Old Testament Law Abolished

Galatians 3:14-29

Galatians 3:14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

3:15 Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto.

3:16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.

3:17 And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.

3:18 For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.

3:19 Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.

3:20 Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one.

3:21 Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.

3:22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.

3:23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.

3:24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

3:25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

3:26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

3:27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

3:29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
[KJV]

This passage is very important in showing that the Old Testament Law has been abolished by Christ. In Galatians 3:14, Paul wrote about the blessing of Abraham coming upon the Gentiles through Jesus Christ. The blessing refers to the promise God made to Abraham in Genesis 17:1-9.

In Galatians 3:15, Paul says that if a man makes a will, then nobody can change that will, or add anything to it after the man dies. He says "I speak after the manner of men" because he's talking about humans making wills which leave all their stuff to somebody else after they die.

Paul wrote that a promise was made by God to Abraham, and Abraham's seed. He points out that "seed" is singular, and names Abraham's seed as Jesus Christ (Gal 3:16).

Galatians 3:17 is a key verse. In it, Paul states that God's promise to Abraham was made 430 years before the Old Testament Law was given to Moses on Mount Sinai. The law which came 430 years after the promise can't cancel the promise. The covenant God made with Abraham, which is giving the blessing of being God's children to the Gentiles through Jesus Christ, was a promise, not subject to the Old Testament Law which came later. That's why Paul was talking about human wills in Galatians 3:15. You can't change a will later. "Testament" is a word that means "will", or "covenant".

So the law, which came after the promise, can't change or cancel the promise.

Paul wrote in Galatians 3:19 that the law was added to the promise until the seed came. That seed is Jesus Christ, so once He came, the law was removed. The law was added so that people would know what sin is. Once people realise that they are sinners, they can ask Jesus Christ to clean them from sin, by believing in Him.

The law is described as a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, so that we can be justified by faith. Now that the faith has come, we are no longer under the schoolmaster. In other words, Christians are not bound by Old Testament Law. In fact, Paul said that trying to mix Old Testament Law with faith in Christ is the same as adultery in Romans 7:1-6.

If you have faith in Jesus Christ, then you are a child of God. Once you get baptized into Christ, you "put on Christ". You become part of Christ. And then, you become one of Abraham's spiritual descendants, and you are heir to the promise that God made to Abraham.