In Paul's demolition of the false gospel of works righteousness, he delights in pointing out all the ways that the Gospel is far better.
Now he describes another way in which the promises to Abraham and Christ are more intimate and direct than those under the law.
The law's promises result in death and judgment, while the promises through faith in Christ are righteousness and life! The law's promises are not better and do not supersede Gospel promises, but were only temporary until Christ should come and fulfill the promises made in Him.
The law was ordained by angels with a mediator. Most of the law was told to Moses by God and delivered to the Jews indirectly. Many glorious personages participated, but the Jews feared God too much to hear from Him directly.
Thus, the law's promises were made at arm's length by God through angels, wonders and signs, and Moses as God's messenger. So too were the promises of blessing for law keeping.
Under the law, all the Jews' interactions with God were through mediators, priests who alone could approach unto the presence of the Highest.
But the promises made to Christ, that He would be the blessing by His death in the sinner's place as God's Lamb, were made directly to Him by the Father! There was no mediator between God and Christ, for Christ is God the Son manifest in the flesh!
The "paradox" is that Christ is the man between us and God; He is our mediator. And yet, there is no man between us and God, for our Lord Jesus is the God-man by the incarnation!
The Jews could never keep their side of the promise of the law, but our Lord Jesus did everything necessary to execute the promise of blessing God made to Him!
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John Pittman Hey was born in 1961 in Jackson, Mississippi, to Godly parents who from the beginning raised him in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. With child-like faith he came to Christ on his fourth birthday at his mother's knee. He received his education at church...
