Galatians Chapter III Part 2

19 Why then the law? It was added on account of transgressions, until the Seed should come to whom promise has been made, having been disposed through angels in a Mediator’s hand.

The purpose of the Law

“ . . . that the Jews might not live carelessly, and plunge into the depth of wickedness, but that the Law might be placed upon them as a bridle, guiding, regulating, and checking them from transgressing, if not all, at least some of the commandments. (Chrysostom, Galatians Chapter 3)”

“He either calls the priests angels, or he says that the angels themselves ministered to the furnishing of the law. By Mediator herein he means Christ, and shows that He was before it, and Himself the giver of it. (Chrysostom, Galatians Chapter 3)”

20 Now the Mediator is not of one, but God is one.

“Now a mediator,’ says he, is between two parties; of whom then is Christ the Mediator? Clearly of God and of man. Observe, he says, that Christ also gave the Law; what therefore it was His to give, it is His to put to an end. (Chrysostom, Galatians Chapter 3)”

21 Then is the Law against the promises of God? May it not be! For if a law was given which was able to give life, verily, righteousness would have been by means of the law. 22 But the Scripture closed up all things under sin, in order that the promise by means of faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

Consciousness of sins leads to a need for faith in Christ

“As the Jews were not even conscious of their own sins, and in consequence did not even desire remission; the Law was given to probe their wounds, that they might long for a physician. And the word ‘close up" here means censured or convicted, and this held them in fear. You see then it is not only not against the promises of God, but was given for the promises. (Chrysostom, Galatians, Chapter 3)

23 But before faith came, we were being guarded under the law, having been closed up to the faith about to be revealed. 24 Therefore the law has become our tutor until Christ, in order that we might be justified by faith.

Tutor (paedogogos) = The tutor in classical antiquity was usually a slave entrusted to watch the conduct of boys-from ages 6 to 16 from upper class Greek and Roman families- on the way to and from school. He was not the schoolmaster, but a kind of tutor, trainer and guardian. (The Orthodox New Testament, note 42, Galatians 3:24)

25 But faith having come, we are no longer under a tutor. 26 For all are sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many as were baptized into Christ, you put on Christ.

28. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

 

Hermeneutics = interpretation, explanation, or translation. Etymologically, it derives from the name Hermes, the messenger and spokesman of the gods in ancient Greek mythology.

An Orthodox hermeneutical method:

A.) A high regard for the authority of Scripture, the Church, and classical Christian doctrine.
B.) The importance of prayer, worship, and spiritual life in the study of Scripture.
C.) An honest, and responsible quest for truth based upon the principle that the primary meaning of the biblical text is the one gained by critical, grammatical and historical exegesis (to bring out the meaning of a word).
D.) The final purpose of biblical exegesis is to illuminate theological truths and ethical values of scripture.

Church Tradition: Tradition is the unique mode of receiving Scripture
“The pure notion of Tradition can then be defined by saying that it is the life of the Holy Spirit in the Church, communicating to each member of the body of Christ, the faculty of hearing, of receiving, of knowing the Truth in the Light which belongs to it, and not according to the natural light of human reason. (Vladimir Lossky, Tradition and Traditions, In the Image and Likeness, p. 151-2

In Christ, there are no differences in relationship to God
“They are used precisely because there were radical differences in peoples’ relationship with God under the Jewish law according to these categories which baptism radically changes when God’s grace in Christ appears and is actualized by faith in people’s lives.

Gentiles, slaves and women were not required to keep Jewish laws. They were not circumcised. They did not participate fully in temple worship and prayer. They were not strictly speaking, fully members of the covenant community. This was the prerogative only of free Jewish males. By grace through faith in Christ, however, every baptized believer becomes a ‘son of God’ with the competence in Christ by the Spirit’s indwelling to address God as ‘Abba! Father!’ ” (Hopko, Gal 3:28 :An Orthodox Interpretation, SVQ)

To Put On Christ
“Why does he not say, ‘ For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ, have been born of Christ?’ For this was what directly went to prove that they were sons, because he puts it in a much more awful manner: For if Christ be the Son of God, and you have put on Him, you have the Son in yourself, and to Him you are likened, brought into one kinship and one form. (Chrysostom, Galatians, Chapter 3)

“ . . . by way of penetrating more deeply into this union, he comments on it thus: ‘You are all One in Christ Jesus,’ that is, you have all one form and one mould, even Christ's. What can be more awful than these words! He that was a Greek, or Jew, or bond-man yesterday, carries about with him the form, not of an Angel or Archangel, but of the Lord of all, yes displays in his own person the Christ. (Chrysostom, Galatians, Chapter 3)

29 And if you are Christ’s, then are you Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.