help with Galatians concepts as relate to Abraham

[nwink]

I've been studying Galatians a lot recently, and I could use a little help understanding some of the concepts Paul sheds light on as they relate to Abraham. I would appreciate some help/clarification if I'm understanding these concepts rightly...or fully enough. (I'm sure there could be some overlap for the answers below)

What is the "Gospel preached to Abraham"? (3:8) -- "in thee shall all the nations of the earth be blessed"
What does it mean "Blessed" / "Blessing of Abraham"? (3:8,9,14) -- the Gospel? eternal life? justification, reconciliation, adoption?
What is the "promise"? (3:14,16-22,29; 4:28) -- the Holy Spirit? (3:14) eternal life? to be a God to him and his children? the inheritance?

On a different note, if I understand Galatians correctly, Paul is using the situation of the Galatians who added the ceremonial aspects of the Law to faith as required for justification...to then make a broader case about those who try to be justified with God by works of the WHOLE Law plus faith. Is this correct?

 

[nwink]

thoughts?

 

[Contra_Mundum]

If I have some time, I'll try answering your questions next week.

Meanwhile, anyone else can chime in. Don't be shy on my account.

 

[PuritanCovenanter]

What is the "Gospel preached to Abraham"? (3:8) -- "in thee shall all the nations of the earth be blessed"
What does it mean "Blessed" / "Blessing of Abraham"? (3:8,9,14) -- the Gospel? eternal life? justification, reconciliation, adoption?
What is the "promise"? (3:14,16-22,29; 4:28) -- the Holy Spirit? (3:14) eternal life? to be a God to him and his children? the inheritance?

On a different note, if I understand Galatians correctly, Paul is using the situation of the Galatians who added the ceremonial aspects of the Law to faith as required for justification...to then make a broader case about those who try to be justified with God by works of the WHOLE Law plus faith. Is this correct?

"In thee shall all the Nations be Blessed," is the rest of the passage in Galatians 3:8. This is in pertaining to the promised seed that was promised to Adam and Eve and then on through that Everlasting Covenant (the Covenant of Grace) that was to find it's progress through the promise of 'The Seed' through the line of Isaac as is spoken of in Genesis chapter 17, that seed being Christ as St. Paul noted in the book of Galatians.

Let me ask you to think a bit more and ask you to come back with some answers. First off you are pulling words out and asking questions that are very pointed. But I do believe the context of those words is very plain.
1) What is the context and purpose of this portion of Scripture?
2) To whom is this Passage addressed and for what Reason?
3) Are there other Passages in Scripture (such as Romans chapter 4) that might shed some light on this topic concerning the blessing of Abraham?

(Rom 4:1) What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?

(Rom 4:2) For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.
(Rom 4:3) For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
(Rom 4:4) Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
(Rom 4:5) But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
(Rom 4:6) Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,
(Rom 4:7) Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
(Rom 4:8) Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.
(Rom 4:9) Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.
(Rom 4:10) How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.
(Rom 4:11) And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:
(Rom 4:12) And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised.
(Rom 4:13) For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.
(Rom 4:14) For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect:
(Rom 4:15) Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.
(Rom 4:16) Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,
(Rom 4:17) (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.
(Rom 4:18) Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.

 

[Jack K]

Gen. 12:2-3 is a key passage in redemptive history. That's where Abraham first receives these blessings and promises. It includes the incredible promise that "all nations will be blessed through you."

Galatians 3 shows that Paul understands this as not just a Jewish promise but a save-the-world promise that God kept and is keeping through Christ. Salvation in Jesus is the great blessing that every believer, from Abraham on, receives. That promise to Abraham is so closely tied to Christ that Paul can call it, remarkably, an announcement of the gospel. "Gospel" in Paul's writings always means the good news of Christ's saving work, so there can be little doubt that the promise of blessing given to Abraham was about how "God would justify the Gentiles by faith," as it says earlier in Gal. 3:8. It's all about Jesus.

---------- Post added at 09:31 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:15 AM ----------

On a different note, if I understand Galatians correctly, Paul is using the situation of the Galatians who added the ceremonial aspects of the Law to faith as required for justification...to then make a broader case about those who try to be justified with God by works of the WHOLE Law plus faith. Is this correct?

I would suggest you not get too tied up in the moral-ceremonial-civil framework for understanding the law as you read through Galatians. It's a helpful and biblical framework, but unless you can see from the text that Paul is thinking in those terms as he writes this particular epistle you're going to be imposing a way of thinking on Paul that doesn't necessarily fit his points.

I do think that when Paul speaks of "law" in this epistle he has in mind the entirety of Mosaic Law, as seems clear from 3:17. Just keep in mind that what you read here ultimately has to be understood along with other key law passages (such as Romans and the Sermon of the Mount). And don't read more into it than the point Paul is making... that our justification comes by faith rather than by keeping the law. It's not really Paul's purpose to set up a huge framework for understanding the law beyond that point.