I have had many questions as I study through Galatians that I have had to stop and answer before going on to the next verses, and Galatians 3:19-20 is my stopping place today. Verse 20 made no sense to me until I stopped, prayed about it and meditated over it. The verse says, "Now an intermediary implies more than one, but God is on." Finally the Lord brought me clarity as I read the commentary in my Reformation Study Bible. The conmentary said, "The promise given to Abraham, however, required no mediator and therefore takes precedence over the covenant at Sinai."
The covenant with Abraham required NO mediator. God Himself spoke directly to Abraham. God was the only one involved in the covenant with Abraham. It was the Covenant of Grace that He Himself initiated and kept perfectly.
The Covenant of Works with the Children of Israel required a Mediator, Moses, because God spoke to the Children of Israel through a Mediator and established the Law which they had the responsibility to keep, which they failed miserably to do.
Why then the Covenant of Works? Why then the Law? According to Calvin the Law does three things for God's people: It mirrors God's righteousness and our sin, it restrains evil in the land, and it guides believers into good works. And, of course, as it mirrors our sin it shows our great need of the Savior Jesus Christ who was the only one who kept the Law perfectly, and which also shows us the Covenant is one and God is one in His perfect plan of salvation.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Tearing Down and Not Rebuilding
Studying through Galations I came this morning to Chapter 2, where Paul says, "For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor." (ESV) I had to stop and think about what Paul was saying in this verse.
Knowing that Scripture interprets Scripture I used the study notes in my Study Bible to look through several New Testament verses where the phrase "tore down" is mentioned In the New Testament it is the Greek word for tearing down edifices. Some of these scriptures are Matt. 24:2, Mark 13:2, Luke 21:6, and Rom. 14:20. In the three Gospels Jesus prophysied the destruction of Jerusalem, which took place in A.D. 70 under the Roman General, Titus. In the Romans passage Paul talks about not tearing down another person by doing something against that persons conscience and causing him to sin.
But, according to the Commentator, the most likely verses that interprets this particular verse in Galations is found in Ephesians 2:13-15. "But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments and ordinances..."
The 'dividing wall of hostility', which Paul had torn down in his preaching of the Gospel, is what the Galatians were trying to rebuild! They were trying to rebuild the 'wall of hostility' caused by the curse of the Law by saying that the Gentiles had to be circumcised to be saved. Yet the Ephesians passage clearly shows that Jew and Gentile meet at the foot of the Cross on level ground with no walls between them because of the blood of peace Jesus shed for both, not by the Law that brought the wall of separation. And that wall the Gospel had torn down Paul was certainly not going to rebuild.
In our daily lives we too must remember that we must not 'rebuild the wall' by trying to 'work for our salvation' that was won for us by Christ on Calvary. Let us 'die to works' and live in, through and to Christ who deserves all our praise and glory.
Knowing that Scripture interprets Scripture I used the study notes in my Study Bible to look through several New Testament verses where the phrase "tore down" is mentioned In the New Testament it is the Greek word for tearing down edifices. Some of these scriptures are Matt. 24:2, Mark 13:2, Luke 21:6, and Rom. 14:20. In the three Gospels Jesus prophysied the destruction of Jerusalem, which took place in A.D. 70 under the Roman General, Titus. In the Romans passage Paul talks about not tearing down another person by doing something against that persons conscience and causing him to sin.
But, according to the Commentator, the most likely verses that interprets this particular verse in Galations is found in Ephesians 2:13-15. "But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments and ordinances..."
The 'dividing wall of hostility', which Paul had torn down in his preaching of the Gospel, is what the Galatians were trying to rebuild! They were trying to rebuild the 'wall of hostility' caused by the curse of the Law by saying that the Gentiles had to be circumcised to be saved. Yet the Ephesians passage clearly shows that Jew and Gentile meet at the foot of the Cross on level ground with no walls between them because of the blood of peace Jesus shed for both, not by the Law that brought the wall of separation. And that wall the Gospel had torn down Paul was certainly not going to rebuild.
In our daily lives we too must remember that we must not 'rebuild the wall' by trying to 'work for our salvation' that was won for us by Christ on Calvary. Let us 'die to works' and live in, through and to Christ who deserves all our praise and glory.
Friday, May 7, 2010
"But now...."
According to R. C. Sproul these are two of the most important words in Scripture. This I found out as I listened to his study of Romans on tape as I was walking on my treadmill. For 3-1/2 Chapters Paul comes down on all the unrighteousness of men--Jew and Gentile. Paul speaks about the wrath of God revealed from heaven against all that unrighteousness displayed by men. Paul shows how clearly God has revealed Himself to man and man became futile in their thinking and their foolish hearts were darkened. So God gave them up to their impurities, lusts, lies, and worship of created things and not the Creator. God gave them up to a debased mind to be filled with all manner of unrighteousness.
Paul goes on to show that the Jews will not be saved by the Law because they are not able to keep the Law perfectly which is God's requirement of justification. Their circumcision becomes uncircumcision. The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of them.
Paul finishes his condemnation in Chapter 3:9-20 with the fact that all have sinned, both Jew and Gentile. No one does good, not even one. The whole world is held accountable to God. Then in verse 21 Paul makes his 180 degree turn.
"But now..." Now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the Law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it--the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe! For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. Now that is GOOD NEWS! And I agree with Sproul, "But now..." are two of the most important words in Scripture.
Paul goes on to show that the Jews will not be saved by the Law because they are not able to keep the Law perfectly which is God's requirement of justification. Their circumcision becomes uncircumcision. The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of them.
Paul finishes his condemnation in Chapter 3:9-20 with the fact that all have sinned, both Jew and Gentile. No one does good, not even one. The whole world is held accountable to God. Then in verse 21 Paul makes his 180 degree turn.
"But now..." Now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the Law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it--the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe! For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. Now that is GOOD NEWS! And I agree with Sproul, "But now..." are two of the most important words in Scripture.
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