- Mark Lane
“ Seeds And Heirs Of Abrahamic Promise Through Christ”
( Gal- 3:14 ) That the blessing of Abraham might be on
the Gentiles, through Jesus the Messiah; that we might
receive the promise of the Spirit by faith.
(Commentary)-14. The intent of "Christ becoming a curse for us";
"To the end that upon the Gentiles the blessing of Abraham (that is, promised to
Abraham, namely, justification by faith) might come in Christ Jesus"
(compare #Ga 3:8|). that we might receive the promise of the Spirit--the
promised Spirit (#Joe 2:28, 29; Lu 24:49). This clause
follows not the clause immediately preceding (for our
receiving the Spirit is not the result of the blessing
of Abraham coming on the Gentiles), but "Christ hath
redeemed us,"
through faith--not by works. Here he resumes the thought in
|#Ga 3:2|. "The Spirit from without, kindles within us some spark of faith Whereby we lay
hold of Christ, and even of the Spirit Himself, that
He may dwell within us" .
(Gal-3:16 ) 16. This verse is parenthetical. The
covenant of promise was not "spoken" (so Greek for "made") to Abraham alone, but "to Abraham and his
seed"; to the latter especially; and this means Christ
(and that which is inseparable from Him, the literal
Israel, and the spiritual, His body, the Church). Christ not having come when the law was given, the
covenant could not have been then fulfilled, but awaited the coming of Him, the Seed, to whom it was
spoken. promises--plural, because the same promise was often
repeated (#Ge 12:3, 7; 15:5, 18; 17:7; 22:18|), and
because it involved many things; earthly blessings to
the literal children of Abraham in Canaan, and
spiritual and heavenly blessings to his spiritual children; but both promised to Christ, "the Seed" and
representative Head of the literal and spiritual Israel alike.
In the spiritual seed there is no distinction of Jew or Greek; but to the literal seed,
the promises still in part remain to be fulfilled (#Ro
11:26|). The covenant was not made with "many" seeds
(which if there had been, a pretext might exist for supposing there was one seed before the law, another
under the law; and that those sprung from one seed, say the Jewish, are admitted on different terms, and
with a higher degree of acceptability, than those sprung from the Gentile seed), but with the one seed;
therefore, the promise that in Him "all the families
of the earth shall be blessed" (#Ge 12:3|), joins in
this one Seed, Christ, Jew and Gentile, as fellow heirs on the same terms of
acceptability, namely, by grace through faith (#Ro 4:13|); not to some by
promise, to others by the law, but to all alike, circumcised and uncircumcised, constituting but one
seed in Christ (#Ro 4:16|).
The law, on the other hand, contemplates the Jews and Gentiles as distinct
seeds. God makes a covenant, but it is one of promise;
whereas the law is a covenant of works. Whereas the law brings in a mediator, a third party
(#Ga 3:19, 20|), God makes His covenant of promise with the one
seed, Christ (#Ge 17:7|), and embraces others only as
they are identified with, and represented by, Christ.
one . . . Christ--not in the exclusive sense, the man
Christ Jesus, but "Christ" (Jesus is not added, which
would limit the meaning), including His people who are
part of Himself, the Second Adam, and Head of redeemed
humanity. #Ga 3:28, 29| prove this, "We are all ONE in
Christ Jesus" (Jesus is added here as the person is
indicated). "And if we be Christ's, we are Abraham's
SEED, heirs according to the promise."
