Galatians 3:3

Galatians 3:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?
• New International Version (NIV)Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?
• English Standard Version (ESV)Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?
• New King James Version (NKJV)Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?

Context of Galatians 3:3

1O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. 2I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law, or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? After starting in the Spirit, are you now finishing in the flesh? 4Have you suffered so much for nothing, if it really was for nothing? 5Does God lavish His Spirit on you and work miracles among you because you practice the law, or because you hear and believe?

Galatians 3:3 word by word

οὕτως ἀνόητοί ἐστε; ἐναρξάμενοι πνεύματι νῦν σαρκὶ ἐπιτελεῖσθε;Read the interlinear

• Are youεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• soοὕτωςhoutō · thus(-ly)G3779
• foolishἀνόητοςanoētos · foolishG453
• After startingἐνάρχομαιenarchomai · to beginG1728
• in the Spiritπνεῦμαpneuma · spirit/breath: spiritG4151
• are you now finishingνῦνnun · nowG3568
• are you now finishingἐπιτελέωepiteleō · to completeG2005
• in the fleshσάρξsarx · fleshG4561

Cross-references for Galatians 3:3

• Galatians 4:7So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, you are also an heir through God.
• Galatians 5:4You who are trying to be justified by the law have been severed from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.
• Galatians 6:12Those who want to make a good impression outwardly are trying to compel you to be circumcised. They only do this to avoid persecution for the cross of Christ.
• Hebrews 7:16one who has become a priest not by a law of succession, but by the power of an indestructible life.
• Hebrews 9:2A tabernacle was prepared. In its first room were the lampstand, the table, and the consecrated bread. This was called the Holy Place.

Commentaries on Galatians 3:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3Having 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…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3Are ye so foolish? - Can it be that you are so unwise? The idea is, that Paul hardly thought it credible that they could have pursued such a course. They had so cordially embraced the gospel when he preached to them, they had given such evidences that they were under its influence, that he regarded it as hardly possible that they should have so far abandoned it as to embrace such a system as they had done. Having begun in the Spirit - That is, when the…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3are you now finishing in the flesh: Paul used clever word play to make an important point. The Galatians were trying to become perfect by human effort by following the law about circumcising the flesh of the male foreskin.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. begun--the Christian life (Php 1:6). in the Spirit--Not merely was Christ crucified "graphically set forth" in my preaching, but also "the Spirit" confirmed the word preached, by imparting His spiritual gifts. "Having thus begun" with the receiving His spiritual gifts, "are ye now being made perfect" (so the Greek), that is, are ye seeking to be made perfect with "fleshly" ordinances of the law? [Estius]. Compare Ro 2:28; Php 3:3; He 9:10. Having begun…Read the comment

Topics related to Galatians 3:3

• Faith
• Holy Spirit
• Salvation
• Works

In the dictionaries

• Conclude
• Curse
• Eye
• Flesh
• Foolish
• Redeem
• Schoolmaster
• Shut
• Accommodation
• Galatians, Epistle to the

Commentaries on Galatians 3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings