Meaning of Galatians 5:16

lollykh · Aug 2, 2021

What does Galatians 3:16 mean?

Here's the verse:

"Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, 'And to seeds,' as one would in referring to many, but rather as in referring to one, 'And to your seed,' that is, Christ."

Gregory Thompson · Aug 2, 2021

lollykh said:
What does Galatians 5:16 mean?

Here's the verse:

"Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, 'And to seeds,' as one would in referring to many, but rather as in referring to one, 'And to your seed,' that is, Christ."

Meaning the familial relation is not biological, but spiritual.

lollykh · Aug 2, 2021

Michael Collum said:
Meaning the familial relation is not biological, but spiritual.

What are the "promises"?

Gregory Thompson · Aug 2, 2021

lollykh said:
What are the "promises"?

I'd recommend to re-read the old testament where it speaks of God's promise to Abraham.

I believe it's in Genesis, somewhere.

Gregory Thompson · Aug 2, 2021

lollykh said:
What are the "promises"?

I took a read according to my own suggestion, and noticed there are a number of promises. However, the one that applies to us, is the one made after Abraham gave his only son to God.

Genesis 22
16 You were willing to offer the Lord your only son, and so he makes you this solemn promise, 17 “I will bless you and give you such a large family, that someday your descendants will be more numerous than the stars in the sky or the grains of sand along the beach. They will defeat their enemies and take over the cities where their enemies live. 18 You have obeyed me, and so you and your descendants will be a blessing to all nations on earth.”

The stars of the sky is an important reference since there is an echo of this in Daniel that refers to the apostles who become as the stars forever and ever - because as the proverb says - he who wins souls is wise.

The Promise, is about a better covenant that doesn't rely on the blood of animals of the old covenant rituals (commercial, and also the priestly one more commonly preached on) back in the day.

HTacianas · Aug 2, 2021

lollykh said:
What does Galatians 5:16 mean?

Here's the verse:

"Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, 'And to seeds,' as one would in referring to many, but rather as in referring to one, 'And to your seed,' that is, Christ."

I think you meant Galatians 3:16. Paul's idea was that the promises made to Abraham were not made to his descendants -plural- but to a descendant -singular- meaning the promises were made to Christ.

Bob_1000 · Aug 2, 2021

lollykh said:
What does Galatians 5:16 mean?

Here's the verse:

"Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, 'And to seeds,' as one would in referring to many, but rather as in referring to one, 'And to your seed,' that is, Christ."

We know that those promises apply to all, Old Testament saints and New Testament saints so in my opinion Christ in that verse means the body of Christ.

RDKirk · Aug 2, 2021

Bob_1000 said:
We know that those promises apply to all, Old Testament saints and New Testament saints so in my opinion Christ in that verse means the body of Christ.

Well...yeah.

pescador · Aug 2, 2021

Bob_1000 said:
We know that those promises apply to all, Old Testament saints and New Testament saints so in my opinion Christ in that verse means the body of Christ.

Who are the Old Testament saints? The word "saint" means sanctified, and only those in Christ are sanctified. IMHO the Old Testament "saints" are not sanctified.

Bob_1000 · Aug 2, 2021

pescador said:
Who are the Old Testament saints? The word "saint" means sanctified, and only those in Christ are sanctified. IMHO the Old Testament "saints" are not sanctified.

The OT saints were the dead in Christ, they were raised with Christ and are in heaven with Christ now.

pescador · Aug 2, 2021

Bob_1000 said:
The OT saints were the dead in Christ, they were raised with Christ and are in heaven with Christ now.

Where does it say this in the Bible?

BTW, the subject of the OP is "meaning of Galatians 5:16". That verse says, "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh" so you're changing the subject.

JayH1119 · Aug 2, 2021

context is king.

Paul is illustrating his argument that salvation comes through grace rather than through the law, which was given 430 years after this promise to Abraham.

Bob_1000 · Aug 2, 2021

pescador said:
Where does it say this in the Bible?

BTW, the subject of the OP is "meaning of Galatians 5:16". That verse says, "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh" so you're changing the subject.

My bad, I'll stay on topic.

Mr. M · Aug 2, 2021

lollykh said:
What does Galatians 5:16 mean?

Here's the verse:

"Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, 'And to seeds,' as one would in referring to many, but rather as in referring to one, 'And to your seed,' that is, Christ."

Christ is not one person. Christ is One Spirit.

Davy · Aug 15, 2021

lollykh said:
What does Galatians 3:16 mean?

Here's the verse:

"Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, 'And to seeds,' as one would in referring to many, but rather as in referring to one, 'And to your seed,' that is, Christ."

Have to keep that in context...

Gal 3:13-18
13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, 'Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree':
14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

That blessing is the Promise by Faith first given through Abraham. God gave him certain promises, and Abraham believed. And thus Abraham's faith that God would accomplish what He said, was accounted to Abraham as righteousness. This is at the center of these verses, and the Chapter.

15 Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto.
16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.

God gave certain promises to Abraham which continued down to his seed, even to Christ. The Gospel Promise by Faith was always first though.

17 And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.
18 For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.
KJV

The Old covenant and law, which was given 430 years later, still cannot disannul the original Promise by Faith which God first gave to Abraham. The Promise (The Gospel), was by Promise, not by inheritance of the law.

What does this ultimately mean?

It means The Gospel of Jesus Christ was actually preached... to Abraham, and he believed. Lord Jesus shows this at the end of John 8 when He told the blind Pharisees that Abraham saw His day, and rejoiced. This suggests that Abraham's son Isaac also knew about The Gospel, and that his son Jacob knew, and his son Joseph after him, and also Joseph's sons Ephraim and Manasseh. So really, many among Israel, like the Patriarchs and prophets, were not ignorant that God was going to send them The Savior Jesus Christ (Messiah). They just didn't know when, or what all it would contain.

ViaCrucis · Aug 16, 2021

Minister Monardo said:
Christ is not one person. Christ is One Spirit.

No, Christ is one Person. He is the Divine Logos, the Eternal Son of the Father, the God-Man, born of Mary. He's a Person.

That Person, Jesus, is the promised Seed of Abraham.

But we are all partakers of Christ, and in union to Him by the power of the Spirit at work in grace; thus e.g. whoever is baptized has "put on Christ" (Galatians 3:27). Even as we are the very members of Christ, are His body, by this same grace; so that as St. Paul says in 1 Corinthians ch. 10 that the bread of the Eucharist that we partake of is a partaking of the body of Christ, and so we, like grains of wheat gathered, are one bread, the one body of Christ. There is a deliberate intersection of "body" and "bread" that unifies Christ and Church together in the Sacrament, and thus the Eucharist becomes the life-center of Christian koinonia, communion.

Christ, His Sacraments, His Church, all are brought together in a deep and meaningful way in the letters of St. Paul.

-CryptoLutheran

Mr. M · Aug 16, 2021

ViaCrucis said:
He is the Divine Logos, the Eternal Son of the Father,

He was both of these long before any promises were made unto Abraham.

ViaCrucis said:
born of Mary. He's a Person.

Of Course. son of man in the lineage of David.
Galatians 4:4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son,
born of a woman, born under the law.
Romans 1:
3 concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according
to the flesh,
4 and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness,
by the resurrection from the dead.

ViaCrucis said:
the God-Man

Now He is the ascended God man, and head of all in Christ, His body. Literally. the body of Christ.
All united in one Spirit.
Ephesians 4:4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling.
1 Corinthians 12:13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.
1 Corinthians 6:17 But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.

As @Davy already pointed out:
Galatians 3:
15 Brethren, I speak in the manner of men: Though it is only a man’s covenant,
yet if it is confirmed, no one annuls or adds to it.
16 Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say,
“And to seeds,” as of many, but as of one, “And to your Seed,” who is Christ.

The Christ, as the seed of Abraham's promise, pertains only to man, and is
"the spirits of just men made perfect." Hebrews 12:23
Who do you think was perfected at the cross, the Son of God, or the Christ-Spirit
of just men to fulfill the promise made to Abraham?
Hebrews 5:
7 who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications,
with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard
because of His godly fear,
8 though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.
9 And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him.
The Son, Christ Jesus is the head, the church is the body, Christ is Spirit
2 Corinthians 5:16 Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh.
Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer.

Clare73 · Aug 17, 2021

lollykh said:
What does Galatians 3:16 mean?

Here's the verse:

"Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, 'And to seeds,' as one would in referring to many, but rather as in referring to one, 'And to your seed,' that is, Christ."

Christ is the Seed of Abraham, who alone received the promises to Abraham, and who is the real son promised to Abraham.

So all the promises to Abraham--the blessings, including the "everlasting possession" (Genesis 17:8, Genesis 48:4) in the eternal city (Hebrews 11:9-10, Hebrews 11:16), heir of the world (Romans 4:13; Matthew 5:5; 2 Peter 3:13) come to us in Christ (Galatians 3:29).

JerryinMass · Aug 21, 2021

Michael Collum said:
I took a read according to my own suggestion, and noticed there are a number of promises. However, the one that applies to us, is the one made after Abraham gave his only son to God.

Genesis 22
16 You were willing to offer the Lord your only son, and so he makes you this solemn promise, 17 “I will bless you and give you such a large family, that someday your descendants will be more numerous than the stars in the sky or the grains of sand along the beach. They will defeat their enemies and take over the cities where their enemies live. 18 You have obeyed me, and so you and your descendants will be a blessing to all nations on earth.”

The stars of the sky is an important reference since there is an echo of this in Daniel that refers to the apostles who become as the stars forever and ever - because as the proverb says - he who wins souls is wise.

The Promise, is about a better covenant that doesn't rely on the blood of animals of the old covenant rituals (commercial, and also the priestly one more commonly preached on) back in the day.

hedrick · Aug 21, 2021

lollykh said:
What are the "promises"?

The promise was that in Abraham all families on earth will be blessed. (Gen 12:3) In particular, Gentiles will be blessed.

Paul's point is that this promise was made through Christ (the singular "seed"), because the blessing happens through faith in him. (Gal 3:14). It's worth pointing out that Paul saw the promise as resulting in the presence of the Holy Spirit (Gal 3:14). For Paul faith unites us with Christ, but that's just the start. Life in Christ is based on the presence of the Spirit.

Meaning of Galatians 5:16

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