Galatians 3:5 Commentary

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Galatians 3:5

Comments

Paul returns to the question of verse 2. The Galatians had received not only those gifts of the Spirit given to all believers in all ages, but had also seen miracles done among them through Paul and Barnabas during the time of the first missionary journey. This is confirmed by Luke who says that the Lord ‘granted signs and wonders to be done by their hands’ (Acts 14:3). These miracles authenticated the apostles and extended to a very few beyond the apostles but who were closely associated with them. The fact that these miracles took place among the Galatians is something which Paul and his readers both remember, but the question is how did they take place? Were they done ‘by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith’. Do you receive the Spirit, and are miracles worked among you, because you have obeyed the law, or because you have exercised faith, he asks. This is another question based on experience, the answer to which proves to the Galatians that they cannot possibly return on the law when the greatest blessings they have ever known have come to them only through faith. They were freely given, because for God to suspend the laws of nature in order to authenticate his message was such a great privilege that they could never claim that they had earned it.

Application

Questions

Who is the ‘he’ at the start of the verse? Some say Paul means himself, but most understand him to mean the Lord. Although it was through him that God worked among the Galatians, and through him that the gospel was preached, yet it was God who was the ultimate giver of these gifts and it would be an unusual way of speaking to say that Paul ministered the Spirit to them. There is an expression close to this in 2 Corinthians 3:6-8, but the result of this interpretation would be to change the subject from the faith or works of the Galatians, to the faith or works of the one who ministered to them – namely Paul. This would take the focus away from where Paul wants it to be placed.

Some prefer the translation ‘powers’ instead of ‘miracles’ and suggest that these were done ‘in them’ rather than ‘among them’, allowing a reference not to outward miracles but to inward moral and spiritual changes. However Luke makes clear that Paul certainly did do miracles in Galatia, and Paul would not use a lesser argument when there was a greater one available to him.

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Galatians 3:5 Commentary and Bible Study