Here Paul concluded the opening historical section of his letter by stating clearly that justification was not secured by human works of any kind but only through faith in Jesus Christ (2:16). This was the central thesis Paul was defending against certain Jewish-Christian missionaries who had come into Galatia insisting that Paul’s converts there submit to circumcision and other observances of the Jewish law in order to achieve a right standing before God.
The Judaizers pointed to the Law of Moses as the means to salvation. Paul demonstrates that Abraham, who preceded Moses by 430 years, was saved by faith and not self-effort. To further discredit the Judaizers’ emphasis on circumcision, Paul noted that Abraham was justified prior to his circumcision (Gen. 17:24). Therefore, the Judaizers could not argue that the law and circumcision were necessary for salvation because Abraham was saved apart from both of them.
Abraham’s real children are not his physical descendants but his spiritual descendants. His real children are those who believe God and are therefore justified by faith and not the law.
Even so Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness. 7 Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham. 8 The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “All the nations will be blessed in you.” 9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer. (NASB)
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- The greatest blessings that God sent through Abraham and the Jewish nation have to do with our eternal salvation. Jesus Christ is that promised “`Seed,” through whom all the nations have been blessed
- For Paul the words recorded in Holy Scripture are nothing less than the living voice of God. It is God who speaks in Scripture and for this reason it has an unassailable validity and normative significance for the people of God
- Abraham, who lived before the law, was saved by faith. The blessings of Abraham (inheritance and eternal life) were received by faith. Therefore, grace is superior to the law.
CLOSER LOOK:
Verse 6: The Judaizers claimed to have the Old Testament on their side, especially looking to Moses as their teacher. But Paul went centuries farther back and said, “Even so Abraham” (“Even so” may be translated as “just as” or “consider.”) How was he, the father of Jewish people, justified? The answer was simple and direct. Noting Genesis 15:6, Paul declared, he “believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.” Abraham’s faith in God’s ability to perform what He promised was accepted by God as righteousness and so the patriarch was justified—before he was circumcised (cf. Gen. 17:24).[1] How then could the Judaizers insist that circumcision was essential to being accepted by God?
To go a bit further, there are several reasons for Paul’s reference to Abraham’s faith as an example. First, Abraham was the father of the Jewish nation (Gen 12:1-3). Second, Abraham is the clearest example of justification in the OT. Third, the Judaizers almost certainly were pointing back to Abraham, probably in connection with circumcision (2:3; 5:2-3). The example of Abraham’s faith is also developed in Romans 4, Hebrews 11, and James 2. Paul quotes Genesis 15:6 from the Greek translation of the OT to show that Abraham was justified by faith alone.[2] This verse communicates precisely what Paul called “the truth of the gospel” (2:5, 14).
Verses 7–8: Striking a tremendous blow at the Judaizers, Paul linked the past with the present and declared that just as Abraham was saved by faith so were those who now claimed to be his sons (huioi). Abraham and his spiritual descendants, both Jews and Gentiles, have all been declared righteous by faith and are part of God’s people. Moreover, this conclusion is in harmony with the Scripture which states that “all the nations will be blessed in” Abraham (Gen. 12:3). Thus the justification of uncircumcised Gentiles was anticipated in the universal aspect of the Abrahamic Covenant when God “preached the gospel” (literally, “the good news”) to Abraham. “Scripture” is personified as a preacher who foretells that Abraham and his example of faith (Gen 15:6) would become a life-changing blessing to all nations (Gen 12:3; Matt 28:19) as the gospel spread. It should not be overlooked that Paul referred to Scripture speaking as though God were speaking, so it can rightly be affirmed that what the Bible says, God says. This and similar verses (e.g., John 10:35b; 2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20–21) provide important support for believing in the absolute and total inspiration, inerrancy, and authority of Scripture.
Verse 9: The apostle concluded this phase of his argument by stating that though provision was made for “all nations” (v. 8), only “those who are of faith” receive the blessing of justification. All who have faith, as Abraham did, join in his blessed status. Thus Paul drew a distinction between God’s provision and human appropriation. “Believer” (pistos) could also be translated “faithful,” but the context favors “believing” or “believer.” This is the only use of the word in Galatians.[3]
[1] Donald K. Campbell, “Galatians,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, eds. John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton: Victor Books, 1985), 597.
[2] Earl D. Radmacher, Ronald B. Allen, H. Wayne House, eds., Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Commentary (Nashville: Nelson, 1999), 1521.
[3] Earl D. Radmacher, Ronald B. Allen, H. Wayne House, eds., Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Commentary (Nashville: Nelson, 1999), 1522. BDAG defines this use as “peraining. to being trusting, trusting, cherishing faith/trust.” Used in reference to believers in contrast to doubters.