What is the meaning of Galatians 3:20? Context: Law, Promise, and the Gospel • Galatians 3:17-19 sets the scene: the Law, given 430 years after God’s promise to Abraham, could not nullify that promise (Genesis 12:1-3). • Moses received the Law “ordained through angels by a mediator” (Galatians 3:19, cf. Deuteronomy 33:2; Acts 7:53). • Paul’s point in verse 20 grows out of this contrast: the promised blessing came straight from God to Abraham, while the Law came through intermediaries. A Mediator • “Mediator” reminds readers of Moses standing between God and Israel at Sinai (Exodus 20:18-19). • A mediator implies at least two parties who need reconciliation—here, holy God and sinful people (Exodus 32:30-32). • New-covenant believers know the ultimate Mediator is “the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5), yet Paul is spotlighting the historical giving of the Law, not Christ’s mediation. Is Unnecessary, However, for Only One Party • Where just one party is involved, no go-between is necessary. – God’s unilateral covenant with Abraham (Genesis 15:12-18) required no human negotiator; God alone passed between the pieces. – The promise did not depend on human compliance; it rested solely on God’s faithfulness (Hebrews 6:13-18). • By contrast, the Mosaic covenant was bilateral: blessings for obedience, curses for disobedience (Deuteronomy 28). A mediator fit that arrangement because two sides were engaged. But God Is One • Paul echoes the Shema: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one” (Deuteronomy 6:4). • God’s oneness underscores His single, consistent purpose—from Abraham to Christ—despite the temporary addition of the Law (Romans 3:29-30). • Because God is one, His promise stands undivided: He alone guarantees salvation through faith, not works of the Law (Galatians 3:6-9, 22). Why Paul Brings This Up • Judaizers claimed Gentile believers must obey the Law to be fully accepted. • Paul answers: – The Law’s mediated, two-party nature shows it was temporary and conditional. – The promise, issued by the one God without a mediator, is superior and permanent. – Therefore, inheritance comes “by faith according to promise” (Galatians 3:18), not by Law-keeping. Summary Galatians 3:20 highlights the superiority of God’s unilateral promise to Abraham over the mediated, bilateral Law. A mediator signals two parties, yet the one true God made the saving promise entirely by Himself. Because “God is one,” the blessing of justification by faith rests on His unchanging character, not on human effort. |
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