Annotated Galatians

Annotated Galatians and Romans

Galatians 3:19 - 5:18

19 "What purpose then does the [covenant of] law serve? It was added because of transgressions [I Tim 1:9], till the Seed [Jesus] should come to whom the promise [new covenant promise of the kingdom] was made; and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator [Moses]. 20 Now a mediator does not mediate for one only, but God is one.

21 Is the [bilateral old covenant] law then against the [unilateral new covenant] promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life [change the heart], truly righteousness would have been by the law. 22 But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise [entrance into the kingdom] by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. 23 But before faith came [before we trusted in God's love and care], we were kept under guard by the law [having to measure up], kept for the faith [faith in Jesus] which would afterward be revealed. 24 Therefore the law was our tutor [pointing out our need] to bring us to Christ [the new covenant dealing with moral issues relationally], that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after faith [trusting God] has come, we are no longer under a tutor [the old covenant of reward and punishment]."

4:1 - "Now I say that the heir [us], as long as he is a child, does not differ at all from a slave, though he is master of all, 2 but is under guardians and stewards [under the authority of the law] until the time appointed by the father. 3 Even so we, when we were children [unaware of the new covenant], were in bondage under the elements of the world [living under the principles of the old covenant]. 4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law [Jesus did not need grace to bring Him into an appropriate relationship to law. Abiding in His Father's love and care, He naturally and perfectly obeyed.], 5 to redeem those who were under the law [the requirement of obedience], that we might receive the adoption as sons [adopted into God's kingdom of grace].

6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, "Abba, Father!" 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave [as in the old covenant] but a son [where all is dealt with in freedom and love], and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ."

21 - "Tell me, you who desire to be under the law [conditional acceptance], do you not hear the law? 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, the other by a freewoman. 23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh [actions not motivated by faith], and he of the freewoman [living according to the new covenant] through promise, 24 which things are symbolic. For these are the two covenants: the one from Mount Sinai which gives birth to bondage [the old covenant], which is Hagar-25 for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children-26 but the Jerusalem above [living in the new covenant] is free."

5:1 "Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. 2 Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised [Trying to earn God's acceptance], Christ will profit you nothing. 3 And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law [If you choose performing for acceptance, then you must do everything right to be accepted, a partial right is unacceptable.] 4 You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law [by measuring up]; you have fallen from grace. 5 For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love. …"

13 "For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh [use freedom responsibly], but through love serve one another. 14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." 15 But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!

16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit [resting in God's love and care], and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish [we can't simply live by inclination]. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law."

Rom 7:1 - 8:17

7:1 "Or do you not know, brethren (for I speak to those who know the law), that the law has dominion over a man as long as he lives? 2 For the woman [us] who has a husband [lack of faith, the basis for sin] is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives. [conditional acceptance based on our performance] But if the husband dies, she is released from the law [moral policeman - imposed on her because] of her husband. 3 So then if, while her husband [lack of trust] lives, she marries another man, she will be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies [due to faith in the goodness and love of God], she is free from that law [doesn't need to be pressured into compliance], so that she is no adulteress, though she has married another man [Jesus]. 4 Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the [covenant of] law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another-- to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God. 5 For when we were in the flesh [without faith], the sinful passions which were aroused [exposed] by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death. 6 But now we have been delivered from the [covenant of] law, having died to what we were held by [lack of trust], so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit [relationally, through faith and love] and not in the oldness of the letter [legally, through pressure and obligation].

7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known [what] sin [was] except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, "You shall not covet." 8 But sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all manner of evil desire [What was once acceptable, through ignorance, was revealed as sin by the law.]. For apart from the law sin was dead. 9 I was alive once without the law [under no condemnation even though I was sinning], but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died. 10 And the commandment, which was to bring life [through proper guidance], I found to bring death [through condemnation of the evil it exposed]. 11 For sin, taking occasion by the commandment [awakening an awareness of sin], deceived me [sin still had the power to entice us to wrong actions, for the law can't change the heart], and by it [the law's condemnation] killed me. 12 Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good [grace is not against the truth of the law].

13 Has then what is good become death to me? [Did the commandment cause death?] Certainly not! But sin [lack of faith in God's love and care resulting in a selfish, a need driven life], that it might appear sin, was producing death in me through what is good, so that sin through the commandment might become exceedingly sinful [the law exposed sin and thereby condemnation]. 14 For we know that the law is spiritual [Doing right must be the fruit of faith and love.], but I am carnal, sold under sin [separated from God through distrust, I cannot do right.]. 15 For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do [The carnal Christian depends on the will rather than grace to do right and, therefore, fails.]. 16 If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. 17 But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. 18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. 19 For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. 20 Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me [The demands of the need life are only tamed by faith not simply by the will.].

21 I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. 22 For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man [desires to do right]. 23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 I thank God--through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind [converted mind] I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin [not resting in God, the need life motivates our actions.].

8:1 "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. [Trust brings peace which inspires love which properly motivates change] 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus [resting in His love and care] has made me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh [The law can't empower the obedience it demands], God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh [issues of pride, power, materialism, and sensuality], but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit [trusting and serving God]. 6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind [without faith in God's love and care] is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. 8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

9 But you are not in the flesh [faithless] but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. 10 And if Christ is in you, the body [outer man] is dead because of sin [there are old habits and tendencies, established because we formerly walked in sin, that need to change], but the Spirit is life because of righteousness [we now have a totally different perspective]. 11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors--not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. [We are now empowered by faith and love] 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God [have entered into an intimate personal relationship]. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage [old covenant moral atmosphere] again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, [daddy] Father." 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ [heirs of the kingdom of heaven], if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together."

Copyright Patrick Fagenstrom, 10/03: edited 12/05

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