3:5 Who is Paul referring to here as he that ministers the Spirit and works miracles among the Galatians?
3:5 Who is Paul referring to here as he that ministers the Spirit and works miracles among the Galatians?
There are some in the church who believe that Paul is referring to himself here as working miracles among the Galatians by the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit in him, and not by the works of the law, when he first came to Galatia to establish these very churches to which he is now writing.
However, that is not correct.
The Greek construction of the verse clearly teaches that he who ministered the Spirit and worked miracles among them is the same person - God.
The word ministereth is from the Greek word epichoregeo, which means to supply abundantly or bountifully - only God can minister spiritual provision like this (cp Col 2:19; 2Pe 1:10-11). The word miracles is from dunamis (cp 1Cor 12:10; 2Cor 12:12).
Here we see the reference is to the Holy Spirit conferring miracle working powers upon Paul and others in the New Testament church.
What Paul is really asking the Galatians in effect in 3:5 is, does God, who gives you the Spirit and works miracles among you do so because you obey the law, or because you have faith in the gospel message you heard (cp Ro 10:17).
We also learn from Paul's question in Ga 3:5 that he was referring to the Galatians being baptized in the Spirit, because the point he made was that the miracles wrought among them attested to the empowering of the Holy Spirit, proving that they were saved by grace, not works (cp V11).