Posted
by Michael Bunker
editor@lazarusunbound.com
CHAPTER 3
In this chapter we will be discussing Paul's argument for a proper view of Justification by Faith, and in doing so we will expose the errors of the 3 major heretical parties making up a good part of professing “christianity” today. It is necessary, then, that we pay close attention to the development of Paul's case, because in it, and through it, we will find the truth of Justification and the Law that will arm us for a defense of the Gospel against these 3 parties.
In this chapter Paul begins with an exclamation emphasizing the point he had been making in the last chapter. Paul asks the Galatians how they can be so foolish to believe that they can be perfected by the flesh, and by doing so deny that righteousness must be attained solely through the imputation of Christ's righteousness if there is to be any hope of salvation at all. Let us not forget that Paul is competing for the minds and hearts of the Galatians, among whom he has worked tirelessly for many years. Since the enemies of the Gospel have made law-keeping the sole means of salvation, the question Paul puts before us is “to what purpose is the law?”. If it can be shown that these enemies have forsaken the Gospel in their pursuit of law-salvation, then indeed the Galatians would be foolish to follow after them. This chapter, then, is a treatise on justification by faith alone, and it will serve to rightly place the law and the Gospel in God's plan for His people. Only by a right understanding of law and grace found in this chapter will we be armed against the errors of legalists and antinomians of every stripe. The chapter rightly begins with a rebuke of the foolish Galatians and will end with the shocking and revolutionary claim that those who believe in Christ by faith are truly Abraham's seed, being the Israel of God, the rightful heirs of the promise.
Verses 1-2 - O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
It is not likely that Paul is ignorant of who has bewitched the foolish Galatians, since he has alluded to them many times and will continue to do so. The emphasis here is not on “who” hath bewitched the Galatians, but who hath bewitched the Galatians. Were Paul searching for the identity of the Galatian deceivers, he would not have followed the question with a rhetorical question concerning the nature of their error, but he would have demanded an answer as to the identity of those who were deceiving the church. So Paul is, throughout this chapter, using rhetorical mechanisms to make a point. His question here is, “how were you so easily bewitched?”. He says, “So tell me, you who claim to be 'saved'... did you receive the Spirit of God by the works of the law (i.e. 'Were you circumcised when you received the Spirit, if indeed you did receive the Spirit?), or by the hearing of faith?” Receiving the Spirit is not speaking of the actual indwelling of the Spirit of God through regeneration, because Paul voices his doubts that this regeneration has happened among the Galatians, but “receive the Spirit” refers to their evident acceptance of the fundamentals of the Gospel by way of the miraculous working of the Spirit of God among them. His point is this, since the Galatians were not circumcised when they became Christians, do they believe that by being circumcised now that they will be made perfect? If the work was begun while they were still sinners and still “unclean”, would they finish the work themselves and forgo the Spirit? Please note this very important point:
The Galatians received (or accepted) the working of the Spirit among themselves while they were yet heathen, separated from God and the commonwealth of Israel (Eph. 2:12). So the works of God were worked among them while they were yet sinners, and while they were not followers of the law. Paul is noting here that these are almost unanimously Gentiles who were not under the law from the beginning. Of the two covenants in view here, the covenant of the law is considered a lesser covenant by which no man could be made perfect (Heb. 7:19). It is evident, then, that the Spiritual covenant is the greater covenant. Is it possible that anyone would want to begin with the greater, but be made perfect by the lesser? So any Jews who were indeed regenerated and converted were begun in the flesh (law-keeping) but made perfect by the Spirit through faith. How ridiculous is it, then, to think that the Gentiles may begin through the Spirit but be made perfect by the law. The law is called by Paul the “rudiments of the world” (Col. 2:8, 2:20), and in this same book (4:9), it is called “the weak and beggarly elements”. So, his argument is that it is ridiculous to think that one could begin the work by the Spirit, but have the work finished by the works of the law.
Paul declares to the Galatians that Jesus Christ has been brought forth before the Galatians as evidently “crucified among you”, which is to say that in every discourse where Christ was preached to the Galatian churches, He was preached before them as “crucified”, which means that all the work necessary to salvation had been completed. The Son of God had completed the work, declared it finished, and He then sat down on the right hand of the Father in heaven (Matt. 26:64). So the work of Justification was shown among the Galatians as a finished work; how foolish, then, would it be to deny that work and attempt to add to it works of the flesh that cannot make a man perfect?
Here Paul makes a statement that validates his understanding of the true Gospel. He claims that the Spirit is received by the “hearing of faith”. Now by “faith” here is meant the faithful receiving of the elements of the Gospel, so we must properly understand this short phrase according to the teaching of Scripture. Some claim that salvation is gained by the hearing of the Gospel, as if mere carnal “hearing” alone is salvific. That is patently not true. If it were not, all that hear the Gospel would believe it and be saved. By “hearing” here is meant “hearing and heeding”, or the faithful hearing that produces fruit through spiritual regeneration. So the “hearing of faith”, means the obedient hearing and heeding of the Gospel by means of Spiritual re-birth. This hearing is caused by the direct command of God, wherefore it is said, “If any man have an ear, let him hear” (Rev. 2:7, 2:11, 2:17, 2:29, 3:6, 3:13, 3:22, 13:9), and contrariwise “...God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day” (Rom. 11:8). We should note that, “The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the LORD hath made even both of them” (Prov. 20:12). So it is only by God's sovereign and electing grace that we can see or hear by faith, and it is this hearing of faith that Paul emphasizes, since this faith is a gift of God (Eph. 2:8, Acts 14:27, ) and cannot be contrived in a man's heart by his own will or wish. Verse 22 of this very chapter of Galatians states plainly that faith is a gift. We wills see it more plainly when we get to that verse.
Verses 3-5 - Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain. He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
The point made in the first two verses is reiterated here, how foolish is it to believe that the flesh can make one perfect, if the work was begun by the Spirit? Paul is now insinuating a more important question. Are these Galatians in the Church truly saved? Have they suffered attacks, ridicule, and persecution in vain? It would be in vain if they are not truly saved; so the question is, are these professing Christians truly saved? I think Paul has an opinion on that, and he will offer that opinion a little later in the letter.
Paul next asks a very important question, albeit a rhetorical one: when He, God, who brought them the Gospel by the Holy Spirit (working through the Apostles), ministered to them through evident miracles, did He do so by the works of the law, or by the “hearing of faith”? This is an excellent question, and it demands that the Galatians recall Paul's own conversion and his works (by the Spirit of God) among them. Did Paul minister to them the ceremonial and sacrificial law of God? Did anyone at the time attribute the miracles to the keeping of the ceremonial and sacrificial law of God? Did the Galatians even know of these laws of Moses when the Holy Spirit ministered unto them by miracles? Since they didn't even know of the laws of Moses when they were ministered unto by miracles worked through God's sent Apostles, then they cannot now conclude that they were deprived of the Spirit by being deprived of the minutia of the law. It is God who ministered among them via the Apostle Paul; so did Paul receive the Spirit of God indwelling because he was an obedient, law-keeping Jew? Or did he receive the Spirit by the “hearing of faith”? Paul will begin to examine the salvation of righteous Abraham, and through that salvation we will see that the Gospel has never changed for God's elect, and all of God's children must come to Christ by faith, and not by the works of the law.
This series of rhetorical questions has an aim, and that aim is to show the people how truly foolish their logic has been. Paul utilizes this system of questions to begin to unveil an even greater mystery among them. He has as his aim to prove that the law-keeping, Judaizing, hypocritical Jews who had deceived the Galatians were not even the children of Abraham! Can you imagine how big a shock that this will be to the Jews who will read this letter? This shock reverberates even today, and it is this mystery that causes many of the modern witches and warlocks of “Christian Zionism”, neo-Judaism, and other cults to gnash their teeth and rend their garments. We will also see in this teaching a condemnation of the teachings of modern Antinomians, who use an erroneous view of Paul's grace teaching to anesthetize the consciences of men.
Verses 6-9 - Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham
Paul quotes Genesis 15:6 and in doing so he begins to unveil the great mystery of the identity of the Israel of God (Gal. 6:16).
...Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham; Abraham was circumcised (Gen. 17:9-10), and this circumcision would be the sign of the natural sons of Abraham and the covenant of works between God and man, but Abraham was the father of another covenant; a covenant marked not by circumcision, but by spiritual belief. It was through the gift of spiritual belief that the righteousness of Christ was imputed to Abraham and his spiritual children. So Abraham was the father of two tribes; one, a tribe of carnal children who perished and continue to perish through lack of faith; and the second is a tribe of spiritual children brought to God by Abraham's “seed” who is Jesus Christ. Abraham's spiritual progeny are all those who are brought to God in Christ. So let us look at Paul's argument. Abraham was justified by the gift of belief (Phil. 1:29, 2 Thess. 2:13) which is the cause of faith, and so all of his spiritual children are justified through the same gift of faith and belief. Therefore those who are children of Abraham by faith are truly the children of Abraham. The mystery has existed throughout the time from Abraham until now, that there were two seeds, one of the flesh which perishes (Ishmael) and the other of the spirit which lives (Isaac). It is not by carnal generation that we are called Sons of God, but by spiritual regeneration are we called the Sons of God. This is a spiritual mystery, unveiled through the Gospel. This is a type, of which our two births are the antitype. We are born in sin, subject to the penalties and strictures of law and eventually to eternal death, unless we are reborn in the spirit, whereby we are, as children and heirs, granted eternal life as the Sons of God.
And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham; The Holy Spirit, author of the Bible and the One who unveils all spiritual mysteries, knew the mind of the Father who covenanted with the Son for a people to be called by His name. The Spirit, then, foreseeing Gods work in bringing the elect out of the heathen to Himself by the work of Christ, preached this same Gospel unto Abraham, saying, “In thee shall all nations be blessed”. The elect of the nations (which are called the “heathen” or the “gentiles” by the circumcision) are blessed through the same Gospel believed by Abraham, and in believing that same Gospel by the gift of faith, they are made children of Abraham and heirs to the promise, and as such they are blessed with faithful Abraham.
Now we must pause here to see what has happened to the three major errors which abound the most today, and how they are proved false through Paul's logic.
Legalists (which takes in the Judaizers who were bewitching the Galatians, as well as the later Romanists and Arminians which followed them) are shown to be children of Ishmael and of the covenant of works, and it is plainly shown that they cannot be the children of the promise, because they deny the faithful works of Abraham and thus the Gospel.
Christian Zionists, or the “two covenant” heretics, shown to be in grave error since they believe that all the natural Jews (by carnal generation from Abraham) are going to be saved miraculously without regard to whether or not they believe the Gospel. In this camp we find most of the Charismatic movement, the John Hagee Christian Zionistas, and the modern Neo-Judaistic Hebrew Roots crowd, and many others.
Antinomians, being those who take the teaching of Paul to mean that all who pronounce a mere assent to the principles of the Gospel regardless of faithful works guaranteed by the Gospel, ie. reformation of life, sanctification, conversion, etc., are the saved of God. The teaching of Paul here shows us that those who have received the Gospel by faith, are those who show forth “belief” in the same way that righteous and faithful Abraham showed forth belief... by obedience to that Gospel and belief of the truth, resulting in a love for God's commandments. Remember that it was Abraham's obedience in the offering up of Isaac that evidenced him as a faithful servant and a recipient of grace.
Verse 10 - For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them
Paul goes back to his argument showing that the carnal sons of Abraham who continued not in the works of the law were cursed and perished without grace. Paul quotes here from Deuteronomy 27:26, showing that the curse comes upon those who are under a covenant works, and logically then we can determine that those who are cursed cannot be those who are blessed with faithful Abraham. To be “of the works of the law” is to be birthed according to the covenant of works and cursed to continue therein in order to obtain righteousness and hope of salvation. Since righteousness and salvation cannot be obtained by the works of the law, then the curse is shown to be upon all those who continue therein by denying the covenant of Grace towards those who belief by faith.
Now, we must say here that the Antinomian heretic will accuse us of attempting to be justified by the law because we rightly preach that the Children of God are obligated to keep the moral law as commanded by Christ and the Apostles; but we nowhere teach that obedience to the moral law is a cause of salvation, faith, or belief. Here we can see that the Antinomians are heretics, because they deny the fruit of faith and belief, which is the mighty working of the Spirit in our regeneration and conversion. When we claim that obedience to the commandments of God is a result and fruit of true belief and regeneration, the Antinomian is offended because he has no claim to belief and regeneration since he can show forth no fruit of that Spiritual work. The Legalist would have Abraham saved by his work of offering Isaac as he was commanded, but denying that it was God that worked in Abraham to be spiritually obedient to the command. The Antinomian would have Abraham saved even if he refused to obey the commandment of God, believing that disobedience is evidence of a larger “dose” of grace. Remember that Abraham's obedience was not a mere servile, fleshly and robotic obedience to the letter of the commandment. Abraham spoke by revelation when he said to Isaac, “My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering” (Gen. 22:8).
Verses 11-12 - But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them
While sinners may be justified in the site of other men by good works and law-keeping, they in no way can be justified in the sight of God by such works. The order of salvation is that:
FIRST, a sinner is justified by the imputation of the righteous acts of Christ through the gifts of faith, belief, repentance and obedience;
THEN the Spirit of God brings forth good works unto God by means of this faith, belief and obedience.
So it is absurd to insist that good works would justify us in the sight of God, since justification would have had to precede such works if they truly came from God. The Legalist believes that God justifies men by their works, and Paul shows that this assertion is completely untrue. The Antinomian believes that men are justified mystically and invisibly and that there is no result (or product) of this justification, and therefore there is no place at all for works (though they will deny this), since they cannot be the cause of our justification before God. Both types of heretic abuse God, the Scriptures and the consciences of men by their errors. Paul says, “The just shall live by faith”, which evidences that those who are justified (first) will then live obediently by that same faith; where the Antinomian lives on by whim and wish, denying the commandments of God as an ensign and result of living by that faith. Therefore we can see that the law is not of faith, nor can the keeping of the ceremonial and sacrificial law be the cause of faith, so the man who continues on in these laws as a means of justification shall fail, as he will be living on by confidence in them and not by faith. Christians must live with faith as a source, instead of living by a false and dangerous confidence in good works.
The law says, “do this and live”. Legalists are confident that they are able to rightly do these things and by doing them rightly, live. They live by vain confidence in that which is impossible in the flesh. While it is true that if they were able to spiritually and perfectly keep that law that they would receive the promise made to those who are able to do so, the Bible teaches us that this confidence is vain, because the fruit of the carnal heart is sin, and all that proceeds from that heart is sinful, even if it pleases the flesh and gives it false confidence. The righteous works of man are as filthy rags (Isa. 64:6), and it is a dangerous confidence in filthy rags that drives wicked men to believe themselves justified by such rags.
Verses 13-14 - Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith
Paul, speaking for his party (all those who are justified by faith alone) says that “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law” (which curse Paul has already shown us in verse 10), and it is this critical point that Paul drives home now in the midst of this chapter. It is important now that I take a moment to teach you how to read this phrase correctly. There is a single thought in the phrase, and it there is a parenthetical explanation within the thought. The single thought is this,
“Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us... that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.”
This is the central theme of the phrase, and it must be studied completely first. Then, within the phrase, Paul adds parenthetically: “...for it is written, Cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree”.
Please pay close attention. Paul refers back to a portion of Deuteronomy that until then (among the Jews) had not been considered a Messianic passage. We should know that historically, according to John Gill, a sarcastic nickname had been given to Christ. The Jews called him in Hebrew a term that meant “he that is hanged”, in order to refer their hearers back to this verse and to prove to themselves that Jesus was no Christ, since they believed that only sinners were to be hanged on a tree. Paul turns this around on these wicked Jews, knowing that they will receive and read this letter, by saying that it is the Messiah who became accursed in order to redeem us from the curse. Now the Jews would have to admit that one of the employments of the Messiah would be to redeem his people from all curses. So here Paul slams home his argument that the curse of the law is nullified in the elect by Christ becoming a curse for us by being hanged on a tree. This parenthetical phrase brings home the theme of the primary phrase, which is that since we are redeemed from the curse of the law we ought to live by the promise of the Spirit through faith. It would be very difficult (except by the gift of faith) for us to see and understand now just how powerful these couple of verses would have been in putting to silence the enemies of the Gospel.
That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith; Now we continue with our understanding of cause and effect:
Cause: “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us...”
and its effects:
“that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.”; this one we have examined in the previous verses.
“That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ”; Christ's work in becoming a curse for us, has served us in that it has allowed the blessing promised to Abraham to come upon the Gentiles. So the promise made to Abraham, that he would have a spiritual “seed” given unto him who would inherit the world and all that is in it, has come upon Christ (in a couple of verses we will see that this promise was not made to Abraham's carnal “seeds”, but unto the spiritual “seed” which is Christ), and through Christ the promise has come also upon the Gentiles.
“that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith”; So the promise made (of a spiritual seed of Abraham who will becomes heirs of the spiritual promises) might be received from the Spirit through faith. Now this is the weighty matter discussed earlier in the chapter, showing that receiving Christ by faith (a gift) is the means and cause of justification rather than our works.
Verse 15 - Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto
Here we have a fascinating and interesting look into the practices of men at the time. Paul refers to a practice of men (all men, it would seem) by claiming that among men, whenever a man has a will or testament (a covenant pertaining to the disposition of his property at death), that if that testament is confirmed (by witnesses, and eventually by the death of the testator), then that testament cannot be annulled or added to. Paul is saying this, “Ok, I will use an agreed upon custom of our own times to prove to you my point. Among ourselves it is accepted that a will or testament, once it is confirmed, cannot be annulled or amended.” This goes to emphasize his point that the spiritual covenant made with Abraham was confirmed by the death of Christ on a tree. Hebrews 9:16-17 teaches us that the confirmation of this testament necessitates the death of the testator. So by Christ's death on a tree, He has confirmed the covenant with many (Daniel 9:17), and where this covenant is confirmed, it cannot be annulled or amended. What is it, then, to add works of the law to that which has been completed if it is not to amend or add to the testament?
Verses 16-17 - Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. 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
So, of the two covenants made with Abraham we know that one was a product of the spirit, and Isaac was the sign of the promise, and it involved the spiritual promises made to the spiritual seed that would one day come from him. The other covenant was a carnal covenant, confirmed by circumcision, and it involved the promises to be shown towards the physical seed of the patriarch. Now, of the spiritual promises, these were made concerning a coming “seed” (in the singular) and not of “seeds”. Paul confirms that the promised seed was Jesus Christ, and to Him belong all the promises. The law of God did not come until after the Israelites were held in bondage in Egypt for 400 years, and so the law itself did not appear for another 430 years after the spiritual promises were made to Abraham, and so the law could not disannul (or make of none effect) the spiritual promise made to the seed of Abraham through faith.
Verse 18 - For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise
If the Spiritual promises of the inheritance were only to be confirmed by works of the law, then it wasn't a promise at all, but a conditional agreement. But God gave the spiritual promise to Abraham, and that promise was made before the covenant of circumcision was imposed (which did not appear until Chapter 17) many years after the spiritual promise had been made. Now the confirmation of the spiritual covenant was completed (in Chapter 15) where we see Christ who appears and walks between the carcasses, which was a sign of the confirmation of the covenant to be made by the sacrifice Christ would offer of Himself in order to redeem the promised seed to Himself. So the confusion of these two covenants (one of the Spirit, confirmed by Christ; the other of the flesh, confirmed by circumcision) is what has caused and allowed the deception to prevail among the Galatians.
Verses 19-20 - Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator. Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one
Paul, following his previous practice and fully knowledgeable as to the mind of his enemy, asks the question that will have arisen by this point to try to take away from the weight of his argument. The legalist will then ask, “So, if we are not justified by the works of the law, then what purpose does the law serve? And why was it added?” Paul answers, The law was added 430 years after the covenant in order to accomplish two things:
To restrain sin among those who would not (or had not) received salvation via the gift of faith in the Messiah. Read what this Apostle said in the first letter written to Timothy: “Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine” (1Ti 1:9-10). The law was not added to amend or annul the covenant of grace made through Abraham, but to restrain sin in the carnal sons of Abraham until the seed should come to whom the promise was made.
To show forth sin and need in the elect. Read what this same Apostle wrote to the Romans: “Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful” (Rom 7:13). Towards the elect, the law showed forth within us (and to us) that need we had for spiritual life. We recognize that the law brought forth death in us, because the commandment showed us where we were forever short of its perfect fulfillment. James tells us that this law was a mirror, and by looking into it the elect could determine what manner of man he is, and unlike the one who is a “hearer” only of the law, the elect does not forget what manner of man he is and is reminded to continue on in the perfect law of liberty, which brings forth good works by faith (James 1:23-25).
and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator. Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one; The law is said to be “ordained by angels”, which some have supposed to mean by Moses and Aaron. Dr. Gill says that this verse speaks of the 10,000's of angels who accompanied God on Mt. Sinai, who were the instruments of God (his voice and his hand) in delivering the law to Moses (and thus to Israel). This seems to be the inference, though I am sure that there can be some slight differences in interpretation concerning just who and what is meant here. Of the mediator spoken of here there should be no confusion, though many have erroneously said that this mediator is Christ. Christ is not the mediator of this old covenant, but is the mediator of the new covenant (Heb. 12:24). Moses is spoken of here as the mediator of the old covenant, and he is spoken of as standing before God on behalf of the people, which is the purpose and employment of a mediator in this context. Now, a mediator is not needed where the covenant is being kept by both parties to the covenant. Since this old covenant was between God and Man, and Man had continuously violated his part of the covenant, a mediator was sent to stand before men in the place of God, and before God in the place of men. In this, Moses was a type of Christ who was the mediator of the New Covenant (1 Tim. 2:5). So, God is one of the parties, and He is the offended party of the old covenant that has seen his covenant violated by the other party. The law had been repeatedly transgressed, and thus the mediator was the instrument of carrying forth God's promises and threatenings to those who were in breech of the conditional covenant.
Verses 21-22 - Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe
The next objection to be raised is this, “So then is the law in contradiction, or contrary to the promises of God? Are the two elements in opposition, as if God were of two minds concerning man?” Paul replies, “God forbid”, for if the old covenant had contained a law that, by perfect obedience and performance of it, should have made us righteous, then righteousness would have been available via the law. In that case (which the Paul's enemies actually believe) then the law and the gospel would have been contrary and in opposition. Remember it is the opponents of Paul's gospel who teach that righteousness can be reached through the law, while they could not deny that righteousness was also through Christ. So the Legalists were the ones pitting God against God, and his ways against his own ways. The accusation they insinuate through the question is actually true of themselves and their own position. To the contrary, we know that righteousness was not available to us through the law outside of the obedience of Christ, and only Christ was able to perfectly satisfy the law; so the law and the gospel are not in opposition, but one was necessary to the other in that Christ perfectly kept the law (in a spiritual way) in order that His righteousness could be imputed to us by faith. So the scripture concluded all men in sin who were born by natural generation from Adam. This was the purpose of the law, to conclude us all in sin, that the righteousness of Christ (who kept the law) might be imputed to them that believe by the gift of faith.
Paul begins to bring his argument to a crescendo...
Verses 23-25 - But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster
The purpose of God from all eternity is now made known. Paul has already unveiled the mystery concerning the purposes of salvation for the Gentiles, and now he speaks to them as a Jew, as one having been under the law. Remember that the Gentiles were never under the law (1 Cor. 9:21, Rom. 2:14). So, as a representative of physical Israel, Paul speaks to them about the purposes of the law for those in Israel who are elect. Before the unveiling of the faith that is made available through the obedience of Christ, Israel was kept under the law, in service to it, in bondage to a law which could not make them perfect. This law, for the elect, was a schoolmaster to bring them to Christ. The elect Jews are able (through the working of the Spirit within them) to see Christ shadowed forth in the law, and by faith are drawn to Christ for righteousness sake, that they might be justified by faith. This being true, it is obvious that once the faith is come (to which the schoolmaster pointed), then there is no longer a need of the schoolmaster. A schoolmaster serves to point us to the truth, but once we have grasped that truth and apprehended it by faith, the schoolmaster is no more a service to us.
Verses 26-29 - For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise
I would desire that we did not have these arbitrary breaks in Chapters, though I know that they were included for our help in breaking down the Bible for closer study. Know that these verses are not the end of the Apostle's argument, and we should not close our minds on this topic here as if Paul had finished his argument at this point to pick up later on another topic. Chapter 4 will continue on with this same argument with no break in the thought pattern being voiced by the Apostle, we should keep this in mind in our studies. Paul has been speaking concerning the work of salvation done on behalf of the elect Gentiles and the elect among the Jews. To both of these groups (and not to all the professing Christians in Galatia, but to those who are truly Christians among them) Paul now begins to conclude his argument. All of the elect (of the Jews and of the Gentiles) are children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. Whoever has been spiritually baptized into Christ, have put on the righteousness of Christ as a pure, white garment. If, then, the elect of God now belong to Christ, then they are shown forth to be Abraham's seed and heirs to the promise, from whatever nation they have come. Now, the Apostle wants to emphasize his point that every elect Gentile is every bit the child of God, the seed of Abraham, and the heir to the promise, as the elect Jew. To do so, Paul engages in an illustration in order to disqualify any other way of separating the relative position in salvation of God's elect. For the purposes of understanding our position as saved Christians, we should note that “there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female”. Many people, to bring forth multitudes of false doctrines, obscene practices, and other abominations, love to quote these verses proudly as if God has eradicated all physical or national differences between men. This could not be further from the truth. These verses are wrongly used to push the following erroneous positions, each of which is rejected in the rest of the Bible:
To advocate homosexuality.
To advocate complete equality between men and women.
To advocate women preachers and teachers, and women in authority.
To advocate the abolition of all forms of slavery and/or servitude, without exception, even those biblical forms which are brought about by war and/or entered into by contract.
To advocate the multicultural “blending” of nations, peoples and cultures, even between cultures and worldviews that are diametrically opposed. This unbiblical, forced hybridization has weakened all cultures, and has led to the near destruction of God's biblical culture and worldview.
The Bible teaches us that there are vast natural differences between men and women, and that these differences exist to glorify God; the differences and separations, rules and order, then, should be maintained. The Bible teaches that men should only marry and have sexual relationships with women. If men have sexual relations with other men (or women with women), it is an abomination to God, and shows the people involved in these abominable relationships to be reprobates and vessels of wrath fitted for destruction (Rom. 9:22. Now, any man or woman who is reprobated is thus barred from the debate. However, we must insist that any non-homosexual who utilizes these verses out of context to teach the absolute equality of men and women, or to push women teachers or women in authority, etc., or who pushes a multi-cultural or culture-mixing agenda, who is also not willing to become a homosexual, is a hypocrite and a liar and they should also be barred from the discussion.
Likewise, there are delineations between masters and those God has made servants or slaves. The Bible teaches that slavery (as in institution not based purely on race alone), or the master/servant relationship is Biblical, and that the position in which we find ourselves by God's sovereignty should be honored (whether we are servant or master: read 1 Peter 2), and we should obey those who have the rule over us. Likewise there are differences between Jews and Greeks (or Jews and Gentiles), and many of these differences in disposition and culture are physical differences based on “ethnos” or nationality and race; these differences are not eradicated by this illustration made by Paul here in Chapter 3 of Galatians.
Paul's purpose is to drive home the truth concerning the finished work of Christ in Justification, and that there is no place for any argument which makes the works of the law necessary to salvation for any people. This is the purpose of the Chapter, and Paul has done well in proving his point, though he is not at all done teaching on the topic. We will pick up on this thread, then, when we continue on into Chapter 4.
I am your servant in Christ Jesus,
Michael Bunker