Galatians 3:5 kjv
He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
Galatians 3:5 nkjv
Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith??
Galatians 3:5 niv
So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard?
Galatians 3:5 esv
Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith ?
Galatians 3:5 nlt
I ask you again, does God give you the Holy Spirit and work miracles among you because you obey the law? Of course not! It is because you believe the message you heard about Christ.
Galatians 3 5 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Galatians 3:14 | ...that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles | Fulfillment of God's Promise |
| Galatians 4:6 | And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into your hearts | Assurance of Sonship |
| Romans 8:9 | You are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you | Identity in the Spirit |
| 1 Corinthians 12:7 | The Spirit is given to each person for the common good. | Manifestation of the Spirit |
| 1 Corinthians 2:4-5 | and my speech and my teaching were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. | Power and Demonstration of Faith |
| Acts 4:31 | And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they all were filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God with boldness. | Spirit Filling and Boldness |
| Acts 10:44 | While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. | Spirit Falling on Gentiles |
| John 7:39 | Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive. For as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. | Spirit Given After Glorification |
| Ephesians 1:13 | In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit | Sealing by the Spirit |
| 2 Corinthians 3:5 | Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, | Sufficiency from God |
| 2 Corinthians 3:8 | how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more abundant in glory? | Ministry of the Spirit |
| Galatians 2:20 | I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. | Life by Faith in Christ |
| Hebrews 1:14 | Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation? | Angels as Ministering Spirits |
| 1 Peter 1:12 | It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you by those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things into which angels long to look! | Ministry of Prophets and Angels |
| Philippians 2:1 | If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, | Fellowship in the Spirit |
| 1 Thessalonians 5:19 | Do not quench the Spirit. | Do Not Quench the Spirit |
| Romans 15:19 | by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that I may bring the gospel to completion in Christ’s([a]) territory. | Gospel Completed by Spirit's Power |
| Galatians 3:2 | Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? | Question about Receiving Spirit |
| John 3:34 | For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure. | Spirit Given Without Measure |
| Mark 16:20 | And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and continued to confirm the word by following signs. | Lord Working With Preaching |
Galatians 3 verses
Galatians 3 5 Meaning
This verse affirms that God lavishes the Holy Spirit and performs miracles among believers because they have faith in Jesus Christ, not because they have followed the Mosaic Law. The "Spirit" is given as a continuous endowment, and "works of power" (miracles) are ongoing demonstrations of God's presence and ability, all stemming from the "hearing with faith."
Galatians 3 5 Context
Galatians 3:5 is situated within Paul's passionate defense of justification by faith alone. He has just asked the Galatians if they received the Spirit by obeying the Law or by believing the Gospel (Galatians 3:2). Here, he directly answers his own rhetorical question. Paul is combating the Judaizers who were teaching that Gentile believers needed to be circumcised and adhere to the Mosaic Law to be truly saved and to receive the full benefits of God's covenant. Paul's argument is that their initial experience of God's presence (the Spirit) and His powerful works demonstrated that God accepted them through faith in Christ, not through Law-keeping. He is highlighting the Galatians' own experience as evidence that the Christian life and God's enablement come through faith.
Galatians 3 5 Word Analysis
"Does God": (Gr. Chorepēigei) - Refers to supplying, furnishing, or providing generously. It emphasizes God's active and abundant distribution of His blessings.
"supply": (Gr. pneuma) - Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity, intimately involved in the salvation and sanctification of believers. The giving of the Spirit is a primary gift of the New Covenant.
"the Spirit": (Gr. energeiōn dunameis) - Literally "workings of powers." This refers to miraculous acts, divine operations, and powerful deeds. It encompasses both the supernatural enabling power of the Spirit and the tangible results of that power seen in miracles.
"and work miracles": (Gr. ek pistěos akoēs) - "From the hearing of faith" or "through faith's hearing." This phrase is pivotal. It signifies that faith is not merely intellectual assent but an active response to the proclamation of the Gospel ("hearing") that leads to trusting in God's promises and Christ's finished work. It connects hearing the Word with a faith that appropriates its truth.
"by hearing of faith": This phrase highlights that the impartation of the Spirit and the manifestation of God's power are a direct consequence of a person believing and responding to the message of the Gospel. The faith is not an abstract quality but is exercised in relation to the objective content of the Gospel preached.
Galatians 3 5 Bonus Section
This verse is a strong counter-argument against any form of legalism. It places the emphasis on God's sovereign act in bestowing the Spirit and performing miracles, all of which is initiated by a response of faith from humanity to the Gospel message. It links the indwelling Spirit directly to the act of believing the Gospel ("hearing with faith"). The Galatians' own spiritual experiences serve as undeniable evidence against the legalistic arguments being pressed upon them. This experience of the Spirit and His power is what truly signifies participation in God's grace and adoption as His children.
Galatians 3 5 Commentary
Paul establishes that the undeniable manifestations of God's presence – the Holy Spirit and miraculous deeds – are proof that God operates solely based on faith. He's making a strong case: when you first believed, you experienced the Spirit and saw God’s power at work, which clearly demonstrates that faith is the channel through which God’s grace flows, not adherence to the Law. The "hearing with faith" signifies believing the good news about Christ and accepting it, which is the condition for receiving the Spirit and experiencing God's empowering presence. This directly refutes the idea that the Law is the source of spiritual blessings.
- When individuals truly believe the Gospel, the Holy Spirit is imparted to them.
- Miraculous power follows as a confirmation of God's endorsement of faith.
- This process is initiated and sustained by a believing response to God's word.