GALATIANS 3:10-14
All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law." Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, "The righteous will live by faith." The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, "The man who does these things will live by them." Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree." He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

Paul has established that Abraham himself was justified by faith apart from works, apart from circumcision, and that through him was formally instituted the principle of justification by faith, although faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ had always been the only way to salvation since the time of Adam. He now proceeds to directly attack the idea that anyone could be justified who relies on observing the law. He does so by making a series of assertions along with scriptural texts that correspond to them.

Verse 10 asserts, "All who rely on observing the law are under a curse." The biblical basis for this comes from Deuteronomy 27:26, which Paul cites here as, "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law." Anyone who fails to observe the whole law – anyone who breaks even one of its requirements – is a lawbreaker, and therefore comes under the divine curse.

Since, according to Paul's reasoning, no one is able to obey the law in all its details throughout his whole life (Romans 3:23), no one who relies on observing the law for justification can succeed. Or, as he states here, "All who rely on observing the law are under a curse." As Ryken explains, "The problem with the law, then, is not the law; the problem with the law is our sin. Since we cannot keep the law, the law cannot bless us. All it can do is curse us, placing us under the condemnation of divine wrath."

Verse 11 asserts, "Clearly no one is justified before God by the law." The previous verse already makes clear that all who rely on the law will not be justified, but will come under a curse instead. Verse 11 is not redundant, since although the assertion is stated negatively, the scriptural citation is a positive affirmation of justification by faith, that living by faith is the way of the righteous (Habakkuk 2:4).

In other words, no one is justified before God by the law, not only because all who rely on the law are under a curse, but also because Scripture itself teaches that the righteous will live by faith. Note the alternate translation, "He who through faith is righteous shall live" (RSV; also REB and GNT), and Paul indeed applies the verse as if this is what it says. In any case, the law does not only condemn all those who rely on it for justification, but it points to faith as the way.

Then, verse 12 asserts, "The law is not based on faith." Rather, according to Leviticus 18:5, "The man who does these things will live by them." A person who attempts to become justified by law must rely on his own works – this way is not based on faith, and it cannot be supplemented by faith. The man is "stuck" with law, and the two ways of justification exclude each other. It is impossible to rely on both faith and law, that is, on both Christ and oneself.

Note that faith and law in themselves do not exclude each other – God instituted both of them. Rather, we are saying that the two ways of justification exclude each other. If one relies on observing the law for justification, then there is no place for faith; if one relies on faith for justification, then there is no place for reliance on observing the law. Now since those who rely on the works of law must "live by them," and since they can never achieve perfect obedience to the law, all those who seek justification in this matter are doomed to eternal condemnation. Since the way of faith is the way of reliance on Christ for salvation, those who rely on observing the law instead are cut off from faith, and cut off from Christ (Galatians 5:4).

Paul has laid out several points from the law itself. First, the law brings a curse. Second, the law itself teaches faith. And third, faith and law exclude each other. The upshot of this argument is that the law itself teaches that it is impossible to be justified by the works of law, but the only way to justification before God is faith.

Now Paul abruptly turns to the object of this faith (v. 13), for as we have noted, justification by faith does not denote justification by faith as such, but it means to have faith in the proper object. This object of faith, he writes, is the person and work of Christ, who "redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us." Paul tells us not only who does it (Christ) and what he does (redeemed us from the curse), but also how he does it – that is, "by becoming a curse for us."

This is the language of substitution. Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law – the punishment for our wickedness and disobedience – by taking it upon himself, and by suffering its deathblow. Paul connects this understanding of the work of Christ with the manner of his death, citing Deuteronomy 21:23 as confirmation that he bore the curse as he hung on the cross. This leaves no question, then, as to the nature of the work of Christ, and the purpose of the crucifixion. His work was that of a substitutionary atonement – he died for sinners to save them from divine condemnation. This idea is also taught in the law, for example, in the instructions regarding the scapegoat in Leviticus 16.

The context is justification, but Paul writes that by faith we receive "the promise of the Spirit" (v. 14), and so either equates or overlaps one with the other. Elsewhere, the apostle insists, "And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ" (Romans 8:9). Paul, of course, has been answering the rhetorical question that he posed in 3:2 (also 3:5): "Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard?"

Again, a statement like the one in 3:14 cannot be used to refute Pentecostal and Charismatic theology, such as the "second blessing" doctrine. Whether the doctrine is true or false, we must not endorse unsound arguments against it. Theologians who attempt to use this verse as a basis for refutation typically fail to establish even its relevance.

The verse teaches that we receive by faith, but many Charismatics also teach that we receive this second blessing by faith. The verse teaches that the Spirit is available to all who would believe, but this is what many Charismatics affirm about the second blessing, that it is available to all who would believe. If it is argued that the context practically equates reception of the Spirit to justification before God, many Charismatics could also agree. They themselves insist that one receives the Holy Spirit at conversion in a sense and in a measure – they do not deny Romans 8:9 – only that there is a blessing or experience of the Holy Spirit distinct from conversion through which one receives empowerment for ministry and witness.

Whether or not the "second blessing" doctrine is correct, verse 14 says nothing to contradict this, and the doctrine says nothing that would contradict verse 14. Given this doctrine, the verse is either taken as referring to the reception of the Spirit in connection with justification or conversion without also referring to the "second blessing" of the Holy Spirit, or it could be taken as an inclusive reference stating that both the blessings of conversion and empowerment are promised to all the children of Abraham, who receive both by faith. Therefore, if this is a false doctrine, it must be refuted on a basis other than Galatians 3:14, since as a refutation, the verse is irrelevant.

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