Galatians 3 -- Paul Delivers A Smackdown!

Paul sounded like God's attorney arguing before the Supreme Court and winning handily!  He used plain logic to drive the Judaizers right into the ground.  He first established that God's Promise to Abraham to bless the world through his Seed (Jesus) came hundreds of years before the Law given to Moses.  So the Law couldn't change that Promise.  He also used contract law to remind them that only the parties to a contract can change it.  A third person cannot.  And when looked at in that light, "Abraham did not make a covenant with God; God made a covenant with Abraham.  God did not lay down any conditions for Abraham to meet.  In fact, when the covenant was ratified, Abraham was asleep! (Gen. 15)  It was a covenant of grace:  God made promises to Abraham; Abraham did not make promises to God."

"God made this covenant of promise with Abraham through Christ, so that the only two parties who can make any changes are God the Father and God the Son.  Moses cannot alter this covenant!... The Judaizers wanted to add to God's grace and take from God's promises.  They had no right to do this since they were not parties in the original covenant!"

Paul also proved that the Law is not greater than the Promise:  it was temporary -- "until the Seed should come."  And, it required a mediator -- Moses.

He also proved that the Law was not contrary to the Promise.  "It regulated the lives of the Jewish people, but it did not and could not provide spiritual life to the people."  It was given to reveal sin;  the Law doesn't make us sinners; it reveals to us that we already are sinners."  And it was given to prepare the way for Christ.

He showed that the Law cannot do what the Promise can do.  "The Law could never justify the guilty sinner.  'I will not justify the wicked,' said the Lord (Ex. 23:7) ... The trouble is, nobody was righteous.  It is only through faith in Jesus Christ that the sinner is justified -- declared righteous -- before God.  Furthermore, the law could never give a person oneness with God; it separated man from God.  There was a fence around the tabernacle and a veil between the holy place and the Holy of Holies."

Paul was an incredible "lawyer", coached by the One who made the Law!

Father, I thank You for wrapping this all up so that we can't debate it.  All we can do is shut up and admit that You are God and we are not.  Be Lord in my life!

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford