Chapter 3
V1 -2 The Galatians had clearly succumbed to the false brethren unawares brought into the ecclesia, who had spied out the liberty of Torah in Messiah, and had brought them back to bondage cf 2:4. These Judaizers, hateful of Yeshua’s gospel had penetrated the church through artifice, and had clearly stressed that Torah had to be kept by the letter, outside of the parameters of this so-called Saviour of theirs Yeshua of Nazareth.
They clearly were not happy that these Galatians, who were still in training to understand Torah, were not fully keeping the Torah, and were hence coercing them into Torah-keeping by means of traditions of their fathers, which Yeshua detested. Pharisaic Judaism had ring fenced Torah’s simple 613 laws by addition of thousands of man-made laws most of which were not even in the slightest related to Torah and at times even contrary to it cf Mark 7:1-13.
V3-5 Unlike the pharisaic Jewish deception of Torah keeping, the Gentiles had the advantage of having entered into Torah truth in the Holy Spirit Who is without corruption, yet they were now succumbing to the lie of following Torah by one’s own means in the flesh, which is desperately corrupt and at variance with holiness cf Rom 7:22-23; 8:2-10; Jer 17:9.
V6-9 cf Gen 15:6; 12:3 Furthermore Paul reminds the reader that Abraham was promised to be the father of all nations i.e. inclusive of Gentiles who would benefit too, years before he was circumcised, simply for his faith in Elohim which justified him. Hence circumcision and the rest of Torah cannot interfere with the entry stage of belief in Messiah for one to be justified.
If Abraham had been required to be circumcised first and prove Torah observance in order for the promises of Yah to be bestowed upon him, then faith would have been relegated to the trash can, and any promise based on faith would have been of no substance, but this was not so. Had Abraham had to prove himself by Torah observance only outside of faith, he would have failed dismally and never ever had a hope of being given these covenant promises, because the Law is impossible to keep 100% by our own effort, hence the need for a redeemer to believe in.
This reality of our ineptitude causes Paul to highlight what great mercy and grace Abraham was given, and subsequently his seed, by simply being required to express faith for the promises to be afforded him and us who believe too.
V10-11 cf Deut 27:26 Israel entered into covenant-relationship with Yehovah Elohim. Gentiles, as strangers were bought with a price cf Gen 17:13,27 with 1 Cor 6:20 and Eph 2:12. By so doing we were grafted into the congregation of Israel and are amongst Yah’s chosen people cf Rom 11:17. We therefore need to obey Torah as the Israelites agreed to in Deut 27:26 and should like them, expect to suffer the curses of the Torah for breaching it.
Throughout the Old Testament and in Yeshua’s day all those failing to uphold the Torah suffered its consequential curses. Hence the need for certain rituals to be followed such as eating unclean foods described in Lev 11:24, animal sacrifices in Lev 4, and even death Ex 22:18-20. Hence keeping the law by our own means proved futile as being of tainted Adamic DNA, and our carnal nature being at great variance with the law which is spiritual cf Rom 7:14; 8:3,7, inevitably would render us subject to the curses of Torah. Hence the need for Yeshua to have lived a sinless life and died for us as the unblemished sacrifice to justify us by simply believing in Him Hallelujah.
Note Hab 2:4 which is quoted, the word just in Hebrew is tsaddiyq, which means the righteous or the lawful i.e. Torah-keeping. Torah keepers must live by faith, as trying to obey Torah without faith in our redeemer is impossible and can only end in curses to endure on breaching it.
V12 Paul quotes Lev 18:5. It is a shame that modern day Christendom foolishly in their ignorance of scripture uses Paul’s quotes of the Old Testament to allegedly prove that it, the OT and Torah have been done away with. Paul only had the Old Testament/Tanakh in his day, and the NT was only canonised in 325 AD at the council of Nicaea, almost 2 and a half centuries after the last apostle John died. Paul’s epistles are all commentary of the OT, the revelation of which he was given by our Saviour Yeshua of Nazareth, the begotten Son of Elohim. Hence Paul’s writings are not new revelation but elucidation of that which was written millennia before him. If Paul is supposedly denigrating Torah in verse 10-11, why then does he in v12 then tell us that we shall have life in them.
It is unfortunate that in the English translation the whole context of the word live is lost. Anti-Torah preachers read this verse as one doing the law shall live i.e. be condemned in them. The Greek word for "live” is zao which according to Strong’s concordance means to be among the living, to enjoy real life that is active, endless and blessed in the kingdom of Elohim. Are these definitions characteristic of something that is dead and done away with it? I certainly think not! The Hebrew word for "live” in the scripture that Paul quotes i.e. Lev 18:5 is "chay” which means to have life, be restored to life. In either case Torah is life-giving and hence abolition of it would naturally lead to the opposite of life which is death. The Psalms scream this message throughout.
V13 This verse is gratuitously quoted by the blind preachers of anti-Torah theology in their insipid, inane and very shallow understanding of scripture, totally taking out of context that which they fail to understand, and leading the flock of Messiah down steep precipices of deception. They claim the verse reads Messiah hath redeemed us from the law, when it more than clearly states that Yeshua hath redeemed us from the CURSE of the law. The law is not synonymous with the curse. How can the very judicial system of our creator be labelled a curse. It is great treachery and disrespect to label that, which in Romans 7:12, is described as holy, just and good i.e. the very attributes of Elohim, as something accursed. I fear for peddlers of this delusional doctrine of abolition of Torah, who have led many innocent ignorant congregations astray.
Yeshua died for us to take up the curse of the Torah in our place in order for those who believe in His name to be justified by faith, so as not to seek justification by our own works which are futile. Deut 21:23 is quoted. Now if Yeshua even in His death was following Torah to the T, inclusive of being buried before the night to prevent defiling the land of inheritance, how can one then believe that He really came to abolish the Law? Even in His death He was fulfilling it.
V14 This verse furthermore explains that by the curse of the Torah being taken up by Yeshua dying for us, Gentiles ignorant of Torah on entering Elohim’s covenant of Torah observance, would be able to receive this covenant promise too, as the Jews had, through faith in Yeshua cf Rom 3:30. What is the ‘promise of the Spirit?’ Let us compare scripture to find our answer:
Isa 32:15 cf with Acts 2:32-33-he hath shed forth is the Greek word ekcheo which is better translated he hath poured out as in Is 32:15. Also Jn 7:39, Acts 10:45-47. The promise of the Spirit is clearly His outpouring into the hearts of those who believe in Yeshua as the Messiah, the first manifestation being the speaking of tongues. This for Gentiles devoid of Torah knowledge at the outset is through faith, hence the manifestation always occurring in the book of Acts without laying of hands; whereas for the already Torah observing Jew this manifestation of tongue speaking of the promise of the Spirit came by faith, invariably after laying of hands. Faith is key in both parties not Torah keeping. Torah-keeping for the Gentile who has been blessed like Abraham, is only necessary after the promise of the Spirit is received, and this is achieved through study of the word and learning of Torah as was advised in Acts 15:21 at the council of Jerusalem.
V15 This verse is casually glossed over as the KJV English does us a disservice in fully comprehending its importance in scripture. Let us look at the Greek words and translate it better according to Strong’s concordance: ‘yet it be confirmed’ is kuroo better rendered made valid or ratified. ‘No man’ is oudeis/nobody, nothing. ‘disanulleth’/athateo/to do away with, addeth thereto/epidiatassomai/to add something to what has been ordained. Hence to fully grasp the meaning the verse is better translated:
Brethren, I speak after the manner of men, though yet but a man’s covenant, yet valid, nothing and nobody can do away with it nor add to what has been ordained.
Clearly this is reference to the Abrahamic covenant, which even the Torah could not do away with v17. We must therefore also be cognizant of the fact that all of Elohim’s covenants cannot be done away with as they also have been ratified and ordained by Yah. So why do Christians post Messiah’s ascension believe in this covenant promise with Abraham of justification through faith, yet do not believe in the sealing of it through the covenant of circumcision Gen 17:13, nor believe in the Torah covenant which came 400 years later? We cannot just handpick what suits us and ignore the rest of the same Elohim’s covenant. It just does not operate that way in Yah’s economy.
V16-17 v 16 quotes Gen 12:7. Paul highlights how precise the Holy Spirit was and when speaking through men who penned the scriptures cf Heb 1:1-2.
V17 further confirms to us that justification through or by faith is not a new concept that was conjured up by Paul nor only introduced after Yeshua’s ascension i.e. it is not a NT concept. The epistles in the NT strictly are a commentary of the OT through revelation of the meaning of the OT given to the various apostles who penned them. If the student of scripture were to grasp this simple truth from the outset, then confusion and twisting of scripture and more so the doing away of Torah, should never be an issue ever again. Once one is justified through faith in Yehovah the Son, just as much as Abraham was justified in belief of Yehovah too, then the Torah is presented in order to give a blueprint of obedience of good against evil, just as much as Torah was only codified on tablets of stone and on scrolls 430 years later.
We must note however that despite the Torah being officially codified in the time of Moses, Abraham still followed what was clearly passed down by word of mouth cf Gen 26:5. Lamech, Noah’s father was alive before Adam’s death as much as Noah was alive before Seth died. Hence Torah passed down by their forefathers was direct from the first and second generations of mankind. Both Abraham and Isaac were alive before Noah died and would have been given this Torah truth as second-hand information passed down directly from Lamech and Seth to Noah.
Jacob was alive before Abraham died and the very Patriarch Israel himself would have received Torah truth as third hand information. This Torah truth was compromised in the Egyptian exile, and would have explained the need for Yehovah to codify the 10 commandments on tablets of stone, the remaining 603 which elucidated these 10 thoroughly, being written on scrolls by the hand of Moses, the slave/servant of Yah. There is no escaping Torah truth no matter which way preachers of today may try to shy away from it.
V18 Despite Torah being one of Elohim’s covenants, it did not disannul the promise of the inheritance of the promise of the Spirit, which is undeniably power from on high, given to those who are justified by faith in the seed of Abraham, our Lord and our Saviour Yeshua of Nazareth.
V19 By asking what the purpose of the law/Torah is, Paul is clearly not abolishing it, but rhetorically asking what its purpose in our lives is. If Torah was ever abolished common sense would tell us that Paul would not even bother asking what the purpose of it still is in our lives now would he?! He then answers the question by categorically stating that it was added to be our identifier of transgressions. The word translated transgressions in Greek is parabasis which means disregarding or violating of the Mosaic law in particular. This meaning is lost in the KJV English. Additionally, it was ordained/diatasso meaning arranged/prescribed by angels in Yehovah’s heavenly quarters cf Acts 7:53.
The Torah additionally, being spiritual, holy, just and good cf Rom 7:12;8:3 could not be obeyed properly by carnal man who is at variance with the spiritual Rom 7:23;8:7. Hence why Paul says until the seed should come to whom the promise was made, that we (justified by faith in Him) would after His victory over death, receive the power from on high to be able to follow Torah in Spirit and in truth. Unfortunately, those who deprecate Torah interpret the words till the seed should come, to mean that Messiah’s advent would do away with Torah.
If only they knew that it was Yeshua Himself who gave Torah at Mount Sinai even having communion with Moses, Aaron and the 70 elders cf these verses: Jn 1:18; Jn 6:46; Jn 14:15, Ex 24:9-11 could not possibly be Elohim the Father but the Son as nobody has seen the Father but the son! With this in mind now read Isa 33:22 and Jm 4:12 and also Jn 5;22,27; Acts 10:42, 2 Cor 5:10, Rom 2:16. Yeshua shall judge all mankind using the Torah which is the only blueprint of any law mentioned in the Bible.
V20 In any litigious arbitration usually a mediator between 2 disputing parties is chosen, who is impartial and helps to achieve a resolution. When Torah was given on Mt Sinai IT was by Yeshua Himself. Fast forward 1400 odd years Yeshua having lived and died as a man, and resurrected from the dead to be the propitiation of our sins 1 Jn 2:2 in effect became our mediator i.e. He became the curse for us in order for believers in Him to no longer suffer the consequences of breaking Torah. In a human societal set up a separate mediator would need to be our advocate. However, the same giver of the law died for us and became our advocate, our mediator and is one in Yehovah! Very confusing verse for the novice, but is clear as day once scriptural principles in Torah are grasped.
V21 Paul to dispel ambiguity in his writings clearly states that he is not implying that Torah is at variance with Holy Spirit power from on high promised to believers in Yeshua the Son. He is simply saying the Torah, although holy, just and good, unfortunately leads to death in carnal man who cannot by virtue of his fleshly inclinations (described as law in our members/limbs of the human body (Greek melos) in Rom 7:23) warring against the law of the mind. Now if we could have been able to obey Torah unto life then there would be no need for the promise. Paul is simply stating the facts of life regarding the frailty of man in the midst of holy Torah. He is not disparaging Torah at all.
V22 Because of our frailty and inability to uphold Torah by our own volition, hence the need for the promise by faith in our Messiah the justifier.
V23 However before the advent of Yeshua for this justification by/through faith to be bestowed upon the believers of Yeshua, the world was shackled to condemnation by Torah which required ritualistic cleansing through various rites inclusive of sacrifice of animals as a means of achieving forgiveness outlined in Leviticus.
V24 As a teacher corrects a delinquent student through punishment to achieve discipline, so did the Torah punish through its curses those who breached it unto justification by faith. Note Paul expressly uses the term by faith not through faith, as this narrative pertained to Jews of times past pre-Messiah, and not to Gentiles.
V25 But since Yeshua’s life, death and resurrection and subsequent release of the promise of Holy Spirit power from on high to obey Torah in Spirit and in truth, written on our hearts Jer 31:33; Deut 30:5-6; Eze 36:25-27, we are no longer under the curse of the law i.e. the schoolmaster who reprimands the sinner.
V26 By faith in Yeshua we become justified and are called adopted children of Elohim Gal 4:5 also cf Matt 12:50, Jn 15:14-15
V27-29 There is no partiality in those who believe in Yeshua, as you become part of His body, the body being Israel, the seed of Abraham!! Cf Isa 41:8. Those who preach that the Gentile church has replaced Israel are terribly deluded because Yeshua is categorically the whole body of Israel, into which the Gentile stranger is grafted into, having been bought with a price hallelujah!
V28 cf 1 Cor 12:12-13; Col 3:9-11