Note: I preached Sunday from Galatians 3:15-22, which meant attempting an interpretation of a notorious textus difficilis. Here are some notes:
"Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one" (Galatians 3:20).
Paul’s
comment in v. 20 is notoriously difficult to interpret. The Puritan expositor Mathew Poole
noted: “This is a text acknowledged by
all interpreters to be very obscure. “ John
Brown in 1853 observed: “Perhaps no
passage in Scripture has received so many interpretations as this” (Galatians, p. 155). He then cites a scholar of his day who traced
no less than 250 different interpretations of this verse! The Dutch scholar Hermann Ridderbos in 1953
said there are at least 430 interpretations of this verse (matching the 430
years of v. 17) (Galatians, p. 139).
Some immediate
questions might be posed: Is the
mediator here Moses, or angels (v. 19), or Christ, or any mediator? Is Paul making a positive, approving statement
here, or is he quoting something his opponents have been saying? Is he contrasting the promise to Abraham and
the giving of the law through Moses?
Luther
interpreted the verse as follows: “God
offendeth no man, and therefore needeth no mediator; but we offend God, and
therefore we need a mediator” (as cited in Brown, p. 156).
If we are to
attempt an interpretation we should look to the opening section of the
verse: “Now a mediator is not a mediator
one....” This seems to be simply making the
obvious point that if there is a mediator he must be mediating between two
conflicting or opposing parties. Paul then
adds: “but God is one.” This seems to point to the fact that there is
no inherent self-contradiction in God.
He does not have self-contradictory motives. He does not act inconsistently. The larger point: God did not enter into covenant with Abraham
and justify him by faith, then later decide that he had a better idea and gave
the law through Moses so that men could be justified by law keeping. The giving of the law, then, does not
contradict the unconditional covenant of faith that God made with Abraham.
This
interpretation is supported by the next question in v. 21: “Is the law then against the promises of
God?” Does the giving of the law
contradict the promise given to Abraham (in Genesis 22:18)? Paul’s answer: God forbid! Me
genoito! Let not such a thing be
even imagined or uttered aloud!
5 comments:
This is a nice post. I looked up Galations 3 and gave it a read. My own opinion, which is worth exactly what you're paying for it, is that oftentimes it doesn't pay to over think or over analyze Scripture.
The law was given to angles (messengers) with the order to pass the law along to one or more mediators, regular folks like you and I. The idea being that the law didn't originate from said mediator or from the angels, but from the Lord alone. Note that the Lord includes Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
So there.
I read your blog on an irregular basis and generally enjoy it, although a few of your posts tend to have a lot more information than I can assimilate at one time. Thanks for keeping your blog up.
MJ,
I'm glad you "generally" enjoy reading the blog (smiles) and appreciate your comments and interaction.
I'm a bit hesitant fully to agree that "oftentimes it doesn't pay to over think or analyze Scripture." I think it is always fruitful to medidate on Scripture (cf. Psalm 1:2). I agree, however, with your statement, if you are saying that such study is fruitless when it only yields vain speculation and never reaches firm conclusions and assurances, being like those Paul described in 2 Timothy 3:7: "ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth." I hope this reflection is not that.
JTR
Hoy hoy, Pastor Jeff.
As my dear old Uncle Charley used to say, "Jackie, sometimes I sets and thinks and sometimes I jis' sets."
When Uncle Charlie sat and thought, he was meditating, which is a good thing to do when Scripture is involved. Praying is another thing I'll do when Scripture and I get involved.
Meditation isn't over thinking or over analyzing, as you point out. I particularly like your quote about 'vain speculation'. I hadn't come across that one and I like it - it's quite neat.
When Charley 'jis' set', he was loafing. It takes practice to just set. Some people never seem to really master it.
Later!
Mad Jack
Pastor Jeff,
I just recently enjoyed listening to this sermon. I find your interpretation very convincing and contextually meaningful.
Thanks for the hard work in the ministry!
Thanks for the encouragement A. Some weeks I feel wholly inadequate (because I am)to handle the word and oftentimes I do not spend nearly the amount of time needed in prayer and preparation/study. The clock runs out. I told my children that being a pastor is like having two ten page papers due every Sunday at 11:00 am. Hope you'll come and visit the next time you're in the Old Dominion.
JTR
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