Galatians
Chapter
3 (Continued)
{Verse
15 continues in 17
(with Verse 16 in a Parenthetical Interruption)}
15a~~Brethren,
I
keep on speaking from the human viewpoint;
{idiom: Literally, "I keep on speaking
according to the norm or standard [kata]
of men [anthropos - non-noble form]"
Paul is using the "debater's technique" - he knows he is
writing Divine Viewpoint. He is setting what follows up as
"Truth" to then prove it wrong.}
15b~~
yet [homos]
a
"human's contract"
[a legal and binding agreement between two men]
"receiving
confirmation
in
the past with the result
it
continues to be a contract forever"
{kuroo - perfect passive participle -
even human contracts, once confirmed, are firm
and not subject to change at the whim of one party}
absolutely
no one [oudeis]
voids/cancels/reneges/disannuls
[atheteo]
or
[e]
adds
to it. [epidiatassomai]
{Note:
The idea here is that "a man's word" is his bond. If he
agreed to do something and the other party said yes. Once the
contract was "confirmed", that was it. It was a done deal.
How
much more important should God's word be to Him?'}
16a~~(Now/Moreover
[de]
[to] Abraham
and
his Seed
{singular - only
one
- used for his
offspring
the fact that
it really referred to Only Jesus
was
one of the Mystery Doctrines - see below
in 16c}
were
promises [epaggelia]
poured
forth/uttered [rheo].
16b~~He
{God} said [lego]
absolutely
not
"and
[kai]
[to]
seeds . . . {plural}
as/like
[hos]
upon
[epi]
many."
16c~~But
in contrast [alla]
{God
did say}
"as/like
[hos]
upon
[epi]
one
[heis - '1']."
16d~~And
[kai]
to
your Seed [sou sperma]
{the promises
were made} . . .
Which/Who
[hos]
keeps
on being . . . Christ.)
[Note: Many times in the Old Testament scriptures things were said, but were "hidden" until the time was right. These doctrines are called mystery doctrine. Here it appears the Jews believed that by being genetically related to Abraham, God made a promise to "them". Paul is revealing the secret that the promise was made to Abraham and to "his seed" - singular. The promises were made to Abraham and the Messiah - Who we now know keeps on being Jesus Christ.]
[Note: See God's promise at Genesis 17:9. Paul also discusses this topic more at Romans 4:13 and 4:16]
17~~Moreover,
[de]
this
I keep on saying [lego]
[that]
the covenant [diatheke]
receiving
ratification in the past
with
results that last forever
[prokuroo - perfect passive participle]
under
[hupo]
[the
authority of] God
into/toward
[eis - directional inward]
Christ
. . .
the
{Mosaic} law,
having
become what it was not before
with
results that last forever
[ginomai - perfect active participle]
four
hundred and thirty years
later/after [meta]
absolutely
can NOT [ouk]
void/cancel/renege/disannul
[atheteo]
{God's contract can not be changed either!}
into/toward
[eis - directional inward]
[with
the result that]
it
should make the promise [epaggelia]
void
[katargeo]!
{Note: God's promise to Abraham came FIRST! The Mosaic Law was not a voiding or changing of God's promise to Abraham. In Paul's day a contract was binding! There was NO changing it! Even unbelievers kept their word. So, how much stronger was a promise from the Almighty GOD? Would He do less?}
18a~~For
[gar]
if
[ei 1st class conditional "if"
clause of assumption]
the
inheritance . . .
[kleronomia - God's promise to Abraham and his seed]
out
from [ek - directional outward]
the
law . . .
[and
let us assume it is to prove this false]
[than
it is] absolutely no longer/further [ouketi]
out
from [ek - directional outward]
the
promise.
[Note: Paul is saying, "Is God's promise to Abraham and his seed 'out from' the Mosaic Law or 'out from' the promise God made to Abraham 400 plus years earlier?" The answer is obvious.]
18b~~Moreover/Nevertheless
[de]
God
"graciously gives with results that last forever"
[charizomai - Perfect tense]
Abraham
by
means of [dia]
promise
[epaggelia].
[Note: God gave "His Word". And, His Word is His Bond! And, in this case it was an "unconditional contract". Abraham need not "do" anything in order for God to perform. God will NOT renege. And, His promise does not involve the Mosaic Law at all - the promise came 400 plus years earlier!]
[Purpose
of the Mosaic Law]
19a~~What
is the purpose of the {Mosaic} law?
[idiom: Literally, "What then . . . the law?"]
19b~~It
was added [prostithemi]
'because
of'/'for the sake of' [charin]
transgressions/"habitually
sinning"
"the
continual breaking of God's laws" [parabasis]
{Mankind was breaking God's laws. He gave us the
Mosaic Law so we could recognize we are doing so} . . .
19c~~being
ordained/arranged/"placed in order"
[diatasso - Aorist passive participle -the action of the
participle precedes the action of the main verb - so
this phrase belongs before the verb]
through
the instrumentality [dia]
of
angels/"messengers of God"
[aggelos - means messenger]
in/by/with
[en]
the
hand of
a
mediator/"one who intervenes" [mesites] . . .
19d~~until
"the Seed"
should
come. [erchomai]
19e~~To
Whom
{the Seed - revealed now to be Jesus Christ}
the
promise was made in the past with
the
result that it lasts forever.
[epaggello - perfect passive indicative]
{Mosaic
Law is Inferior to the Royal Priesthood Way of Living -
Reason: Mosaic Law has an Inferior Mediator}
20a~~Moreover
[de]
"a
mediator"/"one who intervenes" [mesites]
is
absolutely not [ouk]
one.
[Note: It was stated above there were many angels who were acting as mediators.}
20b~~Moreover/Nevertheless
[de]
God
is One.
[Note: We find out in Hebrews that under the Royal Priesthood, Jesus Christ is now our Mediator. He is God. Therefore, the Mediator of the new Priesthood is superior to the Levitical Priesthood where angels were Mediators.]
{Mosaic
Law is Inferior to the Royal Priesthood Way of Living -
Reason: Mosaic Law Can Not Teach Spiritual Maturity}
21a~~[Is
the Mosaic] law
then
against/"according to the norm or standard" [kata]
the
promises of God?
21b~~No! [me]
[Note: In some manuscripts "God no" was indicated. The meaning is obviously in the negative either way.]
21c~~For
[gar]
if
[ei 1st class conditional "if"
clause of assumption]
there
had been a law given [didomi nomos]
which
"having
the power"/"having been Inherently able" [dunamai]
"to
produce a way of life" [zoopoieo]
[but
a law like that has not been given]
verily/"in
reality" [ontos]
righteousness/dikaiosune/"total
fulfillment of spiritual maturity"
should
have been [an emi]
"out
from the source of" [ek - directional outwardly]
the
law!
{Mosaic
Law is Inferior to the Royal Priesthood Way of Living -
Reason: Mosaic Law is a Jailer - Not a Messiah/Savior}
22~~
But in contrast [alla]
the
scripture
has
concluded
[sugkleio - to shut up on all sides - completely box in]
all
[the human race] [pas]
under
[hupo]
sin
[Adam sinned and that sin was imputed to all humans
at birth]
"for
the purpose that"/"with the result that" [hina]
the
promise
[from God to Abraham and his "seed"]
out
from [ek]
"the
faith in Jesus Christ"/"the doctrine of Jesus Christ"
might
be given [didomi]
[to
them] believing.
[Note: This verse has the problem and the solution. When Adam sinned all mankind was "made sin" meaning that we are imputed with his sin and born spiritually dead. In the Hebrew, this "curse" is called "cherem" which means cursed beyond personal ability to be redeemed. Jesus was "outside sin". Meaning that he was born without a human father and Adam's sin was not imputed to him. Then he lived a personal Way of life without ONE sin. Being outside the "slavemarket of sin", He agreed to become cherem thereby taking that status off of us.]
[Note: Pistis means "faith" or "that which is believed" (doctrine). Paul found out on the road to Damascus that Jesus Christ IS the Manifest Member of the Godhead (Acts 9:4). He knew and understood that. That was the point where he believed in the Deity in Jesus and moved from Old Testament believer to a Church Age believer. Those who believe in Jesus Christ in the Church Age are saved and are in Union with Him. Believers in Christ in the Church Age are Family of God AND Royal Family. We receive the filling of God the Holy Spirit and have the opportunity to imitate Christ and grow to a level of "dikaiosune" - the process resulting in the highest possible spiritual maturity - that has never been possible in the past. How do we do that? We do it by learning and applying to our Way of life the doctrine of Jesus Christ (How He lived His life and what He taught us - Church Age doctrine allows us to live a Higher Way of Spiritual Life).]
23~~Moreover
[de] . . .
having
received shutting up in the past
with
results that last forever
[sugkleio - perfect passive participle]
toward
[eis - directional outward]
[the
area of] the faith/doctrine
which
"is on the point of receiving"
[mello - present active participle]
revelation
[apokalupto] . . .
before
[pro]
the
"faith [in Jesus]"/"doctrine [of Jesus]" [pistis]
came
[erchomai],
we
were kept/"under guard" [phroureo]
under
the law.
[Note:
The action of the participle precedes the action of the main verb.
So the "going to the prison" of the Mosaic Law happened
first. THEN mankind was kept under guard by being told by the Mosaic
Law all the ways that they were violating the laws of God.]
{Note: The Mosaic Law is for all humanity - believer and unbeliever alike. If an unbelieving society adopts the 'laws for establishment' set up in the Mosaic Law, they will develop a strong society in which evangelism can thrive. In the Church Age, bible doctrine can only be understood under the ministry of the filling of God the Holy Spirit. Unbelievers can not understand doctrine until they are saved. And, believers can not grow spiritually without the use of rebound (I John 1:9) restoring fellowship and the filling of God the Holy Spirit.}
24~~
Wherefore/"So then" [hoste]
the
[Mosaic] law
became
in the past with results that
last
forever [ginomai - perfect tense]
our
guardian/teacher/paidagogos [paidagogos]
[which
led us]
toward
[eis]
Christ
with
the result that [hina]
we
might receive justification [dikaioo - passive tense]
out
from [ek]
faith/doctrine.
[pistis]
{Note:
A 'paidagogos' was a slave that took the children to
school
. . . an olden day 'school bus'. John called new believers
"little children" (I John 2:12).
They need to learn doctrine and absorb and imitate the Mind of
Christ. Then they can grow to their full spiritual maturity - going
through the additional stages of "teenager" and then "fathers"}
25~~
Moreover [de]
faith/doctrine
having come
[pistis erchomai - aorist active participle]
we
are absolutely no longer
under
[hupo]
a
guardian/teacher/paidagogos [paidagogos].
26~~
For [gar]
you
all keep on being
the
"adult children" [huios]
of
God
through
the instrumentality of [dia]
faith/doctrine
[pistis]
in/by/with
[en]
Christ
Jesus.
[Note: The paidogogos were usually slaves. They took care of the small children of the upper class. They taught them, saw them off to school, and acted as body guards. In many cases they also took care of their financial matters for them. That was the kind of relationship the Mosaic Law had with the Family of God. Now, with the doctrine that Jesus has revealed and through faith in Christ, a Family of God is now "an adult son", able to take care of themselves and not needing a caretaker.]
***************************************************
This
page is sponsored by
Kenneth Sidley, CPA and Moxxor
For Pain Free Living.
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