Galatians 3:20

Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one. 'Now a mediator [in the essential idea: ho (G3588) mesitees (G3316): the article is generic] cannot be of one (but must be of two parties whom he mediates between); but God is one' (not two: His unity admits not an intervening party between Him and those to be blessed: as the ONE Sovereign, His own representative, He gives the blessing directly by promise to Abraham, and, in its fulfillment, to Christ, 'the Seed,' without new conditions, and without a mediator such as the law had). He recognizes no second party (as man) dealing on independent terms with Him through a mediator. The conclusion understood is, Therefore a mediator cannot appertain to God; consequently, the law, with its inseparable appendage of a mediator, and two parties to be m...

20._Now, a mediator is not a mediator of one. _Some are disposed to philosophize on this expression, and would make Paul’s meaning to be, that the twofold nature of Christ is not one in essence. But that Paul is here speaking of the contracting parties, no man of sound judgment entertains a doubt. And so they commonly expound it, that there is no room for a Mediator, unless when one of the parties has a matter to transact with the other. But why that statement should have been introduced they leave undetermined, though the passage manifestly deserves the most careful attention. There may, perhaps, be an Anticipation ( πρόληψις) of some wicked thought that might arise about a change of the divine purpose. Some one might say, “As men, when they change their mind about their covenants, are wont to retract them, so has it happened with the covenants of God.” If you take this to be the meanin...

19-22 If that promise was enough for salvation, wherefore then serveth the law? The Israelites, though chosen to be God's peculiar people, were sinners as well as others. The law was not intended to discover a way of justification, different from that made known by the promise, but to lead men to see their need of the promise, by showing the sinfulness of sin, and to point to Christ, through whom alone they could be pardoned and justified. The promise was given by God himself; the law was given by the ministry of angels, and the hand of a mediator, even Moses. Hence the law could not be designed to set aside the promise. A mediator, as the very term signifies, is a friend that comes between two parties, and is not to act merely with and for one of them. The great design of the law was, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ, might be given to those that believe; that, being convinced...

Verse 20. _A MEDIATOR IS NOT_ A MEDIATOR _OF ONE_] As a mediator, μεσιτης, signifies a _middle_ person, there must necessarily be _two_ parties, between whom he stands, and acts in reference to both, as he is supposed to have the interests of both equally at heart. This verse is allowed to be both _obscure_ and _difficult_; and it is certain that there is little consent among learned men and critics in their opinions concerning it. _Rosenmuller_ thinks that the opinion of _Nosselt_ is to be preferred to all others. He first translates the words ὁ δε μεσιτης ἑνος ουκ εστιν thus: _But he_ (viz. Moses) _is not the mediator of that one race_ of Abraham, viz. the _Christians_; for ἑνος relates to the σπερμα ᾡ επηγγελται, _the seed that should come_, Galatians 3:19, of which he

NOW A MEDIATOR IS NOT A MEDIATOR OF ONE ... - This verse has given great perplexity to commentators. “There is, unquestionably,” says Bloomfield, “no passage in the New Testament that has so much, and to so little purpose, exercised the learning and ingenuity of commentators as the present, which seems to defy all attempts to elicit any satisfactory sense, except by methods so violent as to be almost the same thing as writing the passage afresh.” In regard, however, to the truth of the declarations here - that “a mediator is not a mediator of one,” and that “God is one” - there can be no doubt, and no difficulty. The very idea of a mediator supposes that there are two parties or persons between whom the mediator comes either to reconcile them or to bear some message from the one to the other; and it is abundantly affirmed also in the Old Testament that there is but one God; see...

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

NOW A MEDIATOR IS NOT A MEDIATOR OF ONE,.... A mediator supposes two parties he stands between, and these at a distance from, or disagreeing with each other; where there is but one party, there can be no need of, nor any reason for, a mediator; so Christ is the Mediator between God and men, the daysman, Job 9:33, that lays his hands upon them both; and Moses, he was the mediator between God and the Israelites: BUT GOD IS ONE; not in person, for there are three persons in the Godhead, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, and these three are one, in nature and essence; so that though there are three persons, there is but one God, and who is the God both of Jews and Gentiles; who is of one mind concerning them, and has taken them into one and the same covenant, and makes use of one and the same method in the justification of them: but the true sense of the phrase here is, that w

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