3:2a

I would like to learn just one thing from you: Paul used this clause to introduce the rhetorical question in 3:2b. The purpose of this clause was to make the readers think about what they had done. If they thought about these things, they would know the truth.

Some other ways to translate this clause are:

Let me ask you this one question (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
Tell me this one thing (Good News Translation)
-or-
I want you to think about this:

3:2b–c

Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law, or by hearing with faith?: This is a rhetorical question. In this rhetorical question, Paul emphasized how the Galatians had received the Spirit. They had not received it by obeying the law. They had received it by faith. The Galatians already knew this. So they should not have returned to obeying the law.

Some ways to translate this emphasis are:

• As a rhetorical question. In some languages, it may be necessary to divide this rhetorical question into two or three questions. For example:

Did you receive God’s Spirit by doing what the law requires? Or was it by hearing ?the gospel? and believing it?
-or-
How did you receive God’s Spirit? Was it because of obeying the law? Or did you receive the Spirit because of believing what you heard?

• As an exclamation. For example:

You certainly did not receive the Spirit by observing the law! You received it by believing what you heard.

• As a rhetorical question with a response. For example:

Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law? ?Of course not!? Instead, you received the Spirit by believing what you heard.

Use whichever form is most natural in your own language.

In some languages, it may be more natural to change the order the clauses. For example:

2b Did you receive the Spirit 2c by believing what you heard or 2b by observing the law?

Also, you should consider how to present an “either-or” idea. In an “either-or” idea, only one part is true. Some possible ways to translate this are:

• Use a conditional statement. For example:

2c If you received the Spirit by means of believing, 2b then you could not have received the Spirit by means of works of the law.

• Make it clear which part is not true and which part is true. For example:

2b Did you receive the Spirit by means of observing the law? ?No, you did not.? 2c Instead, you received the Spirit by means of believing the good news of Jesus.

3:2b

the Spirit: The word Spirit refers to the “Holy Spirit.”

Some other ways to translate this word are:

the ?Holy? Spirit
-or-
God’s Spirit (Good News Translation)

by works of the law: This phrase refers to obeying the law. This is the same phrase that Paul used in 2:16a. The Galatians did not receive the Spirit by means of obeying/keeping the law.

Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

by ?means of? following the law
-or-
through keeping the law
-or-
if/when you obeyed the law
-or-
because of your following the law ?of Moses?
-or-
following the law ?that God gave to Moses?

You should translate this phrase in the same way that you did in 2:16a.

3:2c

or by hearing with faith: This phrase refers to believing what the Galatians had heard about Jesus Christ. Paul reminded them that they had received the Spirit by means of believing what they heard about Jesus Christ.

Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

by believing what you heard (New International Version)
-or-
because of hearing ?the gospel? and believing it

See faith, Meaning 1 in the Glossary for more information.

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