Home / Commentary / Galatians / Galatians Chapter 3
Paul is extremely upset that the Galatians have so easily fallen away from the gospel message that he recently preached to them.
Abraham gained right standing with God through his faith, not by the law (which didn’t exist at the time God made His promise to Abraham).
Everyone who tries to obey the law will fail, because the law requires 100 percent perfection. Because of this, Christ (who did obey the law perfectly) took on our failings instead...
Paul uses the Old Testament scriptures and its chronology to prove that the inheritance of God’s promises are based on God’s promise, not the law.
Since the Law had nothing to do with either the giving or receiving of the promise of God, Paul answers an obvious question: What is the Law for?
The law shows everyone their need for Christ’s sacrifice in their place, like a tutor teaching us. But now that faith has come we no longer need our tutor and we should instead live by that same faith.
In this chapter, Paul tells the Galatians how far they have wandered from the true gospel. He reminds them that it is through faith that they are sons and daughters of God, not by following religious rules. Paul explains that the law was created to be a tutor for mankind, to show them their sin and their inability to follow the law. The law was made to point them all to faith in Jesus Christ, but it is only Jesus and His Spirit who saves, not the law.