Galatians 3,15-22. 13. Trinity

Galatians 3,15-22 4323

13. Trinitatis 60 

Phoebe, Deaconess at Cenchreae (eastern port of Corinth), appr. 58. Romans 16,1

Gregory the Great, Bishop of Rome, ✠ 604 

3. September 2023

1. ℣ Have respect, O Yahweh, unto Thy covenant: 

℟ Oh, let not the oppressed return ashamed! (Psalm 74,20a.21a). 

O God, Thou who works wonders; make known the might of Thy salvation among the peoples, so that in seeing their redemption, they praise and glorify the name of Jesus.  Amen. (Psalm Psalm 77,14-15 Gradual) 

2. »To give a human example, brothers: even with a man-made covenant, no one annuls it or adds to it once it has been ratified. Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, And to offsprings, referring to many, but referring to one, And to your offspring, who is Christ. This is what I mean: the law, which came 430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to make the promise void. For if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but God gave it to Abraham by a promise. Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was put in place through angels by an intermediary. Now an intermediary implies more than one, but God is one. Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.« 

3. Matthew begins his Gospel by writing: »The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham was the father of Isaac« (Matthew 1,1-2a). The holy apostle begins at Abraham; Genesis records a number of promises and covenant Yahweh gave to him. »All the nations of the earth will be blessed by your offspring because you listened (υπήκουσας שָׁמַעְתָּ) to My Voice« (Genesis 22,18). What had Abraham heard from God? A: Take your only son Isaac, whom you love, and offer him as a burnt offering (Genesis 22,2). Abraham had faith in Yahweh and his faith led to obedience: he would sacrifice Isaac just as God had told him to do (Genesis 22,3). Just as he was about to sacrifice/slaughter Isaac, the Angel of Yahweh said: »Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your only son from Me« (Genesis 22,12). »So Abraham called the name of that place יְהוָ֣ה׀ יִרְאֶ֑ה Yahweh will provide« (Genesis 22,14). 

4. The Apostle Paul makes the typological connection between Isaac and Jesus. Abraham’s offspring is Isaac and God told him to sacrifice him; Abraham’s offspring is also Jesus and God sacrificed His Son (Galatians 3,16). Abraham is the 38x great-grandfather of Jesus. Promise given: Abraham’s beloved son is to be sacrificed; promise fulfilled: God the Father’s beloved Son is sacrificed. 

5. To prepare Israel and the Gentiles for the Messiah and Christ, they were given a pedagogue; the Jews were given it on tablets of stone at Sinai, and the Gentiles had a knowledge of right and wrong written within their heart (Romans 2,14-15). This guardian was the Torah of the Sinai covenant given to Moses, and it had 3 purposes: curb, mirror and guide. The Torah’s law serves to curb outbursts of sin and help keep order in the world. The torah’s law also shows us our sinfulness, as a mirror reveals to us what we look like. Finally, the Torah’s law teaches us what God’s will is and gives us a guide to what a God-pleasing life looks like. Throughout Israel’s history their Prophets utilized the law as a curb, mirror and guide to bring the people back to repentance and worship of Yahweh. 

6. The Torah also provided the means of grace. Sacrifices were instituted that would cover the sins of both the individual and the nation of Israel. Through this means of grace Israel’s sins were forgiven. 

7. The old covenant with all its Sinai laws is completed and fulfilled; it is no longer in force and must not be enforced, for the new covenant in Christ is the active and applicable covenant now. The old covenant was given to prepare us for the new covenant in Christ; the old covenant has done that, and done it well, but its task is completed. Christ, faith in Christ, is the goal of the both the old and new covenants. Thus we interpret the Scriptures, the two covenants, through the prism of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection (Keller Galatians); His sacrifice is all sufficient.

8. Paul reminds the Galatians of 5 key gospel points that he had proclaimed to them: 

   i. We are justified before God through faith in Jesus Christ and not by works commanded in the law (Galatians 2,16). 

   ii. We receive the Holy Spirit through faith-full hearing of the gospel and not by works commanded in law (Galatians 3,2). 

   iii. We are Abraham’s descendants because we belong to Christ, the promised heir of the Divine blessing, and not because we do the works commanded by law (Galatians 3,16-18.29). 

   iv. We are sons and daughters (family) of God through Baptismal faith, not through observing religious calendars prescribed by law (Galatians 4,10-11). 

   v. We behave in God-pleasing fashion when we cultivate the fruit of the Spirit of Christ, not when we indulge in the works of the flesh, which are indeed forbidden by the law, but which the law is powerless to transform (Galatians 5,16). 

9. Paul reminds us that the gospel is radically law-free. Faith in Christ and the freedom of the Holy Spirit require no supplement or complement from any mandatory law provision. With faith in Christ, therefore, it counts for nothing whether one is a circumcised Jew or an uncircumcised Gentile, whether one is a slave or a free man, whether one is a male or a female (Galatians 3,28; 5,6). The only thing that counts is faith in Christ, faith that gives His spirit, faith that is energetic in loving the neighbor (Galatians 5,6). That faith frees us from all obligations of obedience to law and from all other kinds of religious enslavements (Galatians 4,3.9). (Keller Galatians 1990) 

10. I lie in weakness and resist,

O Lord Christ, be my Helper;

In Thy mercy alone I livest,

You can make me stronger. 

If now temptation comes, defend,

That it may not overtake me; 

You can make it, 

That to danger it will not bring me.

I know You will not allow it. (Ich ruf zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ selk 610,5 2021 Johann Agricola 1526/27) 

This is most certainly true. 

13. The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4,7).  Amen. 

14. Let us pray. O Almighty and everlasting God, give unto us the increase of faith, hope and charity; and that we may obtain that which Thou dost promise, make us to love that which Thou dost command. Amen. (13. Trinity, Vespers Collect 1. The Daily Office. Copyright © 1965 Concordia Publishing House.) 

To God alone be the Glory 

Gode ealdore sy se cyneþrymm

✠

 

All Scriptural quotations are translations done by The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind using the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, 4. Edition © 1990 Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart, Septuaginta, Vol. I and II 2. Revised Edition © 2006 Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart and the Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 28. Revised Edition © 2012 Deutsch Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart. 

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