Galatians 3:29

Copyright Ó 2013 J. Neely

Galatians 3:29

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29 And [de] if [ei] ye [humeis] be Christ's [Christos], then [ara] are ye [este] Abraham's [Abraam] seed [sperma], and [kai] heirs [kleronomos] according [kata] to the promise [epaggelia]. KJV-Interlinear

29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise. NASB

If you belong to Christ?  And how do you know that you belong to Christ?

Well, when you were born into this world, you were born into a system of slavery, out of which you could not escape.   

Bound to this world, you were bound to a task master, a guardian, of whom you had to live a life of perfection or else suffer the severe consequences for any, repeat, for any infraction.

Given that we are all human, none of us could or can live a perfect life.  None of us can meet the severe requirements of the Law of Moses which spells out the stringent requirements for living a perfect life.

In order to comply with the Law, we would have to work at our life with intense perfection, and from the source of our own efforts.

In this no one is capable of working carefully enough or thoroughly enough, or perfectly enough, thus everyone fails.

And when you fail, even for a single moment, then you have not lived the perfect life and thus have failed.  One single slip means less than perfection.  And you cannot undo an imperfection or go back and do it over.

Adam slipped and took one single bite.  He could not go back and unbite that fruit and then claim that it never happened.  Done is done.

So, without works to back you up, then you have nothing, unless someone else provides you with a means of obtaining perfection.

Enter faith.

God made a promise to Abraham for an inheritance.  Abraham believed in that promise and for that belief then Gods righteousness was credited to Abraham.

Abraham did nothing except believe, and that was the pattern for obtaining the promise of God. The pattern which applied to Abraham back then, and likewise applies to everyone throughout history.

That promise was made, dependent on one individual, the Messiah. 

Abrahams promise of an inheritance was contingent on the Messiah, and thus the promise looked forward to the Cross and the actual fulfillment of the promise in principle, in order to free all of humanity from the burden and sentence of eternal condemnation.

Continue in trying to gain Gods promise through your own works and you become the fool for trying to perpetuate a dead method.

Believe in Gods promise, and you gain Gods promise both of salvation and the eternal inheritance of life and much more, through that faith in the Messiah, who is Christ.

Faith means that you identify with Christ in His work, and not in your own work.  You are thus baptized in Christ by means of faith, not by water or any other human example.

In order to receive an inheritance from God you have to be a member of Gods family and become a qualified heir for that inheritance.

In order to be a member of Gods family you have to receive Gods promise, and you receive Gods promise through believing in Gods promise.  He gives it to you freely without any effort on your part.

Once you have become a member of Gods family, have identified yourself in Christ’s work, then you belong to Christ.  After all, it was He who did the work of salvation, purchasing your freedom from the slave market of sin and eternal condemnation.

Chirst paid the price, but He does not drag you off as a slave of His own, He offers you the choice to belong to Him, or to remain with the world and be forever in oblivion.

So, you make that choice of your own free will, through faith.

And not only through your faith do you belong to Christ, but also you become an offspring, as it were, of Abraham, by means of the pattern of faith which he demonstrated a very long time ago.

So, faith is not genetic.  Faith is not cultural.  Faith is not bound by color.  Faith is not identified with any social rank or privilege.  Faith is not dependent on one’s mental or physical ability. Faith is not diminished by any type of handicap.

Faith has nothing to do with any sort of human attribute.

Faith is your ticket and admission to eternal life, and once you believe, you cannot unbelieve.  Faith is permanent and no one can take it from you.

Galatians 3:28

Copyright Ó 2013 J. Neely

Galatians 3:28

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28 There is [eni] neither [ou] Jew [Ioudaios] nor [oude] Greek [Hellen], there is [eni] neither [ou] bond [doulos] nor [oude] free [eleutheros], there is [eni] neither [ou] male [arrhen] nor [kai] female [thelus]: for [gar] ye [humeis] are [este] all [pas] one [heis] in [en] Christ [Christos] Jesus [Iesous].  KJV-Interlinear

28 There 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. NASB

This is the devils world.  And within this world there are distinctions made in order to distinguish legitimate differences between objects, or to emphasize or enforce advantage of one category over another, thus illegitimate or false differences.

God created male and female for obvious reasons.  God chose those who accept Him, and rejects those who reject Him, thus Jew and gentile categories were defined to symbolize this difference.

Out of Adam and Eve came all of humanity.  And within Adam and Eve were all of the foundational genetic material that has resulted in all of the many colors and races that exist today.  This gives each individual identity and uniqueness in size color and shape and appearance as well as their individual soul identity.

The world, on the other hand, takes these legitimate differences and goes one step further and defined rank and privilege for one group at the expense of another.  Thus prejudice and bias enter into human society in the many forms of sin that exist.  The result is that the minority or the weaker group is taken advantage of even to the point of abuse and atrocity.

But the world is going to be the world as long as Satan is at the helm.

In the spiritual life, Satan goes one step further and has defined many religions that likewise show bias for one group over another.  Islam for example is extremely prejudiced and abusive toward women. 

And all of these disadvantages come to light within the concept of works.  What one person can do, may not be possible for another.

However, God has overcome these differences through faith, wherein no person has an advantage over any other person.  Not even among the mentally handicapped is there a disadvantage.

If you are capable of thinking, then you are capable of faith, and therein lies the level playing field for all people.

No one is a privileged race.  No one is a privileged gender.  No one is a privileged color.  No one is privileged by talent or ability.  No one is privileged by rank or social or economic status.

Works means that you must do or achieve something, usually at the control or approval of others.  This requirement can change as often as human ideas change.

Faith means that you simply rely on or believe in Gods effort and plan.  Faith requires no worldly approval.

Galatians 3:27

Copyright Ó 2013 J. Neely

Galatians 3:27

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27 For [gar] as many of you as [hosos] have been baptized [baptizo] into [eis] Christ [Christos] have put on [enduo] Christ [Christos]. KJV-Interlinear

27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. NASB

Baptism here is not a water baptism, for washing any or all of the body with water does not affect salvation, for it is a part of the works process described by the Levitical Law.

We remember that anything that any person can do as a form of human effort, is works, and human works is not a part of salvation.

But here, this baptism is noted as a category of humanity, and not a sub-category of Christians.  This is not saying that some Christians are baptized and some are not.

What Paul has already said in the prior verses, is that ‘all’ who have believed, for that is what faith is, are children of God, all who have faith, which is the thought process of believing, are the sons of God.  And the word for ‘all’ means just that. All have obtained salvation by means of faith, and there is not some other add-on to faith.

This is not faith plus baptism, not faith plus raising ones hands, not faith plus witnessing, not faith plus anything else.

To add anything to faith is adding works, and works is a dead thing.  Faith is life and so why would anyone add a dead thing to life?

All are ‘in Christ’ and so now we have the explanation of just what baptism really is, and at the same time, what it is not.

Baptism occurs simultaneously with faith.  At the moment when you believed in Christ, you were immediately baptized, in Christ.  In other passages that we have studied, we know that it is the Holy Spirit who affects this spiritual baptism.

Water or other worldly means of baptism are teaching aids, just as the Law and its ritual sacrifices were teaching aids to teach the spiritual principles of truth including Christs work for our salvation (death, burial, and resurrection).

Thus the guardian function of instruction in order to bring people to Christ, by faith.

Likewise, when you first believed, you not only were baptized, but you ‘put on’ Christ.  And to put on something is like putting on a new set of clothes, but in this case, your clothes are the salvation clothes of eternal life.

Your corruptible clothing of this world is removed and your incorruptible clothing, of the soul, replaces it, permanently.

And as we will see, all believers are now saved, all believers are first born sons, all believers have the same new clothing.  This eliminates all worldly differences amongst us such as race, color, culture, gender and so forth, and retains within each of us, our individual personality and individuality.

Galatians 3:26

Copyright Ó 2013 J. Neely

Galatians 3:26

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26 For [gar] ye are [este] all [pas] the children [huios] of God [theos] by [dia] faith [pistis] in [en] Christ [Christos] Jesus [Iesous]. KJV-Interlinear

26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. NASB

Children of God is a reference to not just any child, but to sons, and not just any son, but the first born son.

The whole point of Pauls subject here is that as a child, as in this example from these previous verses, the child is under the watch of another, under the scrutiny of another, subject to the constraints and restraints and punishments that are imposed on him while he is growing up and while he is under the watch and control of his guardian.

But, when a child comes of age, then he advances out from under the constraints and control of a guardian, and enters into the privileges of an heir.

This is a new period of freedom under which the child is no longer under the requirements or restraints or demands of the former guardian.

The guardian is of course the Law, which restrains and imposes severe punishments if not followed to the letter.   And no one can come even close to compliance with the Law.

The Law, which is the Mosaic Law, sets forth the requirements of a godlike perfect life.  No one can do that.  And since all fail in perfection, then imperfection is imposed and imperfection is not compatible with God, thus the Lake of Fire, or eternal separation from God and heaven.

However, faith provides a way out of that dilemma.

With faith, we are not only, no longer children of corruption, but we are children of God.  And not only children of God, but first born sons, as it were.

Historically, the first born son would receive the inheritance and even a double portion of an inheritance. The first born son is first in line for inheritance and privilege within the family structure.

Now, there is no longer a distinction of race, or color, or gender, or culture, or anything of a worldly nature.  We, who have believed in Christ, are all first born sons, family of God.

And this is by means of faith which is the result of Gods work, not ours

Galatians 3:25

Copyright Ó 2013 J. Neely

Galatians 3:25

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25 But [de] after that faith [pistis] is come, [erchomai] we are [esmen] no longer [eti] [ouketi] under [hupo] a schoolmaster. [paidagogos] KJV-Interlinear

25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. NASB

When a child grows up under the charge of his guardian, then at some point he arrives at an age where he no longer needs the guardian and the function of the guardian ceases.

Under this symbolism, the Law was the guardian under which all believers were under the hold of its rigid requirements.

But when the child became of age, or in this example, when history revealed and Christ and the Cross event actually occurred, then the child through faith was no longer under the restraint of the Law.

The Law demonstrated what needed to be done, the perfect life, but of which no one could accomplish because it was impossible for man to live a perfect life forever.

Faith, on the other hand, is the freedom from that constraint, in that Christ lived the perfect life, and paid the price of freedom for us all.

The Law, was thus dismissed as no longer required or even necessary.

In ancient times, the father decided when the child was ready to leave the nest so to speak, and no longer needed his guardian. 

In the spiritual realm, the Father, who is God, decided the timing of the first advent and the release of all believers from the constraints of the Law.  The law was thus dismissed and no longer necessary.

The Law of Moses was nothing more than serving as a guardian function for believers, constantly reminding of the perfections required and the impossibilities of doing them.  The Law was never a path to freedom.  It only pointed to the path to freedom, which path was and is faith.

Galatians 3:24

Copyright Ó 2013 J. Neely

Galatians 3:24

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24 Wherefore [hoste] the law [nomos] was [ginomai] our [hemon] schoolmaster [paidagogos] to bring us unto [eis] Christ, [Christos] that [hina] we might be justified [dikaioo] by [ek] faith. [pistis] KJV-Interlinear

24 Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, that we may be justified by faith. NASB

This verse is a bit confusing in that at first look it would imply that the law was the teacher, but such is not the case.

Schoolmaster or tutor, ‘paidagogos,’ is a sort of guardian but not a school instructor.

Back in Pauls day, wealthy folks, when they had children, would place the infant with a wet nurse who would take charge of the child until it was weaned.

Then the child would be passed along to yet another servant who was the nanny, who would look after the child until they were about five or six years of age and ready for schooling.

Then the child would be placed under the care of yet another servant, often a slave, who was called the ‘paidagogos,’ or the guardian.

This guardian would look after the child and give them basic instruction, such as manners and hygiene.  The primary task of the guardian was to keep the child safe, to keep them from harm, to pull them out of harms way or to redirect their path if the child happened to go off in a wrong direction.  One of their duties was to take the child to and from school.

And in this capacity, the Law, was the ‘paidagogos,’ or guardian, which warned of failure, which taught basic moral law, which taught basic ritual principles, but primarily was to keep the child from temptation and acted in the capacity of a restraint.

The real instructor was doctrine, the written word, Christ.

Thus, the Law was the restrainer, not the justifier.  And the restrainer was there in order to contain and direct the focus of the individual toward the real subject, which was faith in the real savior, who is Christ.

Galatians 3:23

Copyright Ó 2013 J. Neely

Galatians 3:23

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23 But [de] before [pro] faith [pistis] came, [erchomai] we were kept [phroureo] under [hupo] the law, [nomos] shut up [sugkleio] unto [eis] the faith [pistis] which should afterwards [mello] be revealed. [apokalupto] KJV-Interlinear

23 But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed. NASB

Faith here is not the mental process of believing, for that process has existed since Adam and Eve.

The method of salvation by faith, though promised, was not formally established until Jesus Christ actually went to the cross and paid the price for sin through His spiritual death, then died and was buried and then resurrected, all of which made sin finally dead and no longer an issue as far as salvation was concerned.

However prior to the cross, Satan would certainly contend that Jesus would fail, or that the Messiah would not show up as promised or that he would be able or interrupt the line of the Messiah and thus stop the plan of God in its tracks.

With that possibility then, humanity was trapped by sin, and the Law proved and documented and demonstrated that trap.  This is why people who lived and died even though they believed in the Messiah, would go to Paradise instead of heaven.

You recall that Paradise was one of the four underworld compartments that held the dead. This underworld often called the land of the dead, or Hades, is where all who had died, went, prior to the cross.

The other three compartments in the underworld are Torments, Tartarus, and the Abyss.  Each of these three currently hold respectfully, all unbelieving people, all of the disobedient angels from Gen. 6, and the worst of the worst demon armies.

By the way, those bad dude demons in the Abyss will be released in the Tribulation, to wreak havoc on humanity in that future time.  That will not be a pretty sight, but a horrifying time when it happens.

Shut up, ‘sugkleio,’ means to be confined, trapped, shut together, in close, embraced in a common subjection.  And this means that all of humanity was in the same horrible sinking boat of eternal condemnation, except for the promise of God which was not fulfilled until the Cross.

Faith afterwards revealed, was Jesus Christ and His fulfillment of Gods plan on the Cross and resurrection.  The Cross paid the price of sin and the resurrection proved Gods victory over death. They go together.

And by the way, Paradise is now empty, as after the Cross, Jesus Christ led all of those captives, which were all Old Testament believers, out of Paradise and into Heaven.  Paradise is no longer in use nor necessary.  That was the ultimate victory procession parade led by Christ.

Using the word, paradise, to describe a wonderful place in one thing, but anyone who wants to go to the actual Paradise as is claimed by some religions, does not know their doctrine, is detached from reality, and saying in effect that they want to go to a place that God has emptied out and abandoned.  They would have more luck searching for never-never land.  They won’t find either place.

Galatians 3:22

Copyright Ó 2013 J. Neely

Galatians 3:22

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22 But [alla] the scripture [graphe] hath concluded [sugkleio] all [pas] under [hupo] sin, [hamartia] that [hina] the promise [epaggelia] by [ek] faith [pistis] of Jesus [Iesous] Christ [Christos] might be given [didomi] to them that believe. [pisteuo] KJV-Interlinear

22 But the Scripture has shut up all men under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. NASB

The Bible has stated point blank that all have sinned.  There is not a single person who has ever lived in history, that has lived a perfect life, Ps 143:1-2,  Deut 27:26, Rom 3:9,23, but with one single exception, and that is Jesus Christ of course.

And Jesus who is God, does not have to believe in Himself since He already knows who He is, and He accomplished the work of salvation for the rest of us who could not and cannot live a perfect life.

The law cannot contradict itself.  If it puts forth certain standards and then someone violates those perfect standards, then they are by default, guilty.  The law cannot declare them innocent when they are guilty. Otherwise the law would be faulty itself.

The law of innocence declares that when you are perfect then you are indeed innocent, but if your violate even a single provision, then you are guilty.  And if the law were faulty then there is no point in trying to make it into some compromised perfection which it would not be.

It matters not what your violation is, whether murder or a little tiny itsy-bitsy white lie, a violation is a violation and guilty means guilty.

Adam took a simple bite and was declared guilty.  Is your sin, or are your sins less than that? Then how could you be innocent.

And even though it seems a bit petty, the fact that sin did come into this world, it is in fact a blessing, because God gave us a chance to rid ourselves of an eternal existence in the Lake of Fire, and be able to live a phenomenal life in heaven forever.

So, even though sin is a bad thing and has the power of destroying something forever, God has given us faith, which is greater than sin and evil, and has the power of destroying the power of sin.

And, you don’t have to do anything to believe.  You just have to believe in Gods promises and that is the simplest thing that you will ever have to do in your entire life.

One wonders just how anyone can live for decades and not ever believe in Christ.  That alone must be quite an effort to resist such a simple single thought in ones head.

So, pursuing justification by means of works is a ridiculous effort, since it is that very activity that condemns you.

You cannot be saved by works, and you cannot function in your spiritual life by works, and you cannot grow up spiritually by works.  So why would anyone want to pursue works, when faith is so much easier.

With works, you are trying to form your life around those busy activities.  You are trying to form yourself.

With faith, you are simply listening, reading, and learning doctrine and then by that process your life is formed by doctrine.  Doctrine becomes the foundation within you and God forms your life.

Galatians 3:21

Copyright Ó 2013 J. Neely

Galatians 3:21

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21 Is the law [nomos] then [oun] against [kata] the promises [epaggelia] of God [theos]? God forbid [me]: [ginomai] for [gar] if [ei] there had been [didomi] a law [nomos] given [didomi] which [ho] could [dunamai] have given life, [zoopoieo] verily [ontos] righteousness [dikaiosune] should [an] have been [en] by [ek] the law. [nomos] KJV-Interlinear

21 Is the Law then contrary to the promises of God? May it never be! For if a law had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed have been based on law. NASB

Against, ‘kata,’ means against, alone, apart, aside, before, beyond, exceeding, more excellent and here the question is asked, ‘Is the law better or in addition to the promise?’

And of course Paul states emphatically, ‘No.’

Now the Law of Moses is not condemned or even derided as being somehow flawed.

The Law given to Moses is in fact perfect, or an example of a perfect pattern of life.

Note that Adam had a perfect life when he was in the Garden.  But Adam and Eve had forever life, not eternal life.

The Law even if someone could live by its standards, cannot produce or provide eternal life.

Adam and Eve could have lived in the Garden forever, and that would have been as good as it would ever get.  But of course they faltered. And they faltered with only a subtle suggestion from Satan issued through a talking animal.  Something that Eve should have picked up on.

When you talk to your dog or cat or pet bird, they do not engage in conscious conversation with you.  If they did you would notice that probably immediately.  But Eve did not notice that, and thus was led to her first sin.

It did not take much for both to commit their first sin and as such they lost everything.

The Law is the same. It is a set pattern of perfection of living by means of mans own works and efforts, but man cannot fulfill the Law, because man is weak.  Sooner or later everyone will fail, and we all do.  The penalty of failure is eternal separation from God. It takes only one single sin to fail permanently.

But again, even if you could live a perfect life, you would never have eternal life, only forever life and forever gives you only more time to eventually fail.  Thus failure and the Law go hand and hand in proving that man cannot gain eternal life by his own means.

This also cancels out all religions. They are all false.

There is no system of works, no system of coming back to live a better and better life in order to somehow improve or systematically advance oneself, no system of technology or better genetic engineering, there is nothing by which a person can gain eternal life or equality with God or eternal life for oneself in spite of God or whatever it is that you think is out there.

If there were an alternate system, alternate to faith, then it would or should provide eternal life.

But how many people alive in this world do you know of, that have continued to live ever since they were born?  As well as being able to travel back and forth independently between heaven and earth or anywhere else?  None.

So, you have but one choice to gain eternal life as well as advance your spiritual life, and both are based on faith. The first is by believing in Christ and the second is by believing in the things you learn on a daily basis, but that assumes that you are indeed pursuing a daily study in order to learn and will continue to do so for the rest of your life.

Galatians 3:20

Copyright Ó 2013 J. Neely

Galatians 3:20

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20 Now [de] a mediator [mesites] is [esti] not [ou] a mediator of one, [heis] but [de] God [theos] is [esti] one. [heis] KJV-Interlinear

20 Now a mediator is not for one party only; whereas God is only one. NASB

The original promise from God to Abraham, was that through the faith, or pattern of faith, in Abraham, then the promise of God would go to all the people of the world with no exceptions.

We will see in the next few verses that the Law as given to Moses, was made in order to bring people to faith, and not to provide an alternative option for salvation.

When Moses received the Law, he stood there, representing only one race, the Israelites.

The gentiles were not there and not represented, in principle.

When it comes to a mediator, it is presumed that there are two or more parties, that the parties are in opposition to each other for one reason or another, and that the mediator was both equal to and acceptable to, both or all parties.

Moses could not fulfill that role.  He neither represented all parties, nor was he equal with all parties.

God made a promise to all peoples.  Abraham received that promise by means of faith, not works, and thus set the pattern of mans reception of that promise from God.  And, the promise was not restricted to but one race, nor was it made dependent on mans effort.

The promise was Gods will and fulfilled by means of Gods effort.

God is one, and one, ‘heis,’ means primary, one, another, only, other, some, and here comes to represent Gods position not only as one of the parties, but the only party opposite to all other parties.  Man is on the other side of the table.  And not just the Israelites, or the Jews as was their description in Pauls day, but man includes all men from all races, making no exception for anyone, excluding no one.

Likewise, there is but one agreement being mediated, that agreement was salvation by means of faith.  There are no other means of salvation, no other agreements, no other terms to Gods agreement of promise.

And the promise was made for and pointing to, the promised single seed of Abraham, the Messiah, who would be both God and man, making Him the perfect and only candidate to mediate the finality of Gods promise.  Who is of course Jesus Christ.

Galatians 3:19

Copyright Ó 2013 J. Neely

Galatians 3:19

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19 Wherefore [tis] then [oun] serveth the law [nomos]? It was added [prostithemi] because of [charin] transgressions, [parabasis] till [achri] [hou] the seed [sperma] should come [erchomai] to whom [hos] the promise was made; [epaggello] and it was ordained [diatasso] by [dia] angels [aggelos] in [en] the hand [cheir] of a mediator. [mesites] KJV-Interlinear

19 Why the Law then? It was added because of transgressions, having been ordained through angels by the agency of a mediator, until the seed should come to whom the promise had been made. NASB

So, Paul asks, what is or was the purpose of the Law?

And he answers his own question, because of sin.  Because people need to see the futility of their own efforts and look to the promise of Gods promise through faith.

Man was never intended to work, but to be the beneficiary of blessing through Gods gifts.

And yet most people choose works and thus gain nothing.

The law which Moses wrote in the first books of the Bible, included numerous rituals, sacrifices, feast days and various celebrations as well as moral codes of conduct, not the least of which was the ten commandments.

God made a promise to Abraham, long before the days of Moses, and that promise was directed toward one particular seed, namely Jesus Christ.  In Christ was that promise to be fulfilled.

But until that person came into history, or until Jesus was born and then completed His work and life on the Cross, the Law was a ritual requirement such that people would have constantly before them, the state of perfection, which no one could possibly attain, but was the result of sin, which consumed everyone's life, and the need for another of whom could fulfill the law and create a path to real justification.  A justification that the Law could not provide.

Thus the Law served to enhance the understanding of the nature of sin and of the impossibility of removing sin from ones own life.  For until the Messiah came and fulfilled the law and then made the way possible for real salvation, then the Law served as a reminder as well as a teaching aid, so that people would not look upon their own works, but on the work of God.

But of course people did not do that.

The promise was made and fulfilled in Christ.  Faith is the basis for that promise which not only covers ones salvation and eternal life, but also in the growth and development of ones daily spiritual life.

The Law, on the other hand, only pointed out that living a perfect life was impossible, and that impossibility would only end up with eternal condemnation.  So the nature of sin was not simply doing something wrong and perhaps getting a punishment for it, but it points to a much greater and more severe result with eternal rejection, which we call the Lake of Fire.  A lesser result of the law for believers would be that works hinders ones spiritual growth and thus limits or removes eternal reward.

In either case, the end result for anyone would be loss and failure in varying degrees, Jn. 7:19.

Ordained by angels, is a principle that most folks are not aware of with regard to the law as it was received by Moses.  We are all probably familiar with movies and God dramatically writing the ten commandments by lightning and fire and such as the movie industry does with artistic drama.

But what really happened was that God was attended by many tens of thousands of angels during this event.  And Moses was the mediator between God and the Israelite people, Jn. 1:17.

Ordained, ‘diatasso,’ means to command, to order, or to set in order, to distance, to set apart.

The Law was set in contrast with Christ.  Here the word for angels, ‘aggelos,’ infers a distancing, a sternness, an alienation between heaven and man.

Angels represent heaven and Moses represents man.  Between the two there is a great distance that cannot be overcome by man. Man cannot mediate his own agreement with himself. He needs a mediator that represents both and is equal with both heaven and earth.  Jesus Christ fulfilled that role, Heb. 12:18-24.

Angels laid down the text and contexts of the Law, which declared it unchangeable and unalterable, Heb. 2:2, Acts 7:53.  Thus the Law or works, cannot be modified or compromised in order to make them or it, acceptable and a viable path to righteousness.

And yet far too many people pursue their works or their own efforts in lieu of what they are commanded to pursue.  Namely they will themselves to wisdom rather than study themselves to wisdom.  And in that there is huge difference.

Pretending to be on the Christian path is far different than proactively studying daily under instruction and within the fellowship sphere.  The daily study idea seems to be demeaning and too much trouble for most.

They reject Gods command and mandate and they prefer their own methods of righteousness, and that is why they will fail.  Perhaps this is your reason for failure?

The countless numbers of angels who attended the Lord were not mere spectators.  And their intervention in acting out the volitions of God might be ascribed to all the physical sights and sounds which gave to the giving of the Law, its extreme horror. ‘They raised the fire and smoke; they shook and rent the rock; they framed the sound of the trumpet; they effected the articulate voices which conveyed the words of the Law to the ears of the people, and therein proclaimed and published the Law; whereby it became ' the word spoken by angels',’ Deut 33:2; Ps 68:17; Ex 19:16,19.

The mediator was Moses, who received the words, wrote them down, and then presented them to the Israelites and to generations thereafter, Deut. 5:5.

In contrast, faith was ordained by God and confirmed and mediated by Christ.

The Law was intended to reveal fear and failure.

The promise by faith was to reveal security and success.

Galatians 3:18

Copyright Ó 2013 J. Neely

Galatians 3:18

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org

18 For [gar] if [ei] the inheritance [kleronomia] be of [ek] the law, [nomos] it is no more [ouketi] of [ek] promise: [epaggelia] but [de] God [theos] gave [charizomai] it to Abraham [Abraam] by [dia] promise. [epaggelia] KJV-Interlinear

18 For if the inheritance is based on law, it is no longer based on a promise; but God has granted it to Abraham by means of a promise. NASB

The Law refers to the written text of Moses, which in turn refers to the efforts of man to live a prefect life in accordance with the requirements of the Mosaic Law.

Also, if a person chooses to live their life in accordance with the Law, then they are also committed to enduring the threats and punishments that accompany the Law.

Faith in contrast to the Law is set apart herein so that they both are unrelated and disconnected from each other.  That means that you cannot live by both simultaneously, but must live by one or the other as they are mutually exclusive.

That means that when God made promises, then the promises attended one and not both paths to the promises.

If the promise attached to the Law, then it could not attach to the faith.  If the promise attached to faith, then it cannot attach itself to the Law.

And when we get into the next couple of verses, then that distance between the two views will become clearer as the Law was not given by God, but by angels, to Moses and thus to the people.  The alignment of the angels and their part in this paints a picture of distancing and separation between God and creation.  Whereas, the promise comes through the seed of Abraham, namely Christ, and thus the separation is closed and made non-existent.  But more on that when we get there.

But God gave the promise to Abraham.  The word gave, means a lavish gift of infinite and enduring effect.  The promise was given and documented long before the Law.  The promise was given directly by God to man, and not through another intermediary as was the Law.

And of course the mention of the inheritance, means that which is given as a permanent possession.  God gives and man receives, and the gift and possession are both one and the same and they are permanent.  Once God gives you something, then you can never lose it.

Better to invest in Gods gift, than in mans effort.

Galatians 3:17

Copyright Ó 2013 J. Neely

Galatians 3:17

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org

17 And [de] this [touto] I say, [lego] that the covenant, [diatheke] that was confirmed before [prokuroo] of [hupo] God [theos] in [eis] Christ, [Christos] the law, [nomos] which was [ginomai] four hundred [tetrakosioi] and [kai] thirty [triakonta] years [etos] after, [meta] cannot [ou] disannul, [akuroo] that [eis] it should make [katargeo] the promise [epaggelia] of none effect. [katargeo] KJV-Interlinear

17 What I am saying is this: the Law, which came four hundred and thirty years later, does not invalidate a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to nullify the promise. NASB

God made the promise to Abraham in Gen. 12:3-4.  Abraham was then seventy-five years old.

Moses wrote the Mosaic Law four-hundred and thirty years later, which was just a few months after the exodus of the Israelites out from Egypt.

Clearly, the Law as written by Moses came at a much later date than the time of the promise that was given by God to Abraham.

God made a promise to Abraham when he left Haran and entered into the land of Canaan.  Note that Canaan was not given to Abraham, but it was a land wherein Abraham and all of his family lived or moved about, or as the Bible states, sojourned there during their stay in Canaan.

The Israelites did not receive possession of the land until after they left Egypt, which would not be for several centuries later.  In fact Abraham was told in Gen. 15:13, that his people would be strangers in the land for four-hundred years.  This time began with the birth and weaning of Isaac which was thirty years later after the date of this promise.  Ishmael was five years old when both he and his mother were turned out and Isaac was formally recognized as the legitimate heir of Abraham.  Being strangers in the land included the time in Canaan which they did not own and the time in Egypt, wherein they were subjected to bondage until the exodus.  And even all of this is symbolic of all of our receiving ownership of the promise land, which is the new universe in eternity. That is the one that really counts, and will be forever.

But we stray from our topic a bit.

Faith versus works.  Gods promise is based on faith.  The law as written by Moses is based on works.  Faith is achievable by everyone.  Works is achievable by no one, with but one exception, who is Jesus Christ.  And Jesus is God and it should be obvious that only God can live a perfect life.

Anyone who believes that they can live a perfect life is only delusional at best.

When two parties make a pact or contract or agreement, and both agree on the terms of that contract, then neither of them can singularly make changes that would cancel out the original agreement.  And this was not done by the giving of the law.

God made a promise to Abraham, and God is obligated to keep His promises.  Even God cannot renege on a promise. Once made He is obligated to keep it.

Therefore even though the Law was given even centuries later, its purpose was not to negate the promise, but in fact it reinforced the fact that without the promise, there would be no salvation, for man cannot earn it, neither can he accomplish it by any means other than by the work of God and thus through faith in that divine work and promise.

Anyone who tries to work their way through salvation or their spiritual life, is trying to apply works, their own works, as an addition to or a substitute for, faith. And in that effort, they are out of line and they have only guaranteed failure in store for themselves.

Galatians 3:16

Copyright Ó 2013 J. Neely

Galatians 3:16

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org

16 Now [de] to Abraham [Abraam] and [kai] his [autos] seed [sperma] were [rheo] the promises [epaggelia] made. [rheo] He saith [lego] not, [ou] And [kai] to seeds, [spermata] as [hos] of [epi] many; [polus] but [alla] as [hos] of [epi] one, [heis] And [kai] to thy [sou] seed, [sperma] which [hos] is [esti] Christ. [Christos] KJV-Interlinear

16 Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, "And to seeds," as referring to many, but rather to one, "And to your seed," that is, Christ. NASB

The passage being referred to here is from Gen. 22:17-18.

Gen 22:17-18

17 indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens, and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies.

18 And in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice."   NASB

The subject is still faith versus works, as the means of securing salvation and the process through which the spiritual life functions.

This faith comes through one person and one person only, and that person is Jesus Christ.

Jesus is the distant seed, or descendant of Abraham.  Abraham lived about two-thousand years before the birth of Jesus.

It is through this single seed, Jesus, that the world will be blessed.

It is not through the many descendants, or the many seeds, by which the world will be blessed.

People have nothing to do with securing blessings for the human race.  If that were the case then works, good deeds, good intentions, sincerity and so forth would have a place in securing the spiritual life, but that is not the case.

Faith and faith alone is the path and means of the spiritual life, not works.

The descendants of Abraham both in his genetic descendants, and descendants or others by means of the pattern of faith which Abraham demonstrated, all may be the recipients of Gods blessing, but only through their individual faith, not and never by means of anyone's lifestyle.

You cannot earn your way into heaven.  You do not deserve admission into heaven.

That is a gift from God through faith, and by no other means.  Otherwise you would boast as to your unique ability to achieve that which no one else has ever been able to achieve.