Commentary on the Epistle to the GalatiansLuther, Martin
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Commentary on the Epistle to the Galatians
Luther, Martin
Bible. Galatians -- Commentaries
“Your boasting does not get you anywhere,” says Paul to the Galatians,
“because the Sacred Scriptures foresaw and foretold long before the
Law was ever given, that the heathen should be justified by the blessed
‘seed’ of Abraham and not by the Law. This promise was made four hundred
and thirty years before the Law was given. Because the Law was given so
many years after Abraham, it could not abolish the promised blessing.”
This argument is strong because it is based on the exact factor of time.
“Why should you boast of the Law, my Galatians, when the Law came four
hundred and thirty years after the promise?”
The false apostles glorified the Law and despised the promise made
unto Abraham, although it antedated the Law by many years. It was after
Abraham was accounted righteous because of his faith that the Scriptures
first make mention of circumcision. “The Scriptures,” says Paul, “meant
to forestall your infatuation for the righteousness of the Law by
installing the righteousness of faith before circumcision and the Law
ever were ordained.”
VERSE 8. Preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall
all nations be blessed.
The Jews misconstrue this passage. They want the term “to bless” to
mean “to praise.” They want the passage to read: In thee shall all the
nations of the earth be praised. But this is a perversion of the
words of Holy Writ. With the words “Abraham believed” Paul describes a
spiritual Abraham, renewed by faith and regenerated by the Holy Ghost,
that he should be the spiritual father of many nations. In that way all
the Gentiles could be given to him for an inheritance.
The Scriptures ascribe no righteousness to Abraham except through faith.
The Scriptures speak of Abraham as he stands before God, a man justified
by faith. Because of his faith God extends to him the promise: “In thee
shall all nations be blessed.”
VERSE 9. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful
Abraham.
The emphasis lies on the words “with faithful Abraham.” Paul
distinguishes between Abraham and Abraham. There is a working and there
is a believing Abraham. With the working Abraham we have nothing to do.
Let the Jews glory in the generating Abraham; we glory in the believing
Abraham of whom the Scriptures say that he received the blessing of
righteousness by faith, not only for himself but for all who believe as
he did. The world was promised to Abraham because he believed. The whole
world is blessed if it believes as Abraham believed.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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