Faith and Freedom: One in Christ
Notes
Transcript
Faith and Freedom: One in Christ
Faith and Freedom: One in Christ
Answer: It was added because of sin, put in place by an intermediary.
Biblical Proof:
‘through the law comes knowledge of sin’
: ‘where there is no law there is no transgression’
: ‘if it had not been for the law, I should not have known sin’
John Stott quotes Andrew Jukes, ‘Satan would have us to prove ourselves holy by the law, which God gave to prove us sinners.’
John Stott quotes Andrew Jukes, ‘Satan would have us to prove ourselves holy by the law, which God gave to prove us sinners.’
Stott: “Luther expresses the matter with his usual forcefulness: ‘The principal point … of the law … is to make men not better but worse; that is to say, it sheweth unto them their sin, that by the knowledge thereof they may be humbled, terrified, bruised and broken, and by this means may be driven to seek grace, and so to come to that blessed Seed (sc. Christ).’”
Stott: “Luther expresses the matter with his usual forcefulness: ‘The principal point … of the law … is to make men not better but worse; that is to say, it sheweth unto them their sin, that by the knowledge thereof they may be humbled, terrified, bruised and broken, and by this means may be driven to seek grace, and so to come to that blessed Seed (sc. Christ).’”
Stott: “The purpose of the law was, as it were, to lift the lid off man’s respectability and disclose what he is really like underneath—sinful, rebellious, guilty, under the judgment of God, and helpless to save himself.”
Angels and intermediary then the people
But Abraham didn’t have any of that.
vs. 20??
Certainly not! That’s not Paul’s point. It had its purpose. Its purpose is just not to give life.
Scott: “Inability of the Law”
If the Law had power to give life, the being right would indeed be by Moses. Why? BUT Paul has already proven that being right with God is through faith.
Law didn’t have the power to produce the promise?
v. 22: Comparing Purposes
Scripture imprisoned (NIV: Locked) everything under sin so that the promise (which was faith in Jesus Christ) might be freely given to believers.
McKnight: “Paul here relates the condemning function of the law with the life-giving function of the promise.”
Paul here relates the condemning function of the law with the life-giving function of the promise.”
v. 23: Summary of Problem with Law
Before faith, rather than experience freedom, Israel was under captive, imprisoned (NIV: Locked up) until faith would be revealed.
Held Captive: Confined
Imprisoned: “kept under restraint”: ‘hem in’ or ‘coop up’. : “They enclosed a great shoal of fish.”
McKnight: “The law reveals Israel’s sinfulness and, in effect, holds Israel as prisoner.”
Faith= ‘Era of Faith’
Law was guardian until Jesus came in order that we might be justified by faith.
The Law was protecting Israel from themselves.
v.25: But because faith is here, Law’s Purpose has Ended because of faith
Pedagogue: ‘Tutor’
v.25: Law’s Purpose has Ended because of faith
“a strict governess’- J.B. Phillips
Stott: “Usually himself a slave… often harsh… depicted with a rod or cane…
Like a prison jailer or child’s disciplinarian.
McKnight:” A “pedagogue,” while sometimes used to describe a positive image, here describes the law’s confining and imprisoning work—as is seen in verse 25, where we are no longer under the pedagogue (that verse parallels the law’s imprisoning work of vv. 22–23), and in 4:2–3, where the time under a pedagogue is compared to a time of children being enslaved. Thus, the effect of the law was that it was an imprisoning pedagogue eis Christon (“unto Christ”).”
“The Law was our pedagogue to lead us to Christ”
Common traditional view: Law points our sin so we can see our need for Jesus
BUT, law ‘reveals sin’ and ‘imprisons’ to condemn us (not lead us to Christ??)
Second view: “The Law was our pedagogue until Christ.”
Temporal: Contextually more appropriate
Summary statement: “In Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith”
Better: “in Christ Jesus… through faith” (vs. 26)
v. 27: All baptized into Christ have clothed yourself with Christ.
Washed and Clothed
This is all about faith! Washed once
V. 28-29: Baptism make New Humanity
No Jew or Greek, slave/free, male/female- for you are one Christ Jesus.
v. 29: If you are Christ’s you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.
No distinction of race: Jew and Gentile
The Called and Everybody Else
We are equal
No Distinction in Rank: Slave nor Free
No class or caste.
Neither slave nor free
“In Christ snobbery is prohibited.”
No Distinction of Sex
Stott: “When we say that Christ has abolished these distinctions, we mean not that they do not exist, but that they do not matter.”
Stott: Galatians...
find their place in eternity (related first and foremost to God as His sons and daughters),
find their place in society (related to each other as brothers and sisters in the same family)
find their place in history (related also to the succession of God’s people down the ages).
God no longer backs a nation, he backs the church.
Question #1: v.19: Why then the law? NIV: “Why, then, was the law given at all?”
Question #1: v.19: Why then the law? NIV: “Why, then, was the law given at all?”
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.
Answer: It was added because of transgressions.
Why? It was added to expose! Highlight! Bring to light! Shine a spot light on sin!
Biblical Proof:
‘through the law comes knowledge of sin’
: ‘where there is no law there is no transgression’
: ‘if it had not been for the law, I should not have known sin’
Stott: “Luther expresses the matter with his usual forcefulness: ‘The principal point … of the law … is to make men not better but worse; that is to say, it sheweth unto them their sin, that by the knowledge thereof they may be humbled, terrified, bruised and broken, and by this means may be driven to seek grace, and so to come to that blessed Seed (sc. Christ).’”
Stott: “Luther expresses the matter with his usual forcefulness: ‘The principal point … of the law … is to make men not better but worse; that is to say, it sheweth unto them their sin, that by the knowledge thereof they may be humbled, terrified, bruised and broken, and by this means may be driven to seek grace, and so to come to that blessed Seed (sc. Christ).’”
Stott: “The purpose of the law was, as it were, to lift the lid off man’s respectability and disclose what he is really like underneath—sinful, rebellious, guilty, under the judgment of God, and helpless to save himself.”
MLB: Too early to talk about sign stealing? Yes, probably. Let’s deal with an older issue PEDs.
Performance enhancing drugs
Sign
But when the Commissioner of Baseball says, “Cut it out! Stop stealing signs using technology,” things change. Sign stealing from 2nd based
Always illegal, but once the Commissioner of baseball said, “We will no longer tolerate PED’s in our sport after years of tolerating the issue, things changed. What was tolerated or turn a blind eye to now became an enforced law! Taking PED’s AFTER this warning meant the consequences would be harsher.
The Law exposed the sin as sin.
Question #2: Is the Law contrary to the promises of God?
Question #2: Is the Law contrary to the promises of God?
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.
Paul asks the same type of question in : What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin.
Like, the Law may not make Abraham’s Covenant null and void, but does it stand in opposition to it?
Certainly not! That’s not Paul’s point. If Paul dismissed the law as wrong or sinful, then the Judaizers who were trying to convince the Galatians to adhere to the Law, would come in and say, “Look, this Paul guy is just unbiblicql! Uncredible! Heretical! Can’t listen to him!”
So Paul has to clarify how the function of the law was a good thing, it’s just that it’s purpose was not to produce life!
It had its purpose. Its purpose is just not to give life. Abraham and Moses aren’t against each other! It’s just that the Law couldn’t produce life and righteousness. It’s purpose was intended to reveal sin! “Look how broken I am” vs. “Look how holy I can be”
The Law had its purpose. Again, its purpose is just not to give life- that’s faith job!
Abraham and Moses aren’t against each other! It’s just that the Law couldn’t produce life and righteousness. It’s purpose was intended to reveal sin! “Look how broken I am” vs. “Look how holy I can be”
John Stott quotes Andrew Jukes, ‘Satan would have us to prove ourselves holy by the law, which God gave to prove us sinners.’
John Stott quotes Andrew Jukes, ‘Satan would have us to prove ourselves holy by the law, which God gave to prove us sinners.’
Scott: “Inability of the Law”
Is the law contrary to the promises of God? NO! They just had a separate function and that function was limited!
The Limitations of the Law
If the Law had power to give life, the being right would indeed be by Moses. Why? BUT Paul has already proven that being right with God is through faith.
Needed a mediator: Moses, and angels
Couldn’t produce life: If the Law had power to give life, the being right would indeed be by Moses. Why? BUT Paul has already proven that being right with God is through faith.
Law didn’t have the power to produce the promise
Couldn’t produce the Promise: Law didn’t have the power to produce the promise
Law Exposed sin, where the promise of Abraham’s Covenant was about new life in Christ!
Promise of the Seed and we are part of that Seed when we believe Christ.
Promise: “I will give you a seed. To your seed I will give the land, and in your seed all the nations of the earth will be blessed.’ Stott: “His promise was like a will, freely giving the inheritance to a future generation. And like a human will, this divine promise is unalterable.”
Like, the Law may not make Abraham’s Covenant null and void, but does it stand in opposition to it?
Certainly not! That’s not Paul’s point. It had its purpose. Its purpose is just not to give life.
Scott: “Inability of the Law”
If the Law had power to give life, the being right would indeed be by Moses. Why? BUT Paul has already proven that being right with God is through faith.
Law didn’t have the power to produce the promise?
Question #3: v.22-24: How did the Law Reveal sin?
Question #3: v.22-24: How did the Law Reveal sin?
v.24: Purpose of the Law (#3?)
22 But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
22 But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
23 Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. 24 So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith.
So if the purpose of the Law was to reveal sin, and if the Law was complimentary to Abraham’s Covenant, then how did the Law reveal sin?
v. 22: Scripture (the Law) imprisoned everything under sin as a way to prep the for Jesus Christ.
we have the law to contain sin, and if the law doesn’t stand in opposition to Abraham, then what was it’s purpose again?
we have the law to contain sin, and if the law doesn’t stand in opposition to Abraham, then what was it’s purpose again?
Paul needs to prove to the Galatians and to those who are trying to convince the Galatian church to conform to the Law that the Law had a function, but that that function is no longer necessary.
v. 23: Summary of Problem with Law
v. 23: Summary of Problem with Law
v. 23: How did the Law Reveal Sin?
It functioned like a Jailer and a Tutor
Jailer:
McKnight: “The law reveals Israel’s sinfulness and, in effect, holds Israel as prisoner.”
Before faith, rather than experience freedom, Israel was under captive, imprisoned (NIV: Locked up) until faith would be revealed.
Held Captive: Confined
Imprisoned: “kept under restraint”: ‘hem in’ or ‘coop up’. : “They enclosed a great shoal of fish.”
Wake County Detention Center Officer Job Description:
Supervises inmate activities. Observes activities by monitoring visually and mechanically. 2 H Transports inmates from jail to courts, schools, hospital and other prison facilities. 3 V Ensures inmates have appropriate clothing, regular meals and medical attention if required. 4 H Physically restrains detainees. Mediates disputes between inmates as appropriate. Takes disciplinary actions when required. 5 L Verifies inmate conditions when arrested. Verifies release orders and maintains records of activities. 6 L Assists in the training of new officers.
Supervises inmate activities. Observes activities by monitoring visually and mechanically.
Observes activities by monitoring visually and mechanically.
Transports inmates from jail to courts, schools, hospital and other prison facilities.
Ensures inmates have appropriate clothing, regular meals and medical attention if required.
Physically restrains detainees. Mediates disputes between inmates as appropriate. Takes disciplinary actions when required.
Verifies inmate conditions when arrested. Verifies release orders and maintains records of activities.
Assists in the training of new officers.
System of Control, Restraint, and restriction They are a constant reminder that the inmates are just that, inmates. That they are guilty. They’re guilt is constantly in their face.
The Law was protecting Israel from themselves, from one another and for the nations.
Tutor:
Law was a tutor until Jesus came in order that we might be justified by faith.
The Law was protecting Israel from themselves.
Pedagogue: ‘Tutor’
Pedagogue: ‘Tutor’
“a strict governess’- J.B. Phillips
Stott: “Usually himself a slave… often harsh… depicted with a rod or cane…
Like a prison jailer or child’s disciplinarian.
McKnight:” A “pedagogue,” while sometimes used to describe a positive image, here describes the law’s confining and imprisoning work—as is seen in verse 25, where we are no longer under the pedagogue (that verse parallels the law’s imprisoning work of vv. 22–23), and in 4:2–3, where the time under a pedagogue is compared to a time of children being enslaved. Thus, the effect of the law was that it was an imprisoning pedagogue eis Christon (“unto Christ”).”
“The Law was our pedagogue until Christ.”
Law= Strict Mary Poppins
Whole purpose of Mary Poppins was how to get the parents to act like parents.
Law prepared the way until Christ came so that God himself becomes our guardian and tutor.
Christ becomes the Promise and all the benefits
BUT, law ‘reveals sin’ and ‘imprisons’ to condemn us (not lead us to Christ??)
Second view:
Temporal: Contextually more appropriate
Faith= ‘Era of Faith’
Faith= ‘Era of Faith’
The Law was protecting Israel from themselves.
v.25: But because faith is here, Law’s Purpose has Ended because of faith
Pedagogue: ‘Tutor’
“a strict governess’- J.B. Phillips
Stott: “Usually himself a slave… often harsh… depicted with a rod or cane…
Like a prison jailer or child’s disciplinarian.
McKnight:” A “pedagogue,” while sometimes used to describe a positive image, here describes the law’s confining and imprisoning work—as is seen in verse 25, where we are no longer under the pedagogue (that verse parallels the law’s imprisoning work of vv. 22–23), and in 4:2–3, where the time under a pedagogue is compared to a time of children being enslaved. Thus, the effect of the law was that it was an imprisoning pedagogue eis Christon (“unto Christ”).”
“The Law was our pedagogue to lead us to Christ”
Common traditional view: Law points our sin so we can see our need for Jesus
BUT, law ‘reveals sin’ and ‘imprisons’ to condemn us (not lead us to Christ??)
Second view: “The Law was our pedagogue until Christ.”
Temporal: Contextually more appropriate
Before faith, rather than experience freedom, Israel was under captive, imprisoned (NIV: Locked up) until faith would be revealed.
Held Captive: Confined
Imprisoned: “kept under restraint”: ‘hem in’ or ‘coop up’. : “They enclosed a great shoal of fish.”
McKnight: “The law reveals Israel’s sinfulness and, in effect, holds Israel as prisoner.”
Faith= ‘Era of Faith’
v.25-29: From Law Era to Faith Era
v.25-29: From Law Era to Faith Era
25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, 26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.
25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, 26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.
Question #4: Why wasn’t the Law enough?
Question #4: Why wasn’t the Law enough?
Question #4: Why wasn’t the Law enough?
Reason #1: Required an Intermediary
Angels and intermediary then the people
But Abraham didn’t have any of that.
v. 19: Law was given until Jesus came through him the promise has been made.
vs. 20: Now an intermediary implies more than one, but God is one.
Reason #2: Couldn’t produce life
v. 22: Comparing Purposes
v. 22: Comparing Purposes
Scripture imprisoned (NIV: Locked) everything under sin so that the promise (which was faith in Jesus Christ) might be freely given to believers.
McKnight: “Paul here relates the condemning function of the law with the life-giving function of the promise.”
vs. 25: Faith has Come!
WE (as in Jews) are no longer under the law
For in Christ YOU (as in Galatians) are all sons of God
Like, the Law no longer has a strangle hold over anybody because the Age of the Law is over.
Now we live in the Age of the Law!
vs. 25: Faith has Come!
vs.29: If you (as in Galatians) are Christs, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the Promise given to Abraham.
Galatians are grafted into the particular family of Abraham because of faith.
Faith takes away purpose of guardian. Why?
Because faith exposes our sin. The Holy Spirit convicts us of sin.
But more than that, the Holy Spirit makes us sons and daughters!
Faith Era: vv.27-29 are all about Christ!
v. 28-29: Baptism make New Humanity
Summary statement: “In Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith”
Better: “in Christ Jesus… through faith” (vs. 26)
v. 27: All baptized into Christ have clothed yourself with Christ.
Washed and Clothed
This is all about faith! Washed once
V. 28-29: Baptism make New Humanity
No Jew or Greek, slave/free, male/female- for you are one Christ Jesus.
Stott: “We we say Christ has abolished these distinctions, we mean not that they do not exist but that they do not matter.”
Stott: No distinction of race: Jew and Gentile
No distinction of race: Jew and Gentile
Three types of distinctions obliterated
The Called and Everybody Else
We are God’s People. We are the Chosen Ones. We are the Elect. Uniquely called like Abraham was called!
What does this NOT address:
Spiritual Caste System, NOT a sociological one.
No Distinction in Rank: Slave nor Free
Paul is NOT saying, There is neither Jew or Gentile, therefore stop being racist.
Not about racism
Spiritual Elitism!
Galatians, you are equally grafted into the Family!
No Distinction in Rank: Slave nor Free
No class or caste.
This ties closer to the issue of social issues. What does it mean that there is no distinction of social rank in this Family?
This ties closer to the issue of social issues. What does it mean that there is no distinction of rank in this Family?
We’re all sons and daughters equally. You can be a slave. You can be free. But in God’s Kingdom that distinction doesn’t tear apart.
Paul isn’t abolishing Slavery, he’s just saying that social rank doesn’t matter with faith!
Anybody can believe. Anybody can be grafted into Christ.
BUT, the social spot you find yourself still exists!
Galatians slaves reading this passage can’t just go up to his free owner and say, “I’m out! Paul says so!”
Paul is not trying to create social disorder, he is simply stating that those distinctions don’t matter when it comes to faith.
When it comes to faith, there is no rank.
If you have a boss, that means you don’t have the same rank. But in the Era of Faith, this rank doesn’t matter. You are equal adopted with different functions!
Paul was abolishing Slavery, he’s just saying that being a slave or being free doesn’t matter with faith! It’s a gift offered across the social spectrum!
When it comes to faith, there is no rank.
Stott: “In Christ snobbery is prohibited.”
No Distinction of Sex
Radical statement: Women do not receive salvation because they are married to a guy who has faith.
No, women equally receive the Spirit! There is no distinction! The Spirit isn’t sexist! Faith isn’t gender specific.
Now, it’s no surprise that radical feminists and the LTGB community use this passage to prove their agenda.
“Just look right here, gender is abolished! It doesn’t matter who you are as long as you believe.”
Could this argument
That’s not the point: Paul isn’t saying that gender is abolished, he’s just saying that it doesn’t matter with faith. God choses both males and females equally.
But the distinctions still matter! It’s very clear in other of Paul’s writing that he still operates with the understanding that the categories of male and female exist.
This passage is so often taken our of context.
Faith is equally accessible by everyone because the Law no longer exists. What makes the New Israel is not the Law of Moses, but the Promise of Abraham.
I WILL BE YOUR GOD, AND YOU WILL BE MINE!
Stott: Galatians...
find their place in eternity (related first and foremost to God as His sons and daughters),
find their place in society (related to each other as brothers and sisters in the same family)
find their place in history (related also to the succession of God’s people down the ages).
Question #4: Why wasn’t the Law enough?
Question #4: Why wasn’t the Law enough?
Reason #1: Required an Intermediary
Angels and intermediary then the people
But Abraham didn’t have any of that.
v. 19: Law was given until Jesus came through him the promise has been made.
vs. 20: Now an intermediary implies more than one, but God is one.
Reason #2: Couldn’t produce life
v. 22: Comparing Purposes
Scripture imprisoned (NIV: Locked) everything under sin so that the promise (which was faith in Jesus Christ) might be freely given to believers.
McKnight: “Paul here relates the condemning function of the law with the life-giving function of the promise.”