Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Galatians 3:15-18


Summary retelling of Galatians 3:15-18

Paul continues with another example.  Paul reminds the Galatians that nobody who is trustworthy goes back upon an agreement once it has been properly agreed upon.  He notes that the Old Testament witness mentions that the promises made to Abraham were made to Abraham’s offspring (singular).  It doesn’t say “offsprings,” it says offspring.  Paul argues that this offspring is Christ.  Then Paul says that since this agreement was made with Abraham and the Law didn’t come for 430 more years, the Law doesn’t nullify the agreement that was made first.  If salvation comes through the Law, then God’s promise through Abraham is really unimportant.

Thoughts for Today
First Thought:
Paul’s point about “offspring/offsprings” is really quite subtle.  Perhaps it is easier to see with “descendant/descendants.”  Paul is arguing that there is a singular person to whom the agreement that God made with Abraham applies: Christ.  If Christ is the singular heir to the covenant, then it is through Christ that anyone else receives salvation.  If it is through Christ that salvation comes, then obedience becomes nothing more than a response to grace.

What does it really mean to say that Christ is to only legitimate heir to the covenant made with Abraham?  Why does this put so much emphasis on God’s grace?

Second Thought:
Paul makes another interesting point by examining the timeline of the giving of the Law.  It wasn’t given until after the Hebrew people came out of Egypt in the exodus.  Yet, the promise of salvation was given to Abraham many generations prior to the exodus.  If salvation were to come through the Law, then the covenant that God made with Abraham is null – or at best incomplete.  If it is incomplete, then it really isn’t a completed covenant.  In many ways, this point goes back to what Paul said in Galatians 2:21.  If salvation comes through the Law, then not only is Christ’s death unnecessary but so also was God’s covenant to Abraham.

Do you think Paul makes sense in this chapter?  Does Paul do a good job in explaining why the grace of God is set-up even before the process of God’s judgment is given?

Third Thought:
We’re going to spend more time on this tomorrow, but to start that thought process, let’s look at it now: if salvation doesn’t come through the Law, what is the point of the Law?

Passage for Tomorrow: Galatians 3:19-22

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