Galatians 3:3 kjv
Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?
Galatians 3:3 nkjv
Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?
Galatians 3:3 niv
Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?
Galatians 3:3 esv
Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?
Galatians 3:3 nlt
How foolish can you be? After starting your new lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort?
Galatians 3 3 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Galatians 3:2 | ...Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? | Explanation of Galatians 3:3 |
| Galatians 5:4 | You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. | Consequence of legalism |
| Romans 6:16 | Do you not know that if you surrender yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? | Choice between masters (law vs. Christ) |
| Romans 9:31-32 | but Israel, pursuing the law that can justify, did not succeed in such a law. Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone. | Israel's pursuit of justification by works |
| Romans 10:3 | For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. | Seeking their own righteousness |
| Romans 10:4 | For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. | Christ as fulfillment of the law |
| Acts 15:1,5 | Certain men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved." ... But some sect of the Pharisees who had believed rose up, saying, "It is necessary to circumcise them and to direct them to keep the law of Moses." | The issue of circumcision and the Law |
| John 6:29 | Jesus answered them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent." | God's work is faith |
| Hebrews 4:2 | For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened. | Faith connects to the message |
| 2 Corinthians 11:3-4 | But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes preaching a different Jesus than the one we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you submit to it readily enough. | Danger of false teachings |
| 1 Corinthians 15:1-2 | Now I remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. | Holding fast to the preached Gospel |
| Genesis 12:3 | and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” | God's blessing through Abraham |
| Genesis 15:6 | And he believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness. | Abraham's faith credited as righteousness |
| Psalm 32:1-2 | Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the LORD brings no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. | Forgiveness and blessedness |
| Isaiah 64:6 | We are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags. | Inadequacy of human righteousness |
| Matthew 5:17 | "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them." | Jesus fulfilled the Law |
| Acts 10:43 | To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name." | Forgiveness through faith in Jesus |
| Galatians 2:16 | yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified. | Explicit statement on justification |
| Ephesians 2:8-9 | For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. | Salvation by grace through faith |
| Philippians 3:3 | For we are the true circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh. | Putting no confidence in the flesh |
| Galatians 3:14 | so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith. | The promise of the Spirit through faith |
Galatians 3 verses
Galatians 3 3 Meaning
After beginning in the Spirit, seeking to be made perfect by the flesh indicates a lapse into legalism. The Galatians had experienced the transformative power of the Gospel (the Spirit). Now, they were being drawn back to the Mosaic Law (the flesh) for salvation or completion. This was a grave error, suggesting that their initial faith was insufficient and needed to be supplemented by ritual observance. It was a rejection of grace through faith.
Galatians 3 3 Context
Galatians chapter 3 is addressing the issue of legalism that had infiltrated the church in Galatia. False teachers (Judaizers) were insisting that Gentiles must adhere to the Mosaic Law, particularly circumcision, in addition to faith in Christ to be truly saved and fully accepted by God. Paul's argument is that salvation and spiritual maturity come through faith in Jesus Christ and the indwelling Holy Spirit, not by observing the Law. This verse follows Paul's rhetorical question in verse 2, "Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith?" and serves as the logical conclusion and strong rebuke to their straying.
Galatians 3 3 Word analysis
So (houtōs | οὕτως): An adverb of manner, indicating that the Galatians were doing something in this way. It connects their present action to a consequence or a mistaken understanding.
foolish (anoētos | ἀνόητος): Adjective meaning "unintelligent," "senseless," or "foolish." It highlights the irrationality of abandoning a proven, Spirit-led path for an ineffective reliance on the flesh. It implies a failure to grasp spiritual truths.
am (eimi | εἰμί): The first-person singular present indicative of the verb "to be." Paul uses "I am" (egō eimi | ἐγώ εἰμι), asserting his identity as the one speaking and directly addressing the Galatians. Some manuscripts omit the "I am," making the statement more directly an accusation against them, but the meaning remains the same: the Galatians are the ones acting foolishly.
I (emoi | ἐμοὶ): Dative personal pronoun for the first person singular, often used for emphasis with verbs or to express something belonging to or done to the speaker. However, the translation "I" reflects a common interpretive rendering of the Greek structure which points to the speaker's strong conviction and lament.
insinuating (epiphthēmi | ἐπιφημι): A rare verb meaning "to speak out against" or "to add to." The more commonly accepted reading uses epipizēteō (ἐπιζητέω), which means "to seek after," "to seek earnestly," or "to look for." In this context, it implies a restless searching for something outside of Christ.
you (humas | ὑμᾶς): The second person plural accusative pronoun, referring directly to the Galatian believers.
be (ginomai | γίνομαι): "to become," "to be made." The infinitive, indicating the purpose or result of their foolishness.
perfected (teleō | τελέω): "to complete," "to finish," "to bring to an end." In a spiritual context, it means to achieve completeness, maturity, or the intended end state of spiritual life. It's the opposite of a genuine, Spirit-led maturation process.
by (ek | ἐκ): Preposition signifying "from" or "out of." It indicates the source or agency of their attempted perfection.
the (tēs | τῆς): Definite article.
flesh (sarkos | σαρκός): In Pauline theology, "flesh" can refer to the physical body, human nature with its weaknesses and inclinations, or the unredeemed, sinful nature. Here, it represents adherence to the requirements of the Mosaic Law through human effort and ritual.
Word Group Analysis: "be perfected by the flesh"This phrase encapsulates the core error of the Galatian heresy. "Perfected" (teleō) suggests a striving for spiritual completeness, but the means ("by the flesh") is inherently flawed. The "flesh" here doesn't mean simply the body, but the entirety of human, unregenerate capability and adherence to law apart from divine grace. It is an attempt to earn righteousness and spiritual maturity through outward acts and human striving, rather than receiving them as a gift through faith in Christ and the enabling power of the Holy Spirit. This contrasts with being perfected "in the Spirit" as indicated in other Pauline writings.
Galatians 3 3 Bonus section
The Greek word anoētos (foolish) carries a strong connotation of senselessly or unintelligibly acting. It is not just a lack of intelligence but a willful disregard for obvious truth and demonstrable spiritual reality. The Galatians had seen and experienced the Spirit's power in their lives, so their return to the Law was an illogical step. Paul uses this term to shock them into realizing the severity of their error. His strong language is intended not to condemn them, but to call them back to the foundational truth of the gospel they had first received. It underscores the danger of adding anything to the finished work of Christ for salvation.
Galatians 3 3 Commentary
Paul's astonishment at the Galatians' departure from the true gospel is palpable. He labels their embrace of legalism as "foolishness." They had clearly received the Holy Spirit, the seal of salvation and the source of spiritual life, as a direct result of their faith. Yet, they were now turning back to the "flesh" – meaning adherence to the requirements of the Mosaic Law through human effort – to achieve completeness. This is a fundamental misunderstanding of God's plan. Salvation and spiritual growth are initiated and sustained by the Spirit, through faith, not by fleshly performance. The Law was a temporary tutor, pointing to Christ, but it cannot justify or sanctize. Attempting to be "perfected" by the flesh is like trying to run a race with your legs tied; it's futile and demonstrates a profound lack of understanding of God's grace. It’s an act of unbelief that severs them from the very source of their spiritual life and progress in Christ.