Galatians 3:1-29
3:1 Paul's exasperation is a result of the Galatians abandonment of the core of their faith. Although they had seen and heard the philosophy as taught by Jesus and the apostles, they diverted from it. Instead of remaining true to the core of the faith, they began to branch off on tangents, combining it with customs that were nonessential or even contradictory to the faith.
3:2 Paul attempts to draw them back to their faith by reminding them of how they received it. For God's philosophy comes to us freely and without enforcement, judgement or stipulations.
3:3 Faith cannot evolve deeper within itself if it reverts backwards. If, spiritually, we have a conception of our purpose in the world, we cannot fulfil it by reverting back to behavior we had before we established our faith.
3:4 We waste our time when are not consistent with our thoughts, words and actions. When we adopt any philosophy, especially one of faith, our efforts toward its progression within and outside of us must be maintained rather selflessly. For it is the way of the world to live for ourselves, to procure to increase our material, power, property or fame. Yet a philosophy of faith must be secured and progressed toward through humility, through a vision we see of the earth and humanity that does not yet exist. We must understand, accept and rejoice in the fact that our own betterment comes through our efforts toward the betterment of the whole, rather and more than from selfish living.
3:5 Our living example is our creator, who has built us, our earth and our universe only with humility and compassion. Rather than rule over humanity and all life as an authoritarian, our creator gave us space, freedom and thought to determine all things for ourselves.
3:6-9 The example of Abraham from the Old Testament is a lesson that our faith is our freedom, our purpose and our guide. Abraham's faith was not determined or defined by the customs or rules he followed. Abraham was blessed through generations because of his absolute, solid faith. He believed not just in an omnipotent, divine-being but in His philosophy. Abraham believed in creation, in truth and compassion. He trusted in those things and Paul reminds the Galatians (and us) to trust in them also. He reminds us not to be diverted or distracted by the minute and senseless details and rules that humans often attach to faith (in order to create religion).
Indeed we are often distracted from the core of this philosophy which is simply to live compassionately.
3:10 Paul continues to work toward separating spirituality with religion, but also toward helping the Galatians understand the New Testament as a continuation and deepening of the Old. The core of the New Testament is that we must be authentic and truthful in who we are and what we do. We must be genuine in our generosity, in our compassion and faith.
3:11-12 The New Testament works expertly to unite us with our soul, with the spirit within us which is unique and specific to each of us individually. Following rules and laws is not God's purpose for us. For when we understand our faith, we do not need laws or rules to guide us... our spirit naturally and genuinely understands its purpose and right in the earth and beyond it.
3:13-14 The purpose of the philosophy Jesus brought to humanity was to reestablish. Humanity did not understand its purpose as a collective or as individuals. Life was a cycle of chaos and meandering, influenced and run by diverse modes of thought and rule.
Paul unites the Old and New Testament by explaining that the faith Abraham had is the same love offered by God to every generation. Paul's mission was not to change the philosophy of God but to bring people back toward it in understanding, unhindered by rule and regulation.
For it truly does not matter which holidays we do or do not celebrate (provided, you know, we aren't worshipping evil). It does not matter how we dress or what book we derive our spirituality from... Paul wants us to understand that if it is by compassionate faith that we live, we already live in alignment with God (and in the only way that truly matters).
3:15-18 Although presented differently, the Old Testament and the New Testament each corroborate each other. Neither contradicts the other. We can discern the same from studying each but Paul expresses to us that nothing has changed, from Genesis to Revelation, each book in the Bible supports the whole. The love and promises God gave to humanity generations before us is the same love and promise that He gives to us today.
3:19-20 The Bible provides guidelines, advice and direction meant to aid the faithless. Yet once faith is adopted, absorbed and trusted in, law becomes unn unnecessary. Faith enables us to naturally understand the way of life and inspires us to naturally follow it. All members of God's family are fellow-workers. Therefore God has set in place many mediators, apostles, angels, souls, to help each other accomplish the same purpose.
3:21-22 The law in the Old Testament was meant and given as a guideline under which to live most effectively and peacefully. Although law becomes unnecessary under faith (which has natural guidance) it does not become obsolete. For the guidelines truly are helpful and truly do inspire people toward faith.
Our creator is generous. Although He could impose His authority over us without our permission, He has chosen to never operate that way. We are given the freedom of our own thought and choice. If our love and cooperation could be cultivated authentically through law, then it would have been. But we cannot be authentic in faith without having freedom and therefore our faith is not dependent on law.
3:22-25 Faith is a journey and even before we begin it, we must be inspired toward it. God's planning is perfect. His philosophy was established throughout the earth in stages in order not to overwhelm and permanently lose the attention of understanding of His children.
Begin our faith with questions of right and wrong, good and bad. We begin our faith by establishing our values, by determining what is just and unjust. From there our faith blossoms. God laid down the tracks in the Old Testament and then introduced us to our soul (which was always there but not able yet to be understood), our spirit in the New.
3:26-29 For we are all one creation. We are all of one creator. We a members of the same bunch of humanity who lived many generations before us. We purpose and progress toward the same spiritual home. God has known and planned for us much before we were ever actually here.
