And what do you mean when you say
Abraham's spiritual offspring? God alone gives life and all believers are
"his offspring" Your confusion here is being magnified more and more.
Acts 17:28
For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring., "
Abraham's seed means his spiritual offspring or descendents. All believers are
spiritual descendents of Abraham.
Strong's Concordance
sperma: that which is sown, i.e. seed
Original Word: σπέρμα, ατος, τό
Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter
Transliteration: sperma
Phonetic Spelling: (sper'-mah)
Definition: that which is sown, seed
Usage: (a) seed, commonly of cereals, (b) offspring, descendents.
The word you selected in Acts 17:28 is not the same word. The Greek word there is genos not sperma.
All OT saints had faith, read
Hebrews 11 and see that they had the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things unseen. They had Christ in them the hope of glory.
No, the OT saints did not have Christ "in" them. You have provided no proof of that.
through faith....16 Now to Abraham and his seed [his seed refers to Christ in Abraham]
were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one [this is reinforced here to show that Paul is not speaking of the physical seed of Abraham, or even others that he himself brings forth but one seed which is Christ in Him, this seed is the word of God sown "his seed" simply means he belonged to Christ and Christ was in Him Jesus said in John 15 I in you and you in me],
No, you are wrong. The seed is not Christ himself, nor was the seed in Christ. It says the promises were made to Abraham and his seed (spiritual descendents).
Gal 3:16 "Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed."
If the seed is Christ then the promises were made to Abraham and Christ. Why would God make such Abrahamic promises as
"I will be your God" to Christ? That doesn't make sense. Nor would it make sense in Gal 3:29:
Gal 3:29 "And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed,"
If Abraham’s seed is Christ that would be saying that
we are Christ. That is patently wrong. No, it only makes sense if the promises were made to Abraham and his spiritual offspring (us believers). This is made clear just a few verses earlier:
Gal 3:7 Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham.
And to thy seed, which is Christ [Paul clearly says here that Abrahams seed and our seed is Christ. This shows that Paul is not speaking of the Holy Ghost promise in the baptism with the Holy Ghost in Abraham's day, for this had not yet happened].
This is obviously where you are getting confused. When it says Abraham's seed is Christ, he is not saying Abraham's seed is literally the person of Christ himself (or his Spirit). Abraham's spiritual descendents are obviously not Christ. The reference to Christ here is in the mystical sense whereby Christ is representative of his Church, him being the head of the body. You probably won't accept what I say about this so I will again leave it to the majority consensus of commentators to explain this in detail to you.
John Gill
and to thy seed, which is Christ; meaning not Christ personal, though he was of the seed of Abraham, a son of his, as was promised; but the covenant and the promises were not now made with, and to Christ, as personally considered, this was done in eternity; but Christ mystical, the church, which is the body of Christ, of which he is the head, and is called by his name, 1 Corinthians 12:12 and designs all Abraham's spiritual seed, both Jews and Gentiles; who are all one in Christ, and so Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise; hence there is no room for the objection of the Jew to the apostle's application of this passage to ChristF3, that the Scripture speaks not of any particular person, but of seed in a general and collective sense, of a large and numerous offspring; since the apostle designs such a seed by Christ, as numerous as the stars of the sky, and the sand on the sea shore, even all believers in all nations, Abraham is the father of; though did the apostle mean Christ particularly, and personally considered, there are instances to be given, where the word "seed" is used, not in a collective sense, but of a single person, as in Genesis 4:25. Nor has the JewF4 any reason to charge him with a mistake, in observing that the word is not in the plural, but in the singular number, when it is the manner of the Hebrew language to speak of seed only in the singular number; but this is false, the word is used in the plural number, and so might have been here, had it been necessary, as in 1 Samuel 8:15 concerning seed sown in the earth, from whence the metaphor is here taken. The first tract in the Jews' Misna, or oral law, is called, זרעים, "seeds"; and the word, even as spoken of the posterity of men, is used in the plural number in their TalmudF5; where they say,
Adam Clarke
Now to Abraham and his seed - The promise of salvation by faith was made to Abraham and his posterity.
He saith not, And to seeds - It was one particular kind of posterity which was intended: but as of one - which is Christ; i.e. to the spiritual head, and all believers in him, who are children of Abraham, because they are believers, Galatians 3:7. But why does the apostle say, not of seeds, as of many? To this it is answered, that Abraham possessed in his family two seeds, one natural, viz. the members of his own household; and the other spiritual, those who were like himself because of their faith. The promises were not of a temporal nature; had they been so, they would have belonged to his natural seed; but they did not, therefore they must have belonged to the spiritual posterity. And as we know that promises of justification, etc., could not properly be made to Christ in himself, hence we must conclude his members to be here intended, and the word Christ is put here for Christians. It is from Christ that the grace flows which constitutes Christians. Christians are those who believe after the example of Abraham; they therefore are the spiritual seed. Christ, working in and by these, makes them the light and salt of the world; and through them, under and by Christ, are all the nations of the earth blessed. This appears to be the most consistent interpretation, though every thing must be understood of Christ in the first instance, and then of Christians only through him.
James Coffman
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.
"There is in this verse a sense of the corporate meaning of Christ, as in 1 Corinthians 12:12,[18] where is mentioned "the body of Christ" inclusively of all the redeemed. Christ is again called the "seed singular" in Galatians 3:19. This is the verse that tells "how" the Gentiles, and even the saints of the Old Testament, are saved. They are saved "in Christ," there being this correspondence between the manner of their salvation and our own, namely, that both for them and for us, the basis of it was "the obedience of faith," notwithstanding the tests for them were not the same as the test which those under the New Covenant must meet. For us, the manner of our being "in Christ" is dogmatically declared to be the baptism of believers "into Christ," as Paul would forcefully show a moment later (Galatians 3:27).
Charles Ellicott
And to seeds, as of many; but as of one.—The argument of the Apostle turns upon the use, both in the Hebrew and in the LXX., of a singular instead of a plural noun. Both in the Hebrew and in the LXX., however, the noun, though singular, is collective. It meant, in the first instance at least, not any one individual, but the posterity of Abraham as a whole. The Apostle refers it to Christ and the “spiritual Israel” (i.e., the Church, of which He is the Head), on the same principle on which, throughout the New Testament, the history of the chosen people under the old covenant is taken as a type of the Christian dispensation. We may compare Matthew 2:15, where an allusion to the exodus of Israel from Egypt is treated as a type of the return of the Holy Family from their flight into Egypt. Such passages are not to be regarded as arguments possessing a permanent logical validity (which would be to apply the rigid canons of Western logic to a case for which they are unsuitable), but rather as marked illustrations of the organic unity which the apostolic writers recognised in the pre-Christian and Christian dispensations. Not only had both the same Author, and formed part of the same scheme, but they were actually the counterparts one of the other. The events which characterised the earlier dispensation had their analogies—sometimes spiritual, sometimes literal—in the later.
Expositor's Greek Testament
In like manner Christ is contemplated, not by Himself alone as constituting in the unity of His person the chosen seed, but as a new centre out of whom the family of God branched forth afresh. He became in a far higher sense than Isaac or Jacob a new head of the chosen family: for all Abraham’s children after the flesh that received Him not were shut out from the blessing, while all who believed in Him became by faith sons of Abraham and members of the true family of God. The whole Church of Christ are in short regarded as one with Christ—one in life and spirit, for they are members of His body and partake of His spirit (cf. Galatians 3:28-29).
Henry Mahan
Galatians 3:16. These promises of acceptance, justification and eternal life were made not to Christ personally, not to all the natural seed of Abraham, but to Christ's body, the church, the spiritual seed of Abraham, both Jew and Gentiles. The promises are made to all believers, who are one in Christ!
Geneva Study Bible
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, 18 which is l Christ.
(18) He puts forth the sum of the seventh argument, that is, that both the Jews and the Gentiles grow together in one body of the seed of Abraham, in Christ alone, so that all are one in Christ, as it is afterward declared in (Galatians 3:28).
(l) Paul does not speak of Christ's person, but of two peoples, who grew together in one, in Christ.
Henry Alford
We are now in a position to interpret the words ὅς ἐστιν χριστός. Meyer says ‘ χριστός is the personal Christ Jesus, not, as has been held (after Aug.), Christ and His Church.’ This remark is true, and untrue. χρ. certainly does not mean ‘Christ and His Church:’ but if it imports only the personal Christ Jesus, why is it not so expressed, χριστὸς ἰησοῦς? For the word does not here occur in passing, but is the predicate of a very definite and important proposition. The fact is, that we must place ourselves in St. Paul’s position with regard to the idea of Christ, before we can appreciate all he meant by this word here. Christians are, not by a figure, but really, the BODY OF CHRIST: Christ contains His people, and the mention even of the personal Christ would bring with it, in the Apostle’s mind, the inclusion of His believing people. This seed is, CHRIST: not merely in the narrower sense, the man Christ Jesus, but Christ the Seed, Christ the Second Adam, Christ the Head of the Body. And that this is so, is plain from Galatians 3:28-29, which are the key to ὅς ἐστιν χριστός: where he says, πάντες γὰρ ὑμεῖς εἷσ ἐστε ἐν χριστῷ ἰησοῦ (notice ἰησοῦ here carefully inserted, where the Person is indicated). εἰ δὲ ὑμεῖς χριστοῦ, ἄρα τοῦ ἀβραὰμ σπεʹ ρ΄α ἐστεʹ, κατʼ ἐπαγγελίαν κληρονόμοι. So that while it is necessary for the form of the argument here, to express Him to whom the promises were made, and not the aggregate of his people, afterwards to be identified with Him (but not here in view), yet the Apostle has introduced His name in a form not circumscribing His Personality, but leaving room for the inclusion of His mystical Body.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
one … Christ — not in the exclusive sense, the man Christ Jesus, but “Christ” (Jesus is not added, which would limit the meaning), including His people who are part of Himself, the Second Adam, and Head of redeemed humanity. Galatians 3:28, Galatians 3:29 prove this, “Ye are all ONE in Christ Jesus” (Jesus is added here as the person is indicated). “And if ye be Christ‘s, ye are Abraham‘s SEED, heirs according to the promise.”
John Trapp
Ver. 16. Which is Christ] Mystical Christ, that is, whole Christ; for he accounts not himself complete without his members, who are therefore called his fulness, Ephesians 1:23. Caput et corpus, unus est Christus, saith Augustine, the head and members make but one Christ.
A.T. Robertson
Which is Christ (ος εστιν Χριστος — hos estin Christos). Masculine relative agreeing with Χριστος — Christos though σπερμα — sperma is neuter. But the promise to Abraham uses σπερμα — sperma as a collective substantive and applies to all believers (both Jews and Gentiles) as Paul has shown in Galatians 3:7-14, and as of course he knew full well here Paul uses a rabbinical refinement which is yet intelligible. The people of Israel were a type of the Messiah and he gathers up the promise in its special application to Christ. He does not say that Christ is specifically referred to in Genesis 13:15 or Genesis 17:7.
Peter Pett
Which is Christ, i.e., Christ, not as a single individual, but as the head of the church, which is ‘His body, the fulness of Him who filleth all in all’ (Ephesians 1:23). In Him the whole spiritual race of Abraham is summed up, and in Him it fulfilled its mission to the whole world. He is the representative and embodiment of all true Israelites, and without Him the Jewish people has no meaning. The seed includes, therefore, all true believers who are vitally united to Christ. The key to the passage is in Galatians 3:28-29 : ‘Ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, heirs according to the promise.’ Comp. 1 Corinthians 12:12 : ‘As the body is one and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.’
Joseph S Exell,
With grammatical and logical accuracy, the apostle proves the point he is arguing. He shows that the true explanation of the singular number being used where the plural might have been expected, is to be found in the fact that God was speaking of one collective seed according to the spirit. The Inheritor of the promise made to Abraham was Christ: not Christ as an individual merely, but Christ the anointed Head and Representative of His people--Christ the Elder Brother in a united family-Christ and all who are incorporated with Him in that spiritual Body which includes Abraham and all the faithful of every age and race. “For ye are all one man in Christ Jesus. And if ye are Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, heirs according to promise.” Having made it clear that the gospel of Jesus Christ, believed and received, puts men in possession of the inheritance promised to Abraham, St, Paul goes on (in verse 17) to deal with the question that naturally rises to the mind: “What relation, then, does the law of Moses bear to the promise made to Abraham?”
Vincent's Word Studies
He means that there is significance in the singular form of expression, as pointing to the fact that one descendant (seed) is intended - Christ. With regard to this line of argument it is to be said, 1. The original promise referred to the posterity of Abraham generally, and therefore applies to Christ individually only as representing these: as gathering up into one all who should be incorporated with him. 2. The original word for seed in the O.T., wherever it means progeny, is used in the singular, whether the progeny consists of one or many. In the plural it means grains of seed, as 1 Samuel 8:15.
William Burkitt
not only to Abraham, but to his seed, were the promises made: not to seeds, as of many; but as of one, and to thy seed, which is Christ; where, by one, we understand one mystically, and in the aggregate; not only personally and individually: And by Christ, the whole church, consisting of head members, believing Gentiles, as well as Jews.
