A Theological Examination of Galatians 3 in Light of Christ’s Teaching
The third chapter of Galatians has long been read as a defense of faith apart from the works of the law. Paul’s words present a strong contrast between law and faith, suggesting that righteousness comes by believing alone and that the law itself is a curse. He argues that the law was a temporary guardian until Christ came, after which it was no longer binding, for all who believe are now Abraham’s seed and heirs of the promise. But when examined against the direct words of Jesus Christ and the witness of the Old Testament, this interpretation appears to move away from the very standard that Jesus Himself laid down. The question is not whether faith is required, for Scripture shows that it is, but whether faith can stand apart from obedience to the commands of God and the words of His Son.Jesus, in His own teaching, never separated faith from action. He declared, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven” (Matthew 7:21, NKJV). In this statement, He directly joined eternal salvation not merely to confession or belief, but to the practice of the Father’s will. Again, when a rich young man asked Him the way to eternal life, His answer was not “believe only,” but, “If you want to enter into life, keep the commandments” (Matthew 19:17). These commandments were never portrayed by Jesus as a curse, but as a path of life.
The Old Testament itself confirms this view. Moses said, “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, in that I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments” (Deuteronomy 30:15–16). The law was not given as a curse but as a covenant of life, pointing to the blessing of obedience and the danger of disobedience. The Psalms declare the same: “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly… but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night” (Psalm 1:1–2). Jesus Himself affirmed the ongoing authority of this standard when He said, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled” (Matthew 5:17–18).
Paul’s description in Galatians 3 that the law is a curse because none can keep it (Galatians 3:10) stands in tension with the words of Christ. Jesus did not call the law a curse but instead said, “Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:19). His focus was not on setting aside the commandments but on fulfilling them by obedience from the heart.
Jesus also made clear that judgment itself would be based on His words: “He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him—the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day” (John 12:48). If His words are the standard of judgment, then obedience is inseparable from faith. Likewise, He promised life to those who both hear and keep His word: “Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death” (John 8:51). Faith that does not keep His word is incomplete, for it is the doing of His sayings that makes a person wise and secure, like a house built upon the rock (Matthew 7:24–25).
The disciples of Jesus affirmed the same truth. Peter, speaking of the way of salvation, declared, “We ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). John, the beloved disciple, also testified that obedience is central to knowing God: “Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, ‘I know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him” (1 John 2:3–4). In this, John mirrors perfectly the words of Christ, showing that the faith which saves is not empty belief but active obedience.
From this testimony, the conclusion becomes clear. While Galatians 3 argues that righteousness comes by faith alone apart from the law, Jesus and the Scriptures affirm that righteousness and life are the result of faith expressed in obedience to God’s commands and to the word of His Son. The law is not a curse, but a covenant pointing to life. Faith is the foundation, but it must be joined with obedience, for the true children of Abraham are those who walk in the steps of his faith, a faith made complete by action. As it is written of Abraham, “By faith Abraham obeyed” (Hebrews 11:8)—faith and obedience together.
Therefore, the lasting truth taught by Christ is this: salvation requires belief in Him, but that belief must be lived out in obedience to the Father’s will and to His words. Anything less is not the fullness of the gospel He preached.
Blessings
