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

1You foolish Galatians! Who has cast a spell on you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? 2I only want to learn this from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning by the Spirit, are you now finishing by the flesh? 4Did you experience so much for nothing — if in fact it was for nothing? 5So then, does God give you the Spirit and work miracles among you by your doing the works of the law? Or is it by believing what you heard —

Galatians 3:3 word by word

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

Words taken from the KJV.

• Are yeεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• soοὕτωςhoutō · thus(-ly)G3779
• foolishἀνόητοςanoētos · foolishG453
• having begunἐνάρχομαιenarchomai · to beginG1728
• in the Spiritπνεῦμαpneuma · spirit/breath: spiritG4151
• are yeἐπιτελέωepiteleō · to completeG2005
• nowνῦνnun · nowG3568
• by the fleshσάρξsarx · fleshG4561

Cross-references for Galatians 3:3

• Galatians 4:7So you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then God has made you an heir.
• Galatians 5:4You who are trying to be justified by the law are alienated from Christ; you have fallen from grace.
• Galatians 6:12Those who want to make a good impression in the flesh are the ones who would compel you to be circumcised — but only to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ.
• Hebrews 7:16who did not become a priest based on a legal regulation about physical descent but based on the power of an indestructible life.
• Hebrews 9:2For a tabernacle was set up, and in the first room, which is called the holy place, were the lampstand, the table, and the presentation loaves.

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