Galatia 3:3

3:3 Are you so foolish? Although you began ¹  with ²  the Spirit, are you now trying to finish ³  by human effort? ⁴ 

Galatia 3:15

Inheritance Comes from Promises and not Law

3:15 Brothers and sisters, ⁵  I offer an example from everyday life: ⁶  When a covenant ⁷  has been ratified, ⁸  even though it is only a human contract, no one can set it aside or add anything to it.

[3:3]  ¹ tn Grk “Having begun”; the participle ἐναρξάμενοι (enarxamenoi) has been translated concessively.

[3:3]  ² tn Or “by the Spirit.”

[3:3]  ³ tn The verb ἐπιτελεῖσθε (epiteleisqe) has been translated as a conative present (see ExSyn 534). This is something the Galatians were attempting to do, but could not accomplish successfully.

[3:3]  ⁴ tn Grk “in/by [the] flesh.”

[3:15]  ⁵ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:11.

[3:15]  ⁶ tn Grk “I speak according to man,” referring to the illustration that follows.

[3:15]  ⁷ tn The same Greek word, διαθήκη (diaqhkh), can mean either “covenant” or “will,” but in this context the former is preferred here because Paul is discussing in vv. 16-18 the Abrahamic covenant.

[3:15]  ⁸ tn Or “has been put into effect.”