THE LAW AND THE PROMISE

Passage: Galatians 3:15-25

Key verse: 24

NIV

The Law and the Promise

15 Brothers and sisters,(A) let me take an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or add to a human covenant that has been duly established, so it is in this case. 16 The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed.(B) Scripture does not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,”[a](C) meaning one person, who is Christ. 17 What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years(D) later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise. 18 For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on the promise;(E) but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise.

19 Why, then, was the law given at all? It was added because of transgressions(F) until the Seed(G) to whom the promise referred had come. The law was given through angels(H) and entrusted to a mediator.(I) 20 A mediator,(J) however, implies more than one party; but God is one.

21 Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not!(K) For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law.(L) 22 But Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin,(M) so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.

Children of God

23 Before the coming of this faith,[b] we were held in custody(N) under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed.(O) 24 So the law was our guardian until Christ came(P) that we might be justified by faith.(Q) 25 Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.(R)

Read full chapter
Footnotes
  1. Galatians 3:16 Gen. 12:7; 13:15; 24:7
  2. Galatians 3:23 Or through the faithfulness of Jesus … 23 Before faith came
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

The Law and the Promise

15 (A)To give a human example, brothers:[a] (B)even with a man-made covenant, no one annuls it or adds to it once it has been ratified. 16 Now (C)the promises were made (D)to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, (E)“And to your offspring,” who is Christ. 17 This is what I mean: the law, which came (F)430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as (G)to make the promise void. 18 For if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but (H)God gave it to Abraham by a promise.

19 Why then the law? (I)It was added because of transgressions, (J)until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was (K)put in place through angels (L)by an intermediary. 20 Now (M)an intermediary implies more than one, but (N)God is one.

21 Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For (O)if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. 22 But the Scripture (P)imprisoned everything under sin, so that (Q)the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given (R)to those who believe.

23 Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, (S)imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. 24 So then, (T)the law was our (U)guardian until Christ came, (V)in order that we might be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian,

Read full chapter
Footnotes
  1. Galatians 3:15 Or brothers and sisters
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

1. The Promise (15-18)

God promised that Abraham and his Seed, that is Christ, would be a source of blessing for all people. God redeemed us from bondage to sin so that the blessing of forgiveness and the Holy Spirit might come to us, and through us, to all the world (14). This is the promise of God. A promise is an expression of God's grace. God's promises belong to anyone who claims them by faith. If we are redeemed by God's grace alone, what is the purpose of the Law?

2. The Law (19-25)

God gave the Law at Mount Sinai through Moses, because his people, whom he had delivered from slavery in Egypt, needed training in order to become a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Ex 19:4-6). They needed guidelines for living in a moral and spiritual wasteland. The whole world is a prisoner of sin. The Law is powerless to set us free. The Law is a supervisor or a tutor, put in charge to lead us to Christ so that we might be justified by faith.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for your law, which disciplines us in love. Thank you for the grace of forgiveness through Jesus.

One Word: God's love through law and grace