Galatians 3:15-22 Click here for Bible Verses
Hi GAMErs!
Today’s passage is Galatians 3:15-22. Let’s go!
What’s the main message of Galatians? It’s that we are justified by faith in Christ and not by trying to obey God’s laws. (Remember that “justified” means to be declared righteous in God’s sight and worthy to be in God’s presence.) Earlier in Galatians 3:6-14, Paul focuses on the life of Abraham as an example of “justification by faith”, how Abraham believed God and God credited it to him as righteousness. In other words, God justified Abraham not because he perfectly obeyed God’s laws, but because Abraham believed God’s promise.
Now in the following verses, Galatians 3:15-22, Paul answers some questions on how justification by faith works if God gave laws for His people to obey in the Old Testament.
Galatians 3:15-18 (NIV)
15 Brothers, let me take an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or add to a human covenant that has been duly established, so it is in this case.
16 The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,” meaning one person, who is Christ.
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.
18 For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on a promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise.
On verses 15-18: The first question Paul addresses is: Did God set aside His promise to justify people by faith when He introduced the Jewish law? In other words, when God used Moses to introduce the Jewish law, was God basically saying, “Forget all that justification by faith stuff I did with Abraham 430 years earlier. From now on, if you want to be justified, you need to earn it by obeying my law perfectly”?
The answer: No. By introducing the Jewish law, God was not setting aside His earlier promise to justify people by faith. As verse 17 says, “The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise.”) Rather God’s promise is a lasting promise, given not just to Abraham but to Abraham’s “seed” (v16; see Genesis 12:7; 13:15; 24:7), which Paul takes to mean Jesus and, indirectly, anyone who places their faith in Jesus. God’s promise to justify people by faith was not set aside by the law, but continues to this day.
Galatians 3:19-20 (NIV)
19 What, then, was the purpose of the law? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. The law was put into effect through angels by a mediator.
20 A mediator, however, does not represent just one party; but God is one.
On verses 19-20: Here Paul tackles a second question: if we are justified by faith and not by observing the law, why did God give us the law then?
The answer: The law was added “because of transgressions until the Seed [that is, Jesus] to whom the promise referred had come.” In other words, God gave us the law (1) to show us how perfect His standards are and how far we fall short of them, (2) to point us to our need for Jesus to save us from our sin, and (3) to regulate people’s behaviour until Jesus came.
Also, in verses 19b-20, Paul adds that the way God gave people His promise to justify by faith and the way He gave them His laws were very different. The law was given through a mediator: God gave it angels, who in turn gave it to Moses, who in turn gave it to us. In contrast, the promise was given directly by God to Abraham.
Galatians 3:21-22 (NIV)
21 Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law.
22 But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.
On verses 21-22: Paul tackles a third question: “is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God” (v21)? In other words, is there a conflict between God’s law and God’s promise to justify people by faith?
The answer: Absolutely not, Paul says. God’s law and God’s promise are not in conflict, but they are working together. The law shows us how sinful we are — that “the whole world is a prisoner of sin” (v22a) — and how far we fall short of God’s standards. So while the law is not able to “impart life” [i.e. save us] (v21), the law still plays a valuable role in showing us that we cannot earn righteousness by trying to obey it. The law shows us that we are sinners who need a Saviour and points us to seek a righteousness that is “given through faith in Jesus Christ” (v22), “given to those who believe” (v22) in God’s promise.
So the law and the promise are teammates working together.
Thank You, Father, for removing from us the burden of trying to win your approval and earn righteousness by obeying Your laws perfectly. We couldn’t and we can’t. Thank You for Your laws which show us how perfect You are, how imperfect we are, and how much we need a Saviour. Thank You that You didn’t leave us helpless, but You sent the hero we need — Jesus Christ — to save us from our sins. Thank You that by believing in Jesus and the promise that we are forgiven through Him, we can receive Your righteousness and be justified. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!
