GALATIANS 3:5-7 THOSE WHO ARE OF FAITH


GALATIANS 3:5-7 Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?— 6 just as Abraham “believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” 7 Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham.

Supplies; "to supply fully, abundantly" (a strengthen form of No. 1), is rendered "to supply". In this instance, the present continuous tense speaks of the work of the Holy Spirit in all His ministrations to believers individually and collectively;. The Greek word is ἐπιχορηγέω epichoregeo. Vine's (def A-2) Strong's G2023. It should be noted that the KJV uses the word ministereth. 

Works; to be active, efficient. In this case regarding the works of the law. The Greek word is ἐνεργέω eron. Vine's (def A-1 I d), Strong's G1754.

Miracles; power, inherent ability," is used of works of a supernatural origin and character, such as could not be produced by natural agents and means. It is translated "miracles" in the RV and AV in Acts 8:13 (where variant readings give the words in different order). The Greek word is δύναμις dunamis. Vine's (def 1), Strong's G1411. 

Definition Reference: 
Acts 8:13 Then Simon himself also believed; and when he was baptized he continued with Philip, and was amazed, seeing the miracles and signs which were done.

Hearing; "the sense of hearing," 1 Corinthians 12:17; 2 Peter 2:8; a combination of verb and noun is used in phrases which have been termed Hebraic as they express somewhat literally an OT phraseology. Dodson denotes hearing, faculty of hearing, ear hearing, faculty of hearing, ear; report. The Greek word is ἀκοή akoē. Vine's (def B-1 d(a)]), Strong's G189.

Moving to Verse 6.

Galatians 3:6 just as Abraham “believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”

NSB* - There are several reasons for Paul's reference to Abraham's faith as an example. (1) Abraham was the father of the Jewish nation (see Genesis 12:1-3). (2) Abraham is the clearest example of justification in the Old Testament. (3) 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, James 2. Paul quotes Genesis 15:6 from the Greek translation of the Old Testament to show that Abraham was justified by faith alone. 

Note references: Genesis 12:1-3 Now the Lord had said to Abram: 
“Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you. 2 I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Cross Reference: Genesis 15:6 And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.

(also a note reference). 

Believed; to have faith (in, upon, or with respect to, a person or thing), i.e. credit; by implication, to entrust (especially one's spiritual well-being to Christ). The Greek word is πιστεύω pisteuō. Strong's G4100. Thayer expands - 1) to think to be true, to be persuaded of, to credit, place confidence in
1a) of the thing believed 1a1) to credit, have confidence 1b) in a moral or religious reference 1b1) used in the NT of the conviction and trust to which a man is impelled by a certain inner and higher prerogative and law of soul
1b2) to trust in Jesus or God as able to aid either in obtaining or in doing something: saving faith 1bc) mere acknowledgment of some fact or event: intellectual faith 2) to entrust a thing to one, i.e. his fidelity 2a) to be intrusted with a thing

Righteousness; equity (of character or act); specially (Christian) justification. The Greek word is δικαιοσύνη dikaiosunē. Strong's G1343. Vine's expands on this a bit - "Righteousness is not said to be imputed to the believer save in the sense that faith is imputed ("reckoned' is the better word) for righteousness. It is clear that in Romans 4:6, Romans 4:11, 'righteousness reckoned' must be understood in the light of the context, 'faith reckoned for righteousness,' Romans 4:3, Romans 4:5, Romans 4:9, Romans 4:22. 'For' in these places is eis, which does not mean 'instead of,' but 'with a view to.' The faith thus exercised brings the soul into vital union with God in Christ, and inevitably produces righteousness of life, that is, conformity to the will of God." * [* From Notes on Galatians, by Hogg and Vine, pp. 246, 247.]

Note references - Romans 4:3-6 3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” 4 Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. 
5 But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, 6 just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works:

Romans 4:11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while still uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they are uncircumcised, that righteousness might be imputed to them also,

Romans 4:9 Does this blessedness then come upon the circumcised only, or upon the uncircumcised also? For we say that faith was accounted to Abraham for righteousness.

Romans 4:22 And therefore “it was accounted to him for righteousness.”

Moving to Verse 7

Galatians 3:7 Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham.

NSB* - Those who are of faith are spiritual sons of Abraham, even if they are not Jews. They are part of God's people. 

Sons; a "son" (sometimes of animals), used very widely of immediate, remote or figuratively, kinship. Thayer expands - 1) a son 
1a) rarely used for the young of animals 1b) generally used of the offspring of men 1c) in a restricted sense, the male offspring (one born by a father and of a mother) 1d) in a wider sense, a descendant, one of the posterity of any one,
1d1) the. The Greek word is υἱός uihos. Strong's G5207.

Abraham; Abraham, the Hebrew patriarch. Thayer expands - 1) the son of Terah and the founder of the Jewish nation Literal: Abraham = "father of a multitude". The Greek word is Ἀβραάμ Abraam. 

Takeaways - I find it interesting that the political left is so interested in getting rid of the patriarchy and we come to find that Abraham is the Hebrew patriarch. I think perhaps without knowing it they are taking it all the way back to the beginning. They aren't only interested in destroying the nuclear family now, they are interested in destroying the family as God intended it, physically and its spiritual foundations. Beware of churches and organizations that are trying to change the truth and replace or take away from scripture.

We must learn and study the Word Of God without the stains and attacks of modern society. 

The verses at hand echo my takeaway from this study. 

*NSB = Nelson Study Bible







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