Daily Meditations on the Bible / We stand with Israel
Before the coming of this faith, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed.
Summary: Paul returns to his discussion about the law with an interesting metaphor. The law, like the Sheriff in an old Western, can lock people up. What does this mean?
Continue reading “Galatians 3:23 – The Big Gamble”… so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.
Summary: Paul is very close to his topic. So close that he makes assumptions about his audience and what they know. Deconstructing what Paul says requires us to look into the Old Testament for clues.
Continue reading “Galatians 3:22b – Letting Go, Grabbing On”But Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin …
Summary: In a short few words, Paul tells us a story that explains much of what we experience in real life.
Continue reading “Galatians 3:22a – Good vs Bad”Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law.
Summary: Paul continues his debate with himself by asking another question and answering it.
Continue reading “Galatians 3:21 – Promises, Promises”For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on the promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise.
Summary: This is awkward! I just realized that I had skipped over Galatians 3:18. Don’t ask me why because you’ll just get a long list of excuses. So here we are for the first time I can remember, tackling a passage out of order.
Continue reading “Galatians 3:18 – Promises, Eggs, & Chickens”The law was given through angels and entrusted to a mediator. A mediator, however, implies more than one party; but God is one.
Summary: Paul’s words seem cryptic at times, suggesting there is a lot more going on in his mind than he is able to share.
Continue reading “Galatians 3:19b-20 – Resolution”Why, then, was the law given at all? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come.
Summary: Paul talks about the Law as if it were a thing of the past, and for the believer it is. Yet, for everyone who does not yet believe, the Law still exists and is still in force.
Continue reading “Galatians 3:19a – Waiting for Jesus, Part II”Why, then, was the law given at all? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come.
Summary: Paul asks a question and then provides the answer. Why do we need the law? We need it until our Shepherd shows up in our lives.
Continue reading “Galatians 3:19a – Waiting for Jesus”What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise.
Summary: Paul restates his argument using a different tack. How are belief in God and faith in the law related?
Continue reading “Galatians 3:17 – Faith and Action”The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. Scripture does not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,” meaning one person, who is Christ.
Summary: Understanding God’s ways is the key to understanding Scripture. Both depend on our study of God’s Word. In today’s passage, Paul explains the meaning of the missing “s.”
Continue reading “Galatians 3:16 – The Missing “S””