the law came 430 years later…

Now this am I saying: the law, having come four hundred and thirty years afterward,… Galatians 3:17

The often repeated example of faith in Paul’s letters is that of Abraham. It also plays a major role in his controversy with the Judaizers, who tried to place the believers, out of the nations, under law. Abraham was a friend of God and was justified on the bases on faith in GOD’s unconditional promise (Gen.15:6; Gal.3:6; Rom.4:3). How could Judaizers claim, Paul asserted, that a life of faith is impossible without the law? After all, when Abraham received the promise, it would still take four hundred thirty years (!), before his descendants would arrive at Sinai to receive the tablets of stone. All those centuries, man knew nothing about laws concerning the sabbath, the eating and drinking of kosher foods, holy days, etc. If we reckon the period from Adam to Christ to be four thousand years, then the time span of Israel “under the law” (roughly fifteen hundred years) covers less than forty percent of that entire period. For thirty-five centuries, people lived, as did Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham and Sarah, by faith – without law. The period “under the law” was only an interlude, according to Paul, until Christ.

So that the law has become our escort TO CHRIST, that we may be justified by faith. Now, at the coming of faith, we are no longer under an escort. Galatians 3:24,25

And with this, the situation since (the risen) Christ, with respect to the law, is again identical to the time before Sinai. Now we live again purely out of faith in what God has promised. Except that the promise concerning the coming SEED of Abraham, by now, is fulfilled. ——————————— translation: Peter Feddema

Delen: