Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Galatians 5:5

For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.

5. ‘For we on the contrary, we who are Christ’s, through the Spirit are waiting for the hope of righteousness from faith’. The connecting particle ‘for’ has reference to the falling from grace. The gospel is a gospel of grace (Act 20:24). The Spirit is the Spirit of grace (Heb 10:29). We have a good hope through grace (2Th 2:16). Righteousness (justification) is of faith that it might be by grace (Rom 4:16).

the hope of righteousness ] This does not mean the righteousness hoped for. We who believe are now perfectly righteous, ‘being made’, as the Apostle says, ‘the righteousness of God in Him’. It may refer to that sanctifying righteousness which is progressive, ‘inherent in us but not perfect’ (as Hooker says), the perfection of which is the aim and end of our earthly discipline. Luther understands the expression to refer either to the hope of a full assurance of justifying faith, or to the hope of complete deliverance from sin. Writing out of the fulness of his own spiritual experience he adds: ‘Either sense may well stand; but the first, touching the inward desire and affection of hoping, bringeth more plentiful consolation, for my righteousness is not yet perfect, it cannot yet be felt: yet I do not despair; for faith sheweth unto me Christ, in whom I trust, and when I have laid hold of Him by faith, I wrestle against the fiery darts of the devil, and I take a good heart through hope against the feeling of sin, assuring myself that I have a perfect righteousness prepared for me in heaven. So both these sayings are true; that I am made righteous already by that righteousness which is begun in me; and also I am raised up in the same hope against sin, and wait for the full consummation of perfect righteousness in heaven. These things are not rightly understood, but when they be put in practice ’. But it is better to understand it of that object of hope which belongs to and arises out of our justification. By the faith which appropriates the righteousness of Christ we become sons of God and heirs of His everlasting kingdom. The inheritance is ‘that blessed hope and manifestation of the glory of our great God and Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ’ (Tit 2:13).

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

For we – We who are Christians. It is a characteristic of the true Christian.

Through the Spirit – The Holy Spirit. We expect salvation only by his aid.

Wait for – That is, we expect salvation in this way. The main idea is, not that of waiting as if the thing were delayed; it is that of expecting. The sense is, that true Christians have no other hope of salvation than by faith in the Lord Jesus. It is not by their own works, nor is it by any conformity to the Law. The object of Paul is, to show them the true nature of the Christian hope of eternal life, and to recall them from dependence on their conformity to the Law.

The hope of righteousness – The hope of justification. They had no other hope of justification than by faith in the Redeemer; see the note at Rom 1:17.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Gal 5:5

For we, through the Spirit, wait for the hope of righteousness by faith,

Salvation by faith and the work of the Spirit

Faith is not opposed to the spirit, but is the child of it.

Through the Spirit we wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.

I. Declare the Christians hope.

1. Its singularity. Not founded on parentage, outward rites and ceremonies, moral virtues and spiritual excellencies; but upon Christ.

2. Its speciality. In grace alone–looking entirely to the free mercy of God. Nothing by merit. Nobody has any claim upon God. He blesses us because He is good, not because we are; He saves us because He is gracious, not because He sees any grace inherent in us.

3. Its ground. It is founded upon right–a solid base for hope. We expect to be saved by an act of justice as well as by a deed of mercy. By faith the righteousness of Christ becomes ours, so that we have a right to salvation (Rom 4:23-25; Rom 5:1-2; Rom 8:1-4; Rom 8:32-34).

4. Its substance. A triumphant death, a glorious eternity.

5. The posture which our hope takes up. Waiting. All is done; we have but to wait for the reward. To the garment which covers us we dare not think of adding a single thread. To the acceptance in which we stand before God, we cannot hope to add a single jewel. Why attempt it? Has not Jesus said, It is finished? Waiting implies continuance. Our faith is not for to-day and to-morrow only, but for eternity.

II. The relation of this matter to the Holy Spirit. No division in the purposes and works of the three sacred Persons in the Trinity. Their will is one. That which glorifies Jesus cannot dishonour the Holy Spirit.

1. The faith which brings this righteousness is never exercised by any but those who are born of the Spirit. The new heart which the Spirit creates is the only soil in which faith will grow.

2. Faith for righteousness is based on the testimony of the Holy Spirit.

3. Simple faith is always the work of the Spirit.

4. When a man has believed, he obtains a great increase to his faith in Jesus by the work of the Spirit.

5. It is by the Spirit that we continue to exercise faith.

III. Concluding inferences.

1. Whoever has this hope of righteousness by faith has the Spirit of God. He that believeth hath the witness in himself. He that believeth in Him is not condemned.

2. Wherever there is any other hope, or hope based upon anything else but this, the Spirit of God is not present. The Spirit will not bear witness to mans home-born presumptuous hopes, but only to the finished work of Jesus. (C. H. Spurgeon.)

Difference between faith and hope

There is so great affinity between faith and hope, that the one cannot be separate from the other. Notwithstanding, there is a difference between them, which is gathered of their several offices, diversity of working, and of their ends.

1. They differ in respect of their subject, that is, of the ground wherein they rest. For faith resteth in the understanding, hope in the will; but the one is to the other, as the two cherubim on the mercy-seat.

2. They differ in respect of their office, i.e. of their working. Faith tells what is to be done, teaches, prescribes, directs; hope stirs up the mind that it may be strong, bold, courageous, that it may suffer and endure adversity, waiting for better things.

3. They differ as touching their object, that is, the special matter whereunto they look. Faith has for her object the truth, teaching us to cleave surely thereto, and looking upon the word and promise of the thing that is promised; hope has for her object the goodness of God, and looks upon the thing which is promised in the word, that is, upon such matters as faith teaches us to hope for.

4. They differ in order. Faith is the beginning of life, before all tribulation; hope proceeds from tribulation.

5. They differ by the diversity of working. Faith is a teacher and a judge, fighting against errors and heresies, judging spirits and doctrines; hope is, as it were, the general or captain of the field, fighting against tribulation, the cross, impatience, heaviness of spirit, weakness, desperation, and blasphemy, and it waits for good things even in the midst of all evils. Therefore, when I am instructed by faith in the Word of God, and lay hold of Christ, believing in Him with my whole heart, then am I righteous by this knowledge. When I am so justified by faith, or by this knowledge, by and by cometh the devil, the father of wiles, and laboureth to extinguish my faith by wiles and subtleties; that is to say, by lies, errors, and heresies. Moreover, because he is a murderer, he goeth about also to oppress it by violence. Here hope wrestling, layeth hold on the thing revealed by faith, and overcometh the devil that warreth against faith; and after this victory followeth peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. (Luther.)

Faith and hope complementary of each other

In civil government, prudence and fortitude do differ, and yet these two virtues are so joined together, that they cannot easily be severed. Now, fortitude is a constancy of mind, which is not discouraged in adversity, but endureth valiantly, and waiteth for better things. But if fortitude be not guided by prudence, it is but temerity and rashness. On the other side, if fortitude be not joined with prudence, that prudence is but vain and unprofitable. Therefore, like as, in policy, prudence is but vain without fortitude; even so in divinity, faith without hope is nothing; for hope endureth adversity and is constant therein, and in the end overcometh all evils. And on the other side, like as fortitude without prudence is rashness, even so hope without faith is a presumption in spirit, and a tempting of God: for it hath no knowledge of Christ and.of the truth which faith teacheth, and therefore it is but a blind rashness and arrogancy. Wherefore, a godly man, before all things, must have a right understanding instructed by faith, according to the which the mind may be guided in afflictions, that it may hope for those good things which faith hath revealed and taught. To be short, faith is conceived by teaching; for thereby the mind is instructed what the truth is. Hope is conceived by exhortation; for by exhortation hope is stirred up in afflictions, which confirmeth him that is already justified by faith, that he be not overcome by adversities, but that he may be able more strongly to resist them. (Luther.)

Hope with faith

The heir must believe his title to an estate in reversion before he can hope for it: faith believes its title to glory, and then hope waits for it. Did not faith feed the lamp of hope with oil, it would soon die. (Ambrose.)

The believers treasure

1. The riches of a believer are not so much in possession as in expectation and hope.

2. None have right to heaven here, or shall enjoy it hereafter, who are wholly unrighteous.

3. No personal righteousness of our own can entitle us to this blessed hope and heavenly inheritance; but only the righteousness of Christ.

4. It is only the inward, efficacious teaching of Gods Spirit, that can sufficiently instruct us in the knowledge of this imputed righteousness by faith, and make us with security and confidence venture our eternal well-being and hope of heaven upon it. (James Fergusson.)

Faith and morality

When faith is finished a good life is made perfect in our kind: let, therefore, no man expect events for which he hath no promise; nor call for Gods fidelity without his own faithfulness; nor snatch at a promise without performing the condition; nor think faith to be a hand to apprehend Christ, and to do nothing else; for that will but deceive us, and turn religion into words, holiness into hypocrisy, the promises of God into a snare, the truth of God into a lie. When God gives us better promises, He intends that we should pay Him a better obedience; when He forgives us what is past, He intends that we should sin no more; when He offers us His graces, He would have us make use of them; when He causes us to distrust ourselves His meaning is that we should rely on Him; when He enables us to do what He commands us, He commands us to do all that we can. (Jeremy Taylor.)

Faith the only basis of righteousness and hope

Our religion is spiritual faith, which speaks after this fashion: Believe in God; believe in Jesus Christ; believe in your own soul; believe in redemption from sin, from guilt, and from punishment; and believe in the resurrection of the dead and the life everlasting. This is our religion. Infidelity comes and unfolds its little couch and lays it on the ground, and says to my soul, Rest there. But I have tried, and cannot. The bed is too short for my soul to stretch itself upon it. It only reaches from the cradle there to the grave yonder, while my soul has desires that wander through eternity. No, thank God, here is room: God is, Christ is, thy soul is, redemption is, pardon is, liberty from sin is, and the glorious life eternal is! Stretch thy soul upon that couch and rest for ever. (Thomas Jones.)

Faith and hope in our Lord Jesus Christ

I. Consider faith in Christ.

1. Explain the nature of it.

(1) This includes in it an assent to the truth of Christs being appointed of God, to be a Mediator betwixt Him and the sinful children of men.

(2) An hearty acceptance of Him to be our Saviour, as He is proposed to us in the gospel. The apostle tells us that with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, so as to be justified, to be entitled to life (Rom 10:10). Justifying faith is not seated only in the head, but in the heart.

(3) True and saving faith in Christ imports a dependence upon Him.

2. It is our duty to believe in Christ.

(1) The evidences of Gods appointment of Jesus to be Mediator betwixt Him and men are sufficient to convince all attentive unprejudiced persons, upon whom the light of the gospel shines. The exact accomplishment of the many ancient prophecies recorded in the Old Testament, relating to the Messiah, in our Lord Jesus; the miracles wrought by Him in the presence of enemies, as well as friends, who could not deny the reality of them; and His resurrection from the dead on the third day.

(2) As it is a faithful saying, so it is worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.

(3) We all need Christ and His salvation, therefore it behoves us greatly to accept of Him.

(4) Christ Jesus is an all-sufficient Saviour, therefore we ought to believe in Him, to depend upon Him.

(5) We are expressly required in the Word of God to believe in Christ Jesus. A heart of unbelief is emphatically styled an evil heart; it rebels against the word of the living God, and departs from Him (Heb 3:12). Having showed that it is our duty to believe in Jesus Christ, give me leave to subjoin a few remarks.

1. Though it be our duty to believe in the Lord Jesus, and this should be pressed upon our consciences, yet we need the aids of Divine grace to enable us to discharge this duty; therefore we should ask them of God.

2. It is not only the duty of persons, when they are first awakened to a sense of sin, to believe in Jesus Christ; those also who have received Him should be daily exercising faith in Him.

II. Consider hope in Christ.

1. Let us consider what it is true Christians hope for in the Lord Jesus.

(1) True Christians hope that the Lord Jesus will keep that which they have committed unto Him against the great day.

(2) They hope that He will present them faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy.

(3) True Christians hope through the Lord Jesus to be admitted to dwell for ever with Him in His Fathers house.

2. Let us inquire into the reasons of this their hope in Christ.

(1) Gods appointment of the Lord Jesus to the work of mediation encourages the hope of believers in Him.

(2) The dignity of Christs Person encourages believers to hope in Him. We are expressly told in His Word that He hath laid help upon One that is mighty (Psa 89:19).

(3) The resurrection, ascension, and intercession of Christ encourage the hope of believers in Him.

(4) The compassion of Christ is a reason of believers hope in Him. Though He be a great High Priest, and is passed into the heavens, yet He is not such a One as cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities (Heb 4:14-16).

(5) The promises of God in Christ Jesus greatly support the hope of believers in Him; they have a promise of very ancient date to bear up their hope of eternal life (Tit 1:2).

Concluding reflections:

1. We may hence learn that true Christians should be ready always to answer every man that asketh them a reason of the hope that is in them. Seeing it is so reasonable, so well grounded, they should never be ashamed of it, nor suffer themselves to be moved from it by the vain cavils of men.

2. Is our hope in Christ Jesus? Then it should be our great care to glorify His name, and to adorn His doctrine in all things. And in order hereto let us live answerably to our hope in Him.

3. It behoves us to be very solicitous that we do not take up with such a hope as shall make us ashamed. The salvation proposed by Jesus Christ to His disciples is inexpressibly great; and it should be our great concern that our expectations of it be not disappointed. Not every one that says unto Christ, Lord, Lord, that pretends respect for Him, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven (Mat 7:21). The hope of the hypocrite shall perish. (S. Price.)

The Spirit inclining us to seek after righteousness

In these words observe–

1. The end, scope, and blessedness of a Christian in the word hope.

2. The firm ground of it–The righteousness of faith.

3. The carriage of Christians–We wait.

4. The inward moving cause of waiting for this hope in this way–

Through the Spirit. They are taught by Him, inclined by Him, so to do.

1. The blessedness of a Christian is implied in the word hope. For hope is taken two ways in Scripture–for the thing hoped for, and for the affection or act of him that hopeth. Here it is taken in the first sense, for the thing hoped for. As also Tit 2:13, Looking for the blessed hope. So Col 1:5, For the hope which is laid up for us in heaven.

2. The ground and foundation of this hope, The righteousness of faith. What it is I will show you by and by. Only here it is opposed, partly to the covenant of works, which could not give life; partly to the legal observances; for it presently followeth, Neither circumcision, nor uncircumcision, etc. But by no means is it opposed to evangelical obedience; for the whole New Testament obedience is comprised in this term, The righteousness of faith; as appeareth by the apostles explication in the next verse, But faith, which works by love.

3. The duty of a Christian–We wait. All true Christians wait for the mercy of God and life everlasting. And he calleth in waiting, because a believer hath not so much in possession as in expectation. And this waiting is not a devout sloth, but implieth diligence in the use of all means whereby we may obtain this hope.

4. The inward efficient cause–Through the Spirit. We are taught by the Spirit, inclined by the Spirit so to do. That by the Spirit all true Christians are inclined to pursue after the hope built upon the righteousness of faith.

I. What is the righteousness of faith? We told you before it is opposed either to the law of works or the ceremonial observances of the law of Moses. But more particularly it may be determined–

(1) Either with respect to the object of faith; or

(2) to the act or grace of faith itself;

(3) with respect to the rule and warrant of faith, which is the gospel or new covenant. We return to God, as our chief good and sovereign Lord, that we may love, serve, and obey Him, and be happy in His love. Faith respects Christ as Redeemer and Mediator, who hath opened the way for our return by His merit and satisfaction, or reconciliation wrought between us and God, and given us a heart to return by the renewing grace of His Spirit.

II. What is the hope built upon it, or the things hoped for by virtue of this righteousness? and they are pardon and life.

1. Certainly pardon of sins is intended in the righteousness of faith, as appeareth by that of the apostle (Rom 4:6-8).

2. There is also in it salvation, or eternal life (Tit 3:7). These two benefits give us the greatest support and comfort against all kind of troubles.

III. What is the work of the Spirit in this business in urging believers to wait for the hope of righteousness by faith? The work of the Spirit doth either concern the duties of the new covenant or the privileges of the new covenant, or what is common to them both. I begin with the latter.

1. What is common to them both. He doth convince us- of the truth of the gospel, both of means and end; that there is such a hope, and the righteousness of faith is the only way to obtain it. Now this he doth externally and internally.

(1) Externally, and by way of objective evidence. All the certainty that we have of the gospel is by the Spirit (Act 5:32; Joh 15:26-27).

(2) Internally, enlightening their minds and inclining their hearts to embrace the truth; which maketh the former testimony effectual (Eph 1:17). To the sight of anything these things are necessary–an object, a medium, and a faculty. As in outward sight, an object that may be seen; a convenient light to represent it and make the object perspicuous; an organ or faculty of seeing in the eye. Unless there be an object, you bid a man see nothing. Unless there be a medium, a due light to represent it, as in a fog, or at midnight, the sharpest sight can see nothing. Unless there be a faculty, neither the object nor medium will avail; a blind man cannot see anything at noonday. Now here is an object, the way of salvation by Christ; a convenient light, it is represented in the gospel; and the faculty is prepared, for the eyes of the mind are opened by the Spirit, that we may see both way and end, the necessity of holiness, and the reality of future glory and blessedness.

2. The work of the Spirit as to the duties of the new covenant. He doth not only convince us of the reality and the necessity of Christs obedience and our holiness, but by His powerful operation frameth and inclineth our hearts to the duties required of us. Faith itself is wrought in us by this holy Spirit, for it is the gift of God (Eph 2:8); and so is repentance and obedience: Heb 8:10, I will write My laws upon their hearts, and put them into their minds. Moses law was written on tables of stone, as a rule without them; but Christs law on the heart and mind, as drawing and inclining them to obey it. The renewing grace of the Spirit of God doth prepare us and fit us, and His exciting grace doth quicken us, that we may do what is pleasing in His sight.

3. The work of the Spirit as to the privileges of the new covenant, which are pardon and life.

(1) As to pardon, He is the Comforter. He cometh into our hearts as the pledge of our atonement; we receive it when we receive the Spirit (Rom 5:11); and His sanctifying work is the sure evidence that God is at peace with us (1Th 5:23).

(2) As to life, He assureth us of it.

(a) He prepareth us and fitteth us for it (2Co 5:5).

(b) He assureth us of it (2Co 1:22).

(c) He comforteth us and raiseth, our longing after this blessed estate, for the beginnings we have here are called also the first-fruits (Rom 8:23). The beginnings are sweet; what will the completion be? Application:

1. Here you see your scope, what you should look for and hope for–the forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among the sanctified.

2. Here you see your work, and what you should now seek after–The righteousness of faith.

3. Here you see your help, and what will enable you to obtain–Through the Spirit. Oh! let these things be more in your thoughts.

(1) For your happiness, or the great privileges which you should most value and hope for.

(i) The forgiveness of sins. The sin be forgiven you can never have found peace within yourselves, but still God will be matter of fear and terror to you.

(ii) By waiting on the duties of the gospel, this comfort is more and more settled in the heart.

(2) For eternal life. Having spoke to your hope and scope, let me, secondly, now speak to your work, what you must seek after, and that is, The righteousness of faith.

To enforce this consider–

1. There is no appearing before God without some righteousness of one sort or another. Why? Because it is an holy and just God before whom we appear; and shall not the Judge of all the earth do right (Gen 18:25); and 1Sa 6:20, Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God? If not now in the time of His patience, how, then, in the time of His recompense? His holiness inclineth Him to hate sin, and His justice to punish it. Thy law is exceeding pure (Psa 19:14). The gospel abateth nothing of the purity of it. Now when we appear before an holy God, and must he judged by an holy law, surely we must have holiness and righteousness answerable, or how can we stand in the judgment?

2. No ether righteousness will serve the turn but the righteousness of faith; and therefore, till we submit to the new covenant, we are in a woeful case. Now the righteousness of the new covenant is supreme or subordinate; the supreme by way of merit and satisfaction, the subordinate by way of application and qualification on our parts.

(1) The supreme is the righteousness or obedience of Christ, which can alone deliver us from hell: Job 33:24, Deliver him from going down to the pit, for I have found a ransom. There is no deliverance from eternal destruction, which our sins deserve, but only by the ransom which He hath paid. Till His justice be satisfied by Christ, no good can come unto us.

(2) The subordinate righteousness, which qualifieth us, and giveth us an interest, is faith, repentance, and new obedience; all which are hugely necessary, convenient, and gracious terms. (T. Manton, D. D.)

The hope of righteousness reasonable

How foolish and ignorant we should esteem an artificer, who, having taken a piece of iron, should melt and mould, file and polish it, and then imagine that it has become gold! It shines, it is true; but is its brilliancy a proof that it is no longer iron? And does not God require pure and refined gold; that is to say, a perfect righteousness and a perfect holiness? (Malan.)

Righteousness by faith

As the graft is kept in union with the stock by means of the clay which has been applied by the gardener, so is the believer united to Christ by faith, which is the gift of God. The clay cement keeps the parts together, but has no virtue in itself: so faith is the means of union to Christ; it shows that the husbandman has been there. When the clay is removed in an ordinary tree, the graft is found united to the stock: so, when faith is swallowed up in sight, then the perfect union of Christ and His people is seen. (J. H. Balfour.)

Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell

Verse 5. For we, Christians, through the Spirit] Through the operation of the Holy Ghost, under this spiritual dispensation of the Gospel, wait for the hope of righteousness-expect that which is the object of our hope, on our being justified by faith in Christ. Righteousness, , may here, as in many other places of St. Paul’s epistles, mean justification, and the hope of justification, or the hope excited and inspired by it, is the possession of eternal glory; for, says the apostle, Ro 5:1-2, Being justified by faith, we have peace with God-and rejoice in HOPE of the GLORY of GOD. But, as this glory is necessarily future, it is to be waited for; but this waiting, in a thorough Christian, is not only a blessed expectation, but also a continual anticipation of it; and therefore the apostle says, , we receive out if it, from , from , out of, and , I receive. This is no fanciful derivation; it exists in the experience of every genuine Christian; he is continually anticipating or receiving foretastes of that glory, the fulness of which he expects after death. Thus they are receiving the end of their faith, the salvation of their souls. 1Pe 1:9.

That they could not have the Holy Spirit without faith, was a doctrine also of the Jews; hence it is said, Mechilta, fol. 52: “That faith was of great consequence with which the Israelites believed in Him who, with one word, created the universe; and because the Israelites believed in God, the Holy Spirit dwelt in them; so that, being filled with God, they sang praises to him.” Cicero, De Nat. Deor., lib. ii., has said: Nemo vir magnus sine aliquo afflatu divino unquam fuit: “There never was a great man who had not some measure of the Divine influence.” However true this may be with respect to the great men of the Roman orator, we may safely assert there never was a true Christian who had not the inspiration of God’s Holy Spirit.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

For we; we Christians, who have truly embraced Christ; or, (as others think), we that are turned from Judaism to Christianity, and so are more concerned in the law, which was not given to the Gentiles, but to us Jews: yet,

through the Spirit, by the guidance and direction or the Spirit, or through the operation of the Spirit in us, we wait for the hope of righteousness; that is, we hope for righteousness; that righteousness whereby we shall be made righteous before God; or, (as some will have it), the crown of righteousness: I had rather understand it of righteousness itself, that having been all along the argument of the apostles discourse here.

By faith; not by our observance of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

5. Forproof of the assertion,”fallen from grace,” by contrasting with the case oflegalists, the “hope” of Christians.

through the SpiritGreek,rather, “by the Spirit”: in opposition to by the flesh(Ga 4:29), or fleshly ways ofjustification, as circumcision and legal ordinances. “We”is emphatical, and contrasted with “whosoever of you would bejustified by the law” (Ga 5:4).

the hope of righteousness“Wewait for the (realization of the) hope (which is the fruit) of therighteousness (that is, justification which comes) by (literally,’fromout of‘) faith,” Rom 5:1;Rom 5:4; Rom 5:5;Rom 8:24; Rom 8:25,”Hope . . . we with patience wait for it.”This is a farther step than being “justified”; not only arewe this, but “wait for the hope” which is connected withit, and is its full consummation. “Righteousness,” in thesense of justification, is by the believer once for all alreadyattained: but the consummation of it in future perfection above isthe object of hope to be waited for: “the crown ofrighteousness laid up” (2Ti4:8): “the hope laid up for you in heaven” (Col 1:5;1Pe 1:3).

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

For we through the Spirit wait,…. Who have believed in Christ, Christians in general, and the apostle and the brethren with him in particular; who also were Jews born, and brought up as such; and yet they did not look for, and expect heaven and happiness through circumcision, or any of the works of the law, but through the righteousness of Christ received by faith, under the influence and testimony of the Spirit of God, and therefore much less should Gentiles:

for the hope of righteousness by faith; by which is meant, not the believer’s justifying righteousness, as if it was something future he is waiting for; for this is already wrought out, and brought in by Christ, the end of the law for righteousness; is revealed in the Gospel from faith to faith; is discovered and applied to the saints by the Spirit of God; is put upon them, and imputed to them by the Father; and is what they now have, not in hope, but in hand; their faith having received it, as their justifying righteousness; in which they will ever be found, living and dying: but eternal glory and felicity is here intended, called “hope”; because it is the object of hope, or is what is hoped for; it is unseen, as what is hoped for is: it is future, and what is to be enjoyed hereafter, and therefore hoped for; it is certain, possible to be enjoyed, though with difficulty; which gives room for hope, and exercises and tries that grace; the foundation and encouragement of hope in it are the person, blood, sacrifice, and righteousness of Christ, who is our hope: and hence it is styled “the hope of righteousness”, because none but righteous persons shall enjoy it: and that by virtue, and in consequence of their being justified by the righteousness of Christ, which gives them their title to it; and hence they look for it, and shall enjoy it, on the foot of justice, as well as of grace and goodness: “waiting” for it supposes it to be certain, real, solid, substantial, valuable, and worth waiting for; which, when possessed, will be with the utmost pleasure, and be abundantly satisfying; and that the persons that wait for it have knowledge, and at least hope of interest in it; and do highly value and esteem it, having their hearts set on it, and looking with contempt on the things of time and sense, in comparison of it: the manner in which they wait is, “through the Spirit”, and “by faith”; the Syriac version reads, “through the Spirit, which is of faith”; that is, by the Spirit received through faith; see Ga 3:14 but it is best to consider them apart; believers look and wait for heaven, under the influence and encouragement of the Spirit of God; who is the author of the faith by which they look for it, and of the hope which is concerned with it; and who is the revealer and applier of the righteousness of Christ, the foundation of it; and which gives some glimpses of the heavenly glory to the saints, shows them their interest in it, witnesses to their sonship, and so to their heirship; and is the pledge and earnest of their inheritance; all which gives great strength and encouragement to faith, by which they also expect it; believing not only the reality of it, but their own interest in it; and so walk by faith in the believing views thereof, until they receive the end of it.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

For we ( ). We Christians as opposed to the legalists.

Through the Spirit by faith ( ). By the Spirit (Holy Spirit) out of faith (not law). Clear-cut repetition to make it plain.

Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament

For we [ ] . Gar for introduces a proof of the preceding statement, by declaring the contrary attitude of those who continue under the economy of grace. Ye who seek to be justified by the law are fallen from grace; for we, not relying on the law, by faith wait for the hope of righteousness.

Through the Spirit [] . The Holy Spirit who inspires our faith. Not as Lightfoot, spiritually. The words pneumati ejk pistewv are not to be taken as one conception, the Spirit which is of faith, but present two distinct and coordinate facts which characterize the waiting for the hope of righteousness; namely, the agency of the Holy Spirit, in contrast with the flesh (comp. Rom 7:6; Rom 8:4, 15, 16; Eph 1:13; Eph 2:22), and faith in contrast with the works of the law (comp. chapter Gal 3:3, and see chapter Gal 2:16; Gal 3:3; Rom 1:17; Rom 3:22; Rom 9:30; Rom 10:6).

By faith [ ] . Const. with wait, not with righteousness.

Wait for [] . Quite often in Paul, and only twice elsewhere, Heb 9:28; 1Pe 3:20. See on Phi 3:20.

The hope of righteousness [ ] . Hope for the object of hope, as Rom 8:24; Col 1:5; Heb 6:18; Tit 2:13. The phrase means that good which righteousness causes us to hope for. Comp. hope of the calling (Eph 1:18; Eph 4:4) : hope of the gospel (Col 1:23). 81

Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament

1 ) “For we through the spirit,” (hemeis gar pneumati) “For we in the spirit;” We who believe, who exist in the spirit, who quickens, makes alive, begets to eternal life, Joh 3:5-7; Joh 6:63.

2) “Wait for the hope,” (apekdechometha elpida) “eagerly expect (the) hope,” the object of hope, the eventual adoption of our bodies to an heirsetting with Jesus Christ. We wait with fervent expectancy of hope, Rom 8:11; Rom 8:23; Eph 1:13-14; Tit 2:13.

3) “Of righteousness by faith,” (ek pisteos dikaiosunes) “Of righteousness by or out of faith,” not righteousness out of the law of Moses. The hope for which the righteous wait by faith is the blessed hope of the second coming of Jesus Christ and the bodily resurrection, and, or rapture, of all who expectantly look for him, Rom 4:5; 1Th 4:13-18; Rom 8:11; Heb 6:17-20; Heb 9:28; Heb 10:37.

Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary

5. For we through the Spirit. He now anticipates an objection that, might readily occur. “Will circumcision then be of no use?” In Jesus Christ, he replies, it availeth nothing. Righteousness, therefore, depends on faith, and is obtained, through the Spirit, without ceremonies. To wait for the hope of righteousness, is to place our confidence in this or that object, or, to decide from what quarter righteousness is to be expected; though the words probably contain the exhortation, “Let us continue steadfastly in the hope of righteousness which we obtain by faith.” When he says that we obtain righteousness by faith, this applies equally to us and to our fathers. All of them, as Scripture testifies, (Heb 11:5,) “pleased God;” but their faith was concealed by the veil of ceremonies, and therefore he distinguishes us from them by the word Spirit, which is contrasted with outward shadows. His meaning therefore is, that all that is now necessary for obtaining righteousness is a simple faith, which declines the aid of splendid ceremonies, and is satisfied with the spiritual worship of God.

Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary

(5) Through the Spirit.Through the operation of the Spirit. It is the Spirit which makes faith effectual and righteousness real. The righteousness which comes by the Law is entirely human or carnal, the product of a mans own efforts. The righteousness which is by faith is the gift of God, and that gift is communicated through the Spirit.

Wait for.The Greek word means to wait earnestly or eagerly, as in Rom. 8:19; Rom. 8:23; Rom. 8:25, et seq.

The hope of righteousness.The righteousness which is the object of our hopes; the hoped-for, promised righteousness. More often the Apostle speaks of the state of righteousness as conferred upon the Christian at his baptism. This is, however, only a sort of ideal or potential righteousness; it is a state inherent in that kingdom of which the Christian then becomes a member, not a state inherent in the Christian himself. This ideal or potential righteousness becomes real and actual only at the end of the Christians career, when it is finally confirmed to him. Looking forward to this point, it is an object of hope.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

5. Wait for the hope Hope, here, means the object hoped for; the hope – object. See notes, Rom 8:24; Col 1:5; Tit 2:13; Heb 6:18. Note also on promise, Gal 3:14.

Righteousness As this righteousness is waited for, many commentators understand it of the final justification at the judgment.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

‘For we, through the Spirit, by faith wait for the hope of righteousness.’

For those who are Christians walk through the Spirit by faith. And they are waiting for the final hope when they will be presented holy, unblameable and unreproveable in His sight (Col 1:22). This is the Christian Gospel. The grace of God has provided His Spirit to work in men’s heart and lives. So those who are His respond to Him in faith with the result that they await the hope of righteousness. Biblical hope is always certain hope. And the Spirit’s work is then the guarantee of the final perfection of His people (Eph 4:12-13; 1Pe 5:10) and it all results from the response of faith. To fall away from this, and to try to attain such righteousness by religious ritual and behaviour is to fall away from grace indeed. It is to reject the Spirit.

‘The hope of righteousness.’ Either what we hope for because we have been reckoned as righteous (Gal 2:20), or the hope that we have of being made truly righteous.

Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett

Paul warns against the leaven of false doctrine:

v. 5. For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.

v. 6. For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth anything nor uncircumcision, but faith which worketh by love.

v. 7. Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?

v. 8. This persuasion cometh not of Him that calleth you.

v. 9. A little leaven leavens the whole lump.

v. 10. I have confidence in you through the Lord that ye will be none otherwise minded; but he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment, whosoever he be.

In a beautiful summary of some of the main points of Christian doctrine the apostle here, first of all, reminds the Galatians of the spiritual benefits which are theirs by virtue of their Christian faith. Instead of placing our trust in the righteousness of the Law and hoping to obtain salvation by observing Jewish rites and ceremonies, we believers, through the Holy Spirit, through faith, expect the hope of righteousness. Faith in Jesus Christ is wrought by the Holy Spirit, by whom it is also nourished and maintained, who gives the pledge of its fulfillment, 2Co 1:22; Eph 1:14; Rom 3:11-23. By this faith we not only possess the righteousness of Jesus Christ here in time, but we also have the certain hope of being justified on the great Day of Judgment. All those that remain in faith by the power of the Spirit are sure of their gracious acceptance by God at the final judgment.

Works of the Law, ceremonies of the Jewish ritual are therefore entirely ruled out, as well as any merit in man: For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision has any power nor uncircumcision, but faith active through love. In the sphere in which Christ is active, in which He rules with His grace and mercy, all human activity cannot be considered as having any merit. God’s acceptance of a sinner is not influenced by the fact that he has received circumcision, that rite has nothing to do with his justification; nor could one pride himself upon the fact that he had not received the Jewish rite, a Gentile Christian that presumed to boast against his Jewish neighbors was making a very foolish mistake. For it is faith, and faith alone, faith that accepts the righteousness of Jesus Christ, faith that therefore is operative and active in works of love, which avails in the Christian hope. By faith the believers obtain the salvation earned for all men by Christ’s atoning work; and this same faith shows its life in the manifold deeds of love which are praised so highly in Scriptures. As Luther writes: “He that hears the Word of Christ in all sincerity, and adheres to it in faith, will also soon be clothed with the spirit of love. ” And again: “Oh, but faith is a living, busy, active, powerful thing, so that it is impossible that it should not always be doing something good. It does not ask whether good works are to be done, but before one asks, it has done them and is always active in doing them.”

Having shown what glorious blessings are in the possession of the believers, the apostle next describes the backsliding of the Galatians: You were running splendidly. They had just reached that stage in their spiritual life and its manifestations where Paul could feel a measure of satisfaction over the fine showing which they made; they seemed to be on the road to Christian perfection, as he concluded from the eagerness with which they pursued their course in holiness. Therefore it is a matter of such great concern to him: Who placed an obstruction in your way not to be obedient to the truth? Just as a runner is diverted from the path or prevented from continuing in the race by some unforeseen obstacle, so the Galatians had suddenly been hindered in their course of faith and sanctification. They were no longer yielding an attentive ear to the truth of the Gospel as preached by Paul; they were forsaking the way of righteousness by faith. Paul answers his question himself: That kind of persuasion does not come from Him that called you. It was God who had called them in the first place, through the Gospel-preaching of Paul, to which they had given ready heed at that time. But the present persuasion had a different source; this willingness to listen to false teachers had its origin in a far different place, which Paul’s tactful way of speaking here indicates: it was the work of the devil, the arch-enemy of the Gospel.

Warningly the apostle therefore calls out to his readers: A little leaven leavens the whole mass. See 1Co 5:6. Just as the slightest bit of yeast, or leaven, when introduced into a mass of dough, will soon penetrate the entire lump and cause it to partake of its own nature, thus any false doctrine will quickly influence all the other doctrines of the Christian Church and work moral and spiritual corruption. The suggestions of the Judaizing teachers might seem harmless enough to the Galatians, but the principle underlying their teaching was of a nature to subvert the fundamental doctrines of Christianity. This holds true for all times; for, as Luther says, one word of God is all, and all words of God are one; all articles of Christian faith are one, and one includes them all; if we therefore give up one, then all the rest will fall away singly, for they all are connected and belong together. If a person gives up the inspiration of the Bible, he will soon have no passage to stand on; if a minister teaches wrong in the doctrine of conversion, he thereby opens the door to all manner of legalistic and heathenish doctrines. To resist the entering wedge of false doctrine, therefore, is a matter of prime importance to every Christian.

Although the false teachers felt confident that they had shaken the allegiance of the Galatians, Paul, nevertheless, had not given up all hope with regard to them: I, for my part, am persuaded in regard to you in the Lord that you will not be otherwise minded in anything. Paul was fighting for the souls of the Galatians, and he was confident in the Lord that the designs of the false teachers would not be consummated. He was sure that the Christians to whom he had brought the Gospel amidst so many difficulties would not alter the conviction of their hearts, would not really yield to the false doctrine. The real fault lay on the other side, the blame for the present condition would attach to the offenders, to the disturbers of the spiritual peace in Galatia, every one of whom, no matter what his standing, would be obliged to bear his condemnation. The sentence of God by which He expresses His disapproval and judgment upon such offenders would be found a galling burden.

Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann

Gal 5:5. For we It is evident, from the context, that St. Paul here means himself; but we, is a more graceful way of speaking than I, though he be vindicating himself alone from the imputation of setting up circumcision.

Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke

Gal 5:5 . Ground e contrario for the judgment passed in Gal 5:4 on those becoming righteous by the law; derived, not generally from what makes up the essence of the Christian state (Hofmann), but specially from the specific way in which Paul and those like him expect to be justified. The reasoning presupposes the certainty, of which the apostle was conscious, that the are those who are not separated from Christ and have not fallen from grace.

] we , on our part: “qui a nobis dissentiunt, habeant sibi,” Bengel.

] is not (with Luther) to be considered as one idea (“ Spiritu, qui ex fide est ”), since there is no contrast with any other spirit, but rather as two points opposed to the in Gal 5:4 : “ by means of the Spirit, from faith , we expect,” etc.; so that the Holy Spirit is the divine agent , and faith in Christ is the subjective source of our expectation. On , comp. Rom 7:6 ; Rom 8:4 ; Rom 8:15 f., Eph 1:13 f., Eph 2:22 , et al.; and on , comp. Gal 2:16 , Gal 4:22 , Rom 1:17 ; Rom 3:22 ; Rom 9:30 ; Rom 10:6 , et al . We must not therefore explain either as the spirit of man simply (with Grotius, Borger, Fritzsche, and others), or (comp. on Rom 8:4 ) as the spiritual nature of man sanctified by the Holy Spirit (Winer, Paulus, Rckert, and others; comp. Baumgarten-Crusius, de Wette, Hofmann); but similarly to Gal 5:16 , as the objective , which is the divine principle of spiritual life in Christians, and which they have received (Gal 3:2 ; Gal 3:5 , Gal 4:6 ). And the Holy Spirit is the divine mainspring of Christian hope, as being the potential source of all Christian sentiment and Christian life in general, and as the earnest and surety of eternal life in particular (2Co 1:22 ; 2Co 5:5 ; Eph 1:14 ; Rom 8:11 ; Rom 8:23 ).

.] (Rom 8:19 ; Rom 8:23 ; Rom 8:25 ; 1Co 1:7 ; Phi 3:20 ; 1Pe 3:20 ) does not indeed denote that he who waits is wholly spent in waiting (Hofmann), but rather (comp. generally Winer, de verb. compos . IV. p. 14) the persistent awaiting , which does not slacken until the time of realization (C. F. A. Fritzsche in Fritzschior. Opusc . p. 156). The genitive is not appositionis (Wieseler), so that the sense would be: “the righteousness hoped for by us ,” the genitive with never being used in this way; but it is the genitive objecti: the hope of being justified , namely, in the judgment, where we shall be declared by Christ as righteous. At variance with the context, since justification itself is in question (see Gal 5:4 ), others understand it as the genitive subjecti , as that which righteousness has to hope for , [224] that is, the hoped for reward of righteousness , namely, eternal life. So Pelagius, Beza, Piscator, Hunnius, Calovius, Bengel, Rambach, Baumgarten, Zachariae, Koppe, Borger, Paulus, Windischmann, Reithmayr, and others; comp. also Weiss, bibl. Theol . pp. 333, 341. The fact that the itself that is, the righteousness of faith , and not that of a holy life (Holsten) is presented as something future , need not in itself surprise us, because during the temporal life it exists indeed through faith, but may nevertheless be lost (see Gal 5:2 ; Gal 5:4 ), and is not yet a definitive possession, which it only comes to be at the judgment (Rom 8:33 f.). In a corresponding way, the , although it has been already entered upon through faith (Gal 3:26 , Gal 4:5 ), is also the object of hope (Rom 8:23 ). This at the same time explains why Paul here speaks in particular of an ; he thereby indicates the difference between the certainty of salvation in the consciousness (Rom 8:24 ) of the true Christians, and the confidence, dependent upon works, felt by the legally righteous, who say: , because in their case the becoming righteous is something in a continuous course of growth by means of meritorious obedience to the law. Lastly, the expression is not to be explained by the supposition that Paul, when he wrote , had it in his mind to make follow (Winer, Usteri, Schott), an interpretation which is all the more arbitrary, because there is no intervening sentence which might divert his thought, but the hope is treated objectively (comp. on Col 1:5 ; Rom 8:24 ; Heb 6:18 ), so that belongs to the category of the familiar expressions , (Lobeck, Paralip . p. 501 ff.). Comp. Act 24:15 : , Tit 2:13 ; Job 2:9 ; Isa 28:10 ; 2Ma 7:14 ; Eur. Alc . 130: ; Dem. 1468. 13: . The Catholic doctrine of the gradual increase of righteousness ( Trident . vi. 10. 24, Dllinger) is entirely un-Pauline, although favoured by Romang, Hengstenberg, and others. Justification does not, like sanctification, develope itself and increase; but it has, as its moral consequence (Gal 4:6 ), sanctification through the Spirit, which is given to him who is justified by faith. Thus Christ is to us , 1Co 1:30 .

[224] Hofmann, in fact, arrives at the same result, although he rejects the interpretation of the genitive as the gen. subjecti: “To wait for the blessing of righteousness already prepared for him, which constitutes the substance of his hope ,” consequently for the of his , 2Ti 4:8 (see Huther in loc . Exo 3 ).

Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary

DISCOURSE: 2079
THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF FAITH

Gal 5:5. We, through the Spirit, wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.

THE object of St. Paul, in this epistle is, to maintain and establish the doctrine of justification by faith alone, without the deeds of the law. This doctrine had been assailed and controverted by Judaizing teachers, who had gained such influence in the Church, as to draw multitudes after them, and to intimidate even the Apostles themselves. We are told that Peter, through fear of the circumcision, dissembled, and drew Barnabas also, his friend and fellow-labourer, into a participation of his crime. St. Paul, with becoming zeal, set himself to stem the tide. He felt for the honour of God, whose Gospel was thus perverted; and for the welfare of immortal souls, whose salvation was endangered; and, without partiality, he rebuked Peter in the face of the whole Church; shewing that all mixture of the Law with the Gospel was a fatal error; and that all who would be saved must seek salvation wholly and exclusively by faith in Christ.
Having concluded his argument, he enforces the truth he had established; and declares, that all who were under the influence of the Spirit of God would wait for the hope of righteousness, not by works, but by faith alone.
The words before us will lead me to shew,

I.

To what every true Christian looks for justification before God

The context makes known to us the Apostles views
[The energy of the Apostle on this subject is such as must, on no account, be overlooked. He declares, in opposition to the Judaizing teachers, that the blending of the Law with the Gospel, in any respect, would make void all that Christ has done and suffered for us; that it would bring us back altogether to the covenant of works, which promised nothing but to perfect obedience; and that it was, in fact, an utter renunciation of the Gospel, and a contempt of all the grace contained in it. Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. Christ is become of no effect unto you: whosoever of you are justified by the law, ye are fallen from grace. Now, of all works that could be performed, circumcision was the most innocent: for it had been expressly commanded of God, from the first moment that Abraham had been admitted into covenant with him: it was enjoined under the penalty of death: Moses himself was in imminent danger of being slain by God for the neglect of it: and, though abrogated by the Gospel, St. Paul had sanctioned the observance of it in the case of Timothy. Yet, says St. Paul, the observance of this rite, with a view to increase or confirm your interest in the Gospel, will invalidate the Gospel altogether, and plunge your souls into inevitable perdition.

Having solemnly asserted and testified of these things, he goes on to declare what he himself, and all true Christians, looked to for their justification before God: we, we Apostles, we who are truly under the influence of the Spirit, wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. We renounce every other hope whatever: we blend nothing with the merits of Christ: we look for acceptance through His righteousness alone: and we expect to obtain an interest in it, and to be made partakers of it, simply and solely by faith in Him.]

In accordance with these are the views of every true Christian
[Every one who is but a babe in Christ knows that he neither has, nor can have, any righteousness of his own. Having transgressed the law, he feels that he is obnoxious to its curse denounced against him; and that he must obtain some better righteousness than his own, if ever he would find acceptance with God. He looks into the Scriptures, and learns, that the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, the co-equal, co-eternal Son of God, has left his throne of glory, and assumed our nature; and in that nature has suffered the penalty which we had merited, and obeyed the law which we had broken; and has thereby brought in an everlasting righteousness for all who believe in him. Convinced of this, he casts himself entirely on the Lord; calling him The Lord our Righteousness; and saying, In the Lord have I righteousness and strength. Thus, renouncing all hopes by the works of the law, he waits for the hope of righteousness by faith alone. He considers that righteousness as wrought out on purpose for him: he regards it as promised to him the very instant he believes in Christ: he looks to him by faith, in order to obtain an interest in it; and he waits for it Gods appointed time: he waits for it here, even for the manifestation of it to his soul; and he waits for it hereafter, as the ground of his acquittal at the bar of judgment, and as the ground of his elevation to the throne of glory. At no period does he hope for any thing on the ground of his own merits: and though he knows that his works shall be rewarded, he looks for that recompence, not as a reward of debt, but of grace: and to God alone does he give all the glory of his salvation, from first to last.]

As the Apostle ascribes his experience in this respect to the agency of the Holy Spirit, it will be proper for me to shew,

II.

How far the Holy Spirit operates to the production of these views

In God we live, and move, and have our being. But, in the economy of redemption, there is a special office assigned to the Third Person of the ever-blessed Trinity, even that of applying all its benefits to the souls of men, and rendering it effectual for their salvation. It was through the Spirit that the Apostle waited for the hope of righteousness by faith:

1.

Through his teaching in the word

[All the prophets, from the beginning, have spoken by inspiration of God, even as they were moved by the Holy Ghost [Note: 2Ti 3:16. 1Pe 1:10-11 and 2Pe 1:21.]. Now, from the beginning has the Holy Spirit declared, that our hope of righteousness is solely by faith in Christ. To Adam, as soon as he had fallen, was it made known, that the Seed of the woman, the Lord Jesus Christ, should bruise the serpents head, and repair the evil which that wicked fiend had introduced. Abel, we arc told, by faith offered an acceptable sacrifice unto his God. Now this presupposes a revelation from God in relation to that sacrifice: for there can be no scope for the exercise of faith, where nothing has been revealed. Here, then, it is clear, that God had made known to Abel, that a sinner should be saved through the intervention of a sacrifice, even of that Great Sacrifice which should in due time be offered upon the cross, the Lord Jesus Christ; who is therefore called, The Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Through all successive ages was this represented by a variety of types, and proclaimed in a variety of prophecies; to particularize which will be unnecessary, because St. Paul expressly affirms all that we have asserted:Now, says he, the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; even the righteousness of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe [Note: Rom 3:21-22.]. Here, I say, we are not only directed to the Lord Jesus Christ as the only Author of salvation, but we are told that his righteousness is the ground of our hope; that we must obtain an interest in it by faith; and that to this way of salvation both the law and the prophets have borne witness from the beginning. It is clear, therefore, that if we ever attain to it at all, it must be through the Spirits teaching in the word.]

2.

Through his influence upon the soul

[To this way of salvation man is extremely averse. He wants to have something of his own whereon to trust, and something which shall serve him as a ground of glorying before God. No human power can divert him from this: no arguments can convince him; no persuasion can move him; not all the promises or threatenings of the Scriptures can induce him to renounce all self-confidence, and rely on Christ alone. God himself must make him willing in the day of his power. And this work the Holy Spirit effects. He convinces the man, of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment [Note: Joh 16:8.]: of sin, so as to make him feel himself lost and utterly undone; of righteousness, so as to shew him that in Christ there is a sufficiency for the very chief of sinners; and of judgment, so as to assure him, that, by faith in this Saviour, Satan himself shall be vanquished, and bruised under his feet.

But, as man, whilst ignorant of his own sinfulness, disdains to accept of mercy in Gods appointed way; so, when his eyes are opened to see how unworthy he is, he is ready to think that God never can shew mercy to one so vile as he. Here, therefore, the Holy Spirits operations are again called for: and here he exerts himself effectually for the production of the desired end. Having first inclined the person, and made him willing to submit to Gods method of justifying a sinner, he next encourages and enables him to repose his confidence in God, and to accept the proffered mercy. This the Holy Spirit does, by revealing Christ unto his soul, in all the fulness of his sufficiency, and in all the freeness of his grace. He glorifies Christ: he takes of the things that are Christs, and shews them unto the trembling soul [Note: Joh 16:14.]; and thus overcomes his reluctance on the one hand, and his diffidence on the other. In this way the person is brought to see, that righteousness is by faith only; and to hope for that righteousness, yea, and to wait for it, till it shall please God to make known to him his interest in it, and to speak peace unto his soul.]

Address
1.

Those whose views of this subject are indistinct

[All have a hope of righteousness, which, in some way or other, shall prove sufficient for their acceptance, when they go hence. But, if we come to examine the grounds of their hope, we find that few, very few, have their views clear, decided, scriptural. To renounce all dependence on our own works, to have no leaning whatever to any righteousness of our own, is a very rare attainment. If we were told, that the smallest measure of self-righteousness would make Christ himself of no effect to us, and leave us in the very state of the fallen angels, who have no Saviour, we should account it harsh. We are willing that the Lord Jesus Christ should have the principal share of the glory arising from our salvation, but not all. Beloved brethren, I pray you, examine into this matter: see whether you can be content to be saved precisely as one of the fallen angels would be, if he were now plucked as a brand out of the burning. You must be brought to this. Why was it that so many millions of moral and religious Jews have perished, whilst millions of immoral and idolatrous Gentiles have been saved? It has arisen from this: the Jews could not be brought to renounce all dependence on the law; whilst the Gentiles have thankfully accepted the righteousness provided for them in the Gospel. The Jews have stumbled, as thousands of Christians also do, at that stumbling-stone: for, on this account, Christ has proved to them no other than a rock of offence; whilst to those who have believed in him he has invariably proved a rock of salvation [Note: Rom 9:30-33.]. And this is the peculiar danger of those who are most moral, and most religiously inclined. It was the Jews, who had a great zeal for God, who fell into this unhappy snare, and would not submit to the righteousness provided for them in the Gospel [Note: Rom 10:2-4.]. I pray God, that you, my brethren, may not reject the overtures that are now made to you. I believe that there are many of you who have a zeal of God: but I fear that, in many cases, it is not a zeal according to knowledge. You do not clearly see that Christ is the end of the law for righteousness; and that he is so to those only who believe [Note: Rom 10:2-4.]. I beseech you, leave not this matter unexamined, and undecided, in your minds: but beg of God to reveal his Son in you; and that you may never be suffered to rest, till you can say, with the Apostle, I desire to be found in Christ, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith [Note: Php 3:9.].]

2.

Those who, whilst they have these views, are afraid fully to rely upon them

[A free and full salvation, even to the chief of sinners, and simply by faith in Christ, seems to be so rich a blessing, that it would be presumptuous in any human being to entertain a hope of it: and, from this feeling, many are led to put it away from them, as too great ever to be obtained. But, my brethren, if God has revealed it, and absolutely appointed it as the one only way in which he will receive sinners to himself, who are we that we should refuse it? This is a false humility. If we could see ourselves possessed of some worthiness, then we should be content to receive salvation at Gods hands: but, because we see our utter unworthiness, we put it from us. But this is greatly to dishonour God, and grievously to insult the Lord Jesus Christ; yea, and to do despite also to the Holy Spirit, who has revealed this salvation to us. Be content to receive all freely from God, as you receive the light of the sun, and the very air you breathe. Remember, that the more unworthy you feel yourselves to be, the more will his grace be exalted and magnified. There is a righteousness already wrought out for you, and ready to be imparted to you. It is appointed to be received simply and solely by faith. It is the hope laid up for you in heaven: and you are to wait for it, in the exercise of earnest and continual prayer. O! beg of the Holy Spirit to reveal it fully to your souls, and to overcome all your doubts and all your fears; and so to work faith in your hearts, that you may be filled with peace and joy in this world, and attain, in a better world, the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.]

Fuente: Charles Simeon’s Horae Homileticae (Old and New Testaments)

(5) For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.

I detain the Reader at this verse, just to make a short remark. The waiting for the Spirit to make manifest Christ’s righteousness to the soul of the believer, is a beautiful testimony of God the Holy Ghost’s grace, upon this occasion. I hardly know a passage in the Bible, which so blessedly, and fully makes known, this great office-work of the Holy Ghost. It appears then most decidedly from hence, that until God the Holy Ghost, by this his special act, hath fixed our minds upon Christ’s Person and righteousness, so as to make us completely satisfied with both; and that we have done with every other method of justification, and are delighted with this, as God himself is delighted: the full consent of soul is not obtained. But when God the Spirit, who keeps us in waiting for it, and at length makes it known; we then rest with full assurance of faith, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Reader! do you enter with my soul, into an apprehension of this precious, precious work, of God the Holy Ghost? Oh! then, think how sweetly the words and promise of Jesus are here, as in a thousand other instances fulfilled, when he said of the blessed Spirit: he shall glorify me, for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. Joh 16:14 .

Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

5 For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.

Ver. 5. For we through the Spirit ] We apostles hope for righteousness by faith. If you will go to heaven any other way, you must erect a ladder, and go up alone, as Constantine said to Acesins the Novatian heretic, Erigito scalam, Acesi, et solus ascendito.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

5 .] Proof (hence ) of . . ., by statement e contrario of the condition and hope of Christians . Emphasis (1) on , as opposed to , (2) on (not ‘ mente ’ (Fritz.), nor ‘ spiritually ,’ Middleton, al., but by the (Holy) Spirit, reff.), as opposed to , the fleshly state of those under the law, see ch. Gal 4:29 , (3) on , as opposed to , which involves .

] Is this genitive objective , the hope of righteousness, i.e. the hope whose object is perfect righteousness, or subjective , the hope of righteousness, i.e. the hope which the righteous entertain viz. that of eternal life? Certainly I think the former : for this reason, that has the emphasis, and . . answers to above ‘ Ye think ye have your righteousness in the law: we , on the contrary, anxiously wait for the hope of righteousness (full and perfect).’ The phrase may be paralleled, Act 24:15 ; Tit 2:13 ; Eur. Alcest. 130, ; Polyb. viii. 21. 7, .

Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament

Gal 5:5 . . In the absence of an article this dative must have an adverbial force, and should be rendered in spirit . The Holy Spirit is uniformly designated to . . This verb expresses eager expectation rather than the attitude of patient waiting attributed to it in our versions. True faith in Christ inspires a confident hope of acceptance ( ) before God.

Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson

Spirit. App-101.

wait for. Greek. apekdechomai. Compare Rom 8:19, Rom 8:23, Rom 8:25; 1Co 1:7. Php 1:3, Php 1:20. Heb 9:28.

righteousness. Greek. dikaiosune. App-191.

by. Greek. ek. App-104.

faith. Greek. pistis. App-150.

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

5.] Proof (hence ) of . . ., by statement e contrario of the condition and hope of Christians. Emphasis (1) on , as opposed to ,-(2) on (not mente (Fritz.), nor spiritually, Middleton, al., but by the (Holy) Spirit, reff.), as opposed to , the fleshly state of those under the law, see ch. Gal 4:29,-(3) on , as opposed to , which involves .

] Is this genitive objective, the hope of righteousness, i.e. the hope whose object is perfect righteousness,-or subjective, the hope of righteousness, i.e. the hope which the righteous entertain-viz. that of eternal life? Certainly I think the former: for this reason, that has the emphasis, and . . answers to above-Ye think ye have your righteousness in the law: we, on the contrary, anxiously wait for the hope of righteousness (full and perfect). The phrase may be paralleled, Act 24:15; Tit 2:13; Eur. Alcest. 130, ; Polyb. viii. 21. 7, .

Fuente: The Greek Testament

Gal 5:5. , for we) I and all the brethren, and as many of us as are in Christ. Let those, who differ from us, keep their views to themselves.-, in the spirit of grace) Without circumcision, etc.- ) from the faith of Christ; comp. the preceding verse.- , hope of righteousness) Righteousness is now present; and that affords us hope, for the time to come. Rom 5:4-5.-) We wait for, and obtain by waiting for it. A double compound. Paul includes and confirms present things, while he mentions those that are future.

Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament

Gal 5:5

Gal 5:5

For we through the Spirit by faith wait for the hope of righteousness.-A Christian guided and led and strengthened by the Spirit waits for the things hoped for, or promised to the righteousness that comes by faith, not for that which comes through the works of the law of Moses. The righteousness that comes by faith is the righteousness to which faith in Jesus Christ leads. Faith in Christ works by love, and leads to trusting obedience to his will. In that trusting obedience we are in heart, life, and character made like unto Christ, so that the righteousness through faith becomes our righteousness.

Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary

Chapter 26

The Hope of Righteousness

For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.

Gal 5:5-6

Paul has fully demonstrated the fact that the justification of Gods elect is free and complete, that it is entirely detached from and is in no way connected with our own obedience to the law, and is received by faith alone. In the opening verses of this chapter he calls for all who know this righteousness, for all who trust the Lord Jesus Christ, to stand fast in the blessed liberty of grace. That liberty is the perfect and complete freedom Christ has, by himself alone, obtained for us by his obedience and death as our sin-atoning Substitute. He has, as the great Head and Surety of his church, redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us.

Free in Christ

Therefore, the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death (Rom 8:2). We are free in Christ. Let us cherish and stand fast in that blessed liberty our Savior has obtained for us. He has, as our Surety and Representative, answered every demand of Gods holy law and justice. He has paid our debt for every sin, suffered our penalty for every breach of Gods law, and thereby completely satisfied divine justice for us. As our Surety, he has magnified the law and made it honorable (Isa 42:21). Upon the basis of his finished work of righteousness and redemption, he says to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that sit in darkness, Show yourselves (Isa 49:9). We are not under the law, but under grace (Rom 6:15).

The whole church of God, therefore, and every individual soul of that church, is delivered from the curse of the law: from guilt, from sin, from the accusations of Satan, the alarms of conscience, unbelief, and all the whole train of evils of a fallen state. And it is the privilege of all the church of God to behold themselves in Christ, perfectly holy in him. For Christ and his church being one, what Christ is in Gods sight so must the church be. And, as God hath declared himself well pleased in him, the church is included in this view, and is holy and without blame before him in love. (Robert Hawker)

Sinners Still

Every child of God is freely, fully, completely holy in Christ before God. We are eternally accepted in the Beloved (Eph 1:6). He was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin (1Jn 3:5). Yet, we are (in ourselves) sinners still. We still carry within us the body of sin and death. In the new birth God the Holy Spirit created a new nature within us, but our old, Adamic nature is unchanged. That old nature is altogether unholy. All that is evil in the world is in us by nature. We feel the assaults of sin. We groan and mourn under the weight of inward corruption. We are ever at war within ourselves. As Paul stated it, we delight in the law of God after the inward man; but we constantly find that when we would do good evil is present with us, and we cannot do the things we would (Rom 7:14-23).

Christ has freed us from all the condemnation due to sin, but not yet from its inward corruption. He has freed us from the penalty due to our sins, but not yet from the sorrow of sin. Christ has conquered sin, death, hell, and the grave for us, and has made us more than conquerors in him. Yet, so long as we are in the world, we must struggle against sin in our members. We know, by constant, painful experience the horrible evil that is within us.

Yet, in the teeth of all the wickedness that is in us and that which is done by us the Spirit of God calls for us to Stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free. The terrors of the law have nothing to do with the sinner who is justified by Gods free grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. It is written, If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: and he is the propitiation for our sins (1Jn 2:1-2). There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus (Rom 8:1).

This liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free is unspeakable, blessed liberty. It is written, Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty (2Co 3:17). It is this liberty given by Christ through the indwelling of his blessed Spirit that causes Gods saints in this world to rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Knowing that we are freely, fully, completely justified by Christ, by faith in him we have peace with God and confidently anticipate the glory that awaits us (Rom 4:25 to Rom 5:5).

Through the Spirit

For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith (Gal 5:5). We who believe in Christ by the gift, grace, power, and operations of God the Holy Spirit do not look for and expect heaven and eternal happiness through any law-work performed by us, but through the righteousness of Christ received by faith, under the influence and testimony of the Spirit of God.

It is God the Holy Spirit whose office and work it is to convince chosen, redeemed sinners of the righteousness of God brought in for sinners by the obedience and death of our all-glorious Christ (Joh 16:8-11). When he reveals Christ, he works faith in the heart by convincing Gods elect of their own sin, of righteousness established, brought in for them and imputed to them by Christs obedience in life, and of judgment (condemnation) finished by his obedience unto death.

Until God the Holy Spirit has revealed Christ in us and convinced us of his righteousness, causing us to cast aside all our own imaginary righteousness, being satisfied and delighted with Christ and his righteousness, we can never know this blessed liberty. But when the Spirit of God comes in saving power and grace and reveals Christ in the heart, the chosen, redeemed sinner is delighted to cast off all his carnal hopes and trust Christ alone as THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. Then, ceasing from all our works, we rest with full assurance of faith and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. This is the meaning of our Saviors words in Joh 16:14 He shall glorify me, for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you.

The Hope of Righteousness

For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. When Paul speaks here of the hope of righteousness, he is not referring to the righteousness of Christ imputed to us by which we are justified, as if our justification and righteousness before God is something yet to be hoped for, or as if to imply that we are not yet complete in Christ (Col 2:9-10). Not at all. Our righteousness before God was established, wrought out, and brought in by Christ, who is the end of the law for righteousness. It is revealed in the gospel from faith to faith, being revealed and applied to Gods elect by the Holy Spirit. It is put upon us and imputed to us by the Father. This righteousness is something that is the present possession of all who believe on the Son of God. It is written, Ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus (1Co 6:11). Christ is made of God unto us righteousness (1Co 1:30). Righteousness before God is not something we have in hope, but in hand.

The righteousness of faith is not something we hope to have in the future, but something we have already received. It is called the righteousness of faith, not because faith performed it, or established it, but because faith receives it from God (Rom 5:1-10). This is that righteousness in which we stand and in which we shall ever be found.

The hope of righteousness is the confident, eager, assured hope and expectation of eternal glory with Christ, secured to us by that perfect righteousness that is ours in Christ. Because the righteousness of Christ is ours, because we are assured of that fact by the indwelling Spirit of God by whom the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts, we are assured of our inheritance of eternal glory with Christ as the children of God. In fact, the Holy Spirit is himself the seal and pledge of that inheritance (2Co 1:21-22; Eph 1:13-14; Eph 4:30).

The only basis, foundation, and assurance of our hope is the righteousness of Christ. We know that none but those who are perfectly righteous shall enter into heaven (Rev 21:27). Because Christ is our righteousness and we are made the righteousness of God in him, we eagerly wait for our eternal inheritance upon the ground of justice as well as grace. John Gill wrote

Waiting for it supposes it to be certain, real, solid, substantial, valuable, and worth waiting for; which, when possessed, will be with the utmost pleasure, and be abundantly satisfying; and that the persons that wait for it have knowledge, and at least hope of interest in it; and do highly value and esteem it, having their hearts set on it, and looking with contempt on the things of time and sense, in comparison of it.

Faith and Love

For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love (Gal 5:6). In Christ law-work means nothing. Everything Paul says about circumcision is equally applicable to everything men attempt to join with Christ for righteousness. Though circumcision was the solemn ordinance of God in the Old Testament, those who observe that rite or do anything else to obtain righteousness before God are saying that Christ is not enough, that he has not fulfilled all righteousness, and that his obedience and death were meaningless. They do, in effect, make Christ to be of no effect. They have totally departed from the gospel of the grace of God. Like the Jews of old, they, being ignorant of the righteousness of God in Christ, go about to establish their own righteousness and refuse to submit to Christ alone for righteousness. They have not yet learned the sweet meaning of that blessed assertion of the gospel Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth (Rom 10:3-4).

In the church and kingdom of God the only thing that matters is faith in Christ, that faith that God the Holy Spirit has wrought in and given to every believer, that faith that constantly works and operates upon the basis of the love of God shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. The love of Christ constraineth us (2Co 5:14). This is the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-23).

Faith in Christ shows its existence by love to God and to men. Faith is not a mere intellectual assent to revealed truth. It is that which reaches the heart and controls the affections. Faith is not dead, but operative. It is manifest in kindness and affection. Religion without Christ, all law based (works based) religion, leaves the heart cold and hard, judgmental and harsh, constantly stirring up strife and division, causing its adherents to look down their noses at others and say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me: for I am holier than thou (Isa 65:5). Faith in Christ causes men to know themselves, and that makes them esteem their brethren better than themselves in love. Faith causes saved men and women to be gracious, kind, long-suffering, forbearing, forgiving, and charitable in attitude and in deed. As James puts it, Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world (Jas 1:27).

The love of God shed abroad in our hearts in Christ, not the law given at Sinai, is the believers rule of life. We have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear. We no longer require the rule of fear. We have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father (Rom 8:15). The Holy Spirit working teaches us to love our God and one another. Nothing inspires devotion like liberty. Find a child who is thoroughly happy, and you will see a child who seeks to please his parents, one who looks upon his duties as light, easy, and delightful things. Find one who is miserable, and you will see one whose every duty is like an iron chain upon him. Law is bondage and death. Grace is liberty and life. Walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh (Gal 5:16). If you attempt to live by the law, you cannot do otherwise. If ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law (Gal 5:18).

Fuente: Discovering Christ In Selected Books of the Bible

righteousness

(See Scofield “Rom 10:10”).

Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes

through: Joh 16:8-15, Eph 2:18

wait: Gen 49:18, Psa 25:3, Psa 25:5, Psa 62:5, Psa 130:5, Lam 3:25, Lam 3:26, Hos 12:6, Rom 8:24, Rom 8:25, 1Th 1:10, 2Th 3:5

the hope: Rom 5:21, Phi 3:9, 2Ti 4:8, Tit 2:13

Reciprocal: Psa 24:5 – righteousness Eze 36:27 – I will Joh 16:10 – righteousness Joh 16:14 – for Rom 3:21 – righteousness Rom 4:11 – righteousness Rom 9:30 – even the righteousness 2Co 3:8 – the ministration 2Co 3:9 – the ministration of righteousness 2Co 9:9 – his Eph 1:18 – is Col 1:5 – the hope Col 1:23 – the hope 1Th 1:5 – in the 1Th 5:8 – the hope Heb 6:11 – of hope Heb 11:7 – righteousness Jam 5:7 – Be patient 1Pe 1:22 – through

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Gal 5:5. -For we by the Spirit are waiting for the hope of righteousness from faith. Tyndale’s translation is an exegetical paraphrase: We look for and hope in the Sprite to be justified thorow fayth. The introduces the proof, based on a contrary experience. The Judaists and their party thought themselves justified by works of law; we, on the other hand, by the Spirit, who cometh not through works but faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness, which has also faith as its source. The are the apostle and those who, like him, so thought and felt that Christ did profit them, who also still clung to Christ, and had a living interest in His gracious process of justification.

is the dative of instrument-by the assistance of the Spirit-not as if it were . It plainly in such a context refers to the Holy Ghost, though, like a proper name, it wants the article. The older interpretation of Wolff, Rambach, that the word means doctrina evangelii, is baseless. 2Co 3:6, adduced in proof, presents a sentiment of a different nature and contrast. Nor is it spiritus pro fide (Beza), nor evangelium (Seb. Schmid), nor promissio gratiosa (E. Schmid). Middleton, Peile, Brown, and Windischmann take it adverbially-spiritually, or in a spiritual manner, nach geistiger Weise. Middleton, Greek Art. p. 126. Grotius, Borger, and Fritzsche are disposed to regard it as referring to the human spirit; the first explaining it by intra animam, the second by interioribus animi sensibus, and the third by mente: Opuscula, p. 156. This interpretation takes a very low and incorrect view of the apostle’s statement. Akin to it is another opinion which takes as the human spirit enlightened and spiritualized by the Holy Spirit (Rosenmller, Morus, Paulus, Winer). Winer explains it, in Christi communione; Baumgarten-Crusius, der hhere, heilige Lebensgeist. But the apostle often refers to the Spirit of God as the gift of Christ, as dwelling and working in the heart of believers, and creating and sustaining such graces as that of hope here referred to. Many expositors suppose an ideal contrast in to , as characterizing the genius and form of Jewish observance. But the apostle refers not so much to legal observance by contrast in this verse as to the result of it,-not to the pursuit of right-eousness on the part either of legalists or believers, but to the condition into which those who trust in Christ are brought by the Spirit, who cometh from the hearing of faith. Rather, perhaps, the contrast is: Ye are fallen away from Christ; we, on the other hand, are enjoying the Spirit of Christ given to those redeemed by Him, trusting in Him, in union with Him, and therefore no longer under the law, but heirs, and full of the hope of future blessing: Gal 3:5-7; Rom 8:15; Eph 1:13.

Luther and some others wrongly join to -spiritu qui ex fide est-since, as Meyer remarks, no contrast is made with any other spirit; it is the contrast to of the previous verse. The double compound verb signifies to wait for, and so to be in earnest and constant expectation of (Rom 8:19; Rom 8:23; Rom 8:25; 1Co 1:7; Php 3:20; Heb 9:28; 1Pe 3:20), the sub-local reference being to the place whence the object is expected to come. Fritzschiorum Opusc. p. 156; Eurip. Alcest. 130. It is needless to suppose that there is a pleonasm (Jowett), or to imagine that the apostle originally intended to write (Winer, Usteri, Schott); or, with Matthies, to give the verb the unjustifiable sense of accipimus, wir fassen. is used with another compound, , in Act 24:15 and Tit 2:13. It is not formally, but in thought, a cognate accusative, like , though Winer in his commentary styles it a pleonasm, and likewise Usteri. Lobeck, Paralip. p. 501. Wieseler objects that the noun and verb are not synonymous in meaning; but in these passages quoted, the accusative connected with the verb contains the object of hope,-future good or blessing being the object of expectation, for hope is the expectation combined with the desire of blessing to come.

In the phrase the difficulty is to define the relation of the genitive. First, it may be the genitive of object, righteousness itself being the object of hope. So Theophylact, Winer, Usteri, Rckert, Schott, Olshausen, and Meyer. In that case the meaning is, we wait for the hoped righteousness-justitia sperata-righteousness itself being the object of hope. But the genitive, even with such a meaning, can scarcely be that of apposition (Wieseler, Gwynne). Or, secondly, it may be the genitive of subjective possession-the hope which belongs to righteousness, or that blessing connected with righteousness which is the object of hope. So Pelagius, Hunnius, Bengel, Borger, Windischmann, Bisping, Bagge, and Jowett. Thus Beza makes it coronam gloriae-spem quam justitia praebet. Rosenmller and Koppe err when they give the meaning of omnis felicitas. In this view of the relation indicated by the genitive we are inclined to concur. For,

1. To expect hoped-for righteousness is an idea that enfeebles the argument, and places believers in no strong position as against legalists. They think themselves justified-we hope to be justified. To describe a condition opposed to their delusions about justification, something stronger than mere hope might be expected.

2. Righteousness to believers is a present possession, and as such the apostle usually represents it. Faith brings righteousness now, and such is the illustration in the third chapter. Ellicott’s objection to this, that the Jew regarded as something outward, present, realizable, is of little weight; for what is inner may be regarded equally as present and realizable. It is true, as Neander says, that is one of those divine results which stretch into eternity; but it is perfectly possessed in time, though not in its fullest development. Thus is enjoyed as soon as faith is possessed; but that salvation has a fulness still to be revealed, as is indicated in Rom 13:11, Heb 9:28. Adoption may be described in similar terms.

3. Alford remarks that has the emphasis: this, however, does not favour his view, but ours. We believers have not only righteousness really now, but we are waiting also for the realization of the great hope wrapt up in it; we believers have now and in reality what you legalists imagine you have-justification; nay, we are cherishing the hope which it excites and sustains. Rom 8:30. The hope belonging to this righteousness is final acceptance-future blessedness and glorification, though we do not, as Ellicott, affix this idea to itself, but take it as one of the assured and hopedfor results to which it leads.

The phrase is opposed to , and probably belongs to , though some would connect it otherwise, as if the meaning were-We by the Spirit and out of faith do expect. It is noticeable that all the nouns in this and the following verse want the article. Gersdorf, Beitrge zur Sprach-charact. p. 273, etc.

Fuente: Commentary on the Greek Text of Galatians, Ephesians, Colossians and Phillipians

Gal 5:5. We means Christians whether Jews or Gentiles, who have been taught by the law of the Spirit and not the law of Moses. Righteousness by (the) faith gives hope to those who wait for (rely on it and live and abide by its instructions) the reward held out to be given at the end of the race.

Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary

Gal 5:5. For we, by the Spirit, from faith wait eagerly for the hope of righteousness. For introduces an argument from the opposite for the judgment passed in Gal 5:4 against those who seek justification by the law. By the Spirit, the Holy Spirit, who is the Divine source of faith and spiritual life in us. From faith, which is the subjective source of our expectation. Wait eagerly, or persistently, patiently. The hope of the Christian does not decline, but increase until the time of fruition. Comp. Rom 8:19; Rom 8:23; Rom 8:25; 1Co 1:7; Php 3:20. For the hope of righteousness, the righteousness hoped for by us as a possession that is secured here by faith, but extends into eternity and involves the bliss and glory of the future life. Comp. Rom 8:30. Others take hope as equivalent to the crown of glory which awaits the justified as their reward. The passage affords no aid to the doctrine of a gradual increase of justification, which, as Meyer says here, is entirely un-Pauline. Justification does not, like sanctification, unfold itself and increase, but it has as its normal consequence sanctification through the Spirit, which is given to him who is justified by faith. Thus Christ is to us righteousness and sanctification. 1Co 1:30.

Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament

That is, “We Christians, we believers, through the Spirit which we have received, and not by legal observances, do hope both for such a righteousness as will denominate and constitute us righteous in the sight of God, and also for the crown of righteousness in heaven, which now we wait and hope for here on earth.”

Note, 1. That a believer does not value himself by what he has in hand, but by what he has in hope; his riches are not so much in present possession, as in future expectation: We wait for the hope: that is, for heaven, the good hoped for.

Note, 2. That none have either right to heaven, or can warrantably expect the enjoyments of heaven, who are destitute of righteousness; heaven is here called the hope of righteousness, that is, the rational hope and expectation of righteous persons only.

Note, 3. That it is a righteousness made ours by faith, even the righteousness of the Mediator, which gives us the best title to, and the firmest ground to hope and wait for, the kingdom of heaven and eternal life.

Note, 4. That it is the special work of the Holy Spirit to produce in us the graces of the Spirit, both faith and hope; faith to enable us to apprehend, and hope to enable us to wait for, the crown of righteousness, even eternal glory: We through the Spirit do wait for the hope of righteousness by faith?

Fuente: Expository Notes with Practical Observations on the New Testament

Gal 5:5-6. For we Who believe in Christ, and are his true disciples, having been savingly enlightened in the knowledge of the truth; do, through the influences of the Spirit Without any of these carnal ordinances; wait for In sure confidence of obtaining; the hope of righteousness That is, the righteousness we hope for, and the full reward of it; by faith The only way in which these blessings can be attained; for it is through faith that we receive this righteousness of God, Php 3:9; and by faith we shall obtain the reward. For in Christ Jesus According to the institution which he hath established, according to the tenor of the Christian covenant, or with respect to our having an interest in and union with him; neither circumcision With the most punctual observance of the law; nor uncircumcision With the most exact heathen morality; availeth any thing To our present justification or eternal salvation; but faith alone, even that faith which worketh by love That persuasion of, and confidence in, the love of God to us, manifested in his giving Christ to die for us, and in pardoning and accepting us through Christ, which produces in us love to God in return; and obedience, the fruit of this love, and which worketh in us all inward holiness, and worketh by us all outward holiness. The account which the apostle here gives us of faith, says Macknight, deserves attention. He does not say that it consists in the mere speculative belief of the truths of the gospel, nor in a confident persuasion, taken up any how, that we are actually justified, or that Christ hath died for us in particular. These things are nowhere in Scripture represented as constituting justifying faith; and they who trust to them delude themselves. The faith which is counted for righteousness, according to St. Paul, is such a belief [in Christ and] the truth, as worketh in the mind of the believer by love, and maketh him a new creature, Gal 6:15. The apostle called the attention of the Galatians to this operation of faith, because they were deficient in love to each other, Gal 5:15.

Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

For we through the Spirit by faith wait for the hope of righteousness. [That ye have fallen from grace is apparent by your contrast with us; for we true Christians, not trusting in carnal ordinances, but strengthened by the Spirit, wait for the fulfillment of the hope which righteousness by faith, instead of by law, insures to us.]

Fuente: McGarvey and Pendleton Commentaries (New Testament)

Verse 5

Wait for; depend upon. We are looking to that source as the ground of our reliance.

Fuente: Abbott’s Illustrated New Testament

For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.

Simple fact of where Paul and other believers are in their spiritual life – living by faith and enjoying a righteous life through the Spirit of God.

Fuente: Mr. D’s Notes on Selected New Testament Books by Stanley Derickson

5:5 {2} For we through the {d} Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.

(2) He privately compares the new people with the old: for it is certain that they also did ground all their hope of justification and life in faith, and not in circumcision, but in such a way that their faith was wrapped in the external and ceremonial worship. But our faith is without such ceremony, and content with spiritual worship.

(d) Through the Spirit who brings about faith.

Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes

Paul’s approach, and the one he tried to persuade the Galatians to adopt, was simply to trust God to deliver all that we anticipate in the future because we are now righteous (justified). [Note: Fung, pp. 225-26.] This hope includes our ultimate glorification (cf. Rom 8:18-25; 1Pe 1:3-4; 1Pe 1:13). We do not work for this, but we wait for it. Paul typically used "righteousness" to describe what we have now because of justification, but he used "salvation" to stress our future deliverance. [Note: "Eagerly await" (Gr. apekdechometha) appears seven times in the New Testament in reference to Christ’s return (Romans 8:19, 23, 25; 1 Corinthians 1:7; Galatians 5:5; Philippians 3:20; Hebrews 9:28).] God does not care if a Christian has a circumcised body or not. What does matter is that we trust God because we love Him. Paul united the three basic Christian virtues in these verses: faith, hope, and love. The Holy Spirit makes all three possible.

"This verse on its own merits would show that Paul is not out of harmony with James’ doctrine of faith plus works (Jas 2:24 ff.)." [Note: Guthrie, Galatians, p. 130.]

"We must guard against the misunderstanding current especially in Catholic theology (though Protestantism is far from exempt) that only faith made perfect in love leads to justification. This represents a serious distortion of the relationship between faith, love, and justification. In speaking of justification Paul never talks of faith and love, but only of faith as receiving. Love is not therefore an additional prerequisite for receiving salvation, nor is it properly an essential trait of faith; on the contrary, faith animates the love in which it works." [Note: Bornkamm, p. 153.]

Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)