Page 99 - Sarah's Children

this: the Law, which came four hundred and thirty years later, does not
invalidate a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to nullify the
promise. For if the inheritance is based on law, it is no longer based on
a promise; but God has granted it to Abraham by means of a promise.
Why the Law then? It was added because of transgressions, having been
ordained through angels by the agency of a mediator, until the seed
should come to whom the promise had been made. Now a mediator is
not for one party only whereas God is only one. Is the Law then
contrary to the promises of God? May it never be! For if a law had been
given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed
have been based on law. But the Scripture has shut up all men under
sin, that the promise by faith in Yahshua the Messiah might be given to
those who believe. But before faith came, we were kept in custody under
the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed.
Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, that we
may be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer
under a tutor. For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ
[Yahshua]. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed
yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither
slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one
in Christ Yahshua. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's
offspring, heirs according to promise.

This passage, indeed virtually the whole book of Galatians, is dealing with the issue
of Judaizers coming into the body and teaching people that they must, in addition
to having faith in Christ, keep the Law, as delivered by the Patriarchs and prophets,
in order to be saved. The book of Galatians shows very little concern for issues of
church order, or personal relationships in the body. Galatians is not a governmental
book. To find instructions on government and order, a much better source is Paul’s
letters to the Corinthian believers because these issues were some of the main
subjects he addressed among them. The Corinthian epistles would be a much better
source to discern doctrine about male/female relations among the body than
Galatians, because such relationships are not the focus of Galatians.

Looking at this passage from Galatians we see that Paul has decided to approach the
Galatians’ error by revealing what the source of the promise given to Abraham was.
Was it through the Law, or through faith? This is important because the Judaizers
were saying that in order to be true Jews, (sons of Abraham), one had to keep the
Law. Paul shows that this is erroneous. The true children, seed, and offspring of
Abraham are those who walk in the faith of Abraham.

Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does