Galatians 3:18,19 - Given by a Promise

3:18

Paul now explains why the Law cannot be it. For God’s dealings with Abraham were all based on the promise principle. If now the Law principle is what matters, then the promise is irrelevant. That cannot be. And remember that the Jews saw themselves as children of Abraham, they knew that the promises to him were important.

3:19

So Paul has shown that the Abrahamic principle is the guiding one, the one on which God’s promises will be fulfilled, and he will say more about this later in the letter. But this leaves a big question. What was the purpose of the Law? Is Paul saying the Law is irrelevant or an aberration? This cannot be the case, for it is utterly dominant in the Old Testament, it is central to God’s dealings with Israel. So Paul needs to say what the purpose and place of the Law is.

“It was added because of transgressions”. The exact meaning of this phrase is not clear. It could mean that its purpose was to highlight sins, something Paul does say elsewhere, or it could mean that it was added as a restraint. This latter meaning seems the more likely in the immediate context of Galatians, though both meanings apply in the wider context of the New Testament.

“Until the seed should come to whom the promise has been made”. This could refer to Jesus, which would seem likely from the earlier verses, or it could mean believers, who are the beneficiaries of the promise.

It was a standard Jewish belief that the Law was mediated by angels (see Acts 7:53). He also recognises the role of Moses.