Daily Bible Nugget #143, Galatians 3:10

The Nugget:

Galatians 3:10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.

My Comment:

The title given by the Bible to the Bible in this verse is the book of the law. This verse provides a severe warning: anyone who depends on what they do for God to deserve salvation is under the curse of God. You simply can never be good enough to earn or otherwise merit or deserve salvation. Depending upon any kind of obedience to the requirements of the law for salvation will result in the loss of salvation. Obedience to the law of God must involve obedience to all of God’s law. James expressed it this way, “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all” (James 2:10). Both James in James 2:10 and Paul in Galatians 3:10 are referring to Deuteronomy 27:26, “Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them.” This concept is most important to understand in order to be saved. Keeping the law does not lead to receiving eternal life unless you can be utterly certain that you have perfectly kept the whole law, in accordance with Leviticus 18:5, “Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the Lord.” Jesus referred to this verse when He was asked the question, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” But elsewhere the Hebrew Scriptures affirm, “For there is not a just man upon the earth that doeth good and sinneth not” (Ecclesiastes 7:20). So, keeping the law perfectly is impossible. Only One Person ever succeeded in perfectly keeping the law of God, and that person is Jesus. When we place our faith in Him and what He did for us, we shall be saved.

For those who desire to DIG DEEPER into this subject:

(1) Consult the cross references given in Nelson’s Cross Reference Guide to the Bible on page 1350 for Galatians 3:10.

(2) Consult the cross references given in The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge on page 1370 or in Logos 5 Bible software for Galatians 3:10.

(3) Lacking access to those two resources, consult the cross references for this passage as I have developed them as given below:

Galatians 3:10. as many. ver. 11. See on Ga +*2:16. Ps 19:8. Lk 7:42. *18:9-13. Ro 3:19. 4:15. 7:9-13. *8:7. works of the law. or, works of law. “Law” does not have the Greek article here, or in ver. 2, 5, or in Ga 2:16. When “law” lacks the Greek article, it no longer is a reference exclusively to the Mosaic law, but to law or rule as principle (See note on Ro 4:15). So while Paul as a Jew writing to Jews is doubtless alluding to the law of Moses, his assertion applies to any requirement of obedience to “law” or “rule” to merit salvation, and in principle is not limited to Mosaic law. Any system of belief which makes salvation depend upon what we do for God instead of what God in grace has already done for us violates this principle, and those who so depend upon works in any sense have fallen from grace (Ga 5:4), and cannot be saved as long as they are resting upon such a principle for salvation. Good works and obedience are the necessary and essential fruit and evidence of saving faith (produced by the Holy Spirit in the regenerated life as the fruit of the Spirit, Ga 5:22, 23; Ro 8:14), not its ground (Ro 16:26. Ep 2:10. T 3:8. He +*5:9. Ja 2:17). Since Scripture does not explicitly make the distinction between ceremonial and moral law, that cannot be the intended distinction here by the use and non-use of the Greek article. Hogg and Vine assert (Comm. on Galatians, Ga 2:16, p. 88) “the Apostle asserts the freedom of the Christian from the law of Moses in its totality, making no distinction as between ceremonial and moral.” ver. 2, 5. Ga 2:16. 2 Ch 34:19. Mt 5:19. 19:18. Lk 18:11, 20. Jn **1:17. 2:11. Ac 13:39. Ro 2:12. 7:5. *9:31. 1 C 15:56. Ep **2:15. Ph *3:9. Col **2:16. 1 T 1:9. are under. Ga *1:8. **5:4. Ge 2:17n. 4:11. Ex 19:24. Le 27:28. Nu 35:32. Dt 5:25. *11:26-28. 28:1, 15. 29:20. 30:19. +*33:2. Jsh 6:17. Ps 37:22. 109:7. Is 34:5. 43:28. Zc +*5:3. Mt *25:34, 41. Mk 11:21. Jn **3:36. 5:45, 46. Ro 3:9. *+4:15. 5:16. 9:3. 2 C *3:6, 9. the curse. Gr. katara (S#2671g). ver. 13g. He 6:8g. Ja 3:10g. 2 P 2:14g. for it is written. Mt 4:4, 7, 10. 22:31, 43. Cursed. Gr. epikataratos (S#1944g, Jn 7:49). ver. 13. Dt *>27:26. Je *11:3. Ezk +*18:4. Ro *3:19, 20. **6:23. Ja **2:9-11. that continueth. Gr. emmenō (S#1696g, Ac 14:22). all things. 2 Ch 33:8. Je 32:23. Mt 5:19. Ja **2:10. the book. Dt >31:26. Jsh *1:8. 2 K 22:8, 11. 2 Ch 34:14. Ne 8:3. Mt 19:18. Ac +1:20. of the law. ver. 18. Ga 2:19. 4:21. Jn 10:34. 12:34. 15:25. Ro 3:10-18. 1 C 14:21. to do them. Ga **5:3. He *10:28. 12:20. Ja **2:10.