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 foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been clearly set forth, crucified among you? This only would I learn from you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? 3Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? 4Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it is yet 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

• Thisτοῦτοtouto · thatG5124
• onlyμόνονmonon · onlyG3440
• wouldθέλωthelō ethelō · to will/desireG2309
• learnμανθάνωmanthanō · to learnG3129
• fromἀπόapo · away fromG575
• youὑμῶνhumōn · of youG5216
• yeλαμβάνωlambanō · to takeG2983
• Spiritπνεῦμαpneuma · spirit/breath: spiritG4151
• byἐκek ex · out fromG1537
• worksἔργονergon · workG2041
• lawνόμοςnomos · lawG3551
• orἤē · orG2228
• hearingἀκοήakoē · hearingG189
• faithπίστιςpistis · faithG4102

Cross-references for Galatians 3:2

• Galatians 3:5He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he this by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
• Acts 2:38Then Peter said to them, Repent ye, and each one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
• Acts 8:15Who, when they had 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 on all them who heard the word.
• Acts 11:15And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them, as on us at the beginning.
• Acts 15:8And God, who knoweth the hearts, bore them witness, giving to them the Holy Spirit, even as he did to us;
• Acts 19:2He said to them, Have ye received the Holy Spirit since ye believed? And they said to him, We have not so much as heard whether there is any Holy Spirit.
• 1 Corinthians 12:7But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man for profit of all.
• 2 Corinthians 11:4For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him .
• Ephesians 1:13In whom ye also trusted, after ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise,
• Hebrews 2:4God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to his own will?
• Hebrews 6:4For it is impossible for those who have been once enlightened, and 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 us they ministered the things, which are now reported to you by them that have preached the gospel to you with the Holy Spirit sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.
• Romans 1:17For in this is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
• Romans 10:16But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah saith, Lord, who hath 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