FEBRUARY 5, 2023
THE APOSTLE’S DEFENSE OF THIS DOCTRINE (PART II)
INTRODUCTION:
1. With Chapter 3 of this epistle begins Paul’s powerful defense of his doctrine. He reminds the Galatians of the great fundamental truths of the Gospel, and, in so doing, exposes the falsehood and danger of the teachings that were being imposed upon them by the Judaizing teachers.
2. We can follow his method of defense from Chapter 3:11 through Chapter 4:7.
I. THE APOSTLE FIRST EXPRESSES HIS ASTONISHMENT AND DISPLEASURE OVER THE CHANGE IN THE GALATIANS. (VERSE 1) Considering the circumstances, his strong expressions are not excessive. They had enjoyed very special advantages, namely the plain and clear teaching of none other than the Apostle Paul. Yet, in spite of their special advantages, they had not continued in the truth.
II. THE APOSTLE PRESENTS STRONG ARGUMENTS EXPOSING THE FALSEHOOD OF THE NEW DOCTRINE, AND CONFIRMING THE TRUTH OF THE DOCTRINE HE HAD TAUGHT. (VERSES 2-9) First of all, their own experience, if it was indeed a saving work, could not have been produced by law-works, but only by the hearing of faith. Secondly, Abraham’s justification was by faith, and not by works. Thirdly, the promise made to Abraham was that God would justify the heathen through faith in His Seed, which Seed, as the Apostle goes on to show, is Christ. (Verse 16)
III. THE APOSTLE SHOWS THAT JUSTIFICATION BY THE LAW IS IMPOSSIBLE AND GIVES SOME REASONS WHY. (VERSES 10-14)
A. JUSTIFICATION BY THE LAW IS IMPOSSIBLE, BECAUSE ALL ARE UNDER THE LAW’S CURSE. (VERSE 10; DEUT. 27:26)
1. Paul here reminds those who would place themselves under the works of the law for justification that the entire law is a unit, and in order to be thereby justified one must continue in perfect obedience to all things written in the book of the law. The very fact that none are able to do this brings all under the curse of the law. This curse is real, thus we can appreciate what the Apostle says in Verse 13.
2. What was the real purpose of the law? God gave the law in order that man, by nature a child of wrath and under the curse, (Vs. 3; Eph. 2:3) might be reminded not only of his obligation to keep the law (Lev. 19:2), but also of his total inability to do so. (Rom. 7:25) Thus, the law would serve as a custodian to conduct the sinner to Christ. (Verse 24)
3. The law cannot be our accuser and at the same time our savior.
B. JUSTIFICATION BY THE LAW IS NOT CONSISTENT WITH THE SCRIPTURES. (VERSES 11, 12; HAB. 2:4)
1. That no man can be justified by the law has already been made evident from the nature of the thing. The fact is also proved by the clear declaration of God.
2. The Apostle quotes the prophet Habakkuk, who was required to write his prophetic vision, and to “make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.” The Lord declared the certainty that this vision would be fulfilled. (Hab. 2:3) He then added that the proud soul is not upright in His sight, “but the just (righteous soul) shall live by faith.”
3. To trust to one’s own goodness is a proud business, but to be upright in the sight of God one must believe on Christ, the Gospel promise which Habakkuk saw in a vision and published.
4. The righteous not only have life, but they live by faith. (Ch. 2:20) Theirs is a life of joy and peace, (Phil 4:7; Rom. 5:1) a life of liberty and security, (Rom. 8:15) one of fellowship with God and conformity to Him.
(John 17:3; I Pet. 1:8; II Cor. 3:18)
5. The Apostle continues, “And the law is not of faith, but the man that doeth them shall live by them.” (Vs. 12) This quotation from Leviticus 18:5 God gave in love for their comfort. (See Lev. 18:1-5) God said to His chosen people, “Keep my statutes and ordinances and ye shall live by them.” For the child of faith the law is not of faith, nevertheless God’s law is the believer’s joy. (Psa. 119:97; Ezek. 36:27) With God’s gracious help, the closer our conformity to God’s holy standard, the happier our life will be.
C. REDEMPTION FROM THE CURSE OF THE LAW IS NECESSARY FOR BOTH JEWS AND GENTILES. (VERSES 13, 14) It is not unusual for Paul to anticipate possible objections, and address them without formally stating them. This may be one such instance. The Galatians might ask, “If this be true, how are Jews, who are condemned by the law, to obtain the Divine favor? Is it possible, and if so, how?’ To this question Verses 13, 14 contain a satisfactory answer. The penitent sinner does not need to despair.
1. Being by nature under the curse of the law, the sinner is unable to deliver himself from this pitiable condition. But God has provided the remedy. “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us.”
a) Christ purchased our pardon from the sentence of condemnation which the law pronounced, and from the punishment of eternal death which it demanded.
b) He became a curse, that is, “an accursed one,” for us, and paid our ransom with His own precious blood.
(I Pet. 1:18, 19; Rev. 5:9)
2. It is difficult for us to conceive of the divine Son of God becoming a curse. (I Cor. 12:3) How could one who had no sin become a curse, since the curse is associated with sin? The only explanation is the one supplied by the prophet Isaiah. (Isa. 53:6)
3. The eminently scriptural doctrine of Christ’s substitutionary atonement is here seen as the only solution to man’s sin problem.
4. In support of the idea that Christ became a curse for us Paul appeals to Deut. 21:23. “For it is written, cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.” In the Old Testament context, the passage is not referring to death by crucifixion, which was unknown to the Israelites, but rather to the nailing of the bodies of executed criminals to a post or tree, as an accursed thing in God’s sight. If the hanging of a dead body was a curse, how much more would be the slow, painful, shameful death by crucifixion? (Matt. 27:46)
5. The curse having thus been borne and lifted, the blessing can now flow forth. (Verse 14)
a) The priceless blessing Abraham received by faith is passed on to the Gentiles through Jesus Christ, His Seed. Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Now, through Christ all nations of the earth are blessed.
b) The second purpose clause is co-ordinate with and explains the first: “That we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” The blessing of Abraham is essentially the promise of the Spirit. (See Vrs. 2, 3)
IV. THE APOSTLE STRESSES THAT FREE JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH IS A DIVINE COVENANT ARRANGEMENT WHICH CANNOT BE DISANNULLED BY THE LAW WHICH CAME LONG AFTER. (VERSES 15-22)
A. THE FACT OF THE DIVINE COVENANT STATED AND PROVED. (VERSES 15-18)
1. Paul likens the arrangement to a human covenant, which once confirmed, is not to be tampered with. It cannot be added to or disannulled. (Verse 13)
2. If while this covenant remains unrevoked, some other arrangement should take place (which might seem inconsistent with it) the second arrangement does not really alter the first. Any apparent contradiction must be due to our misconception. God had in the case of Abraham showed that justification is by believing in the promise, and that justification by faith was to come to the Gentiles. This arrangement was confirmed and ratified by circumcision (Rom. 4:11) and by the promise to Abraham, that in him (his Seed) “all nations should be blessed.” (Verse 16)
a) Paul here stresses that the Seed of which God spoke is seed singular. We are grateful that the Holy Spirit gave this clarification, because “seed” is both Hebrew and Greek (as Paul certainly knew) is a collective noun, so that the plural form is not necessary in order to indicate more than one.
b) It is as if the Holy Spirit intended to prevent the very misunderstanding that so many insist upon anyhow, that God was speaking of the nation of Israel.
3. This promise (covenant) was confirmed 430 years before the law was given, and therefore, because of the wisdom and integrity of Him Who promised, the covenant is not disannulled or altered in the least by that which came subsequently, so as to make the covenant promise of none effect.
4. They must choose between man’s way and God’s way of salvation, because one rules out the other. (Verse 18)
a) The main feature of this covenant is God’s promise. God’s covenant with Abraham was therefore a covenant of grace.
b) The promised salvation is an inheritance. “If the inheritance…”
c) The arrangement historically involved two parties, God and Abraham. God promised. Abraham believed. The salvation of any sinner requires that he believe God’s promise.
B. THE DESIGN AND MODE OF GIVING THE LAW EXPLAINED. (VERSES 19, 20)
1. In light of the things he had just said, the apostle asked this question which he knew would be raised, “Wherefore then serveth the law?” If it could not impart righteousness, then what good can it do? Of what service is it?
2. He then answers, that by reason of the transgression it was added. That is, it was given in addition to the promise in order to awaken within the sinner’s mind and heart a sense of guilt.
3. The law was for this reason added, “…till the seed should come to whom the promise was made.” The promise was not made to Messiah, but in reference to Messiah. (See Rom. 4:15; 5:20)
4. The law actually magnifies a person’s guilt, so that when he sees himself in the light of the law, as being damnable in himself, he yearns for Christ, the true Seed, and for redemption that is in Him. “…till the seed should come…”
5. With respect to the law, Paul adds, “and it was ordained by angels in the hands of a mediator.”
a) God Himself ordained (decreed) the law. He is its author. (Ex. 20:1ff)
b) That God’s messengers, the holy angels, were employed is revealed, but exactly how is not certain.
(Heb. 2:2; Acts 7:53; Deut. 33:2)
c) Whatever function the angels may have performed, the real intermediary was Moses. (John 1:17)
6. The Galatians must not allow the Judaizers to exalt Moses above God. “Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, (does not represent just one party) but God is one.” (Verse 20) What is he saying? Though a human mediator may be ever so important, he is, after all, only a third party connecting two other parties. Moses served as a human link between God and the people. Such a mediator lacks independent authority. God, however, is One. When God made His promise to Abraham, and through him to all believers, whether Jew or Gentile (Rom. 3:30) he did this on His own sovereign account, directly, personally.
C. THE PURPOSE OF THE LAW NOT CONTRARY TO THE PROMISE, BUT RATHER SUBSERVIENT TO IT. (VERSES 21, 22) This point to be developed in the next lesson help.
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