Galatians | October 19, 2025

 

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Galatians 3

15 To give a human example, brothers: even with a man-made covenant, no one annuls it or adds to it once it has been ratified. 16 Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, "And to offsprings," referring to many, but referring to one, "And to your offspring," who is Christ. 17 This is what I mean: the law, which came 430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to make the promise void. 18 For if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but God gave it to Abraham by a promise. 19 Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was put in place through angels by an intermediary. 20 Now an intermediary implies more than one, but God is one. 21 Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. 22 But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. 23Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. 24So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. 25But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian,

Talk Sheet Questions

  1. What distinction does Paul make about the offspring of Abraham? How does this change the way you look at the promise to Abraham?

  2. Why does Paul say the law “was added because of transgressions” (19)? What does that reveal about sin and human nature?

  3. Have you ever had a guardian? In what ways was it helpful? How did the law act like a guardian until Christ came (23-25)?

  4. What is the distinction between faith and the guardian of the law?

  5. How does understanding the priority of God’s promise over the law affect your confidence in God’s commitment to send Christ for your benefit? 

  6. How can this passage help you explain the differences between law and gospel to someone new to Christianity?

Prayer

Thank God for his faithfulness in keeping his promises.

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Scott Reavely