Galatians 3:8,9 – Being blessed with believing Abraham.

Now the scripture, perceiving before that God is justifying the nations by faith, brings before an evangel to Abraham, that “in you shall all the nations be blessed”. So that those of faith are being blessed together with believing Abraham.

It is remarkable how Paul formulates here: “the Scriptures perceiving before…”. As if Scripture were someone (cf. Rom. 9:17). Paul can write in this way because for him the Scriptures coincide with (the speaking of) God. It illustrates how to the apostle the Scriptures are no less than the revelation of God himself.

When God proclaimed the (proto) Gospel to Abraham in the promise that in him all the nations would be blessed (Gen.12:3), it was already implied that God would justify the nations by faith. The blessing of justification by faith (now coming to the nations) is the same blessing that once blessed Abraham as a progenitor.

We may tend to reserve the word ‘evangel’ for ‘the New Testament,’ but remember that the Gospel was already brought to Abraham. The word ‘evangel’ means ‘good tidings’ and that is exactly what Abraham was told. Unconditionally! In him and his seed (= Christ!; Gal.3:16) all nations will be blessed. Abraham was chosen that through him the whole world might be blessed!

Delen: