Galatians Flashcards

2:16 "A person is not justified by the words of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ."

Paul emphasised his point in the strongest possible way, not Gentile, not
Jewish, not anyone will be considered right before God by works of the law. Guthrie regards this as an "active demonstation of his apostolic authority. 

2:20 "My present bodily life is lived by faith in the son od God, who loved me and sacrificed himself for me."

Now that they were Christians they rejected the belief that the law would save them and instead accepted that sinners can only be justified by faith in Jesus. Luther comments "Faith connects you so intimately with Christ, that he and you become as it were one person." 
Paul can confidently give himself to Jesus because of the love Jesus has demonstrated in the past. Calvin comments "For me it is very emphatic. It is not enough to reagard Christ as having died for the salvation of the world; each man must claim the effect and possession of this grace for himself personally."

3:2 "Did you receive the spirit by works of the law or by believing what you heard?"

Paul wanted to get the message across that the Holy Spirit is not a prize earned through the works of the law. Drane adds "what they knew of Christ ought to have showed them that they had received the Holy Spirit, not because they had obeyed the Old Testament, but because they had exercised faith in him."

3:9 "So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of Faith."

Since the Jews descended from Abraham, the blessings promised to him were also promised to his descendants. Morris adds "Paul personifies scripture."

3:10 "For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse."

God never intended the law to be the way we find our approval before Him. He knew we could never keep the law, and so God instituted the system of atoning sacrifice along with the law. And the entire sacrificial system looked forward to what Jesus would accomplish on the cross for us.
Luther comments "The hypocritical doers of the Law are those who seek to obtain a righteousness by a mechanical performance of good works while their hearts are far removed from God."

3:11 "No one who relies on the law is justified before God."

Like in his speech before Pisidian Antioch Paul refers to Habakkuk 2:4, which reminds us that the just live by faith and not by law.
Freed "The law was ineffective in helping man to become righteous before God."

3:14 "The blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, that through faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit."

The law is now obsolete but the good news is Christ has removed this by becoming a curse for us. Through Jesus' death we have been set free. 
Morris comments that "Redemption points to the payment of a price that sets sinners free."

3:24 "The law was our guardian until Christ came so that we might be justified by faith."

We respect our guardian, the Law; but we don't live under him. We live under Jesus by faith.
Stott "Satan would have us prove ourselves holy by the law, which God gave to prove us sinners."

5:5 "For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love."

There is simply no room for compromise, it is either following Christ or following the law. If they choose the latter then they can reap no benefit from Christ. 
Morris on in Christ: "Paul never defines what the expression means, but it clearly points to the closest of unities."