Sermon Tone Analysis

Freed to be Free #9

Galatians 3:15-26

A Promise Without Legal Limits

 

Sometimes, when you are preaching through books, there are passages where you, as the preacher, and you the listener, might wonder at 1st glance, “/what is the point/?”

Well, remember that when we started this letter, Paul is miffed.

He is also perplexed.

He is miffed at the Jewish group in the church that is trying to impose observance of the law as a prerequisite for salvation.

Paul calls them “/false brothers/” that is saying that they are not true believers.

Why?

It is because their salvation is based on what they do and not on faith in what Jesus did at the cross.

And Paul is perplexed that the true believers in the church would, as Gentiles, submit themselves to new requirements for salvation, when they had previously received God’s Grace and the Gift of the Holy Spirit, that is, Salvation through Faith alone.

He speaks straightforwardly.

He speaks with authority and he speaks the Word of God.

His tone has been sharp.

Even toward the True Believers.

In 3:1 he calls them “/You Foolish Galatians/ …” But NOW in verse 15, where we begin today, Paul seems to shift his method and change his tone.

He seems to have established his authority and now he speaks like a spiritual father and begins … “/BROTHERS/ …” You can almost hear the more gentle tone.

That is important to distinguish them from the “false brothers” … who had infiltrated their ranks

They are “brothers” foolish perhaps, but “brothers” nonetheless.

Paul shifts his argument now to a logical and legal approach.

He explains not only what happened between Abraham and God and how that relates to the law but also what this means for us.

So, let’s read this section from vv 15-26

 

READ 3:15-26

 

Now, the Judaizers here would say that /“YES, God made a promise to Abraham, but that it was added to with the Promise he made to Moses in the Law and so you START with faith, like Abraham, but you finish with Conformity to the law if you want full Salvation.”/

But Paul is showing us something different.

Paul is a SMART Guy, well educated and Inspired by the Holy Spirit.

So, he knows how to break this down in a way they could all understand

The Jews and the Greeks were both very legal minded people.

And just like today, if they had television, there would be plenty of Legal Dramas.

So, using 3 P’s let’s work through our outline

 

See FIRST

 

1.

The Pre-emergence of the Promise

 

The Word “pre-emergence” literally means /“occurring before emergence of seedlings above the ground”/

 

The TIME FRAME of the Promise precedes the Law

 

The Promise to Abraham came before any of his offspring appeared.

Before his son Isaac was born.

Before Isaac gave birth to Jacob who became Israel.

Before he gave birth to 12 sons who would birth a nation.

Before Moses received the law and before the coming of the Seed of Promise, Jesus Christ.

The Time Frame of the Promise, 430 years before the Law, gives a higher place to the Promise as it was preemergent.

The Covenant that God made to Abraham came before the Covenant of the law that God made to Israel through the mediation of Moses.

Sometimes our English words or our common usage miss some of the meaning in the words.

Two different words were used here in English, covenant and promise.

They were more commonly translated and understood as the words Testament and Covenant.

Think of the “Old Testament” and the “New Testament”.

But what is the difference between Testament and Covenant?

Both are binding promises between two parties

The word Covenant, as applied to Moses’ Law, was very common.

Two people would make promises to each other and they would ratify it with a witness.

In this type of covenant, both parties carried equal responsibility.

In the law, God promises blessing, protection, a land, etc.

In response, Moses and the people of Israel promised to follow the requirements of the law and sacrifices.

Both Parties had a part in the covenant.

But Moses’ law was preceded by Abraham’s Testament from God.

In covenantal law, once a Testament or Covenant was given, there could be no change in the covenant unless the parties involved in the Promise made the change.

The parties named were Abraham, God, and the Seed, so they were the only ones named.

They were the only ones who could make changes to that

The Covenant between Israel and God came later and couldn’t altar the preemergent Testament between God and Abraham and his Seed.

But our second word about the Promise is

 

2.

Preeminence of the Promise.

Preeminence means the quality or state of being superior.

What are the

  A.

Legal Components

    1.

the Promise ~/ Testament to Abraham came 1st in Priority.

I told you that there was a difference in these two covenants

    2.

Think of a “last will and testament” A testament is a covenant on Steroids.

It is a covenant PLUS … “But wait … there’s more”

    3.

A simple covenant involves a two-sided promise and cannot be set aside by later action unless those who ratified make the change.

But the Testament is deeper.

a.

The “Testator” assigns his Heir and commits himself to Give at the Determined Time, the Promised Favor, Benefit, or Inheritance.

b.

All that remains on the part of the Receiver of the Testament is to accept it, to receive it.

/“Abraham believed and it was credited to him as righteousness” /

    4.

the Testament ~/ Covenant had priority because it came first, but also because it was a stronger commitment

    5.

In Gen. 22:16-18 the Lord said /“I swear by myself … 17 I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars … and as the sand … 18 and through your offspring all the nations on earth will be blessed …” /

 

    6.

God was repeating his covenant from Chapters 12 and 15.

In chapter 5, God stated his promise his Testament.

Abraham believed and the transaction was complete.

7.

the law was not superior to the Promise it was a servant to the Promise

 

  B.

the Law was Transitory

    1.

the law was for the intermediate time between promise and fulfillment.

Between Abraham and his Seed of Blessing.

2.

the Law of Moses had rights, for sure, but it could not cancel, restrict, or change The Promise to Abraham.

The later law must give way to the precedence of the former.

Law must then surrender to Faith.

   3.

The law of Moses was to a specific people group, Israel.

But the Testament of Faith was for the Entire Human Race. 

    4.

God began with Abraham, with a Testament of Grace, freely given asking nothing more than faith. 

    5.

The law was not permanent.

The Promise to Abraham, that is the promise of Grace through faith, was and IS permanent.

6.

The verb “established” in the NIV and in other translations “ratified” is the Greek word /Kyroo ~/koo-ro-o~/ to make valid, to confirm publically or solemnly” /

It is also, importantly, in the present perfect tense … meaning that it is a constant, always in that same state.

It is a tense used of actions that are facts or events of finality.

Perhaps we should use both English Words and say /“The Testament of Grace through faith has been Ratified and firmly Established by God and is an inheritance available for all who will receive it.”

/

 

    7.

Not so of the Law, it was Transitory medium given to hold a place for Israel between the Promise and the Fulfillment.

V19 says it was added UNTIL the Seed

 

So we see the Promise was Preemergent to the Law … occurring before the seedlings and the Promise was Preeminent to the Law.