The Law and the Promise

Gal. 3:26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

By The Believer’s Present Position

Paul’s vindication of the doctrine of justification by faith reached a climax in this section as he contrasted the position of a justified sinner with what he had been under the Law. Three changes are noted.

First, all who believe in Christ become sons of God.

For...

γάρ

gar

gar

A primary particle; properly assigning a reason (used in argument, explanation or intensification; often with other particles): - and, as, because (that), but, even, for indeed, no doubt, seeing, then, therefore, verily, what, why, yet.

The change in person from the first to the second (you) indicates that Paul turned from looking at Israel as a nation to address the Galatian believers.

ye are...

ἐστέ

este

es-teh'

Second person plural present indicative of am; ye are: - be, have been, belong.

all...

πᾶς

pas

pas

Including all the forms of declension; apparently a primary word; all, any, every, the whole: - all (manner of, means) alway (-s), any (one), X daily, + ever, every (one, way), as many as, + no (-thing), X throughly, whatsoever, whole, whosoever.

Under the dispensation of Law, as seen in Gal. 3:24, the Law was a discipling pedagogue, and those under its supervision were regarded as children.

the children...

υἱός

uihos

hwee-os'

Apparently a primary word; a “son” (sometimes of animals), used very widely of immediate, remote or figurative kinship: - child, foal, son.

of God (Father)...

θεός

theos

theh'-os

Of uncertain affinity; a deity, especially (with the) the supreme Divinity; figuratively a magistrate; by Hebraism very: - X exceeding, God, god [-ly, -ward].

by...

διά

dia

dee-ah'

A primary preposition denoting the channel of an act; through (in very wide applications, local, causal or occasional). In composition it retains the same general import: - after, always, among, at, to avoid, because of (that), briefly, by, for (cause) . . . fore, from, in, by occasion of, of, by reason of, for sake, that, thereby, therefore, X though, through (-out), to, wherefore, with (-in). In composition it retains the same general import.

However, now that Christ had come, the Galatian believers were adult sons through faith and were no longer under a Jewish slave-guardian. Why should they seek to revert to their inferior status? The exalted position of “sons of God” is explained in Gal. 3:27 to involve a living union with Christ brought about by being baptized into Christ.

This is the baptism of (or in) the Holy Spirit, which according to Paul (1Cor. 12:12-13) joins all believers to Christ and unites them within the church, Christ’s body. This union with Him means being clothed with Christ.

faith...

πίστις

pistis

pis'-tis

From to rely; persuasion, that is, credence; moral conviction (of religious truth, or the truthfulness of God or a religious teacher), especially reliance upon Christ for salvation; abstractly constancy in such profession; by extension the system of religious (Gospel) truth itself: - assurance, belief, believe, faith, fidelity.

in...

ἐν

en

en

A primary preposition denoting (fixed) position (in place, time or state), and (by implication) instrumentality (medially or constructively), that is, a relation of rest (intermediate between to or into and from, out); “in”, at, (up-) on, by, etc.: - about, after, against, + almost, X altogether, among, X as, at, before, between, (here-) by (+ all means), for (. . . sake of), + give self wholly to, (here-) in (-to, -wardly), X mightily, (because) of, (up-) on, [open-] ly, X outwardly, one, X quickly, X shortly, [speedi-] ly, X that, X there (-in, -on), through (-out), (un-) to(-ward), under, when, where (-with), while, with (-in). Often used in compounds, with substantially the same import; rarely with verbs of motion, and then not to indicate direction, except (elliptically) by a separate (and different) prep.

Christ (Messiah)...

Χριστός

Christos

khris-tos'

From to smear or rub with oil; anointed, that is, the Messiah, an epithet of Jesus: - Christ.

Jesus...

Ἰησοῦς

Iēsous

ee-ay-sooce'

Of Hebrew origin [Jehovah-saved]; Jesus (that is, Jehoshua), the name of our Lord and two (three) other Israelites: - Jesus.

In the Roman society when a youth came of age he was given a special toga which admitted him to the full rights of the family and state and indicated he was a grown-up son. So the Galatian believers had laid aside the old garments of the Law and had put on Christ’s robe of righteousness which grants full acceptance before God. So,who would want to don again the old clothing?

"FAITH has come!" At this announcement Law the tutor yields up his charge; Law the jailer sets his prisoner at liberty. The age of servitude has passed. In truth it endured long enough. The iron of its bondage had entered into the soul. But at last Faith is come; and with it comes a new world. The clock of time cannot be put back. The soul of man will never return to the old tutelage, nor submit again to a religion of rabbinism and sacerdotalism. "We are no longer under a pedagogue"; we have ceased to be children in the nursery, schoolboys at our tasks-"ye are all sons of God."