Galatians
Chapter 3
Verses 15-22: Paul
anticipated and refuted a possible objection to his use of Abraham to
prove the doctrine of justification by faith that the giving of the
law at Sinai after Abraham brought about a change and a better method
of salvation. The apostle dismissed that argument by showing the
superiority of the Abrahamic Covenant (verses 15-18), and the
inferiority of the law (verses 19-22).
Galatians 3:15
"Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though [it be] but a
man's covenant, yet [if it be] confirmed, no man disannulleth, or
addeth thereto."
“Brethren”: This
term of endearment reveals Paul’s compassionate love for the
Galatians – which they may have begun to question in light of his
stern rebuke (verses 1, 3).
“Man’s
covenant”: Even human covenants, once confirmed, are considered
irrevocable and unchangeable, how much more a covenant made by an
unchanging God (Mal. 3:6; James 1:17).
“Confirmed”
(ratified, validated): The stipulations of a will, once ratified,
cannot later be invalidated or added to.
A covenant is
actually an unbreakable agreement. Many times the covenant was sealed
with blood. Even covenants between two earthly men were binding.
The word
"disannulleth" means neutralize, or violate. A covenant was
more than just an agreement. It was an unbreakable agreement. We see
then that the covenant that God made with Abraham was not ever to be
broken.
Galatians 3:16
"Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith
not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which
is Christ."
“Promises”:
Those associated with the Abrahamic Covenant (Gen. 12:3, 7; 13:15-16;
15:5, 18; 17:8; 22:16-18; 26:3-4; 28:13-14). Because they were made
both to Abraham and his descendants, they did not become void when
Abraham died, or when the law came.
“Seed”: Verse
19. The quote is from Gen. 12:7. The singular form of the Hebrew
words, like its English and Greek counterparts, can be used in a
collective sense. Paul’s point is that in some Old Testament
passages (e.g., Gen. 3:15; 22:18), “seed” refers to the greatest
of Abrahams’ descendants, Jesus Christ.
This leaves no doubt
at all, that the promises that were made to Abraham belong to all
believers in Christ. We need not try to explain this Scripture, just
know that it is true, and accept it.
Romans 12:5 "So
we [being] many are one body in Christ, and every one member’s one
of another."
We see beyond a
shadow of doubt that these promises made to Abraham were for all who
believe in Christ.
Galatians 3:17
"And this I say, [that] the covenant, that was confirmed before
of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years
after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none
effect."
“Four hundred and
thirty years”: From Israel’s sojourn in Egypt (Exodus 12:40) to
the giving of the law at Sinai (1445 B.C.). The law actually came 645
years after the initial promise to Abraham (2090 B.C.; Gen. 12:4;
21:5; 25:26; 47:9), but the promise was repeated to Isaac (Gen.
26:24) and later to Jacob (1928 B.C.; Gen. 28:15).
The last known
reaffirmation of the Abrahamic Covenant to Jacob occurred in Gen.
46:2-4 (1875 B.C.) just before he went to Egypt – 430 years before
the Mosaic Law was given.
“The covenant”:
The Abrahamic Covenant.
“Confirmed before
of God”: Once God ratified the covenant officially (see notes on
Gen. 15:9-21), it had lasting authority so that nothing and no one
could annul it.
The Abrahamic
Covenant was unilateral (God made the promise to Himself,) eternal
(it provide for everlasting blessing), irrevocable (it will never
cease), unconditional (in that it depended on God, not man), but its
complete fulfillment awaits the salvation of Israel and the
millennial kingdom of Jesus Christ.
The verse might be
read as follows: “I say this: the law, which appeared 430 years
later, cannot void the covenant earlier ratified by God, so as to
make the promise ineffective.” Paul’s point is this: If a human
will, once confirm, cannot be altered (verse 15), how much less will
the divine covenant be changed 430 years after its ratification by
God.
The Abrahamic
covenant promised justification by faith. In the 430 years after its
ratification by God. The Abrahamic covenant promised justification by
faith. In the 430 years between the giving of this covenant and the
law’s appearance, God justified man by faith.
When the law
appeared it did not – indeed, it could not – void this principle
of justification by faith. Had it done so, the law would have made
God’s promise of no effect.
This is saying, that
even though the law was given to Moses about 430 years after this
promise was made to Abraham, it does not fulfill the promise made to
Abraham, or do away with it. God had to bring them this way, so they
could see that law alone would not save anyone.
These 430 years was
really the time the family of Jacob lived in Egypt before Moses, sent
by God, delivered them. This is certainly not the exact time from the
time of Abraham, until the children were delivered out of Egypt.
The law was like
Ishmael. It was of the flesh. Grace and Isaac were of the Spirit.
This covenant, made with Abraham, was not flesh, but Spirit. The
first is not the Spirit, but the second.
Galatians 3:18
"For if the inheritance [be] of the law, [it is] no more of
promise: but God gave [it] to Abraham by promise."
Paul again
emphasized that there is no middle ground between law (works) and
promise (grace); the two principles are mutually exclusive ways of
salvation (Rom. 4:14). An “inheritance” by definition is
something granted, not worked for, as proven in the case of Abraham.
The first half of
this verse is only hypothetical. Were “the inheritance”
(salvation) a result of obeying “the law,” then it would not be
the result of believing God’s “promise.” The verse’s latter
half rejects the hypothesis of the first half: “Abraham” was
divinely given justification because of his faith in God’s
“promise.”
If the keeping of
the law could bring the inheritance, it would not be an inheritance.
An inheritance is something you receive at the death of another,
which you have not earned. It is given to you because of your
relation to the one who died. This shows, not only the greatness of
the inheritance, but the greatness of the giver of the inheritance.
God, through Jesus Christ, willed us the great inheritance. It is
ours by Sonship.
Verses 19-22: Having
shown the superiority of the promise to Abraham (verses 15-18); Paul
described the inferiority of the law, and its purpose.
Galatians 3:19
"Wherefore then [serveth] the law? It was added because of
transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was
made; [and it was] ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator."
“Was added because
of transgressions”: Paul’s persuasive argument that the promise
is superior to the law raises an obvious question: What was the
purpose of the law? Paul’s answer is that the law reveals man’s
utter sinfulness, inability to save himself, and desperate need of a
Savior – it was never intended to be the way of salvation (Rom.
7:1-13).
“By angels”: The
bible teaches that angels were involved in the giving of the law
(Acts 7:53; Heb. 2:2), but does not explain the precise role they
played.
“Seed”: Jesus
Christ.
Since the law can
neither save (verses 10-14) nor can it annul the Abrahamic covenant
(verses 15-18), what purpose did it serve? “It was added”
[alongside the covenant] “because of transgressions,” that is, to
reveal the hideous character of man’s sin. Transgression was
subsequent, not prior to, the law.
The
law laid down the divine standard, and when man overstepped it, he
became guilty of transgression. The inferiority of the law to the
Abrahamic covenant is seen in three ways.
(1)
The law “was added” after the covenant and thus was subordinate
to it.
(2)
The law was temporary; being in effect only “till the seed”
[Jesus] “should come.”
(3) Unlike the
covenant God gave directly to Abraham, the law “was ordained”
(handed down) indirectly by God through “angels” to its
“mediator,” Moses (Acts 7:53).
The laws and
ordinances were for a purpose. Had there been no law, we would not
have been aware of our need for the Savior. Every man was doing what
was right in his own sight, and God gave the law to show the error.
All of the sacrifices for sin and transgressions were a type and
shadow of the great sacrifice that Jesus made all of us.
The mediator (go
between) we see here, is no other than Moses. Moses received the law
and passed it on to the people. God used angels to communicate with
man, as he did with the three angels that appeared to Abraham. The
seed (singular) the promise was made to, of course, was Jesus Christ.
Galatians 3:20
"Now a mediator is not [a mediator] of one, but God is one."
“Mediator”:
Paul’s point is apparently that a “mediator” is required when
more than one party is involved, but God alone ratified the covenant
with Abraham.
We see from this,
that the mediator is actually a go-between. In the case of Moses as
mediator, he is between God and mankind. He represented God to
mankind and mankind to God. The way “God is one”, is in the
Spirit.
1 John 5:7 "For
there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and
the Holy Ghost: and these three are one."
Galatians 3:21
"[Is] the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for
if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily
righteousness should have been by the law."
Paul uses the
strongest Greek negative to disdain the idea that the law and the
promise are at opposite purposes. Since God gave them both and does
not work against Himself, law and promise work in harmony; the law
reveals man’s sinfulness and need for the salvation freely offered
in the promise. If the law could have provided righteousness and
eternal life, there would be no gracious promise.
The many differences
between law and covenant (“promise”) might seem to imply that the
two are opposed to one another. This is not the case. Assuming for
the moment that “righteousness” (salvation) could come by
meritorious works, then law and promise would be in competition. But
as it is, they are complementary.
This is saying, if
man could have lived up to the law, it would have brought life. Man,
however, could not keep every little detail of the law. Jesus did not
come to do away with the law, but to fulfill the law. He took care of
all the sacrifices and the ordinances for us.
The sacrifice of
Jesus body on the cross took care of all sacrifices for all time for
everyone who will believe. Our righteousness is ours, because we have
been washed in the blood of Jesus and been clothed in His
righteousness.
Verses 22-24: In
antiquity the “schoolmaster” was a family slave who led a boy to
and from school, overseeing his conduct. In like manner, “the law”
pointed out our “sin” and led us to “Christ,” who alone can
put away sin.
Galatians 3:22
"But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the
promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that
believe."
“Concluded all
under sin”: The Greek verb translated “shut up” (concluded),
means “to enclose on all sides.” Paul portrays all mankind as
hopelessly trapped in sin like a school of fish caught in a net. That
all people are sinners is the express teaching of Scripture (Rom.
3:19; 1 Kings 8:46; Psalm 143:2; Prov. 20:9; Eccl. 7:20; Isa. 53:6;
Rom. 3:9-19, 23; 11:32).
If you say you have
not sinned, you are a liar, and the truth is not in you. We have all
sinned; we are just forgiven if we believe that Jesus was our payment
for our sin.
John 3:17 "For
God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that
the world through him might be saved."
Romans 4:13 "For
the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, [was] not to
Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the
righteousness of faith."
Galatians 3:23
"But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto
the faith which should afterwards be revealed."
“Before faith
came”: From the viewpoints of both the history of redemption and
through all times in the area of individual salvation (verses 19,
24-25; 4:1-4), only saving faith unlocks the door of the prison where
the law keeps men bound.
“We were kept
under the law”: Paul personifies the law as a jailer of guilty,
condemned sinners, on death row awaiting God’s judgment (Rom.
6:23).
“The faith …
afterwards be revealed”: Again Paul was looking at the coming of
Christ, historically and at each believer’s salvation,
individually. Faith in Christ alone releases people from bondage to
law, whether the Mosaic law, or the law written on the hearts of
Gentiles (Romans 2:14-16).
Those who depended
on the law did not operate in faith. They felt that the keeping of
the law made them perfect in the sight of God. The sad thing about
all the sacrifices that they made was that it did not clear their
conscience of their sin. Their sin was covered for a year, but not
done away with.
Jesus does away with
our sin. He put our sin as far away as the east is from the west, and
He does not want us to remember it any more. His blood washed our sin
completely away. The "we”, which was spoken of in the verse
above, is all God's people, not just Jews.
Galatians 3:24
"Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster [to bring us] unto
Christ, that we might be justified by faith."
“Schoolmaster”:
The Greek word denotes a slave whose duty it was to take care of a
child until adulthood. The “schoolmaster” escorted the children
to and from school and watched over their behavior at home.
Schoolmasters were
often strict disciplinarians, causing those under their care to yearn
for the day when they would be free from their tutor’s custody. The
law was our schoolmaster which, by showing us our sins, was escorting
us to Christ.
When I study the
laws and ordinances of the Old Testament, I feel terrible guilt. That
is what is meant by the law being our schoolmaster. The law taught us
how guilty of sin we really are and that within ourselves there is no
way to pay the awful price that we owe.
We needed a Savior.
Jesus Christ took our place on the cross. The pain that He bore
should have been paid by each of us. He substituted Himself for us.
He paid our debt in full.
Verses 25-26:
Believers, through faith in Jesus Christ, have come of age as God’s
children. Thus, they are not under the tutelage of the law (Rom.
6:14), although they are still obligated to obey God’s holy and
unchanging righteous standards which are now given authority in the
New Covenant (6:2; Rom. 8:4; 1 Cor. 9:21).
Galatians 3:25
"But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a
schoolmaster."
After one’s
conversion to Christ, he is no longer under the curse of the law, as
it has fulfilled its divinely intended purpose.
There is a
confidence that comes in knowing (having faith) the Lord Jesus has
taken care of it for us. We do not go around trying to keep a group
of laws in a book. We keep the law God has placed in our heart.
Jesus said, If you
love me, you will keep my commandments. His commandments are written
on the fleshly part of every believer's heart. We no longer need a
schoolmaster; we just follow Jesus in our heart.
Galatians 3:26
"For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus."
“Children of God”:
While God is the Father of all people in a general sense because He
created them (Acts 17:24-28), only those who have put their faith in
Jesus Christ are God’s true spiritual children. Unbelievers are the
children of Satan (Matthew 13:38; John 8:38, 41, and 44; Acts 13:10;
1 John 3:10; Eph. 2:3; 1 John 5:19).
“For”
corroborates the assertion of the Christian’s no longer being under
law. The reason is “ye are all the children” [or, sons] “of
God.” The Greek word rendered “children” is huioi, which means
full-grown, adult sons. As the minor is no longer under his
schoolmaster upon reaching adulthood, so one is no longer under the
condemnation of the law upon believing in Christ and becoming God’s
son.
Romans 8:15 "For
ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have
received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father."
Look, with me, at
what happens just because we believe in Jesus.
John 1:12 "But
as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of
God, [even] to them that believe on his name:"
In the following
Scripture, we will see that the promise to the seed of Abraham is our
promise, as well, if we believe in Jesus.
Romans 8:17 "And
if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ;
if so be that we suffer with [him], that we may be also glorified
together."
Galatians 3:27
"For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put
on Christ."
“Baptized into
Christ”: This is not water baptism, which cannot save (see notes on
Acts 2:38; 22:16). Paul used the word “baptized” in a
metaphorical manner to speak of being “immersed,” or “placed
into” Christ (2:20) by the spiritual miracle of union with Him in
His death and resurrection. Rom. 6:3-4: 1 Cor. 6:17.
“Put on Christ”:
The result of the believer’s spiritual union with Christ. Paul was
emphasizing the fact that we have been united with Christ through
salvation. Positionally before God, we have put on Christ, His death,
resurrection, and righteousness (Phil. 3:8-10). Practically, we need
to cloth ourselves with Christ before men, in our conduct (Rom.
13:14).
“For” confirms
the Galatians’ place as the sons of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
“As many of you” means “all of you.” “Baptized into Christ”
means “brought into an intimate relation with Christ.” As such
they “have put on Christ.” To “put on someone” is an ancient
idiom for assuming the standing or position of another person.
To “put on
Christ,” therefore, means to assume (adopt); His standing before
God. Since Jesus is God’s Son, the Galatians are God’s sons, thus
confirming verse 26. This verse may be paraphrased, “For all of you
who have been brought into an intimate relationship with Christ have
assumed His own standing before God, namely, His Sonship.”
True baptism for a
believer is being buried in the watery grave and rising to new life
in Him. We no longer live, but Christ liveth in us. We are actually
clothed in His righteousness. We were clothed in sin, before we
became a Christian, but after we receive Him, He takes our sin and
clothes us in His righteousness.
Galatians 3:28
"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free,
there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ
Jesus."
“For ye are all
one in Christ Jesus”: All those who are one with Jesus Christ are
one with one another. This verse does not deny that God has designed
racial, social, and sexual distinctions among Christians, but it
affirms that those do not imply spiritual inequality before God.
Nor is this
spiritual equality incompatible with the God-ordained roles of
headship and submission in the church, society and at home. Jesus
Christ, thought fully equal with the father, assumed a submissive
role during His incarnation (Phil. 2:5-8).
This expresses the
logical outcome of the Galatians’ having “put on Christ” (verse
27) and, hence, being “the sons of God” (verse 26). God views
them all the same (“ye are all one”) – as His sons, there being
no ethnic (“Jew, Greek”), social (“bond, free”), or sexual
(“male, female”) distinctions.
I have said so many
times in these lessons, that God is not interested in the flesh of
mankind. It is in the flesh that we are different nationalities and
different genders. The spirit does not have a color or a sex. It is
the spirit of mankind that Jesus quickens, not the flesh. The part of
us that is made in the image of God is the spirit. God is a Spirit.
If we are in the
image of someone who is Spirit, then we must be spirit, too. The real
me, is not the flesh you see with your eyes, but is the spirit which
dwells within this body of flesh. My spirit is a son of God. Look in
the words of Jesus, how we are one in Him.
John 17:21 "That
they all may be one; as thou, Father, [art] in me, and I in thee,
that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou
hast sent me."
Galatians 3:29
"And if ye [be] Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs
according to the promise."
“Abraham’s
seed”: See note on verse 7. Not all physical children of Abraham
are the “Israel of God” (6:16), that is, true spiritual children
of Abraham (Rom. 9:6-8). Gentile believers who are not physical
children of Abraham are, however, his spiritual children in the sense
that they followed the pattern of his faith (Rom. 4:11-12).
“Heirs according
to the promise”: All believers are heirs of the spiritual blessing
that accompanied the Abrahamic Covenant – justification by faith
(Gen. 15:6; Rom. 4:3-11).
The only "if"
in all of this, is if ye be Christ's. Have you given yourself over
completely to Christ? Are you truly His, or are you pretending? He
knows the difference. He will separate the pretenders, when we stand
before Him on judgment day.
His sheep will be
gathered into heaven to be with Him. The pretenders will go the way
of the goats to eternal damnation. The seed of Abraham is Jesus. We
inherit the promises, because we belong to Jesus. Do not let even one
more hour pass, before you give yourself completely to Jesus.
