Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity: Galatians 3.16ff: Law and Gospel

The Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity.

The Collect
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ALMIGHTY and merciful God, of whose only gift it cometh that thy faithful people do unto thee true and laudable service; Grant, we beseech thee, that we may so faithfully serve thee in this life, that we fail not finally to attain thy heavenly promises; through the merits of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Epistle. Gal. 3.16-22

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. 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. For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise. Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand 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 have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.

16 τω δε αβρααμ ερρεθησαν αι επαγγελιαι και τω σπερματι αυτου ου λεγει και τοις σπερμασιν ως επι πολλων αλλ ως εφ ενος και τω σπερματι σου ος εστιν χριστος

17 τουτο δε λεγω διαθηκην προκεκυρωμενην υπο του θεου ο μετα τετρακοσια και τριακοντα ετη γεγονως νομος ουκ ακυροι εις το καταργησαι την επαγγελιαν

18 ει γαρ εκ νομου η κληρονομια ουκετι εξ επαγγελιας τω δε αβρααμ δι επαγγελιας κεχαρισται ο θεος

19 τι ουν ο νομος των παραβασεων χαριν προσετεθη αχρις αν ελθη το σπερμα ω επηγγελται διαταγεις δι αγγελων εν χειρι μεσιτου

20 ο δε μεσιτης ενος ουκ εστιν ο δε θεος εις εστιν

21 ο ουν νομος κατα των επαγγελιων [του θεου] μη γενοιτο ει γαρ εδοθη νομος ο δυναμενος ζωοποιησαι οντως εν νομω αν ην η δικαιοσυνη

22 αλλα συνεκλεισεν η γραφη τα παντα υπο αμαρτιαν ινα η επαγγελια εκ πιστεως ιησου χριστου δοθη τοις πιστευουσιν

St. Paul raises the issues of covenant, faith, justification and works in this section. The foundation of the Covenant is Christ Himself, alone and no other. The Law was not disannulled by the promise of Christ to come. The promise was to “one seed,” that is Christ. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. Paul’s argument hangs on a singular noun, and to thy seed, which is Christ. As we review history, a pruning process occurs between the children of the flesh and children of the seed.

Let us hear what the Westminster Larger Catechism has to say re: the covenant made with Christ and His seed. It comes out more fully in Q/A 31:

Q. 30. Doth God leave all mankind to perish in the estate of sin and misery?

A. God doth not leave all men to perish in the estate of sin and misery, into which they fell by the breach of the first covenant, commonly called the covenant of works; but of his mere love and mercy delivereth his elect out of it, and bringeth them into an estate of salvation by the second covenant, commonly called the covenant of grace.

Q. 31. With whom was the covenant of grace made?

A. The covenant of grace was made with Christ as the second Adam, and in him with all the elect as his seed.

Q. 32. How is the grace of God manifested in the second covenant?

A. The grace of God is manifested in the second covenant, in that he freely provideth and offereth to sinners a Mediator, and life and salvation by him; and requiring faith as the condition to interest them in him, promiseth and giveth his Holy Spirit to all his elect, to work in them that faith, with all other saving graces; and to enable them unto all holy obedience, as the evidence of the truth of their faith and thankfulness to God, and as the way which he hath appointed them to salvation.

The covenant is made with Christ, the seed of promise. The Mediator between God and man is Christ Jesus. 1 Tim.2.5: For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. Moses was a type and foreshadowing, teaching us of Christ’s Mediatorial role that was operational in the Older Covenant. The prophets of old spake by the “Spirit of Christ.” 1 Peter 1.11, …searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that should follow. 1 Corinthians 10.4: For they drank of that Spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.[1] The Angel of the LORD who appeared to Moses was Christ Himself. Ex.3.2: And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire in the midst of the bush. Isaiah saw the LORD Jesus Christ also in Isaiah 6.1: In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the LORD sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the whole temple. John 12.41: These things [PV: referring to Isaiah 6] Isaiah said when he saw His glory and spoke of Him. The Law and Promise proceed from One God, Three in One. The Old Testament is the Reign of Christ, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end.

Herein, the gracious covenant is with Christ and his seed.

Election cuts across the covenant community. Why don’t Jews claim a thirteenth or fourteenth tribe, e.g. the Ishmaelites and Edomites? Because those two branches were pruned from the Catholic Church. Neither seed embraced the Abrahamic promise of Messiah to come to reverse the serpentine curse. Yet, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph, without personal merits, embraced the Promised Seed to come. The calling depended upon God.

Ishmael was cut off. Esau was cut off. Both wore the visible sign of an invisible grace, of the promise, circumcision. Neither embraced what the visible sign taught them. Romans 9.6-8: But it is not that the word of God has taken no effect. For they are not all Israel who are of Israel, nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham; but, “In Isaac your seed shall be called.” That is, those who are the children of the flesh, there are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted as the seed. For this is the word of promise: “At this time I will come and Sarah shall have a son.” Romans 11.7: What then? Israel has not obtained what it seeks; but the elect have obtained it, and the rest were blinded.

Ultimately, ten of twelve tribes would be cut off and be castaways. Hosea 9.17, My God will cast them away because they did not obey Him; and they shall be wanderers among the nations. Yet the promise to Abraham stands, stood and will stand, the promise to Christ and His seed. It is the Catholic Gospel of all time, preserved and confessed by Confessional Protestants.

During Elijah’s ministry we hear this. Romans 11.4ff.: “LORD, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life”? But what does the divine response say to him? “I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” Even so, then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace. And if by grace, then it is not longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is not longer grace; otherwise is no longer work.

Isaiah has it 6.9-13: And He said, “Go and tell this people: `Keep on hearing, but do not understand; Keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’ Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and shut their eyes. Lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and return and be healed.” Then I said, “How long?” And He answered: “Until the cities are laid waste and without inhabitant, the houses are without a man, the land is utterly desolate, The has removed men far away, and the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land. But yet a tenth will be in it, and will return and be for consuming, as a terebinth tree or as an oak, whose stump remains when it is cut down. So the holy seed shall be its stump.” A tenth will stand and embrace the promise of Christ, about Christ and to Christ made to Abraham.

Isaiah again says of the remnant (10.22): For though your people, O Israel, be as the sand of the sea, a remnant of them shall return; the destruction decreed shall overflow with righteousness. For the LORD of hosts will make a determined end in the midst of all the land.

Judah herself would undergo a trial and shakeup. How many became castaways during the Babylonian period is unknown. Men like Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel and others maintained the promise made to Abraham and His seed, which is Christ Jesus. The same during Esther, Ezra and Nehemiah’s time.

It is here, too, that we see the pruning of the Romish body from the True, Catholic and Apostolic Church. She is not true, catholic nor apostolic, despite her protests. She is an abomination and cut herself off by her insistent idolatries and refusal to hear God's Word. The modern ear can't hear that but we are not bound by that; we are bound by the instruction of the true, catholic and apostolic record.

This promise was in force without fear of loss or interruption, despite the negligences, disobediences and castaways from the visible covenant community with the signs and seals of the covenant, with its infallible promises. The gates of Hell have never prevailed against the Catholic Church, under the Older or Newer Covenant administrations.

St. Paul then notes in his argument that the Law came 430 years later and did not disannul the Promise. The Judaizers with whom he is contending are insisting that circumcision was necessary for justification, a ceremony of ceremonies, a rite of rites, an avenue of admission to the visible and invisible covenant community. It was an argument that “You don’t have enough. You don’t have the full Catholicity with the Old Testament Church.” They were urging this as supplemental to Paul’s Gospel, as a “necessity” apart from faith or in addition to faith as a justifying, mertiorious instrument.

Paul argues: not so, the Promise without the Mosaic Law entailed no larger ceremonial requirements and yet Abraham was justified without the Law. Justification was by the embrace of the Promised Messiah to come and belief in the Work He would do. This was long before Moses arrived in history.

St Paul is quick to cut off all claims to “something more” than Christ alone, to Whom the promises were made and upon Whom the promises rest. If inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise. Paul is keen to maintain the antithesis of justification by human works or merits versus justification by faith alone by Christ alone by grace alone. The two are antithetical. It is not just a matter of ceremonial laws and rites, but anything posing as a claim to justification apart from Christ alone, by faith alone and grace alone.

Romans 3.27, 28: Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith. Therefore we concluse that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law. Romish ink has attempted to observe that the word alone does not exist in the text. It surely is here and their objections are at the height of absurdity when the claim is made.

Romans 3.28: λογιζομεθα γαρ δικαιουσθαι πιστει ανθρωπον χωρις εργων νομοu. “Without, apart from” the works of the Law. One can leave the word alone out of the translation, but the clause “apart from” or “without” the deeds of the Law serves as well. Luther had solid ground for adding that word, alone, in his translation. This scribe would have no objection if it were added to English versions, although it is not there. The phrase, apart from the deeds of the law, suffices to make the point

Romans 4.14: For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise of no effect.

Romans 4.16: Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all.

The purpose of the Law was to supply defects in instruction. It emphatically taught God’s holiness, vicarious and penal atonement by blood-shedding, man’s utter fallenness and need for moment-by-moment atonement before the all-Holy God, and the need of the Law to discern humanity’s deepest fallenness. The Law was a Schoolmaster to compel men to acknowledge their guilt. The Law was added because of transgressions. Yet, the Promise to Abraham’s Seed, Christ, stands sure to all time.

Romans 3.20: Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

Romans 7.13: But sin, that it might appear sin was producing death in me through what is good, so that sin through the commandment might become exceedingly sinful.

The Law, both moral and ceremonial, demands that we shake off our sloth and moral indolence. It demands confession of objective guilt. The Law leads us to the Mediator of the Law and Gospel, Christ Himself who absolves us. As to the moral law, here's the Westminster Larger Catechism:

Q. 95. Of what use is the moral law to all men?

A. The moral law is of use to all men, to inform them of the holy nature and the will of God, and of their duty, binding them to walk accordingly; to convince them of their disability to keep it, and of the sinful pollution of their nature, hearts, and lives: to humble them in the sense of their sin and misery, and thereby help them to a clearer sight of the need they have of Christ, and of the perfection of his obedience.

As to the First Commandment alone, Thou shalt have no other gods before Me, let us hear from the Westminster Larger Catechism, which gathers up the biblical data for us:

Q. 104. What are the duties required in the first commandment?

A. The duties required in the first commandment are, the knowing and acknowledging of God to be the only true God, and our God; and to worship and glorify him accordingly, by thinking, meditating, remembering, highly esteeming, honouring, adoring, choosing, loving, desiring, fearing of him; believing him; trusting, hoping, delighting, rejoicing in him; being zealous for him; calling upon him, giving all praise and thanks, and yielding all obedience and submission to him with the whole man; being careful in all things to please him, and sorrowful when in any thing he is offended; and walking humbly with him.

No one has followed the intensely high standard. That's the point. Christ has.

While the ceremonial law was temporary till the Seed should come, it continues to have abiding validity as a teacher. 2 Timothy 3.16: All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. Reading Leviticus as Law and Gospel and Hebrews in tandem leads us to Christ, the Seed, the Promised One.

The Law was and is never against the promises of God. The certainty of the promise has been mentioned. Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! A powerful word to Rome and Anglo-Romewardizers. To assert such is to contradict God’s Word and character. Had there been a law sufficient to give life and righteousness, then it would have been by law and human merit.

Here’s what the Law (Scripture) has concluded. All are under sin, that the promise by faith might be given to those who believe. Paul’s reasoning is very powerful. The sense of it is: “You want righteousness by the law? Here it is. The law, yeah all Scriptures, leaves nothing to you but condemnation. All your works are unrighteous. This is the conclusion of the Judge and Author of the Law.”

There is no help from the law, per se, as a justifying instrument. One must take to faith alone apart from the works of the law and faith in Christ alone for relief and justification.

Footnote:
[1] Note that St. Paul does not refer to Peter as the “Rock.” Christ is the Rock.