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"The explanation of this verse, so obscure from its brevity, are so numerous (Winer
counted 250; Jowett mentions 430) that they require a bibliography of their own."
This is certainly not the place to attempt an exposition of such a verse, but a few notes
concerning it will clear the way for a fuller study:--
(1) The reference to the mediator is not to Christ; the whole context compels us to
regard it as a reference to Moses and the law of Sinai.
(2) The expression "God is one" must not be taken as a revelation of the great doctrine
of the unity of the Godhead. Such a doctrine has no place in the argument, and its
inclusion here would only cumber the mind with extraneous ideas.
The apostle's argument both in Rom. 4: and Gal. 3: is that the promise is by faith
and grace, and that, whereas the law is conditional, this is unconditional. It is clear that,
where there are conditions, there will be two contracting parties, and two contracting
parties necessitate a mediator. In the case of the covenant promised to Abraham,
however, in order that there should be no semblance of condition or obligation on the part
of Abraham, God put him to sleep (Gen. 15: 9-17). This is the meaning of the phrase,
"But God is one"; there was only one party in the covenant with Abraham--God
Himself. The promise, therefore, is sure; it comes by way of faith and grace, and so can
be used, as it is, by God to encourage His people in their upward way. The promise and
the inheritance are sure, for in the realm of grace the crippling yoke of legal obligation is
unknown.
May the ministry of this wonderful aspect of the great and precious promises
encourage the children of God. "Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let
us . . . . ."
#4.
"Ye are all one in Christ Jesus" (Gal. 3: 28).
pp. 141 - 143
The truth of the remark made in the preceding article of this series as to the difficulties
of the passage then under consideration--Gal. 3: 15-20--was probably obvious to the
reader. The character of these short articles precludes our usual method of approach to
such deep mines of doctrine, and consequently many points of importance must be passed
by in silence.
When quoting Gal. 3: we purposely made no comment on verse 16:--
"Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds,
as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ."
The argument of the apostle is that the word "seed" must not be considered as plural,
but as singular: "Not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is
Christ." It has been hastily said that the Hebrew word for "seed" has no plural, but this is