39 lines
2.1 KiB
Markdown
39 lines
2.1 KiB
Markdown
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title = "Galatians 3:15–29"
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date = "2023-08-09"
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### [Read the passage.](https://biblia.com/bible/esv/Galatians3.15-29)
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Because there has been so much confusion about the law, Paul goes on to explain
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its purpose and its relationship to the grace we receive through faith in
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Christ. He points out that God made a covenant with Abraham that he would be a
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blessing to all nations through his offspring. While even in Greek (and I guess
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Hebrew too?) "offspring" can be used as a collective noun, so that its singular
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form can refer to a group of offspring, Paul emphasizes that the blessing God
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promised came through only one of Abraham's offspring, the Messiah, Jesus.
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Because the covenant and the promise were established before the law was given,
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then the fulfillment of the promise is not dependent on the law either. This is
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what the Pharisees and the Judaizers had gotten wrong. They were trying to
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attain God's blessing by keeping the law as well as they could. But if that
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were possible, then the blessing wouldn't come through the promise, and that
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means God would break His word.
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That doesn't mean the law is useless, however. Nor is it opposed to the
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covenant promise. Instead, they are complimentary because the law points out
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the need for the promise by exposing sin and revealing to us how big a deal it
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is to God. It also functioned as a guardian until the fullness of the promise
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was revealed. A guardian was a household slave who took care of the master's
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children. Their job was to teach and correct, even doling out punishments for
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misbehavior. Additionally, they would act as chaperones and seek to guard
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against bad influences. Just as an heir is no longer under the guardian's
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authority when he reaches majority, we are no longer under the ceremonial law
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which caused Israel to be distinct and separate from its neighbors. Now, our
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common faith in Christ allows us all to be unified with Him, regardless of any
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physical or social status we happen to have.
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* * *
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It is wondrous that You would adopt us as co-heirs with Christ, after all we
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have done before You rescued us.
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