Galatians Chapter 3

Galatians Chapter 3

O foolish Galatians, who bewitched you so that you do not obey the truth, even though JC was crucified before your eyes? I want to know, did you receive the Spirit through works of law or by hearing of faith? (FYI Galatians, there’s a right answer to that question according to our friend Paulie and it ain’t law!)

Are you so fooling that you think that because you’ve begun in the Spirit you are now made perfect in your own flesh? Have you suffered so many things for no reason? If it is still for no reason.

The person that ministers to you the Spirit works miracles among you, does he do it by the works of the law or by faith?

Abraham believed in God and that made him righteous. Now you can know that anyone that has faith is the same as a child of Abraham. See, lots of the people who continue to function under only the law are actually under a curse (a curse? You don’t say… and who put this curse on them. Our benevolent and loving God? What a sweetie!) It is written (I really need to do some research to find out where all the these things are written. It seems like the bible really needs to come with some appendices and supplementary reading): “Cursed [is] every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.” Okay, my stab at translation here is… Everyone who does not continue to do everything that is written in the book of the law is curse. (Ergh? Um, isn’t that directly the opposite of what Paul has been saying or am I just really stupid?)

However, no man is justified by the law in God’s eyes. That’s evident. The just live by faith alone. And the law is not of faith, but the man that follows the law will also live in them. (Are we following the damn laws or aren’t we? And are the laws the Ten Commandments that Moses gives us in the Old Testament… the one’s that no one in the New Testament seems to know about?)

Christ redeemed us from the curse of law, by becoming a curse for us (ummm… we’ve supposed to worship a curse now?): for it is written that every one who hangs on a tree is cursed. (Ahhhh, a debate begins again about how Christ was actually crucified… was it a tree, was it a cross? Who knows? As Joseph Campbell might say… who cares? By turning myths into literalism you take away their magic and their real power. You end up left with a story full of logic gaps and limited ascertainable morals. Sorry, that’s rant for another time).

This all happened so that the Abraham’s blessing could come to the Gentiles through JC (who, just a reminder for those of you who may have skipped through the gospel, are the people Jesus could not have cared any less about. FYI), so that we (Paul, last I checked there is no “we” there. You are not a Gentile, you are a Jew) can receive the promise of the Spirit through our faith.

Brethren, I speak in the manner of human beings, even though it’s only a man’s covenant, but if it’s confirmed then no man and negate it or add to it.

Now promises were made to Abe and his seeds. He didn’t say, And to seeds (meaning many), but to his seed (meaning one) who is Jesus.

Here’s what I have to say… the covenant that was confirmed four hundred and thirty years before God and Christ did their whole thing, cannot negate the promise he previously made.

If the inheritance is from the law, then it isn’t a promise . But, God gave it to Abraham by promise.

Why serve the law then? It was added because of all the transgressions until JC could come because he was really the one who a promise was made to. It was ordained by angels in the hand of mediator. (Say what? Is this flying in the face of what the gospels say JC said? I seem to remember JC telling a kid that he needed to obey all the laws and have faith in him and give up all his worldly possessions. I don’t know that Paul and JC are really on the same page… and that’s not so good for this whole idea that this book is somehow infallible).

Were you just wondering, like me, who the hell this mediator was? A mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one. Clear as mud, as usual.

Does the law go against the promises of God? (Ergh, I thought the law WAS God’s promise… gee, somehow I must have gotten lost. I know it seems impossible. This writing is so clear and concise) God forbid. If there had been a law given that could have given life then righteousness should have been the law. But the scripture concluded that all things are under sin, so the promise is now given to those who have faith and believe in good old JC.

Before faith came we were all kept under the law and shut off from the faith that would eventually be revealed (sounds like a really crappy plan from an omnipotent God. Why would he deliberately “imprison” people who he then wanted to set free. I think God might have better luck with getting his people to do what he wants if he was clearer about who he was and why he wanted it. I have a cat who I am like a God to, and I have to be very clear with her about my expectations. I admit she’s still bad sometimes, but I don’t go around punishing her with death and suffering. I understand that she doesn’t understand everything I want from her, so I try to be patient and constantly let her know what I expect. Maybe God should treat us more like I treat my cat. Just a thought). You see the law was like a teacher to us that brought us to JC so we could find faith. But after we get faith, we’d don’t need a teacher their any more.

You are all the children of God through your faith in JC. Anyone who has been baptized in Christ have put him on (like a coat, I guess).

There isn’t a Jew or a Greek, either enslaved or free, male or female because you are all one in Jesus Christ (you know, except that some of you have more rights than others… but otherwise, you’re all the same… oh and God loves some of you more and some of you less… but essentially it’s the same things. Hmmm, I hope you can read my sarcasm).

If you are Christ’s buddy, then you’re like a child of Abraham and you are his heir according to the promise. (From what I’ve read in the Old and New Testament so far… that is just a plain lie. Interesting.)