Galatians 3:17-19
1599 Geneva Bible
17 [a]And this I say, that the covenant that was confirmed afore of God [b]in respect of Christ, the [c]Law which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.
18 [d]For if the [e]inheritance be of the Law, it is no more by the promise, but God gave it freely unto Abraham by promise.
19 [f]Wherefore then serveth the Law? It was added because of the [g]transgressions, [h]till the seed came, unto the which the promise was made: [i]and it was [j]ordained by [k]Angels in the hand of a Mediator.
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- Galatians 3:17 The eighth argument taken of comparison, thus: If a man’s covenant (being authentical) be firm and strong, much more God’s covenant. Therefore the Law was not given to abrogate the promise made to Abraham, which had respect to Christ, that is to say, the end whereof did hang of Christ.
- Galatians 3:17 Which tendeth to Christ.
- Galatians 3:17 An enlarging of that argument, thus: Moreover and besides that the promise is of itself firm and strong, it was also confirmed with the prescription of long time, to wit, of 430 years, so that it could in no wise be broken.
- Galatians 3:18 An objection: We grant that the promise was not abrogated by the covenant of the Law, and therefore we join the Law with the promise. Nay, saith the Apostle, these two cannot stand together, to wit, that the inheritance should both be given by the Law and also by promise, for the promise is free: whereby it followeth, that the Law was not given to justify, for by that means the promise should be broken.
- Galatians 3:18 By this word (inheritance) is meant the right of the seed, which is, that God should be our God, that is to say, that by virtue of the covenant that was made with faithful Abraham, we that be faithful, might by that means be blessed of God as well as he.
- Galatians 3:19 An objection which riseth of the former answer: If the inheritance be not by the Law (at the least in part) then why was the Law given, after that the promise was made? Therefore saith the Apostle, to reprove men of sin, and so teach them to look unto Christ, in whom at length that promise of saving all people together should be fulfilled, and not that the Law was given to justify men.
- Galatians 3:19 That men might understand, by discovering of their sins, by the only grace of God, which he revealed to Abraham, and that in Christ.
- Galatians 3:19 Until the partition wall was broken down, and that full seed sprang up, framed of two peoples, both of Jews and Gentiles: for by this word Seed, we may not understand, Christ alone by himself, but coupled and joined together with his body.
- Galatians 3:19 A confirmation of the former answer taken from the manner and form of giving the Law: for it was given by Angels, striking a great terror into all, and by Moses a Mediator coming between. Now they that are one, need no Mediator, but they that are twain at the least, and that are at variance one with another. Therefore the Law itself and the Mediator, were witnesses of the wrath of God, and not that God would by this means reconcile men to himself, and abolish the promise, or add the Law unto the promise.
- Galatians 3:19 Commanded and given, or proclaimed.
- Galatians 3:19 By the service and ministry.
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.
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