Galatians 3:23-29

 Galatians 3:23-29

The Judaizers were telling the Galatians. “Come back to Judaism; we have history, traditions, rituals, and ceremonies. To sum it up, we have Law.” Paul gives the Law its due but demonstrates that all the Law is and offer can never match what we have in Christ. The law is first indirectly described as a jailer. In verse 24 Paul says under the Law a person is under “guard” or literally “locked up together.” There is a picture here of custody at best for your own good, but it could be the darker reality of constant guilt. Imagine a raging alcoholic who is under lock and key so that they do not go out and drink themselves to death. Prison may help keep a person from addictive behaviors, but it can never cure the underlying problem. 

The second term Paul uses is tutor or schoolmaster. Neither of these English terms conveys the Greek meaning. The Greek word is “paidagogos,” from which we get the English pedagogy. This was a slave who was the constant companion of a boy from a wealthy family. Beginning at about age six until adulthood, the boy never left the house without the slave. The slave accompanied the boy to school and back, went with him to any social engagement, and was his companion on any trip or visit to the market. The slave could discipline, correct, and direct the boy. But ultimately this slave answered to the head of the house. The ultimate goal was for the boy to obey the father, but not being trusted to do so on his own, the slave would impose obedience. Before Christ came, this is what the Law did. While the law was good, it was inferior to what we have in Christ. When a person is baptized into Christ, they transition from the child that is and does good because their handler requires it into the mature Spirit-guided person who is both free and good.

Paul makes a powerful distinction by referring to an obvious distinction. The contrast is the difference between being a child under the supervision of a slave and being a mature, free adult. The old contrast of race, gender, or slavery is no longer important. All people can be free, holy-living, spiritually mature individuals in Christ by the power of the Spirit. The promised inheritance of Abraham becomes ours, along with Abraham. When given the choice, I will choose freedom over supervision every time.

“Lord, thank You for the freedom I have been given.  Freedom to live holy.  AMEN”

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”

Galatians 3:1-14

 Galatians 3:1-14

Paul begins this section by asking, “Who has bewitched you?” Paul was well aware of who the Judaizers were, but his use of the word bewitched is critical. This is the only place this word is used in the New Testament and was more common in secular Greek. It meant to exercise evil power over a person, to captivate them especially by appealing to someone's vanity or selfishness. The result is that they are no longer able to think straight. The word was strongly associated with envy.

The appeal of the Judaizers was having its effect on the Gentile Christians. The power, glamour, and prestige of the Judaizers and their influential connections with the Priestly family in Jerusalem may have overawed the young Gentile believers. The problem was that the power of the Gospel did not come through keeping the law that the Judaizers advocated. Rather, it came by means of faith. This is an ideal moment to say a word about faith. The word Paul uses here for faith is not a vague, generalized knowledge or our acceptance of a fact. It is not simply cognitive knowledge or even a confidence in the truth of something. Faith is the all-encompassing reality that governs our actions and minds; that is both knowing and feeling, it shapes our identity and personality. It includes the notification to take action and the action taken. You can know of a chair, but it is only faith when you sit in it.

Paul asked a series of questions that point out that it was by this all-encompassing reality of faith that they began their walk. It was in this faith they perceive the crucified and risen Christ, experience miracles, and endure hardship. The power of the Spirit came because of faith. None of these things came because they were keeping legal rituals. There are two points that Paul makes to support his argument. Abraham believed God, and as a result, God translated it into a spiritual covenant relationship with Abraham. That is what “credited” or “reckoned” to him as righteousness means. Abraham was right with God before all the rituals of the Mosaic Law were established. Second, Paul points out that if you want to keep the law, you must keep every law perfectly; any failure in even one part on one occasion means that you are under the curse of a lawbreaker. Only Jesus kept the law perfectly, and for that reason He was able to take our curse on Himself. Paul is not saying that we will never do “works” as a disciple. Only that our works are not the object of our hope for salvation. Jesus is our only hope.

“Lord, help me to grow in the true faith. AMEN”