Galatians 3:18
“For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.”
Context:Galatians 3:18 is part of the letter that the Apostle Paul wrote to the churches in Galatia. In this verse, Paul is addressing the issue of the law and its relationship to the promises of God. To better understand the verse, it’s helpful to look at the context of Galatians.
In the earlier part of the letter, Paul emphasizes the importance of faith in Christ, arguing against the idea that adherence to the Mosaic Law is necessary for salvation. He reminds the Galatians that they received the Holy Spirit not by observing the law but by hearing the message of faith (Galatians 3:2). Paul then brings up the example of Abraham, who believed in God and it was credited to him as righteousness (Galatians 3:6). This highlights the importance of faith as the means of receiving God’s promises.
In Galatians 3:18, Paul continues his argument, stating that if the inheritance-the promise of salvation and blessing-came through the law, then it would no longer be based on God’s promise. In other words, if keeping the law was the sole requirement for receiving God’s blessings, then faith and God’s promises would become irrelevant.
However, Paul affirms that God gave the inheritance to Abraham by promise. In Genesis 12:1-3, God called Abraham and made him a promise, saying that he would be blessed and that all nations would be blessed through him. Abraham believed God’s promise and his faith was credited to him as righteousness (Genesis 15:6). This emphasizes that the inheritance, including salvation and blessing, comes not by works of the law but by faith in God’s promises.
The broader message of Galatians is that salvation is obtained through faith in Jesus Christ, not by observing the law. Paul argues that the law served as a temporary measure to reveal sin and lead people to Christ (Galatians 3:19-24). He emphasizes that believers are justified by faith in Christ and are no longer under the bondage of the law (Galatians 2:16, Galatians 3:25-26).
