Galatians 3:14-27

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Galatians 3:18

For if the inheritance be of the law ,.... By the inheritance is meant, either the eternal inheritance, everlasting life and happiness in heaven, which is the gift of God through Christ, and not attained to and enforced by the works of the law; or particularly the blessing of justification, promised in the covenant to Abraham, and his spiritual seed; even to the Gentiles, and inherited by them; which is not obtained through obedience to the law of works, nor does it belong to those who seek... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Galatians 3:19

Wherefore why then serveth the law? .... If this be the case, might an objector say, why was the law given? what ends and purposes are to be served by it? of what use can it be? there had as good been no law at all, if the inheritance is not of it, and there is no justification by it. To which it is answered, it was added because of transgressions ; four hundred and thirty years after the covenant made with Abraham; it did not succeed it, nor take the place of it, and so make it null and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Galatians 3:20

Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, .... A mediator supposes two parties he stands between, and these at a distance from, or disagreeing with each other; where there is but one party, there can be no need of, nor any reason for, a mediator; so Christ is the Mediator between God and men, the daysman, Job 9:33 , that lays his hands upon them both; and Moses, he was the mediator between God and the Israelites: but God is one ; not in person, for there are three persons in the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Galatians 3:21

Is the law then against the promises of God? .... If the law was added because of transgressions, and curses for them, and if the inheritance is not of it, but by promise, were it, it would not be by promise, then, says an objector, it is against the promises: these are contrary to one another, and God, in giving the one and the other, must contradict himself: to which it is replied, God forbid ; a way of speaking the apostle uses, when he would express his abhorrence and detestation of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Galatians 3:22

But the Scripture hath concluded all under sin, .... By the "Scripture" is meant, either the writing of the law in particular, the killing letter, or the whole Scripture, or God in it; and who by and in it has shown, declared, and proved, that all the individuals of human nature, Jews and Gentiles, and all that is in them, and done by them, are under the power and dominion of sin, defiled by it, and involved in the guilt of it; for it is not πΑντΑν , "all persons", but πΑντΑ , "all... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Galatians 3:23

But before faith came ,.... This is to be understood, not of the grace of faith, which was under the former dispensation, as now; the Old Testament saints had the same Spirit of faith, and the same grace of faith, as for its nature, object, and use, as New Testament saints have; Adam, Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, &c.; believed in Christ, and were justified by faith in his righteousness, as we are. It is much better to understand it of the doctrine of faith, which though preached to Adam,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Galatians 3:24

Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster unto Christ ,.... So the words should be read, as they are by the Syriac and Ethiopic versions; for the words "to bring us" are a supplement of our translators, and have nothing to answer to them in the original; and the sense of the passage is, that the law performed this office of a schoolmaster until the coming of Christ; which shows that till that time the church was in its minority, that the Jews were but children in knowledge and understanding,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Galatians 3:25

But after that faith is come, .... That is, since Christ the object of faith is come in the flesh, and has fulfilled the law, and redeemed them that were under it from its bondage, curse, and condemnation: we are no longer under a schoolmaster ; under the law as such; as no longer under it as a military guard, nor in it as a prison, so neither under it as a schoolmaster; not needing its instructions, or its discipline; since Christ is come as a prophet to teach and instruct, as a priest... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Galatians 3:26

For ye are all the children of God ,.... Not by nature, as Christ is the Son of God, for he is the only begotten of the Father, and in such sense as neither angels nor men are the sons of God; nor by creation, as Adam and all mankind, and the angels are; but by divine adoption by an act of God's rich and sovereign grace, putting them among the children in saying this the apostle directs himself to the Gentiles for their comfort, and says this of them all in a judgment of charity, they being... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Galatians 3:27

For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ, .... Not that it is to be imagined that these churches of Galatia, or any of the primitive churches, consisted of baptized and unbaptized persons; for this would be acting contrary to the commission of Christ and the order of the Gospel: but this way of speaking supposes that there might be some of them, who though baptized in water, yet not into Christ; and that those who are truly and rightly baptized, who are proper subjects of it, and... read more

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