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PARALLEL BIBLE - Galatians 3:3


CHAPTERS: Galatians 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6     

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King James Bible - Galatians 3:3

Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?

World English Bible

Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now completed in the flesh?

Douay-Rheims - Galatians 3:3

Are you so foolish, that, whereas you began in the Spirit, you would now be made perfect by the flesh?

Webster's Bible Translation

Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?

Greek Textus Receptus


ουτως 3779 ανοητοι 453 εστε 2075 5748 εναρξαμενοι 1728 5666 πνευματι 4151 νυν 3568 σαρκι 4561 επιτελεισθε 2005 5727

Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge

VERSE (3) - Ga 4:7-10; 5:4-8; 6:12-14 Heb 7:16-19; 9:2,9,10

SEV Biblia, Chapter 3:3

¿Tan locos sois? ¿Habiendo comenzado por el Espíritu, ahora os perfeccionis por la carne?

Clarke's Bible Commentary - Galatians 3:3

Verse 3. Having begun in the Spirit] Having received a spiritual religion, which refined and purified your hearts; and having received the Holy Spirit of God, by which ye were endued with various miraculous influences; and the spirit of adoption, by which he were assured of the remission of sins, and incorporation with the family of God: Are ye now made perfect by the flesh?] Are ye seeking to complete that spiritual religion, and to perfect these spiritual gifts, by the carnal rite of circumcision? It appears that by the Spirit, here, not only the Holy Spirit, but his gifts, are to be understood; and by the flesh, illud membrum in quo circumcisio peragitur; and, by a metonymy, circumcision itself.

John Gill's Bible Commentary

Ver. 3. Are ye so foolish ? etc..] Is it possible you should be so stupid? and do you, or can you continue so? having begun in the Spirit ; that is, either in the Spirit of God, whom they had received through the preaching of the Gospel. They set out in a profession of religion in the light, under the influence, and by the assistance of the Spirit; they began to worship the Lord in spirit, and in truth, without any confidence in the flesh; they entered upon the service of God, and a newness of life, a different conversation than before, a spiritual way of living in a dependence on the grace and help of the divine Spirit: or in the Gospel, which is the Spirit that gives life, is the ministration of the Spirit of God, and contains spiritual doctrines, and gives an account of spiritual blessings, and is attended with the Holy Ghost, and with power. This was first preached unto them, and they embraced it; this they begun and set out with in their Christian profession, and yet it looked as if they sought to end with something else: are you now made perfect by the flesh ? or in it; not in carnality, in the lusts of the flesh, as if they now walked and lived after the flesh, in a carnal, dissolute, wicked course of life; for the apostle is not charging them with immoralities, but complaining of their principles: wherefore, by the flesh is meant, either the strength of mere nature, in opposition to the Spirit of God, by which they endeavoured to perform obedience to the law; or else the law itself, in distinction from the Gospel; and particularly the ceremonial law, the law of a carnal commandment, and which consisted of carnal ordinances, and only sanctified to the purifying of the flesh; and also their obedience to it; yea, even all their own righteousness, the best of it, which is but flesh, merely external, weak, and insufficient to justify before God. This is a third aggravation of their folly, that whereas they begun their Christian race depending upon the Spirit and grace of God, now they seemed to be taking a step as if they thought to finish it in the mere strength of nature; and whereas they set out with the clear Gospel of Christ, and sought for justification only by his righteousness, they were now verging to the law, and seeking to make their justifying righteousness perfect, by joining the works of the law unto it, which needed them not, but was perfect without them.

Matthew Henry Commentary

Verses 1-5 - Several things made the folly of the Galatian Christians worse. The had the doctrine of the cross preached, and the Lord's suppe administered among them, in both which Christ crucified, and the natur of his sufferings, had been fully and clearly set forth. Had they bee made partakers of the Holy Spirit, by the ministration of the law, or on account of any works done by them in obedience thereto? Was it no by their hearing and embracing the doctrine of faith in Christ alon for justification? Which of these had God owned with tokens of his favour and acceptance? It was not by the first, but the last. And thos must be very unwise, who suffer themselves to be turned away from the ministry and doctrine which have been blessed to their spiritual advantage. Alas, that men should turn from the all-important doctrin of Christ crucified, to listen to useless distinctions, mere mora preaching, or wild fancies! The god of this world, by various men an means, has blinded men's eyes, lest they should learn to trust in crucified Saviour. We may boldly demand where the fruits of the Holy Spirit are most evidently brought forth? whether among those who preac justification by the works of the law, or those who preach the doctrin of faith? Assuredly among the latter.

Greek Textus Receptus


τοσαυτα 5118 D-APN επαθετε 3958 5627 V-2AAI-2P εικη 1500 ADV ειγε 1489 COND και 2532 CONJ εικη 1500 ADV

Vincent's NT Word Studies

3. So foolish. Explained by what follows. Has your folly reached such a pitch as to reverse the true order of things? Comp. 1 Cor. xv. 46. Having begun. (enarxamenoi). P o . Comp. Philip. i. 6; 2 Corinthians viii. 6. Having commenced your Christian life. The verb is common in Class. in the sense of the beginning a sacrifice or other religious ceremony; but it is not likely that any such figurative suggestion is attached to it here, as Lightfoot.

In the Spirit (pneumati). Or, by means of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit, as the inspirer and regulator of the life.

Are ye made perfect (epiteleisqe). The word is found in connection with ajnarcesqai to begin, in 2 Cor. viii. 6; Philip. i. 6. The A.V. and Rev. render here in the passive voice. The active voice, always in N.T. with the object expressed, means to bring to completion. See Romans xv. 28; 2 Cor. vii. 1; Philip. i. 6; Hebrew viii. 5. The passive only 1 Peter v. 9. It is true that the verb in the middle voice is not found in either N.T. or LXX; but it is not uncommon in Class. and answers better to the middle ajnarxamenoi having begun. It implies more than bringing to an end; rather to a consummation. Rend.: having begun in the spirit are ye coming to completion in the flesh? The last phrase has an ironical tinge, suggesting the absurdity of expecting perfection on the Jewish basis of legal righteousness. The present tense indicates that they have already begun upon this attempt.

The flesh. The worldly principle or element of life, represented by the legal righteousness of the Jew.

Robertson's NT Word Studies

3:3 {Are ye now perfected in the flesh?} (nun sarki epiteleisqe?). Rather middle voice as in #1Pe 5:9, finishing of yourselves. There is a double contrast, between enarxamenoi (having begun) and epiteleisqe (finishing) as in #2Co 8:6; Php 1:6, and also between "Spirit" (pneumati) and flesh (sarki). There is keen irony in this thrust.

CHAPTERS: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
VERSES: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29

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