Galatians 3:2

Galatians 3:2 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
• New International Version (NIV)I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard?
• English Standard Version (ESV)Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith?
• New King James Version (NKJV)This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

Context of Galatians 3:2

1O senseless Galatians, who has bewitched you; to whom, as before your very eyes, Jesus Christ has been portrayed, crucified [among you]? This only I wish to learn of you, Have ye received the Spirit on the principle of works of law, or of [the] report of faith? 3Are ye so senseless? having begun in Spirit, are ye going to be made perfect in flesh? 4Have ye suffered so many things in vain, if indeed also in vain?

Galatians 3:2 word by word

τοῦτο μόνον θέλω μαθεῖν ἀφ᾽ ὑμῶν· ἐξ ἔργων νόμου τὸ πνεῦμα ἐλάβετε ἢ ἐξ ἀκοῆς πίστεως;Read the interlinear

• onlyμόνονmonon · onlyG3440
• wishθέλωthelō ethelō · to will/desireG2309
• learnμανθάνωmanthanō · to learnG3129
• receivedλαμβάνωlambanō · to takeG2983
• Spiritπνεῦμαpneuma · spirit/breath: spiritG4151
• principleνόμοςnomos · lawG3551
• worksἔργονergon · workG2041
• reportἀκοήakoē · hearingG189
• faithπίστιςpistis · faithG4102

Cross-references for Galatians 3:2

• Galatians 3:5He therefore who ministers to you the Spirit, and works miracles among you, [is it] on the principle of works of law, or of [the] report of faith?
• Acts 2:38And Peter said to them, Repent, and be baptised, each one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for remission of sins, and ye will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
• Acts 8:15who, having come down, prayed for them that they might receive [the] Holy Spirit;
• Acts 10:44While Peter was yet speaking these words the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were hearing the word.
• Acts 11:15And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them even as upon us also at the beginning.
• Acts 15:8And the heart-knowing God bore them witness, giving [them] the Holy Spirit as to us also,
• Acts 19:2he said to them, Did ye receive [the] Holy Spirit when ye had believed? And they [said] to him, We did not even hear if [the] Holy Spirit was [come].
• 1 Corinthians 12:7But to each the manifestation of the Spirit is given for profit.
• 2 Corinthians 11:4For if indeed he that comes preaches another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or ye get a different Spirit, which ye have not got, or a different glad tidings, which ye have not received, ye might well bear with [it].
• Ephesians 1:13in whom ye also [have trusted], having heard the word of the truth, the glad tidings of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, ye have been sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,
• Hebrews 2:4God bearing, besides, witness with [them] to [it], both by signs and wonders, and various acts of power, and distributions of [the] Holy Spirit, according to his will?
• Hebrews 6:4For it is impossible to renew again to repentance those once enlightened, and who have tasted of the heavenly gift, and have been made partakers of [the] Holy Spirit,
• 1 Peter 1:12To whom it was revealed, that not to themselves but to you they ministered those things, which have now been announced to you by those who have declared to you the glad tidings by [the] Holy Spirit, sent from heaven, which angels desire to look into.
• Romans 1:17for righteousness of God is revealed therein, on the principle of faith, to faith: according as it is written, But the just shall live by faith.
• Romans 10:16But they have not all obeyed the glad tidings. For Esaias says, Lord, who has believed our report?

Commentaries on Galatians 3:2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law - This may refer to the miraculous gifts of the Spirit, which were very common in the apostolic Church. Did ye receive these extraordinary gifts in consequence of your circumcision, and observing the Mosaic precepts? or was it by the hearing of the Gospel, prescribing faith in Christ crucified? It may also refer to the spirit of adoption, and consequently to their sonship.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2This only would I learn of you - I would ask this of you; retaining still the language of severe reproof. The design here, and in the following verses, is, to prove to them that the views which they had at first embraced were correct, and that the views which they now cherished were false To show them this, he asks them the simple question, by what means they had obtained the exalted privileges which they enjoyed? Whether they had obtained them by the…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2The Galatians, like all Christians, received the Spirit by faith in Christ, not by obeying the law of Moses (see Acts 2:38–39; Romans 8:9–11; 2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:11–14; compare Acts 10:44–48; 11:15–18). God accepted the Galatians because they believed the good news about Jesus (compare Romans 10:14–17). This made their return to the law unreasonable (Galatians 3:3–4).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. "Was it by the works of the law that ye received the Spirit (manifested by outward miracles, Ga 3:5; Mr 16:17; He 2:4; and by spiritual graces, Ga 3:14; Ga 4:5, 6; Ep 1:13), or by the hearing of faith?" The "only" implies, "I desire, omitting other arguments, to rest the question on this alone"; I who was your teacher, desire now to "learn" this one thing from you. The epithet "Holy" is not prefixed to "Spirit" because that epithet is a joyous one…Read the comment

Topics related to Galatians 3:2

• 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