Part 5: Verse 29- Abraham’s Offspring

Part 5: Israel, Gentiles, the covenants, and the gospel

In Galatians 3 Paul gives a concise overview on how the Jews, Gentiles, and covenants interact in the gospel of Jesus Christ.  The final paragraph of Galatians 3 reveals a wealth of information and clarification on the gospel.    

(Galatians 3:23-29 ESV)

[23] Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. [24] So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. [25] But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, [26] for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. [27] For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. [28] There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. [29] And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise.     

Part 5:  Verse 29- Abraham’s Offspring

In Genesis 17:7 God gave Abraham the covenant of promise to his heirs:  “And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you.”

Here in Galatians 3:29 as well as Romans 9, Paul explains that this covenant was promised to the spiritual descendents of Abraham and not his physical descendents.  This promise was fulfilled and established with the death of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary.  This event also fulfilled the temporary Mosaic Covenant and ushered in the eternal New Covenant.  At the LORD’S supper Jesus instituted the new covenant when he said, “This cup is the New Covenant in my blood…..” [1 Cor. 11:25] 

Therefore, the covenant of promise to Abraham was fulfilled by Jesus and the recipients are the spiritual descendents of Abraham, who can be identified by being in Christ through faith and not in Abraham by flesh.  What about the physical descendents of Abraham that were not believers? 

Hebrews 8:9 tells us the following about them and the new covenant:
not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt.  For they did not continue in my covenant and so I showed no concern for them, declares the Lord.  Hebrews 8 reveals the new covenant is “not like” the Mosaic [old] Covenant and is enacted on better promises.  It also points out, the Jews did not keep the Mosaic Covenant and God showed no concern for them.  Hebrews 8 goes on to describe the characteristics and blessings of the spiritual descendents of Abraham and it is clear that there are no unbelievers in the New Covenant.

A few verses earlier in Gal. 3:24-25 Paul explains that the Mosaic Covenant was a temporary covenant acting as a guardian until the coming of the New Covenant.  Therefore, there is currently no covenant between God and man other than the New Covenant made with believers.  This means that neither unbelieving Jews nor Gentiles are in any kind of covenant with God.  God commands men everywhere to repent and believe the gospel, so unbelievers are without excuse according to Paul.  Those that do repent and believe by the power of the Holy Spirit are then brought into covenant with God.          

Part 4: Israel, Gentiles, the covenants, and the gospel

In Galatians 3 Paul gives a concise overview on how the Jews, Gentiles, and covenants interact in the gospel of Jesus Christ.  The final paragraph of Galatians 3 reveals a wealth of information and clarification on the gospel.    

(Galatians 3:23-29 ESV)

 [23] Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. [24] So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. [25] But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, [26] for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. [27] For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. [28] There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. [29] And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise.     
 
Part 4:  Verse 27-28 – Only one people of God.
The sons or people of God are all people that have been baptized into Christ Jesus through saving faith.  There are not different categories in the people of God.  In verse 28 Paul lists the physical differences that do not matter.  There is only one category of New Covenant member and that is all who are in Christ Jesus.  There was never a spiritual covenant relationship for each and every physical child of Abraham as God said the following about Abraham’s own grandson: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” [Rom. 9:13]  There is also no spiritual or physical covenant relationship for all of the children of believers.  There are many children of believers who are non-elect and will never become a new covenant member and there are many children of unbelievers who will become a new covenant member.  The promise is for all near and far who come to saving faith in Christ Jesus and not just for physical descendents whether they are Jews or children of believers [Acts 2:39].  As Paul states in Rom. 9:8, “it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God.” 

While God made the Mosaic Covenant with all of the physical nation of Israel that was delivered out of Egypt whether they became believers or not, the New Covenant is made with only those who are in Christ through faith.  That is why Paul says all of the physical distinctions no longer matter and both Jew and Gentile alike have one and the same path to eternal salvation.  Today, the physical nation of Israel as a nation is not in either a physical or spiritual covenant relationship with God.  Individual Jews who are in Christ Jesus through faith are in a spiritual covenant in the same manner as Gentile believers.  There is neither Jew nor Greek according to Paul. 

 
There is much confusion about the current nation of Israel in America that could be cleared up if we would just let Paul and the New Testament clarify the Old Testament and distinguish the difference between physical Israel and spiritual Israel [Rom. 2:28-29].      

Part 3: Israel, Gentiles, the covenants, and the gospel

In Galatians 3 Paul gives a concise overview on how the Jews, Gentiles, and covenants interact in the gospel of Jesus Christ.  The final paragraph of Galatians 3 reveals a wealth of information and clarification on the gospel.    

(Galatians 3:23-29 ESV)

[23] Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. [24] So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. [25] But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, [26] for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. [27] For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. [28] There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. [29] And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise.     

Part 3:  Verse 26 – Sons of God.

In verses 23-25 Paul was speaking of Jews who were under law as evidenced by his use of the pro-nouns we and our.  But here in verse 26 Paul changes to the pro-noun you.  With the coming of the New Covenant, salvation now included the Galatian Gentiles and Gentiles everywhere that were in Christ through faith.  Therefore, both Jews and Gentiles are sons of God through faith.  Paul explains thoroughly in Romans 9 that it is not the physical children of Abraham that are the sons of God, but it is the children of the promise.  Thus, flesh counts for nothing in spiritual salvation, but only faith.  Faith alone makes a person a child of God and being a Jew or the offspring of a New Covenant believer does not put a person in a New Covenant relationship with God.     

Part 2: Israel, Gentiles, the covenants, and the gospel

In Galatians 3 Paul gives a concise overview on how the Jews, Gentiles, and covenants interact in the gospel of Jesus Christ.  The final paragraph of Galatians 3 reveals a wealth of information and clarification on the gospel.    

(Galatians 3:23-29 ESV)

[23] Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. [24] So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. [25] But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, [26] for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. [27] For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. [28] There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. [29] And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise.     

Part 2:  Verse 24-25 – The guardian. 

The law [Mosaic Covenant] was a temporary guardian that came 430 years after the covenant of promise was given to Abraham and ended with the coming of Christ.  Paul explains that Jews were no longer under the law; therefore, it was not a permanent covenant.  By fulfilling the law [Mosaic Covenant] Jesus made justification by faith a reality for all who believe.  Jesus instituted a New Covenant, which made the Mosaic “law” Covenant obsolete [Hebrews 8:13].  The law saved no one and even those saved under the dispensation of the Mosaic Covenant were saved by faith in a coming redeemer.  The New Covenant is completely new and not like the Mosaic Covenant that it replaced [Hebrews 8:7].     

PART 1: Israel, Gentiles, the covenants, and the gospel

In Galatians 3 Paul gives a concise overview on how the Jews, Gentiles, and covenants interact in the gospel of Jesus Christ.  The final paragraph of Galatians 3 reveals a wealth of information and clarification on the gospel.    

(Galatians 3:23-29 ESV)

[23] Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. [24] So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. [25] But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, [26] for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. [27] For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. [28] There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. [29] And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise.     

Part 1:  Verse 23 - Held Captive.  

Before faith came Israel was held captive under the law.  The faith referred to is Jesus and the New Covenant.  The Mosaic Covenant was made with the physical nation of Israel that was delivered from Egypt and them alone.  They were captive and imprisoned under the law provisions of the Mosaic Covenant UNTIL the coming faith.  While the Mosaic covenant had a gracious purpose and provision for God’s mercy, the Jews were under law and had an obligation to obey it or be cursed.  Once Jesus Christ came and fulfilled the Mosaic Covenant on the cross of Calvary, the Mosaic Covenant ended and the New Covenant began.  That is why Paul said in Romans 6:14, “you are not under law but under grace.”