Galatians | Session 19 | 3:29-4:5

In today's study, we see that those who are of faith are heirs according to the promise that God gave to Abraham. This is possible because Christ fulfilled the law so that both Jews and Gentiles can now be saved simply by faith. Therefore, being in Christ Jesus, we are spiritually speaking, Abraham's seed according to the promise (not the law).

So, Gentile believers are heirs of the promise that God gave to Abraham, not every promise, but one. Which one? Verse 14 tells us that it is That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. So, the blessing of Abraham ultimately is the blessing of receiving the promise of the Spirit through faith just as Paul said in 1 Corinthians 12:13, For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. 

Chapter 4

Verses 1-2: Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. The heir in this verse speaks of Israel in its infancy as a nation when it was considered to be a child. As such, it was kept under law of the father until the time appointed of the father which to me was the first advent of Christ. It is also referred to as the fulness of time in verse 4.

Paul is using the Roman practice of tutela or guardianship of a minor to make his point. Just as a Roman father would appoint guardians, e.g., tutors and governors, to manage his child's affairs until he came of age, so too, God did for the nation with the Law.

Verse 3: Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: Again, the we in this verse is reference to the nation of Israel and not us. He is referring to their bondage under the law, e.g., elements of the world.

Verse 4: But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, The fullness of time was appointed by the Father when Christ was to come as prophesied in Danial 9:24-27.

Made of a woman speaks of his virgin birth through Mary. It also implies his pre-existence (cf. and John 1:14). And, since Christ was sent to redeem those under the law, he himself had to be born under the law.

Verse 5: To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. Paul here makes an interesting pronoun switch in this verse. He moves from third-person plural (them) to second-person plural (we). That is because the ones who were redeemed were the nation of Israel who were under the law. He also made that clear in chapter 3:13 when he said, 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: Why? – So that the Galatian gentiles might receive the adoption.

Again, the them is this verse cannot be the Galatian gentiles or the Body of Christ because neither were ever under the law. Israel is the only nation on earth who has ever been under the law, therefore, they are the ones who were redeemed from it. That is the why the kingdom gospel went only to the Jew. They had to be redeemed first from the law and he was their Redeemer. Understand, we Gentiles have never been under the law and therefore were in no need of redemption from it.

It was not until Paul that we hear anything about Jesus being a ransom for all the world as part of the dispensation of grace (1 Timothy 2:1-6). It was only then that salvation could be offered by faith, and faith alone, since the Seed had come and fulfilled the requirements of the law.

Now, by faith, just like Abraham's faith in the promises, we are able to receive the adoption of sons. Another way of expressing it is that after Israel had its chance to be redeemed under the law, then grace could be offered to the Gentiles by faith as revealed in the mystery to Paul.

Now the question arises, has adoption or "sonship" been given to the nation since they rejected the offer? Paul refers to waiting for the adoption in Romans 8:23 when he said, And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body, but that is referring to the redemption of our bodies someday and is not the same as the adoption or sonship that the nation of Israel enjoys.

Paul also refers to adoption in Romans 9:4 in the present tense when he said, Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; Therefore, we must conclude that adoption and sonship has already been given to the nation even though they rejected the kingdom offer, and to this day, they are being held accountable as the heirs of that kingdom.

That doesn't mean that they are saved, but that they have been redeemed because they price was paid, whether they accepted it or not, and are therefore no longer under the law. That is also why we must conclude that the redemption given to Israel and salvation given to us are not the same thing. The first required nothing on their part, but the second requires faith on our part.

Galatians | Session 18 | 3:20-28

In today's study, we review verse 19 and work our way through verse 28 where we see Paul continuing to show to the Galatian believers that the law was given to preserve the nation until Christ should come, the law was the nation's schoolmaster, until they could be justified by faith just like Abraham. Now, we are all the children of God by faith and faith alone.

Verse 20: Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one. In other words, there are two parties required for a mediation. In this case, Moses and the nation of Israel. In context, I believe that the verse is pointing out the difference between the giving of the law which required Moses as the mediator and the giving of the covenant which God mediated on His own with Abraham.

Verse 21: Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. The question is, does the law set aside the promises of God that he gave to Abraham in the covenant? No. They actually run parallel. One does not trump the other. However, the law could not give life, for if it could, it would have replaced the promises, i.e., those made to Abraham 430 years prior.

Verse 22: But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. Instead, the scripture, i.e., law, has made it abundantly clear that all are under sin, both Jew and Gentile. Notice also that the faith was first that of Christ, and we merely believe in that faith with our own.

Verse 23: But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. In other words, the purpose of the law was to keep the nation shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed  in and through Christ. The term shut up unto the faith can also be translated imprisoned or confined. In other words, they were controlled or under the law until Christ came because his was the faith that made it possible. Anyone who teaches that everyone has always been saved by grace through faith is confused because the nation of Israel was incapable of this kind of faith because it had been shut up unto them until Christ came.

Verse 24: Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. The law served as the nation's schoolmaster which was given to point them to Christ so that they might be justified by faith.

This is one of the most misunderstood verses in all of the Bible, because we fail to recognize that the pronouns our and we are referring to the nation of Israel and not the Body of Christ. The Body of Christ has never been kept under the law (cf. verse 23). The law was given to the nation to bring them to Christ, so that they could be justified by faith.

Verse 25: But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. The faith that was to come was through Christ, and the law is no longer their schoolmaster. Again, the law pointed them to Christ. Obviously, the faith was not prior to Christ!

Verses 26-27: 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. Note the change in pronouns, i.e., ye. He changes from the first-person plural to the second-person plural. Paul is now referring to the Galatians which were both Jew and Gentile. All of them must come by faith in Christ and not the law. By their faith, they had been baptized into Christ and had put on Christ apart from the law. This baptism has nothing to do with water.

Verse 28: There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. Under the law there was Jew and Greek, bond and free, male and female, but not now! How can you not be a dispensationalist after reading a verse like this!?

Galatians | Session 17 | 3:19

We continue our study by reviewing a bit of 3:15-18 and taking a closer look at verse 19 to discover why the law was given and possibly why the angels were involved.

Verse 19: Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator. His question was if the covenant had nothing to do with the law, why was the law later given? His answer was that 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. 

The context clearly dictates that the transgressions he is referring to are those of the nation of Israel and the Law would serve as a preservation agent for the nation until the seed (Christ) should come to whom the promise was made.

How was it ordained by angels? This may be a reference to Deuteronomy 33:1-2 which says, And this is the blessing, wherewith Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death. And he said, The LORD came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them; he shined forth from mount Paran, and he came with ten thousands of saints: from his right hand went a fiery law for them. First, the word saints in this verse are referring to holy ones or angels. Second, if this verse is what Paul is referring to, that would make Moses the mediator between God and the nation just as described in Exodus 20:19-22 where it says, And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die. And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not. And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was. And the LORD said unto Moses, Thus thou shalt say unto the children of Israel, Ye have seen that I have talked with you from heaven. 

Galatians | Session 16 | 3:15-18

We continue our study by reviewing 3:10-14 and continue to verse 18 where we see Paul saying that Abraham received the promise through faith and that through Christ the blessings of Abraham has come to the Gentiles.

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. His point here is that in response to the covenant that God made with Abraham, he can only think as a mere mortal, and that means that God made a deal with Abraham and He was not going to change his mind by getting rid of it or adding to it.

Verse 16: Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. So, back to the promises that God gave to Abraham and his descendants; they involved a land and a seed. He mentioned this when writing to the Romans when he said, Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen (Romans 9:4-5) and Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers: (Romans 15:8).

Notice that he says very clearly that the promise was made to Abraham and is seed and He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. He then further clarifies that this seed of which he speaks is none other than Christ. That means that the land of Israel is the inheritance of Christ and the Abrahamic Covenant will be ultimately fulfilled in Christ.

This is where many translations go off the rails in that while they may translate this verse correctly, they do not do so in the Old Testament passages that Paul is referring to. For example, in Genesis 13:15 and Genesis 17:8 they translate seed as offspring and descendants, yet the word for seed is always in the singular and never in the plural. To do so removes the specific reference to Christ that it clearly is.

Verses 17-18: 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. For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise. Again, Paul is pointing out that the covenant given to Abraham by faith was in Christ just like the gospel that he preached, and the law had no bearing on it since it wasn't given until 430 years later.

His conclusion is that the promises made to Abraham were by faith and not law, therefore, the two should not be intermixed, i.e., complete in the flesh what was begun in the Spirit (cf. verse 3).

Galatians | Session 15 | 3:10-14

We continue our study through the book of Galatians today where Paul is declaring that our faith must be in Christ's completed work on the cross and not a mixture of law and 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. This verse is condemning the Judaizers who were trying to get the Gentiles to submit to only portions or the law, e.g., circumcision, but not all of it. His point is that for one to place themselves back under the law in any circumstance is to place themselves back under the curse that comes with it because it brings death.

Verse 11: But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. His point is that no man is justified by the law in this current dispensation. Notice that the phrase is justified is in the present passive tense. This verse also requires a dispensational view.

Verse 12: And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them. The them is the verse is a reference to the law and is a quote from Leviticus 18:5 where it says, Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the LORD. Again, Paul's point is that people under the present dispensation are justified by faith and not by the keeping of the law.

In context, he is still addressing those who wanted to mix law with grace. However, as he said in verse 10, the law is not a pick and choose option, but an all or nothing proposition. He will further elaborate on this further in Galatians 5:2-4.

Again, these verses will not make sense, and even contradict, if they are not viewed through a dispensational lens, i.e., justification by works (Kingdom) or justification by faith (Grace).

Verse 13: 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: In this current dispensation, we have been redeemed from the curse of the law meaning that we do not have to keep it.

Notice that it says that Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law. The word redeemed means to purchase. The purchase was that Christ became the curse by his death. Remember that Christ redeemed the Jews from the curse of the law by taking the curse on himself. Who is the us in this context? The nation of Israel. Again, I have come to understand that pronouns are important in Bible interpretation.

The we/us in the epistle are the Jews (Galatians 2:15). The ye/you in the epistle are the Galatian gentiles. The ones that were redeemed were not ye/you, but we/us! Why is this important? - Because the Gentiles have never been under the curse of the law, ever, therefore, they did not need redemption from it. Instead, the Bible says that the Gentiles were aliens from the commonwealth of Israel in Ephesians 2:12-13, That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. 

If you still doubt that, keep reading.

Verse 14: That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. This verse makes I clear that the nation of Israel was redeemed for two reasons. First, so that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ, and second, so that that we (the House of Israel) could receive the promise of the Spirit through faith which was fulfilled at Pentecost.