Understanding The Bible
STUDY REFERENCE
Clarence E. Mason's "GALATIANS"
ANALYSIS OF GALATIANS:  III. THE DOCTRINAL ARGUMENT
Justification is alone by faith in Christ, 3:1-511
(Outline by W. Graham Scroggie)

BY THE AUTHOR
Dr. Clarence E. Mason, Jr.
Philadelphia College of Bible
1964


  1. THE DOCTRINAL ARGUMENT: Justification is alone by faith in Christ 3:1‑5:1 1.

    1. The doctrine argued and applied, 3:1‑29
      That justification is alone by faith in Christ is:

      1. Proved by the PAST Christian EXPERIENCE of the Galatians. 1‑5
        The gift of the Spirit had been by faith, not by law‑works, 2
        Sanctification is by faith, not by law‑works, 3
        Christian service is by faith, not by law‑works, 5

      2. Proved by the covenant of God with Abraham, 6‑18

        1. The promise to Abraham gave priority to faith (6‑9)
          All who are justified are justified by faith.

        2. None, then, can be justified by the law (10‑12)
          All the law can say to sinful man is: "Cursed."

        3. But Christ bore the curse; we by faith receive the blessing (13‑14) The law must be satisfied before one can be justified. So Christ bore the curse, meeting every feature of the curse in Genesis 3.

        4. The law could not in any degree annul the promise (15‑18) Nor can it add anything to the covenant which will change its basic provisions.
          (See A.T. Robertson, Great Greek Scholar on Galatians 3:10, 13, below)
          [1]

      3. Proved by the general scope of the law itself, 19‑24

        1. The character of the law (19‑21)

          1. Distinct from the promise because "added" (19a)

          2. SUBordinate to the promise because only "until" (19a)

          3. Inferior to the promise because given through a mediator, but the promise was not (19b‑20) (cp.Gen. 15)

          4. In harmony with the promise because not a rival means of justification (21)

        2. The function of the law (19, 22‑24)

          1. To define sin, by making it transgression (19)

          2. To shut us up in our sin, with no means of escape (22)

          3. To shut us up to the faith which was to be revealed (23) d. To drive us to Christ (24)

      4. Proved by the PRESENT Christian standing of the believer, 25‑29 Seen in our relation:

        1. To God: "sons" (26)

        2. To Christ: "baptized into" (27)

        3. To one another: "one" (28)

        4. To Abraham: "sons and heirs" of the promise (29)

    2. The doctrine illustrated and applied, 4:1‑5:1

      1. A LEGAL illustration: Minority and majority, 4:1‑20

        1. The illustration stated (1‑2) (The bondage of nonage)

        2. The illustration applied (3‑7)

          1. An ethical fact: Jews under the law were in a condition of nonage‑‑only children (3)

          2. A historical fact: But believers are now sons by redemption (4‑5)

          3. A spiritual fact: Sons and heirs, "at home" by theSpirit (6‑7)

        3. The appeal (4:8‑20)
          Turning to the law from this positron results in:

          1. Loss of freedom (8‑14)
            Return to the bondage of nonage, as far as experience is concerned.

          2. Loss of blessing (15‑18)

          3. Loss of Christ‑likeness (19‑20)
            He must again be formed within them. His image has been effaced by a system of outward formalism which degrades Him.

      2.  An HISTORICAL illustration: Isaac and Ishmael, 4:21‑5:1

        1. The illustration stated (4:21‑23)
          Abraham had not one, but two sons, of whom only one could be heir. The first‑born, contrary to ordinary expectation, was not the heir, because he was the son of the bondwoman Hagar. The second son, born of the freewoman, was heir by God's direction. (Cp. the seconds in Scripture: second son of Adam; second Man, Christ; second creation, i.e., new creation; etc.)

        2.  The illustration applied (4:24‑30)
          Hagar‑‑Jerusalem that now is, and
          Ishmael ‑ ‑those in bondage with her (i.e., those who follow the Old Covenant)
          Sarah‑ ‑Jerusalem above, free, and
          Isaac‑‑those who share her freedom, whether Jew or Gentile (i.e., those who believe Christ, receiving New Covenant blessings)

        3. The appeal (4:31‑5:1)


 [1]  A. T. ROBERTSON, GREAT GREEK SCHOLAR on Galatians 3:10, 13
PLAY ON WORDS SHOWING CHRIST'S SUBSTITUTIONARY WORK
(you will need MS Symbol TTFont or similar to see Greek Alphabet letters)

  1. We were under the curse, l0a
    (under) upw (hupo)
    God's dagger was directed against us.
     

  2. But Christ came in over us, 13b
    (over) uper (huper)
    but under the curse
    (under) upw (hupo)
     
  3. Which bought us out from
    (out from) ek (ek)
    under the curse, thus redeeming us, 13,
    (under) upw (hupo)


  4. since the curse fell on Him who came in
    under the curse, but over us!
    (under) upw (hupo), (over) uper (huper)

 

 

 

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