Galatians 3:15

Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto. I SPEAK AFTER THE MANNER OF MEN - I take an illustration from a human transaction of everyday occurrence. As faith is older than the law, so the law cannot set aside the promise. BUT A MAN'S COVENANT - whose purpose it is far less important to maintain. IF IT BE CONFIRMED - when once ratified. NO MAN DISANNULLETH - `none setteth aside,' not even the author, much less any second party. 'None' who acts in common equity, much less the righteous God. The law is, by personification, regarded as a second person, distinct from, and subsequent to, the promise of God. The promise is everlasting, and more peculiarly belongs to God. The law is as something extraneous, subsequent, exceptional, and temporary ...

15._I speak after the manner of men_. By this expression he intended to put them to the blush. It is highly disgraceful and base that the testimony of God should have less weight with us than that of a mortal man. In demanding that the sacred covenant of God shall receive not less deference than is commonly yielded to ordinary human transactions, he does not place God on a level with men. The immense distance between God and men is still left for their consideration. _Though it be but a man’s covenant_. This is an argument from the less to the greater. Human contracts are admitted on all hands to be binding: how much more what God has established? The Greek word διαθήκη, here used, signifies more frequently, what the Latin versions here render it, (_testamentum_,) a_testament_; but sometimes too, a _covenant_, though in this latter sense the plural number is more generally employed.

15-18 The covenant God made with Abraham, was not done away by the giving the law to Moses. The covenant was made with Abraham and his Seed. It is still in force; Christ abideth for ever in his person, and his spiritual seed, who are his by faith. By this we learn the difference between the promises of the law and those of the gospel. The promises of the law are made to the person of every man; the promises of the gospel are first made to Christ, then by him to those who are by faith ingrafted into Christ. Rightly to divide the word of truth, a great difference must be put between the promise and the law, as to the inward affections, and the whole practice of life. When the promise is mingled with the law, it is made nothing but the law. Let Christ be always before our eyes, as a sure argument for the defence of faith, against dependence on human righteousness....

Verse 15. _I SPEAK AFTER THE MANNER OF MEN_] I am about to produce an example taken from civil transactions. _If it be_ _confirmed_-If an agreement or bond be signed, sealed, and witnessed, and, in this country, _being first duly stamped_; _NO MAN DISANNULLETH_] It stands under the protection of the civil law, and nothing can be legally erased or added....

BRETHREN, I SPEAK AFTER THE MANNER OF MEN - I draw an illustration from what actually occurs among people. The illustration is, that when a contract or agreement is made by people involving obligations and promises, no one can add to it or take from it. It will remain as it was originally made. So with God. He made a solemn promise to Abraham. That promise pertained to his posterity. The blessing was connected with that promise, and it was of the nature of a compact with Abraham. But if so, then this could not be effected by the Law which was four hundred years after, and the Law must have been given to secure some different object from that designed by the promise made to Abraham, Galatians 3:19. But the promise made to Abraham was designed to secure the “inheritance,” or the favor of God; and if so, then the same thing could not be secured by the observance

EXPOSITION GALATIANS 3:1 O FOOLISH GALATIANS (ὦ ἀνόητοι Γαλάται). In thus apostrophizing them, the apostle brands their present behaviour, not any lack of intelligence on their part in general (comp. Luke 24:25). "Foolish"—to allow yourselves to be thus robbed of your happiness. The transporting feeling of elevation and joy with which, in Galatians 2:19, the apostle describes himself as crucified with Christ to the Law, and as living in Christ and through Christ, makes him the more keenly sensible of the senseless folly shown by the Galatians in taking up the observance of the Law. WHO HATH BEWITCHED YOU, THAT YE SHOULD NOT OBEY THE TRUTHS? (τ

BRETHREN,.... Whereas in Galatians 3:1, he calls them "foolish Galatians", which might seem too harsh and severe, therefore, to mitigate and soften their resentments, he styles them brethren; hoping still well of them, and that they were not so far gone, but that they might be recovered; and imputing the blame and fault rather to their leaders and teachers, than to them: I SPEAK AFTER THE MANNER OF MEN; agreeably to a Talmudic form of speech in use among the Jews, דברה תורה כלשין בני אדם, "the law speaks according to the language of the children of men", or "after the manner of men" b, when they argue from any Scripture, in which a word is repeated, and the latter word seems to point out something peculiar: but the apostle's meaning is, that the thing he was about to speak of was taken from among men, in common use with them, and what was obvious to the common sense and u

Paul, writing, to those changeable Galatians, who had so soon deserted the faith, says to them in this chapter Galatians 3:1. _O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you._ Paul does not compliment them on being a very «thoughtful,» «educated» «cultured» people; he does not care an atom about that matter, but because they had forsaken the simple truth of the gospel, he says, «O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you?» Those are hard words, Paul! Why did he not say, «Who has led you forward into more advanced views?» Not he; he calls it witchery, the work of the devil, and it is nothing better; and the wisdom of it is no better than the trickery of some old witch. If you take your eyes off Christ, it must be witchcraft that makes you do it. There is

II. CONTRASTS BETWEEN LAW AND GRACE CHAPTER 3 _ 1. The gift of the Spirit not by the works of the law, but by hearing of faith. (Galatians 3:1)_ 2. Righteousness not bestowed by the law, but by faith. (Galatians 3:6) 3. The law curses; the curse born by Christ. (Galatians 3:10) 4. The law cannot annul the covenant of promise, (Galatians 3:15) 5. Wherefore serveth the law? (Galatians 3:19) 6. Faith having come--no longer under the law, ...

The promise having once been given, no subsequent enactment like the Law can interfere with it. (Similarly Heb. emphasizes the priority in time of Melchizedek to Aaron.) Even in human affairs, a scrap of paper which records an agreement is not torn up without tragic and memorable consequences. (It has been thought that a _will_ is specially referred to, and in the Gr. rather than the Rom. form; _perhaps_ confirming the view that the epistle went to S. Galatia.) Elsewhere (Galatians 4:24) there are two covenants and (2 Corinthians 3:14) one is old (_cf._ Jeremiah 31:31, and often in Hebrews). Here, _the_ Covenant OT promise or NT fulfilment contrasts with the alien institution of Law. (2) The