Galatians 3:2Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

"You received the Holy Spirit," he says, "and worked many miracles. You performed signs, raised the dead, cleansed lepers, prophesied, and spoke in diverse tongues.

"Did the law give you such power? But before this you did nothing of the kind. Therefore, was it not faith?"

Is it not then an act of extreme madness to abandon the faith that bestowed such great blessings upon you, and to turn again to the law, which gave you nothing of the kind?

Can the Apostle be unconcerned whether a Christian is a murderer or adulterer, and whether he is chaste and innocent? This is not like his indifference to whether someone is circumcised in the flesh.

Here Paul examines in detail the works connected with mysteries, though he indicates that other works are sometimes mixed with them.

At the end of the epistle he examines separately the works connected with morals. There he speaks briefly, while here he speaks at length.

Nothing so terrifies the soul as an incomprehensible mystery. When understood, it brings spiritual joy and is celebrated gladly, if this is fitting. When it is not fitting, readings and explanations are conducted with trembling of soul.

Every mystery, when understood, belongs either to the contemplation of truth or to good morals.

Contemplation of truth is founded on love for God alone. Good conduct is founded on love for God and love for neighbor (cf. Mt 22:37-40).

On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets (see Mt 22:40-45; Mk 12:28-33).

If so, it is clear that, having begun with what is better, you are casting yourselves down into what is worse.

But let us consider carefully that he did not say, “I want to learn from you whether you received the Spirit through works.” He added, “through works of the Law.”

He knew that Cornelius the centurion received the Spirit through works (Acts 10), but not through works of the Law, which he did not know.

If, on the contrary, they say, “Then the Spirit can be received even without hearing instruction in faith,” we shall say that Cornelius indeed received the Spirit, but from the hearing of faith and according to the natural law.

This law speaks in our hearts, teaching that we must do good and avoid evil. Through it, as we know, Abraham, Moses, and the other saints were once justified.

The performance of works can strengthen this law, as can justification through law, but not through the Law of the flesh, which has passed away.

Yet in preferring faith, we do not abolish the works of the Law (Rom 3:31), nor do we say with certain people, “Let us do evil that good may come,” whose condemnation is just.

Rather, we prefer grace to slavery. We say: “What the Jews do out of fear, we do through love.” They are slaves, but we are sons. They are compelled to do good, but we undertake it willingly.

Therefore faith in Christ is not a ground for permission to transgress the Law. Rather, from love born of faith, the desire to do good works increases.

This is not because we fear the Judge, but because we know how pleasing they are to Him in whom we believe.

Someone may ask: “If faith comes only from hearing instruction in faith, how can those deaf from birth become Christians?” Indeed, everyone can understand God the Father from the greatness and beauty of creatures.

Thus the Creator is known through the study of what has been created. But the birth of Christ, His sufferings on the Cross, and His death can be known only through oral preaching, ex auditu.

Therefore either the deaf are not Christians, or, if they are Christians, the Apostle’s word elsewhere is false: “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing from the word of God.”

One who is satisfied with a simple answer says this: “The Apostle did not say universally that the faith of all comes from hearing. He said only, ‘faith comes from hearing.’

This may be understood both generally and specifically, in the sense that faith comes from hearing, the faith of those who hear and believe.”

But one who strives to resolve this petty question satisfactorily should first show that the deaf can learn the Gospel through movements of the hands, through observation of daily life, and, so to speak, through bodily movements resembling speech.

Therefore the word of God, to which in general nothing is deaf, speaks above all to those ears of which it says in the Gospel: “He who has ears to hear, let him hear” (Lk 8:8).

And in the Apocalypse: “He who has ears, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (Rev 2:11). The prophet Isaiah also says: “The Lord has given me an ear.”

This is that other man to whom God speaks in secret. He cries out in the heart of the believer: “Abba, Father” (Rom 8:15).

On the other hand, as we have often said, just as the body has all members and senses, so the soul also has all senses and members. Among them are ears.

If someone has these, he has little need of bodily senses for the knowledge of the Gospel.

At the same time, note that the Spirit named here is understood without the addition “Holy.” This is that Spirit whom we receive by gift from God, not from men.

Of Him it is written elsewhere: “An incorrupt Spirit is in all” (Wis 12:1). And again: “The Spirit Himself bears witness,” or “will bear witness, with our spirit” (Rom 8:16).

Elsewhere also: “No one knows what is in a man except the spirit of man which dwells in him” (1 Cor 2:11). And in the prophet Daniel: “Bless the Lord, spirits and souls of the righteous” (Dan 3:86).

But believing in the almighty God, let us approach with a simple and searching heart Him Who grants participation in the Spirit through faith, and not by comparison with the works of nature.

For it is said, "Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?" (Gal 3:2).

According to Bishop Theophan, "he softens the fatherly rebuke by ascribing their deviation from the truth not so much to their will as to the alluring deceit of the false teachers."

Concerning this bewitching, blessed Jerome says: "He bewitched, enchanted, cast the evil eye."

He did not say this because he acknowledged charms as anything real. Rather, he used a common expression to show that, as the saying goes, the evil eye harms tender children.

So the Galatians, newly born by faith in Christ and still fed with milk rather than solid food, suffered harm as though someone had cast the evil eye upon them.

On the words, "before whose eyes Christ was portrayed," and what follows, Saint John Chrysostom says: "He both reproaches them and praises them.

"He praises them because they accepted everything told about Christ with full assurance of its truth. He reproaches them because they abandoned Him Whom they saw stripped for their sake, bound to the pillar, nailed to the Cross, spat upon, mocked, given drink, reviled, and pierced.

"Having abandoned Him, they turned to the law, without being in the least ashamed by those sufferings of His."

"Above, he instructed the Galatians by a discourse addressed to Peter. Now he turns his speech to them, and takes everything that serves to persuade them from what happened among them.

"He persuades and assures them not only from those gifts which they had in common with others, but from those communicated precisely to them.

"You, he says, received the Holy Spirit and worked many miracles. Did the law give you such power? No. Faith alone granted this to you.

"Therefore, is it not an act of extreme madness to abandon the faith that gave you such great blessings, and to turn to the law, which gave you nothing of the kind?"

All likewise knew that they had received Him apart from the law, through the mediation of faith alone. All were also convinced that the chief thing in the work of salvation is the grace of the Holy Spirit.

The question brought all this to remembrance and called forth the answer which the Apostle desired.

“This only I want to learn.” “I do not begin the discourse from afar, nor do I set forth lengthy proofs. Perhaps you would not be willing to follow all this. I do not present to you the whole majesty of the economy of our salvation.

Perhaps you would not be willing to enter deeply into contemplation of it. I will gather everything into a brief and simple question” (Blessed Theophylact).

“There are many questions by which I could move you to prefer the Gospel to the law. But since you are weak in hearing, I speak to you in simple words and ask about what is evident to all” (Blessed Jerome).

“Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law?” By works of the law are meant here the ecclesiastical Old Testament rites of worship and divine service.

“One must note that the Apostle did not simply say, ‘by works,’ but added, ‘by works of the law.’ For we know that Cornelius the centurion received the Spirit not without works.

He means the prayers and alms that ascended before God. Yet he did not receive Him from the works of the law, which he did not know” (Blessed Jerome).

“It must be known,” writes Blessed Augustine, “that the works of the law are of two kinds: sacred rites and mysteries, and moral actions. Sacred rites include circumcision, the Sabbath, new moons, sacrifices, and all countless ecclesiastical rites of this kind.

Moral actions include: do not kill, do not commit adultery, do not bear false witness (cf. Ex 20:13-16). Here the Apostle is speaking of sacred rites.”

By the Spirit is meant not only inward rebirth and sanctification, but especially the visible gifts of the Holy Spirit. The Apostle wished to point to something evident and tangible.

Moral rebirth and sanctification could not but be recognized and felt, yet they are not so evident and tangible.

St. Chrysostom says: “Above, he instructed them through his discourse addressed to Peter. Now he directs his speech to them and takes everything that serves to persuade them from what happened among them.

He persuades and assures them not only from gifts they had in common with others, but also from those bestowed precisely upon them.

You, he says, received the Holy Spirit. You performed many miracles and worked signs, raising the dead, cleansing lepers, prophesying, and speaking in diverse tongues. Did the law give you such power?”

“At that time those who were deemed worthy of spiritual grace spoke in various tongues, prophesied, and worked miracles. Therefore the Apostle said here: Did the law give you the activity of the divine Spirit, or did faith alone in the Lord?” (Blessed Theodoret).

“Or by the hearing of faith?” The hearing of faith means both hearing the preaching of the Gospel and obedience to it: the submission of the mind to faith, and the acceptance of the Gospel.

You fulfilled nothing legal, he says. Yet as soon as you heard the word of faith and submitted to it, received it in your heart, and cleaved to the Lord, you immediately received grace in baptism and the laying on of hands.

It was not the mere hearing of the Gospel that drew such mercy from God to them. Rather, having heard, they submitted to it. They believed that salvation is in Christ, cleaved to Him, and were baptized.

I came to you, he says, and set the word before you. You believed and were baptized, and behold, the grace of the Spirit. You performed no works of the law.

You knew neither circumcision, nor sacrifices, nor washings, nor Sabbaths. Faith alone bestowed this upon you.

Judge for yourselves, then: “Is it not a matter of extreme madness to abandon faith, which bestowed such blessings upon you, and to turn to the law, which gave you nothing of the kind?” (St. Chrysostom).