Galatians 3:15-18 — Lemme explain it this way...and that way...and all ways

 READ THIS: Galatians 3:15-18

15 Brothers and sisters, let me take an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or add to a human covenant that has been duly established, so it is in this case. 16 The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. Scripture does not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed," meaning one person, who is Christ. 17 What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise. 18 For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on the promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise.

 

WHAT’S THIS MEAN, ANYWAY?

So Paul really likes to try to make his points clear. We've got here another example AND another explanation about Abraham to explain how we are righteous through God's goodness. So first of all, verse 15 just says that when we make a contract with somebody, we can't just willy-nilly change what's in it. It stays the same after both parties agree to it and sign it. The same goes for God's promise to Abraham. There's no editing the promise they made to each other. 

Part of what's in that promise was that God would give Abraham a bunch of kids and also that God would give land to Abraham and his kid (no "s"). This inheritance belongs to Jesus! And it is given to Him through the promise! The law happened in between this promise and Jesus, but the law doesn't change the promise. Jesus still inherits all of the earth as King, being given the whole land just like Abraham's seed (kid, offspring, heir) was promised. 

THINK ABOUT IT:

1. Why does Paul keep repeating himself and using so many examples?

2. What's a topic in Christianity that you feel like you'd probably have to use a LOT of examples to explain?

 

TRY THIS:

Come up with a cool analogy about that topic you named in question 2 AND share it with someone!