John Calvin Commentary Galatians 3:27

"For as many of you as were baptized into Christ did put on Christ." — Galatians 3:27 (ASV)

As many of you as have been baptized. The greater and loftier the privilege is of being the children of God, the farther it is removed from our senses, and the more difficult it is to believe. He therefore explains, in a few words, what is implied in our being united, or rather, made one with the Son of God, so as to remove all doubt that what belongs to him is communicated to us. He uses the metaphor of a garment when he says that the Galatians have put on Christ; but he means that they are so closely united to him that, in the presence of God, they bear the name and character of Christ and are viewed in him rather than in themselves. This metaphor or similitude, taken from garments, occurs frequently, and we have discussed it in other places.

But the argument that, because they have been baptized, they have put on Christ, appears weak. For how far is baptism from being efficacious in all? Is it reasonable that the grace of the Holy Spirit should be so closely linked to an external symbol? Does not the uniform doctrine of Scripture, as well as experience, appear to refute this statement?

I answer, Paul customarily treats the sacraments from two points of view. When he is dealing with hypocrites, in whom the mere symbol awakens pride, he then loudly proclaims the emptiness and worthlessness of the outward symbol and denounces, in strong terms, their foolish confidence. In such cases, he contemplates not the ordinance of God, but the corruption of wicked men. When, on the other hand, he addresses believers who make proper use of the symbols, he then views them in connection with the truth—which they represent. In this case, he makes no boast of any false splendor as belonging to the sacraments but calls our attention to the actual fact represented by the outward ceremony. Thus, in accordance with the Divine appointment, the truth comes to be associated with the symbols.

But perhaps someone will ask: Is it then possible that, through the fault of men, a sacrament can cease to bear a figurative meaning? The reply is easy.

Though wicked men may derive no advantage from the sacraments, they still retain undiminished their nature and force. The sacraments present, both to good and bad men, the grace of God. No falsehood attaches to the promises which they present of the grace of the Holy Spirit.

Believers receive what is offered; and if wicked men, by rejecting it, make the offer unprofitable for themselves, their conduct cannot destroy the faithfulness of God or the true meaning of the sacrament. Quite properly, then, does Paul, in addressing believers, say that when they were baptized, they put on Christ; just as, in the Epistle to the Romans, he says,

that we have been planted together into his death,
so as to be also partakers of his resurrection (Romans 6:5).

In this way, the symbol and the Divine operation are kept distinct, and yet the meaning of the sacraments is manifest, so that they cannot be regarded as empty and trivial displays; and we are reminded with what base ingratitude those are chargeable who, by abusing the precious ordinances of God, not only make them unprofitable for themselves but turn them to their own destruction!