Paul further argues his position by demonstrating in verses twenty one and twenty two that the Law is not the source of life. In verses fifteen through nineteen, Paul gives the human institution of a covenant as an example of righteousness applied by promise and not law. Paul simply argues that a covenant once ratified cannot be altered or amended but must stand on the conditions sworn to at the time the covenant was cut. This simple idea certainly would have been recognized and affirmed by all who heard and thereby Paul lays the ground work for faith by imputation or faith by the promise of God. What Paul declares in verses twenty one and two is that the Law is not contrary to the promises; that is, the Law is not the source of life as Paul’s Judaizing opponents hold. What is implied here is that if the Law could in fact bring life, then the promises are unneeded and the promise that God gave to Abram has now been replaced post-mortem by the Law given to Moses. Paul however, clarifies the necessity of the Law to, as he says, “Imprison everything under sin;” that is the Law is given for the specific purpose of tangibly demonstrating that all have violated its mandates and are found in open rebellion as a result. The result of this imprisonment is given by Paul in the second half of verse twenty two’s “Reason / Result” clause when Paul says “So that” the promise of faith – faith in Jesus Christ – might be realized by those who acknowledge their inability to keep the Law perfectly and trust in the promise of God through Christ. This blessing of faith is what God spoke of when He declared to Abram that through him (Abram) would all the families of the earth be blessed and that God would bless those who blessed Abram. Paul’s use of the Greek Present Active Participle, πιστεύουσιν gives the reader insight to Paul’s understanding of this hallmark text of the Old Testament’s promise of salvation by faith. It is not that one can achieve right standing before God by keeping the Law, rather no one can keep the Law as God intended and it is only that one has become a “Believing one” (See note 16 for the parallel discussion of a “Blessed one” in opposition to a “Cursed one”) having received the changed nature resulting in faith and belief. Grievously, much of modern faith life is ignorant of Paul’s intended meaning as related to the promises of God to Abram. The blessing / cursing motif has been primarily high jacked by political or national aspirations and does great damage to the core principle of Scripture that salvation is by faith; that is a faith that is imputed to one at the point of regeneration. It is no accident that Paul highlights this in Galatians 3: 21 – 22 by using the same grammatical clues that indicate that salvation is the result of a changed nature; a nature that can only be granted by the regenerating work of God and not the adherence to the legal code of the Law. Obviously, the extension of Paul’s argument in these verses would lead one to the understanding that if salvation is attainable by any other means, in this case keeping the Law, then Christ died for nothing. True, God did give the promise of covenantal blessings for the community with whom He is in relationship. True as well, God did promise to bless those who obey His commands contained within the formal administration of this divine compact. These two points are not in dispute. What is and must be disputed is how one comes into possession of the various covenantal promises and obligations. This work asserts, as Paul did, that possession of the covenantal administration must be through a changed nature and not by observance. Possession of the covenantal promises cannot be by birthright; that is, simply because one is born into the faith community. This view has its own rites and observances though cleverly cloaked in theological terms but the end result is still the same. Obedience to external regulations is seen as the means of entrance for a select few into the covenantal relationship with God. Nor is shear obedience to the covenantal obligations the means of salvation regardless of how sophisticated the systemic administration may be. If either of these venues have salvific merit, then Christ died for absolutely nothing.
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