Gálatas 3
John MacArthur · Citado em PreceptAustin
Gálatas 3
MacArthur says: Paul’s argument is itself powerful: If a person has received eternal salvation through trust in the crucified Christ, received the fullness of the Holy Spirit the same moment he believed, and has the Father’s Spiritendowed power working within him, how could he hope to enhance that out of his own insignificant human resources by some meritorious effort?
Gálatas 3
MacArthur - Those believers were especially foolish because they had been so carefully and fully taught, having been on many occasions over the years privileged to sit under the teaching of Paul himself, whose very heartbeat was the gospel of God’s grace. Vine gives us a preview of coming attractions (so to speak) - Up to this point the apostle had dealt only indirectly with the difficulty in the Galatian churches. Now he begins to reason with them directly, first from their own experience, Gal 3:1–5, and then from Scripture, Gal 3:6-29, 4:17, then from their experience, Gal 4:8–20+, and from Scripture again, Gal 4:21–31+, concerning their defection, threatened or actual, from the true Gospel.
Gálatas 3
MacArthur adds "In other words, "I hope what I have heard about you is not true or that you have come back to your senses." H A
Gálatas 3
MacArthur points out that "It was not the greatness of Abraham’s faith that saved him but the greatness of the gracious Lord in Whom he placed his faith. Faith is never the basis or the reason for justification, but only the channel through which God works His redeeming grace. Faith is simply a convicted heart reaching out to receive God’s free and unmerited gift of salvation." Norman Bartlett on faith - When it is said that Abraham believed GOD, what is meant is his personal trust in GOD, his acceptance of God’s Word absolutely, simply because it was His Word....It is to be noted, however, that faith is the condition, not the ground, of acceptance with GOD. It is simply the hand that seizes the life preserver thrown to a drowning man. It is the channel through which flows the grace that transforms deserts into gardens. (Galatians 3:1-22 - Doctrinal Exposition) William
Gálatas 3
MacArthur - Gospel means "good news," and God's good news to mankind has always been salvation by faith alone, prompted by the power of His grace. Salvation by works would not be good but bad news....When Gentiles are saved, they are saved as Gentiles, just as Jews are saved as Jews. But no one from either group is saved or not saved due to racial or ethnic identity. Those who are saved are saved because of their faith, and those who are lost are lost because of their unbelief. A Gentile has absolutely no advantage in becoming a Jew before he becomes a Christian. In fact, by expecting salvation through the rite of circumcision, a person, whether Jew or Gentile, nullifies the grace of God and declares, in effect, that "Christ died needlessly" (Gal. 2:21+). (MacArthur New Testament Commentary – Galatians)
Gálatas 3
MacArthur - To be blessed means to be the recipient of all that divine love, grace, and mercy bestows on those who are in Christ (cf. Eph. 1:3+; Eph 2:6-7+). Wiersbe on are blessed - When you read God's great covenant with Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3, you discover that many different blessings were promised—some personal, some national and political, and some universal and spiritual. Certainly God did make Abraham's name great; he is revered not only by Jews, but also by Christians, Muslims, and many others. God did multiply his descendants, and God did bless those who blessed Abraham. He also judged those who cursed his descendants (Egypt, Babylon, and Rome are cases in point). But the greatest blessings that God sent through Abraham and the Jewish nation have to do with our eternal salvation. Jesus Christ is that promised '"Seed," through whom all the nations have been blessed (Gal. 3:16). (Bible Exposition Commentary ) The greatest blessing is justification, God's declaration that we are not guilty of our countless sins against Him, and that we will forever stand before Him in perfect righteousness because of faith in the Gospel of His Son. What greater blessing could we ask for? Are blessed (2127)(eulogeo from eu = good + lógos = word; see cognates eulogetos and eulogia) means speak good or well. When eulogeo is used by men toward men it means to speak well of with praise and thanksgiving (English "Eulogy" = an address in praise for one deceased ). To say good or positive things. Eulogeo can be from men to God, from men to men, and from God to men. When God blesses men He grants them favor and confers happiness upon them. The future "Will be blessed in you (Abraham)" is now changed to the present are blessed with Abraham. And so eulogeo is in the present tense (continually blessed) and the passive voice (the active blessing comes from an external source, i.e., God = so-called "divine passive"). In Greek, the divine passive occurs when an action is done by an unmentioned force, but in this context is clearly God. Lenski agrees writing that are blessed "changes the future tense (Gal 3:8) used in the promise into the constant present: ever and ever blessed; the passive again makes God the agent. The essential blessing for all these believers is the fact that, like Abraham, their faith is reckoned for righteousness or, as Paul puts it in his own words: “God declares them righteous.” With justification there go all the other spiritual blessings that are described at length in Romans 5 to 8. (Interpretation of St.Paul's Epistle to the Galatians) Phil Newton - In verse nine we again see one of the Apostle's conclusions of his argument from Scripture concerning justification by faith alone....What does it mean to be "blessed with Abraham, the believer"? Paul is using this to address one subject. He is not speaking of all the tangible, material blessings which belonged to Abraham. Certainly, God blessed him enormously with great wealth, power, and prominence. But that is not the issue of this text nor its Old Testament context. Here the whole matter is righteousness before God, which means to be justified before God. For justification is the legal declaration of righteousness for the sinner. To be blessed with Abraham is synonymous with being justified or declared righteous with him before God. The great concern of the Apostle was how a sinner might be declared righteous before a thrice holy God. Everything else is non-essential in comparison to our need for righteousness before God. All eternity is at stake with this matter. Our whole existence hangs in the balance over the subject of justification. By the conclusive phrase, "So then," Paul is reminding us that there is no doubt that only those who are of faith are justified even as Abraham was justified. (Galatians 3:6-9 Abraham's True Children) Abraham, the believer - Literally "the believer Abraham." Other versions translate it "Abraham, the man of faith," or "faithful Abraham" (KJV). The believer (the faithful)(4103)(pistos from peitho = to persuade - induce one by words to believe, have confidence) is someone who is worthy of faith or keeps promises and is applied to God, humans, His Word, etc Pistos means dependable (worthy of reliance or trust), trustworthy, steadfast, unswerving. Pistos is used 77x in 63v and is most often translated as faithful (44x in NAS). Gromacki adds that this "adjective “faithful” shows that he had an active faith. He was a constant believer. At no time did he add works in order to gain or maintain his justified standing....so both the Jew and the Gentile must only trust God in the same way to receive the same righteousness. There is no difference in the way that Abraham was justified and the means by which all subsequent generations have been declared righteous. (Stand Fast in Liberty - Exposition of Galatians) Webster says that "Faithful" means firm in adherence to whatever one owes allegiance and implies unswerving adherence to a person or thing or to the oath or promise by which a tie was contracted.
Gálatas 3
MacArthur - Justification by faith and justification by keeping the law are mutually exclusive, as Paul's OT quote from Lv 18:5 proves. (MacArthur Study Bible) Lange says "The law will have doers, that (THEY THINKD) deserve Heaven by works. The gospel will have only sinners, who have done working, but who, repenting them of their sins (or broken into contriteness by the law), seek medicine, help and grace in Christ and His Father’s compassion. They now see aright their guiltiness, together with the loathsomeness of sin William
Gálatas 3
MacArthur - Christ’s death, because it was a death of substitution for sin, satisfied God’s justice and exhausted His wrath toward His elect, so that Christ actually purchased believers from slavery to sin and from the sentence of eternal death (Gal 4:5; Titus 2:14; 1Pe 1:18; cf. Ro 3:24; 1Co 1:30; Eph 1:7; Col 1:14; Heb 9:12). Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe; Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow. Spurgeon on the profound little phrase for us - Here is substitution. What else can the words mean? Christ hung on a tree for us, bearing our curse, in our room and place and stead. We were all under the curse of the law, but Christ voluntarily took our place and was made a curse for us, so that the blessing might be ours. He fulfilled the law’s demands by His perfect obedience, and He suffered the law’s utmost penalty by His death upon the cross. Now all those who believe in Him are forever justified because of what He did for them. We have heard some preach a gospel something after this order: that, though God is angry with sinners, yet, out of His great mercy, for the sake of something that Christ has done, He does not punish them, but remits the penalty. This is not God’s gospel, for it is neither just to God nor safe for man. We believe that God never remitted the penalty. He did not forgive the sin without punishing it, but He exacted the full penalty without the abatement of a solitary jot or tittle. Jesus Christ, our Savior, drank the veritable cup of our redemption to its very dregs. He suffered beneath the crushing wheels of divine vengeance the same pains and sufferings that we ought to have endured. He bore our sins that He might bear them away by the fact of bearing them Himself. This is the central doctrine of the Gospel. For it is written: This is a common NT way (61x) of introducing Old Testament quotes (cf. Ro 1:17; 2:24; 3:4; Mt 4:4, 6, 7, 10). F. Whitfield - “It is written” should be in the heart and on the lips of every Christian. “It is written” should decide every controversy, settle every doubt, and overcome every difficulty. THOUGHT - It is written occurs 76 times in the NAS. When we were children and our parents told us to do something and we questioned "Why?", the answer was usually "Because I said so!". Why are we commanded to be holy? Because God said so! A popular saying is "God said it, I believe it, that settles it." This sounds good but isn't accurate because God's Word is true, regardless of whether we believe it or not. A more accurate "saying" would be "God said it, that settles it!" It is written should put a stop to every complaint or excuse. Written (1125) (grapho) is in the perfect tense indicates the permanence of this writing (cf Lk 21:33+, Mk 13:31). The Word was written down by Spirit inspired men (2 Pe 1:21+) at some point of time in the past and STANDS written for "The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever." (Isaiah 40:8)! And so we can stand firm on the written Word! Jesus willingly, out of love for us, went to that cross, which was to Him a tree of death, in order that He might make it for you and me a tree of life! (Rev 2:7+, Rev 22:2+, Rev 22:14+, Rev 22:19+) CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE: In the NAS passages in ALL CAPS are direct quotes from the OT. Paul does not use the more common NT word for "cross" which is stauros, but instead uses xulon which would be more familiar to the Jews who knew the Septuagint, for the same word for "cross" ("tree") was used in Septuagint (Lxx) translation of the passage quoted by Paul from Deuteronomy,. If a man has committed a sin worthy of death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree (Lxx = xulon) his corpse shall not hang all night on the tree (Lxx = xulon), but you shall surely bury him on the same day (for he who is hanged is accursed of God), (Lxx = "every one that is hanged on a tree is cursed of God" the verb in the Septuagint is kataraomai - see below) so that you do not defile your land which the LORD your God gives you as an inheritance.(Deut. 21:22,23) Curse (2672) kataraomai from katara = a curse from kata = down + ara = a prayer, a curse) literally is to curse down and so to call a curse down upon someone. The idea is to imprecate (= to invoke) evil on someone saying that a supernatural power will cause harm to someone or something. To pray or wish evil or ruin toward someone or some thing. To call down curses upon someone. To doom or give judgment against. To utter a prayer or invocation for harm or injury to come upon one. To utter a wish of evil against one; to imprecate evil upon; to call for mischief or injury to fall upon; to execrate. A solemn appeal to a supernatural power to inflict harm on someone or something. In the passive voice the idea is to be doomed or accursed (Mt 25:41 = the forever fate of all Christ rejecters!). The antithesis of eulogeo! Tree (3586)(xulon from xuo = to scrape) is literally wood and refers to anything made of wood, including a tree or other wooden article or substance. In Acts 5:30+, Acts 10:39+, Acts 13:29+, 1Pe 2:24+ and Gal 3:13 xulon refers to the old rugged Cross. John MacArthur - In ancient Judaism a criminal who was executed, usually by stoning, was then tied to a post, a type of tree, where his body would hang until sunset as a visible representation of rejection by God. It was not that a person became cursed by being hanged on a tree but that he was hanged on a tree because he was cursed. Jesus did not become a curse because He was crucified but was crucified because he was cursed in taking the full sin of the world upon Himself. “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed” (1Pe 2:24+; cf. Acts 5:30+). That truth was extremely hard for most Jews to accept, because they could not imagine the Messiah’s being cursed by God and having to hang on a tree. 1 Co 12:23 suggests that “Jesus is accursed” was a common, demon-inspired saying among unbelieving Jews of that day. To them, Jesus’ crucifixion was final and absolute proof that He was not the promised Messiah. But for those who trust in Him, the two words for us become the two most beautiful words in all of Scripture. Because God sent His Son to bear the penalty for man’s sin, every person who puts his trust in the crucified Savior has had the curse borne for him. (MacArthur New Testament Commentary – Galatians) L E Maxwell - Born Crucified - THE ROMAN ORATOR, Cicero, summarized the attitude of the ancient world to the cross when he said: "Not only let the cross be absent from the person of Roman citizens, but its very name from their thoughts, eyes and ears." Two thousand years age we find no halo of glory, no beautiful associations of history, no nobility, and no thought of heroic sacrifice attached to the cross. How cluttered up is the cross at the present time! Even the unbelieving world now says: "The Cross stands for all that is noblest in manhood". But it was not so in the beginning. It is not so today. As soon as the Cross ceases to be to us, first of all, the place of utmost shame and contempt, we make the Cross of Christ of none effect. In Christ's day the disciples must often have beheld the procession of criminals, murderers, and rebels carrying their crosses on their way to an ignominious departure--a death of such infamy and shame and execration that we have no word that is significant of the deep and universal detestation that belonged to the cross in early times. Add to all this the scriptural anathema and capstone: "He that is hanged is accursed of God," and we begin to understand the offense (literally, the scandal) of the Cross. (Born Crucified - 81 page booklet) Harrison comments on the great antithesis in Galatians 3:13 (compared to Gal 3:10) -- It is intended to remind us of the scene in Israel’s history when, upon entering the land, they were to divide into two groups—an antiphonal chorus, as it were—the one on Mount Ebal, the other on Mount Gerizim. The group on Mount Ebal were to take the law with them, and from this mount was to go forth “with a loud voice” the warning of “Cursed be he,” “Cursed be he,” “Cursed be he” who disobeys its demands. Then across the valley came the echoing chorus of “Blessed shalt thou be” for heeding the voice of the Lord. Read Deuteronomy 27 and 28. Israel’s history has been a prolonged experience of the curse, with but brief interludes of the blessing. (Galatians 3:13-14 Blessing versus Cursing) Related Resources: Was Jesus crucified on a cross, pole, or stake? What is the meaning of the cross? Why is there a curse associated with hanging on a tree? What is the curse of the law? One of my favorite Keith Green songs is There is a Redeemer - listen and worship our Glorious Redeemer, the Lamb of God... There is a Redeemer Jesus, God's own Son Precious Lamb of God, Messiah Holy One Jesus my Redeemer Name above all names Precious Lamb of God, Messiah Oh, for sinners slain Thank you, oh my Father For giving us Your Son And leaving Your Spirit 'Til the work on Earth is done When I stand in Glory I will see His face And there I'll serve my King forever In that Holy Place Thank you, oh my Father For giving us Your Son And leaving Your Spirit 'Til the work on Earth is done There is a Redeemer Jesus, God's own Son Precious Lamb of God, Messiah Holy One Thank you, oh my Father For giving us Your Son And leaving Your Spirit 'Til the work on Earth is done And leaving Your Spirit 'Til the work on Earth is done BRIEF EXCURSUS REDEEMED/REDEMPTION There are three Greek words translated by the words redeemed. (1) Agorazo (click for in depth word study) Means to buy in the slave market (the market-place or agora). Agorazo emphasizes the market imagery of purchasing goods. In such an exchange the goods are set free from the seller (the previous owner), to be possessed by the purchaser. Christ gave Himself for us, purchasing us from slavery to our old master Sin (personified). Christ purchased us with His blood (Rev 5:9). As a result of Christ's purchase, every believer becomes the property of Jesus. Paul adds "having been freed from sin, you became slaves (doulos) of righteousness," and ultimately slaves of the Righeous One, Christ Jesus. is His bond-servant. The word doulos in Romans 6:18, refers to one born in slavery. For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body. (1 Cor. 6:20+), And they *sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. (Rev 5:9+) ‘Love so amazing, so divine, Demands my heart, my life, my all!’ -- Isaac Watts (2) Lutroo (Click for in depth word study) - Refers to releasing someone held captive, such as a prisoner or a slave, upon receipt of a ransom payment. Lutroo was a technical term used for money paid to buy back a POW (prisoner of war). Note again the purchase was not with silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ. This is the verb used in the Septuagint to describe the role of the Kinsman-Redeemer (Goel) (Lev 25:49+). Knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, 19 but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. (1 Peter 1:18-19+) Ray Pritchard - There is not enough gold in Fort Knox to forgive even one sin. Down here on earth money talks. Down here on earth if you want to be accepted, you need money. Up in heaven, blood talks. If you want to be accepted in heaven, you need the blood of Jesus Christ. Who (JESUS CHRIST) gave Himself for (IN OUR PLACE) us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds. (Titus 2:14+) (3) Exagorazo (see above), to buy a slave out of the market-place. The bondslave of the Lord Jesus is bought not only to be His bondslave, but he is bought out of the slave market, never to be put up for sale in any slave market. He becomes the bondslave of the Lord Jesus for time and for eternity.The bondslave of the Lord Jesus is set free from his former slavery to sin, to realize in his life that for which God created him, to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever. (4) Lutron/lytron (click for in depth word study) (from luo = to loose) is a neuter noun which literally refers to the ransom price which is necessary to free a slave, loosing them from their bonds and setting them at liberty. It is the price paid for release of a slave from slavery, a prisoner from captivity (such as a prisoner of war) or forfeited piece of land or other possession. The suffix "-tron" highlights the instrument or means of the releasing, that is, the ransom or the actual payment itself. Remember that the basic idea of ransom is the payment which sets something or someone free from some kind of bondage, slavery, captivity, or obligation. Lutron is used only twice in the NT: Matthew 20:28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Mark 10:45 “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (5) Apolutrosis (click in depth word study) (from apo = marker of dissociation or separation + lutroo = to redeem <> from lutron/lytron = ransom <> from luo = loosen what is bound, loose any person tied or fastened) is the payment of a price to ransom (lutron), to release (of someone from the power of someone else), to buy back or to deliver one from a situation from in which one is powerless to liberate themselves or for which the penalty was so costly that they could never hope to pay the ransom price. In other words, the idea of redemption is deliverance or release by payment of a ransom. (Luke 21:28; Ro 3:24; Ro 8:23; 1 Cor 1:30; Eph. 1:7, 14; Eph 4:30; Col. 1:14; Heb. 9:15; 11:35) Luke 21:28+ “But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” Romans 3:24+ being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; 1 Corinthians 1:30 But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, Ephesians 1:7+ In Him we have redemption through His blood (HIS BLOOD PAID RANSOM PRICE), the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace Ephesians 1:14+ (HOLY SPIRIT) Who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory. Ephesians 4:30+ Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. (FUTURE REDEMPTION = GLORIFICATION) Colossians 1:14+ in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. (REDEMPTION = FORGIVENESS!) Hebrews 9:15+ For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. Hebrews 11:35+ Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection; A CURSE CURED BY A CURSE. There is an old legend that during a plague an angel showed to Charlemagne the root of the carline thistle as a cure for the plague. Thistles are a fruit of the curse. We do not much believe the legend that the root of that which represents a curse should cure the curse of a plague, but we do know and believe that the Christ who was "made a curse for us" is an infallible remedy for the curse of sin (Gal. 3:13). "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law" (Gal. 3:13), having "put away sin by the sacrifice of himself" (Heb. 9:26), not that we may have license to live as selfishly and sinfully as we please, but that we might be free to "walk in the Spirit" and "live unto God" (Gal. 5:16; 2:19). This "liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free" is a priceless gift from God, to be defended—not compromised or abused. (Henry Morris) REDEEMED TO BE POSSESSED. Galatians 3:13, 14. 1. Condemnation. "Curse of the law." 2. Redemption. "Christ hath redeemed us." Purchased. 3. Substitution. "Made a curse for us." By His Father's appointment and by His own choice (Isa. 53). 4. Possession. "That we might receive the promise of the Spirit." It is His purpose that His purchased possession should be possessed by the presence of the Spirit of power. (James Smith - Handfuls of Purpose) R C SPROUL - The Bearer of the Curse [Galatians 3:13] In our day a curse is regarded as superstitious, but in biblical categories it has a different meaning. The curse in the Old Testament refers to the negative judgment of God—the opposite of blessing. When God gave the covenant to Israel he listed the curses and blessings, the punishments and rewards, to be dispensed to the faithful or unfaithful (Deuteronomy 28). In the Bible blessedness means to be able to come near to the presence of God. The closer you come to a face-to-face relationship with God, the more blessed you are; and the farther you are from God, the more cursed you are. Thus, the curse of God was likened to being removed from his presence altogether, to be utterly cut off from him. John’s Gospel opens with the statement, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.” The word translated with implied “face to face.” Originally, the Son of God was face to face with God. When we read of the passion of Jesus two things stand out. First, Jesus was judged by Gentiles. He was sent out of the covenant community of Israel into the realm of those who were strangers to the covenant. Second, according to the law, a man who was hanged on a tree was cursed (Deut. 21:23). When Jesus bore the punishment for our sins he experienced God’s curse and rejection. God’s benevolent face was turned away from Jesus, and in its place he encountered, face to face, the malevolence of God. In spiritual torment he cried, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matt. 27:46). Why? So that he might die that we might live. Coram Deo At the cross we see the truest picture of the horror of our sin. Thank God that Jesus was willing to undergo the curse on your behalf. As you ponder both the physical pain and the spiritual anguish which Jesus, the eternally beloved Son and innocent One, experienced, use a hymnal to read or sing several of the stirring hymns about the crucifixion. Redeemed from the Curse Rabbi Ginsburg proudly named his newborn son Solomon and dreamed the boy might one day follow him as a leader of the Jews of Poland. But he was unprepared for the boy’s teenage years. At age 14, Solomon rebelled against the pharisaical strictness of his home, particularly angered over the girl his father had arranged for him to marry. Leaving home, Solomon, 15, wandered around Europe, finally ending up in London where a friend spoke to him about Jesus from Isaiah 53. After months of anguished study and floor-pacing, Solomon embraced the Lord Jesus as both Messiah and Savior. Family reaction was violent. The uncle with whom he stayed in London drove him away with curses, broomsticks, and hot water. He was disinherited. A group of Jews attacked him and beat him until he appeared dead. When he regained consciousness, he found himself in a garbage box, his bones broken and his clothes soaked with blood. Then one day he was summoned before a family council. When he showed up, his relatives tried earnestly to dissuade him from following Christ, but starting at Isaiah 53, Solomon spoke to them of Jesus. One of the Jews began reading the bitter words of excommunication: “Cursed shall you be by day, cursed by night; cursed when standing and cursed when lying down … ” and so on. Solomon, cut to the core, quietly cried to the Lord. Suddenly it seemed he was gazing upon Christ, arms outstretched on the cross. Above his bleeding head, Solomon saw the words: “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us.” The youth’s heart was suddenly filled with strange joy, and as he left the house he said, “I was so happy I did not know what I was doing. I walked right into the arms of a big policeman, who asked me if I was drunk. I replied, ‘No, sir, but I am very happy.’ ” Solomon Ginsburg never looked back, and he went on to become one of the most productive evangelists of his era. (Robert
Gálatas 3
MacArthur explains that "The heart of his answer is to show that the covenant with Abraham was an unconditional covenant of promise relying solely on God's faithfulness, whereas the covenant with Moses was a conditional covenant of law relying on man's faithfulness. To Abraham, God said, "I will." Through Moses He said, "Thou shalt." The promise set forth a religion dependent on God. The law set forth a religion dependent on man. The promise centers on God's plan, God's grace, God's initiative, God's sovereignty, God's blessings. The law centers on man's duty, man's work, man's responsibility, man's behavior, man's obedience. The promise, being grounded in grace, requires only sincere faith. The law being grounded in works, demands perfect obedience."
Gálatas 3
MacArthur explains that now "Paul argues from the lesser figure of Gal 3:15 to the greater figure of Gal 3:16, that the covenant of promise was superior to the covenant of law because it was Christ-centered." Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his Seed - When God made a covenant with Abraham (note), He promised him a SEED, the MESSIAH (see Ge 22:18 below) and said that through THAT SEED all the nations of the world would be blessed. So the promise that God made to Abraham was actually the PROMISE OF SALVATION (justification) which would be made available to both Jews and Gentiles. And just as Abraham entered that covenant by faith, so too all who are descendants of Abraham would likewise enter that covenant by faith. The Abrahamic Covenant was an unconditional covenant that God initiated and carried out. Man's part was to receive and enter the covenant by faith. Today, although the New Covenant supersedes the Abrahamic Covenant, they are related in the sense that both are cut by God, both are unconditional and both are entered into by faith.
Gálatas 3
MacArthur explains that the way of salvation in the OT (before Christ came) was the same as in the New Testament - "In an even earlier promise, a clearly singular use of seed also refers to Christ. (the protoevangelium). To the serpent in the Garden of Eden, God said, “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He [singular, referring to “her seed”] shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel” (Genesis 3:15+). The one and only heir of every promise of God is Christ. Every promise given in the covenant with Abraham was fulfilled in Jesus Christ and only Jesus Christ. Therefore the only way a person can participate in the promised blessings to Abraham is to be a fellow heir with Christ through faith in Him. Whether before or after Christ came to earth, salvation has always been provided only through the perfect offering of Christ on the cross. Believers who lived before the cross and never knew any specifics about Jesus were nevertheless forgiven and made right with God by faith in anticipation of Christ’s sacrifice (Ed: We don't know how much they knew but they did have Messianic Prophecies that would have given them some insights into the work of Christ which is clearly revealed in the NT.), whereas believers who live after the cross are saved in looking back to it. (ED: cf Ro 3:25+ "because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed." See similar truth in Hebrews 9:15+) When Christ shed His blood, it covered sins on both sides of the cross. The Old Covenant goes to the cross; the New Covenant comes from it. On the one hand faith pointed forward, whereas on the other it points back. There has never been nor can there ever be salvation apart from the finished work of Christ. The covenant with Abraham was fulfilled in the covenant of Jesus Christ, and therefore the covenant of law, whatever its character and purpose, did not abrogate or modify those two covenants, which really merged into one. Related resources: Abrahamic versus Mosaic Covenants; Covenant: New Covenant in the Old Testament; Covenant: Why the New is Better; Covenant: Abrahamic vs Old vs New Paul Henebury notes that in Galatians 3 Paul is "speaking about justification by faith (e.g. Gal. 3:2, 5, 9 etc.). He cites Ge 15:6 in Gal 3:6. Then, in Gal 3:8 he quotes Ge 22:18. Genesis 22:18 does not contain all the promises housed within the Abraham Covenant; only that which deals with the nations. Now, what does Paul do with it? Does he teach the other promises of land, king, priesthood, fecundity etc. for Israel are past? Not at all. He's not dealing with those things so he doesn't speak of them. Galatians 3:16 causes a lot of trouble. What are the "promises" he refers to in that passage? Well, the promises to the Gentiles he has been speaking about! How are they realized? Through the "Seed" (singular) of Gen. 22:18 (which he has just quoted) who is Christ. Thus, Gentile believers are of like faith with Abraham and are considered his spiritual sons or seed (Gal. 3:26, 29). All this is quite true and to be expected from what the OT teaches. But it does not mean Abraham's physical seed (Israel) do not have covenant promises awaiting them too! They do. But they must believe (e.g. Deut. 30:6; Isa. 45:17, 19, 25; Isa 46:12-13, etc.). (The Church and the Abrahamic Covenant) Galatians 3:17 What I am saying is this: the Law, which came four hundred and thirty years later, does not invalidate a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to nullify the promise. Greek - touto de lego (1SPAI) diatheken prokekuromenen (RPPFSA) hupo tou theou o meta tetrakosia kai triakonta ete gegonos (RAPMSN) nomos ouk akuroi eis to katargesai (AAN) ten epaggelian Amplified: This is my argument: The Law, which began 430 years after the covenant [concerning the coming Messiah], does not and cannot annul the covenant previously established (ratified) by God, so as to abolish the promise and make it void. Phillips I say then that the Law, which came into existence four hundred and thirty years later, cannot render null and void the original "contract" which God had made, and thus rob the promise of its value. Wuest This now is what I mean. A covenant previously established by God,18 the law, which came after four hundred and thirty years, does not render void, with the result that the promise becomes inoperative. (Eerdmans Publishing) NET Galatians 3:17 What I am saying is this: The law that came four hundred thirty years later does not cancel a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to invalidate the promise. GNT Galatians 3:17 τοῦτο δὲ λέγω· διαθήκην προκεκυρωμένην ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ ὁ μετὰ τετρακόσια καὶ τριάκοντα ἔτη γεγονὼς νόμος οὐκ ἀκυροῖ εἰς τὸ καταργῆσαι τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν. NLT Galatians 3:17 This is what I am trying to say: The agreement God made with Abraham could not be canceled 430 years later when God gave the law to Moses. God would be breaking his promise. KJV 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. ESV Galatians 3:17 This is what I mean: the law, which came 430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to make the promise void. ASV Galatians 3:17 Now this I say: A covenant confirmed beforehand by God, the law, which came four hundred and thirty years after, doth not disannul, so as to make the promise of none effect. CSB Galatians 3:17 And I say this: The law, which came 430 years later, does not revoke a covenant that was previously ratified by God and cancel the promise. NIV Galatians 3:17 What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise. NKJ Galatians 3:17 And this I say, that the law, which was four hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by God in Christ, that it should make the promise of no effect. NRS Galatians 3:17 My point is this: the law, which came four hundred thirty years later, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to nullify the promise. YLT Galatians 3:17 and this I say, A covenant confirmed before by God to Christ, the law, that came four hundred and thirty years after, doth not set aside, to make void the promise, NAB Galatians 3:17 This is what I mean: the law, which came four hundred and thirty years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to cancel the promise. NJB Galatians 3:17 What I am saying is this: once a will had been long ago ratified by God, the Law, coming four hundred and thirty years later, could not abolish it and so nullify its promise. GWN Galatians 3:17 This is what I mean: The laws given to Moses 430 years after God had already put his promise to Abraham into effect didn't cancel the promise to Abraham. BBE Galatians 3:17 Now this I say: The law, which came four hundred and thirty years after, does not put an end to the agreement made before by God, so as to make the undertaking without effect. What I am saying is this: Ga 5:16 1Co 1:12 7:29 10:19 2Co 9:6 Eph 4:17 Col 2:4 the covenant: Ge 15:18 17:7,8,19 Lu 1:68-79 Joh 1:17 8:56-58 Ro 3:25 2Co 1:20 Heb 11:13,17-19,39,40 1Pe 1:11,12,20 which came four hundred and thirty years later: Ge 15:13 Ex 12:40,41 Ac 7:6 does not invalidate : Ga 3:15 Job 40:8 Isa 14:27 28:18 Heb 7:18 does not invalidate a covenant previously ratified by God: Ga 3:21 Nu 23:19 Ro 4:13,14 Heb 6:13-18 so as to nullify the promise: Ga 5:4 Nu 30:8 Ps 33:10 Ro 3:3 1Co 1:17 Galatians 3:15-22 God’s Promise: Why the Law? - John MacArthur Galatians 3:23-29 Under the Law or in Christ? - John MacArthur Galatians 3:15-22 Why the Law? - Phil Newton Galatians Commentary - Verse by Verse - Kenneth Wuest Galatians 3 Resources - Multiple sermons, commentaries, etc MOSAIC LAW DID NOT TAKE PLACE OF ABRAHAMIC COVENANT What I am saying is this - Paul now expands on the thought he has just expressed in Gal 3:16. There he spoke of a man's covenant, but no he applies the truth to God's covenant with Abraham.
Gálatas 3
MacArthur explains "If only those who perfectly keep the law—an impossibility—receive the promise, faith has no value. Making a promise contingent on an impossible condition nullifies the promise." (MacArthur Study Bible)
Gálatas 3
MacArthur adds "I was once alive apart from the Law,” Paul said; “but when the commandment came, sin became alive, and I died” (Ro 7:9-note), because the covenant with Moses brought “the law of sin and of death” (Ro 8:2+). Not until a person smashes himself against the demands of the law and the accusations of conscience does he recognize his helplessness and see his need for a Savior. Not until the law has arrested and imprisoned him and sentenced him to death will he be driven to despair in himself and turn to Jesus Christ. The ultimate purpose of shutting up men under sin and death was that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. The law was given to bring men under sin to the point of saying, “Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?” (Ro 7:24-note). Grace is given to enable those who believe to say, “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Ro 7:25-note). God’s saving purpose is the climax (cf. Luke 19:10+; 1 Tim. 1:15)." (Galatians: The MacArthur NT Commentary) Spurgeon on has shut everyone under sin - The law (Ed: here "the Scripture") has come and proved us all guilty and shut us all up as in a great prison from which we cannot escape by any power of our own. There was nothing about the Mosaic economy to say to man, “You are good, or you can be good, and you can save yourself.” Everywhere the declaration was, “You have rebelled and have not served the Lord; you cannot come near to Him until you are purged by the blood of the great sacrifice. God cannot accept you as you are; you are polluted and defiled.” The sinfulness of all men is abundantly taught in Scripture. Indeed, it is to be found on every page of it. The Scripture shuts you all up as in a dungeon, that by the one and only door of faith in Christ you might come out into a glorious liberty. G. G. Findlay on has shut everyone under sin - The law was all the while standing guard over its subjects, watching and checking every attempt to escape, but intending to hand them over in due time to the charge of faith. The law posts its ordinances, like so many sentinels, round the prisoner's cell. The cordon is complete. He tries again and again to break out; the iron circle will not yield. The deliverance will yet be his. The day of faith approaches. It dawned long ago in Abraham's promise. Even now its light shines into his dungeon, and he hears the word of Jesus, "Thy sins are forgiven thee; go in peace." (cp Mk 5:34) Law, the stern jailer, has after all been a good friend, if it has reserved him for this. It prevents the sinner escaping to a futile and illusive freedom. (Expositor's Bible Commentary - Galatians 3:19-24 The Design of the Law) THOUGHT - Beloved, do you remember that sense of "no escape" you felt when the Spirit of God convicted you of sin, righteousness and the judgment to come? (Jn 16:8) This is why the good news must be preceded with the bad news when we present the Gospel. If men do not see that they are trapped, enclosed on all sides by the Law and under the dominion of sin, they will not appreciate the good news of the Gospel. The Romans Road is one of the most concise and Scripturally accurate presentations of the Gospel. Do you know the Roman Road? Click for an expanded explanation of the "Romans Road" and the associated "Bridge Illustration" which in picture form demonstrates that anyone who has never believed in Messiah is only a step (breath) away from eternal separation from God. See (1) The Dreadful Dilemma (2) The Deadly Deception (3) The Dependable Deliverer. Let me encourage you to memorize several key passages in Romans which will equip you to walk someone else down the Romans Road whenever God gives us an opportunity. You could also draw out (if you at a restaurant just grab a napkin) the bridge diagram to graphically demonstrate the impossible gap separating Sinful Man and Holy God. Then you can write down the Scripture references in the appropriate places on the diagram as you present the Gospel. I usually begin with Romans 1:16-note, followed by Romans 3:10-note and Romans 3:23-note, which clearly shows that all mankind is "trapped like dying fish in a net"! You can follow up (trusting in the intrinsic power of the Gospel, the dunamis in Ro 1:16-note and not your clever or convincing presentation) and the convicting ministry of the Spirit, their heart should begin to be conscious of the bad news and prepared to hear the good news beginning in Romans 5:8-note, followed by Romans 6:23-note (bad news then good news) and finally by Romans 10:9,10-note. They may desire to confess Jesus as Lord at that moment. If so you can show them 2 Cor 5:17-note which summarizes the "before" and "after" effect of the Gospel on their soul. So there you have the so-called Romans Road -- just 6 verses to memorize that could change of eternal destiny of a human being. Is that not motivation enough to memorize these verses? Will you write these verses down, begin to commit them to heart, and ask God, Who desires "for all to come to repentance" (2 Pe 3:9-note), to give you an open door (Rev 3:8-note) of opportunity to share the Gospel today? Notice the table The "Romans Road at the bottom of the page - Paul introduces the Gospel in Romans 1:16-17-note but the remainder of the text from Romans 1:18-note to Romans 3:20-note is also a vital component of the Gospel for in this section Paul clearly and convincingly lays out the truth that there is none righteous, that all are sinners and thus all are in need of the good news that he begins to describe in Romans 3:21-note. Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God; 20 because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin. (Romans 3:19-20-note) Shut up (4788)(sugkleio/sunkeio from sun/syn = together + kleio = to shut up, enclose) means literally to shut up or enclose together on all sides (there is "no escape"). The idea is to shut up securely, enclosing on all sides with no way of escape, as with fish "shut up" in a net (in Lk 5:6+ = "they enclosed a great quantity of fish"), i.e., completely and without the possibility of escape. Here of course sunkleio refers to the Scripture (and especially the Law because that is the Scripture he has been speaking of in context). In the other NT use in Ro 11:32 the enclosing is done by God, "For God has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all." The Septuagint (Lxx) uses sunkleio several times for shutting a woman's womb. In secular use it was used in a military context the meaning to “close up” the ranks. It is similarly used in Polybius to indicate the imprisonment or the “locking up” of people. Here in Gal 3:22 the present tense could be rendered "continually holding in confinement." It is clear that there is no escape from this entrapment short of a Gospel rescue! Here are the 4 NT uses of sugkleio: Luke 5:6+ When they had done this, they enclosed a great quantity of fish, and their nets began to break; Romans 11:32+ For God has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all. Galatians 3:22 But the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. Galatians 3:23 But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed. Liddell-Scott - to shut or coop up, hem in, enclose, shut off and intercepted them, Id.:-Pass., muffled 2. to set together to fight as in the lists II. to shut close, to close, shut the doors, Ar. III. to lock their shields, to close up the ranks of an army, the part that was not closed up, of a gap in the line, Id. 2. Pass. to be well linked Michel - 1. synkleíō has such senses as “to close up together,” “to close,” “to enclose,” “to imprison,” “to envelop,” “to drive into a corner,” “to compel,” “to press,” “to run out,” “to form a circle.” 2. In the LXX it represents various Hebrew words and is used for the surrounding desert, enclosed cities, delivering up prisoners etc., hemming in, harassing, and periphrastically “hewing down.” 3. The Hebrew verb sgr, one of the originals, occurs in the Dead Sea Scrolls for delivering up, closing (e.g., the jaws of lions or the gates of hell), closing in (i.e., punishing) offenders, and closing the door (i.e., excommunicating). 4. In later Judaism other verbs carry such varied senses as ruling, stopping, enclosing, shutting in, wrapping around, and shaping. 5. In the NT the fish are enclosed in the net in Lk. 5:6. In Gal. 3:22–23 Paul says that Scripture shuts up all under sin so that the promise might be given to those who have faith in Christ. Prior to faith there is custody under the law (v. 23). A teleology of history comes to light here. Scripture manifests shutting up under sin, and the law effects this. The eschatological dimension emerges in Rom. 11:32: God has shut up all under disobedience so as to have mercy on all. The figure of the prison is in the background, with the law as its keeper. But protective custody might be the point in view of the positive purpose. God by the law protects the race against self-destruction until faith is revealed (cf. Gal. 3:24). It is unlikely that Paul has in mind the Gnostic conception of the earthly world as a prison from which the redeemer rescues souls by his descent. 6. In Gnostic thinking the earth is the domain of evil and the descent of the redeemer has the force of a descent into the underworld to open the closed gates of the prison. The idea of the enclosing of the soul in matter occurs in Gnostic works; the female soul is enclosed in matter in which moisture and cold predominate in the composition of the elements. Mandaean works refer to a surrounding ring, an enclosing wall, covered radiance, etc. (TDNT) Sugkleio - 44x in 43v - Gen. 16:2; 20:18 ("the LORD had closed fast all the wombs of the household of Abimelech"); Exod. 14:3 ("the wilderness has shut them in"); Jos. 6:1 ("Jericho was tightly shut because of the sons of Israel"); 1 Sam. 1:6 ("the LORD had closed her womb."); 1 Ki. 6:20; 7:49; 10:21; 11:27; 12:24; 2 Ki. 24:14,16; Job 3:10,23; Ps. 17:10; 31:8; 35:3; 78:50,62; Prov. 4:12; Isa. 45:1; Jer. 13:19; 21:4,9; Ezek. 4:3; Amos 1:6,9; Obad. 1:14; Mal. 1:10; Lk. 5:6; Rom. 11:32; Gal. 3:22f Septuagint uses of sunkleio: אָלַם ’ālam (0487), Niphal: be speechless (Ezek 33:22—Codex Alexandrinus only). מַסְגֵּר mas̱gēr (04674), Smith (2 Kgs 24:14,16). סָגַר s̱āghar (05646), Qal: shut in, shut (Ex 14:3, Job 3:10, Mal 1:10); niphal: be shut (Isa 45:1); pual: be shut up (Jer 13:19); hiphil: deliver, hand over (Joshua 20:5, Ps 31:8, Ob 14). סָכַךְ s̱ākhakh (05718), Hiphil: hedge in (Job 3:23). עָצַר ‘ātsar (06352), Prevent (Gn 16:2). פָּצַח pātsach (06723), Piel: break (Mic 3:3). צוּר tsûr (06961), Besiege (Jer 21:9, Ezek 4:3). צָרַר tsārar (07173), Be hampered (Prov 4:12). Gilbrant comments on uses in the Septuagint where sunkleiō is usually found translating the Hebrew verb s̱āghar (05646), “to encircle, enclose, imprison” (1 Ki 11:27; 1 Sa 1:6). In certain cases the verb has the idea of “deliver up” (as for imprisonment or capture) as in Joshua 20:5 where provisions for the cities of refuge are discussed: “If the avenger of blood pursues him, they shall not give up the slayer into his hand” (RSV) (cf. also Ps 31:8). This is most clearly seen in Ps 78:61,62 where sunkleiō is used in parallel with paradidomi, “to turn over or deliver”: He “gave up (paredōken) his power to captivity . . .He also delivered His people (sunekleisen) to the sword” (Complete Biblical Library Greek-English Dictionary) All (pas/panta) means all without exception are "caught" in the net of sin! This truth is repeatedly taught in both testaments to make sure that it is clearly understood. So many sinners say "I'm a good person," but they are arguing with God's holy Word which indicts all mankind! 1 Kings 8:46 “When they sin against You (for there is no man who does not sin) and You are angry with them and deliver them to an enemy, so that they take them away captive to the land of the enemy, far off or near; Psalm 14:3 They have all turned aside, together they have become corrupt; There is no one who does good, not even one. (Ro 3:10) Psalm 143:2 And do not enter into judgment with Your servant, For in Your sight no man living is righteous. Proverbs 20:9 Who can say, “I have cleansed my heart, I am pure from my sin”? (Rhetorical Question expects the answer "NO ONE!") Isaiah 53:6 All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him. Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, Romans 11:32 For God has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all. One would think that any rational soul would be thoroughly convinced of his great sin and thus come to see his great need for the promised Savior. I love the title of Spurgeon's sermon on Galatians 3:22 "The Great Jail, and How to Get Out of It." ALL MEN ARE UNDER THE POWER OF SIN The phrase under sin gives us a clear and striking picture of the deadly predicament of every person outside of Christ. What is the striking picture? Under is the Greek preposition hupo which (with the accusative - sin = hamartia in the accusative) is a marker of a controlling power so the idea is that all sinners are under the control of sin, under obligation to sin. Sinners think they are free to do as they please. They are deceived (by definition a deceived person does not even know they are deceived!) and in their spiritual blindness are in total bondage to sin (hamartia) which constrains them to continually "miss the mark" as far as God's will for their life is concerned. This horrid picture of men enslaved to their harsh taskmaster "Sin" is repeatedly emphasized by Paul... Romans 3:9+ What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin (hupo hamartia) Titus 3:3+ For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved (in bondage present tense continually - douleuo) to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another. Romans 6:17+ But thanks be to God that though you were slaves (doulos) of sin, you (by grace through faith and reception of a new heart and the Holy Spirit) became obedient from th e heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, Romans 6:22+ But now having been freed (eleutheroo used in Gal 5:1+) from sin (Implying we were enslaved to sin) and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life. As discussed above, the LAW "was added because of transgressions" (Ga 3:19-note) to make it clear what sin is--a transgression of the holy character of God and His perfect will. When people understand the nature of sin, it soon becomes clear that all people are under sin (Ro 3:9+) and all are sinners by birth (inherent/inherited sin) and by imputation of Adam's sin to our account (imputed sin) (Ro 3:10, 12, 23+ Ro 5:12,19+) and that because of this SIN nature we commit personal sins against the will of God. It follows logically that all need to come to Christ to receive redemption, justification, reconciliation and regeneration by the Holy Spirit (salvation).The Law was intended not only to lead us to Christ (Gal 3:24), but also to convict us of our sins so that we might look to the promise of God for His "MUCH MORE" (Ro 5:9,10+) salvation. Our attempts to keep the Law only show that we are incapable of keeping it perfectly, as the Law itself demands (Jas 2:10+ Eccl 7:20 Ro 3:10+). John Stott - No man has ever appreciated the Gospel (ED: THE GOOD NEWS) until the law has first revealed him to himself (ED: THE BAD NEWS). It is only against the inky blackness of the night sky that the stars begin to appear, and it is only against the dark background of sin and judgment that the Gospel shines forth. Martin Luther wrote "When the Law drives you to the point of despair, let it drive you a little farther, let it drive you straight into the arms of Jesus who says: ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.’ (Galatians 3 Commentary)
Gálatas 3
MacArthur: The New English Bible, which very often has good translations (not always, but often), says this, "To make wrongdoing a legal offense." The law was given to make wrongdoing a legal offense. Was there sin before the law was given? Of course; there has always been sin. But "The law was not to show man that he was a sinner, he knew that. The law was to show man that he was not just a sinner, but he was willfully breaking the standards of Almighty God and that sin was rebellion against the holiness of God." See the difference? He knew he was a sinner. What would tell him that? Conscience. What he needed to know was that such sinning was in absolute violation of the very law of Almighty God. In other words, he needed to see himself, not just as a bad guy, but as someone who was standing before the bar of a holy God as guilty for his sin and doomed to judgment. That's why the law was given - because of the transgression. It let man know that he was crossing over, transgressing. He was violating God's laws; he was disobedient to the standards. The law was given, then, to bring about in my heart and the hearts of all men, an awakened sense of guilt before God as judge. If you'll look at the law, you will see this. The prohibitions, for example, of the Ten Commandments reveal their own purpose. They were given by God in order that men might know that these things violated God, and that men might know that God was a Judge, and if they violated God, they would sit under judgment. God gave the Ten Commandments in order to repress the worship of false gods, to repress idolatry, blasphemy, Sabbath-breaking, disobedience to parents, murder, theft, adultery, false witnessing, covetousness. God gave the Ten Commandments to suppress those things. How? By showing men that when they did those things, they were putting themselves under the judgment of a holy God. Romans 3:20+. "because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin." The law came to reveal to man that he lived in violation of God's standards. Romans 5:20+. "The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more." In other words, that sin might become all the more sinful to men when they saw that it was in violation of an absolutely holy God Who was Judge. (God's Promise: Why the Law?)
Gálatas 3
MacArthur: "The Greek text of Galatians 3:20 is difficult to translate and interpret, but Paul seems to be pointing out that a mediator (literally one who stands between two parties) is needed only when more than one party is involved. God gave the covenant directly to Abraham without a mediator because He was the only One involved in making the covenant. Abraham was a witness to the covenant and was a beneficiary, but he was not a party to it. Abraham had no part in establishing or keeping the covenant. That responsibility was God's alone. The covenant of law, however, not only involved mediators (angels and Moses) but mutual obligations on the two parties (God and Israel). The stipulation of that covenant was, "You shall walk in all the way which the Lord your God has commanded you, that you may live" (Deut. 5:33). Man's part was to obey and God's was to give life, to save. The problem was that man could not keep His part, and therefore God could not grant salvation. Swindoll - Galatians 3:20 has generated dozens of interpretations. I believe it refers to the conditional nature of the Mosaic Law (evidenced by the use of a mediator between two parties) versus the unconditional nature of the Abrahamic covenant (evidenced by the fact that God alone cut the covenant with Abraham). In any case, Paul is once again emphasizing the priority of the promise over the Law. The promise was unilateral and unconditional; the Law was bilateral and conditional. Why, then, would anybody try to trade in the superior and eternal for the inferior and temporary?
Gálatas 3
MacArthur - Whether through the written law of Scripture (Ed: Jews) or the inward law of conscience (Ed: Gentiles), until a person acknowledges his basic sinfulness and inability to perfectly fulfill the demands of God’s law, he will not come repentantly to seek salvation. Until he despairs of himself and his own sinfulness, he will not come in humble faith to be filled with Christ’s righteousness. A person who says he wants salvation but refuses to recognize and repent of his sin deceives himself. Salvation is deliverance from sin, and a person cannot: want to keep his sin and at the same time want be free from it. He cannot truly want the new Christ-life of righteousness without renouncing the old self-life of sin. (Ibid) We were kept in custody under the law - Kept secure and under watch. As noted below the verb phroureo is a military term -- the Jews were kept from being contaminated by the pagan culture and the Law also kept them from getting in trouble. John Trapp on kept in custody under the law - as in a prison or garrison, being circled with a compassing strength. The sinner, having transgressed, is kept by the law, as with a guard or garrison, that he cannot escape unless he be delivered by Christ. John Stott - He gave the law in His grace in order to make the promise more desirable....Both verses (Galatians 3:22 and Galatians 3:23-24) tell us that the oppressive work of the law was temporary, and that it was ultimately intended not to hurt but to bless. Its purpose was to shut us up in prison until Christ should set us free, or to put us under tutors until Christ should make us sons. Only Christ can deliver us from the prison to which the curse of the law has brought us, because He was made a curse for us. Only Christ can deliver us from the law’s harsh discipline, because He makes us sons who obey from love for their Father and are no longer naughty children needing tutors to punish them. (The Message of Galatians) MacArthur notes that "After using the third person for most of the chapter (Gal 3:6–22), Paul reverts to the first person (we). In using we, he first of all identifies himself with the Jewish people, to whom both covenants were given. But in a broader and more comprehensive sense he is also identifying himself with all of mankind, Jew and Gentile. Even the most pagan Gentile who has never heard of the true God is under obligation to keep His moral and spiritual standards and, if he disregards those standards, to face the judgment of God.Paul uses two figures to represent God’s law and its effect on unbelievers, first that of a prison and then that of a guardian....The believer who looks back realizes that being under the law had a good effect, because it showed him his guilty helplessness, his moral and spiritual degeneracy, his fearful danger, and his need of a deliverer. The impossible demands of the law are not designed to save but to condemn sinners and drive them toward the Savior." (ILLUSTRATION) As a college football player, I wrenched my knee during practice but was determined to play in the next game. I went to a doctor and was given some cortisone shots and a bottle of ethyl chloride to deaden the pain by temporarily “freezing” the tissue around the knee. I played the entire game without mishap, periodically applying the ethyl chloride to eliminate the recurring pain. But the result of covering up the pain was a permanently damaged knee with more severe ligament injuries that still affect my mobility. By rejecting pain, the body’s warning system, I paid serious consequences. The purpose of pain is to warn and protect. When that warning is ignored or covered up, the results are always bad. So it is with guilt. It is the divine warning system telling man he is destroying his soul. It ignored, the results are eternally bad. (MacArthur NT Commentary- Galatians) Martin Luther - The Law is a prison to those who have not as yet obtained grace. No prisoner enjoys the confinement. He hates it. If he could he would smash the prison and find his freedom at all cost. As long as he stays in prison he refrains from evil deeds. Not because he wants to, but because he has to. The bars and the chains restrain him. He does not regret the crime that put him in jail. On the contrary, he is mighty sore that he cannot rob and kill as before. If he could escape he would go right back to robbing and killing. The Law enforces good behavior, at least outwardly. We obey the Law because if we don't we will be punished. Our obedience is inspired by fear. We obey under duress and we do it resentfully. Now what kind of righteousness is this when we refrain from evil out of fear of punishment? Hence, the righteousness of the Law is at bottom nothing but love of sin and hatred of righteousness. All the same, the Law accomplishes this much, that it will outwardly at least and to a certain extent repress vice and crime. But the Law is also a spiritual prison, a veritable hell. When the Law begins to threaten a person with death and the eternal wrath of God, a man just cannot find any comfort at all. He cannot shake off at will the nightmare of terror which the Law stirs up in his conscience. Of this terror of the Law the Psalms furnish many glimpses. The Law is a civil and a spiritual prison. And such it should be. For that the Law is intended. Only the confinement in the prison of the Law must not be unduly prolonged. It must come to an end. The freedom of faith must succeed the imprisonment of the Law. Happy the person who knows how to utilize the Law so that it serves the purposes of grace and of faith. Unbelievers are ignorant of this happy knowledge. When Cain was first shut up in the prison of the Law he felt no pang at the fratricide he had committed. (Genesis 4:8-12) He thought he could pass it off as an incident with a shrug of the shoulder. "Am I my brother's keeper?" he answered God flippantly. (Ge 4:9b) But when he heard the ominous words, "What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground," (Ge 4:10) Cain began to feel his imprisonment. Did he know how to get out of prison? No. He failed to call the Gospel to his aid. (cp It was available! see Ge 3:15-note) He said: "My punishment is greater than I can bear." (Genesis 4:13) He could only think of the prison. He forgot that he was brought face to face with his crime so that he should hurry to God for mercy and for pardon. Cain remained in the prison of the Law and despaired. As a stone prison proves a physical handicap, so the spiritual prison of the Law proves a chamber of torture. But this it should only be until faith be revealed. The silly conscience must be educated to this. Talk to your conscience. Say: "Sister, you are now in jail all right. But you don't have to stay there forever. It is written that we are 'shut up unto faith which should afterwards be revealed.' Christ will lead you to freedom. Do not despair like Cain, Saul, or Judas. They might have gone free if they had called Christ to their aid. Just take it easy, Sister Conscience. It's good for you to be locked up for a while. It will teach you to appreciate Christ." How anybody can say that he by nature loves the Law is beyond me. The Law is a prison to be feared and hated. Any unconverted person who says he loves the Law is a liar. He does not know what he is talking about. We love the Law about as well as a murderer loves his gloomy cell, his straight-jacket, and the iron bars in front of him. How then can the Law justify us? (Galatians 3 Commentary) POSB - Very simply, the law shuts man up under sin; it imprisons and holds man in bondage to sin. How? The law shows man exactly where he fails—exactly where he comes short. There is no question about it: the law said to do this, but the man did that. He did not do this. The failure is clearly spelled out, just as clearly as a speed limit sign spells out the violation of the speeder. The law accuses and condemns man. As soon as a person violates the law, the law charges him. The law is in black and white, written down, so there is no question about it having been broken. Therefore, it preys upon his mind, cuts and convicts his heart. Guilt and conviction take over and the man is troubled and vexed to varying degrees, all dependent on the seriousness of the violation. The law has no life and no power to deliver man from the punishment due him for his violation. This is the whole point: the law reveals the violation and condemns man; it imprisons him. The law does not deliver man; it condemns man to bondage. It continues and continues to point out man’s sins and failures. And the case of the law is endless: its finger of accusation points out the man’s failure every time he violates it. The bondage to the law is perpetual. The only hope for man is for someone to appear on the scene with the power to release him. That someone has appeared: Jesus Christ has come to set us free. But note: as prisoners we have to accept His deliverance. The choice is ours. We can believe and trust His power to deliver us or not. (Galatians-Colossians - KJV - POSB - Leadership Ministries Worldwide) Were kept in custody (5432)(phroureo from phrouros = a sentinel in turn derived from pro = before, toward + horao = take special notice of) means to pay attention to something, thus giving us a clear picture of the action involved in guarding or protecting. To keep by guarding. Phroureo is a military metaphor speaking of a fortress with strong walls being guarded by a battalion of soldiers. Paul says "we were guarded or protected by the Law". An interesting figurative use of this verb (phroureo) which is elsewhere used of a literal guarding of "the city of the Damascenes" in order to seize Paul when he tried to escape. This gives us quite a strong picture that this "guarding" is not a casual one, but it was used both of keeping the enemy out and of keeping the inhabitants in, lest they should flee or desert.. So in sum, the Law functions like a prison guard which keeps one under protection until faith opens the floodgates of heaven's grace to salvation by faith. But the other side of the Law is that it functions like a medieval jailer who keeps a man's dead spirit in a "dark dungeon" from which he will never be freed because he loves his sin and is unwilling to come to Jesus that he might be saved. Vine adds that phroureo means "to keep by guarding, to keep under guard, as with a garrison (phrouros, a guard, or garrison), is used, (a) of blocking up every way of escape, as in a siege; (b) of providing protection against the enemy, as a garrison does (2 Cor. 11.32, “guarding the city," as “with a garrison.”) It is used of the security of the Christian until the end, 1 Pet. 1:5 and of the sense of that security that is his when he puts all his matters into the hand of God, Phil. 4:7. In these passages the idea is not merely that of protection, but of inward garrisoning as by the Holy Spirit. In Galatians 3:23 it means rather a benevolent custody and watchful guardianship in view of worldwide idolatry (cp God's watchcare of Israel in Isaiah 5:2-note).
Gálatas 3
MacArthur comments on under the Law - The purpose of the law is to reveal and convict men of sin. “I would not have come to know sin except through the Law,” Paul declared; “for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, ‘You shall not covet.’ … I was once alive apart from the Law; but when the commandment came, sin became alive, and I died” (Rom. 7:7, 9). Forgiveness means nothing to a person who is either unaware he has done anything wrong or is unconvinced the wrong he knows he has done produces any serious consequences to him. Grace means nothing to a person who does not know he is sinful and that such sinfulness means he is separated from God and damned. It is therefore pointless to preach grace until the impossible demands of the law and the reality of guilt before God are preached. In the opening chapter of his classic allegory Pilgrim’s Progress, John Bunyan writes: As I walked through the wilderness of this world, I lighted on a certain place where was a den, and laid me down in that place to sleep; and, as I slept, I dreamed a dream. I dreamed, and behold, I saw a man clothed with rags, standing in a certain place, with his face from his own house, a book in his hand, and a great burden upon his back. I looked, and saw him open the book, and read therein; and as he read, he wept and trembled; and, not being able longer to contain, he brake out with a lamentable cry, saying, “What shall I do?” (Click link if you have never read Pilgrim's Progress) A short while later the man encountered Evangelist, who asked, “Wherefore dost thou cry?” Pilgrim answered, “Sir, I perceive by the book in my hand that I am condemned to die, and after that to come to judgment.” Evangelist then pointed the pilgrim toward a gate in the distance and to a light beyond it and a hill. With the great burden on his back and the book in his hand, Pilgrim started off toward the hill, crying out, “Life! Life! Eternal life!” The burden on Pilgrim’s back was his sin, the hook in his hand was the Bible, and the hill toward which he journeyed was Calvary. It was in reading God’s Word that he learned God’s law condemned him to death and hell because of his sin, and it was that knowledge of sin and judgment that drove Him to the cross of Christ, where the penalty for his sin was paid in full and complete forgiveness offered. (Ibid) (See also his sermon) FAITH IN CHRIST FREES US FROM BONDAGE OF THE LAW Being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed (unveiled) - "Kept in custody in preparation for the faith that was destined to be revealed (unveiled, disclosed)" (Amplified) "We were kept in protective custody, so to speak, until the way of faith was revealed." (NLT) God's Law hemmed in all men, in a sense keeping all men in prison with no way of escape, keeping all of us effectively "on death row" waiting to receive our just punishment of death, for the wages of sin is death (Ro 6:23). Like a modern day criminal on death row, we were in desperate need of a pardon from the "Governor" (so to speak, the Governor of course being God). God the Spirit convicted us of our sin (using the Law), the Father offered a pardon (giving us grace), and Christ effected the pardon so to speak (by fulfilling the Law). Our part was simply to accept the pardon, the redemption provided by the precious blood of Jesus (1 Peter 1:18, 19), Who Alone could set us free from "death row!" As Phillip Bliss wrote "Hallelujah! What a Savior! “Man of Sorrows!” what a name For the Son of God, who came Ruined sinners to reclaim. Hallelujah! What a Savior! Bearing shame and scoffing rude, In my place condemned He stood; Sealed my pardon with His blood. Hallelujah! What a Savior! Guilty, vile, and helpless we; Spotless Lamb of God was He; “Full atonement!” can it be? Hallelujah! What a Savior! Lifted up was He to die; “It is finished!” was His cry; Now in Heav’n exalted high. Hallelujah! What a Savior! When He comes, our glorious King, All His ransomed home to bring, Then anew His song we’ll sing: Hallelujah! What a Savior! Spurgeon on being shut up and faith...revealed - Well do I remember when I was “imprisoned” in this fashion. I struggled and strove with might and main to get out, but I found no way of escape. I was “imprisoned” until faith came, and opened the door, and brought me out into “the glorious freedom of the children of God” (Ro 8:21). The only thing that could bring us out of prison was faith. Our duty is to show men how the way of human merit is closed. We must shut them up to simple faith only, and show them that the way of faith is available. J J Findlay on faith - Faith is trebly honored here. It is the condition of the gift, the characteristic of its recipient (Gal 3:22 = "might be given to those who believe", Gal 3:24 = "so that we may be justified by faith."), and the end for which he was put under the charge of Law (Gal 3:23). “To them that believe” is “given,” as it was in foretaste to Abraham (Gal 3:6-note), a righteousness unearned, and bestowed on Christ’s account (Gal 3:13-note; Ro 5:17, 18-note); which brings with it the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, reserved in its conscious possession for Abraham’s children in the faith of Christ (Gal 3:14-note; Gal 4:4). These blessings form the commencement of that true life, whose root is a spiritual union with Christ, and which reaches on to eternity (Gal 2:20-note; Ro 5:21-note; Ro 6:23-note). Of such life the Law could impart nothing; but it taught men their need of it, and disposed them to accept it. This was the purpose of its institution. It was the forerunner, not the finisher, of Faith. (Expositor's Bible Commentary - Galatians 3:19-24 The Design of the Law) Wuest on to the faith which was later to be revealed - The word unto (KJV = "unto the faith") is from eis, and is not temporal in its significance, having the idea of until, but means here “with a view to.” That is, sinners were kept guarded under the law with a view to their exercising faith in Christ. The law shut them up to one avenue of escape, namely, faith in Christ, for during the 1500 years in which the law was in force, it was the means of convicting sinners of their sins and of causing them to look ahead in faith to the atonement God would some day offer which would pay for their sins. These sinners were saved by the blood of Christ just as surely and just as eternally as believing sinners since the Cross. Martin Luther feels (and I generally agree with his interesting application) that there are two aspects to the faith which was later to be revealed - (1) We know that Paul has reference to the time of Christ's coming. It was then that faith and the object of faith were fully revealed. (2) But we may apply the historical fact to our inner life. When Christ came He abolished the Law and brought liberty and life to light (cp 2 Ti 1:10 - Christ did this the first time when we initially believed on Him = "past tense salvation" - see Three Tenses of Salvation). This He continues to do in the hearts of the believers. (Ed: Now Luther is speaking about how faith is revealed in our day to day life as believers, in our progressive sanctification or "present tense salvation") The Christian has a body in whose members, as Paul says, sin dwells and wars. I take sin to mean not only the deed but root, tree, fruit, and all. A Christian may perhaps not fall into the gross sins of murder, adultery, theft, but he is not free from impatience, complaints, hatreds, and blasphemy of God. As carnal lust is strong in a young man, in a man of full age the desire for glory, and in an old man covetousness, so impatience, doubt, and hatred of God often prevail in the hearts of sincere Christians. Examples of these sins may be garnered from the Psalms, Job, Jeremiah, and all the Sacred Scriptures. Accordingly each Christian continues to experience in his heart times of the Law and times of the Gospel. The times of the Law are discernible by heaviness of heart, by a lively sense of sin, and a feeling of despair brought on by the Law. These periods of the Law will come again and again as long as we live. To mention my own case. There are many times when I find fault with God and am impatient with Him. The wrath and the judgment of God displease me, my wrath and impatience displease Him. Then is the season of the Law, when "the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh." (Gal 5:17-note) The time of grace returns when the heart is enlivened by the promise of God's mercy (Ed: I would add that when we are filled with Christ's Spirit [Eph 5:18-note] and enabled thereby to walk by His Spirit [Gal 5:16-note], it is then that we will be empowered to not fulfill the desire of the flesh! Memorize these passages and study the notes on these vitally important Scriptures, if you want to minimize those times when there is as Luther calls it a "season of the Law"! See also notes on "Make Disciples"). It soliloquizes: "Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? (Ps 42:5) Can you see nothing but law, sin, death, and hell? Is there no grace, no forgiveness, no joy, peace, life, heaven, no Christ and God? Trouble me no more, my soul. Hope in God who has not spared His own dear Son but has given Him into death for thy sins." When the Law carries things too far, say: "Mister Law, you are not the whole show. There are other and better things than you. They tell me to trust in the Lord." There is a time for the Law and a time for grace. Let us study to be good timekeepers. It is not easy. Law and grace may be miles apart in essence, but in the heart, they are pretty close together. In the heart fear and trust, sin and grace, Law and Gospel cross paths continually. Whether reason hears that justification before God is obtained by grace alone, it draws the inference that the Law is without value. The doctrine of the Law must therefore be studied carefully lest we either reject the Law altogether, or are tempted to attribute to the Law a capacity to save. There are three ways in which the Law may be abused. First, by the self-righteous hypocrites who fancy that they can be justified by the Law. Secondly, by those who claim that Christian liberty exempts a Christian from the observance of the Law. "These," says Peter, "use their liberty for a cloak of maliciousness," (1 Peter 2:16KJV-note) and bring the name and the Gospel of Christ into ill repute. Thirdly, the Law is abused by those who do not understand that the Law is meant to drive us to Christ. When the Law is properly used its value cannot be too highly appraised. It will take me to Christ every time. (Galatians 3 Commentary) James Montgomery
Gálatas 3
MacArthur points out that in Galatians 3:26-28 "Paul shows three aspects of the freedom of that relationship. Those who believe in Him and thereby become one with Him are sons of God, are one with every other believer, and are heirs of the promise." (Ibid) You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus: In the next chapter Paul adds that we were redeemed from being "under (the dominion of) the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons." (Gal 4:5+) Wayne
Gálatas 3
MacArthur notes that Paul's description of the believer being clothed with Christ "might be a reference to a Roman custom...There was a very significant ceremony among the Romans. It was kind of like bar mitzvah, only it came a little later. Roman young men went through it, and it was called toga virilis, which implied a robe and virility. It was the ceremony that occurred when a young man had reached the age of manhood. He was given a robe and robed with the toga virilis, which signified that he was now a grown-up son, enjoying full citizenship with all the rights and responsibilities that came with it, no longer to be treated like a child. Here he says, "You are no longer under a paidagogos, you've been through spiritual toga virilis, you have put on Jesus Christ. You are robed with Him." The Christian joined to Christ, baptized into His death and resurrection, in union with Him, is clothed with Christ's own robe of righteousness (Ed: cp 1 Cor 1:30, 2 Cor 5:21-note, Php 3:9-note). There's a really interesting verse, and I've really hunted around in my head for a way to illustrate this. I'm not sure I can ever illustrate it totally because it's such a deep spiritual truth. In Judges 6:34-note, it says, "But the spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon." What's so significant about that? The word 'came', in the Hebrew, is labash. (Ed: And is translated in Lxx with enduo) What does that mean? It means 'clothed'. It means to be laid around someone like a coat of armor so that he becomes invisible. It says there that, in preparation for Gideon's battle, the Holy Spirit surrounded him so that he was invisible. That's exactly the same concept you have in Galatians. When you became a Christian, the moment you believed, you became invisible to God, in the sense that you were robed with Jesus Christ, clothed with Him. That's why God can pour out everything on you, because He's pouring it out on Christ. Blessings. This is the great truth of our salvation, beloved, that I am His and He is mine. That's what he said in Galatians 2:20, isn't it? "I am crucified with Christ. I died with him. Nevertheless I live. Yet not I, but Christ lives in me. The life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the son of God." In other words, it's Christ in me and around me, living through me. Listen, friend, in Galatians 3:16, it says this. "The promise was made to Abraham and to his seed was the promise made. He said not, 'And to seeds,'" God didn't make His promise to a whole bunch of people, He made it to one, "As of many, but of one. 'And thy seed,' which is Christ." Listen, all of God's promise to Abraham was for one person, Christ. The only way you'll ever get in on it is to be what? In Christ. You see the point of that? In Christ. If Christ has the love of the Father, so do I. If Christ has full access to the Father, so do I. If Christ has the full blessing, so do I. In fact, some day, I'm going to be just like Him. I will see Him as He is (1 John 3:2-note). Beloved, there is no way that you'll ever know all the blessing of the Father unless you're in Christ. Someone gave me an illustration this week that may help you to understand this. Do you remember a man by the name of Thomas Edward Lawrence? He was a British scholar, soldier, and author who was better known as Lawrence of Arabia. He was one of the great heroes of World War I, and he was also a leader in the Paris Peace Talks of 1919. He represented a number of the tribes from the Arabian desert at that point. It was interesting that it said in this little article that when he was attending the peace talks, several of the leaders of these Arabian tribes came to Paris with him and stayed in hotels there. Their greatest attention was attracted by the large water faucets in the bathtubs, which appeared to have an unending supply of water. All one had to do was turn a handle and water continued to flow. This was quite a luxury for people who had grown up and spent their whole lives in the desert. As Lawrence was preparing to leave Paris, he discovered that the Arabians had secured plumbing tools and were taking the bathtub faucets off the wall. They explained to him that they were going to take the faucets back to the desert so that they could have an unending supply of water there. Lawrence had to convince them that it was not enough merely to have the faucet, but that the faucet had to be connected to a pipe, which, in turn, was connected to a water main, which went to a water reservoir, which got its supply of water from springs, rivers, and wells. Hence, in order for the faucet to work, it had to be connected to the original source of water. There is no blessing that comes to any man unless that man is connected to the source. All blessing comes from the Father to the Son, and unless you are plugged into the Son, there is no blessing (John 15:5). There is none. (Sermon) As an aside the Spirit of the LORD came upon many individuals in the OT (however not all of these use the Hebrew verb labash or the Greek verb enduo) - Othniel = Jdg 3:10 (Heb = hayah), Gideon = Jdg 6:34 (labash/enduo); Jephthah = Jdg 11:29; Jdg 13:25; 1Sa 10:9,10,19:20,23; 2Ch 20:14; Nu 24:2; 1Chr 12:18). He was also IN some people (Nu 27:18; Da 4:8; 6:3; 1Pe 1:11) and filled some for special service (Ex 31:3; 35:31). These relationships are characterized by the Lord, as the Spirit, being "with" them, in contrast to His permanent indwelling of all believers from the Day of Pentecost on (Jn 14:17). LET'S GET PRACTICAL WITH THIS GREAT TRUTH Have clothed yourselves with Christ - This figurative description symbolizes the believer's (forever) identification with Christ. This is our "position" and our privilege, but as noted above our privileged position calls for daily personal practice. Since we have clothed ourselves with Christ (position), the world needs to see us live like Christ and the only way to do that is to depend on the Spirit of Christ to give us the desire and the power to live like Him (Php 2:13NLT-note). When we live in this supernatural manner, the "clothes" that the world sees on us each day are Christ-like garments. That does not mean they will love us because most of the world hated Him. It does mean that when we suffer persecution it is for His sake (2 Ti 3:12-note, Php 1:29-note, etc), that is, we suffer because of His likeness shining through us by His Spirit. In Second Corinthians Paul used a different metaphor ("divine perfume" if you will) which conveys the same idea writing But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. And who is adequate for these things? (2 Cor 2:14-16) Comment: The world is watching our behavior, "sniffing" us out (so to speak) to see if we are authentic followers of Jesus, to see if we have an "odor" of the natural or supernatural. Who is adequate? None of us! We must continually rely on the omnipotent adequacy of God "Who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life." (2 Cor 3:5-6) Are you walking by the Spirit or walking by the flesh? Only the former lifestyle will give a "sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him (Jesus) in every place." Wayne
Gálatas 3
MacArthur has an interesting comment Well, those are obvious distinctions, but more than that, there was a thanksgiving prayer that Jews said in the evening. If Paul was a good Pharisee, which I'm sure he was before he was saved, he probably said this every night. Part of the prayer went like this: I thank God that You have not made me a Gentile, a slave, or a woman...So Paul takes a straight shot at that and says, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, bond or free, male or female." You say, "Well, that's part of Paul's problem. That's why he never got married. He didn't know the difference." No. He was not saying there's no difference, he was saying the difference doesn't matter spiritually. You get the difference?.... There is no place for racial prejudice. "There is neither Jew nor Greek." There is no place for racial partiality, none whatsoever. There is no justification for it Biblically. Romans 2:11 says, "There is no respect of persons with God." If you set yourself up partially to races over against other races, you set yourself above God. That is true in terms of your relationships, that is true in terms of your employment. Ephesians 6:9 says, "Ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him." No respect of persons. In Acts 13:1, we find that the pastors of the church in Antioch, five of them are listed, one of them (Simeon)is mentioned. Regarding Simeon, Niger, indicating the possibility that he himself was black and one of the five pastors there. Timothy was the child of a mixed marriage. I'll never forget the terrible, tragic suicide of a Southern pastor, who was caught in the tension of hatred in his own church toward black people. He wound up diving out of a third-story window and killing himself. There is no place in Scripture for any racial difference. Secondly, there is no place for social strata. "There is neither bond nor free." There are no ranks in the body of Christ, none at all. In James 2:1, that most sensitive passage, "My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons." You know, Dr. Ryrie made a very good statement. He said, "Sometimes our prejudice erodes into our faith," and that's what happened here. "For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment," did you know people could actually go to church in crummy clothes? He was a poor man, he had nothing better. "And ye have respect to him that weareth the fine clothing, and say unto him, 'Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, 'Stand thou there, or sit here under my feet', are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts? Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats? Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called? If ye fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, 'Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself,' but if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors." There it is. If you are a social climber and you do more for the wealthy and less for the poor, you have respect of persons and commit sin. Thirdly, there is no sexual distinction. "There is neither male nor female." Christianity elevated women to a place the had never known in the ancient world, never known. Spiritually, they are equals. In God's pattern for the church and for the home, the man is to rule and the woman is to be submissive. But from the spiritual dimension, they are equally, in Christ, recipients of all spiritual blessing in the heavens, right? So we're all one person in Christ. The benefits of being in Christ are being sons of God and one with each other. Ray Pritchard - In Christ the barriers that separate us have been torn down. Outward distinctions are no barrier to salvation. There are no divisions in the body of Christ on the basis of race, ethnic origin, skin color or national origin. You can be a Jew or a Greek or a Bolivian or an Egyptian or a Russian or a Filipino or a Nigerian or a Norwegian and it doesn’t matter to God at all. Or you can be a “Heinz 57 Varieties” type person and still come to Christ. God doesn’t favor one race or ethnic group over another. The ground is level at the foot of the cross. The same thing is true regarding social classes. Slave and free walk hand in hand into the family of God. This would have been an astounding thought in the first century. In the Christian church you might have a slave who was an elder giving spiritual oversight to a slave owner. The class distinctions that matter so much in the world (rich vs. poor, middle class vs. upper class, old money vs. new money, etc.) are not to dominate the Christian church. We are all saved on the same basis—by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. And sexual distinction doesn’t matter when it comes to salvation. Men and women are saved in exactly the same way. This means that a Gentile slave woman would have exactly the same rights in the eyes of God as a Jewish free man. Thus the ground is laid for true Christian unity. In Christ we are all one. God doesn’t play favorites and neither should we. Believer's Study Bible - Paul’s assertion does not obliterate social or role distinctions. Observation will confirm the continuing existence of Jew and Greek, male and female. The statement is an affirmation of the impartial nature of the love of God in salvation (cf. Acts 10:34, 35). The equality of personhood which God gave to His entire creation is a birthright of new life, to be exercised as an opportunity for intimate fellowship with God Himself. Similarly, the divinely assigned responsibility of race, position, or sex is a mandate of office, to be accepted as an opportunity in service and for glory to the Lord. This is no contradiction to the equality and unity we experience “in Christ,” which transcends all racial, ethnic, social, national or sexual distinctions. Vine on are one man in Christ Jesus.—“man” is added (the RV adds) in accordance with Ephesians 2:15, where the apostle speaks of Jew and Gentile becoming “one new man” in Christ. The figure is closely analogous to that of “the body,” under which the mutual relation of believers is set forth in 1 Corinthians 12:12–26; Ephesians 4:4, et al. In John 10:16, where the Lord speaks of gathering His sheep from the different “folds” into “one flock,” the final gathering is in view, “they that are Christ’s at His Parousia,” 1 Corinthians 15:23. In John 17, where the Lord asks the Father for those who believe on Him (and who are thus already incorporated into the “one [new] man in Christ Jesus”) that they “may be one,” spiritual progress is in view. Hence this unity is moral; oneness (union) of life is already theirs, then let them all have one ideal, one ambition—to be like the Son, that so they might please the Father and confirm their testimony to the world, Gal 3:11, 21. In Gal 3:22, 23 the consummation at the coming of the Lord seems to be in view, for whereas “believe” is the word that answers to present testimony, “know” is the word that answers to the revelation of that day. Here and in Ephesians 2:15 “one” is masculine in gender, i.e., “one person”; in John 17 “one” is neuter, i.e., “one thing,” as in 1 Corinthians 3:8; 11:5. In the first case vital union is in view; in the second moral. The first is present, an already accomplished fact in Christ—life; the second is a process in course of accomplishment in the power of the Holy Spirit—character. (Collected Writings) Warren Wiersbe on “All one in Christ Jesus”—what a tremendous claim! The Law created differences and distinctions, not only between individuals and nations, but also between various kinds of foods and animals. Jesus Christ came, not to divide, but to unite. This must have been glorious news for the Galatian Christians, for in their society slaves were considered to be only pieces of property; women were kept confined and disrespected; and Gentiles were constantly sneered at by the Jews....This does not mean that our race, political status, or sex is changed at conversion; but it does mean that these things are of no value or handicap when it comes to our spiritual relationship to God through Christ. The Law perpetuated these distinctions, but God in His grace has declared all men to be on the same level that He might have mercy on all men (Rom. 11:25–32). (Bible Exposition Commentary ) Galatians 3:26-29 TODAY IN THE WORD Oliver Otis Howard, a New England abolitionist, served as a general in the Union Army during the Civil War. He never drank, smoked or swore, and his soldiers called him ""Old Prayer Book."" After the war, Howard led the Freedmen's Bureau, a government effort to assist former slaves. He helped to found a university for African-Americans in 1867--Howard University, today one of the leading black universities in America. He also stirred controversy when he tried to integrate a church.Howard understood the truth of today's verse: racial and ethnic barriers have no place in the body of Christ. Despite Jew-Gentile frictions, Paul could give his Gentile converts in Galatia the assurance: ""You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus"" (v. 26). ""Through faith"" should be underscored because again and again in this epistle the apostle means to emphasize faith as opposed to works. Those who have received Christ by faith have been baptized into Him (v. 27). They have been linked to Him in a living union and made positionally to participate in His death, burial and resurrection (Rom. 6:3-4). In the process they have also ""put on Christ"" or ""clothed"" themselves with Christ. This is a reference to a significant ceremony for a young Roman male. When he came of age he was invested with the toga virilis, signifying that he was now a grown-up son, with the accompanying rights and responsibilities. The image helps to explain how we mature as God's children. We are joined to Christ by the Holy Spirit and clothed with Christ's robe of righteousness, by which means we can stand before God without fear of condemnation. In this divine family all are one in Christ (Gal. 3:28). None of us are entitled to superior Christian privileges, no matter what our spiritual or cultural background. A beautiful example of this is seen in the slave Onesimus, who in Christ became a ""dear brother"" to his master Philemon (Philemon 16). APPLY THE WORD Galatians 3:28 captures the tremendous reality of believers' unity in Christ. What distinctions or barriers separate Christians in our culture or community? Barriers of race? Social class? Economic status? Education? Career choice? It's time to break down those walls! A Shared Bond You are all one in Christ Jesus. — Galatians 3:28 When I needed a locksmith to get into my car, I had a pleasant surprise. After he arrived and began opening my little Ford’s door, we began chatting and I recognized his warm, familiar accent. It turned out that my rescuer was originally from Jamaica—a land I’ve visited often and have grown to love. This changed a negative event into a positive one. We were in a small way kindred spirits because of our shared love for that beautiful island nation. This struck me as a reminder of an even greater camaraderie—the joy of meeting someone new and discovering that he or she is also a believer in Christ. In some places, this is not unusual because there are many believers. But in those lands where there are few believers, the joy of meeting someone else who loves Jesus must be even greater. It’s thrilling to share together the amazing reality of the freedom from sin we have through Christ! For all who know Jesus, there is a shared bond, a oneness (union) in Christ (Gal. 3:28), a joy of fellowship that can brighten even the darkest day. Praise God that He brings a bond of unity to all who know Him as Savior. — Dave Branon What a miracle it is, dear Lord, that You can bring together people of all tribes, tongues, and nations to be like-minded in Christ—to share a bond of love and affection for Jesus. Christian fellowship builds us up and binds us together. Galatians 3:29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's descendants, heirs according to promise. Greek - ei de humeis Christou ara tou Abraam sperma este (2PPAI) kat epaggelian kleronomoi Amplified: And if you belong to Christ [are in Him Who is Abraham’s Seed], then you are Abraham’s offspring and [spiritual] heirs according to promise. Phillips And if you belong to Christ, you are true descendants of Abraham, you are true heirs of his promise. Wuest And since ye are Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, heirs according to the promise. (Eerdmans Publishing) NET Galatians 3:29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's descendants, heirs according to the promise. GNT Galatians 3:29 εἰ δὲ ὑμεῖς Χριστοῦ, ἄρα τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ σπέρμα ἐστέ, κατ᾽ ἐπαγγελίαν κληρονόμοι. NLT Galatians 3:29 And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God's promise to Abraham belongs to you. KJV Galatians 3:29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. ESV Galatians 3:29 And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise. ASV Galatians 3:29 And if ye are Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, heirs according to promise. CSB Galatians 3:29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, heirs according to the promise. NIV Galatians 3:29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. NKJ Galatians 3:29 And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. NRS Galatians 3:29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to the promise. YLT Galatians 3:29 and if ye are of Christ then of Abraham ye are seed, and according to promise -- heirs. NAB Galatians 3:29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's descendant, heirs according to the promise. NJB Galatians 3:29 And simply by being Christ's, you are that progeny of Abraham, the heirs named in the promise. GWN Galatians 3:29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's descendants and heirs, as God promised. BBE Galatians 3:29 And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and yours is the heritage by the right of God's undertaking given to Abraham. Christ's (KJV): Ga 5:24 1Co 3:23 15:23 2Co 10:7 Abraham's (KJV): Ga 3:7,16,28 4:22-31 Ge 21:10-12 Ro 4:12,16-21 9:7,8 Heb 11:18 heirs (KJV): Ga 4:7,28 Ro 4:13,14 8:17 1Co 3:22 Eph 3:6 Tit 3:7 Heb 1:14 6:17 Heb 11:7 Jas 2:5 Rev 21:7 Galatians 3:23-29 Under the Law or in Christ? - John MacArthur Galatians 3:26-29 Commentary - Sons of God - Wayne Barber 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 THE SEED OF ABRAHAM And if you belong to Christ - Wuest translates it "since ye are Christ’s. " And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's descendants, heirs according to promise. Vine says belong to Christ signifies "not merely if ye are His property, but if ye are “members of His body” Ephesians 5:30." In the Old Testament we have preparation for Christ; in the Gospels, the presentation of Christ; and in the Acts through Revelation, the appropriation of Christ. (Wiersbe) Ray Pritchard - To be Abraham’s seed means that we inherit the promise made to Abraham in Genesis 12. Originally those promises were just for the Jews, but in Christ they are now extended to all believers. Jeremiah 31:31-34-note explains that those promises revolve around total forgiveness of our sin and the implantation of a new heart (Ezek 11:19-note, Ezek 36:26-note) that gives us a desire to obey God (Ezek 36:27-note, Php 2:13NLT-note). Ultimately those promises extend past death to guarantee us eternal life with God in heaven. An heir is a person who by law is a member of a particular family. If you are an heir, you have a legal right to an inheritance. Since we are now members of God’s family, we have a right to all that God has promised to His children. This week I saw a tabloid cover story on Prince William, the oldest son of Prince Charles of England. The picture showed a smiling face of the young prince and noted that he was the handsome heir to the British throne. No doubt many young girls look at him and think, “That’s my ticket to the good life.” That’s what the world focuses on—money, position, power and an earthly throne with all the wealth that goes with it. But as Christians we have something much greater. We know Jesus Christ! In Him we find forgiveness, justification, freedom, an abundant life, joy, inner peace, new power, new motivation, redemption, and that’s just for this life. When we die, we go to heaven forever. The world has no answer to the problem of sin and death. In Christ we have been delivered from our sins and set free from the fear of death (Heb 2:14, 15-note). If you know Jesus, death is the doorway to the presence of God (2 Cor 5:8-note). It’s not the end, it’s only the beginning. (Born Free) Temper Longman on "if you belong to Christ" (better "since you belong to Christ" for Paul assume his readers do) - Now being “in Christ,” one’s ethnicity, life station, or gender is no longer relevant to one’s redemptive identity. Such outward distinctions remain, of course: Jews do not become Gentiles, and women do not become men; but these distinctions no longer carry the significance in God’s redemptive program that they once had. All alike are “Abraham’s seed,” and all alike will be included in the fullness of God’s redemptive promises. All alike have become “heirs,” Abraham’s spiritual offspring, because they are in Christ Jesus according to faith in the promise, not according to works of the law. (Expositor's Bible Commentary - Revised Ed) Promise (1860) see preceding discussion of epaggelia/epangelia Epaggelia - Used 50v in the NT and 7x in Galatians 3 - Gal. 3:14; Gal. 3:16; Gal. 3:17; Gal. 3:18; Gal. 3:21; Gal. 3:22; Gal. 3:29. Also used in Gal 4:23 and Gal 4:27. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's descendants: Christ is the seed of Abraham (Gal 3:16); being in Christ makes the believer a spiritual descendant of Abraham and thus an heir of the promise to Abraham (Ge 15:6) of justification by faith ( Gal 3:8). National promises made to Abraham (esp "the land" of Canaan Ge 15:18, 17:8) as the father of the Jewish people are not in view in this verse, only the glorious promise of (Gal 3:8). Vincent on Abraham's descendants - As being one with Christ. See Gal 3:7, 16. In Romans 4. Paul shows that Abraham was justified by faith, and was thus constituted the spiritual father of all believers in Christ, whether circumcised or uncircumcised. The purpose of God in making the inheritance of the promise dependent on faith was that the promise might be sure to all the seed. Abraham, he says, is “the father of us all” (Ro 4:16-note). This spiritual paternity does away with the current Jewish notion of physical paternity. Physical relationship with Abraham is of no significance in the economy of salvation. Heirs according to promise: What is the promise? The word promise occurs 7 times in 6 verses in Galatians 3. The first mention of promise is in Gal 3:14 where Paul writes describes "the promise of the Spirit through faith." Robert Dean concludes that "according to Gal 3:29 if you belong to Christ you are a believer and an heir according to the promise, i.e. that you have received the baptism of the Holy Spirit at the moment of salvation." (Ed: Not everyone interprets promise in this way, but it is included to be "food for thought.") In Romans 4 Paul explains that Abraham "received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised, so that he might be the father of all who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be credited to them." (Ro 4:11) What is the promise in Romans 4? Righteousness (of Christ) imputed to or placed upon our "spiritual bank account." To suggest (as do many evangelicals today) that Gentile believers inherit the national promises given to the believing Jewish remnant, that the church thus supplants Israel or is the “new Israel”—is to read into these verses what is not there. Cleon Rogers - It does not mean that the believer receives the land promises of Abraham, but rather that he partakes of the blessing of justification which is through faith, the universal blessing promised to Abraham for the whole world. John MacArthur - The spiritual promise of eternal salvation and blessing given to Abraham belongs to all those who belong to Christ. They are all heirs according to that promise, which is fulfilled in Christ. This is not a reference to the promises given to Abraham regarding the land (Gen. 12:1; 13:14-15; 17:8), but refers to the spiritual blessings that come to all who, being justified by faith just as Abraham was (Ge 15:6; Ro 4:3-11), will inherit the spiritual promises given to Abraham. Not all the physical seed of Abraham will receive the promises of salvation (Ro 9:6-11), but many who are not physical seed of Abraham will receive them by coming to God by faith as he did, thereby becoming his spiritual offspring. Those who are children of God are "heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ" (Ro 8:17). Christ's inheritance belongs to "all those who are sanctified" (Acts 20:32), His fellow "heirs according to the hope of eternal life" (Titus 3:7). They are "sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise" (Eph. 1:13), the promise of inheriting God Himself. "The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and my cup, exulted David (Ps. 16:5). John Stott lucidly summarizes his comments on this passage in the following words: "We cannot come to Christ to be justified until we have first been to Moses to be condemned. But once we have gone to Moses, and acknowledged our sin, guilt and condemnation, we must not stay there. We must let Moses send us to Christ" (The Message of Galatians [London: Inter-Varsity, 1968], p. 102). (See Galatians Commentary - Page 101) Kenneth