This error was on the part of Gentile believers, not Jewish saints. It is
a common error today. It was acknowledged by them that they had begun their
Christian life in the spirit or new nature. But somehow,
they got the idea that they must keep their salvation by their own works,
which of course would be by the flesh or old nature.
Since these Gentile believers went to the Synagogues every Sabbath and had
direct contact with Judaism and all its rituals and ceremonies, it was a
temptation for them to adopt these things too. But there was only one way
to do this. They first had to be circumcised.
These Gentile believers knew very well that the Passover and other
feasts and ceremonies of the Jews could not be observed by the uncircumcised.
That is not widely known today.
So it would be a simple matter to be circumcised and then one could partake
of the services, read in the Synagogue, and have part in a the Jewish social
life. All this appealed to the flesh.
They are told in 3:7 that they are the children of Abraham by faith, and
by faith can partake of the promise. This is
the gospel of the grace of God. It was the good news that they could
have all the blessings of the promise without keeping any part of the law.
They were to walk by grace, not by the law. They were to live by faith,
not by works.
They were reminded that even the Jews had been told in Hab 2:4 that
the just live by faith. The law cannot give life, therefore there
is no justification by the deeds of the law. As in verse 9, so again in
verse 14 he reminds the Gentile believers that the
blessings of Abraham come to Gentiles through faith, not by works
of the law.
Then down in verse 19 Paul tells these folks why Israel had the law. It
was something that was added to the promise
because of the transgression. He hastens to add that the law did
not deprive Israel of anything in the promise.
In chapter 4 Paul gives them a little allegory to bring home to them the
truth he is trying to teach. It is well to think it over, even today.
In chapter 5 he tells them to stand fast
in the liberty they have. Once they were in bondage to sin and now
they want to be in bondage to the law. He tells them not to get entangled
with any bondage. If they were to be circumcised, then they would be obliged
to keep the whole law. They would not be at liberty to observe that which
they liked as do the legalists today. He makes it plain that any who have
taken up this Galatian error and thinks to be justified by the work of the
flesh, has fallen from grace, that
is, turned his back on the gospel of the grace of God.
Then further on he tells them about the works of the flesh and the fruits
of the spirit (new nature). This is plain unvarnished truth. He tells how
these two natures are at enmity with each other. He then sums up his argument
by telling those Gentile believers who have the new nature or spirit to walk
by it and reckon the old nature crucified, dead. Has this truth been changed
for these days?
