WORKS, FAITH, PROMISE, COVENANT, TUTOR
Galatians 3.1-29
"Did you receive the Spirit." This is essential question for all Christians. Under words "works of the Law," Paul meant the Ritual Commandments of the Law of Moses, but under word "Faith" Paul meant Faith in Spiritual Commandments of the Law of Moses by which Jesus Christ teaches the people of Israel.
So, knowing that Galatians suddenly turned to the Rituals of the Law and to other things not compatible with the Spiritual Commandments of the Gospel, Paul straightforward called Galatians foolish. It is not surprising that character of Paul has some temper, but he rightfully exercised his displease and anger toward Galatians on whom he spent so much energy and time to bring them fully to Christ.
In these first 5 verses of this chapter Paul questioned if Galatians actually received the Holy Spirit being already taught by him and others in Evangeline of Christ.
In order to convince Galatians and show the difference between Rituals works for GOD and Spiritual Faith in GOD, Paul again turned to Abraham as the father of the Spiritual Faith who proved his Righteousness in his Faith (6) by his deed, willing to sacrifice his only son to GOD. So Paul shown that even without Law but according to Faith in GOD, Abraham became a righteous man in the eyes of GOD (Genesis 15.6) (Romans 4.3) (Galatians 3.6) (James 2.23).
But Paul did not stop here but went even further in his explanation and declared to Galatians that those among Gentiles who have the same Faith in GOD as Abraham had are the sons of Abraham, not genealogical physical sons, but the Spiritual sons of Abraham (7.29). So, GOD justified Gentiles not according to their commitment to the Rituals of the Law of Moses but according to their Spiritual Condition of Faith in GOD, just like He justified Abraham according to his Faith in Him (8).
The second part of the verse 8 reveal the result of such Faith in GOD, the result is the Blessing of Gentiles who have Abraham's Faith in GOD. Means that through the Blessing of Abraham as result of his Faith in GOD, all Gentiles also will be Blessed by Abraham's Blessing as result of their Abraham's Faith in GOD.
GOD does not Bless Gentiles directly from Himself as he had done with Abraham, but Bless Gentiles through Abraham and through his descendants Isaac and Jacob (8-9). (Genesis 12.3, 18.18, 22.18, 26.4, 27.29, 28.14) (Numbers 24.9) (Acts 2.39, 3.25) (Galatians 3.8).
But Paul also specified that not only through Abraham's Faith Gentiles are Blessed, but also through the Seed of Abraham - the Jesus Christ (14.16) (Genesis 22.18).
~ 16. "offspring" in NRSV, ESV.
"seed" in KJV, Gideons, Russian.
"descendants" in KSB. A literal translation "Seed." (Genesis 26.4. Mid-Reference. P-38).
(Genesis 22.18, 26.4) (Acts 3.25) (Galatians 3.16).
In verse 10 Paul gives excellent explanation of how Law works, which will curse anyone who violate or do not perform the Statutes of the Law (Deuteronomy 27.26) (Jeremiah 11.3). So, all those who violate the Law are under curse of the Law.
Verse 11 said "that no one justified before GOD by the Law, the one who is righteous will live by Faith." In this verse Paul does not mentioned the works (rituals) of the Law but mentioned only the Law. This means that those who obeying the entire Law by Faith in the Law and not just obeying the Law without Faith in it, are considered by GOD to be a righteous man. This includes Spiritual Laws and Ritual Laws all together.
~ 11. By Faith in the Laws of GOD one shall live. (Ezekiel 18.9) (Habakkuk 2.4) (Galatians 3.11) (Romans 1.17) (Hebrews 10.38).
But the most interesting here is the verse 12, "Whoever does the works (works of Rituals or works of Spiritual Laws) of the Law will live by them." (this means that whatever the Law requires, Ritual works or Spiritual Faith, a person must live by it and will have Life. The combination of two always go hand in hand.
~ 12. In other words, before Christ people lived, saved, and have Eternal Life by fulfilling the Ritualistic Laws as GOD prescribed in the Law of Moses. Under the Christ the people live, saved, and have Eternal Life fulfilling the Spiritual Laws of Moses, which is Gospel of Christ.
~ 12. The Ritualistic Laws mostly based not on Faith but on the Fear of its violation: (Leviticus 18.5) (Deuteronomy 30.20, 32.45-47) (Proverbs 6.23) (Malachi 2.5) (Galatians 3.12).
Explanation between Law - written Covenant, and Promise - Spiritual Covenant, Paul explained perfectly in verses 17-22, in which Paul wrote that the Law of Moses - the written Covenant that came 430 years after Israel spent in Egypt does not invalidate the Promised Spiritual Covenant of the Abraham's Seed (Jesus Christ) with his descendants the people of Israel, because the Promised Spiritual Covenant of the Seed of Abraham is derived from the same written Covenant of the Law of Moses.
The difference is that the Spiritual Covenant of Promise of GOD to Abraham concerning his Seed came first, and the Covenant of written Law of Moses came second.
The Law of Moses - the written Covenant of Ritualistic Commandments and Spiritual Commandments was given to Israel because of transgressions of Israel to keep them in check, until the Mediator Jesus Christ (the Promised Spiritual Covenant of the Seed of Abraham) will come and enforce the Spiritual Commandments of the Law of Moses in Israel (19).
But the greatest explanation of the Law of Moses Paul gave in verses 24 and 25, calling the Law of Moses as "Tutor to lead us to Christ." (24). But with presence of Christ "we are no longer under a Tutor." (no longer under physical rituals and other customs of the Law of Moses).
~ 24-25. "Tutor" in KSB and Gideons, "Schoolmaster" in KJV, "Guardian" in ESV, "Babysitter" in Russian.
~ 24-25. In order to properly understand this statement of Paul, it will be advisable to accept such concept that the Law of Moses was written as a Tutor ("Disciplinarian" NRSV). In other words, as; "Guide, Steer, Drive, Preliminary Stage" leading to Spirituality in Christ.
