Or: the purpose of the law
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Keith start this out with a couple of questions
If people are inherently good, why do we need policemen, jails, handcuffs, and the like?
What laws do many people (even many Christians) routinely break? Why?
A little bit of context
Paul wrote this letter to churches he had established on his first missionary journey. Shortly after he had left them, these churches were targeted by Jewish legalists
Paul knew his readers might say, if the law can’t save us, why did God give the law in the first place? What’s its purpose?
Notes:
19 “was added because of transgressions”
the promise is superior to the law but it raises an obvious question: What was the purpose of the law?
20 mediators
A “mediator” is required when more than one party is involved, but God alone ratified the covenant with Abraham.
21 Certainly not!
The strongest Greek negative that is possible is used to reject the idea that the law and the promise are at opposite purposes.
22 confined all under sin
The Greek verb translated “confined” means “to enclose on all sides.”
humankind as hopelessly trapped in sin, like a school of fish caught in a net;
John MacArthur
like fish caught in a net, humans caught in sin need and outside power to set them free.
23 before faith came
faith might be thought of like a heavenly credit account. Before Christ, those in Old Testament times entrusted their sins would be paid on account. A debt to be settled later.
Christ is the one who pays that that. Not only that, he has placed all future sins of all people on that heavenly credit card for us to claim.
23 kept under guard by the law
Paul personifies the law as a jailer of guilty, condemned sinners, on death row awaiting God’s judgment.
The best we can hope for is to learn the level of our punishment. This judgment will in no way allow us into salvation.
23 the faith which would afterward be revealed
Faith in Christ alone releases people from bondage to law, whether the Mosaic Law or the law written on the hearts of Gentiles.
24 tutors
The Greek word denotes a slave who had the duty of taking care of a child until adulthood.
The “tutor” would escort the children to and from school and watch over their behavior at home.
The law, our tutor, was escorting us to Christ by showing us our sins.
26 sons of God
all people are created in God’s image. However, only those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ are Gods true spiritual children.
27 baptized into Christ
This is not water baptism, which cannot save.
The word baptized is used in a metaphorical manner to speak of being “placed into” Christ.
This is done by the Holy Spirit, a miracle of union with Him in His death and resurrection.
27 put on Christ
the result of the believer’s spiritual union with Christ is what our physical baptism symbolizes.
28 you are all one in Christ Jesus
All those who are one with Jesus Christ are one with each other. This verse does not deny that God has designed racial, social, and sexual distinctions among Christians.
Instead, it affirms that those distinctions do not imply spiritual inequality before God.
This spiritual equality is not incompatible with the God-ordained roles of leadership and ministry roles in the church.
Note: these print notes are trimmed down from a Bible study written by John MacArthur. They are used, but not limited to, helping in guiding our discussion in the podcast.
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