Galatians 3:1-18

1599 Geneva Bible

Footnotes

1. Galatians 3:1 The third reason or argument taken of those gifts of the holy Ghost, wherewith they were endued from heaven after they had heard and believed the Gospel by Paul’s ministry: which seeing they were so evident to all men’s eyes, that they were as it were lively images, wherein they might behold the truth of the doctrine of the Gospel, no less than if they had beheld with their eyes Christ himself crucified, in whose only death they ought to have their trust, he marvelleth how it could be that they could be so bewitched by the false apostles.
2. Galatians 3:1 Christ was laid before you, so notably and so plainly, that you had his lively image as it were represented before your eyes, as if he had been crucified before you.
3. Galatians 3:2 Those spiritual graces and gifts, which were a seal as it were to the Galatians, that the Gospel which was preached to them was true.
4. Galatians 3:2 Of the doctrine of faith.
5. Galatians 3:3 The fourth argument mixed with [the former] and it is double, If the Law is to be joined with faith, this were not to go forward, but backward, seeing that those spiritual gifts which were bestowed upon you, are more excellent than any that could proceed from yourselves. And moreover, it should follow, that the Law is better than Christ, because it should perfect and bring to end that which Christ began only.
6. Galatians 3:3 By the (flesh) he meaneth the ceremonies of the Law, against which he setteth the Spirit, that is, the spiritual working of the Gospel.
7. Galatians 3:4 An exhortation by manner of upbraiding, that they do not in vain suffer so many conflicts.
8. Galatians 3:5 He repeateth the third argument which was taken of the effects, because he had interlaced certain other arguments by the way.
9. Galatians 3:6 The first argument which is of great force, and hath three grounds, The first, That Abraham was justified by faith, to wit, by free imputation of righteousness according to the promise apprehended by faith, as Moses doth most plainly witness.
10. Galatians 3:6 See Rom. 4.
11. Galatians 3:7 The second, that the sons of Abraham must be esteemed and accounted of by faith.
12. Galatians 3:8 The third, that all people that believe, are without exception, comprehended in the promise of the blessing.
13. Galatians 3:8 A proof of the first and second grounds, out of the words of Moses.
14. Galatians 3:8 Blessing in this place, signifieth the free promise by faith.
15. Galatians 3:9 The conclusion of the fifth argument: Therefore as Abraham is blessed by faith, so are all his children (that is to say, all the Gentiles that believe) blessed, that is to say, freely justified.
16. Galatians 3:9 With faithful Abraham, and not by faithful Abraham, to give us to understand that the blessing cometh not from Abraham, but from him, by whom Abraham and all his posterity is blessed.
17. Galatians 3:10 The sixth argument, the conclusion whereof is also in the former verse taken of contraries, thus, They are accursed which are of the works of the Law, that is to say, which value their [righteousness] by the performance of the Law. Therefore they are blessed which are of faith, that is, they which have righteousness by faith.
18. Galatians 3:10 A proof of the former sentence or proposition: and the proposition of this argument is this: Cursed is he that fulfilleth not the whole Law.
19. Galatians 3:11 The second proposition with the conclusion: But no man fulfilleth the Law. Therefore no man is justified by the Law, or else, which seek righteousness by the works of the Law. And there is annexed also this manner of proof of the second proposition, to wit, Righteousness and life are attributed to faith, Therefore no man fulfilleth the Law.
20. Galatians 3:12 Here is a reason shown of the former consequence: Because the law promiseth life to all that keep it, and therefore if it be kept, it justifieth and giveth life. But the Scripture attributing righteousness and life to faith, taketh it from the Law, seeing that faith justifieth by imputation, and the Law by the performing of the work.
21. Galatians 3:13 A preventing of an objection: How then can they be blessed, whom the Law pronounceth to be accursed? Because Christ sustained the curse which the Law laid upon us, that we might be quit from it.
22. Galatians 3:13 A proof of the answer by the testimony of Moses.
23. Galatians 3:13 Christ was accursed for us, because he bare the curse that was due to us, to make us partakers of his righteousness.
24. Galatians 3:14 A conclusion of all that was said before in the handling of the fifth and sixth reasons, to wit, that both the Gentiles are made partakers of the free blessing of Abraham in Christ, and also that the Jews themselves, of whose number the Apostle counteth himself to be, cannot obtain that promised grace of the Gospel, which he calleth the Spirit, but only by faith. And the Apostle doth severally apply the conclusion, both to the one and the other, preparing himself a way, to the next argument, whereby he declareth, that the one only seed of Abraham, which is made of all peoples can no otherwise be joined and grow up together, but by faith in Christ.
25. Galatians 3:15 He putteth forth two general [rules] before the next argument, which is the seventh in order: That one is, that it is not lawful to break covenants and contracts which are justly made and according to Law amongst men, neither may anything be added unto them: The other is, that God did so make a covenant with Abraham, that he would gather together his children which consist both of Jews and Gentiles into one body (as appeareth by that which hath been said before.) For he did not say, that he would be the God of Abraham and of his seeds, (which things notwithstanding should have been said, if he had many and divers seeds, as the Gentiles apart and the Jews apart,) but that he would be the God of Abraham, and of his seed, as of one.
26. Galatians 3:15 I will use an example which is common among you, that you may be ashamed you give not so much to God’s covenants, as you do to man’s.
27. Galatians 3:15 Authentical, as we call it.
28. Galatians 3:16 He putteth forth the sum of the seventh argument, to wit, that both the Jews and the Gentiles grow together into one body of the seed of Abraham, in Christ only, so that all are one in Christ, as it is afterward declared, verse 21.
29. Galatians 3:16 Paul speaketh not of Christ’s person, but of two peoples, which grew together in one, in Christ.
30. Galatians 3:17 The eighth argument taken of comparison, thus: If a man’s covenant (being authentical) be firm and strong, much more God’s covenant. Therefore the Law was not given to abrogate the promise made to Abraham, which had respect to Christ, that is to say, the end whereof did hang of Christ.
31. Galatians 3:17 Which tendeth to Christ.
32. Galatians 3:17 An enlarging of that argument, thus: Moreover and besides that the promise is of itself firm and strong, it was also confirmed with the prescription of long time, to wit, of 430 years, so that it could in no wise be broken.
33. Galatians 3:18 An objection: We grant that the promise was not abrogated by the covenant of the Law, and therefore we join the Law with the promise. Nay, saith the Apostle, these two cannot stand together, to wit, that the inheritance should both be given by the Law and also by promise, for the promise is free: whereby it followeth, that the Law was not given to justify, for by that means the promise should be broken.
34. Galatians 3:18 By this word (inheritance) is meant the right of the seed, which is, that God should be our God, that is to say, that by virtue of the covenant that was made with faithful Abraham, we that be faithful, might by that means be blessed of God as well as he.