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James Montgomery Boice · Citado em PreceptAustin
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Boice - The reader is now at the peak of the first section of Paul's argument. It is a throwback to the question of Gal 3:5. Who are the ones who enter into spiritual blessing? The answer is: Those characterized by the approach of faith are blessed along with Abraham, who had faith. Besides, since the blessing of Abraham is declared to have been intended for the Gentiles also, how could the Gentiles be blessed except by faith? To have been blessed in any other way would have involved their ceasing to be Gentiles. (The Expositor's Bible Commentary)
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Boice comments on the meaning of suffer in this verse - "There is some ambiguity in the question "Have you suffered so much for nothing... ?" It may imply actual suffering, as the English word generally does. Or it may refer simply to the Galatians' previous spiritual experiences. NEB takes this approach by translating, "Have all your great experiences been in vain... ?" Neither view makes a great deal of difference for interpreting the letter as a whole, but the latter seems to fit the immediate context better. In this case, the experiences of the Galatians are further amplified by the reminder in v. 5 that God was working miracles in their midst through the power of his Holy Spirit. (The Expositor's Bible Commentary)
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Boice says "faith excludes law, and law by its very nature excludes faith." A T
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Boice - If God had been blessing Abraham and his posterity through the way of promise for 430 years and if he was to do the same for all men through Christ and his posterity, how could the giving of the law annul this promise? It could not, as even the human analogy of covenants and wills shows. Therefore, the law cannot add to, nor subtract from, God's first and only way of salvation. (The Expositor's Bible Commentary) Spurgeon on a covenant previously ratified by God, - Is that not a splendid argument? The covenant was made with Abraham that God would bless him and his seed. Well, 430 years after, the law was given on Sinai, but that could not affect a covenant made 430 years before. The argument goes to prove that the covenant of grace is not affected by any law of rites and ceremonies—no, not even by the moral law itself. The covenant made with Abraham and his seed must stand. The seed signifies those who believe; therefore, the covenant stands fast with Abraham and all other believers. Phil Newton contrasts the covenant of Abraham ratified by God and covenant of the Law - The uniqueness of this covenant with Abraham, as opposed to the covenant of Mt. Sinai (i.e., the covenant of the Law), is found in the details of its arrangement. In the covenant of Law ratified at Mt Sinai, God obligated Himself to bless the children of Israel upon their total obedience to His Law. He also obligated Himself, in the same covenant, to curse the children of Israel upon their disobedience to His Law. This was a covenant of "mutual obligations." The Israelites were obligated to obey the Law in its entirety, including all of its ceremonial and civil aspects (Deuteronomy 5:33; cf Jer 11:7-8). The Lord was obligated to bless or curse Israel, depending on how well they did in their part of the bargain. Obviously, Israel failed in their part of the covenant!The covenant with Abraham, on the other hand, was "one-sided." The Lord God obligated Himself to bless Abraham and all who come to faith in the Lord, unconditionally. (Sermon) De Haan - Paul illustrates in this verse the fact that ONCE under the grace of God, the Law has no more dominion. He takes first the covenant of grace to Abraham and then the Law of God through Moses 430 years later. The fact that Israel failed under the Law does not annul God’s covenant of grace made before with Abraham. Invalidate (208)(akuroo from a = without + kuroo = to confirm) means to cancel, make invalid, deprive of power. Used in Gal 3:17 and once in Mt 15:6 where Jesus told the Pharisees they had "invalidated the word of God for the sake of your tradition" and once in Mk 7:13 with a similar meaning as the use in Matthew. Previously ratified (only NT use)(4300)(prokuroo from pro = before + kuros = validity, confirmation) means to establish or confirm beforehand, to cause to be in force earlier or in advance, to validate in advance. Perfect tense speaks of past completed action and ongoing effect or even better permanence. The ratification will remain valid throughout eternity! You are secure in Christ Jesus! MacArthur gives a great summary - The Abrahamic Covenant was unilateral (God made the promise to Himself), eternal (it provided 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. (MacArthur Study Bible) Covenant (1242) see previous discussion of diatheke So as to nullify the promise - so as to (with a view to) abolish the promise and make it void. Wuest has "with the result that the promise becomes inoperative." In other words, God's intention of giving the Law was not to abrogate the promise given to Abraham some 430 years before. That was never the purpose of the Law. Nullify (void, cancel) (2673)(katargeo from kata = intensifies meaning + argeo = to be idle or inactive from argos = ineffective, idle, inactive from a = without + érgon = work) literally means to reduce to inactivity. The idea is to make the power or force of something ineffective and so to render powerless. The promise (1860) see preceding discussion of epaggelia/epangelia H A
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Boice points out that "In the first part of this verse Paul gives a capsule statement of the major truths of the first three chapters of Romans: the law shows that all—the immoral person, the ethical person, and the religious person—have sinned and need a Savior (ED: SEE ROMANS ROAD BELOW). The second half of the verse reminds us that there is indeed a Savior and that it had always been God's purpose to save a great company through faith in him. Seen from this angle, even the law flowed from God's grace, because it prepared men and women to receive the Lord Jesus Christ when he came. In the last phrase, "faith," the sole means of grace, is again prominent." (The Expositor's Bible Commentary) Scripture (1124)(graphe) in the NT only of sacred writing scripture; used to designate the Scripture(s) as a whole or any particular part or single passage. Bruce Barton on Scripture - By Scripture, Paul may have had in mind Deuteronomy 27:26 or the series of verses that he later quoted in Romans 3:10-18, which describe the universal sinfulness of mankind (Ps 5:9; 10:7; 14:1-3; 36:1; 140:3; and Isaiah 59:7-8). Or he may have been thinking of the Pentateuch as the biblical context of the law itself, filled with the record of unrelenting rebelliousness against God. What must be understood, however, is that the Scriptures speak with one voice when describing the human condition—we are sinners. (Life Application Bible Commentary – Galatians) Under sin - Under the dominion of sin, the very state believers are no longer under as Paul explained in Ro 6:14+ declaring "For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under (hupo) law but under (hupo) grace." Vine explains why it is so important for men and women to fully grasp that outside of Christ they are under the power of sin for "only those that are conscious of guilt will seek justification. Cp. the words of the Lord Jesus, Luke 5:32 “I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”" John
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Boice - This verse is probably the most obscure verse in Galatians, if not in the entire NT....Whatever the details of the interpretation—and there probably will never be perfect agreement on Paul's precise meaning—the general thought seems to be that the promise must be considered superior to the law because the law is one-sided. The law was mediated, and this means that man was a party to it. The promise, on the other hand, is unilateral; man is not a party to it. This thought is intended to reinforce what Paul has said earlier about the unconditional and unilateral nature of the promises. (The Expositor's Bible Commentary)
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Boice adds that the Law condemns all men "so that they might turn from attempts to please God through legalism (~REPENTANCE) and instead receive the promise of God through faith in Jesus Christ." (The Expositor's Bible Commentary) The Law is a court of justice, but the Gospel a throne of grace. - George Swinnock Who believe (4100)(pisteuo) here describes one continually having (present tense) a firm conviction as to the mercy, goodness, efficacy, and ability of Jesus to be our Savior from our sins.
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Boice - The second half of the verse reminds us that there is indeed a Savior and that it had always been God’s purpose to save a great company through faith in him. Seen from this angle, even the law flowed from God’s grace, because it prepared men and women to receive the Lord Jesus Christ when he came. In the last phrase, “faith,” the sole means of grace, is again prominent. (The Expositor's Bible Commentary) Ryken - The law is a guardian, refusing to let go until it hands us directly over to Christ. W E Vine on be revealed notes that "until the revelation was made there was no way of escape from the strict surveillance and the unrelenting condemnation of the law. But when Christ came He led out from that fold all who heard His voice and followed Him, and to them He gave eternal life, John 10:28, as a free, unearned gift." Revealed (601)(apokalupto from apó = from + kalúpto = cover, conceal, English = apocalypse - see apokalupsis) literally means to remove the cover from and so the idea is to remove that which conceals something. Almost all of the NT uses have a figurative sense referring to some aspect of spiritual truth that was heretofore hidden but now has had the "lid removed" so that it can be seen (understood). Here the secret so to speak was "faith" (pistis) Revealed is in the passive voice (be revealed) and in this context would be the "divine passive" for only the Spirit of God could remove our spiritual blindness and give us eyes of faith to see that belief in the Messiah was the "key" to our release from the dark dungeon in which we were shut up by the Law (Gal 3:23) and Sin (Gal 3:22). The fourth stanza of Charles Wesley's classic aptly describes our release from imprisonment by the Law and Sin...Play Steve Green's vocal version of And Can It Be? Long my imprisoned spirit lay, fast bound in sin and nature's night; thine eye diffused a quickening ray; I woke, the dungeon flamed with light; my chains fell off, my heart was free, I rose, went forth, and followed Thee. My chains fell off, my heart was free, I rose, went forth, and followed Thee. No condemnation now I dread; Jesus, and all in Him, is mine; alive in Him, my living Head, and clothed in righteousness divine, bold I approach th' eternal throne, and claim the crown, through Christ my own. Bold I approach th' eternal throne, and claim the crown, through Christ my own. Galatians 3:23-25 TODAY IN THE WORD A good teacher is like a guide, not only knowing but also showing the way. A teacher's life-experience can be a valuable part of a student's learning experience. With these axioms in mind, in 1986 evangelist Leighton Ford began a ministry to find and develop young evangelical leaders. In 1992, he started the Arrow Leadership Program, a focused, group-oriented, two-year training program emphasizing evangelism and leadership skills. Ford told Christianity Today: ""I sensed a desire among the younger generation of emerging leaders for a highly personalized leadership development program. They hungered for mentoring relationships with older leaders and affirmation between peers--and above all, a program that stressed character development alongside skills for growing ministries."" As Paul explains in today's reading, the law was God's ""development program"" for the Jews, teaching and guiding them. First, yesterday's main idea continues: that the law led to the fulfillment of the promise. The verb in verse 23 often has the connotation of protecting rather than imprisonment for punishment, and probably should be so understood here. God protected His children from the excesses of the heathen nations through the controls of the law. The purpose of this protective function of the law was to urge or push people to faith. In verse 24 the law as a teacher leads men to faith. In Greek the law is called ""paidagogos,"" not a ""didaskalos."" In other words, the law was an inferior slave or servant (""paidagogos"") committed with the task of bringing the master's son to school or to the schoolmaster (""didaskalos""). The ""pedagogue"" was charged with disciplining the child and giving him moral training, by protecting him and regulating his outward habits. That was all the law could do; but when it led the son to Christ, its work was finished. Christ was the schoolmaster (""didaskalos""), a point of Paul's illustration which would have been clear to the Romans of that day. APPLY THE WORD Salvation is one of the most precious gifts God has given us. As we've been studying Galatians, our hope is that you are gaining a greater appreciation for God's grace and our redemption in Christ. Galatians 3:24 Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. Greek - hoste o nomos paidagogos hemon gegonen (3SRAI) eis Christon hina ek pisteos dikaiothomen (1SAPS) Amplified: So that the Law served [to us Jews] as our trainer [our guardian, our guide to Christ, to lead us] until Christ [came], that we might be justified (declared righteous, put in right standing with God) by and through faith. Amplified (2015) With the result that the Law has become our tutor and our disciplinarian to guide us to Christ, so that we may be [a]justified [that is, declared free of the guilt of sin and its penalty, and placed in right standing with God] by faith. ESV So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. KJV Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. NET Thus the law had become our guardian until Christ, so that we could be declared righteous by faith. NLT Let me put it another way. The law was our guardian until Christ came; it protected us until we could be made right with God through faith. Phillips Or, to change the metaphor, the Law was like a strict governess in charge of us until we went to the school of Christ and learned to be justified by faith in him. Wuest So that the law became our guardian until Christ, in order that on the grounds of faith we might be justified. (Eerdmans Publishing) YLT so that the law became our child-conductor -- to Christ, that by faith we may be declared righteous, GNT Galatians 3:24 ὥστε ὁ νόμος παιδαγωγὸς ἡμῶν γέγονεν εἰς Χριστόν, ἵνα ἐκ πίστεως δικαιωθῶμεν· ASV Galatians 3:24 So that the law is become our tutor to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. CSB Galatians 3:24 The law, then, was our guardian until Christ, so that we could be justified by faith. NIV Galatians 3:24 So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. NKJ Galatians 3:24 Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. NRS Galatians 3:24 Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be justified by faith. NAB Galatians 3:24 Consequently, the law was our disciplinarian for Christ, that we might be justified by faith. NJB Galatians 3:24 So the Law was serving as a slave to look after us, to lead us to Christ, so that we could be justified by faith. GWN Galatians 3:24 Before Christ came, Moses' laws served as our guardian. Christ came so that we could receive God's approval by faith. BBE Galatians 3:24 So the law has been a servant to take us to Christ, so that we might have righteousness by faith. the law: Ga 3:25 2:19 4:2,3 Mt 5:17,18 Ac 13:38,39 Ro 3:20-22 7:7-9,24,25 Ro 10:4 Col 2:17 Heb 7:18,19 9:8-16 10:1-14 justified: Ga 2:16 Ac 13:39 Galatians 3:23-29 Under the Law or in Christ? - John MacArthur Galatians 3:24-25: The Stern Pedagogue - C H Spurgeon Galatians 3 Commentary - Martin Luther Galatians 3:23-29 The Tutor and the Sons - Phil Newton Galatians Commentary - Verse by Verse - Kenneth Wuest Galatians 3 Resources - Multiple sermons, commentaries, etc Law Serves As Our Tutor THE LAW SERVED AS OUR GUIDE This Paul's final answer to his question in Gal 3:19+ "Why the Law then?" Martin Luther - Here again the law and the Gospel are combined. The law is not put in charge forever, but only until it has led us to Christ (see also Gal 3:19, 23). The law does not justify hypocrites, for they remain without Christ in their presumption and complacency; conversely, it does not leave the contrite in death and damnation but drives them to Christ. Those who remain in their wickedness and do not lay hold on Christ by faith eventually fall into despair. But those who are troubled and oppressed by the law know that these terrors and troubles will not continue forever, but that they are prepared in this way to come to Christ and to receive the freedom of the spirit. (Galatians 3 Commentary) Therefore the Law - Paul does not mean just the "Do's and Don't's" aspects of the Law but also the Ceremonial Aspects of the Law for they both are of value to lead one to Christ. For example, the ceremonial law taught Israel about the need for a blood sacrifice to cover (but not take away sins because the blood of bulls and goats could never take away sins Heb 10:4-note). As