Galatians
3:14-29: The Law Has Become Our Tutor To Lead Us To Christ
By
1.
In our last study,
we looked at verses 1-13 of chapter 3.
1.1.
In that study,
Paul asked the Galatians who had bewitched them, or how they had been
bewitched, into keeping the Law of Moses in addition to faith in Christ in
order to be saved, as he saw their departure from the simplicity of salvation
through the grace of Christ as being as if they were under some sort of a spell
of witchcraft.
1.2.
Then, he asked
them if they received the Spirit by faith or by the works of the Law. Next, he told them how foolish they were for having
begun in the Spirit to now be perfecting themselves in the flesh by going back
to living under the Law of Moses.
1.3.
Paul questioned
them about the working of the Spirit and miracles among them, if these things
came about by works of the Law or by the hearing of faith.
1.4.
Next, Paul
brought up the life of Abraham and how that the scripture tells us that Abraham
was made righteous by his faith, not by the works of the Law, and as such
Abraham is the father of those who will receive salvation through faith in
Christ.
1.5.
Finally, Paul
spoke about the curse of the Law (which was the fact that you had to keep all
of it perfectly), and how this curse keeps anyone from ever being able to be
justified by works of the Law. Then, he
told us how that Christ came and took the curse of the Law upon Himself for us
by dying on the cross for our sins.
2.
In our study
today, we are going to look at verses 14-29 of chapter 3 of Galatians.
2.1.
It came up in our
midweek Bible study that someone wondered if there were still people today that
believe that a person needs to keep the Law of Moses in addition to having
faith in Christ, in order to be saved.
Interestingly, the next day I had some discussions on a blog about a
movement that is currently gaining steam involving neo-Judaisers who
are teaching this very thing. There is a
big group of these people in
2.2.
There are also
many groups that add all kinds of rules and regulations that a person has to
keep if they really wanted to be spiritual.
2.3.
In this study, we
will see that Paul begins by making a comparison between the covenant given to
Abraham which was unconditional on the part of Abraham and his descendants, and
the covenant of the Law of Moses, which was conditional upon the obedience to
all of the Law of Moses, and we will see several things:
2.3.1. The covenant of the Law of Moses did not supersede or
replace the covenant made to Abraham.
2.3.2. The covenant made to Abraham was a covenant of promise
(which made it unconditional) just as the new covenant of grace through Jesus
Christ is based upon promise.
2.3.3. The believer enters by faith into salvation through
Christ, and this is through the covenant made to Abraham.
2.3.4. The covenant of the Law of Moses was only temporary
and it could not bring life.
2.3.5. The covenant of the Law of Moses was designed to be
our tutor to lead us to Jesus Christ, and now that we have come to Christ there
is no longer any need for us to be under a tutor.
2.3.6. The new covenant through the grace of Jesus Christ,
that came through the covenant made to Abraham, makes us all sons of God
through faith in Jesus Christ, and it also unites all races and both sexes as
one in Christ.
3.
VS 3:14 - 14 in order that in Christ Jesus the
blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise
of the Spirit through faith. Jesus Christ was made a
curse for us, redeeming us from the curse of the Law, so that the blessing from
the covenant of Abraham might be able to come to the Gentiles (and Jews), so
that we could receive the promise of the Spirit through faith
3.1.
We saw in our
previous study that Paul had asked the Galatians the rhetorical question of
whether or not they had received the Spirit through the hearing of faith or
through the works of the Law, and we discussed the fact that the Galatians knew
that the gospel had come to them through demonstration of the Spirit and of
power (as Paul describes his own ministry), and that the Galatians had
originally received gifts of the Holy Spirit, and God had done great works
through them. The Galatians knew these
things, and that observing the Law hadnt caused them to occur.
3.2.
In that last
study, Paul next asked the Galatians if the miracles that had happened among
them had come about through the hearing of faith or through works of the Law. This second question confirmed even further
the superiority of the new covenant over that of the Old Covenant of the Law of
Moses.
3.3.
Notice here that
Paul uses this phrase in Christ Jesus.
In his epistles, he often uses this and he uses it in such a way as to
communicate that all of the blessings and privileges that come to the believer
come as a result of his being united with Jesus Christ. It is an incredible sum of things that Paul
tells us in the New Testament belong to us in Christ Jesus.
3.4.
Now, Paul tells
the Galatians that Jesus Christ was made a curse for them, redeeming them from
the curse of the Law, so that the blessing of Abraham might come to
them (the Gentiles), so that that they would receive he promise of
the Spirit through faith. So, what
is the blessing of Abraham anyway?
3.4.1. Genesis 12:2-3 is the passage where this promise
(covenant) is initially made to Abraham:
2 And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you,
And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; 3 And I will bless those who bless you, And the one
who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be
blessed.
3.4.2. This was a spiritual
blessing that Abraham received, and this blessing, Paul will explain, comes through
the seed who was promised, who is Christ.
3.5.
The promise
of the Spirit is then part of that blessing to the nations that
came through the seed of Abraham, Jesus Christ.
3.6.
The Old Testament
scripture prophesied in many places that the Lord would give His people a new
covenant and that under that covenant He would pour out His Spirit into their
hearts and lives, including:
3.6.1. Isaiah 32:15-18, 15 Until the Spirit is
poured out upon us from on high, And the wilderness becomes a fertile field,
And the fertile field is considered as a forest. 16 Then justice will dwell in the wilderness And
righteousness will abide in the fertile field. 17 And the work of righteousness will be peace, And
the service of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever. 18 Then my people will live in a peaceful habitation,
And in secure dwellings and in undisturbed resting places;
3.6.2. Isaiah 44:1-5:
1 But now listen, O Jacob, My servant, And
3.6.3. Isaiah 59:20-21:
20 A Redeemer will come to
3.6.4. Jeremiah 31:33:
33 But this is the covenant which I will make with the house
of
3.6.5. Jeremiah 32:40:
40 I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will
not turn away from them, to do them good; and I will put the fear of Me in
their hearts so that they will not turn away from Me.
3.6.6. Ezekiel 11:16-20:
16 Therefore say, Thus says the Lord God, Though I had removed them far away
among the nations and though I had scattered them among the countries, yet I
was a sanctuary for them a little while in the countries where they had gone.
17 Therefore say, Thus
says the Lord God, I will gather
you from the peoples and assemble you out of the countries among which you have
been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel. 18 When they come there, they will remove all its
detestable things and all its abominations from it. 19 And I will give them one heart, and put a new
spirit within them. And I will take the heart of stone out of their flesh and
give them a heart of flesh, 20
that they may walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances and do them. Then
they will be My people, and I shall be their God.
3.6.7. Ezekiel 36:26-27:
26 Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new
spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and
give you a heart of flesh. 27
I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and
you will be careful to observe My ordinances.
3.6.8. Joel 2:28-29: 28
It
will come about after this That I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; And
your sons and daughters will prophesy, Your old men will dream dreams, Your
young men will see visions. 29
Even on the male and female servants I will pour out My Spirit in those
days.
3.6.9. Zechariah 12:10:
10 I will pour out on the house of David and on the
inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they
will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one
mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter
weeping over a firstborn.
4.
VS 3:15 - 15 Brethren, I speak in terms of
human relations: even though it is only a mans covenant, yet when it
has been ratified, no one sets it aside or adds conditions to it. Paul tells the Galatians that the covenant made to Abraham (which is
unconditional), once it was ratified, cannot be set aside nor have conditions added
to it, it remains in force because it is conditional (the covenant of the Law
could not supersede or replace)
4.1.
Here in this
verse, Paul speaks of how covenants in general work, or how these things happen
in human relations.
4.2.
A covenant first has
to be ratified. That is, its
terms have to be written up or verbally stated, and then both parties have to
agree to the terms. There is a ceremony
for this. In the case of the covenant
made to Abraham, since it was an unconditional covenant God only had
to state the things that He was going to do.
In the case of the covenant of Law given to Moses, the Law was spoken to
the people at
4.3.
Pauls case here
is that once a covenant has been made, and then ratified, that it goes into
effect and hinder its fulfillment. Any
further covenants that are entered into cannot supersede a covenant or add conditions
to it.
4.3.1. To illustrate this, when we lived up in Washington
State, there were treaties that were made to the Indian peoples living in the
area back a hundred years ago or so.
There had been war between the Indians and the settlers, and these
treaties brought an end to the hostilities.
The settlers promised that the Indians could fish in their boats using
nets whenever and however they wanted.
That covenant was made in a day when there were few settlers or Indians,
and lots of fish. Today, there are lots
of settlers and Indians, and few fish left.
However, because that covenant was made and ratified back in those days,
the Indians today can often be seen throughout the year rowing their boats and
pulling their nets and bringing in one huge catch of fish (mainly salmon) after
another. And, in the meantime the
average person (settler) is very limited in how many fish of any species he can
catch, and when he can catch them. Paul
is saying that this is the same way that covenants always work; once they are
ratified they remain in place.
5.
VS 3:16-18 - 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. 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. 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. Paul tells the Galatians that the promises made to Abraham were made
to his seed (Christ) not to many seeds, and thus the Law of Moses which came
along 430 years later does not invalidate that covenant previously ratified by
God, so as to nullify its promise, and it is the covenant made to Abraham that is
based upon promise (IOW is unconditional) not the Law of Moses (which was
conditional upon obedience to all of the Law)
5.1.
Here, Paul is
stating that the covenant and promises given to Abraham pertained not to many seeds,
but rather to one seed, and we know that that seed is Jesus
Christ. It was through Jesus Christ that
all of the nations would be blessed, and that is because it was through Jesus
Christ that mankind could be saved from their sins.
5.2.
Here, Paul by
using this reference to the seed (singular) of Abraham, is referring
to that incident upon Mt. Moriah when the faith of Abraham was being tested by
the Lord after the Lord told him to sacrifice his son of promise, Isaac, and in
obedience Abraham took his son up to the mountain and proceeded to act in
obedience and sacrifice Isaac: Genesis 22:16-18: 16 and said, By Myself I
have sworn, declares the Lord,
because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son, your only son,
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 In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because
you have obeyed My voice.
5.3.
Paul is saying
then that the covenant promise given to Abraham was to apply to Christ, the seed
who would come, and that the covenant of the Law of Moses (which came 430 years
later) did not invalidate the covenant, nor nullify the promise
(the fact that it was unconditional).
The Law of Moses then was a temporary covenant that worked alongside of
the covenant made to Abraham, and it did not add conditions to that covenant
made to Abraham.
6.
VS 3:19 - 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 would come to whom the promise had been made. Paul asks the rhetorical question of the Galatians of why God gave
the Law in the first place then, and then he answers his question stating that
it was added (given) because of transgressions (to shed the light of conviction
of sins to people) until the seed (Christ) would come unto whom the promise
(the covenant made to Abraham) had been given
6.1.
Paul asks the
Galatians a rhetorical question here of why the Law was given in the first
place? What was the purpose of it, if it
was only temporary, and it did not supersede or replace the covenant given to
Abraham?
6.2.
Pauls answer to
this question is that the Law was added because of transgressions. The Law is a line in the sand, and it shows
when a person steps across that line, it shows us when we have sinned. People have sinned, and they needed the Law
as that line so that they could know exactly when and how they sinned against
God, the Law giver.
6.3.
Paul states here
that the Lord was ordained through angels. It is remarkable that nowhere in the Old
Testament does it tell us about the angels speaking to the Israelites or
somehow mediating in the giving of the covenant of the Law to Moses. However, there are several places in the
scriptures where we see allusions to angels ministering to mankind under the
Law through the mediation of angels, including:
6.3.1. Deuteronomy 33:2:
2 He said, The Lord
came from Sinai, And dawned on them from Seir; He shone forth from
6.3.2. Psalm 68:17: 17
The
chariots of God are myriads, thousands upon thousands; The Lord is among them as
at Sinai, in holiness.
6.3.3. Hebrews 2:2: 2
For
if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression
and disobedience received a just penalty.
6.3.4. Hebrews 2:5: 5
For
He did not subject to angels the world to come, concerning which we are
speaking.
6.3.5. Acts 7:53: 53
you
who received the law as ordained by angels, and yet did not keep it.
6.4.
From these
verses, we must assume that though the scripture does not directly teach this
in the book Exodus about angels being mediators of the covenant given to Moses,
that it must have the angels whos thundering voices on Mt. Sinai were heard
speaking the Law to the people of Israel, as they trembled in fear at the
bottom of the mountain.
6.5.
Pauls point here
in mentioning the mediation of angels involved in the giving of the Law of
Moses is that this shows that the Lord was distancing Himself directly from the
people by having them communicate to mankind for Him. This shows the superiority of the covenant
made to Abraham as well as the new covenant given through Jesus Christ. In both of those covenants, the Lord Himself
was the mediator directly to mankind.
7.
VS 3:20 - 20 Now a mediator is not for one party
only; whereas God is only one.
Paul tells the Galatians that a mediator is not for one party, whereas God is
one
7.1.
This verse refers back to the two covenants being compared by Paul
here. The covenant of Moses had Moses as
the mediator of that covenant.
But, the covenant of Abraham and just God as the mediator, and
in the same way, Jesus Christ who is divinity (God the Son from all eternity)
is the mediator of the new covenant of grace.
It is Jesus Christ who is the one mediator between God and man.
8.
VS 3:21-22 - 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. 22 But the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin,
so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who
believe. Paul asks the rhetorical question of whether the Law is contrary to
the promises of God, and then he says God forbid that this be so, for if a law
had been given which could import life, then righteousness would indeed have
been based on law, but the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin so that the
promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe
8.1.
The Law of Moses could not impart life, all it could do is
bring conviction of sin to men. The
scripture says that the Law is good, its just that we as people are
sinful and rebellious by nature and not able to keep the Law.
8.2.
If the Law could have imparted life, then a man could be made righteous
based upon the Law. But, it could not.
8.3.
The Scripture however has shut up everyone under sin as it
states that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom.
3:20). The scripture reveals that we all
have broken Gods Law and the covenant of the Law required perfect obedience to
all of its commands, and the breaking of the smallest one was a violation of
the terms of the covenant of Law.
8.4.
The Law was designed then to show us over and over our own sin, and to
make us realize that we are just as Isaiah describes us in Is. 64:6: 6
For all of us have become like one who is unclean, And all our righteous
deeds are like a filthy garment; And all of us wither like a leaf, And our
iniquities, like the wind, take us away. With the
Law revealing our inherent sinfulness, this enables us the realize that if we
shall ever be saved from our sins it shall be only because of the grace and
mercy of God.
8.5.
Having ourselves shut up under sin, Paul states that this occurs so
that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who
believe.
9.
VS 3:23-25 - But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the
law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed. 24 Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead
us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer
under a tutor. Paul tells the Galatians that before the covenant
enacted upon faith came (the new covenant) that we were all kept under custody
under the law and were shut up to the faith that was to be later revealed, and
that therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ so we may be
justified by faith, but now that faith has come to us, we are no longer under a
tutor (the Law)
9.1.
Here we see that
Paul speaks of the purpose of the Law of Moses as being like a tutor
in a boarding house that keeps a young person in custody and teaches and trains
them. Strongs Enhanced Greek Lexicon
has the following entry for this word that is translated as tutor΄
here:
3807 παιδαγωγός [paidagogos /pahee·dag·o·gos/] n m. From 3816 and a reduplicated form of 71; TDNT
5:596; TDNTA 753; GK 4080; Three occurrences; AV translates as schoolmaster twice,
and instructor once. 1 a
tutor i.e. a guardian and guide of boys. Among the Greeks and the Romans the
name was applied to trustworthy slaves who were charged with the duty of
supervising the life and morals of boys belonging to the better class. The boys
were not allowed so much as to step out of the house without them before
arriving at the age of manhood.
9.2.
The Laws purpose
then is to show that we cannot keep it and that we shall never be justified
(made holy) based upon law keeping.
The Law then makes us recognize that the only way that we shall be justified
shall be by faith in Christ and the work that He did for us in dying
upon the cross for our sins.
9.3.
But, Paul says
that now that a person has become a believer in Christ that he is no longer
under a tutor, and never needing to be under a tutor.
10.
VS 3:26 - 26 For you are all sons of God
through faith in Christ Jesus. Paul tells the Galatians
that all of them who have come to have faith in Christ through the new covenant
(which is according to the covenant of promise made to Abraham) have had
something happen to us which the covenant of Law could never bring to us, we
have all become sons of God
10.1.
The Law of Moses
never brought a person close to the Lord, there was always a veil between a
person and the Lord under that covenant.
The veil in the tabernacle and temple signified the separation from God
for the person under the Mosaic covenant.
But, when Christ died upon the cross, that veil was rent in two from the
top to the bottom, signifying that under the new covenant the believer in
Christ was brought near to God, directly into His presence.
10.2.
The new covenant
in the grace of Christ brings a redeemed person to become an adopted son of
God, and to inherit all that was given to Christ.
11.
VS 3:27 - 27 For all of you who were baptized
into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
Paul tells the Galatians that they have become sons of God through their faith
in Christ, those of them who have been baptized (immersed) into Christ (not
water baptism, immersed into Christ) have clothed themselves with Christ (thus
Christ is our righteousness before God because we are clothed with Christ)
11.1.
Being clothed
with Christ in this verse seems to refer to the believer receiving the
imputed righteousness of Christ, and the Lord looking at the believer in Christ
as perfectly acceptable and righteous because He sees the righteousness of
Christ.
11.2.
The baptism
mentioned here is not a baptism in water, but rather an immersion into
Christ. Every true believer has received
the Holy Spirit and been baptized into Christ, just as the scripture says:
11.2.1. 1 Corinthians 12:13:
13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body,
whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink
of one Spirit.
11.2.2. Romans 8:9: 9
However,
you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells
in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to
Him.
12.
VS 3:28 - 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. Paul tells the Galatians
that God has done an incredible thing to us who are partakers of the new
covenant of grace through Jesus Christ (that which is according to the covenant
of promise made to Abraham), and that is that he has taken all people groups
and even both sexes, and made us all one in Christ Jesus
13.
VS 3:29 - 29 And if you belong to Christ, then
you are Abrahams descendants, heirs according to promise. Paul tells the Galatians that if they belong to Christ in the new
covenant He has extended to us in His blood, that we are spiritual descendants
of Abraham and heirs according to promise (the unconditional covenant made to
Abraham)
14.
CONCLUSIONS:
14.1.
.