Galatians 3:15-22

 Galatians 3:15-22

This is one of the most challenging passages to understand in this book or even in the entire Bible. But it helps if we keep our focus on the priority of Christ. The Judaizers placed a priority on keeping, or attempting to keep, the Law of Moses, specifically circumcision. Their position was not well thought out, and Paul points this out in a couple of places. First, Paul points out that the promises to Abraham were made 430 years before the law was given. Since the promise was a covenant and since the recipient cannot unilaterally modify a covenant, clearly the law was not the source of the blessing of the covenant with Abraham. 

Second, Paul makes a very fine point that the promise was made to Abraham and his seed, putting an emphasis on seed being singular. Jewish people might say the use of the singular refers to the whole nation as a collective singular. However, clearly within that group would be those who rejected and turned away from God. Paul points out that the singular seed is Christ. What is left unstated is that all those who are in Christ are part of that singular. But unlike the singular of being a Jew, everyone who's in Christ is faithful and loyal. 

Third, Paul points out that as grand as the Law was, it wasn't able to make men righteous. In fact, what the Law did was to show men that they were unrighteous sinners and incapable of rescue either by themselves or by the Law. Nothing in the law removed their guilt completely, nor did it have the power to enable anyone to overcome their sin nature. In the beginning of the chapter, Paul points out that it is by the Spirit that they perceived Christ and began to follow. There was no provision for the work of the Spirit in the Law.

This passage reminds us of the high and holy place we have as being part of the body of Christ. This is more than a metaphor or symbolic language; rather, it is the reality that we are in Him and He is in us by the Spirit. We are the heirs of the promise, and we are the body of Christ because of the salvation He has provided.

“Lord, thank You have made me an heir of all Your promises. AMEN”