Galatians 3:5Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

"You," he says, "received the Spirit and worked signs when you attended to faith, not to the law."

Then, since the discourse concerned the law, he brought forward another proof, and the most contested one. He presented Abraham as an example, very fittingly and with great benefit, saying thus:

At the same time it is shown that the Galatians, having received the Holy Spirit after faith, possessed gifts of powers. These were prophecy, kinds of tongues, healings of diseases, and the rest numbered among spiritual gifts in Corinthians (1 Cor 12:7-11).

Nevertheless, after receiving so many gifts, perhaps because they did not have the grace-filled gift of discerning spirits, they were entangled in the nets of false teachers.

It is also necessary to notice what is said about the working of powers in those who do not hold the truth of the Gospel.

It is like those who, though not following the Lord, performed miracles in His name. John especially asks the Lord about this: "Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him, because he does not follow us" (Mk 9:38).

This is said against heretics, who see the justification of their faith in the fact that they can perform some sign.

Though they eat and drink in the name of the Lord, because they also have a sacrilegious altar, they boast that by invoking the Savior they perform many signs.

Yet on the day of judgment they will hear according to their deserts: "I do not know you; depart from Me, you who work iniquity" (Mt 7:23).

"For if God drew near to you for faith, then because of your inclination to the law He will withdraw. The Apostle's whole attention is on the grace of the Holy Spirit.

"The distinction of Christians is being filled with grace. Lose grace, and you are nothing. Nothing can give grace except faith in the Lord through the holy mysteries."

Here it terrifies them with the danger of fighting against God. Such a question comes close to this: What then? Do you wish to drive God out of yourselves, Who now acts in you for faith?

Will He not depart if you remain stubborn in your attachment to the law?

The words "Who gives" and "Who works" show that they had not yet been deprived of God's favor, since they erred through ignorance.

But after the error had been pointed out by such an authoritative person as the Apostle, the sin of ignorance would become stubborn resistance to the truth.

The result would have to be being under God's wrath, with the loss of all gifts. This is what the Apostle wished to impress by repeating this question.

He says to them, as it were: after all that has been said, how will you judge? Did God draw so near to you for works of the law or for faith? Certainly, for faith.

Then look and beware. If God drew near to you for faith, He will withdraw because of your inclination to the law.

Thus this verse is the conclusion of the preceding discourse. Yet it concludes not so much the words as the series of thoughts which those words should have awakened.

The Apostle sets his propositions in questions like milestones on a great road. By them he brings one to anxious reflection.

Indeed, our state in grace is bright, and we were made worthy of it without any participation of the law. How shall we not lose it by mixing works of the law with faith?

Or rather, we are on the point of losing it. Let us hasten to cleanse ourselves from this mixture as quickly as possible.

According to Saint Chrysostom, the Apostle wished thereby to lead them to the thought that "if the law is added, faith will bring no profit.

"For faith is strong only when nothing from the law is brought in with it."

One cannot fail to notice how the Apostle's whole attention rests on the grace of the Holy Spirit. The distinction of Christians is being filled with grace. Lose grace, and you are nothing.

Nothing in the world can give you grace except faith in the Lord through the holy mysteries, together with your firm resolve always to be faithful to the faith in word, deed, and thought.