation of Israel—and several other nations—but the promises were given through Isaac whose line led to the Lord Jesus Christ, the “Seed” of verse 16. God also promised Abraham that He would make him a blessing to all people. The only blessing, my friend, in this world today is in Christ. You may not get a very good deal from your neighbor or from your business or from your church. I don’t think the world is prepared to give you a good deal. But the Lord Jesus Christ has been given to you—that is a good deal! In fact it is the supreme gift which God has made. It is a fulfillment of God’s promise that He would save those who would trust Christ.

For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise [Gal. 3:18].

The promise concerning Christ was made before the Mosaic Law was given, and that promise holds as good as though there had been no law given, my friend. The promise was made irrespective of the Law.

The question arises: Why was the Law given, of what value, is it? Now don’t think that Paul is playing down the Law. Rather, he is trying to help the people understand the purpose of the Law. He shows the Law in all of its majesty, in its fullness, and in its perfection. But he shows that this very perfection the Law reveals is the reason it creates a hurdle which you and I cannot get over in order to be accepted of God.

Now listen to Paul as he talks about the purpose of the Law.

Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator [Gal. 3:19].

The question is: Wherefore then serveth the Law? He is giving a purpose sentence—what was the purpose of the Law? Paul says it was something that was added. It was added because—or better still—for the sake of transgressions.

“Till the seed should come”—that little word till is an important time word. It means the Law was temporary. The Law was given for the interval between the time of Moses until the time of Christ. “For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ” (John 1:17). It is very important to see that the Law was temporary “until the seed should come”—and that Seed is Christ.

The Law was added “because of [for the sake of] transgressions. It was given to reveal not remove sin. It was not given to keep man from sin because sin had already come. It was to show man himself as being a natural, ugly, crude sinner before God. Any man who is honest will look at himself in the light of the Law and see himself guilty. It was not given to prove that all men were sinners, nor was it given (as many liberals are saying today) as a standard by which man becomes holy. Oh, my friend, you would never become holy this way, because, first of all, you can’t keep the Law in your own strength.

Many folk think that man becomes a sinner when he commits a sinful act, that he is all right until he breaks over and commits sin. This is not true. It is because he is already a sinner that a man commits an act of sin. A man steals because he is a thief. A man lies because he is a liar. I find myself guilty of lying—although I blame it on other folk. I leave my house in the morning and the first person I meet says, “My, what a beautiful day!” And I say, “Yes, it is”—when truthfully it is a smoggy day here in pleasant California. I lie about it. Then he asks, “How are you feeling today?” Well, to be honest, I don’t feel well, but I say, “Oh, I’m feeling fine.” Right there in the first few minutes I have lied twice! It’s just natural for us to be that way, my friend. Some of us commit more serious lying than that. Why do we do it? We have that fallen nature. And the Law was given to show that we are sinners, and that you and I need a mediator—One to stand between us and God, One to help us out.

Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law [Gal. 3:21].

“Is the law then against the promises of God?” The expression “God forbid” means certainly not. Why? If there had been another way of saving sinners, God would have used that way. If He could have given a law by which sinner could be saved, He would have done so.

But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe [Gal. 3:22].

We have seen that the Law brought death—“The soul that sinneth, it shall die …” (Ezek 18:20). The Scripture has “concluded all under sin;” therefore all died. What is needed, therefore, is life. We have seen that the Law brings death, which is all that it can do. It is not actually the degree of sin but the mere fact of sin that brings death. Hence, all are equally dead and equally in need. You may not have committed as great a sin as Stalin committed, but you and I have the same kind of nature that he had. In fact, it was Goethe, the great German writer, who made this statement: “I have never seen a crime committed but what I too might have committed that crime.” He recognized he had that kind of a nature. It is not the degree of sin, but the very fact that we are sinners that brings death.

Let me illustrate this fact of sin and not the degree. Picture a building about twenty-four stories high. There are three men on top of the building, and the superintendent goes up to see them and warns, “Now be very careful, don’t step off of this building or you will be killed. It will mean death for you.” One of the fellows says, “This crazy superintendent is always trying to frighten people. I don’t believe that if I step off this building I will die.” So he deliberately walks to the edge of the building and steps off into the air. Suppose that when he passes the tenth floor, somebody looks out the window and asked him, “Well, how is it going?” And he says, “So far, so good.” But, my friend, he hasn’t arrived yet. There is death at the bottom. The superintendent was right. The man is killed. Now suppose another fellow becomes frightened at what the superintendent said. He runs for the elevator, or the steps, and accidentally slips. He skids right off the edge of the building and falls to the street below. He, too, is killed. The third fellow, we’ll say, is thrown off the building by some gangsters because he is their enemy. He is killed. Now the man who was thrown off of the building is just as dead as the man who deliberately stepped off and the man who accidentally slipped off the building. All of these men broke the law of gravitation, and death was inevitable for all of them. It is the fact, you see, and not the degree. It is the fact that they went over the edge—they all broke the law of gravitation.

The question is, “Can the law of gravitation which took them down to death give them life?” It cannot. The Mosaic Law cannot give you life any more than a natural law can give you life after you have broken it and died. You cannot reverse the situation and come back from the street below to the top of the building and live, as it is done in running a movie in reverse. Death follows wherever sin comes. The law of sin knows nothing of extenuating circumstances. It knows nothing about mercy. It has no elasticity. It is inflexible, inexorable, and immutable. God’s Word says, “The soul that sinneth, it shall die…” (Ezek. 18:20). To Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden God said, “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (Gen. 2:17). And in Exodus 34:7, He says that He “… will by no means clear the guilty….” Therefore, all have sinned and by the Law we are all dead. The Law slew us. It is called by Paul a “… ministration of death…” (2 Cor. 3:7). It is a ministration of condemnation. The Law condemns all of us.

Can the Law bring life? My friend, the Law can no more bring life than a fall from a high roof can bring life to one who died by that fall. The purpose of the Law was never to give life. It was given to show us that we are guilty sinners before God.

“The scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe” is a tremendous statement.

But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed [Gal. 3:23].

“Before faith came” means, of course, faith in Jesus Christ who died for us.

Until the Lord Jesus Christ came, the Law had in it mercy because it had a mercy seat. It had an altar where sacrifices for sin could be brought and forgiveness could be obtained. Mercy could be found there. All the sacrifices for sin pointed to Christ. Before faith came, Paul says, we were kept under the Law—“shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.”

Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith [Gal. 3:24].

This is a remarkable section. Paul is making it very clear here that the Mosaic Law could not save. Romans 4:5 tells us, “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.” God refuses to accept the works of man for salvation. God says that all of our righteousnesses are as filthy rags (Isa. 64:6). God refuses to accept law-keeping. The Law cannot save; it can only condemn. It was not given to save sinners but to let them know that they were sinners. The Law does not remove sin; it reveals sin. It will not keep you from sin, because sin has already come. The Law shows that man is not the way Hollywood portrays him—a sophisticated, refined, trained sinner. Man is actually an ugly sinner in the raw.

I want to use a homely illustration that I think might be helpful. I am going to take you to the bathroom. I hope you are not shocked—television does it everyday, showing someone taking a bath or a shower. I am confident that almost everyone has a bathroom, and in that bathroom is a washbasin with a mirror above it. That washbasin serves a purpose and so does the mirror. When you get dirt on your face, you go to the bathroom to remove it. Now you don’t use the mirror to remove the dirt, do you? If you see a smudged spot on your face, and you lean over and rub your face against the mirror, and one of your loved ones sees you, he will call a psychiatrist and make an appointment to find out what is wrong with you. But, my friend, that won’t happen because none of us is silly enough to try to remove dirt with a mirror.

Today, however, multitudes of people in our churches are rubbing up against the mirror of the Law thinking they are going to remove their sin. The Word of God is a mirror which shows us who we are and what we are—that we are sinners and that we have come short of the glory of God. That is what the Law reveals. But, thank God, beneath the mirror there is a basin. As the hymn writer puts it,

There is a fountain filled with blood

Drawn from Immanuel’s veins;

And sinners plunged beneath that flood,

Lose all their guilty stains.

—William Cowper

That is where you remove the spot. It is the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ that cleanses. The Law proves man a sinner; it never makes him a saint. The Law was given, as Paul says in Romans, that every mouth might be stopped and the whole world become guilty before God (see Rom. 3:19).

“Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster,” Paul says. Now he will go on to tell us what he means by this.

But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster [Gal. 3:25].

“Schoolmaster” is the Greek paidagōgos, and it doesn’t mean school teacher. Schoolmaster is a good word, but it meant something quite different back in the days of Paul. It meant a servant or a slave who was part of a Roman household. Half of the Roman Empire was slave. Of the 120 million, 60 million were slaves. In the home of a patrician, a member of the Praetorian Guard, or the rich in the Roman Empire, were slaves that cared for the children. When a child was born into such a home, he was put in the custody of a servant or a slave who actually raised him. He put clean clothes on him, bathed him, blew his nose when it was necessary, and paddled him when he needed it. When the little one grew to a certain age and was to start to school, this servant was the one who got him up in the morning, dressed him, and took him to school. (That is where he got the name of paidagōgos. Paid has to do with the feet—and we get our word pedal from it; agogos means “to lead.”) It means that he takes the little one by the hand, leads him to school, and turns him over to the school teacher. This servant, the slave, was not capable of teaching him beyond a certain age, so he took him to school.

Now what Paul is saying here is that the Law is our paidagōgos. The Law said, “Little fellow, I can’t do any more for you. I now want to take you by the hand and bring you to the cross of Christ. You are lost. You need a Savior.” The purpose of the Law is to bring men to Christ—not to give them an expanded chest so they can walk around claiming they keep the Law. You know you don’t keep the Law; all you have to do is examine your own heart to know that.

For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus [Gal. 3:26].

Paul is going to show in the remainder of this chapter, and in the first part of chapter 4, some of the benefits that come to us by trusting Christ that we could never receive under law. The Law never could give a believer the nature of a son of God. Christ can do that. Only faith in Christ can make us sons of God.

In this verse the word children is from the Greek huios, meaning “sons.” Only faith in Christ can make us legitimate sons of God. I use the word legitimate for emphasis, because the only sons God has are legitimate sons. You are made a true son of God by faith in Christ, and that is all it takes. Not faith plus something equals salvation, but faith plus nothing makes you a son of God. Nothing else can make you a son of God. “For ye are all sons of God.” How? “By faith in Christ Jesus.”

An individual Israelite under the Law in the Old Testament was never a son, only a servant. God called the nation “Israel my son” (see Exod. 4:22), but the individual in that corporate nation was never called a son. He was called a servant of Jehovah. For example, Moses was on very intimate terms with God; yet God said of him, “Moses my servant is dead” (see Josh. 1:2). That was his epitaph. Also, although David was a man after God’s own heart, God calls him “David my servant” (see 1 Kings 11:38).

My friend, even if you kept the Law, which you could not do, your righteousness would still be inferior to the righteousness of God. Sonship requires His righteousness, you see. The New Testament definitely tells us, “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name” (John 1:12). We are given the power (Greek exousian, meaning “the authority, the right”) to become the sons of God by doing no more nor less than simply trusting Him. A Pharisee by the name of Nicodemus, religious to his fingertips (he had a God-given religion although it had gone to seed), followed the Law meticulously, yet he was not a son of God. Jesus said to him, “Ye must be born again” (John 3:7). I want to be dogmatic and very plain—neither your prayers, your fundamental separation, your gifts, nor your baptism will ever make you a son of God. Only faith in Christ can make you a son of God.

The most damnable heresy today is the “universal Fatherhood of God and the universal brotherhood of man.” It is this teaching of liberalism that has caused this nation to give away billions of dollars throughout the world, and because of it we are hated everywhere. All people are the children of God, they say, and so we have sat at council tables and have engaged in diplomatic squabbles with some of the biggest rascals the world has ever seen. We talk about being honest and honorable, that we are all the children of God, and we must act like sons of God. Well, the Lord Jesus Christ never said anything like that. He once looked at a group of religious rulers and said to them, “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do …” (John 8:44). Now I did not say that; gentle Jesus said that. Evidently there were some people in His day who were not sons of God. My friend, I think the Devil still has a lot of children running around in this world today. They are not all the sons of God! The only way you can become a son of God is through faith in Jesus Christ.

 

For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ [Gal. 3:27].

I hope you realize that this verse is not a reference to water baptism. Water baptism is ritual baptism, and I feel that it is for every believer. Also I believe that the mode of water baptism should be by immersion (in spite of the fact that I am an ordained Presbyterian preacher), because immersion more clearly pictures real baptism, which is the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The baptism of the Holy Spirit places you in the body of believers. Paul says, “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit” (1 Cor. 12:13). This means that we are identified, we are put in reality and truth into the body of believers, the church. “For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” God sees you in Christ. Therefore He sees you as perfect!

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus [Gal. 3:28].

In this body of believers “there is neither Jew nor Greek.” In Christ are no racial lines. Any man in Christ is my brother, and I don’t care about the color of his skin. It is the color of his heart that interests me. There are a lot of white people walking around with black hearts, my friend, and they are not my brothers. It is only in Christ Jesus that we are made one. Thank God, I receive letters from folk of every race. They call me brother and I call them brother—because we are brothers. We are one in Christ, and we will be together throughout eternity.

“There is neither bond nor free.” In our day, capital and labor are at odds with one another. The only thing that could bring them together is Christ, of course.

“There is neither male nor female.” Christ does what “women’s lib” can never do. He can make us one in Christ. How wonderful it is!

And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise [Gal. 3:29].

How can we be Abraham’s descendants? Because of the fact that Abraham was saved by faith, and we are saved by faith. Abraham brought a little animal to sacrifice, which looked forward to the coming of the Son of God, the supreme sacrifice. In my day, Christ has already come, and I can look back in history and say, “Nineteen hundred years ago the Son of God came and died on the cross for me that I might have life, and I trust Him.” Some time ago I had the privilege of speaking to a group of wonderful Jewish folk, and I started by saying, “Well, it is always a privilege for me to speak to the sons of Abraham.” And they all smiled. Then I added, “Because I am a son of Abraham, too.” They didn’t all smile at that. In fact, some of them had a question mark on their faces, and rightly so. If I am in Christ and you are in Christ, then we belong to Abraham’s seed, and we are heirs according to the promise. How wonderful this is!