“Galatians 3”

Wednesday, May 03, 2017

Chapter 3 is a clear explanation of the subject of salvation and the law. It divides into three major sections:

• Verses 1‑14 ‑ Salvation is not through the law of Moses
• Verses 15‑18 ‑ The law of Moses did not annul the promise
• Verses 19‑29 ‑ Why then was the law necessary?

In verses 1-14, Paul discusses again the reality that the Old Law was done away with and replaced by the gospel of Christ. He refers to their having begun their walk with God “by the hearing of faith,” but now they are trying to maintain their relationship with God through “the works of the law.”

One of the primary lessons from the book of Galatians is that we cannot earn ourselves a home in heaven by our good works. We are expected to obey God and do those things He reveals in the New Testament, but never with the thought that we will so perfectly carry out the will of God that He will owe us an eternal reward. The only way anyone will be saved is through God’s grace.

This idea of earning our salvation is sometimes called “works salvation” and sometimes it is called “legalism.” So many different ideas are thrown into that word, legalism, that I hesitate to use it at all. To me, legalism is not law keeping, but law depending, that is, believing we will do it well enough to justify our salvation. We are always going to need the mercy and lovingkindness of God.

As we look at verses 15-18, the apostle deals with the relationship between the Law of Moses and the promise of God to Abraham. The promise to Abraham (verse 16; see Genesis 12:1-3) of salvation through Christ was given long before the law was given through Moses. The question in the minds of many seems to have been, did the Law of Moses make the promise void? The answer, of course, was no. He says, in very clear terms, that the Law, given hundreds of years after the promise, did not annul, or make void, the covenant with Abraham. Salvation through Christ was not nullified by the giving of the Law of Moses.

But, if that was the case, why was the law necessary (verses 19-29)? This section answers that question and shows how the Promise and the Law fit together.

First, the law did not replace the promise, but rather was “added” to it. That means that during the Mosaic Period, there were two laws of God existing at the same time, one for Israel and one for everyone else.

Second, the law was added “because of transgressions.” Something needed to be done to help the bloodline of the Messiah remain pure. God’s solution was the Law of Moses, for the Hebrews alone (the descendants of Abraham). The Law of Moses served as a tutor, to bring people to faith in Jesus.

--Roger Hillis

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