Letters from Paul

A taste of the study room coming with Paul — pull open whatever you'd like to sit with.

The reading — Galatians 3:15-29

¹⁵Brothers, speaking of human terms, though it is only a man’s covenant, yet when it has been confirmed, no one makes it void, or adds to it. ¹⁶Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his offspring. He doesn’t say, “To descendants”, as of many, but as of one, “To your offspring”, which is Christ. ¹⁷Now I say this: A covenant confirmed beforehand by God in Christ, the law, which came four hundred thirty years after, does not annul, so as to make the promise of no effect. ¹⁸For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no more of promise; but God has granted it to Abraham by promise. ¹⁹Then why is there the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise has been made. It was ordained through angels by the hand of a mediator. ²⁰Now a mediator is not between one, but God is one. ²¹Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could make alive, most certainly righteousness would have been of the law. ²²But the Scriptures imprisoned all things under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. ²³But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, confined for the faith which should afterwards be revealed. ²⁴So that the law has become our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. ²⁵But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. ²⁶For you are all children of God, through faith in Christ Jesus. ²⁷For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. ²⁸There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. ²⁹If you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring and heirs according to promise.

World English Bible

The words behind the words

Mark the word "offspring" — "seed" as it stands in the promise to Abraham. I press hard on a single letter: God did not say "seeds," as of many, but "seed," as of one, and that one is Christ (Galatians 3:16). And weigh the word I use for the law: it was our "guardian" — the household slave who walked a child to his lessons and kept him in line until he came of age (Galatians 3:24). Not the father, not the inheritance; a temporary custodian, and no more.

Where else you say this

I take up this same thread of promise reaching Abraham's true children by faith when I write to the Romans (Romans 4:13-16). I speak again of the law as something we have died to, that we might belong to another (Romans 7:4-6). And the wonder of your new standing — no longer slaves but sons, and if sons, then heirs — I set down for you here and again to the Romans (Romans 8:14-17).

The situation

Men had come among you in Galatia after I left, teaching that faith in Christ was not enough — that to be true heirs of Abraham you must also take on circumcision and the law of Moses. They made the law a ladder to climb. So I go back behind Moses to Abraham, and show you the promise came four hundred and thirty years before the law ever arrived (Galatians 3:17), and a later covenant cannot annul an earlier promise. You did not begin by faith to be perfected by the flesh.

The hard question

Then why the law at all — if the promise stands without it, was it a mistake? No. I answer it plainly: it was added because of transgressions (Galatians 3:19), to hold us, to shut us up, to show us we could not save ourselves and drive us to the One who could. The law is not against the promises of God (Galatians 3:21) — it cannot give life, and was never meant to. Read the words again: it was our guardian until Christ came. The guardian was good; but you are no longer a child. In Christ you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise (Galatians 3:29).

This is a small window into what a study room with Paul will hold — word by word, letter by letter, and the maps and journeys behind them. Get notified when it opens →

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