Galatians 3:6

The Judaizers, in emphasizing the Mosaic Law, appealed to Moses frequently. Paul took them back farther in their history to Abraham, the father of the Jewish nation. He cited Genesis 15:6 to prove that God justified Abraham by faith, not because he kept the Law. Abraham believed the promise that God would bless him. Abraham could and did do nothing but believe God’s promise that He would do something supernatural for him (cf. Romans 4:3). One writer suggested that the best commentary on Galatians 3 is Romans 4. [Note: George, p. 219.] Abraham’s faith was his trust in God.

". . . Paul takes it for granted that Abraham’s being justified by faith proves that the Galatians must have received the Spirit by faith also; and this argument from Scripture falls to the ground unless the reception of the Spirit is in some sense equated with justification. For if this were not so, it could be objected that even though Abraham was indeed justified by faith, it does not necessarily follow that reception of the Spirit also has to be dependent on faith; conceivably while justification is by faith the gift of the Spirit could be conditioned on works. We may take it, then, that Paul conceives of receiving the Spirit in such close connection with justification that the two can be regarded in some sense as synonymous, so that in the Galatians’ receiving the Spirit their justification was also involved." [Note: Fung, p. 136.]

Genesis 15:6 is one of Paul’s two key proof-texts for his teaching about justification by faith in Galatians (cf. Romans 4:3). The other is Habakkuk 2:4, which he quoted in Galatians 3:11 (cf. Romans 1:17).

This verse introduces Paul’s major explanation of salvation history. It is a bridge concluding one section of his argument (Galatians 3:1-6; "even so") and introducing the next (Galatians 3:6-9; "Therefore," Galatians 3:7).