I doubt any Bible commentator has ever used that term for the Law, “prison guard!”

But Paul does, in essence, in today’s Text, in Galatians 3:23. And in a way, the Apostle is again giving his personal “testimony.”

“But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.”

And I still don’t think Paul is here insinuating this sequence of thought as a linear progression throughout Israel’s history, or humanity’s (the gentile world’s) either, for that matter.

He is speaking of individuals!

“Before faith came” to MY life!

Before I personally trusted Jesus as Saviour!

I was “kept” by the Law, “under” the Law! The verb “kept” translates “phroureo,” meaning “guarded to prevent escape!” The preposition “under” is “hupo,” with the Law standing “on top” of me, forcefully holding me down!

Then Paul employs a parallel verb, “shut up” (by the Law!) “Shut up” unto/until faith comes, is revealed “to me.” It’s spelled “sugkleio,” meaning “enclosed” as if “caught in a net!” 

The Law held us captive as guilty, offending, disobeying sinners before Almighty God! (Before faith (saving faith) came to us! Before the power of trust in Jesus was revealed to our hearts … by the Word of God, by the Holy Spirit of God!)

“Unto” the faith, “eis” (into) the faith that places a man or woman “in” Christ Jesus! (It is as if the Law is a “funnel” that constricts us and ultimately “pours” us into God’s wonderful Bottle/Tank of “faith!”)

“Afterwards” uses the Greek verb “mello,” indicating something “soon to be, coming to be,” in the near future!

And finally, “revealed” is “apokalupto,” as if  “a veil had been removed” from our heads, one that was blinding our eyes! Preventing us from seeing Jesus in all His Glory, and how trust in Him saves us old lost souls!

What a picture … the Law of Moses … ushering us into the place of trusting Jesus!

(A man likely will not ever be saved … until he sees what a rotten sinner he really is! And the Law can reveal that in just a few minutes!)

Wow!

Say it again, Paul: “But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.”

Thank you.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

Today our Bible focus (part of our “journey” through Paul’s Epistle to the Churches of Galatia) centers on an amazing little verse about “faith.”

“But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. “ Galatians 3:22

I this morning see several “golden nuggets” in this amazing Sentence. Let’s enjoy them together. (The Writer of Psalm 119:72 agrees, praying: “The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver.)

Paul here calls the Bible (including the New Testament, perhaps including his own previous Letters) “Scripture.” Does this maybe suggest Paul KNEW, at the very moment he was penning Galatians chapters 1 and 2 and 3 … that his Notes were Holy Spirit Inspired? I personally believe so.

The Greek noun “scripture” is “graphe,” and is used 51 times in the New Testament. It simply means “writing.” Thus it must have been a special WRITING, unique and (again, I believe) inerrant! In fact, the Greek Text also places a limiting “the” (spelled “ho”) in front of this noun, “ho graphe,” setting it aside from anything else ever having been written! A One-Of-A-Kind “Scripture!” (Jesus earlier used the term “scripture” for the Word of God as well. Paul has good precedent here!)

Then Paul next “personalizes” the Bible, “But the scripture hath concluded ….”

This verb is “sugkleio,” used only four times in the Bible! And its root, “kleio” means “to shut up, to imprison, to obstruct liberty!” Another source says “to shut up on all sides,” as fishes in a net.

Scripture has “caught” us!

Has found us all to be sinners!

Paul again: “The Scripture hath concluded all under sin.” Where “under” is the preposition “hupo,” we are “of” sin, that very “tainted!” We are all “under” its heavy load, its burden! (A total of 48 times “hupo” means, is translated “under” in the King James New Testament.)

“Sin” is here (as usual) “hamartia,” used this way 172 times in Scripture. “Missing out” on God’s Grace, Glory, Salvation!” Actually “falling short!”

And just WHY does the Bible insist we are all sinners?

“That” … is a pronoun here meaning … Paul is making a conclusion! It is introducing “a statement of purpose” clause. Here is why we must KNOW we are sinners. “… that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.” The rest of our Text, Galatians 3:22.

Yes, God “promises” eternal life/salvation to everyone who “believes!”

And Paul calls this precious Truth, Availability, Gift … “the promise by faith of Jesus Christ!” The noun “promise” is associated with the idea of an “announcement!” I’d call it “good news,” the very “Gospel!” The little preposition “by” is “ek,” meaning “out of,” Jesus being the Source/Object of our faith. And here is the Bible idea of believing “on” Jesus, “ek” being translated “on” 34 times in the New Testament.

And this Promise (this Gospel) is “given” to anyone who believes! (” … that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. “) The verb “didomai” (might be given) is here framed as a subjunctive, meaning God wills it so, wants it to be so, desires men to so believe in Jesus! (“The Lord is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9)

Wow!

Yes, because of Jesus’ vicarious Death on the Cross of Calvary … God can “give” eternal life to those who believe, John 3:16 being a prime “proof” Text now.

“Believe,” what a Bible word!

“Pisteuo,” meaning “to think something to be true!” To trust and accept as fact! To rely on the words of a person!

We are all sinners … who need Jesus!

Who need Jesus’ Righteousness … Which can be appropriated, imputed to the lost (the whole world) … by simple faith in Christ the Son of God!

Wow!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

Paul never, not for a second, thought the Law of Moses capable of producing genuine soul salvation … not since Paul met Jesus (the Crucified, Buried, Risen, Ascended Son of God) that day on the Damascus Road … and was saved by our Lord’s amazing grace!

Yet neither does Paul ever call the Law bad names, or suggest it unnecessary to the overall Plan of God! (It was a “schoolmaster,” as we shall soon learn! “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” Galatians 3:24, our Lesson one day next week, the Lord willing.)

Now Paul does call the men and women who say that the Law is above Jesus, that the Law is necessary to get a sinner forgiven and his name written down in Heaven … he does call some of that crowd a few bad names! (As in Philippians 3:2 … “Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.” Pretty plain, bold too!)

Thus the Apostle in today’s Text emphasizes (re-emphasizes) his “Grace-only” approach to salvation, the one God gave him to preach and teach!

I might should have included today’s Verse in yesterday’s Lesson, yesterday’s discussion. About angels and the Law, the Law of Moses.

“Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one.” Galatians 3:20

Although admittedly the Sentence (its first half) is somewhat difficult to comprehend, its Essence is fairly clear, in context I mean.

It means: if something requires a mediator … there are of necessity two parties (at least) involved! Quite logical!

But God entered into agreement (covenant) with Abraham … and Abraham did NOTHING to receive those blessings! Abraham just “believed!”

No mediator was required.

No Moses.

No Law.

No Mountain.

No anything, anybody!

Well then, Who initiated such a Covenant?

God!

God alone, without aid from any human, certainly!

And (the rest of our Verse) … “God is one.”

Wow!

So Peter could truly preach: “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Acts 4:12

Or, even earlier, Jesus could teach: “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” John 14:6, remember … God and Jesus are One! (We believe in the Trinity, folks!)

Or Paul: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Romans 10:9-10

Salvation … not through the Law (as mediator).

Not through an angel (as mediator) either.

But ONLY through God, Who is one!

Hallelujah!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

A Greek scholar expresses the Verse like this: “Now the mediator or go-between [in a transaction] is not [needed] for just one party; whereas God is only one [and was the only One giving the promise to Abraham, but the Law was a contract between two, God and Israel; its validity depended on both].” Expanded, but accurate!

 

Paul nearly tells us something (about the Law of Moses) in Galatians 3:19, that last clause, that it not blatantly mentioned in the Old Testament, at all!

Specifically:  “… and it (the Law of Moses) was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.” As I have just indicated, “it” being the Law!

But yet again I emphasize, this fact is not definitely told us by Moses … at least not anywhere in his Exodus Account of the Receiving of God’s Law, there on Mount Sinai. Not that I can find, for sure!

But now Stephen, the martyred Deacon/Preacher, as he testified before an angry mob … proclaimed: “Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers: who (the Prophet Moses for the Jews) have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it. When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.” Acts 7:52-54

Stephen believed in those “angels” at Sinai!

But Psalm 68:17 may be the “clincher!” There David wrote: “The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels: the Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place.” According to David (the Psalmist) here … Not just one angel at Sinai (Was this when the Law was being given?), but thousands of them!

Then … maybe … Deuteronomy 33:1-2 will help … “And this is the blessing, wherewith Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death. And he said, The LORD came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them; he shined forth from mount Paran, and he came with ten thousands of saints: from his right hand went a fiery law for them.” With the noun “saints” perhaps carrying the meaning of “angels.” Literally here “saints” (“qodesh” in Hebrew) means “holy ones.”

Then Paul (the writer of Hebrews at least) perhaps had angels at Sinai in mind when he wrote, warned certain Jewish Christians: “For if the word (the Law?) spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; how shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him.” Hebrews 2:2-3

Wow!

From these Scriptural “possibilities” or “verities” (you decide as the Holy Ghost leads you) … Paul certainly was convinced that angels “mediated” the Law, right alongside Moses, on the Mount those days long ago!

And since the Same Holy Spirit “inspired” Paul to write these words in Galatians 3:19 … I am accepting this information as Fact! Angels were there! I’ll take my Bible as inerrant, praise the Lord!

But still, what is Paul’s “point” this morning?

“Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.” Galatians 3:19 our Text for the past few days now!

Paul is certainly here saying the Law is “inferior” to Jesus!

The Law needed a “mediator,” and that’s not just Moses now, but the angels too! Maybe even thousands of them!

But for real Salvation, God Himself came to earth! Yes, Jesus IS God the Son! (God did not entrust some middle-man!) Not in getting sinners saved, and into Heaven!

And by the way … Jesus is “better” than the angels! (Explicitly stated in Hebrews 1:4 … “Being made … Jesus Christ … so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.” Amen!)

All Paul is saying (still preaching the same Theme) is that the Law is NOT the way of salvation! God designed a Better Way, Jesus Christ and His Shed Blood! 

To which we should all be shouting, “Hallelujah!”

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

This Lesson has been very enlightening to me, as a Preacher. I trust it will help your understanding of the Superiority of Jesus as well.