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No.62. (20) GALATIANS.
Galatians 3: 8 - 12.
The appeal to the Scriptures (3: 8).
pp. 186 - 189
Before proceeding to the exposition of Gal. 3: 8, which lies immediately before us,
we must pause to note that we now pass into another section of the structure.
C | 3: 8-12. | f | The SCRIPTURE preached beforehand.
g | Justification by faith ek pisteos.
h | Hupo under a curse.
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C | 3: 22, 23. | f | The SCRIPTURE concluded.
g | Promise by faith ek pisteos.
h | Hupo under sin, under law.
The introduction of Abraham in Gal. 3: 6 is also the first reference to the Scriptures
in the epistle. Right through chapters one and two the apostle has followed the method
so characteristic of him when dealing with a mixed company of Jews and Gentiles,
namely an appeal to experience and present facts, knowing full well that there is no
conflict between the ways of God as recorded in Holy Writ and the ways of God in the
process of their unfolding, always allowing of course, for dispensational changes. When
however the moment comes for the apostle to speak of the Scriptures, there is never any
uncertainly in his reference to them or his belief that they are inspired, authentic and
authoritative.
To the apostle the Scriptures were "holy" (Rom. 1: 2) and "sacred: (II Tim. 3: 15);
they are to be received as "the word of God" (I Thess. 2: 13). Then defining the simple
foundation of the gospel he preached, the apostle relates the death and resurrection of the
Saviour to "the Scriptures" (I Cor. 15: 3, 4), and over and over again the formula "it is
written" provides a Scriptural basis for his teaching and arguments. There are at least
thirty-seven occurrences of the phrase in the four epistles Romans, I and II Corinthians
and Galatians to which must be added such allusions and quotations that are introduced
by such words as "And again he saith . . . . . again . . . . . and again Esaias saith"
(Rom. 15: 10-12). Then we find the apostle not only quoting, but seeing in the O.T.
prophet a kindred spirit with himself, as for example in Rom. 10::
"First Moses saith . . . . . but Esaias is very bold, and saith" (Rom. 10: 19, 20).
When the apostle introduces the Scriptures into the argument he does so by using the
somewhat remarkable words "the Scripture foreseeing", this personifying of the
Scriptures being very common among the Rabbinical writers who often use the formula
"what saw the Scripture?" When the Scriptures as a whole are referred to, the word
graphe is generally put in the plural graphai, but where some particular passage is