Readings:
1 Chronicles 21
Sirach 7
Galatians 3

Galatians 3

Paul is very frustrated with how quickly the Galatians have adopted the teachings of these new heretical teachers, even though they are contrary to what they were taught directly by Paul. He relates how God promised to bless all the world through Abraham, and not only circumcised Jews, but uncircumcised gentiles too.

He says that the law is a curse, because the final of the curses that the Israelites bound themselves to in Deuteronomy was that anyone who didn’t keep the whole law was cursed, and nobody has ever kept the whole law perfectly so everyone was under the curse. But Jesus took that upon himself and freed us from this curse to live in the freedom of his grace. To exchange that freedom for slavery is just foolish.

Paul says the law came because of transgressions. This has a double meaning, in that the law exposes the transgressions that we commit and makes us aware of our inability to be holy without God giving us grace upon grace. And that the law was a response to transgressions of the Israelites. After every rebellion or idolatry there were more regulations and more requirements laid upon them as a consequence for their sins.

He also makes a point that the promise to Abraham was for all nations and preceded the law of Moses by over 400 years and that law was for the Israelites. The law was a custodian guarding the Israelites until Christ came and freed them from the law, and now all who are in Christ are sons of Abraham and heirs to the promise.

Tomorrow’s Readings:
1 Chronicles 22
Sirach 8
Galatians 4