Galatians 3:6Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

For this reason, wishing to prove that the law is now unnecessary, he presented the example of a man justified before the law, so that he might not meet such an objection.

Indeed, as the law had not yet been given then, so now, having been given, it has reached its end.

Then, since they greatly prided themselves on their descent from Abraham (Jn 8:33), and feared that by abandoning the law they might lose kinship with him, Paul again turns this into the opposite.

He dispels the fear, showing that faith especially establishes kinship with him. Although he proved this more clearly in the Epistle to the Romans, here too he establishes the same point no less, saying:

"In you all the nations shall be blessed." And not even a hint is given that these nations must be circumcised. On this see more fully Rom 4:3 and following.

Why did the Apostle begin to speak about Abraham? One may suppose that the Jewish seducers especially insisted on Abraham.

They pointed to him as one whom the Lord God Himself declared to be the source and channel of blessing for all the tribes of the earth.

The Apostle therefore leads the Galatians to this thought: by what, precisely, did Abraham himself prove to be righteous?

Saint John Chrysostom says: "If Abraham, who lived before grace and was so adorned with good works, was justified by faith, how much more are you?

"What harm did he suffer because he was not under the law? None. Faith alone was sufficient for his justification."

They feared that they might lose kinship with Abraham if they abandoned the law. But Saint Paul dispels this fear, showing that faith especially establishes kinship with him.

The basis for this spiritual kinship is the sacred account of God's blessing through Abraham of all who believe in the Lord.

By the power of this promised blessing, they will receive all gifts of grace, beginning with justification.

According to Saint John Chrysostom, "The Lawgiver Himself, before He gave the law, appointed justification through faith for the Gentiles."

"The Galatians feared lest they fall under the curse if they did not join themselves to the law. But the Apostle shows the opposite.

"Those will be blessed who, apart from the law, cleave to faith, just as faithful Abraham was blessed for faith, though he did not know the law" (Theophan).

"Thus justification is explained by blessing, and blessing below, in verse 14, is identified with receiving the Spirit by faith.

"Consequently, justification is not the bare declaration that the justified man is righteous. It is also his complete sanctification by the grace of the Holy Spirit.

"In this action faith is the conditioning principle, not the producing power" (Theophan).

The answer formed itself: no, for the sake of faith. The Apostle continues this thought: yes, for the sake of faith, without works of the law, just as Abraham “believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.”

These words became a transition to the next discourse, in which he unfolds a new proof that for the Galatians, as Gentiles, there is no need whatever for the law.

Its content may be expressed thus: such is the will of God, expressed in the promise to Abraham. Abraham pleased God by faith, and for faith received the promise that for his sake all nations would be blessed.

This was still before the commandment to be circumcised. Whoever now believes like Abraham enters spiritually into his posterity and, for the sake of this faith alone, is deemed worthy of Abraham’s blessing.

St. Chrysostom says here: “He brought forward another proof, and indeed the most difficult and disputed one, presenting Abraham as an example. He did this very aptly and with great benefit, saying: ‘Just as Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.’

The miracles wrought among you, he says, prove the power of faith. But if you wish, I will also try to convince you of this by examples from ancient history.

Since they had great reverence for this patriarch, he presents him as an example, proving that he too was justified by faith.

If he, who lived before grace and was adorned with so many good works, was justified by faith, how much more are you? What harm did he suffer from not being under the law?

None at all. Faith alone was sufficient for his justification.”

These words were spoken of Abraham after the promise of offspring as countless as the stars of heaven (cf. Gen 15:5-6). In hardened old age Abraham believed that he would have a descendant, and afterward posterity.

He believed solely because God, who is able to do this, had promised it. He believed that He would also accomplish it: “against hope he believed in hope” (Rom 4:18).

Here full assurance in God and complete surrender to His will are expressed. These constitute the spirit of true piety. To believe in hope is a great ascetic labor of faith.

Abraham had already manifested faith earlier, when by the voice from above he left his land. Yet there it was very probable that he might find a fruitful country ahead.

Here there was nothing on which to lean except hope. Such also is the spirit of faith in Christ the Lord. The object is different, but the ascetic labor of faith is the same.

It is proposed on God’s behalf: the crucified Man called Christ is God incarnate. On the Cross He offered Himself as a sacrifice for the sins of the world.

Believe, and you will receive remission of sins and the grace of the Holy Spirit. With His help, if you live rightly, you will be deemed worthy after death of eternal blessedness with the Lord.

Here also there is nothing on which to lean except the word of the true God. Here too there is hope against hope.

Therefore the believer enters into God’s good pleasure and is sincerely appropriated by Him as His own. He becomes God’s, like Abraham, and is filled with divine blessings and gifts.

The Galatians had already experienced this, and such a relation to Abraham ought to have been very intelligible to them.

At the same time, they could not fail to be inspired with resolve to cast away this law, which Abraham, their father according to the spirit, did not know.

“And it was reckoned to him as righteousness.” Δικαιοσυνη means righteousness, holiness. It was counted precious that Abraham, in this, had righteous and holy feelings, and showed a disposition of spirit pleasing to God.

This is as it should be. This is what God desires. With this He is well pleased, and upon those who are such He rests with all His good pleasure.

Abraham did nothing extraordinary at that time. He only believed the promise, seeing in himself no supports for the possibility of its fulfillment, but relying entirely on the word of God.

For this alone God confirmed for him the promise that had been spoken. “It was reckoned” does not mean something that was not there. It means that what was there was counted great.

It was worthy of every good pleasure and of the most abundant rewards. Abraham’s act of faith was a deed of exceedingly high worth.