Galatians 3:17-22
It is sometimes a little difficult to start in the middle of a chapter without backing up a little to get the context of where we are going. This time we only need to back up one verse. Paul is here referring to the covenant (or promise) made to Abraham (found in Genesis 15). Paul does not refer to the Jews as Abraham’s seed but to Christ (the Seed) as a singular person. The covenant was not Moses law because the promise was made 430 years before it was given. The reason Paul wrote this letter is because there were Judaizers that wanted to bring the Gentile Galatians people back under the Law of Moses. It didn’t work in Old Testament times and why would it be expected to work now. It did nothing but strengthen the curse of mankind, bringing all to be under sin. Now if we back up to verse 13, we see that Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law being made a curse for us, by hanging on that cruel cross (tree). It verse 19 the law was added to strengthen the fact of man’s sin until the Seed should come to whom the promise was made. Now Paul presents the argument that the Law of Moses is not against the promises of God, but it proves that all people are under sin. It strengthens Romans 3:23 that says, “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” Without Christ and the cross, people whether Jew or Gentile don’t have a chance to get to heaven.
