Galatians 3:15 - Printer Friendly

ESV: To give a human example, brothers: even with a man-made covenant, no one annuls it or adds to it once it has been ratified.

NIV: Brothers and sisters, let me take an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or add to a human covenant that has been duly established, so it is in this case.

NASB: Brothers and sisters, I speak in terms of human relations: even though it is only a man’s covenant, yet when it has been ratified, no one sets it aside or adds conditions to it.

CSB: Brothers and sisters, I’m using a human illustration. No one sets aside or makes additions to a validated human will.

NLT: Dear brothers and sisters, here’s an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or amend an irrevocable agreement, so it is in this case.

KJV: Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto.

NKJV: Brethren, I speak in the manner of men: Though it is only a man’s covenant, yet if it is confirmed, no one annuls or adds to it.

In Galatians 3, Paul makes a series of arguments to the Christians in Galatia. He seeks to help them understand why what the Judaizers taught was false. The Judaizers agreed that all should believe in Jesus, but they said we must also continue to follow the works of the law to be truly saved (Galatians 2:4).

Paul has attacked that idea from two directions so far. First, he pointed to the Galatians' own personal experience. They received the Holy Spirit after trusting in Christ and before doing any works of the law (Galatians 3:2–5). Why would they think they must be circumcised and start following the law to be saved?

Second, he argued from the Old Testament scriptures that God's Word has always taught that salvation is by faith, starting with the declaration that Abraham was declared righteous—"justified"—for believing the Lord. In fact, following the law reveals that we are all under God's curse for breaking the law. Through faith in Jesus's death in our place, we can all become Abraham's children and be included in God's family (Galatians 3:6–14).

Now Paul begins to argue with the false teaching of Judaizers from a legal standpoint. He asks the Galatians to think about a legal covenant. Probably, Paul is referring to a will: a legal document declaring who receives an inheritance once the person creating the will has died. Under Greek law, a will could not be altered once it was fully completed. Perhaps that's the system to which Paul is referring.

In any case, Paul's readers understand that some contracts, even human ones, cannot be revoked or changed. They are binding no matter what circumstances follow. Paul will show that God's covenant with Abraham was binding still, even after the law was put in place.

Galatians 3:15–22 begins with Paul making a legal argument about God's covenant with Abraham. This arrangement remained in place even during the later covenant of the law of Moses. Paul follows this by describing what the point of the law really is. It was given both to show what is sinful, and to show how sinful we are. By the law, we learn that we are not able to keep to God's standard and must be saved in another way. That other way is through faith in Christ. Once He arrived, this salvation was available to all people, including non-Jewish Gentiles.

Paul indicates the Galatian Christians are foolish for believing they need to follow the law of Moses to be right with God. He offers three specific arguments to support this. First, they received God's Spirit in a powerful way after believing in Jesus, but before doing any works of the law. Second, Scripture itself shows God's blessing coming by faith, and His curse coming by the law. Christ paid the price of that curse on the cross. Third, God's covenant with Abraham is like a legal document, and it cannot be revoked.

In Galatians chapter 2, Paul declared that we can only be justified—''made right with God''—by faith in Christ and not by following the law of Moses. In chapter 3, Paul offers three arguments for why that is true. He argues from the Galatians own experience, from the Scriptures themselves, and from the legal standpoint of a covenant contract. Finally, Paul answers what the law is for if it cannot save us from our sin. In part, it reveals our sinfulness and convinces us of our need to be saved by faith in Christ. The following chapter will expand on what it means to be an ''heir,'' spiritually.

Galatians is sometimes called “a short Romans” for its similar themes of justification and sanctification through faith. A group of Christians known as “Judaizers” were preaching a gospel of legalism, rather than grace. Paul’s main purpose in writing the letter to the Galatians was to reiterate the true nature of the gospel: we are justified (made righteous) and sanctified (made more Christlike) through our faith in Jesus Christ alone. This letter was probably written shortly before the church elders in Jerusalem issued their official refutation of the Judaizers, commonly called the Jerusalem Council.