The True Gospel is Reaffirmed to the Galatians Volume 9

Paul describes God’s Promise to Abraham as Immutable

Galatians 3:15-18 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. 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. 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. KJV

Paul once again recognizes these Churches in Galatia as his brothers “in Christ” despite his ignoring it at the beginning of his letter due to the urgency of disputing the “bewitching” teaching that many had given themselves over to from the Jewish legalist. Paul knew these people were his brothers and sisters “in Christ”, for he was God’s human instrument in bringing the Gospel to them and witnessing their conversion to Christ, but now Paul’s heart and soul is filled with a deep concern for their spiritual well-being and growth in our Lord Jesus Christ. Paul wants to completely crush this false teaching that many of them have received, for he knows that there is no way they will ever reach full maturity “in Christ” by striving to do so in the flesh. Paul now is going to detail for them how the “Law” that God gave to the Jews (through Moses) cannot ever change, replace, or make void the “promise” He (God) made to Abraham (John 1:17).

Paul refers to this “covenant of promise” through Abraham as we would view a parents or grandparents “last will and testament” which is only appropriated by the “heirs” of said parents or grandparents and that would be sons and daughters or grandsons and granddaughters. Therefore, as through Abraham’s “Seed” “Christ” these brethren the Galatians and us have become “heirs” by virtue of sonship as Paul details to the Roman believers with these words, “For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, ‘Abba! Father!’ The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.” (Romans 8:15-17).

Likewise also as the writer of Hebrews declared so emphatically with these words, “For when God made the promise to Abraham, since He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, saying, ‘I will surely bless you and I will surely multiply you.’ And so, having patiently waited, he obtained the promise. For men swear by one greater than themselves, and with them an oath given as confirmation is an end of every dispute. In the same way God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.” (Hebrews 6:13-20).

Paul points out to them by using sinful man as an example declaring that not even a human ordained covenant or solemn agreement between two human parties can be nullified, shown to be invalid, or deprived of its legal binding authority. Therefore, how much more the Omnipotent, Omnipresent, and Omniscient God’s promised covenant to Abraham that his “Seed” would bless every nation on the earth be made void by the “Law” that He Himself gave to man, because man never even knew that such “Law” even existed.  Through “faith in Christ Jesus” God the Father has given birth to a redeemed, regenerated, and reborn human race that are distinct from the rest of humanity solely and only because of what Christ Jesus has done for us (justification by faith) and to us (being sanctified by faith) and finally (glorification by the same faith) (Romans 8:29-30) in making us united with Him through repentance and believing the Gospel of Grace.

The promised Messiah did not come until 1911 years plus or minus after God made this promise to Abraham, but God gave His “Law” to Moses 430 years plus or minus after He made this promise to Abraham. Why did God wait 1411 years plus or minus before Christ was born to Mary? Paul gives an answer in the following Chapter to these Galatians and to us when he writes, “But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.” (Galatians 4:4). God the Father (who sees the end from the beginning) waited until the Roman Empire had dominance over the world. Historians document that during Rome’s reign and rule, they built many roadways or travel paths that were much easier to navigate than before and this was critical for the Lord Jesus’ Apostles who would make their way throughout the world proclaiming the Gospel of Grace. Also the manner of our Lord Jesus’ death had already been prophesied by King David in Psalms 22 and crucifixion had not even been done until the Romans came into power and dominance. The “fullness of the time came” with the emergence of the Roman people as dominant over most of the earth and then our Lord Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem under the “Law”, lived for 33 years obeying the “Law” in word, thought, and deed, laid down His Life as a sinless sacrifice on the Roman Cross, was buried, then 3 days later was Resurrected from the dead and so fulfilled every Prophecy regarding His first coming to this earth and redeeming us from the “Laws” curse.

Finally, in verse 17 Paul concludes his lecture to these Galatians on the permanence of God’s Covenant with Abraham with the English phrase “cannot disannul” which is translated from the Greek word akuroo which means not capable of invalidating or making of no effect. God made this “covenant” with Abraham and not the reverse of Abraham making a “covenant” with God (Genesis 12:3). Therefore, this is the evidence of the immutability or as the writer of Hebrews put it above the unchangeableness of the promise because its origin was Divinely given to man through Abraham’s “Seed that is our Lord Jesus Christ” and by the way once again God cannot lie (Titus 1:2). The English word “promise” is translated from the Greek word epaggelia which means an announcement for information, assent or pledge, but most specifically it means a Divine assurance of good. Paul uses this word epaggelia four (4) times in this short span of his letter to drive home the point to these Galatians and to us that God has made “One Way” only for sinful humanity to be right with Him and not even the “Law” that He Himself gave to man can change His promise before He even framed the foundations of the world as He first introduced to Adam and Eve before Abraham or Moses were even born (Genesis 3:15).

My own Personal Note: Paul uses very clear cut language in these verses of his letter to these Galatian Churches with the “one goal” at hand and that goal was to crush, demolish, and squash the idea that the Jewish legalist were spreading about the land as a cancerous plague. The notion that someone could come to “faith in Christ” and then add the requirement that the Jews and Gentiles who did so, must now keep the Law of Moses was complete heresy according to the Apostle Paul. Paul wants the Galatians and us to understand and know with complete confidence and no uncertainty that anything added to Gospel of Grace is an abomination or perversion of the true Gospel as he declared at the very beginning of his letter (Galatians 1:6-10) and is to be rejected violently and likewise are the people declaring such a perversion (2 John 1:7-11). Paul declares God’s Promise to Abraham of “faith in Jesus Christ” as the final authority on salvation and the way of righteousness as he wrote in this manner to the Colossian believers, “He is also head of the body, the Church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven. And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach--if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister.” (Colossians 1:18-23).

“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 everything must be understood of Christ in the first instance, and then of Christians only through Him.” Adam Clarke

“When a man amongst ourselves bequeaths his property, and his will is publicly attested, its directions are scrupulously observed; to tamper with them is a crime. Shall we have less respect to this Divine settlement, this venerable charter of human salvation? You say, The Law of Moses has its rights: it must be taken into account as well as the Promise to Abraham. True; but it has no power to cancel or restrict the Promise, older by four centuries and a half. The later must be adjusted to the earlier dispensation, the Law interpreted by the Promise. God has not made two testaments-the one solemnly committed to, the faith and hope of mankind, only to be retracted and substituted by something of a different stamp. He could not thus stultify Himself. And we must not apply the Mosaic enactments, addressed to a single people, in such way as to neutralize the original provisions made for the race at large. Our human instincts of good faith, our reverence for public compacts and established rights, forbid our allowing the Law of Moses to trench upon the inheritance assured to mankind in the Covenant of Abraham.” Expositor’s Bible Commentary

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.

Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…