Bible Study Galatians 3: 15-29

 

Bible Study Galatians 3: 15-29

Our text:

The Promise by Faith

15 Brothers, I speak in human terms: even though it is only a man’s covenant, yet when it has been ratified, no one sets it aside or adds conditions to it. 16 Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as referring to many, but rather to one, “And to your seed,” that is, Christ. 17 And what I am saying is this: the Law, which came 430 years later, does not invalidate a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to abolish the promise. 18 For if the inheritance is by law, it is no longer by promise, but God has granted it to Abraham through promise.

19 Why the Law then? It was added because of trespasses, having been ordained through angels by the hand of a mediator, until the seed would come to whom the promise had been made. 20 Now a mediator is not]for one person only, whereas God is one. 21 Is the Law then contrary to the promises of God? May it never be! For if a law had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed be by law. 22 But the Scripture has shut up [z]everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

23 But before faith came, we were held in custody under the Law, being shut up for the coming faith to be revealed. 24 Therefore the Law has become our tutor unto Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. 26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, heirs according to promise.

Verse by verse commentary

Verse 15: “ Brothers, I speak in human terms: even though it is only a man’s covenant, yet when it has been ratified, no one sets it aside or adds conditions to it.”

By the word “Brothers,” Paul reveals his compassionate love for the Galatian, which they may have questioned in light of his stern rebuke (vv. 1, 3).  Regarding the importance of covenants, Paul drives the point that once a covenant (think contract) has been cut (made), the terms are not changeable without all parties consent. In the ancient world, even if one party breached the covenant, the other party would not. This explains in part God’s faithfulness to Israel even though they broke the covenant with God. God did not breach His part, but will continue to honor His Words of promise. Human covenants, once ratified (means agreement finalized), are considered irrevocable and unchangeable, how much more a covenant made by an unchanging God.

Verse 16: “Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as referring to many, but rather to one, “And to your seed,” that is, Christ.”

Paul’s point is that in some Old Testament passages (e.g., Gen. 3:15; 22:18), “seed” refers to the greatest of Abraham’s descendants, Jesus Christ. He is affirming that Christ is the Seed (descendant) to whom the promise finally refers. Everything in the Scriptures regarding salvation finds its roots in the Lord Jesus Christ. The message of the gospel is found in Christ. God called Abraham and promised to make him a blessing to the world. He made him a blessing to the world through the Lord Jesus Christ, a physical descendant of Abraham. Christ is the One who paid for the salvation of the world.

Verse 17: “And what I am saying is this: the Law, which came 430 years later, does not invalidate a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to abolish the promise.”

From Israel’s time in Egypt  to the giving of the law at Sinai (ca. 1445 B.C.). The law came 645 years after the initial promise to Abraham, but the promise was repeated to Isaac (Gen. 26:24) and later to Jacob (ca. 1928 B.C.;) Gen. 28:15. The last known reaffirmation of the Abrahamic Covenant to Jacob occurred in Gen. 46:2–4  just before he went to Egypt; 430 years before the Mosaic law was given. The point to grasp is that the promise made to Abraham concerning Christ was made centuries before the Law. The Law came after the promise of grace, and obviously could not alter the previous promise.

Verse 18: “For if the inheritance is by law, it is no longer by promise, but God has granted it to Abraham through promise.”

God promised saving blessings to the nations through Abraham “and his offspring,” i.e. Christ, descended from Abraham in His human nature. That covenant promise was not canceled by the later giving of the law through Moses. The central idea is that the gift of salvation was just that, a gift. If salvation was by works, it would no longer be by grace. Grace was promised through Abraham and would be manifested in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Verse 19: “ Why the Law then? It was added because of trespasses, having been ordained through angels by the hand of a mediator, until the seed would come to whom the promise had been made.”

The Law was added “because of [meaning for the sake of] transgressions. It was given to reveal not remove sin. The Law did not have the power to stop sin, only expose sin for what it was, a transgression of God’s Law. It was not given to keep man from sin because sin had already come into existence. It was to show man himself as being a depraved, lost, and hopeless sinner before God. Any honest man looks at himself in the mirror and sees himself guilty. It was not given to prove that all men were sinners, nor was it given (as many liberals are saying today) as a standard by which man becomes holy. Oh, my friend, you would never become holy through the Law , because, first of all, you can’t keep the Law in your own strength. You never could and you never will.

Verse 20: “Now a mediator is not for one person only, whereas God is one.”

If there was only one contracting party, and he made an unconditional promise, requiring nothing from the other party, there would be no need for a mediator. The fact that the law required a mediator implied that man had to keep his part of the agreement, which was impossible because man was born a sinner. This was the failure of the law; it called for obedience from those who did not have the power to do it. When God made His promise to Abraham, He was the sole contracting Party. This was the strength of the promise: everything depended on God and nothing on man. Our mediator is the Lord Jesus Christ. It is because of Him that we can be saved. “Jesus paid it all” as the old hymn states.This is why we must teach and preach that “Salvation is of the Lord.” (Jonah 2:9) Man cannot and will not try to save himself. Until God in His mercy sends grace to the repentant heart, no soul will come forward to be saved. It is all of grace. Some think that “mediator” refers to Moses or in a general sense that mediators always act between two parties. Some  believe it is a reference to the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Whatever the details of the interpretation, the general thought seems to be that the promise is unilateral; humankind is not a party to it. Man does not come to spiritual rebirth on his own, he needs help. Man is depraved and without the grace of God operating in his life, he would never come to Christ in repentance. This thought reinforces what Paul has said earlier about the unconditional and unilateral nature of the promises. Many think this verse is the most obscure in Galatians and perhaps in the New Testament. 

Verse 21: “Is the Law then contrary to the promises of God? May it never be! For if a law had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed be by law.”

Having shown the superiority of the promise to Abraham (vv. 15–18), Paul described the inferiority of the law, and its purpose.The law was necessary to reveal sin, but was powerless to save. Paul is driving the point home about salvation through grace. Man only brings his sin to Christ to be saved. Remember this key point: Man meets God at the Mercy Seat and God meets the sinner in repentance. 

Verse 22: “ But the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.”

Can the Law bring life? My friend, the Law cannot bring life, only reveal death as a result of sin. The purpose of the Law was never to give life. It was given to show us that we are guilty sinners before God. Too often, people make church rules, a new type of law, to separate themselves from other groups in the body of Christ. Now don’t misunderstand me, I see value in rules that apply Scripture to the culture and our times. However, those rules must be Biblically based. For example, the Bible says “I will make a covenant with my eyes.” (Job 31: 1) Job was promising not to look lustfully at another woman. It would be consistent with this principle to make a rule as follows: “Church members shall not look at pornography.” That is very much in line with the Bible verse. Contrarily, if the church group based on Deuteronomy 22: 5 (“A woman shall not wear men's clothing, nor shall a man put on a woman’s clothing; for whoever does these things is an abomination to Yahweh your God.”) made a rule that women could not wear pants, that would be an example of an improper rule. First, at the time verse 5 was written pants did not exist. Second, it is a very unbiblical approach to interpretation to create one that the original audience would never have considered. The pants rule is an example. Since pants did not exist, no one who heard the verse read aloud could think it meant what some modern folks say it means today. Stay Scriptural and interpret in context.

Verse 23: “But before faith came, we were held in custody under the Law, being shut up for the coming faith to be revealed.”

The faith that came was faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Until the Lord Jesus Christ came as our substitute, the Law did have mercy because it had a mercy seat. It had an altar where sacrifices for sin could be brought and forgiveness could be obtained. There was forgiveness in the Old Testament.  Mercy could be found there. All the sacrifices for sin pointed to the Lord Jesus Christ. Before faith came, Paul says, we were kept under the Law—“being shut up for the coming faith to be revealed.” The Law reveals our sin. The Law was a blessing in ancient times. Other cultures believed in a “god” that was arbitrary and capricious. The people acted not knowing what their god wanted them to do. When our God gave the Law to Moses, it was a blessing to people. Now, the people knew what God expected of them. They were no longer in the dark. The problem was that the Law lacked power to save, it only could expose sin. Without Christ, there could be no eternal redemption.

Verse 24: “Therefore the Law has become our tutor unto Christ, so that we may be justified by faith.”

Paul makes it very clear that the Mosaic Law could not save. Roman. 4:5 reads, “But to the one who does not work, but believes upon Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness.” God will not accept the works of man for salvation. God says that all of our righteousnesses are as filthy rags (Isa. 64:6). God refuses to accept man’s works as part of the salvation equation. It is all of Christ. The Law cannot save; it can only condemn. It was not given to save sinners but to let them know that they were sinners. The Law does not remove sin; it reveals sin. It will not keep you from sin, because sin has already come. The Law proves man a sinner; it never makes him a saint. The Law was given, that every mouth might be stopped and the whole world would become guilty before God.

Verse 25: “But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.”

Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ have come of age as God’s children. Thus, they are not under the burden and tutorage of the law, although they are still obligated to obey God’s holy and unchanging righteous standards which are contained in the New Covenant. The moral law, e,g. Thou shalt not steal, murder, bear false witness, are still standards for our conduct. The first four commandments involve your relationship with God and the last six, your relationship with people. While we are not saved by obedience, we are saved to obey. God has given His children a new heart that causes them to want to obey.

Verse 26: “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.”

Only saving (heart knowledge, not just mental ascent) faith in Christ can make us legitimate sons of God. The only sons God has are legitimate sons. There are no illegitimate children in the kingdom, nor are their grandchildren in the kingdom. You stand or fall on your individual faith, not the faith of your dad or mom. You are made a true son of God by faith in Christ, and that is all it takes. There are no “plus 1’s” in the equation. Salvation is through Christ alone with nothing added. “Plus 1’s” become the major message of those that advocate adding to Christ. When you see that happen, e.g. charismatic (possession of gifts especially speaking in tongues), pentecostal, some holiness churches (second experience of sanctification), Church of Christ (baptism) but faith plus nothing makes you a son of God. Nothing else can make you a son of God. “For ye are all sons of God.” How? “By faith in Christ Jesus.” Be careful never to add a plus 1 because if you do, I guarantee that in the process, you will devalue Christ and His sacrifice for the elect.

Verse 27: “ For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.”

This is not speaking of water baptism, which cannot save. Paul used the word “baptized” in a metaphorical manner to speak of being “immersed,” or “placed into'' Christ by the spiritual miracle of union with Him in His death and resurrection. 1 Corinthians 12: 13 instructs us that we are baptized into one body, being Christ. The baptism with the Holy Spirit is not a second experience, but is the initial experience that occurs at salvation. It is the act that occurs when we are converted that places us in the universal body of Christ.

Verse 28: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

All those who are in the body of Christ are one with one another. There are no color or cultural distinctions. However, this verse does not deny that God has designed racial, social, and sexual distinctions among Christians, but it affirms that those do not imply spiritual inequality before God. The path to salvation is the same for all, both Jew and Greek (the rest of the world). It is the narrow way for all, no exceptions and no free passes.

Verse 29: “And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, heirs according to promise.”

This completes the thought from the preceding verse. All those in the body of Christ are an heir according to promise and they are Abraham’s seed, regardless of their race, creed or color. Not all physical children of Abraham are the true Israel, that is, true spiritual children of Abraham. Gentile believers who are not physical children of Abraham are, however, his spiritual children in the sense that they followed the pattern of his faith.

Bible Study Galatians 3: 1-14

 

Bible Study Galatians 3: 1-14

Our text:

The Righteous Shall Live by Faith

3 O foolish Galatians, who bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? 2 This is the only thing I want to learn from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? 4 Did you [e]suffer so many things for nothing—if indeed it was for nothing? 5 So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?

6 Just as Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness, 7 so know that those who are of faith, those are sons of Abraham. 8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, proclaimed the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “All the nations will be blessed in you.” 9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer.

10 For as many as are of the works of [l]the Law are under a curse, for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law, to do them.” 11 Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident, for “The righteous shall live by faith.” 12 However, the Law is not of faith; rather, “He who does them shall live by them.” 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”— 14 in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might [t]come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Verse by verse commentary

Verse 1: “O foolish Galatians, who bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified?”

Paul is not speaking of their intelligence, but to a lack of obedience to the gospel message. Paul expressed his shock, surprise, and outrage at the Galatians’ defection. Who was bewitching them? It was the Judaizers, the Jewish false teachers who were teaching the Galatian churches a work based righteousness. This was in direct opposition to the message of the substitutionary death and resurrection by our Lord Jesus Christ that paid for the sins of the elect. Paul pointed out that they were being misled by flattery and false promises that came from this false gospel message. The term suggests an appeal to the emotions and we see this today with prosperity and television preachers. They speak to your fleshly needs and wants. That is a message that is in direct opposition to the gospel. Christ’s sacrificial and substitutionary death provides eternal payment for believers’ sins, both past, present and future sins, and does not need to be supplemented by any human works. As I have said before, there is not one sin registered against me in Heaven. 

Verse 2: “This is the only thing I want to learn from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?”

Paul begins asking a series of questions. This is the first one: “Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?” Nowhere, not even in the Old Testament, did anyone ever receive the Holy Spirit by the works of the Law. He is received by hearing and acting on faith. The Galatians never received the Spirit by the Law, never. The Holy Spirit is evidence of conversion. Scripture tells us, “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his”. “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise”. I have found that man is desperate to demonstrate something to give them evidence of their conversion. This is mostly among the unsaved religionists. If someone has never experienced Holy Spirit conviction, they will create a fleshly substitute to appease their conscience. However, to those who have experienced Holy Spirit conviction, that person doesn’t need to manufacture a work based righteousness. They know they are saved and that it was all the work of God. Those that had a false conversion, e.g. accepting Jesus, a profession of faith, giving Jesus your heart, etc., will seek an emotional event to satisfy their fears that they are not saved. That was the attractiveness of the Judiazeers and Paul’s surprise that they could be easily distracted from the truth.

Verse 3: “Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?”

This is Paul’s second question. What Paul is asking is this: “If the Holy Spirit is the One who converted you, brought you to Christ, and now you are indwelt by the Spirit of God, are you going to turn back to the Law (which was given to control the flesh and did not work) and think you are going to live a better life. Prosperity preachers seek to satisfy your flesh, e.g. more money, bigger house, nicer car, a better career, etc., but Paul was just the opposite, He saw salvation as a supernatural act brought about by the Trinity set about before the beginning of the world. How possibly could man improve on that? He could not! Salvation is of the Lord (Jonah 2:9) and it is 100% of the Lord. All the sinner brings is his sin. Christ brings His righteousness. 

Verse 4: “Did you suffer so many things for nothing—if indeed it was for nothing?”

This is Paul’s third question. The Greek word translated “suffer” has the basic meaning of “experienced,” and does not necessarily imply pain or hardship. Paul used it to describe the Galatians’ personal experience of salvation in Jesus Christ. He reminded them that they had paid a price for receiving the gospel. Was it all going to be in vain, without a purpose? Just because salvation is free through the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, it does not mean that it will cost the believer something. The world hates Christ, it will hate you. Christ suffered physically and we may as well. The idea is that whatever we experience, it is worth it all to be saved and be a disciple of Christ. We live far better lives when we live them to the glory of God.

Verse 5: “So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?” 

It was clear that these people had experienced something in their lives when Paul had first visited them; but the Judaizers had come along and convinced them that their experience was not complete. They needed something else, and that “something else” was obedience to the Law of Moses. These false teachers had bewitched them and turned them into fools. We see the same today when people devalue the experience of salvation. We are told that believers need a second experience to have power over sin. Most refer to the second experience as the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. This is a false teaching. Baptism with the Holy Spirit is what places the believer in the body of Christ. It is not a second experience, but occurs at conversion. The believer has the power of the Holy Spirit operating in his or her life when they are born again. 

In summary, we have seen that justification by faith was the experience of the Galatians. That is why Paul asked them, “What is wrong with you?” He mentions the Holy Spirit three times in this section. He reminds the Galatians that they did not receive the Spirit by the Law or by works. The Holy Spirit is evident in a person’s life at conversion. It is important to see that the gospel is true irrespective of the personal experiences of the Galatians or anyone else. The gospel is objective, not subjective; it deals with what the Lord Jesus Christ did for us at Calvary. Experience will corroborate the gospel, and that is what Paul is demonstrating in this section. The gospel is sufficient; experience confirms this.

Verse 6: “Just as Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness,”

As he did in the book of Romans (4: 13), Paul, quoting Gen. 15:6, uses Abraham as proof that there has never been any other way of salvation in the Old Testament other than by grace through faith. Even the OOld Covenant teaches justification by faith. The Bible is 100% consistent with the message of salvation. It was never by works, only by grace through faith.

Verse 7: “so know that those who are of faith, those are sons of Abraham.”

God did this for Abraham before the Law was ever given. God did not make the covenant with him because of Abraham’s good works. He told Abraham, “I’ll do this for you if you believe Me.” Abraham said, “I believe You.” God wants your faith to rest on a solid foundation. That foundation is the Word of God. This is one reason that Satan seeks to destroy the Word of God. He started in the Garden of Eden, “Hath God said,” continued in the temptation of the Lord Jesus Christ, and continues the same method with you today. Never allow anything to get between you and the Word of God.

Verse 8: “And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, proclaimed the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “All the nations will be blessed in you.”

The salvation of the Gentiles was not an accident or afterthought. It was God’s plan all along to save some from every nation. Salvation is for the world, not every individual, but some from every nation. If faith without works was sufficient for Abraham, why should we desire something different? And as the blessing was for his faith, not his works, why should we turn from faith to law-works? Why return to a theology that did not save? The important thing that Paul wants us to see in Abraham’s life is that he obeyed the voice of God. Faith leads to obedience. Abraham was willing to offer his son when God commanded it, and when God said stop, he stopped. He obeyed the voice of God. He demonstrated by his action that he had faith in God. Again he believed God and He counted it to him for righteousness. It is important to see that faith leads to works, as it did in the life of Abraham. God sees our hearts. He knows whether or not we have trusted Christ as Savior. But, do you know whether you are born again? Look in the mirror and ask, “Am I saved?” It is a question of whether you have faith. It does not come from your skills or natural inclinations, it is the result of a supernatural gift of faith from the Trinity. Have you received this gift? If you have not, be like Peter who was walking on the water and began to sink, “Lord, save me,” is the only prayer you will need if you have a repentant heart.

Verse 9: “So then those who are of faith are blessed with [a]Abraham, the believer.”

Whether Jew or Gentile, the Old Testament predicted that Gentiles would receive the blessings of justification by faith, as did Abraham and in the same way. Those blessings are poured out on all believers because of Christ and His meritorious work at Calvary. Never forget that the blessings you have received are the result of the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Verse 10: “For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse, for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law, to do them.”

Paul’s point is that no one can keep the law in its entirety. Salvation has never been about you earning it through your will or works (Romans 9: 16). The end of “freewillism” is seen in Romans 9: 16. Man is not saved through an exercise of his will or your running after righteousness. It was impossible to obey the Law of God completely, only Christ did that. Anyone who is trying to earn salvation is under a curse. Read Deuteronomy 28 for the blessings and curses for obedience and disobedience to the Law. Paul is driving the point home that salvation is by grace through faith. Why would the Galatians want to go back to the Law and be under a curse? The only path to blessings is through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Remember this the next time someone tries to include works in the salvation equation.

Verse 11: “Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident, for “The righteous shall live by faith.”

The Old Testament taught that man was saved by faith, not works. The Bible does not say that anyone was saved by keeping the law. I have never read of anyone who was saved by keeping the Law of Moses. As you know, the heart of the Mosaic system was the sacrificial system. Moses rejoiced that God could extend mercy and grace to people even under the law, that is the reason his face shone as it did. In Habakkuk 2:4 it says that “… the just shall live by his faith.” The way of faith is the only way to Heaven and spiritual blessings in this life. Notice, I did not include material blessings. These are not promised in the Word to all. One of the many issues in charismatic theology is the belief that what God does for one, He will do for all. This is very unbiblical. Daniel was saved from the lion’s den, Joseph from the pit, Peter from prison, but Stephen was allowed to be stoned, as well as many others set forth in Hebrews 11: 36-38. Our lives are to be lived by faith. This means that every decision we make should be done in light of our faith. Our faith will work. Works follow faith, not faith follows works. Live a life today of walking in faith and putting the Lord Jesus Christ as the center of your life. 

Verse 12: “However, the Law is not of faith; rather, “He who does them shall live by them.”

This also is an important verse in that it clearly sets forth the principle that the Law is not faith. Faith and law are contrary principles for salvation and also for living. We are saved by faith but we walk out that faith syncretically. This means that our humanity is responsible to obey to our fullest ability with the Holy Spirit convicting us of sin, righteousness and judgment.  If you are going to live by the Law, then you cannot be saved by faith. You cannot combine them in salvation, but in sanctification. Sanctification means to be set apart or growing in Christlikeness. That takes effort on our parts. We don’t lay down and say, “Make me holy, Lord.” Because He won’t without your effort to be obedient. Sanctification is when we combine our desire and work to please Him under the power of the Holy Spirit residing within us. The point is, the Law is not faith.

Verse 13: “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”

Christ redeemed (means “bought back”) us from the penalty of sin. Our sins have been forgiven due to the substitutionary sacrifice of Christ on the elect’s behalf. The curse of Law has no impact on a believer. Christ’s death, because it was a death of substitution for sin, satisfied God’s justice and exhausted His wrath toward His elect, so that Christ actually purchased believers from slavery to sin and from the sentence of eternal death. Christ suffered and took our deserved wrath from God. Christ took upon Himself the curse pronounced on those who violated the law.

Verse 14: “in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.”

Under the Old Covenant, Israel had the Law for over fifteen hundred years and failed to live by its terms. At the Jerusalem Council  (Acts 15), Peter said in so many words, “We and our fathers were not able to keep the law. Why should we want to put the Gentiles under it? If we could not keep it, they wouldn't be able to keep it either.” Christ took our place so that we might receive what the Law could never do. We receive the spiritual blessings from the Law but not the curses.