Galatians 3:19 NET
(19) Why then was the law given? It was added because of transgressions, until the arrival of the descendant to whom the promise had been made. It was administered through angels by an intermediary.
The law was given to reveal sin, but note it was until the arrival of the descendant (Jesus).
Galatians 3:22-26 NET
(22) But the scripture imprisoned everything and everyone under sin so that the promise could be given because of the faithfulness of Jesus Christ to those who believe.
(23) Now before faith came we were held in custody under the law, being kept as prisoners until the coming faith would be revealed.
(24) Thus the law had become our guardian until Christ, so that we could be declared righteous by faith.
(25) But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.
(26) For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God through faith.
In custody under the law until the coming faith would be revealed. Our guardian until Christ, now we are no longer under a guardian, the law.
Galatians 3:29 NET
(29) And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's descendants, heirs according to the promise.
The result is we are heirs of the promise made to Abraham. Children of the promise.
Galatians 4:1-2 NET
(1) Now I mean that the heir, as long as he is a minor, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything.
(2) But he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father.
Notice again we are under the law until the date set.
Galatians 4:4-5 NET
(4) But when the appropriate time had come, God sent out his Son, born of a woman, born under the law,
(5) to redeem those who were under the law, so that we may be adopted as sons with full rights.
There we see the date the Father set, the coming of Jesus Christ.
Galatians 4:7 NET
(7) So you are no longer a slave but a son, and if you are a son, then you are also an heir through God.
We are not under our guardian any longer.
Galatians 4:9-11 NET
(9) But now that you have come to know God (or rather to be known by God), how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless basic forces? Do you want to be enslaved to them all over again?
(10) You are observing religious days and months and seasons and years.
(11) I fear for you that my work for you may have been in vain.
Turning back to the law is a mistake as we are told here in very strong words, Paul fears that the Galatians are not saved at all, but have turned from Christ back to condemnation under the law.
Galatians 4:21 NET
(21) Tell me, you who want to be under the law, do you not understand the law?
Obviously not!
Galatians 4:22-31 NET
(22) For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman.
(23) But one, the son by the slave woman, was born by natural descent, while the other, the son by the free woman, was born through the promise.
(24) These things may be treated as an allegory, for these women represent two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai bearing children for slavery; this is Hagar.
(25) Now Hagar represents Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children.
(26) But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother.
(27) For it is written: "Rejoice, O barren woman who does not bear children; break forth and shout, you who have no birth pains, because the children of the desolate woman are more numerous than those of the woman who has a husband.
(28) But you, brothers and sisters, are children of the promise like Isaac.
(29) But just as at that time the one born by natural descent persecuted the one born according to the Spirit, so it is now.
(30) But what does the scripture say? "Throw out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman will not share the inheritance with the son of the free woman.
(31) Therefore, brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman but of the free woman.
Those who put themselves under the law are not children of the promise, children of the free woman, they are the children of the slave woman. Again Paul warns the Galatians that the children of the slave woman will not share the inheritence with the free.
The two covenants are spell out clearly here, the one, given from Mount Sinai, the Ten Commandments, results in slaves who will not share in the inheritence.
The Covenant that came from the Jerusalem above (Jesus) makes us children of the promise and we receive the inheritance.
So we are under the new covenant the covenant usually referred to as grace. We are not under the covenant of law, the covenant given on Mount Sinai, we are indeed warned about that covenant most gravely.
People must decide whether they are to be slaves under the old covenant or sons under the new.
Marv
