In Galatians 3, the apostle Paul says this:

“O foolish Galatians, who did bewitch you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was openly set forth [as] crucified? This only would I learn from you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish? having begun [by] the Spirit, are ye now perfected in the flesh? Did ye suffer so many things in vain? if it be indeed in vain[?] He therefore that supplieth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Even as Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him [as] righteousness. Know therefore that they that are of faith, the same are sons of Abraham. And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all the nations be blessed. So then they that are of faith are blessed with the faithful Abraham. For as many as are of the works of the law are under a curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one who continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the law, to do them. Now that no man is justified by the law before God, is evident: for, The righteous shall live by faith; and the law is not of faith; but, He that doeth them shall live [by] them. Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us; for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: that upon the Gentiles might come the blessing of Abraham in Christ Jesus; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Brethren, I speak after the manner of men: Though it be but a man’s covenant, yet when it hath been [ratified], no one maketh it void, or addeth [to it]. Now to Abraham were the promises spoken, and to his seed. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. Now this I say: . . . the law, which came four hundred and thirty years after, doth not [invalidate a covenant ratified beforehand by God], so as to make the promise of none effect. For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no more of promise: but God hath granted it to Abraham by promise. What then is the law [for]? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise hath been made; and it was ordained through angels by the [agency] of a mediator. Now a mediator is not a mediator of one; but God is one. Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could make alive, [truly] righteousness would have been of the law. But the scripture shut up all things under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.

But before faith came, we were kept in [custody] under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. So that the law is become our [guardian] . . . unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith is come, we are no longer under a [guardian]. For ye are all sons of God, through faith, in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ did put on Christ. There can be neither Jew nor Greek, there can be neither bond nor free, there can be no male and female; for ye all are one . . . in Christ Jesus. And if ye are Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, heirs according to promise.”

This chapter is by far one of the most important ones in the entire Bible. In fact, I’d say that it is the most important chapter for understanding the Christian’s relationship to Abraham and the covenant made with him, as well as how the whole Bible fits together.

So, why is the Abrahamic Covenant so important? Well, because it’s the most foundational covenant in the entire Bible, and has profound significance for Christians today. It’s found in the book of Genesis, and runs all through the Old Testament, and is taught on in the New Testament. If we understand this covenant, then we will have one of the necessary foundations for understanding the whole Bible. If we are to understand this covenant, then we must get our understanding from the New Testament. This chapter is the best place for that.

Before we get into the chapter, we need some background. Paul wrote this letter to churches in the region of Galatia, in modern-day Turkey. The reason he was writing was to rebuke the Galatians for there acceptance of a false gospel — a gospel that said that one must become a Jew by submitting to the Old Testament Law of Moses in order to be saved. Of course, he didn’t just rebuke them, but clearly explained why that message was false, and explained how the Old Testament proved that, and taught the gospel that he had preached to them.

In this chapter, Paul continues his rebuke of the Galatians:

“O foolish Galatians, who did bewitch you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was openly set forth [as] crucified? This only would I learn from you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish? having begun [by] the Spirit, are ye now perfected [by] the flesh? Did ye suffer so many things in vain? if it be indeed in vain[?] He therefore that supplieth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?”

Obviously, all these questions are rhetorical. He’s merely asking them to get the Galatians to think about how foolishly they’re acting, and how foolish the false gospel is.

After this rebuke, Paul begins his teaching on Abraham:

“Even as Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him [as] righteousness. Know therefore that they that are of faith, the same are sons of Abraham.”

Here, Paul says that the gospel that he preaches is explicitly taught in the Old Testament by quoting from it. This gospel includes the truth that being reckoned as righteous by God can only be obtained by believing God’s Word. Thus, it is those who have this faith that are the sons, or imitators by sonship, of Abraham.

Next, Paul begins his teaching on the covenant that God made with Abraham:

“And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel before hand unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all the nations be blessed. So then they that are of faith are blessed with the faithful Abraham.”

In this passage, Paul says that God preached the gospel to Abraham by telling him “in thee shall all the nations be blessed”. How is this the gospel? Well, “in thee”, or “through thee”, refers to Abraham’s offspring, which ultimately is Christ, as we will see. “All the nations” refers to every single people group, or ethnicity. And “shall . . . be blessed” refers to the blessing of justification, or righteousness before God, the Spirit, and eternal life, as we will also see.

Now, notice the last sentence of this passage:

“So then they that are of faith are blessed with the faithful Abraham.”

What does this mean? It means that all who “believe God” by believing the gospel get the same blessing as Abraham, since he too believed God by believing the gospel, as “the faithful Abraham”. They are blessed with Abraham.

After this teaching on the Abrahamic Covenant, Paul contrasts its blessing of those with Abraham’s faith with the cursing of those under the Law of Moses:

“For as many as are of the works of the law are under a curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one who continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the law, to do them. Now that no man is justified by the law before God, is evident: for, The righteous shall live by faith; and the law is not of faith; but, He that doeth them shall live [by] them.”

Here, Paul says that anyone who is seeking to be justified by God by keeping the Law of Moses are cursed by their law-keeping. Why? Because they aren’t continuing in every thing written in it to do them. And again, he says that the Old Testament itself says that “the righteous shall live by faith”. Thus, no one who’s trying to keep that Law will live eternally, since the life of law-keeping for salvation isn’t based on faith, but on works, which can’t even be done.

However, Paul gives the only solution to this problem next:

“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us; for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: that upon the Gentiles might come the blessing of Abraham in Christ Jesus; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.”

Since all who try to keep the law are under a curse, they need someone to remove that curse from them, and the only One who could ever do it was Christ. For those who once were under the curse of the Law of Moses (death and eternal damnation), Christ rescued them by a payment (redeemed them), and — by extension — everyone who once was under the same condemnation by sinning without reference to that Law (non-Jews).

How did He do it? By becoming “a curse for us; for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree”. How did He become a curse for us? By dying and being forsaken by God while on the tree of the cross.

And what was the result of Christ becoming a curse for believers? He did it so “that upon the Gentiles might come the blessing of Abraham in Christ Jesus; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith”.

What is the blessing of Abraham? Well, first of all, it has to include being reckoned as righteous before God, as we have already seen. However, Paul then says that it also includes “the promise of the Spirit”. What is this promise? It’s the Old Testament promise of the indwelling of the Spirit, in which God the Spirit permanently lives inside of believers, and gives them an eternal father-child relationship with God, as well as a sibling-to-sibling relationship with Christ, and other believers.

Next, Paul explains that the Law of Moses, which was a covenant itself, can’t change the way that the Abrahamic Covenant brings blessing to people:

“Brethren, I speak after the manner of men: Though it be but a man’s covenant, yet when it hath been [ratified], no one maketh it void, or addeth [to it]. Now to Abraham were the promises spoken, and to his seed. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. Now this I say: the law, which came four hundred and thirty years after, doth not [invalidate a covenant ratified beforehand by God], so as to make the promise of none effect. For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no more of promise: but God hath granted it to Abraham by promise.”

What is Paul’s argument? First, that covenants in general, which are simply binding agreements between two or more parties, in which the parties have to fulfill certain obligations, can’t be set aside or added to. They must be fulfilled as originally described. Hence, the Abrahamic Covenant must be fulfilled as originally made with Abraham.

Second, that the promises of the covenant were made, not to Abraham only, but also to his “seed”, or “offspring”. This is a point worth quoting again, since Paul elaborates on this further:

“Now to Abraham were the promises spoken, and to his seed. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.”

Notice that Paul explicitly says that God didn’t say that He gave the Abrahamic promises to “seeds, as of many”. That is, God did not give the promises to more than one seed, or descendant, of Abraham. Rather, Paul points out that God says the promises were for “thy seed”. That is, the promises were for one Descendant — Christ.

Now, what promises is Paul talking about? All the promises of the Abrahamic Covenant — land, offspring, and blessing. All of these promises were made to Christ. As we’ve said already, the promise of blessing includes righteousness, the indwelling of the Spirit, and eternal life. One need only look at the Beatitudes in Matthew 5 and Ephesians 1:3-14 to see that. In Romans 4 and Hebrews 11, the promise of land is explained. Later in Galatians 3, Paul is going to explain how the promise of offspring is fulfilled.

But why did Paul specifically say that the Abrahamic promises weren’t made to many descendants, but to one — Christ? Because the false teachers were at least implying that the promises made to Abraham were only given to those who kept the Mosaic Law. However, since the promises were only made to Abraham and to Christ, this is impossible.

However, Paul goes on to explain what his main point is:

“Now this I say: . . . the law, which came four hundred and thirty years after, doth not [invalidate a covenant ratified beforehand by God], so as to make the promise of none effect. For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no more of promise: but God hath granted it to Abraham by promise.”

In other words, since the promises made to Abraham were part of a covenant, no covenant made afterward can change the conditions of it — especially one made 430 years afterward. Furthermore, the Abrahamic Covenant is a covenant of God’s promise, whereas the Law is a covenant of works, so the inheritance of the promises made to Abraham and Christ can’t happen both ways. The Law has nothing directly to do with granting the Abrahamic promises to people.

This raises the question, then, “why was the Law made with Israel”? Paul explains:

“What then is the law [for]? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise hath been made; and it was ordained through angels by the [agency] of a mediator. Now a mediator is not a mediator of one; but God is one. Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could make alive, [truly] righteousness would have been of the law. But the Scripture shut up all things under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.”

So, what was the Law for? The answer is “for transgressions”. What does this mean? Well, in Romans 7, Paul explains that the purpose of the Law was to show people that their sins were “exceedingly sinful”, and to show them that they were enslaved to sin and condemned by God because of sin. It’s purpose was to make people see sin as it truly is, so they could see themselves and Christ as they truly were.

However, the Law only served this purpose “till the seed should come to whom the promise hath been made”. Who was the seed? Christ, as Paul has just said. And what was the promise? The promise of the Abrahamic Covenant of land, descendants, and the blessing of eternal life.

Paul goes on to explain how the Law covenant was made:

“. . . and it was ordained through angels by the [agency] of a mediator.”

What does this mean? It means that the Law was given to Israel by angels, or God’s spiritual messengers, through the use of “a mediator”. This mediator, or go-between, was Moses, the leader of Israel.

Paul draws the implication from this that the Law wasn’t a covenant of promise, but a covenant of works, which God used to lead people to receive the Abrahamic promises by faith:

“Now a mediator is not a mediator of one; but God is one. Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could made alive, [truly] righteousness would have been of the law. But the Scripture shut up all things under sin; that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.”

First, Paul says that the Law clearly isn’t a covenant of promise, since it had a mediator, which is for 2 parties that must fulfill certain obligations in order for the covenant to be fulfilled. Then, he gives the reason that the Law couldn’t grant the Abrahamic promises to people:

“But the Scripture [or the Law in Scripture] shut up all things under sin; that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.”

In other words, the Law shut up, or held captive, all things, or people and their works, under the dominion of sin, so that the promise given to Abraham would be given to those who have faith in Jesus Christ. To put it another way, there is no way of escape from the dominion of sin, but by trusting in Jesus Christ.

Paul further elaborates on this point by describing how this worked:

“But before faith came, we were kept in [custody] under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. So that the law [has] become our [guardian] . . . unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.”

He is saying that, before anyone could exercise faith in the living Jesus Christ, the Jews, and anyone who became a Jew, were in custody under the dominion and condemnation of the law. Thus, they were “shut up” to the faith of the Christian gospel that was going to be revealed later. As a result, the Law was their “guardian” or “babysitter” “unto” or “until” Christ, so that they would be justified by faith.

It’s worth explaining what Paul means by “guardian” here. The Greek word that’s translated “guardian” is the one from which we get “pedagogue”. In the Roman world at that time, it referred to a slave who cared for the children of his master, and made sure that the children got to school. In other words, this person was a disciplinarian to the child. That’s the way the Law was for the Jews. It disciplined them, and made sure they knew what they were supposed to do. In doing so, it showed them that they couldn’t do what they were supposed to, and was meant to show them their hopelessness apart from justification by faith.

After showing what the purpose of the Law was, Paul concludes this passage by summing up all that he has said:

“But now that faith is come, we are no longer under a [guardian]. For ye are all sons of God, through faith, in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ did put on Christ. There can be neither Jew nor Greek, there can be neither bond nor free, there can be no male and female; for ye all are one . . . in Christ Jesus. And if ye are Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, heirs according to promise.”

First, he says that the faith of the Christian gospel has come, so the Jewish Christians, and Gentile Christians in a sense, are no longer under the guardian of the Law. Why? Because they “are all sons of God, through faith, in Christ Jesus”. If they are no longer under a babysitter, then they must be sons of God, which implies “adult sons” of God. As adult sons, they no longer need a babysitter.

And why are they sons of God? Because, when they were “baptized [literally, “immersed”] into Christ”, they “put on Christ”. In other words, when they trusted in Christ Jesus, they were clothed with Christ, so that they are now spiritually in the same exact human position, and have the same status, as Christ. It’s as if, when God looks at them, He sees Christ. Therefore, since Christ is the Son of God, they are sons of God.

Finally, Paul draws 2 main implications from this:

“There can be neither Jew nor Greek, there can be neither bond nor free, there can be no male and female; for ye all are one . . . in Christ Jesus. And if ye are Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, heirs according to promise.”

Now, we must remember the context of the first sentence to understand it correctly. Paul is not saying that there’s only one ethnicity, one social status, and one gender. Rather, he’s saying, as regards justification and the possession of the Abrahamic promises, God treats no one differently due to ethnicity, social status or gender. I’ll say it again — God does not treat anyone differently when giving them the blessings of the Abrahamic Covenant because of ethnicity, social status, or gender. As regards those blessings, the reception of them, it doesn’t matter if someone’s a Jew or Gentile, a slave or a freeman, or a male or female. Why? Because people are “all one . . . in Christ Jesus”, or “clothed in Christ Jesus”.

The last implication of the fact that Christians are in Christ is this:

“. . . if ye are Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, heirs according to promise.”

What does this mean? It means that, since Christians are clothed in Christ, or in Christ, they too are Abraham’s seed, or offspring. As such, they are heirs of the inheritance that was promised to him — the earth and eternal life, according to Romans 4 and Hebrews 11. All this is according to the promise that God made to him, and to Christ.

What are the implications for believers in Jesus Christ?

  1. They received the Spirit by the hearing of faith, and continue to receive Him by the hearing of faith.
  2. They have been reckoned as righteous by believing the gospel.
  3. They are sons of Abraham.
  4. They are blessed with Abraham.
  5. They live by faith.
  6. Christ has redeemed them from the curse of the Law by being cursed on the cross.
  7. The promises of the Abrahamic Covenant have been given to them by faith in Jesus Christ.
  8. They are no longer under the Law.
  9. They are sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
  10. They have put on Christ.
  11. They are one in Christ Jesus with regard to salvation, justification, and the promises of the Abrahamic Covenant.
  12. They belong to Christ, and thus are Abraham’s descendants, heirs of his inheritance according to promise.

If you aren’t trusting in Jesus, His death for our sins, and resurrection as the only grounds of God’s forgiveness of your sins, then you are still under God’s curse, and will eventually be eternally damned if you don’t change your mind and trust in Jesus. God sent Him, His divine Son, to earth to become a man and die on the cross to bear God’s curse and punishment that our crimes against Him deserve. Then, He raised Him from the dead, and made Him the King of the universe. He’s now commanding you to change your mind and to trust in Jesus, His death, and resurrection as the only condition of peace with Him, because He’s promised to soon send Jesus to judge His enemies in righteousness, and cast them into eternal punishment. Please be reconciled to God by trusting in Jesus, so you will be saved from the eternal punishment you deserve from Him. He promises to forgive all who do so.