Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Galatians 3:10

For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed [is] every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.

10 14. The Curse of the Law. No deliverance except by Faith

10. The mention of the blessing which comes by faith suggests the terrible alternative the curse which the Law pronounces and from which it provides no way of escape a curse from which, because of imperfect obedience, no man can possibly free himself.

as many as ] Note the universality of the expression, ‘All to a man are here condemned’. Calvin.

of the works of the law ] See note on Gal 3:7.

are under the curse ] i.e. condemnation, the opposite of the blessing, which is justification. There is no middle state.

it is written ] Deu 27:26. A quotation from the LXX. The words are the conclusion of the curse uttered on Mount Ebal. Applying primarily to the Jews, they apply to all who seek to be justified by their obedience to the moral law, and not in God’s own appointed way, through faith. Bengel observes that the obedience which the Law demands must be perfect (‘in all things’), and unfailing (‘continueth not’).

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

For as many as are of the works of the law – As many as are seeking to be justified by yielding obedience to the Law – whether the moral law, or the ceremonial law. The proposition is general; and it is designed to show that, from the nature of the case, it is impossible to be justified by the works of the Law, since, under all circumstances of obedience which we can render, we are still left with its heavy curse resting on us.

Are under the curse – The curse which the Law of God denounces. Having failed by all their efforts to yield perfect obedience, they must, of course, be exposed to the curse which the Law denounces on the guilty. The word rendered curse ( katara) means, as with us, properly, imprecation, or cursing. It is used in the Scriptures particularly in the sense of the Hebrew ‘alah, malediction, or execration Job 31:30; Jer 29:18; Dan 9:11; of the word m^e‘eraah Mal 2:2; Rev 22:3; and especially of the common Hebrew word q^elaalaah, a curse; Gen 27:12-13; Deu 11:26, Deu 11:28-29; Deu 23:5; Deu 27:13, et scope al. It is here used evidently in the sense of devoting to punishment or destruction; and the idea is, that all who attempt to secure salvation by the works of the Law, must be exposed to its penalty. It denounces a curse on all who do not yield entire obedience; and no partial compliance with its demands can save from the penalty.

For it is written – The substance of these words is found in Deu 28:26; Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them. It is the solemn close of a series of maledictions, which Moses denounces in that chapter on the violators of the Law. In this quotation, Paul has given the sense of the passage, but he has quoted literally neither from the Hebrew nor from the Septuagint. The sense, however, is retained, The word cursed here means, that the violator of the Law shall be devoted to punishment or destruction. The phrase that continueth not, in the Hebrew is that confirmeth not – that does not establish or confirm by his life. He would confirm it by continuing to obey it; and thus the sense in Paul and in Moses is substantially the same. The word all is not expressed in the Hebrew in Deuteronomy, but it is evidently implied, and has been insorted by the English translators. It is found, however, in six manuscripts of Kennicott and DeRossi; in the Samaritan text; in the Septuagint; and in several of the Targums – Clarke.

The book of the law – That is, in the Law. This phrase is not found in the passage in Deuteronomy. The expression there is, the words of this law. Paul gives it; a somewhat larger sense, and applies it to the whole of the Law of God. The meaning is, that the whole law must be obeyed, or man cannot be justified by it, or will be exposed to its penalty and its curse. This idea is expressed more fully by James Jam 2:10; Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all; that is, he is guilty of breaking the Law as a whole, and must be held responsible for such violation. The sentiment here is one that is common to all law, and must be, from the nature of the ease. The idea is, that a man who does not yield compliance to a whole law, is subject to its penalty, or to a curse. All law is sustained on this principle. A man who has been honest, and temperate, and industrious, and patriotic, if he commits a single act of murder, is subject to the curse of the Law, and must meet the penalty. A man who has been honest and honorable in all his dealings, yet if he commits a single act of forgery, he must meet the curse denounced by the laws of his country, and bear the penalty. So, in all matters pertaining to law: no matter what the integrity of the man; no matter how upright he has been, yet, for the one offence the law denounces a penalty, and he must bear it. It is out of the question for him to be justified by it. He cannot plead as a reason why he should not be condemned for the act of murder or forgery, that he has in all other respects obeyed the law, or even that he has been guilty of no such offences before. Such is the idea of Paul in the passage before us. It was clear to his view that man had not in all respects yielded obedience to the Law of God. If he had not done this, it was impossible that he should be justified by the Law, and he must bear its penalty.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Gal 3:10

For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse.

The curse and its removal

I. The curse of the law is of universal application. All are born under the law, and are bound to observe it. But all have broken it, and their guilt remains. There is no question of mercy here. Law, viewed in itself, knows no mercy. It pronounces a man righteous only on condition of perfect obedience. The chain is severed, though only one link be broken. The cable which joins two continents together, fails to convey the electric current if hut a single flaw exist in it. Every other part may be perfect; but one fault mars the whole. So with law. Thus all are under condemnation.

II. The spirit of the law is antagonistic to faith. The starting-point of the law is obedience.

III. The curse removed. Christ not only died for our sins, but suffered that particular kind of death with which the law had specially connected the infliction of the curse, and so became a curse for us.

1. He who was to remove the curse must not be Himself liable to it. The Substitute for the guilty must Himself be innocent.

2. He who was to be the Substitute for all, must have the common nature of all.

3. He who was to do more than counterbalance the weight of the sins of all, must have infinite merits of His own, in order that the scale of Divine justice may preponderate in their favour.

4. In order that He may remove the curse pronounced in the law of God for disobedience, He must undergo that punishment which is specially declared in that law to be the curse of God.

5. That punishment is hanging on a tree (Deu 21:23). (Emilius Bayley, B. D.)

The curse realized

The curse that men have in this life is as nothing compared with the curse that is to come upon them hereafter. In a few short years, you and I must die. Come, friend, I will talk to you personally again–young man, we shall soon grow old, or, perhaps, we shall die before that time, and we shall lie upon our bed–the last bed upon which we shall ever sleep–we shall wake from our last slumber to hear the doleful tidings that there is no hope; the physician will feel our pulse, and solemnly assure our relatives that it is all over! And we shall lie in that still room, where all is hushed except the ticking of the clock, and the weeping of our wife and children: and we must die. Oh, how solemn will be that hour when we must struggle with that enemy, Death! The death-rattle is in our throat–we can scarce articulate–we try to speak; the death-glaze is on the eye; Death hath put his fingers on those windows of the body, and shut out the light for ever; the hands well-nigh refuse to lift themselves, and there we are, close on the borders of the grave! Ah! that moment, when the spirit sees its destiny; that moment, of all moments the most solemn, when the soul looks through the bars of its cage, upon the world to come! No, I cannot tell you how the spirit feels, if it be an ungodly spirit, when it sees a fiery throne of judgment, and hears the thunders of Almighty wrath, while there is but a moment between it and hell. I cannot picture to you what must be the fright which men will feel, when they realize what they often heard of. It is a fine thing for you to laugh to-night! But when you are lying on your deathbed, you will not laugh. Now, the curtain is drawn, you cannot see the things of the future, it is a very fine thing to be merry. When God has removed that curtain, and you learn the solemn reality, you will not find it in your hearts to trifle I think I see that terrible day. The bell of time has tolled the last day. Now comes the funeral of damned souls. Your body has just started up from the grave, you unwind your cerements and look up. What is that I see? Oh! what is that I hear? I hear one dread, tremendous blast, that shakes the pillars of heaven, and makes the firmament reel with affright; the trump of the archangel shakes creations utmost bound. You look and wonder. Suddenly a voice is heard, and shrieks from some, and songs from others–He comes, He comes, He comes–and every eye must see Him. There He is; the throne is set upon a cloud, which is white as alabaster. There He sits. Tis He, the Man that died on Calvary–I see His pierced hands–but ah, how changed! No thorn-crown now. He stood at Pilates bar, but now the whole earth must stand at His bar. He opens the book. There is silence Come, ye blessed Depart, ye cursed. Oh, escape, before it is too late. (C. H. Spurgeon.)

Mercy needed by all

Though we have sinned less than others, we cannot be saved by merit; even as, thank God, though we have sinned more than others, we maybe saved by mercy. How idle to talk of other men being greater sinners than we are–to flatter and deceive ourselves with that! He drowns as surely who has his head beneath one inch of water, as he who, with a millstone hung round his neck, has sunk a hundred fathoms down. Let the strain of the tempest come, and the ship that has one bad link in her cable, as certainly goes ashore to be dashed to pieces on the rocks, as another that has twenty bad. It is, no doubt, by repeated strokes of the woodmans axe that the oak, bending slowly to fate, bows its proud head and falls to the ground, and it is by long dropping that water hollows the hardest stone. But those who speak of great and little, of few or many, sins, seem to forget that mans ruin was the work of one moment, and of one sin. The weight of only one sin sank this great world into perdition; and now all of us, all men, lie under the same sentence of condemnation. Extinguishing every hope of salvation through works, and sounding as ominous of evil in mens ears, as the cracking of ice beneath our feet, or the roar of an avalanche, or the grating of a keel on the sunken rock, or the hammer that wakens the felon from dreams of life and liberty, that sentence is this: Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things written in the book of the law, to do them. Such is our position; and instead of shutting our eyes to it, like the foolish ostrich that hides her head in the bush when the hunters are at her heels, it is well to know and to face it. (T. Guthrie, D. D.)

Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things.—

The slightest flaw is fatal

Who does not see that the tiniest flaw or fracture in a diamond vitiates the whole gem, be it a very Koh-i-noor–that the smallest streak or stain sets aside the marble block of Carrara that is like the driven snow–that the slightest spot or speck dims to rejection the whole polished speculum–that the most insignificant leak is perilous? In these cases it will not arrest the verdict, to allege the fault is so very small. Actual transactions can easily be quoted which establish this. Once a famous ruby was offered to this country. The report of the crown jeweller was that it was the finest he had ever seen or heard of, but that one of its facets–one of the little cuttings of the face–was slightly fractured. The result was, that almost invisible flaw reduced its value by thousands of pounds, and it was rejected from the regalia of England. Again: when Canova was about to commence his great statue of the great Napoleon, his keenly-observant eye detected a tiny red line running through the upper portion of the splendid block, which at infinite cost had been fetched from. Paros, and he refused to lay a chisel on it. Once more: in the story of the early struggles of the elder Herschel, while he was working out the problem of gigantic telescope specula, you will find that he made scores upon scores ere he got one to satisfy him. A scratch like the slenderest spider-cord sufficed to place among the spoiled what had cost him long weeks of toil and anxiety. Again: in the leak of a ship, the measure of the ship to resist the shock of wave or the strain of wind, is not, its strongest but its weakest part. The tremendous issues contingent on attention or non-attention to the slightest leak, was illustrated in a recent incident in the late deplorable civil war in America. One of the Federal war-ships had what seemed a merely superficial leakage, and, though noticed, it was not thought necessary to countermand the order that she should take part in an approaching conflict. At the crisis of the encounter, it was found that the sea-water had got oozing into the gunpowder magazine, and rendered nearly the whole useless. On that powder hung victory or defeat. The little leak went uncared for, and an inferior force won. The very perfection aimed at, you will observe, necessitated rejection of gem, and marble block, and speculum, and leaking timber. Even so, were Christianity a less holy thing–a thing that could abide compromise–then what are called small sins–the larger and grosser being acknowledged–might be passed over, winked at. (A. B. Grosart, LL. D.)

Look, as one drop of ink coloureth a whole glass of water, so one gross sin, one shameful action, one hours compliance with anything of Antichrist, will colour and stain all the great things that ever you have suffered, and all the good things that ever you have performed; it will stain and colour all the good prayers that ever you have made, and all the good sermons that ever you have heard, and all the good books that ever you have read, and all the good words that ever you have spoken, and all the good works that ever you have done; and therefore, whatever you do, keep off from sin, and keep off from all sinful compliances, as you would keep off from hell itself. (T. Brooks.)

A call to the unconverted

We shall–

I. Try the prisoner.

1. One pleads not guilty. Well, have you continued in all things? Let us go through the Tea Commandments. Each convicts you.

2. Another says, I shall not plead guilty, because, although I have not continued in all things, I have done the best I could.

3. Another pleads, While I have broken the law, I am no worse than others.

4. Another cries, I have striven to keep the law, and think I have succeeded a little.

5. Another, There are many things I have not done, but I have been virtuous. But all are guilty because none have continued in all things.

II. Declare the sentence. Sinner, thou art cursed–

1. Not by some wizard.

2. Not by an earthly monarch.

3. But by God the Father.

4. This curse is present.

5. In some cases visible: in the drunkard, e.g.

6. Universal.

7. Eternal.

III. Proclaim the deliverer.

1. Christ has borne your curse.

2. This substitution is realized by penitence and faith.

3. All classes of sinners may be freed from the curse through Christ. (C. H. Spurgeon.)

The curse of the law

I. Brings home to the sinner the guilt of sin.

1. He is a debtor to do the whole law

(1) literally,

(2) spiritually.

2. But he has broken the whole law in

(1) sins of omission,

(2)sins of commission.

II. Places the sinner under the wrath of God.

1. God has guarded the law with the most solemn and terrible sanctions.

2. The condemnation of the sinner is present as well as future.

III. It reduces the sinner to despair.

1. To perform its obligation.

2. To escape its penalties.

IV. It drives the sinner To Christ the only Saviour who has borne this curse. (S. H. Tyng, D. D.)

I. Every man by nature is under this curse (Eph 2:3).

II. This curse abideth on us till we believe in Christ (Joh 3:18; Joh 3:36.)

III. There is no way of escaping this curse but by fleeing to Christ for refuge (Heb 6:18).

IV. Having accepted Christ, the life of faith must become one of sincere obedience (1Jn 5:3; Gal 5:24).

V. But when Christ is tendered and finally refused, the sentence of the law is ratified in the gospel, the court of mercy. (T. Manton.)

The claims of the law

I. Practical obedience: not hearing, knowing, speaking what is written, but doing.

II. Personal obedience–every one. Proxies, sureties, mediators, are excluded.

III. Perfect obedience–all things, every jot and tittle as well as weightier matters.

IV. Perpetual obedience–past, present, future. (Swinnock.)

No salvation by works

The voice of that cromlech stone, which still stands on our moors, the centre of the Druids grey, lonely, mystic circle, and on whose sloping surface I have traced the channel which, when human victims lay bound on this altar, drained off the blood of beautiful maiden, or grim captive of the fight–the voice of those tears the Indian mother sheds, as she plucks the sweet babe from her throbbing bosom to fling it into the Jumna or Ganges sacred stream–the voice of those ruined temples which, silent now, once resounded with the groans of expiring victims, what are these, again, but an imperfect echo of the words, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us? (Dr. Guthrie.)

Righteousness by works

I read lately that the Emperor of Brazil had given the Queen a dress made of spiders webs; it took 17,000 webs to make it. What a curiosity! No doubt the Queen would keep it all her life. Such a robe is the righteousness of works without Christ, a curiosity indeed, but not made to stand the storm of the judgment day.

One sin ruinous

One wheel broken in the machinery will render the whole inefficient; one breakage of a stave in the ladder may make it unfit for safe and full use; one piece of rail displaced on the railway may result in fearful disaster: one inch of wire cut out of the telegraph would prevent the use of all the rest, whatever its extent; one failure in any law of Nature may go on producing other failures ad infinitum. So the transgression of but one law of God: it is ruinous to the soul; it leads on to innumerable transgressions; it violates the whole code. (J. Bate.)

Cursed, etc.

The penalty of the law is–

I. Severe–in character–authority–execution.

II. Comprehensive–includes every sinner-every sin.

III. Inevitable–except through Gods mercy–for none is guiltless, can satisfy the demands of the law or make amends for the past. (J. Lyth.)

The curse

I. Its import–it includes Divine condemnation–moral weakness–misery–death.

II. Its extent–it reaches all men because all have sinned–are incapable of fulfilling the law–are condemned by the law.

III. Its severity–the law permits no escape–provides no justification–insists upon its full demands.

IV. Its relief–God is merciful–has made full satisfaction–justifies us by faith. (J. Lyth.)

Redemption from the curse of the law

I. The fearful condition of men as transgressors–Under the curse.

1. What the law demands.

2. The reasonableness of this requirement. Law cannot be satisfied with partial obedience.

3. The doom denounced upon all who do not comply with this requirement.

(1) It is universal–Cursed is every one, etc.

(2) It is unspeakably awful in its nature.

(3) It is present in its infliction.

(4) It is irremediable as far as our own deeds and deservings are concerned.

II. The blessedness of those who are interested in the glorious provisions of the Gospel–Christ hath redeemed us.

1. The person who interposed in order to effect our redemption.

2. From what He redeems.

3. How this redemption was effected–Being made a curse for us.

4. The blessed results which flow from His redeeming work. (Expository Outlines of Sermons.)

Transgressors of the law are under the curse

The law consists of two parts: a system of precepts, and the sanction and enforcement of those precepts by promises and threatenings. According to the first, it is the rule of our obedience, and shows what we ought to render unto God. According to the second, it is the rule of Divine justice, and shows what God will render unto us.

I. The sanction of this law is twofold. First: A promise of life and happiness to the observers of it (Rom 10:5; Gal 3:12; Eze 20:11). Second: Threatenings of a most heavy and tremendous curse against all that transgress it; a curse that will blast and wither their souls for ever.

1. What the apostle means by those who are of the works of the law. To be of the works of the law signifies no other than to expect justification and eternal happiness by legal works; to depend wholly on our obedience unto and observation of the law, to render us acceptable to God and worthy of eternal life. Those, who thus rely on a legal righteousness, are said to be of the works of the law; as persons are said to be of such or such a party, because they stiffly defend the cause of the law; and stand for justification by the observance of it, in opposition to the grace of the gospel, and the way of obtaining justification and eternal life by believing.

2. What it is to be accursed. So that the true and proper notion of a curse is this: That it is the denunciation or execution of the punishment contained in the law, in order to the satisfaction of Divine justice for transgressing the precepts of it.

(1) Some, therefore, are only under the curse denounced. And so are all wicked men, whose state is prosperous in this life, though they flourish in wealth and honour, and float in ease and pleasure; yet are they liable to all that woe and wrath, with which the threatenings of the law stand charged against them.

(2) Some are under the curse already executed. And so are all wicked men, on whom God begins to take vengeance and exact satisfaction in the miseries and punishments which He inflicts on them in this life,

II. You see, then, what an universal curse these words denounce; a curse that sets its mouth and dischargeth its thunder against all the sinful sons of Adam. A curse it is which, as Zechariah speaks (Zec 5:3), goeth forth over the face of the whole earth; and will, if mercy rebate not the edge of it, cut off on every side all those that stand in its way; that is, all that are sinners, and all are so; for the characters which the apostle doth here give to those who are under the curse of the law are so general and comprehensive, that no man living could possibly escape if God should judge him according to the conditions of the covenant of works.

1. It is said that every one is accursed that doth not those things which are written in the book of the law. And this is a curse that cuts off on both sides. On this side it cuts off those who are but negatively righteous, who ground all their hopes for heaven and happiness upon what they have not done and put into the inventory of their virtues that they have not been vicious, no extortioners, no unjust persons, no adulterers, etc., but, alas! this account will not pass in the day of reckoning; the law requires thee not only to forbear the gross acts of sin but to perform the duties of obedience. And it cuts off on that side all those who have done contrary to what is written in the law.

2. Those, also, who have not done all that is written in the law are struck with this anathema or curse. And where is the man that dares lift up his face to justify himself against this charge?

3. But suppose that, at some time or other, thou shouldst have performed every particular duty; yet, hast thou continued in all things that are written in the law to do them? Hast thou spun an even thread of obedience? Are there no flaws, no breaks, no breaches in it? Hast thou been always constant in the highest fervour of thy zeal for God? Hast thou been in the fear of the Lord all the days of thy life? Have thy affections never languished; thy thoughts never turned aside, so much as to glance upon vanity? Didst thou never drop one unsavoury word, nor do any one action which, both for the matter and manner of it, was not perfectly agreeable to the law?

III. This curse is most dreadful, if we consider that it is universal, and extends itself not only over all persons but unto all things. Everything which a sinner either doth or hath is accursed to him.

1. He is accursed in all his temporal enjoyments. His bread is kneaded and his drink mingled with a curse, his table becomes a snare to him, and every morsel he eats is dipped in the bitterness of Gods wrath and curse. His very mercies are curses unto him; as, on the contrary, a true believers afflictions are blessings.

2. He is accursed in all his spiritual enjoyments. And, oh, what a sad and dreadful curse is this that thou, who comest to hear the same word preached, which to ethers proves the savour of life unto life eternal, to thee, through the corruption and wickedness of thine own heart, it should prove the savour of death unto death eternal!

3. If all the favours of Gods providence and all the dispensations of His grace; then, certainly, much more are all their chastisements and afflictions turned into curses. If there be poison in the honey, much more certainly is there in the sting. If God be wroth with them when He shines, much more when He frowns upon them.

4. In hell they shall be cursed to purpose, and lie for ever under the revenging wrath of God. Their sentence is, Depart from me, ye cursed (Mat 25:41). Hell, indeed, is the general assembly of all curses and plagues. They are eternally cursed

(1) In their separation from the sight and presence of God.

(2) In the society of devils and damned spirits.

(3) In the work of hell, which is blaspheming and cursing.

(4) In the pains and torments which they must eternally suffer.

IV. application.

1. See what an accursed thing sin is that carries, wrapped up in its bowels, woe, wrath, and eternal death.

2. If every transgressor of the law be accursed, see, then, the desperate folly of those wretches who make light of sin, and account the commission of it a matter of small or no concern to them.

3. If every transgression exposes us to the curse, beware, then, that you never encourage yourself to commit any sin because the world accounts it but small and little.

4. See here, what reason we have to bless God for Jesus Christ, who has delivered us from the curse of the law. (E. Hopkins, D. D.)

The desert of sin

Though some sins are greater than others, yet there is no sin but deserves damnation. Consider–

1. The party condemned by the law. Every sinner. Condemned for omissions as well as commissions.

2. The doom pronounced. Gods wrath and curse.

I. I shall show, what is Gods wrath and curse which every sin deserves.

1. Gods wrath is no passion nor is there any perturbation in God, though an angry God. His wrath may be taken up in these two things.

(1) Gods displeasure against the sinner (Psa 5:4-5). Sin makes the soul loathsome and hateful in Gods sight, kindles a holy fire in His heart against the sinner (Psa 90:11).

(2) Gods dealing with sinners as His enemies, whom He is incensed against (Neh 1:2; Isa 1:24). The wrath of a king is as the roaring of a lion; what then must the wrath of God be, an enemy where we can neither fight nor flee from, neither outwit nor outbrave? Of this wrath it is said, it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

2. His curse is His separating one to evil (Deu 29:21). It is a devoting the sinner to destruction, to all the direful effects of the Divine wrath.

II. I shall show, what is Gods wrath and curse in this life and that which is to come.

1. In this life they comprehend all the miseries of this world which one meets with on this side of time, miseries on the body, relations, name, estate, employment; miseries on the soul, as blindness, hardness, vile affections, horrors of conscience, etc., and, finally, death in the separation of soul and body. Thus they make a flood of miseries in this life.

2. In the life to come they comprehend eternal death and damnation, and an eternal being under the punishment of loss and sense in hell. So they make a shoreless sea of miseries in the life to come.

III. I proceed to show, that there is no sin which does not deserve these, but that every sin deserves this wrath and curse,

1. The wages of every sin is death (Rom 6:23).

2. Every sin is a breach of the law; and he who breaks it in erie point is guilty of all (Jam 2:10). The commands of the law have all one Author, whose majesty is offended by whatsoever breach. The law requires universal obedience.

3. Christ died for all the sins of all His elect (1Pe 3:18; 1Jn 1:7).

4. The least sin will condemn a man if it be not forgiven (Mat 5:19); even idle words (Mat 12:36-37).

IV. I come to show, why every sin deserves so much. The reason is, it is a kind of infinite evil; and, therefore, since the punishment is deservedly proportioned to the offence, it deserves infinite punishment. Sin is an infinite evil in two respects.

1. In respect that the guilt and defilement of it is never taken away, but endures for ever, unless the Lord Himself in mercy do remove it.

2. In respect it wrongs an infinite God. The creature, being finite, is not capable of punishment infinite in value, therefore it is necessarily infinite in duration, There is a manifold wrong to God in the least sin.

(1) It wrongs His infinite sovereignty (Jam 2:10-11).

(2) It wrongs His infinite goodness (Exo 20:1-2).

(3) It wrongs His holiness (Hab 1:13).

(4) It breaks His law, the eternal rule of righteousness (1Jn 3:4). (T. Boston, D. D.)

The condition of men under the broken covenant

In a shipwreck, when the ship is dashed in pieces upon a rock, how heavy is the case of the crew among the raging waves? The ship can no more carry them to the harbour, but, failing them, leaves them to the mercy of the waves. If one can get a broken plank to hold by, that is the greatest safety there; but that doth often but hold in their miserable lives for a little, till the passengers are swallowed up. Such, and unspeakably worse, is the case of sinners under the broken covenant of works, which leaves them under the curse, as we see in the text. In which we have–

1. The covenant-state of some of mankind, yea, of many of them. They are of the works of the law; it is the same thing as to be of the law of works; that is, to be under the covenant of works.

2. The state and case of men under that covenant; they are under the curse. The covenant is broken, and so they are fallen under the penalty. As the blessing or promise, which they have lost, comprehends all good for time and eternity, soul and body; so the curse comprehends all evil on soul and body for time and eternity.

3. The proof and evidence of this their miserable state and case.

I. I shall evince the truth of this doctrine, that there are some, yea, many of mankind, who are still under the broken covenant of works. This will clearly appear, if ye consider–

1. That there are but few that shall be saved (Mat 7:14). Christs flock is but a very little flock (Luk 12:32). The truth is, all men by nature are under it, and so are born under the curse (Eph 2:3).

2. The Scripture is plain on this head. It curseth and condemneth many; Gal 3:10, Cursed is every one, viz., who is under the law; for its curse cannot reach others, there being no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus (Rom 8:1). It condemns all unbelievers; Joh 3:18, He that believeth not is condemned already, viz., by the sentence of the law as the covenant of works; for the covenant of grace condemns no man (Joh 5:45); said our Lord to the Jews, Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father; there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust. Chap. 12:47, And if any man hear My words and believe not, I judge him not; for I came not to judge the world but to save the world.

3. As all men in Adam were taken into the covenant of works, so no man can be freed from the obligation of it, but they who are discharged from it by God, who was mans party in it. This is evident from the general nature of contracts. And none are discharged from it but on a full answering of all it could demand of them (Mat 5:18). This no man can attain unto but by faith in Jesus Christ, whereby the soul appropriates and applies to itself Christs obedience and satisfaction offered in the gospel; and so, pleading these, gets up the discharge; For being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Rom 5:1).

4. Freedom from the covenant of works is such a privilege as requires both price and power, each of them infinite, to invest a sinner with it.

5. There are many who still live as they were born; in the same state wherein their father Adam left them when he broke; who were never to this day in any due concern how to be discharged from the debt he left upon their head, or of the bond of the covenant of works which in him they entered into.

6. There are but two covenants, viz., of works and grace (Gal 4:24), as there never were but two ways of life and salvation, by works and by grace; and but two federal heads of mankind, the first and second Adam.

II. Those under the covenant of works described.

1. Men may be under the covenant of works, and yet living under the external dispensation of the covenant of grace.

2. Men may receive the seals of the covenant of grace, and yet be under the covenant of works.

3. Men may be convinced in their consciences of the impossibility of obtaining salvation by Adams covenant of works, and yet remain under it still.

4. Men, upon the offer of the covenant of grace made to them, may aim at accepting of it, and so enter into a personal covenant with God, and yet remain under the covenant of works. But more particularly and directly–

(1) All unregenerate persons are under the covenant of works. That man or woman is yet a branch of the old Adam, growing on the old stock, a stranger to ,the new covenant, because not in Christ, the head of the covenant.

(2) All that have not the Spirit of Christ dwelling in them are under the covenant of works, for if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His (Rom 8:9). Gal 5:8, But if ye be led by the Spirit, ye are not under the law. It is one of the first promises of the covenant of grace, the giving of the Spirit (Eze 37:27), A new Spirit will I put within you.

(3) All unbelievers (Joh 3:18). Whosoever is destitute of saving faith is under the covenant of works; for it is by faith that one is brought within the bond of the covenant of grace, is married unto Christ, being dead to the law.

(4) All unsanctified, unholy persons (Rom 6:14). So that true holiness is an infallible mark of one delivered from the law; and unholiness, of one that is yet hard and fast under it (Gal 5:18).

(5) All profane, loose, and licentious men are under the covenant of works (Rom 7:5; Rom 8:2). These men of Belial are under that heavy yoke.

(6) All mere moralists, such as satisfy themselves with common honesty and sobriety, living in the meantime strangers to religious exercises, and without a form of godliness. These are under the covenant of works, as seeking justification and acceptance with God by their conformity (such as it is) to the letter of the law (Gal 5:4). They are under the covenant of works with a witness, having betaken themselves to their shreds of moral honesty, as so many Broken boards of that split ship.

(7) All formal hypocrites or legal professors, these sons and daughters of the bond-woman (Gal 4:24-25). These are they who have been convinced, but never were converted; who have been awakened by the law, but were never laid to rest by the gospel; who are brought to duties, but have never been brought out of them to Jesus Christ; who pretend to be married to Christ, but were never yet divorced from nor dead to the law; and so are still joined to the first husband, the law, as a covenant of works.

III. The effect of the broken covenant of works upon those who are under it.

1. It has and exercises a commanding power over them, binding them to its obedience with the strongest bonds and ties of authority.

(1) It commands and binds to perfect obedience under pain of the curse.

(2) It commands, without any promise of strength at all to perform.

2. It has a debarring power over those under it, in respect of the promise. It bars them from life or salvation so long as they are under its dominion,

(1) There is no life to the sinner without complete satisfaction to justice for the wrong he has done to the honour of God and His law; Heb 9:22, for without shedding of blood is no remission.

(2) There is no life and salvation without perfect obedience to its commands for the time to come; Mat 19:17, If thou wilt enter into life, says Christ unto the young man in the gospel, keep the commandments. This was the condition of the covenant; and it is not enough that a man pay the penalty of a broken covenant, but he must perform the condition of it ere he can plead the benefit.

3. A cursing and condemning power, in respect of the threatening.

4. An irritating influence upon all that are under it, so that, instead of making them better, it makes them worse, stirring up their corruptions, like a nest of ants, being troubled by ones touching of them (Rom 7:9-11). Now this is accidental to the law as the covenant of works; for it is holy, and just, and good; and therefore ,an never bring forth sin as the native fruit of it. But it is owing to the corruption of mens hearts, impatient of restraint (Rom 7:12-13), forecited. While the sun shines warm on a garden, the flowers send forth a pleasant smell; but while it shines so on the dunghill, it smells more abominably than at other times. So it is here. There are two things here to be considered in the case of the law.

(1) It lays an awful restraint on the sinner with its commands and threatenings (Gal 3:10). The unrenewed man would never make a holy life his choice; might he freely follow his own inclination, he would not regard what is good, but give himself a liberty in sinful courses. But the law is as a bridle to him; it crosses and contradicts his sinful inclinations. It is to him as the bridle and spur to the horse; as the master and his whip to the slave. So that the sinner can never cordially like it, but all the obedience it gets from him is mercenary, having no higher springs than hope of reward and fear of punishment.

(2) In the meantime it has no power to subdue his corruptions, to remove his rebellious disposition, to reconcile his heart to holiness, or to strengthen him for the performance of duty; For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ (Joh 1:17). As it finds the man without strength, so it leaves him, though it never ceases to exact duty of him. Though no straw is given to the sinner by it, yet the tale of the bricks it will not suffer to be diminished.

IV. I now proceed to show, why so many do still remain under the broken covenant of works.

1. It is natural to men, being made with Adam, and us in his loins; it is engrained in the hearts of all men naturally. Tell me, says the apostle (Gal 2:21), ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? And there are impressions of it to be found in the hearts of all among the ruins of the fall. We have a clear proof of it–

(1) In men left to the swing of their own nature; they all go this way in their dealing with God for life and favour.

(2) In men awakened and convinced, and in moral seriousness seeking to know what course they shall take to be saved, and plying their work for that end. They all take this principle for granted, That it is by doing they must obtain life and salvation (Mat 19:16).

(3) in the saints, who are truly married to Jesus Christ, O what hankering after the first husband, how great the remains of a legal spirit, how hard is it for them to forget their fathers house! (Psa 45:10).

2. The way of that covenant is most agreeable to the pride of mans heart. A proud heart will rather serve itself with the less, than stoop to live upon free grace (Rom 10:3). Man must be broken, bruised, and humbled, and laid very low, before he will embrace the covenant of grace. While a broken board of the first covenant will do men any service they will hold by it rather than come to Christ; like men who will rather live in a cottage of their own than in another mans castle.

3. It is most agreeable to mans reason in its corrupt state. If one should have asked the opinion of the philosophers concerning that religion which taught salvation by a crucified Christ, and through the righteousness of another, they would have said it was unreasonable and foolish, and that the only way to true happiness was the way of moral virtue.

4. Ignorance and insensibility of the true state of the matter as it now is. There is a thick darkness about Mount Sinai through the whole dominion of the law, so that they who live under the covenant of works see little but what they see by the lightnings now and then flashing out. Hence they little know where they are nor what they are.

(1) They do not understand the nature of that covenant to purpose (Gal 4:21).

(2) They are not duly sensible of their own utter inability for that way of salvation.

V. Application of this doctrine.

1. For information. Hence learn–

(1) That some, yea, many of mankind, are under the curse, bound over to wrath.

(2) See here whence it is that true holiness is so rare, and wickedness and ungodliness so rife.

(3) Here ye may see the true spring of legalism in principles as well as in practice.

(4) See whence it is that the doctrine of the gospel is so little understood, and in the purity of it is looked at as a strange thing.

2. For exhortation. Be exhorted then seriously and impartially to try what covenant ye are under. For motives, consider–

(1) It is in the region of the law that we all draw our first breath. And no man will get out from its dominion in a morning dream. We owe it to our second birth, whoever of us are brought into the covenant of grace; but that is not our original state.

(2) Till once ye see yourselves under the covenant of works, and so lost and ruined with the burden of that broken covenant on you; ye may hear of the covenant of grace, but ye will never take hold of it in good earnest (Gal 2:6). Here lies the ruin of the most part who hear the gospel; they were never slain by the law, and therefore never quickened by the gospel; they never find the working of the deadly poison conveyed to them from the first Adam, and therefore they see no beauty in the second Adam for which He is to be desired.

(3) Your salvation or ruin turns on this point.

(4) There is no ease for a poor sinner but severity and rigour, under the covenant of works.

(5) While ye are under that covenant ye are without Christ (Eph 2:12). And being without Christ, ye have no saving interest in his purchase.

(6). All attempts you make to get to heaven while under this covenant will be vain. The children of that covenant are, by an unalterable statute of the court of heaven, excluded from the heavenly inheritance; so that, do what you will, while ye abide under it you may as well fall a-ploughing the rocks, and sowing your seed in the sand of the sea, as think to get to heaven that way. (T. Boston, D. D.)

The misery of those under the broken covenant

I. What the curse is which men are under.

1. Gods curse.

2. The curse of the law.

(1) the revenging wrath of God is in it.

(2) A binding over of the sinner unto punishment for the satisfaction of offended justice.

(3) A separating of the sinner unto destruction.

II. What it is to be under the curse.

1. Under the wrath of God.

2. Bound over to revenging justice.

3. A mark for the arrows of vengeance.

III. Confirmation of the truth of this doctrine.

1. This is evident from plain Scripture testimony. The text is express.

2. It is evident from the consideration of the justice of God, as the Sovereign of the world.

Two things will make this clear.

1. The breaking of that covenant, whereof all under it are guilty, deserves the curse. They broke it in Adam, and they are breaking it every day; and so they deserve the curse. Now, sins deserving of the curse does not arise from the threatening of eternal wrath annexed for a sanction to the commands in the law, as our new divinity would have it; that is framed for bringing believers under the curse of the law too. But it arises from sins contrariety to the command of the holy law; for it is manifest, that sin does not therefore deserve a curse, because a curse is threatened against it; but because it deserves a curse, therefore a curse is threatened. Now look at sin in the glass of the holy commandment, and you will see it deserves the curse. For the commandment is–

(1) An image of the sovereign spotless holiness of God–The law is holy (Rom 7:12). When God would let out the beams of His own holiness to man, He gave him the law of the ten commandments, as a transcript of it, and wrote them in his heart; and afterwards, the writing being much defaced, He wrote them to him in His Word. So the commandment is holy without spot, as God is. So that the creature rising up against the commandment, riseth up against God.

(2) It is an image of His righteousness and equity, whereby He does justly to all: The commandment is just (Rom 7:12). The commandment is all right in every part, and of perpetual equity I esteem all Thy precepts concerning all things to be right (Psa 119:128). Look to it as it prescribes our duty to God, to our neighbour, and to ourselves (Tit 2:12). It is of spotless and perfect righteousness, as that God is whose righteous nature and will it represents.

(3) An image of His goodness The commandment is good (Rom 7:12). It is all lovely, lovely in every part; lovely in itself, and in the eyes of all who are capable to discern truly what is good, and what evil–O how I love Thy law! (Psa 119:97). Conformity to it is the perfection of the creature, and its true happiness, as rendering the creature like unto God (1Jn 3:2). Thus the breaking of the covenant, by doing contrary to the holy commandment, is the transgressing of the holy, just, and good will of our sovereign Lord; a defacing of and doing violence to His image, who is the chief good and infinite good. Therefore sin is the chief or greatest evil, and consequently deserves the curse.

2. Since it deserves the curse, the justice of God, which gives everything its due, ensures the curse upon it (Gen 18:25; 2Th 1:6). If sin did not lay the sinner under the curse, how would the rectoral justice of God appear? He will rain a terrible storm on the wicked, not because He delights in the death of the sinner, but because He loves righteousness (Psa 11:6-7), and His righteousness requires it.

3. It appears from the threatening of the covenant–In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die (Gen 2:17). And the truth of God requires that it take effect, and be not like words spoken to the wind.

4. If man had once run the course of His obedience, being come to the last point of it, he behoved to have been justified and adjudged to eternal life, according to the tenor of the covenant–The man which doth those things shall live by them (Rom 10:5); the sentence of the law would immediately have passed in his favour, according to the promise. And therefore man, having once broken the covenant, falls under the curse, and is adjudged to eternal death; for the curse bears the same relation to the threatening that law-justification bears to the promise.

5. Christs being made a curse for sinners is a clear evidence of sinners being naturally under the curse. (T. Boston, D. D.)

Mans condition under the curse

The most terrible scene that men are capable of beholding, in time or eternity. Happy they who timely behold it, so as to be thereby stirred up to flee to Christ.

I. The condition of the natural mans soul under the curse. This is the most noble part of man. In the moment he sinned, his soul fell under the curse. And so

1. His soul was separated from God, in favour with whom its life lay.

2. Hence, mans soul-beauty was lost; death seized on him by sin, his beauty went off. A dead corpse is an awful sight, where the soul is gone.. But thy dead soul, from which God is gone, O natural man I is a more awful one. Couldst thou see thy inward man, as well as thou seest the outward, thou wouldst see a soul within thee of a ghastly countenance, the eyes of its understanding set, its speech laid, all the spiritual senses now locked up, no pulse of kindly affection towards God beating any more; but the soul lying speechless, motionless, cold and stiff like a stone, under the curse.

3. Hence the whole soul is corrupted in all the faculties thereof. As the soul being gone, the body corrupts; so the soul, being divested of its original righteousness, is wholly corrupted and defiled, having a kind of verminating life in it–They are altogether become filthy (Psa 14:3). And as when the curse was laid on the earth, the very nature of the soil was altered; so the souls of men under the curse are quite altered from their original holy constitution. This appears in all the faculties thereof.

(1) Look into the mind, framed at first to be the eye of the soul; there is a lamentable alteration upon it under the curse. O how is the fine gold become dim! There is a mist upon it, whereby it is become weak, dull, and stupid in spiritual things, and really incapable of these things. Darkness has sat down on the mind–Ye were sometimes darkness (Eph 5:8); and there spiritual blindness and ignorance reign, not to be removed by mans instruction, or any power less than what can take off the curse. This cursed ground is fruitful of mistakes, misapprehensions, delusions, monstrous and misshapen conceptions in Divine things; doubtings, distrust, unbelief of Divine Revelation, grow there, of their own accord, as the natural product of the cursed soil; while the seed of the word of the kingdom sown there does perish, and faith cannot spring up in it, for such is the soil that they cannot take with it.

(2) Look into the will, framed to have the command in the soul, and it is in wretched plight. Its uprightness for God is gone, and it is turned away backward from Him. It is not only under an inability for good, but having lost all power to turn itself that way–We were without strength (Rom 5:6); For it is God which worketh in you to will and to do of His good pleasure (Php 2:13); but it is averse to it, as the untrained bullock is to the yoke (Psa 81:11).

(3) Look into the affections, framed to he the arms and feet of the soul for good, and they are quite wrong. Set spiritual objects before them to be embraced, then they are powerless, they cannot embrace them, nor grip them stedfastly; they presently grow weary, and let go any hold they have of them; like the stony-ground hearers, who because they had no root withered away (Mat 13:6). But as for carnal objects, agreeable to their lusts, they fly upon them, they clasp and twine about them; they hold so fast a grip, that it is with no small difficulty they can be got to let go their hold. Summon them to duty, they are flat, there is no raising of them, they cannot stir; but on the least signal given them by temptation, they are like Sauls hungry soldiers, flying on the spoil.

(4) Look into the conscience, framed to be in the soul Gods deputy for judgment, His spy, and watchman over His creature; and it is miserably corrupted–Their mind and conscience is defiled (Tit 1:15). It is quite unfitted for its office. It is fallen under a sleepy distemper, sleeping and loving to slumber.

(5) Look into the memory, framed to be the storehouse of the soul, and the symptoms of the curse appear there too. Things agreeable to the corruption of nature, and which may strengthen the same, stick fast in the memory, so that often one cannot get them forgotten, though they would fain have their remembrance razed. But spiritual things natively fall out of it, and are soon forgotten; the memory, like a leaking vessel, letting them slip.

4. Man being in these respects spiritually dead, the which death was the consequent of the first sin, the curse lies on him as a gravestone, and the penalty binds it upon him, that he cannot recover. So he is in some sort, by the curse, buried out of Gods sight.

5. Hence that corruption of the soul grows more and more. As the dead corpse, the longer it lies in the grave, it rots the more, till devouring death has perfected its work in its utter ruin; so the dead soul under the curse grows worse and worse in all the faculties thereof, till it is brought to the utmost pitch of sin and misery.

6. And hence the corruption of nature shoots forth itself in innumerable particular lusts, according to its growth (Mar 7:21-23). But this is not all the misery of the soul under the curse; there are additional plagues, which by the curse they are liable to, who are under it. These soul-plagues are of two sorts–silent strokes, and tormenting plagues.

1. Silent strokes, which make their way into the soul with no noise; but the less they are felt, they are the more dangerous; such as–

(1) Judicial blindness.

(2) Strong delusions.

(3) Hardness of heart.

(4) A reprobate sense.

(5) Vile affection.

2. Tormenting plagues. Many are the executioners employed against the soul fallen under the curse, who together do pierce, rack, and rend it, as it were, in pieces.

(1) Discontent.

(2) Wrath.

(3) Anxiety.

(4) Sorrow of heart.

(5) Fear and terror.

(6) Despair.

II. The condition of the natural mans body under the curse.

1. It is liable to many defects and deformities in the very constitution thereof. Adam and Eve were at their creation not only sound and entire in their souls, but in their bodies, having nothing unsightly about them. But O how often now is there seen a variation from the original pattern, in the very formation of the body! Some are born deaf, dumb, blind, or the like. Some with a want of some necessary organ, some with what is superfluous. Some with such a constitution of body as makes them idiots, the organs of the body being so far out of case, that they are unfit for the actions of the rational life; and the soul is by them kept in a mist during the union with that body. All this is owing to sin and the curse, without which there had been no such things in the body of man.

2. As the temperature of the body was by the first sin altered, so as it disposed to sin (Gen 3:7), so by the curse that degenerate constitution of it is penally bound on, by which it comes to pass that it is a snare to the soul continually. The seeds of sin are in it; it is sinful flesh (Rom 8:3), a vile body (Php 3:21), and these seeds are never removed while the curse lies on it, being a part of that death to which it is bound over by the curse.

3. It is under the curse a vessel of dishonour. By its original make, it was a vessel of honour, appointed to honourable uses, and was so used by the soul before sin entered; and every member had its particular honourable service, serving the soul in subordination to God. But now it is brought down from its honour, and its members are yielded instruments of unrighteousness unto sin (Rom 6:13), and it is abused to the vilest purposes; and it is never restored to its honour till, the curse being removed, it becomes the temple of God, by virtue of the purchase of it made by the blood of Christ.

4. It is liable to many mischiefs from without, tending to render it uneasy for the time, and at length to dissolve the frame of it. From the heavens above us, the air about us, the earth underneath us, and all that therein is, it is liable to hurt.

5. There is a seed-plot of much misery within it. It is by the curse become a weak body, and so liable to much toil and weariness, fainting and languishing under the weight of the exercise it is put to (Gen 3:19). And not only so, but it hath in it such seeds of corruption, tending to its dissolution, as spring up in many and various maladies, which often prove so heavy that they make life itself a burden.

6. In all these respects the body is a clog to the soul in point of duty, often hanging like a dead weight upon it, unfitting it for, and hindering it from, its most necessary work. The sinful soul is in itself most unfit for its great work, in this state of trial, by reason of the evil qualities of it under the curse. But the wretched body makes it more so. The care of the body doth so take up its thoughts with most men, that, caring for it, the soul is lost. Its strength and vigour is a snare to it, and its weakness and uneasiness often interrupt or quite mar the exercises wherein the soul might profitably be employed. But it may be objected, That by this account of the condition of those under the curse, the case of natural men and of believers in Christ is alike; since it is evident, that not only these bodily miseries, but many of these soul miseries, are common to both. I answer: Though it seem to be alike in the eye of beholders, in regard these miseries are materially the same on natural men and on the children of God; yet really there is a vast difference. On the former they are truly effects of the curse; on the latter they are indeed effects of sin, but not of the curse–For Christ hath redeemed them from the curse of the law, being made a curse for them (Gal 3:13).

(1) The stream of miseries on soul or body to a natural man, runs in the channel of the covenant of works; but to a believer, in the channel of the covenant of grace.

(2) There is revenging wrath in the one, but fatherly anger only in the other.

(3) The miseries of the ungodly in this life are an earnest of eternal misery in hell; but those of the godly are medicines, to keep back their soul from death–When we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world (1Co 11:32).

III. The whole man is under the curse. He is cursed–

1. In his name and reputation.

2. In his employment and calling in the world.

3. In his worldly substance.

4. In his relations.

5. In his lot, whether afflicted or prosperous.

6. In his use of the means of grace.

7. In his person.

(1) He is under the power of Satan.

(2) Being under the curse, he is continually in hazard of utter destruction, of having the copestone put on his misery, and being set beyond all possibility of help.

If his eyes were opened he would see himself every moment in danger of dropping down into the pit of hell (Psa 7:12). (T. Boston, D. D.)

Death under the curse

I. The natural under the curse must not only die, but die by virtue of the curse. Death in any shape has a terrible aspect, it is the king of terrors, and can hardly miss to make the creature shrink, being a destruction of nature, and carrying him into another world where he never was before, and putting him into a quite new state, which he has had no prior experience of. But death to the natural man is in a singular manner terrible; it is death of the worst kind. Soul and body joined in sin against God, and by sin the man was separated from God; and as a meet reward of the error, the companions in sin are separated by the curse at length; which would have remained eternally in a happy union had not sin entered. Now, that we may have a view of death to a sinner by virtue of the curse, consider–

1. It is the ruining stroke from the hand of an absolute God, proceeding according to the covenant of works against the sinner in full measure.

2. It is the breaking up of the peace betwixt God and them for ever: it is God setting His seal to the proclamation of an everlasting war with them; after which no message of peace is to go betwixt them any more for ever.

3. It puts an end to all their comfort of whatsoever nature (Luk 16:25).

4. It is death armed with its sting, and all the strength it has from sin, and a holy just broken law.

5. It is the fearful passage out of this world into everlasting misery (Luk 16:22-23). It is a dark valley at best; but the Lord is with His people while they go through it (Psa 23:4). It is a deep water at best; but where the curse is removed, the Lord Jesus will be the lifter up of the head, that the passenger shall not sink. But who can conceive the horror of the passage the sinner under the curse has, upon whom that frightful weight lies? It leads him as an ox to the slaughter; it opens like a trap-door underneath him, by which he falls into the pit, and like a whirlpool swallows him up in a moment, and he is staked down in an unalterable state of unspeakable misery.

II. After death he still remains under the curse. Then comes the full execution of the curse, and it is fixed on the sinner without possibility of deliverance.

1. All his sins, of all kinds, in all the periods of his life, from the first to the last breathing on earth are upon him. The curse seals them up as in a bag, that not one of them can be missing (Hos 13:12).

2. As the mans sins were multiplied(so the curses of the law were multiplied upon him; for it is the constant voice of the law, upon every transgression of those under the covenant of works, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them (Gal 3:10). How then can such a one escape, while innumerable cords of death are upon him, before a just Judge with their united force binding him over to destruction?

3. There is no removing of the curse then (Luk 13:25). The time of trial is over, and judgment is to be passed according to what was done in the flesh. When a court is erected within a sinners own breast in this world, and conscience convicts him as a transgressor of the law, a covenant breaker, and therefore pronounces him cursed; there is a Surety for the sinner to fly to, an Advocate into whose hands he may commit his cause, a Mediator to trust in and roll his burden on by faith. But before that tribunal there is none for the sinner who comes thither under the curse.

4. Wherefore he must there inevitably sink under the weight of the curse for ever (Psa 1:5). He must fall a sacrifice for his own sin, who now slights the only atoning sacrifice, even Christ our passover sacrificed for us.

III. The soul is shut up in hell, by virtue of the curse.

1. Separate souls under the curse, after their particular judgment, are lodged in the place of the damned.

2. The dregs of the curse shall there be wrung out to them, and they made to drink them, in the fearful punishment inflicted upon them for the satisfaction of offended justice, for all their sins, original and actual.

3. They are sensible of their lost happiness (Luk 16:23). They see it to their unspeakable anguish. And how must it pierce the wretched soul, to think that not only all is lost, but lost without possibility of recovery?

4. Their consciences are then awakened, never to fall asleep any more for ever. They will scorch them then like a fire that cannot be quenched, and gnaw them like a worm that never dieth. The conscience that was seared till it was past feeling, will then be fully sensible. The evil of sin will then be clearly seen, because felt; the threatenings of the holy law will no more be accounted scarecrows, nor will there be any such fools there as to make a mock of sin.

5. They will be filled with torturing passions, which will keep the soul ever on the rack. Their sinful nature remains with them under the curse, and they will sin against God still, as well as they did in this life; but with this difference, that whereas they had pleasure in their sins here, they shall have none in their sins there.

6. In this state they must continue till the last day, that they be reunited to their respective bodies, and so the whole man get his sentence at the general judgment, adjudging both soul and body to everlasting fire.

IV. The sinners body goes to the dust.

1. It is laid up there as in a prison, like a malefactor in a dungeon, to be kept there till the day of execution. The bodies of the godly go to the grave too, but it is a place of rest to them, where they rest as in their bed, till the joyful morning of the resurrection (Isa 57:2).

2. Their sin and guilt remains on them there, and that without further possibility of a removal (Job 20:11). Sin is a dangerous companion in life; one had better live in chains of iron, than in chains of guilt; but happy they with whom sin parts when soul and body part at death. That is the lot of believers in Christ, who at the Red Sea of death get the last sight of it. There the Lord says to the dying saint, whether he hears it or not, as Exo 14:13, The Egyptians whom ye have seen to-day ye shall see them again no more for ever. But the man dying under the curse, all his sins take a dead gripe of him never to helot go; and when he lies down in the grave, they lie down with him, and they never part.

3. All the ruin brought on their bodies there, is done by virtue of the curse (Job 24:19, The grave consumes those which have sinned). Death makes fearful havoc where it comes; not only doth it separate the soul from the body; but separates the several parts of the body one from another, until it reduce the whole into dust, not to be discerned by the quickest eye from common dust. Thus it fares with the bodies of the godly indeed, as well as the bodies of the wicked; nevertheless great is the difference,–the curse working these effects in the bodies of the latter, but not of the former,–stinged death in the one, unstinged death in the other; so all these effects in the one are pieces of revenging wrath for the satisfaction of justice; in the other not so, but like the melting down of the crazy silver vessel, to be cast into a new mould.

V. The wicked shall rise again under the curse.

1. They shall rise again out of their graves by virtue of the curse (Joh 5:29). When the end of time is come, the last trumpet shall sound, and all that are in the graves shall come forth, godly and ungodly; but the godly shall rise by virture of their blessed union with Christ (Rom 8:11); the ungodly by virtue of the curse of the broken covenant on them. As the malefactor is, in virtue of the sentence of death passed on him, shut up in close prison till the time of execution; and in virtue of the same sentence brought out of prison at the time appointed for his execution; even so the unbeliever is, in virtue of the curse of the law adjudging him to eternal death in hell, laid up in the grave till the last day; and, in virtue of the same curse, brought out of the grave at that day.

2. All their sin and guilt shall rise again with them; the body that was laid in the grave, a vile body; a foul instrument of the soul in divers lusts; an unclean vessel, stained, polluted, and defiled, with divers kinds of filthy-impure lusts; shall rise again with all its impurities cleaving to it (Isa 66:24, They shall be an abhoring unto all flesh ). It is the peculiar privilege of believers to have their vile bodies changed (Php 3:21). If the bodies of sinners be not cleansed try the washing with that pure water (Heb 10:22), viz., the blood and Spirit of Jesus Christ; though they be strained in never so minute parts, through the earth in a grave, they will lose nothing of their vileness and pollution, it will still cleave to every part of their dust, and appear again therewith at the resurrection.

3. Their appearance will be frightful and horrible beyond expression, when they come forth of their graves under the curse, and set their feet on the earth again. When, at the sound of the trumpet, the dead shall all arise out of their graves, and the wicked are cast forth as abominable branches, what a fearful awakening will they have out of their long sleep!

VI. Then will appear before Christs tribunal under the curse.

1. In virtue of the curse they shall be set on the left hand (Mat 25:33). No honour is designed for them, but shame and everlasting contempt.

2. The face of the Judge must needs be terrible to them, as being under the curse of Him who sits upon the throne (Rev 6:16-17).

3. To clear the equity of the curse, and the execution thereof upon them, their works shall be brought into judgment (Ecc 12:14). Their whole life shall be searched into, and laid to the rule of the holy law, and the enormity and sinfulness thereof be discovered. The mask will then be entirely taken off their faces, and all their pretences to piety solemnly rejected, and declared to have been but hypocrisy. Their secret wickedness, which they rejoiced to have got hid, and which they so artfully managed, that there was no discovering of it while they might have confessed and found mercy, shall then be set in broad daylight before God and the world when there is no remedy. Conscience shall then be no more blind nor dumb; but shall witness against them and for God; and shall never be silent any more.

4. Their doom shall be pronounced (Mat 25:41). A final sentence.

VII. They must lie for ever under the weight of the curse in hell.

1. In virtue of the curse, the pit, having received them, shall close its mouth on them.

2. The curse shall then be like a partition wall of adamant, to separate them quite from God, and any the least comfortable intercourse with Him (Mat 25:41). While on the other side of the wall the light of glory shines, mere bright than a thousand suns, filling the saints with joy unspeakable.

3. It shall hence be a final stop to all sanctifying influences towards them. While they are in this world, there is a possibility of removing the curse, and that the worst of men may be made holy; but when there is a total and final separation from God in hell, surely there are no sanctifying influences there. The corrupt nature they carried with them thither, must then abide with them there; and they must needs act there, since their being is continued; and a corrupt nature will ever act corruptly, while it acts at all (Mat 7:17).

4. It shall be the breath that shall blow the fire continually, and keep it burning, for their exquisite torment in soul and body (Isa 30:33).

5. The curse shall lengthen out their misery to all eternity (Mat 25:41). Hence, when the sinner has suffered millions of ages in hell, the curse still binds him down to suffer more.

VIII. Practical application.

1. For conviction.

(1) Saints.

i. Do ye suitably prize and esteem your God, Redeemer, and Saviour? Are your hearts suitably affected with the love of God in Christ, that set on foot your deliverance, and brought it about?

ii. Do ye suitably prize the new covenant, the second covenant? Do ye pry into the mystery of the glorious contrivance, stand and wonder at the device for bringing cursed sinners to inherit the blessing? Would it not become you well to be often looking into it, and saying, This is all my salvation, and all my desire? (2Sa 23:5.)

iii. Do ye walk answer-ably to the deliverance from this curse? O look to the curse of the covenant of works, from which ye are delivered, and be convinced and humbled to the very dust.

(1) That ye should walk so untenderly, unwatchfully, and uncircumspectly, before the Lord that bought you, and that in the midst of cursed children, a crooked and perverse generation.

(2) That ye should so dote upon this earth, this cursed earth, that the curse of the broken covenant of works has lain upon these five thousand years, and has sucked the sap out of, and so dried up by this time, that it is near to taking fire, and to be burnt to ashes, by virtue of the curse upon it.

(3) That ye should perform duties so heartlessly, coldly, and indifferently; with so little faith, love, fervency, humility, zeal, and confidence. O look to the curse of the broken covenant, with the effects of it in earth and hell, that ye may be stirred up to the performance of duty after another manner.

(4) That ye should bear your troubles and trials so impatiently, as if your crosses were so many curses. Look to the condition of those under the curse in this world, and you will see your heaviest cross is lighter than their smallest ones, yea your adversity is better than their prosperity. Look how Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us, and you will see the poison taken out of the cup, and the pure water of affliction presented to you in your cup to pledge Him in; and why not drink it, and drink it thankfully?

iv. Have ye due thoughts of the evil of sin? Is your horror of it suitably raised? Rom 12:9, Abhor that which is evil, abhor it as hell, so the word may bear. If you duly consider the curse, it may fill you with shame and blushing on this head.

v. Are ye duly affected with the case of those who, being

(1) Strangers to Christ, are yet under the curse? Are ye at due pains for their recovery and deliverance? How natural is it for men, who with difficulty have escaped the greatest danger, to be affected with the case of others who are still in the same danger, in hazard of perishing?

(2) Sinners; ye who are under the broken covenant of works still, not united to Christ by faith, and savingly interested in the covenant of grace, but living yet in your natural unregenerate state, ye may hence be convinced–

1. That ye are under the curse.

2. That, being under the curse, ye are in a very miserable condition.

3. That your case is desperately sinful, while under the covenant of works.

(1) The guilt of your sin lies on you, the guilt of eternal wrath; and it cannot be removed.

(2) Sin has a reigning power over you; and it neither is nor can be broken, while you continue under that covenant.

4. That while ye remain under that covenant, ye remain under the curse; and there is no deliverance from the curse without deliverance from the covenant.

5. That there is no salvation for you under that covenant.

6. That there is an absolute necessity of being set free from the covenant of works, of being brought into the covenant of grace, and savingly interested in the Lord Jesus, the second Adam.

7. That your help must come wholly from the Lord Jesus Christ, and that you can contribute nothing by your own working for your own relief (Hos 13:9).

2. For exhortation, First, Let unbelievers, who are still under this covenant, receive these convictions, and be warned, excited, and exhorted timely to sue to be belivered from under the covenant of works, and for that end to be instated in the covenant of grace, by faith in Jesus Christ.

1. The curse is a weight which you will never be able to bear.

2. It is a growing weight; as your sins grow, the curse grows (Rom 2:5).

3. It is a weight that may be now removed from off you (2Co 6:2), Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation. Those whom this weight has sunk down into the pit already, it can never be removed from off them; but ye are yet within the reach of mercy, the Mediator is ready to take the yoke off your jaws.

4. If the weight of the curse be not removed from off you, it will be the heavier that deliverance from it was in your power (Mat 11:21).

5. It will be an eternal weight (Mat 25:41), Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire. There is an eternal weight of glory for the saints in the promise; and an eternal weight of wrath for sinners in the curse, which they shall for ever lie under, and never get clear of. Let these motives then excite and induce you to flee from the curse of the broken covenant of works, unto the covenant of grace, where life is only to be found.

Secondly, believers in Christ, delivered from this covenant–

1. Be thankful for your deliverance, as a deliverance from the curse. Let the warmest gratitude glow in your breasts for so great a deliverance; and let your soul, and all that is within you, be stirred up to bless your glorious Deliverer for this unspeakable blessing.

2. Walk holily and fruitfully in good works, since the bands of death are removed, and your souls are healed. Be holy in all manner of life and conversation; adorning, the doctrine of God your Saviour in all things. Let the whole tenor of your lives testify that you are not under the curse, but that you inherit the blessing of eternal life, by living to the praise and honour of Christ, who hath delivered you from the wrath to come.

3. Turn not back to the broken covenant of works again, in legal principles, nor in legal practices. The more the temper and frame of your spirit lies that way, the more unholy will ye be; and the more your duties savour of it, the less savoury will they be unto your God. It is only by being dead to the law, that ye will live unto God. (T. Boston, D. D.)

Sinners under the curse

The way to Christ lies through the sense of misery.

1. The attribute, cursed. This curse is the penalty of Gods violated law, and so an evil of punishment. This evil of punishment being assigned by Divine justice, must be proportionable to the evil of sin.

2. There is the subject expressed as fully and pregnantly as anything in Scripture. Here is no less than a threefold universality; it extends to all persons, times, things.

(1) It is extended to all persons, ever one. It is not some; for so, many might escape. It is not many; for so, some might escape. It is not the greatest part; for so, a considerable part of mankind might be excepted. It is not all; for that might be taken, for some of all sorts; for so, some of every sort might be exempted. But it is every one, simply and absolutely; universal, without restriction, without exception; every one, Jew and Gentile. Adam himself not excepted; the curse seized upon the root, and so diffused itself into every one of the branches. Nay, the second Adam, Christ himself, is not exempted; he taking upon him our sins, came under our curse. Sin and the curse are inseparable. Where-ever sin is, the curse will be, even there where sin is but by imputation.

(2) It is extended to all times. That continues not. It is not enough to begin well, it is not enough to persist long, if at length there be any desisting from a practical observance. Wherever there is a breach, the curse enters.

(3) It is extended to all things.

I. Premise something by way of caution. That the expressions may not be mistaken (when I say the least sin) observe there is no sin absolutely little. Every sin is big with guilt and provocation. If we speak absolutely, every sin is great; but if we speak comparatively, some sins are greater than others. Astronomy teaches us that the earth, compared with the heavens, is of no sensible magnitude, it is but like a point; yet considered in itself, we know it is a vast body, of a huge bulk. Compare an idle word with blasphemy, it will seem small; or a vain thought with murder. Ay, but consider these in themselves, and they are great sins. There needs no other proof of this than what I am to undertake in the next place. They make liable to eternal death.

II. Arguments.

1. From general testimonies of Scripture (Rom 1:18; Rom 6:23, etc.).

2. From instances in some particular sins which pass for small in the world.

(1) Omission of good (see Jer 10:25; Mat 25:30; Mat 25:42-43).

(2) Secret evils, those that are confined to the heart, and break not out into visible acts. Men are apt to think that the Lord is such a one as themselves, that he will take little notice of those things which men cannot take notice of, and therefore are secure if no pollutions taint their lives, whatever evils lodge secretly in their hearts. But this is a delusion too (Ecc 12:14).

(3) Idle words, how fearless or careless soever ye are of them, are sufficient to bring you under the curse (Mat 12:36-37).

(4) Vain thoughts, the unaccountable vagaries of the cogitative faculty, the mere impertinencies of the mind, are of no less concernment to the soul than everlasting condemnation (Act 8:22). Evil thoughts, while not forsaken, are unpardonable, they are such as infinite mercy will not pardon; and what then remains for these but a fearful expectation of judgment and fiery indignation?

(5) Motions to sin without consent. Such motions as, arising from our corrupt natures, are suppressed, stifled in the birth, these expose to the curse. For the law requires a conformity to itself, both in qualities, motions, and actions, but such motions to sin are a nonconformity to the law, therefore sinful, and consequently cursed; for the penalty annexed to the law is due to every violation of it.

3. From the object against which sin is directed. The least sin is infinitely evil.

4. from the continuance of that law which at first made eternal death the penalty of the least sin.

III. Application.

1. For conviction.

(1) To sinners, in whose lives the characters of wickedness are so large and visible, as he that runs may read them. These words should be to you as the handwriting on the wall to Belshazzar (Dan 5:6).

(2) To formal professors; those who think their condition good because they are not so bad as others; think they shall escape the curse merely because they have escaped the visible pollutions of the world, who are apt to say with the Pharisee (Luk 18:12), I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. It may be thou dost not act that wickedness which is frequently perpetrated by the sons of Belial amongst us. Oh, but let thy conscience answer, Dost thou not omit the exercise of holiness and mortification? Dost thou not omit, in whole or in part, the duty of religion and godliness?

2. For exhortation.

(1) To those that are under the curse. Make haste for deliverance. The Lord has laid help upon One that is mighty, upon Christ, who was only able, who was only willing, to bear mans curse, who is both able and willing to deliver sinners from it; but then you must come to Him for deliverance, in a way honourable to Him, prescribed by Him. You must resign up yourselves wholly unto Christ, as your King, your Redeemer.

(2) To those that are delivered from the curse. You whom Christ has redeemed from everlasting wrath, you whom He has saved from going down into the pit, you whom He has rescued from these everlasting burnings, oh praise, admire, adore, rejoice in your Redeemer. How will they draw out your affections to Christ!

(3) To all. If the least sin bring under the curse, then look upon the least sin as a cursed evil. Let your apprehensions, affections, actings, be answerable. Say not of any as of Zoar, Is it not a little one? etc. Hate the least sins as you hate that which is destructive, that which will destroy the whole man. But to enforce this more distinctly, let me represent to you the heinousness of the least sins in some particulars. Nor will I digress; the considerations will be such as have a near affinity with the truth, and such as do tend to confirm and illustrate it.

1. There is something of atheism in these small sins. It is atheism to deny there is a God, to deny the Lord to be God. Now, these less sins are a denial of God; if not expressly, yet by interpretation; if not directly, yet by consequence; for he that denies any excellency to be in God which is essential to Him: denies Him to be God.

2. There is something of idolatry in these small sins. But now, in admitting these small sins, we prefer other things before God, and so give that worship to others which is due only to God.

3. There is something of murder in admitting the least sin. The least is a deadly evil, of a bloody tendency, as to the life of the soul (Eze 18:20). He says not, that sinneth thus and thus, that sinneth in this or that degree, etc. (Rom 6:21). No matter how small the seed be, the fruit is death. The least is a deadly evil, and that should be enough to make it formidable. A spider may kill, as well as a lion; a needle run into the heart or bowels may let in death, as well as a rapier or cannon bullet; a small breach neglected may let in the enemy, and so prove as destructive as if all the walls and fortifications were thrown down. Sin is compared to poison, the poison of asps (Psa 140:3), and the venom of dragons (Rom 3:8; Deu 32:1-52.). Now a drop of such strong poison may kill as well as a full draught.

4. The least sin is a violation of the whole law, and therefore more heinous, of more dangerous consequence, than we are apt to imagine. There is in the least sin, as in plants (and other creatures) a seminal virtue, whereby it multiplies itself. The seed at first is a small inconsiderable thing, but let it lie quietly on the ground, it will take root, grow into a bulky stock, and diffuse itself into a variety of branches. A sinful motion (if not stifled in the conception) will procure consent, and consent will bring forth into act; and one act will dispose to others, till custom have begot a habit, and a habit will dull and stupefy the conscience.

5. The least part of the law is more valuable in Gods account than heaven and earth; a tittle of the law of more account than the whole fabric of the world. He had rather heaven and earth should perish, than one iota of the law (Mat 5:18). First, heaven and earth shall vanish, rather than the least letter, one , rather than the least apex, the least point, one of the law shall pass away. So much more valuable is the law, etc., as He seems more tender of the least point of this, than of that whole fabric.

6. The least sin is the object of infinite hatred. The Lord infinitely hates the least sin; He hates it, is not only angry for it, offended with it, grieved at it, but He hates it; He hates it perfectly; there is not the least mixture of love, liking, or approbation, nothing but pure hatred.

7. There is more provocation in the least sin against God, than in the greatest injuries against men. Let all the injuries imaginable be put together, the total sum of them will not amount to so much as a single unit against God. The dignity of the person puts an accent upon the injury.

8. The least sin requires infinite satisfaction. Such an injury is the least sin, as nothing can compensate it, but that which is of infinite value; this is grounded upon the former.

9. The least sin is now punished in hell with those torments that will last for ever. Hell is the reward of the least sin, not only in respect of its demerit, but in regard of the event.

10. The least sin is worse than the greatest punishment.

3. For information.

(1) See here an impossibility for a sinner to be justified by his observance of the law, or according to the tenor of the first covenant. The law requires to justification a righteousness exactly perfect; but the best righteousness of fallen man is as a rag. It is not only torn and ragged, but spotted and defiled.

(2) See here the dangerous error of those who make account to be justified and saved by works; by their conformity to the law, or observance of it. The apostle is express (verse 10). An imperfect observance of the law leaves the observer under the curse, but all observance of the law by fallen man is imperfect; no observance of all, no continuing in the observance of all, imperfection in both.

(3) See here the necessity of Christ. Get lively apprehensions of your necessity of Christ. Walk continually under the sense and power of these apprehensions, and be often making application of the blood and mediation of Christ to your souls. So hath the Lord ordered the way to salvation, as that every one should see a necessity of Christ; a continual necessity of Him, and a necessity of Him in all things. And it is evident upon this account, because cursed is every one that continueth not in all things to do them. (D. Clarkson, B. D.)

The curse

1. It is a general curse. It extends itself to all things. Many things may reach the body that cannot reach the soul.

2. It is a growing curse. Every sinner is treasuring up unto himself wrath against the day of wrath.

3. It is real wrath. The cursings of men are but verbal curses, but the curse that is due for sin is not a verbal curse, but a real curse.

4. It is a righteous curse. We know that God is righteous in pouring out the vials of His wrath upon sinners.

5. It is an unavoidable curse. None can run sway from it.

6. It is an intolerable curse. As there is no avoiding from it, so there is no abiding of it.

7. It is an effectual curse. It doth its business where it comes; that which it is sent to do it doth always.

8. It is eternal wrath. (Philip Henry.)

Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell

Verse 10. As many as are of the works of the law] All that seek salvation by the performance of the works of the law are under the curse, because it is impossible for them to come up to the spiritual meaning and intent of the law; and the law pronounces them cursed that continue not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. Hence, every Jew is necessarily under the curse of God’s broken law; and every sinner is under the same curse, though he be not a Jew, who does not take refuge in the salvation provided for him by the Gospel. It is worthy of remark that no printed copy of the Hebrew Bible preserves the word col, ALL, in De 27:26, which answers to the apostle’s word , all, here. St. Jerome says that the Jews suppressed it, lest it should appear that they were bound to perform all things that are written in the book of the law. Of the genuineness of the reading there is no cause to doubt: it exists in six MSS. of Kennicott and De Rossi, in the Samaritan text, in several copies of the Targum, in the Septuagint, and in the quotation made here by the apostle, in which there is no variation either in the MSS. or in the versions.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

The argument is this: Those that are under a curse cannot be under the blessing of justification: but those that are under the law are under the curse. This he proves out of the law, Deu 27:26, where those are pronounced

cursed, who continue not in all things written in the book of the law to do them. To be under the law, is, under the covenant of works, or under the expectation of life and salvation only from obedience to the works of the law. These (he saith)

are under the curse: the reason of which the apostle gives us, Rom 8:3, because it is made weak through the flesh. Could man perfectly fulfil the law, he might expect life from it, and salvation from his obedience to it; but the law curseth him that continueth not in all that is written in it: If a man keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all, Jam 2:10, and as liable to the wrath of God as if he had broken it in many things. Hence it necessarily followeth, if no man can keep the law of God perfectly, that all under the law must be under the curse, and consequently cannot be blessed in faithful Abraham.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

10. Confirmation of Ga3:9. They who depend on the works of the law cannot share theblessing, for they are under the curse “written,” De27:26, Septuagint. PERFECTobedience is required by the words, “in all things.”CONTINUAL obedienceby the word, “continueth.” No man renders this obedience(compare Rom 3:19; Rom 3:20).It is observable, Paul quotes Scripture to the Jews who wereconversant with it, as in Epistle to the Hebrews, as said orspoken; but to the Gentiles, as written. So Matthew,writing for Jews, quotes it as “said,” or “spoken”;Mark and Luke, writing for Gentiles, as “written” (Mat 1:22;Mar 1:2; Luk 2:22;Luk 2:23) [TOWNSON].

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

For as many as are of the works of the law,…. The apostle does not say, “as many as were of the law”, to whom it belonged, who were born and brought up in it, and to whom it was given, the Jews; for there were some of them who believed in Christ, were blessed with Abraham, and not under the curse of the law; nor does he say, “as many as do the works of the law”: for the works of the law are to be done, though not in order to obtain righteousness and life by them; yet it is not the doing of them, but the not doing of them, that entails the curse on men: his meaning is, that as many as seek for justification by the works of the law, and trust in their own righteousness for acceptance with God, these are so far from being blessed or justified hereby, that they

are under the curse, that is, of the law; they are under its sentence of condemnation and death, they are deserving of, and liable to the second death, eternal death, the wrath of God, here meant by the curse; to which they are exposed, and which will light upon them, for aught their righteousness can do for them; for trusting in their works, they are trusting in the flesh, and so bring down upon themselves the curse threatened to the man that trusts in man, and makes flesh his arm; not only that trusts in a man of flesh and blood, but in the works of man; his own, or any other mere creature’s: besides, by so doing, he rejects Christ and his righteousness, whereby only is deliverance from the curse of the law; nor is it possible by his present obedience to the law, be it ever so good, that he can remove the guilt of former transgressions, and free himself from obligation to punishment for them: nor is it practicable for fallen man to fulfil the law of works, and if he fails but in one point, he is guilty of all, and is so pronounced by the law; and he stands before God convicted, his mouth stopped, and he condemned and cursed by that law he seeks for righteousness by the deeds of:

for it is written, De 27:26

cursed is everyone that continues not in all things written in the book of the law to do them. The law requires doing; it is not content with mere theory without practice; it is not enough to know it, or hear it, it must be done. The Jews boasted of their knowledge, and trusted much to the hearing of it read every sabbath day; but not those who had a form of knowledge, and of the truth in the law, or were hearers of it, were just before God, but the doers of it are justified; and it requires perfect obedience, an observance of all things contained in it, which can never be performed by fallen man. The Jews pretend p, that Abraham their Father , “fulfilled all the whole law”; and the same they say q of the Israelites in common, than which nothing is more untrue; for in many things all men offend: moreover, the law requires constant perfect obedience; not only that a man should do all things commanded in it, but that he should continue to do them from his infancy, to the day of his death; and in failure hereof, it pronounces every man cursed, without any respect to persons, or any regard to pleas, taken from the infirmity of human nature, the sincerity of the heart, or repentance for transgressions. It should be observed, that the word “all” is not in the Hebrew text, in De 27:26, but is manifestly implied, an indefinite proposition being equal to an universal one; and agreeably to the true sense of the words, it is inserted by the apostle here, as it is in the Septuagint and Samaritan versions there; and perfectly accords with the sense of the best interpreters among the Jews; one of them has this gloss upon the words r,

, “here he (Moses) comprehends all the whole law”; and another s says the same thing, almost in the same words; this

“(says he) includes all the commandments which are in the law: and the note of a third is t, there are some that say, this is to be understood “of the whole law”; and there are others that say, it is to be understood of those things that are mentioned (above), but they say nothing, for it is written “to do them”; and it is right in my eyes, that he curses for the negative commands mentioned, and he curses him who does not keep even secretly the affirmative precepts, wherefore he says “to do them”:”

to which may be added, the observation of another of them u that these words intimate, that a man ought to honour the law,

, “in thought, and word, and in deed”: nor should this be thought to be too severe, that the law of God curses men for nonperformance of the whole. The Athenians w formerly condemned persons as guilty, though they had not broke the whole law, yet if they had transgressed but one syllable of it: upon the whole it is a clear point, that there can be no justification by the works of the law, since it curses in case of want of perfect and constant obedience to it.

p Misn. Kiddushin, c 4. sect 14. T. Bab. Yoma, fol. 28. 2. q T. Bab. Avoda Zara, fol. 3. 1. r Jarchi in loc. s Bechai in loc. t Aben Ezra in loc. u R. Abraham Seba, Tzeror Hammor, fol. 152. 3, w Alex. ab Alex. Genial. Dier. l. 3. c. 5.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

Under a curse ( ). Picture of the curse hanging over them like a Damocles’ blade. Cf. Ro 3:9 “under sin” (‘ ). The word for “curse” () is an old one (, down, , imprecation), often in LXX, in N.T. only here and Gal 3:13; Jas 3:10; 2Pet 2:14. Paul quotes De 27:26, the close of the curses on Mt. Ebal. He makes a slight explanatory modification of the LXX changing to . The idea is made clearer by the participle () and (book). The curse becomes effective only when the law is violated.

Cursed (). Verbal adjective from , to imprecate curses, late word, common in LXX. In N.T. only here and verse 13, but in inscriptions also (Deissmann, Light from the Ancient East, p. 96). The emphasis is on “continueth” () and “all” ().

Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament

Under the curse (uJpo kataran). Better, under curse. There is no article. The phrase is general = accursed. Comp. uJf’ aJmartian under sin, Rom 3:9. The specific character of the curse is not stated. It is not merely the wrath of God as it issues in final destruction (Meyer); but it represents a condition of alienation from God, caused by violation of his law, with all the penalty which accrues from it, either in this life or the next.

Cursed [] . Only here and verse 13. o Class. In LXX, see Gen 3:14, 17; Deu 27:16 – 20; Isa 65:20; Wisd. 3 12; 14 8, etc.

Continueth – in [] . The expression is figurative, the book of the law being conceived as a prescribed district or domain, in which one remains or out of which he goes. Comp. continue in the faith, Act 14:22; in the covenant, Heb 13:9; in the things which thou hast learned, 2Ti 3:14.

Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament

LAW-WORKER UNDER LAW-CURSE (V. 10-12)

1) “For as many as are of the works of the law,” (hosi gar eks ergon nomou eisin) “For as many as are out of (the) works of law,” as many as are relying on their obedience to it to save them.

2) “Are under the curse;” (hupo kataran eisin) “are under a curse,” a condemnation or sentence by that law. Rom 3:19; Gal 3:13; 2Co 3:6.

3) “For it is written,” (gegraptai gar) “For it has been written (already). This indicates Paul’s belief in the trustworthiness, accuracy, or truth of the Old Testament Scriptures, as follows:

4) “Accursed is everyone that,” (hoti epikataratos pas) “That accursed (is) everyone,” Deu 27:26; Jer 11:3; Gal 3:22.

5) “Continues not in all things.” (hos ouk emmenei pasin tois) “continues not in all the things,” Deu 28:15. This describes the consequences, moral consequences of sowing and reaping in one’s conduct, Psa 119:21. The idea is if salvation, were by law-works none would be saved in this life.

6) “Which are written in the book of the law,” (gegrammenois en to biblio tou nomou tou) “(which are) having been written in the roll-book of the law,” which they claim to trust. Paul simply asserts that condemnations under the law, to avoid the curse, required perfect obedience, obedience in all things which no man before Christ ever reached; For all have sinned, 1Ki 8:46; Rom 3:23.

7) “To do them,” (poiesai auta) “To do them,” repeatedly; they who did law-things lived by doing them. The law that condemned for imperfect obedience also pointed to Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Redeemer, the true Sacrifice for sins on whom all were to depend, Gal 3:24. All men are to recognize that they have sinned, are lost, and must trust in Jesus Christ-not deeds, forms, or ceremonies of the law to save them. Tit 3:5-7.

Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary

10. For as many as are of the works of the law. The argument is drawn from the contradictory nature of the two schemes; for the same fountain does not yield both hot and cold. The law holds all living men under its curse; and from the law, therefore, it is in vain to expect a blessing. They are declared to be of the works of the law who place their trust for salvation in those works; for such modes of expression must always be interpreted by the state of the question. Now, we know that the controversy here relates to righteousness. All who wish to be justified by the works of the law are declared to be liable to the curse. But how does he prove this? The sentence of the law is, that all who have transgressed any part of the law are cursed. Let us now see if there be any living man who fulfils the law. But no such person, it is evident, has been, or ever can be found. All to a man are here condemned. The minor and the conclusion are wanting, for the entire syllogism would run thus: “Whoever has come short in any part of the law is cursed; all are held chargeable with this guilt; therefore all are cursed.” This argument of Paul would not stand, if we had sufficient strength to fulfill the law; for there would then be a fatal objection to the minor proposition. Either Paul reasons badly, or it is impossible for men to fulfill the law.

An antagonist might now object: “I admit that all transgressors are accursed; what then? Men will be found who keep the law; for they are free to choose good or evil.” But Paul places here beyond controversy, what the Papists at this day hold to be a detestable doctrine, that men are destitute of strength to keep the law. And so he concludes boldly that all are cursed, because all have been commanded to keep the law perfectly; which implies that in the present corruption of our nature the power of keeping it perfectly is wanting. Hence we conclude that the curse which the law pronounces, though, in the phrase of logicians, it is accidental, is here perpetual and inseparable from its nature. The blessing which it offers to us is excluded by our depravity, so that the curse alone remains.

Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary

CRITICAL AND EXPLANATORY NOTES

Gal. 3:10. As many as are of the works of the law are under the curse.This the Scripture itself declares. It utters an anathema against all who fail to fulfil every single ordinance contained in the book of the law (Deu. 27:26).

Gal. 3:13. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse.Bought us off from our bondage and from the curse under which all lie who trust to the law. The ransom price He paid was His own precious blood (1Pe. 1:18-19). Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.Christs bearing the particular curse of hanging on the tree is a sample of the general curse which He representatively bore. Not that the Jews put to death malefactors by hanging, but after having put them to death otherwise, in order to brand them with peculiar ignominy, they hung the bodies on a tree, and such malefactors were accursed by the law. The Jews in contempt called Him the hanged one. Hung between heaven and earth as though unworthy of either.

MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.Gal. 3:10-14

The Conflict between the Law and Faith.

I. The law condemns the least violation of its enactments.Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things in the law to do them (Gal. 3:10). The law is a unity; to violate a part is to violate the whole. It is like a perfect bell, every stroke resounds through every atom of the metal. If the bell is fractured in the least degree, the dissonance is evident in every part. Law is so all-pervasive and so perfect that to break one law is to be guilty of all. It is intolerant of all imperfection, and makes no provision to prevent or repair imperfection except by a rigid obedience to every statute. If obedience could be perfect from this moment onwards, the past disobedience would not be condoned; we should be still liable to its penalties, still be under the curse. To pledge ourselves to unsinning obedience is to pledge ourselves to the impossible. All our efforts to obey lawto conform our life to the law of righteousness, the purity and beauty of which we perceive even while in a state of lawless unnatureare futile. It is like running alongside a parallel pathway into which we are perpetually trying to turn ourselves, but all in vain. We cannot escape the condemnation of the disobedient.

II. The law cannot justify man.But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith (Gal. 3:11). The law reveals our sin and our utter helplessness to rid ourselves of its misery. The law forces out the disease that is spreading under the skin. Such is its task. But healing it does not bring. The law, says Luther, is that which lays down what man is to do; the gospel reveals whence man is to obtain help. When I place myself in the hands of the physician, one branch of art says where the disease lies, another what course to take to get quit of it. So here. The law discovers our disease, the gospel supplies the remedy. We become aware in critical moments that our evil desires are more powerful than the prohibition of law, and are in truth first stirred up thoroughly by the prohibition. And this disposition of our heart is the decisive point for the question, Whether then the holy law, the holy, just, and good commandment makes us holy, just, and good men? The answer to this is, and remains a most decided, No.

III. The law ignores faith.The law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them (Gal. 3:12). Its dictum is do, not believe; it takes no account of faith. To grant righteousness to faith is to deny it to legal works. The two ways have different starting-points, as they lead to opposite goals. From faith one marches through Gods righteousness to blessing; from works, through self-righteousness, to the curse. In short, the legalist tries to make God believe in him. Abraham and Paul are content to believe in God. Paul puts the calm, grand image of Father Abraham before us for our pattern, in contrast with the narrow, painful, bitter spirit of Jewish legalism, inwardly self-condemned.

IV. The law, the great barrier to mans justification, is done away in Christ.Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law (Gal. 3:13). Christ brought us out of the curse of the law by Himself voluntarily undergoing its penalty and submitting to the utmost indignity it imposedhanging on a tree. It was this crowning scandal that shocked the Jewish pride and made the cross an offence to them. Once crucified, the name of Jesus would surely perish from the lips of men; no Jew would hereafter dare to profess faith in Him. This was Gods method of rescue; and all the terrors and penalties of law disappear, being absorbed in the cross of Christ. His redemption was offered to the Jew first. But not to the Jew alone, nor as a Jew. The time of release had come for all men. Abrahams blessing, long withheld, was now to be imparted, as it had been promised, to all the tribes of the earth. In the removal of the legal curse, God comes near to men as in the ancient days. In Christ Jesus crucified, risen, reigning, a new world comes into being, which restores and surpasses the promise of the old.

V. Faith ends the conflict with law by imparting to man a superior spiritual force.That we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith (Gal. 3:14). Faith is a spiritual faculty, and its exercise is made possible by the operation of the Holy Spirit. The law of works is superseded by the higher law of the Spirit. It is in the human soul that law has its widest sweep and accomplishes its highest results. The soul can never rise higher in its experience and efforts than the law by which it is governed. The law of sin has debased and limited the soul, and only as it is united by faith to Christ and responds to the lofty calls of His law will it break away from the corruption and restraints of the law of sin and rise to the highest perfection of holiness. In every law, says F. W. Robertson, there is a spirit, in every maxim a principle; and the law and the maxim are laid down for the sake of conserving the spirit and the principle which they enshrine. Man is severed from submission to the maxim because he has got allegiance to the principle. He is free from the rule and the law because he has got the spirit written in his heart.

Lessons.

1. It is hopeless to attain righteousness by law.

2. Faith in Christ is the only and universal way of obedience.

3. The law is disarmed by obeying it.

GERM NOTES ON THE VERSES

Gal. 3:10-12. The Inexorability of Law.

I. The law renders no help in fulfilling its requirements, but curses the incompetent (Gal. 3:10).

II. The law, though strictly observed, is powerless to justify (Gal. 3:11).

III. The law does not admit of faith; it offers life only to the doer (Gal. 3:12),

Gal. 3:11. Man is justified by Faith alone.One day wishing to obtain an indulgence promised by the Pope to all who should ascend on their knees what is called Pilates Staircase, the poor Saxon monk, Luther, was humbly creeping up those steps when he thought he heard a voice of thunder crying from the bottom of his heart, as at Wittenberg and Bologna, The just shall live by faith! He rises in amazement, he shudders at himself, he is ashamed of seeing to what a depth superstition had plunged him. He flies from the scene of his folly. It was in these words God then said, Let there be light, and there was light.DAubign.

Gal. 3:12. The Difference between the Law and the Gospel.

I. The law promises life to him who performs perfect obedience, and that for his works. The gospel promises life to him who doeth nothing in the cause of his salvation, but only believes in Christ; and it promises salvation to him who believeth, yet not for his faith or for any works else, but for the merit of Christ. The law then requires doing to salvation, and the gospel believing and nothing else.

II. The law does not teach true repentance, neither is it any cause of it, but only an occasion. The gospel only prescribes repentance and the practice of it, yet only as it is a fruit of our faith and as it is the way to salvation.

III. The law requires faith in God, which is to put our affiance in Him. The gospel requires faith in Christ, the Mediator God-man; and this faith the law never knew.

IV. The promises of the gospel are not made to the work, but to the worker; and to the worker not for his work, but for Christs sake, according to his work.

V. The gospel considers not faith as a virtue or work, but as an instrument, or hand, to apprehend Christ. Faith does not cause or procure our salvation, but as the beggars hand it receives it, being wholly wrought and given of God.

VI. This distinction of the law and the gospel must be observed carefully, as the two have been often confounded. It has been erroneously stated that the law of Moses, written in tables of stone, is the law; the same law of Moses, written in the hearts of men by the Holy Ghost, is the gospel. But I say again that the law written in our hearts is still the law of Moses. This oversight in mistaking the distinction of the law and the gospel is and has been the ruin of the gospel.Perkins.

Gal. 3:13-14. Redemption and its Issues.

I. Redemption was effected by Christ enduring the penalty of violated law (Gal. 3:13).

II. Redemption by Christ has brought blessing to all nations.That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ (Gal. 3:14).

III. The spiritual results of redemption are realised only by faith.That we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith (Gal. 3:14).

Gal. 3:13. The Curse and Sentence of the Law lies on record against sinners, it puts in its demand against our acquittance, and lays an obligation upon us unto punishment. God will not reject nor destroy His law. Unless it be answered, there is no acceptance for sinners. Christ answered the curse of the law when He was made a curse for us, and so became, as to the obedience of the law, the end of the law for righteousness to them that believe. And as to the penalty that it threatened, He bore it, removed it, and took it out of the way. So hath He made way for forgiveness through the very heart of the law; it hath not one word to speak against the pardon of those who believe.John Owen.

Fuente: The Preacher’s Complete Homiletical Commentary Edited by Joseph S. Exell

3.

Justification by faith proved by the inability of the Law to Justify. Gal. 3:10-12

TEXT 3:1012

(10) For as many as are of the works of the law are under a curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one who continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the law, to do them. (11) Now that no man is justified by the law before God, is evident: for, The righteous shall live by faith; (12) and the law is not of faith; but, He that doeth them shall live in them.

PARAPHRASE 3:1012

10 But all, without exception, who seek justification by the works of the law of Moses, whether moral or ceremonial, instead of obtaining the blessing of justification, are under the curse of that law: For it is written, Most severely to be punished is every one, who doth not continue in all the precepts written in the book of the law of Moses, to do them.

11 Besides, that by works of law no one can be justified before God, is manifest from Habakkuk, who hath said nothing of mens being just by works, but hath declared, (Ch. Gal. 2:4), that the just by faith shall live eternally.

12 Also, the law of Moses doth not require faith as the means of obtaining life eternal. But it saith, He who doth these things, the judgments and ordinances of God, mentioned in Lev. 18:1-30 shall live by them a long and happy life in Canaan.

COMMENT 3:10

as many as are of the works of the law are under a curse

1.

The blessing of justification comes by faith.

2.

Those under the law could not be justified, for all failed to keep it, thus they rested under a curse.

3.

Would this not be a contradiction to Rom. 2:13, For not the hearers of the law are just before God but the doers of the law shall be justified?

a.

No, for in Romans he is emphasizing that the Gentile was a responsible person.

b.

Though his law was inferior to the Jewish law, yet he would be bound by it.

4.

Now history has passed onthe law is no longer binding on the Jew.

for it is written

1.

This is a quotation from Deu. 27:26.

2.

This quotation from the law itself should settle the issue.

cursed is every one who continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the law to do them

1.

No man could live up to the lawhence all were cursed.

2.

Even the rich young ruler was not an exception.

Luk. 18:18-23

a.

He broke the law of covetousness.

b.

The law, while sounding simple, is too profound for complete observance.

COMMENT 3:11

now that no man is justified by the law before God is evident

1.

What is the evidence?

a.

The evidence is expressed in the remainder of the verse For the righteous shall live by faith.

b.

This evidence here is only a summaryit has a great meaning.

2.

The brief summary is that the law itself curses righteousness by the law.

for the righteous shall live by faith

1.

This is a quotation and is repeated elsewhere: Heb. 2:4 and Rom. 1:17

2.

This, evidence is seen in at least three ways.

a.

The history of faith is evidence.

1)

Abraham is an example. Gen. 12:1-20

2)

Abel is an example. Heb. 11:4 (offered sacrifice)

3)

Enoch is an example. Heb. 11:5 (was translated)

4)

Noah is an example. Heb. 11:7 (built an ark)

b.

It is evident in dealing with God that work is worth nothing without faith.

1)

Without faith it is impossible to be well-pleasing unto him. Heb. 11:6

2)

Cain is an examplehis sacrifice represented as much work, but it was not acceptable.

3)

The prophets cried out against faithless sacrifices: Hos. 12:11 and Amo. 5:21

c.

It is evident in the fact that faith is the inspirer of acceptable works.

1)

If ye love me, ye will keep my commandments. Joh. 14:15

2)

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision; but faith working through love. Gal. 5:6

3)

Depart from me ye cursed. Mat. 25:41

3.

Read this text again as follows: The just by faith shall live.

COMMENT 3:12

and the law is not of faith

1.

The Catholic Bible reads, Law does not rest on faith.

2.

A logical question to ask is, What is it of?

a.

Actually the law was a governmental system for a body of Jewish slaves, set free from Egypt.

1)

They needed no law under Egypt when they were under Egyptian law.

2)

The law helped to make them a nation and to bind them as a nation to God.

b.

The law was their teacher.

3.

With the law it was not so much What do you believe? as What have you done?

a.

It required obedience and a daily punishment for those who broke it.

b.

Its punishment and reward was immediate while faith like Abrahams looked more to the future.

but, He that doeth them shall live in them

1.

If you were obedient, you were permitted to live, but disobedience brought death.

a.

Lev. 18:5 is quoted in Gal. 3:12 with the implication of death if not kept.

b.

For everyone that curseth his father or his mother shall surely be put to death: he hath cursed his father or his mother; his blood shall be upon him. Lev. 20:9

c.

The adulterer and adulteress shall surely be put to death. Lev. 20:10

d.

The ox shall be stoned, and its owner also shall be put to death. Exo. 21:29

e.

A disobedient son is to be stoned. Deu. 21:18-21

2.

The following are some examples of death:

a.

At the hand of God.

1)

Korah. Num. 16:32

2)

Teasing children. 2Ki. 2:24

b.

At the hands of the elders

1)

Achan. Jos. 7:18

2)

Naboth. 1Ki. 21:8-14

STUDY QUESTIONS 3:1012

279.

What constitutes being of the works of the law?

280.

Do we have people guilty of it today?

281.

How much of the law does one need to practice to be under the law?

282.

Define the curse.

283.

What text did Paul quote to prove his point?

284.

The rich young ruler claimed to have kept the law perfectly, but what law had he broken?

285.

Did this one thing bring him under the curse?

286.

What does he mean is evident?

287.

What is evidence?

288.

Why cannot people see itif the evidence is present?

289.

Will a man live more righteously by faith than by law?

290.

What have men been caused to do by faith?

291.

Is work displeasing to God when it is done without faith? Give example.

292.

Did the prophets speak similarly to Paul in regard to faith and work?

293.

What is meant by law is not of faith?

294.

What is the law of, if it is not of faith?

295.

What did the law propose to do?

296.

Was the punishment of the law immediate?

297.

Give some examples of its strictness and its penalties.

298.

Explain what is meant by the idea that you could live if you obeyed the law.

Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

(10) In this and the following verses the action of the Law is contrasted with that of faith, and the necessity of faith and the system of things to which faith belongs brought out into strong relief. The antithesis is: faithblessing; lawcurse. The curse was the penalty which the Law itself imposed upon all who failed to keep it. None really kept it, and therefore none escaped this curse.

As many as are of the works of the law.An expression corresponding to they which are of faith in Gal. 3:7; Gal. 3:9. The meaning is, Those who take their character from works done in obedience to lawthe cast of whose lives is determined by the principle of legal obedience.

Under the curse.Strictly, are under a curse; subject to a curse.

For it is written.The Apostle proceeds to quote the clause in the Law by which this curse was entailed. The quotation is from Deu. 27:26, where it forms the conclusion of the series of curses to be pronounced from Mount Ebal. The Hebrew text is, Cursed be he that confirmeth not the words of this law to do them. The word all is inserted in the Authorised version, probably from this passage. The Hebrew has also simply he that for every one who; so that the absolute and sweeping nature of the condemnation would seem to be much less marked in the original. It is not, however, clear that this character was first given to it by St. Paul. Every one is found in the Peshito Syriac, which may have been influenced by the language of St. Paul; in all things is found in the Samaritan Pentateuch, which certainly was not so influenced. The quotation is made by Justin (Trypho, 95) in precisely the same words as by St. Paul. Justin, however, is not improbably quoting through the medium of this Epistle. (See Introduction.)

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

10. In contrast with the blessing they were under by faith, comes now the curse they incur by law. It arises from the fact that every one of them continueth not in all things to do them. Deu 27:26. The law making no allowance for failure, and no provision of pardon for transgression, condemns, sentences, and executes every man. This is the condition in which, on the law side, every one of us, on awaking, finds himself. He is a sinner. The law, which he has broken, knows not mercy.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

‘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 continue in all things that are written in the book of the Law, to do them”.’

Now, he says, let us now consider the Law. The first thing that the Law requires is total obedience. And as with the law in any country one failure of the Law means that a person becomes a lawbreaker (Jas 2:10). And in the case of the Jewish Law this is especially important because it puts them under a curse. “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things that are written in the book of the Law, to do them”. The quotation is from Deu 27:26 (compare Jer 11:3) slightly amplified to bring out its meaning, while in the main keeping faithfully to the meaning of the original. So, as no one who strives to keep the Law can claim to have fulfilled it completely, every one of them who tries to keep God’s law is subject to God’s curse. This demonstrates that those who are now seeking to use ‘keeping the Law’, both the moral law and the ceremonial law, as their means of salvation, will find in it only the means of being cursed. And the more they dedicate themselves to keeping it the more they will be cursed, for the more they will fail.

Why then did God give the Law? It was not in order to be a means of achieving salvation. It was to act as a mirror in which we could look so that we could find out the truth about ourselves. It was in order to show us our sinfulness (Rom 7:10). It was to point Israel to the sacrifices, and to point us and the Galatians to the One Who was the one great sacrifice for sin for ever. ‘The Law is our tutor to bring us to Christ’ (Gal 3:24). It was to make us aware of God’s total requirements. And that was all it could do. It shows us up for what we are, and then it leaves us stranded.

Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett

The Law Can Only Condemn Us But We Have Been Redeemed from the Law ( Gal 3:10-15 ).

Paul then points out the folly of trying to become acceptable to God by our own works.

Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett

The Promise Comes Thru Christ – Paul then explains in 310-14 how these blessings reached the Gentiles through Christ’s redemptive work on Calvary. In this passage Paul explains that righteousness has always been imparted by faith in God’s promises, even under the Law of Moses. Since no Jew had fully obeyed every point of the Law, then they were left under its curse. Christ paid the price for us by becoming a curse for us so that the blessings of Abraham might come to us.

Gal 3:12 Comments – The Law justifies men upon different principles. It says that justification comes by keeping all of the laws. Unfortunately, if man fails and breaks just one law, he might as well have broken them all, because he becomes guilty before God as if he had broken all; for, this is what James meant in his epistle when he wrote, “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.” (Gal 2:10) Knowing man’s sinful nature, the Lord intended the Law to be our “schoolmaster” as a tool to lead us to Christ, as man realized his sinful nature while living under the Law.

Gal 3:11-12 Comments The Gospel Declares Faith in Christ Alone Apart from Works – Paul was taught the Gospel by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Rom 16:25-26, “Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:”

Eph 3:3, “How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; as I wrote afore in few words,”

Paul was taught the Lord’s Supper by revelation:

1Co 11:23, “For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:”

We see the message that was revealed to him:

Act 26:22-23, “Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come: That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles.”

Gal 3:13  Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:

Gal 3:13 “being made a curse for us” Comments – When Christ became the curse, He “took our infirmities and bare our sicknesses” (Mat 8:17).

Mat 8:17, “That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.”

Gal 3:13 “for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree” – Old Testament Quotes in the New Testament The Old Testament quote in Gal 3:13 comes from Deu 21:23, “His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; ( for he that is hanged is accursed of God 😉 that thy land be not defiled, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.”

Gal 3:13 Comments – Joseph Prince says that it was necessary that Jesus Christ be crucified on a tree in order to redeem mankind from the curse of the Law. One drop of His shed blood by any other method of death would have paid for our sins, but His death on Calvary provided our redemption from the curse that came through the Law. [90]

[90] Joseph Prince, Destined to Reign, on Lighthouse Television (Kampala, Uganda), television program, 8 December 2009.

Gal 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.

Gal 3:14 Comments – Paul began his discussion of receiving God’s promise of the Holy Spirit by faith and not by works in Gal 3:2. He then explained his statement in Gal 3:4-14 by following a logical course of reasoning. He, thus, concludes with the same statement in Gal 3:14.

The promise of the Spirit could not come upon any people, neither Gentiles nor Jew, until the blessing of Abraham was fulfilled in Christ Jesus. This is why Paul says in this verse, “that we might receive.” He included himself, a Jew, as one who can now received the promise of the Spirit. This promise was given to Abraham on Mount Moriah (Gen 22:15-18).

Gen 22:15-18, “And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed ; because thou hast obeyed my voice.”

God told Abraham that in his seed, that is, Jesus Christ (Gal 3:16), all nations of the earth will be blessed. The phrase “all nations” includes the nation of Israel. The Jews were promised the coming of the Messiah and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit as well as the Gentiles. They all needed the work that He completed on the Cross in order to redeem them from the curse of the Law (Gal 3:13) so that they might receive the blessing of Abraham (Gal 3:14).

Fuente: Everett’s Study Notes on the Holy Scriptures

Paul’s opponents are subject to the curse of the broken Law:

v. 10. For as many as are of the works of the Law are under the curse; for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the Book of the Law to do them.

v. 11. But that no man is justified by the Law in the sight of God, it is evident; for, the just shall live by faith.

v. 12. And the Law is not of faith; but, the man that doeth them shall live in them.

v. 13. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law, being made a curse for us; for it is written, Cursed be every one that hangeth on a tree;

v. 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.

Paul here takes up the claim of the Judaizing teachers as to obtaining the blessing of righteousness and salvation on the score of perfect obedience to the Law. He flatly declares: For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse. Instead of obtaining the blessing of perfect righteousness and being accepted by God, all men that have the idea that they can fulfill the Law perfectly are subject to the curse of the Lord, which He pronounced Deu 27:26: Cursed is every one that does not continue in all chat is written in the Book of the Law to do it. The apostle implies, of course, that all the efforts of men to keep the Law of God perfectly are vain: no man can fulfill the demands of the just and holy God as expressed in His written will; there is no man without sin. And therefore they that persist in their endeavors to obtain justification before God by keeping the Law are under that curse which was pronounced from Mount Ebal.

That the Law and all attempts at fulfilling the Law cannot come into consideration in the justification of man is furthermore established by the fact that the Word of God itself excludes it as an agency of salvation: But that in the Law nobody is justified before God is evident, for, The just shall live by faith. Even though a person should strain every nerve to keep the Law of God perfectly and thus to be acceptable in the sight of God, it would avail him nothing, not only because the goal is unattainable from the very outset, but because God Himself makes the statement that faith is the justifying factor, Hab 2:4. Obtaining eternal life depends not upon works, but upon faith alone; salvation comes to him that places his trust in Jesus Christ as his Savior. This is not a matter of argument, of dispute, but it is a fact of the Gospel to which we must testify and bear witness unceasingly. To clinch his argument, Paul sags: But the Law is not of faith; it has nothing in common with faith; the two ideas, faith and works, mutually exclude each other. He that is justified by faith is not justified by the Law; he that still hopes to get to heaven by his good works, by his keeping of the Law, shuts himself out from faith, closes the one way of salvation which is open to all men. For only he that can point to an actual and entire performance of all requirements of the Law can justly demand eternal life in payment, a condition which is obviously unthinkable. So the apostle’s argument stands that the Law is excluded as an agency of salvation by its very nature, since it demands a fulfillment which no man can render and, on the other hand, since it cannot work faith, by which alone justification before God is applied to man.

So far as the Law, then, was concerned, it left all men in a state of absolute hopelessness; for its blessing could not be realized on account of man’s infirmity, and so only its curse remained to drive man to despair. But here the promise given to Abraham exerted its power: Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse in our stead. As matters stood before the promise of the Messiah was given, final and utter condemnation was the inevitable lot of all men. And deliverance from this state of condemnation was possible only by the payment of a ransom which would satisfy all demands of justice. But for the prisoners under the sentence of death and damnation Christ Himself paid the price: He gave Himself as a ransom for all men, He endured the penalty pronounced upon malefactors, He hung upon the accursed tree of the cross as if He had been the guilty one. With great emphasis this is brought out, since Paul does not merely say that He became accursed, but that He became a curse for us, just as he writes, 2Co 5:21, that God made Christ to be sin for us. The word of the Law: Cursed be every one that is suspended upon a tree, Deu 21:23, spoken in general of such as were hanged, found its truest application in the case of Him that was crucified and paid the penalty of sin as all men’s Substitute. Thus the atoning death of Christ resulted in our redemption.

The consequence of this atoning death is a matter of comfort to all men: That to the Gentiles might come the blessing of Abraham in Christ Jesus, that we might accept the promise of the Spirit through faith. Although the Gospel was proclaimed even in paradise after the Fall, the promise to Abraham is that to which the apostle has reference as to that upon which the hopes of the Jews were based. By the vicarious death of Christ the blessings of this promise were extended to the Gentiles as well as to the Jews; for it really amounted to an open proclamation that the wall of partition between Jews and Gentiles was now broken down, since the benefit of His death was to come upon all men. And the fact of the finished salvation in Christ is now made the property of the believers, who receive the promise of the Spirit by faith. Through the redeeming death of Christ all believers, both Jews and Gentiles, have free access through the Spirit to the Father. Thus, although the Law condemns all men, yet Christ, since He, as the Sinless One, took upon Himself the punishment of sin and became its victim for our sakes, fulfilled the demands of the Law so that it can no longer accuse and condemn those that place their trust in Him who is our propitiation, whose righteousness is imputed to us.

Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann

Gal 3:10. The works of the law They of faith, Gal 3:9 and they of the works of the law, are spoken of as two sorts of persons; the one the genuine posterity of Abraham, by faith, and thereby heirs of the promise; the other not. There is also another division in these two verses, of the blessed, and those under the curse; whereby is meant such as are in a state of life, or acceptance with God, and such as are exposed to his wrath, and to death. See Deu 30:19. Dr. Whitby proves that the law of Adam was attended with a curse, as well as that of Moses; and that it is the more general curse which is here intended, as illustrated by what Moses expressed as the sanction of his institutions. See Deu 27:26.

Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke

Gal 3:10 . Argumentum e contrario for the correctness of the result exhibited in Gal 3:9 . [123] For how entirely different is the position of those who are workers of the law! These, as a whole, according to the Scripture, are under a curse; so that it cannot be supposed that they should become blessed . The extension of the argumentative force of the to the whole series of propositions, Gal 3:10-14 (Holsten, Hofmann), so that Gal 3:10 would only form the introduction to the argument, is the less to be approved, because this is followed by a second and subordinate , and then in Gal 3:11 an argument entirely complete in itself is introduced by . Moreover, by the quotation of Scripture in Gal 3:10 that which it is intended to prove ( . . . ) is proved completely and strikingly. [124]

] the opposite of the in Gal 3:7 : for all who are of works of the law , that is, those whose characteristic moral condition is produced and regulated by observance of the law (comp. on Rom 2:8 ), the men of law, , Oecumenius. Comp. , Rom 4:4 .

The quotation is from Deu 27:26 freely after the LXX.; and the probative force of the passage in reference to turns on the fact that no one is adequate, either quantitatively or qualitatively, to the . . . ; consequently all who are are subjected to the curse here ordained. He alone would not be so, who should really render the complete ( ) and constant ( ) obedience to the law, by virtue of which he as a doer of the law would necessarily be pronounced righteous (Rom 2:13 ), and would have a claim to salvation as (Rom 4:4 ); but see Rom 3:9-20 ; Rom 7:7-25 .

] sc . , , , Mat 25:41 , that is, has incurred the divine . Comp. Rom 4:15 . The word does not occur in Greek authors, among whom is frequently used. But comp. Wis 3:13 ; Wis 14:8 ; Tob 13:12 ; 4Ma 2:19 . The , eternal death, the opposite of the in Gal 3:11 , ensues as the final destiny of the (comp. Mat 25:41 ), the consummation and effect of the .

] What is written in the book of the law is conceived as the normal range of action, which man steps beyond . Comp. Act 14:22 ; Heb 8:9 ; 2Ti 3:14 ; Xen. Ages . i. 11; Thuc. iv. 118. 9; Plat. Legg . viii. p. 844 C; Polyb. iii. 70. 4; Liban. IV. 271, Reiske; Joseph. Antt . viii. 10. 3, et al . More frequently used by classical authors with the mere dative than with .

] as well as the previous , is found in the Samaritan text and in the LXX., but not in the Hebrew. Jerome, however, groundlessly accuses the Jews of mutilating the text on purpose (to mitigate the severity of the expression).

] design of the . . .

[123] The conclusion is based upon the dilemma: either from faith or from the law. Tertium non datur . This is no supposititious idea (as Hofmann objects), but a necessary logical assumption, such as exists in every argument e contrario .

[124] In opposition to Holsten, z. Evang. d. Paul. u. Petr . p. 290.

Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary

DISCOURSE: 2061
THE SPIRITUALITY AND SANCTIONS OF THE LAW

Gal 3:10. As many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.

THE reason that Christianity is so little understood, is, that men are not aware of the occasion which there is for such a dispensation as the Gospel contains. They know not the state in which they are by nature; and therefore they cannot comprehend the provision made for their recovery from it by grace. If the generality of Christians were asked what God requires of them in his law, or what is now the proper use of the law, they would be able to give, at best, a very imperfect, and probably a very erroneous, account of these things. But it is of the utmost importance that we should understand the law: for, till we do, we can never understand the Gospel.
Now, in the words which we have read, we see,

I.

The requirements of Gods law

[The law is contained in the Ten Commandments: and the summary given of it by our Lord is, that we must love God with all our heart and mind and soul and strength, and our neighbour as ourselves.
Now consider what is comprehended in these two commandments and remember, the obedience to be paid to them must be perfect (in all things); personal (by every one of us); and perpetual (we must continue in it, from the first to the latest hour of our life). It is not sufficient that we wish to do them: we must do them; do them all; every one of us; and continue so to do, even to the end. This was written under the law [Note: Deu 27:26.]; and it is confirmed to us by tile Apostles citation of it under the Gospel. Now we must remember, that on our perfect obedience to it all its promises are suspended; and if, in any one instance, even in thought or desire, we fall short of it, we must then be considered as violators of the law. This is a point not sufficiently considered. St. Paul himself did not clearly understand it, previous to his conversion. He interpreted the law only in its literal sense; and could not conceive that such an one as he had ever violated its commands: but when he saw that it forbade an inordinate desire as much as an overt act, he then saw that he was condemned by it, and had forfeited all hope of acceptance by his obedience to it [Note: Rom 7:7; Rom 7:9.].]

But, to understand the law aright, we must know,

II.

The sanctions with which it is enforced

[It denounces a curse on every, the least, violation of its commands: Cursed is every one, &c. What this curse is, we may know from other passages of Holy Writ. It was said to Adam, in reference to the forbidden fruit, In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. Now, from the moment of his transgression he became mortal as to his body: (for death entered by sin; and never would have entered, if man had not sinned:) his soul, also, became spiritually dead to God; and he was doomed to the second death, in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone. To this the Apostle Paul bears testimony, when he says, The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord [Note: Rom 6:23.]. Perhaps it may assist us more, if we consider what the penalty of transgression was to the fallen angels: they were cast out of heaven from the presence of their God; and were consigned to a lake of fire prepared on purpose for them, there to endure for ever the vengeance of their offended God. Thus man, on his fall, lost the favour and presence of God, and was subjected to his heavy and everlasting displeasure. Being a partaker with the angels in their offence, he became a partaker with them in their punishment.

Now let every one that has transgressed the law in ever so small a degree, though it may have been only once, consider what the law says to him: it says, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the hook of the law, to do them.]

This, I say, is,

III.

The tremendous inference that must be drawn in relation to every one of us

[We all are under the law. The law was given to man in Paradise. It was written in his heart, when he came out of his Creators hands. We all, therefore, are under it; and, consequently, every mouth must be stopped, and all the world become guilty before God [Note: Rom 3:19].

If this inference be not true, I would ask, which of the premises is erroneous?
Does the law require less than I have stated? If any one think so, let him tell me where God has dispensed with any one of its commandments? Where has he authorized us to alienate from him any measure of that love which he had required in his law? or where has he lowered the standard of our love to man; and permitted us to act otherwise towards him, than we, in a change of circumstances, should think it right that he should act towards us?
If the requirements of the law are not reduced, are its sanctions altered? Has God any where revoked them? Has he not, on the contrary, expressly said, The soul that sinneth, it shall die [Note: Eze 18:20.]?

If its requirements are not altered, nor its sanctions revoked, can you say you are not under it? The whole race of mankind are under it: and must continue under it, till they lay hold on that better covenant which God has given us in his Gospel.
There is, then, no possibility of evading the inference that is here drawn; namely, that as many as arc under the law, and consequently the whole race of mankind, are under the curse. O! remember this, ye old; it curses you: ye young; it curses you: ye moral; it curses you. There is not a child of man to whom it does not say, Thou art cursed.]

Who, then, must not see,
1.

The folly of seeking to be justified by the works of the law?

[If you had sinned but once, and then only in thought, you would be cursed, as a violator of Gods law; and, consequently, be without hope of obtaining salvation by it. For, if you would be saved by it, you must first atone for your offences against it; and then obey it perfectly in future. But which of these can ye do? If ye were to shed rivers of tears, they could never wash away one sin. The whole race of mankind would never be able to atone for one sin. And suppose your past offences forgiven; which of you, for a single clay or hour, could fulfil the law perfectly in future? Know that this would be an hopeless attempt; and that, consequently, by the works of the law can no flesh living be justified [Note: Rom 3:20.]. St. Paul himself renounced all hope of acceptance with God by any righteousness of his own, and sought it solely by faith in Christ [Note: Php 3:9.]: and so must you, if ever you would obtain mercy at the hands of God [Note: Rom 9:31-32; Rom 10:3-4.].]

2.

The happiness of those who have obtained an interest in Christ?

[They are dead to the law; and the law is dead to them [Note: Rom 7:1-4; Rom 2:19.]. To them is no condemnation [Note: Rom 8:1.]: on the contrary, they have, and ever shall possess, eternal life [Note: Joh 3:16; Joh 3:18.]. In all the book of God there cannot be found one curse denounced against them. To them belong nothing but blessings, even all the blessings of grace and glory. Say, beloved, Are not these happy? Seek ye, then, this happiness. Flee to Christ: believe in Christ: and then ye shall never perish, but shall have eternal life.]

3.

The reasonableness of a life devoted to Christ?

[Contemplate the benefits you receive by faith in Christ; and say, whether any return that ye can make can ever be too great? To tell you, that, if you believe in Christ, you must obey him, is, I had almost said, to degrade human nature below the beasts. Does the ox know its owner, and the ass his masters crib; and shall a believer not know, and love, and serve, his heavenly Benefactor? Shall the Lord Jesus Christ have bought you with his blood, and you not desire to glorify him with your bodies and your spirits, which are his? O! brethren, do not oblige me to say, you must obey him; but be forward of yourselves, and give yourselves wholly to him; and let the inquiry of your soul, every day and hour, be, What shall I render to the Lord for all the benefits conferred upon me?]

Fuente: Charles Simeon’s Horae Homileticae (Old and New Testaments)

(10) For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is everyone that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. (11) But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. (12) And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them. (13) Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree: (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.

Let the Reader, as he passeth over this paragraph, first notice the form of expression the Apostle useth, concerning the law. He doth not say, as many as were born under the law; for he himself was born under it, as well as multitudes of God’s people, whom the Lord had brought out of it. Neither doth he say, as many as live according to the commandments of the law; for we read; that Zacharias and Elizabeth were both enabled, through grace, to do this. Luk 1:6 . Paul doth not speak slightingly of the law; for elsewhere he saith, the law is good, if a man use it lawfully. 1Ti 1:8 ; Rom 7:12 . But the Apostle’s expression is: For as many as are of the works of the law; that is, are looking to it, either in whole, or in part, for justification. All such, saith Paul, are under the curse; that is, are necessarily under the condemnation of it, because it universally condemns, every son and daughter of Adam: for all have sinned and come short of it. Rom 3:23 ; Deu 27:26 . Reader! are you fully impressed, with this great, and most unquestionable truth? Rom 3:19 ; Jas 2:10 . Such only are, whom God the Holy Ghost hath prepared, for receiving with holy joy, the soul-reviving Scripture, which the Apostle adds: Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us!

I be the Reader to weigh well the statement of this passage; for it is most weighty, and precious. There are indeed two Scriptures, which in point of mystery, and in point of mercy, overwhelm the soul of every regenerated child of God, when he comes, under the Holy Ghost’s teaching, to contemplate them in his mind. The one is, where Christ is said to be made sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. 2Co 5:21 , And the other is, what the Holy Ghost hath recorded in this place: Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us. Reader! behold them together, and ponder well the vast expressions. Christ, the holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens, first made sin, and then a curse! He who knew no sin, made sin for us; that we, who know no righteousness, and literally have none, should be made the righteousness of God in him.

We shall enter into a clearer apprehension of the unspeakable mercy in this dispensation, if, under the Lord’s teaching, we consider the Scripture-sense of redemption. The word is borrowed from an ancient, well-known custom, among men, of buying off, or redeeming, what is pledged by one man to another, by way of security. A man may be said to redeem a thing, when he buys it out. And, in case of want, if he gives an equivalent value for it. In the Jewish Church, the Lord himself appointed this method of redeeming, and no doubt with an eye to his own vast redemption of his Church. Lev 25:25 . The mortgaged inheritance, became a striking resemblance, of our forfeited privileges. And what a redemption was that which Christ made, when to deliver us from the curse, he himself was made a curse? And having, therefore, paid the fullest equivalent, yea, infinitely beyond all possible conception of greatness, as an equivalent for the debt; the law can have no further demands, the Principal, and Surety, cannot both pay. And the debt once paid, the prison doors Justice herself throws open; and the Lord’s redeemed ones are free. Christ hath once died, the just for the unjust, to bring us to God. 1Pe 3:18 ; Zec 9:11 ; Isa 49:9 .

Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.

Ver. 10. Are under the curse ] Aut faciendum, aut patiendum, Either to obey or to be punished. He that will not have the direction of the law must have the correction.

That continueth not in all ] Deu 27:26 . Heb. Shall stand firm, as a square stone, , .

In the book of the law to do them ] Done they must be exactly, upon pain of God’s curse. For a groat too short in payment of some dues required, our William the Conqueror forced the monks of Ely to lay down a thousand marks, saith the chronicler. The law is no less strict with those that are not freed by Christ.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

10 .] substantiation of Gal 3:9 ; they cannot be sharers in the blessing, for they are accursed; it being understood that they do not and cannot &c.: see this expanded in Rom 3:9-20 . The citation is freely from the LXX. On , not a Hebraism, but a construction common in later Greek, see Ellic.’s note.

Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament

Gal 3:10 . The Apostle here proceeds to deal with the rival claim to a special blessing on the score of obedience to Law. Jews maintained that their knowledge of the Law entitled them to the blessings attached to the sons of Abraham. He urges on the contrary that this entailed on them the curse of a broken Law: for no flesh could keep the whole Law ( cf. Gal 2:16 ). The failure of men to satisfy the requirements of the Law is not limited to the Mosaic Law, but is incidental to the idea of righteous Law in the abstract. Hence the expression rather than . The Roman Epistle accordingly pronounces sentence of guilt on the Gentile as well as the Jewish world for breach of the Laws of natural or revealed religion. Here, however, the object is to meet claims founded on the Mosaic Law, so the curses of that Law are adduced in support of the argument. The imprecation here given is not a verbal quotation, but reproduces in substance the series of curses pronounced from Mount Ebal (Deu 27:15-26 ), summing them up in a single sentence.

Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Gal 3:10-14

10For 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 perform them.” 11Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, “The righteous man shall live by faith.” 12However, the Law is not of faith; on the contrary, “He who practices them shall live by them.” 13Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for usfor it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”14in 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.

Gal 3:10

NASB”For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse”

NKJV”For as many as are of the works of the law are under a curse”

NRSV”For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse”

TEV”Those who depend on obeying the Law live under a curse”

NJB”those who rely on the keeping of the Law are under a curse”

In the next step in the argument, Paul moved from Abraham to the strict legal requirements of the Mosaic Law. The argument challenges the bad theology of the Judaizers. Trusting in adherence to the Law characterized the Pharisees of Jesus’ day (cf. Rom 10:2-5). Paul asserted that self-effort to obtain right standing is only a road to damnation (cf. Gal 2:16). Paul knew this road well! Although Paul was primarily referring to the Mosaic Law, the referent is “law” in general or human effort by means of some external moral standard. Which standard is not importantthe essential truth is that fallen mankind cannot claim that their moral accomplishment deserves acceptance by God. We call this approach self-righteous legalism. It is alive and well and thrives among religious people!

“for it is written, Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law to perform them'” This alludes to Deu 27:26; Deu 28:58 ff. Although the word “all” does not appear in Deu 27:26, it does appear in Deu 28:58. The curse of the Law is alluded to in Joh 7:49. If one breaks the law (after Bar Mitzvah) in one way, even just once, he falls under the condemnation of the Law, (cf. Jas 2:10; Gal 5:3). The OT Law became a death sentence for all humans (Col 2:14). God said “the soul that sins, it will surely die” (cf. Eze 18:4; Eze 18:20). All of the children of Adam have sinned! The Law, as a means of right standing with God, is only applicable to the one who never commits sin. The problem with this is that all have sinned and have come short of the glory of God (cf. Rom 3:9-18; Rom 3:22-23; Rom 11:32).

Gal 3:11

NASB”for, The righteous man shall live by faith'”

NKJV”The just shall live by faith'”

NRSV”The one who is righteous will live by faith'”

TEV”He who is put right with God through faith shall live”

NJB”the righteous man finds life through faith”

Here Paul quotes Hab 2:4 (cf. Rom 1:17 and Heb 10:38). Rather an ambiguous verse, Hab 2:4 has been understood in several different ways.

1. the Masoretic Text has “the righteous shall live by his faith/faithfulness”

2. the Septuagint has “the righteous shall live on the basis of my (God’s) faithfulness”

3. Paul’s use favors faith-based righteousness through Christ versus works-based righteousness through the Mosaic Law (cf. Gal 3:12, which quotes Lev 18:5)

There may be a veiled allusion to Gen 15:6 because both Hab 2:4 and Gen 15:6 contain the same two key terms: “faith” and “righteousness.”

See SPECIAL TOPIC: BELIEVE, TRUST, FAITH, AND FAITHFULNESS IN THE OLD TESTAMENT () at Gal 3:6.

Gal 3:12

NASB, NKJV”the Law is not of faith”

NRSV”the law does not rest on faith”

TEV”the Law does not depend on faith”

NJB”The Law is not even based on faith”

Here is the basic assumption! In the matter of right standing (salvation) with God, the choice is faith or law, not faith and law. The Judaizers had turned faith in God into rules by God. Even in the OT the individual Israelite was only right by personal faith in YHWH. Never were all Israelites right with God because of their descent from Abraham (cf. Joh 8:31-59)

“on the contrary, He who practices them shall live by them'” This quotation comes from Lev 18:5 (cf. Rom. 10:25), stressing the importance of performing the demands of God (i.e., Moscai law). However, the OT is a history of mankind’s inability to perform the OT Law (cf. Nehemiah 9). The OT accentuated fallen humanity’s spiritual need (cf. Gal 3:19; Gal 3:22). Therefore, another way of salvation was introduced, which in reality, had always been God’s means of salvation: not human effort, but faith (cf. Hab 2:4). Salvation by grace through faith is the essence of the New Covenant (Jer 31:31-34; Eze 36:22-36; Acts 2; Romans 4; Eph 2:8-9).

Gal 3:13 “Christ redeemed us” Here Paul refers to the substitutionary atonement of Christ. He purchased for us that which we could not purchase for ourselves (cf. Isaiah 53; Mar 10:45; 2Co 5:21). The term “redeemed” or “ransomed” means “to buy someone back from slavery” or “capture” (cf. Act 20:28; 1Co 6:20; 1Co 7:23; 1Pe 1:18-19).

SPECIAL TOPIC: RANSOM/REDEEM

“from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us” This verse quotes Deu 21:23 which was used to describe someone who had already been killed and was then publicly hanged or impaled as an act of public humiliation. This inappropriate burial was interpreted as a curse by God (cf. Isa 53:4; Isa 53:10). Jesus’ crucifixion as a sinless substitute meant that He took the curse of the Law on Himself for us (cf. 2Co 5:21; Php 2:8). This truth is overwhelmingHe became the curse for us! He fulfilled the law Himself, but died under its curse on our behalf (cf. Isaiah 53) and thereby destroyed its power (cf. Col 2:14).

Gal 3:14 The two purpose clauses in Gal 3:14 serve to describe the purpose of God in calling Abraham.

1. to bring the heathen into the blessings enjoyed by Israel through the promise to Abraham (cf. Gen 12:3; Gal 3:8-9)

2. that by faith all might receive the Spirit which was the promised sign of the New Age

The experience of Pentecost was a sign to the Apostles that the New Age had dawned. Receiving the Spirit is a metaphor for salvation (cf. Gal 3:1; Luk 24:49; Act 1:4; Rom 8:9).

There are two words apparently confused in this verse in some ancient Greek manuscripts.

1. the blessing (eulogiau) of Abraham

2. the promise (epaggelian) of the Spirit

The ancient papyrus manuscript P46 (written about A.D. 200) and the uncial manuscript Bezae (D, fifth century) have “blessing” twice, but the vast majority of other ancient witnesses (MSS , A, B, C, D2) have “promise” in the second phrase. The UBS4 gives “promise” an “A” rating (certain).

Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley

under. Greek. hupo. App-104.

curse. Greek. katara. Elsewhere, Gal 3:13. Heb 6:8. Jam 3:10. 2Pe 2:14.

Cursed. Greek. epikataratos. See Joh 7:49.

continueth. Greek. emmeno. See Act 14:22.

not. Greek. au. App-105. Quoted from Deu 27:26.

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

10.] substantiation of Gal 3:9; they cannot be sharers in the blessing, for they are accursed; it being understood that they do not and cannot &c.: see this expanded in Rom 3:9-20. The citation is freely from the LXX. On , not a Hebraism, but a construction common in later Greek, see Ellic.s note.

Fuente: The Greek Testament

Gal 3:10. , under the curse) Sub, Under, here and afterwards, is joined to the accusative with great force. The curse and the blessing are opposed.-, are) This verb is repeated with great force.-, it is written) Deu 27:26 : , , ; where and are not in the Hebrew, but in the Samaritan. Perfect obedience is required by the expression, in all things, and continual obedience by the expression, continueth (). No man renders this obedience.- , written in the book) Paul adds this as a paraphrase.

Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament

Gal 3:10

Gal 3:10

For as many as are of the works of the law are under a curse:-The sacrifices on the altar could make none of the sinners coming thereunto perfect as pertaining to the conscience. The sacrifices had no virtue to secure the forgiveness of sins. For it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins. For in those sacrifices there is a remembrance made of sins year by year. (Heb 10:3-4). The same sins were remembered and atoned for ever year, and the sacrifices could not take them away, but rolled them forward from year to year; but finally Christ having come a high priest of the good things to come, through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation, nor yet through the blood of goats and calves, but through his own blood, entered in once for all into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption. (Heb 9:11-12). Those then who are of the works of the law, who only depended upon these, were not freed finally from sin, even while the law was in force. Much less are they freed from sin by the law after it had been taken out of the way and superseded by Christ. Not being made free from sin, they are under the curse and condemnation of the law.

for it is written, Cursed is every one who continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the law, to do them.-None kept the law perfectly, hence all who were under the works of the law were under a curse.

Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary

Lecture 7

Redeemed From The Curse Of The Law

Gal 3:10-18

For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; though it be but a mans covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulled!, or addeth thereto. 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. 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. For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise. (vv. 10-18)

Naturally one might ask, What do we mean when we speak of the curse of the law? Is it a curse to have good laws? Was it a curse for God to give to the people of Israel the Ten Commandments, the highest moral and ethical standard that any people had ever received and that ever had been given to mankind, until our Lord Jesus Christ proclaimed the Sermon on the Mount? Is this a curse? Surely not. It was a great blessing to Israel to have such instruction, showing them how to live and how to behave themselves, and it kept them from a great many of the sins to which the Gentile nations round about them were given. Yet we have this expression in Scripture, The curse of the law, and read, For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.

When God gave that law, He pronounced a blessing on all who kept it, and declared that they would receive life thereby. The man which doeth those things shall live by them (Rom 10:5), but on the other hand, He said, as quoted here, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. Every one who recognizes in that law the divine will as to the life of man here on earth and yet fails to measure up to it comes under its curse. And who is there today who has ever kept this law? I know people say, If we do the best we can, will that not be enough? Scripture negates any such thought. In James we read, Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all (2:10). We know how true that is in regard to human law. Suppose that I as a citizen of the United States violated none of the laws of my country except one. By violating that one law I have become a lawbreaker and am, therefore, subjected to the penalty of the broken law. When we speak of people being under the curse of the law we mean that they are subject to the penalty of the broken law, and the penalty is death, spiritual and eternal. The soul that sinneth, it shall die (Eze 18:20). Therefore the law is well called the ministration of death and the ministration of condemnation (2Co 3:7, 9), for all who are under the law but have failed to keep it are under condemnation; they are condemned to death, and therefore under the curse. But our Lord Jesus Christ has died to deliver us from the curse of the law.

Can we not deliver ourselves? Though we have broken it in the past can we not make up our minds that from this moment on we will turn over a new leaf, and be very careful to observe every precept of the moral law of God? In the first place, we could not do that. It is impossible for men with fallen natures to fully keep the holy law of God. Take that particular commandment, Thou shalt not covet; you cannot keep yourself from coveting though you know it is wrong to do so. You look at something your neighbor has and involuntarily your heart says, I wish that were mine. On second thought, you say, That is very unworthy; I should really rejoice for my neighbor; but still, have you not coveted? The apostle Paul says that as far as the other commandments were concerned his life was outwardly blameless. He was alive without the law until the commandment came, Thou shalt not covet. But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence (Rom 7:8). And so he was slain by the law that he could not keep. But suppose you were able to keep it from this very day until the last day of your life, would not that undo and make up for all the wrong doing of the past? Not at all. The past failure still stands on Gods record. God requireth that which is past (Ecc 3:15).

But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. Notice, no man is justified by the law of God, no man ever has been justified by the law of God, no man ever will be justified by the law of God. In Romans 3 we read, Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin (Rom 3:19-20). In other words, God did not give the law to save man, He gave the law to test him, to make manifest mans true condition. And that explains a passage that puzzles some, The law was added because of transgressions (Gal 3:19). It was really given in order to give to sin the specific character of transgression.

I was strolling across the park the other day when I suddenly looked down and saw almost at my feet a sign, Keep off the grass. I was on the grass, but the moment I saw the sign I hurried to get onto a path. If I had continued to walk on the grass after seeing the sign, I would be a transgressor. I was not a transgressor before this, for I did not know I was doing wrong. I saw other people walking on the grass, and did not realize that there were certain sections where this was not allowed. I did not know that it was forbidden in that particular place. Until the law sin was in the world, and men were doing wrong in taking their own way, but where no law is, there is no transgression (Rom 4:15). God set up His law to say, as it were, Keep off the grass. Now if they walk on the grass they are transgressors. If men disobey God, they transgress. The sinfulness of mans heart is shown up by the fact that men do deliberately and willfully disobey. It is impossible to be justified by the law, for to be justified is to be cleared from every charge of guilt. The law brings the charge home, the law convicts me of my guilt, and the law condemns me because of that guilt.

It was written in the prophets, The just shall live by his faith (Hab 2:4), so it was made known even in Old Testament times that men were to be justified, not by human effort, but by faith. Three times those words are quoted for us in the New Testament. In the epistle to the Romans the apostle says, I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith (Rom 1:16-17). In the epistle to the Hebrews we have exactly the same words quoted, The just shall live by faith (Heb 10:38). And here we have them in the epistle to the Galatians. It has been very well said that these three epistles expound that text of six words, The just shall live by faith.

How do men become just before God? As we have already remarked, Romans answers that question and expounds the first two words, The just. It tells us who the just are, those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. But if justified by faith, how is one maintained before God in that position? Is it not now by works of their own? Galatians answers that and puts the emphasis on the next two words, The just shall live by faith. And what is that power that sustains and strengthens and enables just men to walk with God through this world, living an unworldly life, even as Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him (Gen 5:24)? Again the answer comes to us, as in Hebrews the last two words are expounded, The just shall live by faith. It takes three epistles in the New Testament to expound one Old Testament text of only six words, The just shall live by faith. It gives us an idea of how rich and full the Word of God is.

But if The just shall live by faith then men never can be justified by efforts of their own, for verse 12 tells us, And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them. The law did not say, The man who believes shall live, but, The man who does shall live. The latter might seem to us to be the right thing; if a man does right he ought to live. The trouble is, man does not do right. We read, All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23). If one commandment out often has been violated that man has forfeited all claim to life. Suppose a man falling over a precipice reached out his hand as he went over, and caught hold of a chain fastened to some stump in the cliff, and there hung on to the chain. The chain had ten links. How many would have to break to drop the man into the abyss below? Only one. The law is like that chain; when you sinned the first time you broke the link and down you went, and you are in the place of condemnation if not saved. You never can fit yourself for the presence of God by any works of righteousness that you can do. The law says, The man that doeth these things shall live in them, but men have failed to do, and therefore are condemned to die.

Now see the glorious message of reconciliation! Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law! How did He do it? Being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree. Here was One who had never violated Gods law, here was the holy, eternal Son of God, the delight of the Fathers heart from all eternity, who came into the world, who became Man, for the express purpose of redeeming those who were under the curse of the law. He Himself said, The Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many (Mat 20:28). But if He Himself has violated that law, He is subject to its penalty and never can redeem us; but how careful the Word of God has been to show that He never came under that penalty. He was holy in nature from the moment He came into the world. The angel said to Mary, His mother, That holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God (Luk 1:35). His life was absolutely pure as He went through this scene. He magnified the law and made it honorable by a life of devotion to the will of God. [He] was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin (Heb 4:15). Sinless, though tempted; and at last God made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him (2Co 5:21). He against whom God had nothing, voluntarily took our place, went to the cross, and there paid the penalty that we should have paid. If I had to pay, eternity would be too short for it, but He, the Eternal One, hung on the cross, settled to the utmost farthing every claim that the offended law had against me, and now I receive Him, trust Him as my Savior, and what is the result? I am delivered from the curse of the law.

Free from the law, O happy condition!

Jesus hath bled, and there is remission,

Cursed by the law and bruised by the fall,

Christ hath redeemed us once for all.

Now we are free-theres no condemnation,

Jesus provides a perfect salvation;

Come unto Me, oh, hear His sweet call!

Come, and He saves us once for all.

Has your soul entered into this?

I shall never forget, after struggling for so long to work out a righteousness of my own, the joy that came to me when I was led to look by faith at yonder cross, an empty cross now.

I saw One hanging on the tree,

In visions of my soul,

Who turned His loving eyes on me

As near His cross I stole.

I knew He was there on my behalf. He, the sinless One, was suffering there for me, the sinner, and I looked up to Him. In faith I could say, Lord Jesus, I am Thy sin; I am Thine unrighteousness. Thou hast none of Thine own, but art bearing mine. And I looked again, and that cross was empty and my Lords body had been laid in the tomb. He was delivered for our offenses, and buried out of sight as I deserved to be buried out of sight. But I looked again and that tomb too was empty, and He came forth in triumph, [He] was raised again for our justification (Rom 4:25). I looked not to the cross now but to the throne of God, and by faith I saw Him seated there, a Man exalted at Gods right hand, the same Man who stood mute in Pilates judgment-hall, and did not say a word to clear Himself because I could not be cleared unless He died for me.

Who would want to work out a righteousness of his own when he can have one so much better through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ? Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.

And now because of that, the blessing of Abraham may come to the Gentiles in Christ Jesus; we may receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. What is the blessing of Abraham? Long ago God had said, In thee and in thy seed shall all nations of the earth be blessed. But centuries rolled by and the nations of the Gentiles were left outside; they were outside the pale, strangers to the covenant of promise, they knew nothing of the blessing of Abraham, nor what God had promised through his seed. But now Christ has died, not for Jews only but for the Gentiles also, and because of His work the message goes out to the whole world that God can save every one who believes on the Lord Jesus, and all believers become in faith the children of Abraham and are sealed by the Holy Spirit of God. The blessing of Abraham is justification by faith for every believer, even as Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness (Rom 4:3). The apostle draws attention to the fact that when God said to Abraham, In thy seed shall all nations of the earth be blessed, He was not referring merely to the nation that should spring from him but to one individual Person, for it had been settled in the purpose of God from eternity that the Christ was to be born of Abrahams lineage.

Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; though it be but a mans covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto. When men make covenants we expect them to live up to them. God made a covenant of unconditional grace to Abraham long years before. Later the law came in, but did that invalidate the covenant of pure grace made to Abraham? 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. Through the Lord Jesus, then, the blessing of the covenant goes out to every poor sinner who will believe in Him. 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. God was not playing fast and loose with Abraham when He gave him this unconditional covenant of grace. He did not say, If you do thus and so, and if you do not do certain things, all the world will be blessed through your seed. But He said, unconditionally, In thee and in thy seed shall all nations of the earth be blessed. It is not a question at all of human effort; it is not a question of something we earn.

When the apostle discusses this same subject in Romans 4, he says, in the opening verses,

What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. (Rom 4:1-4)

What does that mean? It means that if you had to do something to earn your salvation you would not be saved by grace. Suppose you work six days for an employer, and at the end of that time he comes in a supercilious kind of attitude, hands you an envelope, and says, You have been working well the last six days, here is a little gift, I want to give you this as a token of my grace. You look at it and find it contains your wages, and you say, Sir, I do not understand; this is not a gift. I earned this. But the man says, I want you to feel that it is an expression of my appreciation. No, you would say, you owe me this; you are in my debt, for I earned this money. If I could do anything to save my soul I would put God in debt to save me, but all God does for me He does in pure grace. And so we read, To him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness (Rom 4:5). And though the law came four hundred and thirty years after this promise of grace for all nations through Abrahams seed, it did not alter Gods purpose; it was given only in order to increase mans sense of his need, to make him realize his sinfulness and helplessness, and lead him to cast himself on the infinite grace of God.

For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise. If it comes through self-effort it is not a question of promise at all. But God gave it to Abraham by promise, and, The promise, Peter says, is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call (Act 2:39). Perhaps, reader, you have been struggling for years to fit yourself for Gods presence, you have been trying hard to work out a righteousness of your own, trying to be a Christian. Let me beg of you, stop trying, give it up! You cannot become a Christian by trying any more than you could become the Prince of Wales by trying. You are what you are by birth. You are what you are as a sinner by natural birth, and you become a child of God through second birth, through believing on the Lord Jesus Christ. The blessing of Abraham is yours when you receive it by faith.

Fuente: Commentaries on the New Testament and Prophets

as many: Gal 3:11, Gal 2:16, Luk 18:9-13, Rom 4:15, Rom 7:9-13, Rom 8:7

under: Deu 11:26-28, Deu 29:20, Isa 43:28, Mat 25:41

Cursed: Deu 27:26, Jer 11:3, Eze 18:4, Rom 3:19, Rom 3:20, Rom 6:23, Jam 2:9-11

Reciprocal: Gen 2:17 – surely Gen 4:11 – General Exo 19:24 – lest Lev 27:28 – no devoted Num 35:32 – General Deu 5:25 – this great Deu 11:28 – General Deu 28:1 – to do all Deu 28:15 – all these curses Deu 33:2 – a fiery law Jos 6:17 – accursed 2Ch 33:8 – to do all 2Ch 34:19 – the words Psa 19:8 – enlightening Psa 37:22 – cursed Psa 109:7 – be condemned Isa 34:5 – the people Jer 32:23 – they have Zec 5:3 – the curse Mat 5:19 – shall break Mat 19:18 – Which Luk 7:42 – when Luk 18:11 – as Luk 18:20 – Do not commit Joh 1:17 – the law Joh 2:11 – beginning Joh 3:36 – but Joh 5:45 – there Joh 5:46 – had Act 13:39 – from which Rom 2:12 – in the law Rom 3:9 – that they Rom 5:16 – for the Rom 7:5 – which Rom 9:3 – were Rom 9:31 – hath 1Co 15:56 – the strength 2Co 3:6 – for 2Co 3:9 – the ministration of condemnation Gal 1:8 – let Gal 2:19 – through Gal 3:13 – redeemed Gal 3:18 – if Gal 4:21 – ye that Gal 5:3 – a debtor Eph 2:15 – the law Phi 3:9 – which is of the 1Ti 1:9 – the law Heb 12:20 – For they Jam 2:10 – whosoever

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Gal 3:10. , -For as many as are of the works of the law are under curse. The introduces another argument from the opposite point of view. Believers alone are blessed; and that they who are of faith are alone blessed is plain from the fact, that they who stand in antagonism to them, or they who are of the works of the law, are under curse-are not only negatively unblessed, but positively under curse. The is expressive, denoting origination and that dependence which it characterizes, as in . It is not simply , men in the act of working, but men whose character and hopes have their origin and shape out of works of the law. All such–as are under law are . Compare , Rom 6:14. The preposition is used in an ethical sense (Mat 8:9; Rom 3:9; Rom 7:14; 1Co 9:20; Winer, 49, k); the original image of position, under, fades away in familiar usage, and the idea remains of subjection. is plainly opposed to , and denotes here the penalty of sin. They are under the penalty, according to the apostle’s proof, not merely because they have broken, but because they are breaking, the law. Their obedience is neither complete nor uniform. They are under the curse, and the law cannot deliver them; for the function of law is to arraign, convict, and punish. By it is the knowledge of sin, it shows their conduct to be out of harmony with its requirements, and thus by its demonstration all the world becomes guilty before God. For, as the apostle adds in proof, , . by authority of A, B, C, D, F, , and it introduces the quotation: for it has been written, and still stands written-

, -Cursed is every one who continueth not in all things which have been written in the book of the law, to do them. The quotation is from Deu 27:26, but not precisely in harmony with the original Hebrew or the Septuagint. The Hebrew is: ; and the Septuagint reads: . The Hebrew wants the and . Jerome, however, says that he saw CHOL in the Samaritan Text-Quam ob causam Samaritanorum Hebraea volumina relegens, inveni Chol quod interpretatur OMNIS sive OMNIBUS scriptum esse, et cum Septuaginta interpretibus concordare. And he accuses the Jews of making the deletion wilfully, though the motive he ascribes to them is somewhat puerile-lest they too should be under curse; for the omission does not change the sense, and the verse is a summary conclusion of all the Ebal curses recorded in the previous paragraph. Surenhusius well says: , maledictus vir iste, id est quisque, et in responsione dicitur, respondit totus populus, dixitque Amen. Biblos Katall. p. 569. The verb , to stand in, to continue (Thucydides, 4.118; Polyb. 3.704; Act 14:22; Heb 8:9), is sometimes followed by the simple dative, but here by ,-not, however, as if the relation were doubly marked. The directive in the adjective is based upon an image the inverse of that implied in the previous . He who is is truly . The term does not belong to classic Greek. The all things which are written in the law are the sphere in which any one must abide who purposes to do them; but if he leave this sphere and break any of them, he is cursed-the emphasis being placed on . The last clause, , is the infinitive of design, such an infinitive being, as Winer remarks, 44, 4, b, almost peculiar to Luke and Paul. It grew out of the ordinary meaning of the genitive as denoting result, for purpose and result are closely associated. This usage, which is also found in the classical writers after the age of Demosthenes, is common in the Septuagint, the translation being partly induced by the Hebrew infinitive with prefixed. Thiersch, De Pent. p. 173. The apostle’s meaning is, that confessedly every one fails to keep all the written enactments of the law; therefore every one seeking salvation by his own obedience is under curse. He is striving to obtain blessing from a code which has condemned and cursed him, to win life from a law which has wrought his death. Psa 14:3; 1Ki 8:46. It is useless to refute the notion of Semler and others, that the law here is the ceremonial law, and the curse the civil penalty that followed trespass or neglect.

This is one argument fortified by Scripture; and the apostle adduces another, and a more sweeping one. This tenth verse states the principle-no obedience save what is uniform and universal can be accepted; no one renders this, or can render it; therefore they who yet are legalists are under the curse, and the word of God has emphatically said so. But he now states as a result the broad fact fortified by Scripture too, that justification is impossible by the law, for it is declared to depend not on obedience, but simply and solely on faith.

Fuente: Commentary on the Greek Text of Galatians, Ephesians, Colossians and Phillipians

The Cross and Its Objectives

Gal 3:10-29; Gal 4:1-6

INTRODUCTORY WORDS

The Cross must ever stand forth in the limelight of Bible and spiritual study. Apart from Christ’s Calvary work we have nothing to present to a dying world.

On one occasion the president of a college told us that his chief ambition was to present to his students the beautiful life of Jesus of Nazareth. We immediately replied that there could be no excessive imitation of the life of Christ until first of all we have known the regenerative power and saving grace of the death of Christ.

The beautiful and sinless life of the Nazarene acclaimed Him the Son of God. It gave unto the world a possible Saviour, but not an actual Saviour. In other words Christ’s Deity apart from the shedding of His Blood could never have brought salvation. It is not the spotless Lamb, but the spotless Lamb slain that is the central theme of God’s Word. Let us suggest a few things for your consideration.

1. Jesus Christ was given to die from before the foundation of the world. It was even before the creation of man that God the Son started His journeyings toward the Cross. The Bible speaks of Him as “the Lamb slain from before the foundation of the world.” He was delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God; before even Adam was created God knew that he would sin. God knew the results of his sinning and how men would die in Adam. It was for this cause that God made provision for man’s redemption before he had sinned.

2. Jesus Christ as a Babe born marched steadily toward His Cross, We do not say that the Babe saw Calvary, for we do not understand all of the ministry of the incarnate. We would say that the Babe was born to die. It was for this cause that Christ took upon Him a body of flesh and blood. We know that early He was consciously moving toward Calvary and His great sacrifice. He talked constantly of His death. He told Nicodemus that as the serpent was lifted up in the wilderness even so must the Son of Man be lifted up. He spoke to the disciples of John saying that the bridegroom would be taken away and the children of the bridegroom would fast. He spoke of the Good Shepherd who gave His life for His sheep. There is no disputing the fact that the Lord knew and foretold His anguish long before He went to the Cross.

3. Jesus Christ in the agony of His dying offered the Just for the unjust. It was for this cause, that, having loved His own He loved them unto the end. He knew that through His death many would live, therefore, He gave Himself as a ransom. He was not ignorant that He would lay down His life for the sheep. He was not ignorant that He had come to seek and to save that which was lost. He knew that salvation would be obtained through His laying down His life, and His taking it up again. It was for this cause that He went as a Lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers, He was dumb. Let us forever throw from us the statement that Christ died as a martyr to a lofty ideal. The reason Christ died upon the Cross was because He came from God to be a Saviour.

4. Jesus Christ crucified should be the message of every sermon. It is said that Christmas Evans never preached without the blood in the basin. We realize how vital the Resurrection, the Ascension, and the Second Coming are to the faith of the Church; however, none of these are vital apart from the Cross. Every blessed doctrine of the Bible is indissolubly linked to the substitutionary sacrifice of the Son of God.

When the Lord Jesus died He saw all of those objectives of His Cross. It is the purpose of this lesson to consider some of the great and outstanding reasons for Calvary. We propose to answer the query: Why did Jesus Christ die? The Epistles give us at least seven distinct perspectives of the Cross. Let us outline them for you.

1. Christ died to save us from the curse of the Law (Gal 4:5).

2. Christ died to make us the righteousness of God in Him (2Co 5:21).

3. Christ died to deliver us from the dominion of sin (Rom 6:17-21).

4. Christ died to save us from this present evil age (Gal 1:4).

5. Christ died that we might live for Him (2Co 5:14-15).

6. Christ died that we might receive the placing as sons (Gal 4:5 l.c.).

7. Christ died that we might live together with Him (1Th 5:10).

I. CHRIST DIED TO SAVE US FROM THE CURSE OF THE LAW (Gal 4:5)

1. The demands of the Law. The Law of God is holy, just and good. Its standards never fall short of the righteousness of God Himself. God did not give unto man laws of conduct which were adapted to a sinful nature. He gave him laws that shone forth in the glory of unapproachable light. The Law of God presents the demands of the character of God. Its demands are absolutely beyond the possibility of any human compliance.

2. The curse of the Law. The Bible tells us, “Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the Book of the Law to do them.” The sinner naturally throws up his hands in horror crying out that God gave us a Law that could not be kept and then cursed us for not keeping it. That is very true. It is for this cause that by the Law comes the knowledge of sin. The Law never was given as a method of redemption. It came that all men might realize their own iniquities and see their own sin. As the Law in His perfectness and glory shines down from Heaven the sinner is made to quail and to cower.

3. Christ made a curse for us. It was because the curse of the Law was upon the sinner that God sent the Saviour. He who knew no sin was made sin for us. The result is that the curse of the Law is forever taken away.

“Free from the Law, O happy condition

Jesus hath died, and there is remission;

Cursed by the Law, and bruised by the fall,

Christ hath redeemed us once for all.”

II. CHRIST DIED TO MAKE US THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IN HIM (2Co 5:21)

Even with the curse of the Law transferred to Christ, and our being made free from the curse of the Law in Him, we yet would have been left with sinful hearts. It was for this cause that the work of the Cross went farther than to remove the curse. The Cross makes us the righteousness of God. There are three things to consider.

1. The heart is sinful by nature. No one can ever describe the villainy of the human heart. It is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. From the head to the foot there is no soundness in the human life. The feet are swift to shed blood; the tongue is full of deadly poison.

2. The sin of the sinner is placed on the Saviour. When Jesus Christ died on the Cross God put all of our sins upon Him. They were not there theoretically, but actually. He took our penalty; He did more-He was made sin for us. These things cannot be explained, but nevertheless they are facts.

3. The righteousness of the Saviour is placed on the saved. This is what we call imputed righteousness. When God placed on Christ our sins, He placed on us Christ’s righteousness. In the sight of God, because of Calvary, we are righteous and without sin. God sees no sin in us because He sees it in the Son. This righteousness, of course, is made real to us only when we by faith accept the Saviour.

III. CHRIST DIED TO DELIVER US FROM THE POWER OF SIN (Rom 6:6; Rom 6:17-21)

With the curse of the Law removed and the righteousness of God imputed to the believer we might think that the great objectives of the Cross were completed, but not so. If the believer is to receive only the imputed righteousness of Christ, then he would be left a dupe and slave to sin’s rule in his earth life. Thus the purposes of God went far beyond righteousness imputed. They also included righteousness imparted.

1. We were the servants of sin. This is the message of Rom 6:17. There is little use to enlarge upon it because all of us know that we were slaves to evil. We once walked in divers lusts. We believe that it might truly be said that no one has ever been saved who did not recognize himself as a sinner.

2. We are the servants of righteousness. The Lord Jesus not only gave us His righteousness, but He proclaimed us as the servants of that righteousness. He not only saved us from sin’s penalty, but He saved us from sin’s power. He said, “Sin shall not have dominion over you.”

Christ died that this body of sin might be made powerless; that it might be done away. Rom 6:1-23 opens with the question, “Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?” Then the Holy Spirit with great agitation cries out, “God forbid”! He adds, “How shall we that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?”

3. We have the fruit unto holiness. We who once were the servants of sin; we who have been saved from sin and its guilt; we who, in the risen Christ, through the Holy Spirit, Have now our deliverance from sin’s power and dominion, are placed in a position to bring forth fruit unto holiness. This is God’s will for us that we should be holy in our walk, our life, and our deeds.

IV. HE DIED TO SAVE US FROM THIS PRESENT EVIL WORLD (Gal 1:4)

1. The call of the world. The unsaved walk according to the course of this world, according to the principalities and powers of the air. We, too, of old had our conversation in the lusts of the flesh. We, too, were led captive by the evil world.

2. The call of the Cross. When we came to Jesus Christ, and the Lord saved us by His Blood, He saved us out of this present evil world. He said, “Ye are not of the world.” He tells us that the world will hate us. Thus let the believer say with Paul, “God forbid that I should glory, save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.” The call of the Cross is, therefore, the call to separation from the world.

3. The call of another world. The Lord takes us out that He may lead us in. If we are saved from this present evil world, we are saved that we may become pilgrims to another world, and to another city. Strangers here, we journey to something far better. Even now we can hear the call of another country, and of another city, and, turning our back upon the present world, we press our way toward the mansions on high.

“I am a stranger here, within a foreign land,

My Home is far away upon a golden strand;

Ambassador to be in lands beyond the sea,

I’m here on business for my King.”

V. CHRIST DIED THAT WE MIGHT LIVE FOR HIM (2Co 5:14-15)

How wonderfully the objectives of the Cross are sweeping before us! First of all, we saw that Christ died to deliver us from the curse of the Law. Then we saw that He died to make us righteous in Him. Third, He died to deliver us from sin’s dominion; fourth. He died to save us out of this present evil age.

Now we come to that great statement: He died that we might live the rest of our time in the flesh, unto Him.

1. Our life in times past. We would like to draw the curtain over the old days when we walked according to the course of this age, yet, sometimes, we need to remember the pit out of which we were digged. Once we lived for ourselves. Once we served the world. At that time we set our affections on things which are upon the earth.

2. Our new life in Christ Jesus. Since we are saved, we have a new life. New ambitions and new aspirations now govern our life. If any man be in Christ Jesus He is a new creation. The result is that the old things have passed away, and all things have become new. We are now to put off the old man which is corrupt according to deceitful lusts, and to put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

3. The plea for consecration. As we think of our life in times past, and the new life which we now have in Christ Jesus, we catch the vision of the plea found in our text: “That we might live for Him.” Christ died for this very purpose. He wants us to bring our bodies and present them unto Him as a living sacrifice. He wants us to yield ourselves unto Him, and to yield our members as the instruments of righteousness unto Him. What a tremendous plea, and what a righteous plea is this. If He died for us, we should certainly be willing to live for Him.

VI. CHRIST DIED THAT WE MIGHT RECEIVE THE PLACING OF SONS (Gal 4:5, l.c)

When the Lord Jesus Christ went to Calvary He had this eternal “placing” in His mind. He knew that we were to be recognized in the new creation as sons.

1. What we were. We were the children of wrath, the children of disobedience, cursed children. There is a great deal of talk these days of the universal fatherhood of God. Such talk is utterly unscriptural, and wholly impossible. The unregenerate are children of the wicked one; they are children of darkness, and not of light. Sonship demands fatherhood, therefore, only those who have been begotten of God are sons of God. God is the Father only of those whom He begets. We once were creatures of God; we never were sons of God until we were born again.

2. What we are. The very moment that regeneration took place, the very moment that we were born from above, we became the sons of God. John delighted to write, “Now are we the sons of God.” There is a vast difference between creaturehood, and sonhood. When we were saved we passed out of death, and into life. How sacred and holy is this fact! How glorious and wonderful it is to be a son!

3. What we shall be. When our text says that Christ died that we might receive the adoption of sons, there was a far deeper meaning than our English translation expressed. The adoption of sons means the placing of sons. We who are born again are already sons, but we have not yet reached the maturity of our sonship; therefore we have not yet received our placing as sons. This placing will occur as soon as the Lord comes. How blessed is our destiny in the eternal ages with Christ! We are not to be slaves, but sons. If we are children, then we are heirs. If we are sons who suffer with Christ then we are joint-heirs together with Christ, of all that God is and all that God has, and we shall reign with Him.

VII. CHRIST DIED THAT WE MIGHT LIVE WITH HIM (1Th 5:10)

We now come to the great final climax of Christ’s Calvary objective. He died to save us from the curse of the Law; that was good. He died to make us the righteousness of God; that was better. He died to deliver us from sin’s power; that was blessed. He died to save us from this present evil age; that was necessary. He died that we might live for Him; that was a privilege. He died that we might receive the placing of sons; that is climactic. But listen now!

He died that we might live with Him. Wherever He is we also are to be.

1. Let us take a backward look. Let us remember the time when we were appointed unto wrath. At that time we were without God and without hope in the world.

2. Let us take an onward look. The believer’s final glory is to be forever with the Lord. The placing of sons is glorious, but how much more glorious is the knowledge that we shall be sons at Home. Sons, not wandering afar, but sons cloistered in the presence of the Father, and He then our great, eternal Elder Brother. Let us live every day in blessed and hallowed anticipation of that hour when our Lord shall descend from Heaven, and we shall be changed and made forever like unto Him-“So shall we ever be with the Lord.”

AN ILLUSTRATION

WHEN LITTLE JIM GAVE HIS BLOOD

“Jonathan loved him as his own soul” (1Sa 18:1). The little daughter of a friend of mine, five-year-old Mary, underwent an operation and lost so much blood that it was necessary to resort to blood transfusion. Samples of the blood of all the adults of the family were taken, but none was found to match Mary’s. Then a test was made of her older brother’s blood. It was found to match. Jimmy is a husky boy, thirteen years old and deeply fond of little Mary. “Will you give your sister some of your blood, Jim?” asked the doctor. Jimmy set his teeth. “Yes, sir, if she needs it!” The need was very desperate so the boy was at once prepared for the transfusion, In the midst of the drawing of the blood, the doctor observed Jimmy growing paler and paler. There was no apparent reason for this. “Are you ill, Jim?” asked the doctor. “No, sir, but I’m wondering just when I’ll die.” “Die?” gasped the doctor. “Do you think people give their lives when they give a little blood?” “Yes, sir,” replied Jimmy. “And you were giving your life for Mary’s?” “Yes, sir,” replied the boy, simply. Can you tell of a finer heroism than this?-Christian Herald.

Fuente: Neighbour’s Wells of Living Water

Gal 3:10. The Bible recognizes a distinction between a literal and a figurative, or a physical and a moral impossibility. Unless we observe such a distinction we will have difficulty with the apparently contradictory passages in 1Jn 1:8 1Jn 3:9. Peter said the fathers “were not able to bear” the yoke of the old law (Act 15:10). That passage is explained in volume 1 of the New Testament Commentary. Yet Paul cites a passage in the Old Testament that says that all who did not do so were under the curse. The original for the last word is defined by Thayer, “an execration, imprecation, curse.” In severe cases the curse amounted to an unmerciful death (Heb 10:28), but the law of Christ makes one free from such a curse (Rom 8:2). By going back to the works of the law, the Galatians placed themselves under this curse.

Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary

Gal 3:10-12. Negative proof of Gal 3:9, by showing the impossibility of justification by law, because we cannot keep the law, and the violation of the law subjects us to its curse (comp. Rom 3:9-20; Rom 7:7-25). No man lives up even to his own imperfect standard of goodness, much less to the perfect rule of the revealed will of the holy God.

Gal 3:10 confirms Gal 3:9 by the opposite. As many as are of law-works, are controlled by the principle of law, and shape their character by works, are under curse, i.e., subject to curse (comp. under sin, Rom 3:9).

For it is written, etc. A free quotation from Deu 27:26 (Sept.), the closing sentence of the curses from Mount Ebal, and a summary of the whole.

Gal 3:11-12 contain the following syllogism: The just lives by faith; the law is not of faith: consequently no man is justified by the law.

Gal 3:11. Now that in (the) law no man is justified in the sight of God, is evident In is elemental and instrumental, in and by, or under the law, in the sphere and domain of the law. In the sight, in the judgment of God; man standing as a culprit before His tribunal. For the righteous shall live by faith. From Hab 2:4, according to the Septuagint. Comp. note to Rom 1:17. The passage refers originally to the preservation of the righteous Israelite amidst the ruin of the Chaldan invasion. The stress lays oh faith, as the power which gives life. By faith must not be joined with righteous, but with shall live; this is required by the original Hebrew (the righteous shall live by his faith, or his fidelity), by the rendering of the Septuagint (the righteous shall live by my faith, or according to another reading: my righteous shall live by faith), and by the contrast between live by faith, and to live in them, i.e., in the commandments (Gal 3:12). The Old Testament, then, already declares faith to be the fountain of spiritual life and salvation, or rather the organ by which we apprehend and appropriate the saving grace of God in Christ to our individual use and benefit.

Gal 3:12. The law is not of [springs not from] faith, but [declares], He who hath done them [i.e., the statutes and judgments, previously mentioned in the Old Testament passage,] shall live in them. Quotation from Lev 18:5. The life-element of the law is not faith, but work. Doing is the essential thing in law. Faith receives the gift of God, the law requires us to give, to perform all its enactments.

Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament

Here is a third argument produced in this chapter, to prove that we are justified by faith, and not by works; because they who seek to be justified by the works of the law, are under the curse: and if so, cannot be justified. The argument runs thus, “Our observance of the law, when at the best, is but imperfect: Now every imperfect performance lays us under the curse, therefore no performance of ours can justify us. They that cannot fulfil the law, can never be justified by the law: But no fallen man can perfectly fulfil the law, therefore none can be justified by the law.” This is the force of the argument, which the apostle proves by a quotation out of Deu 27:26. Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things written in the book of the law to do them.

Where note, 1. The duty which the law enacts, namely, perfect, personal, and perpetual obedience.

2. The penalty which the law inflicts, and that is the curse; Cursed is every one, &c.

Learn hence, that sin and the curse are inseparable; wherever sin is, the curse will be, be it upon a person by imputation, or by actual commission; wherever sin lies, it lays us under the curse; for sin is an infinite evil, objectively considered; it is a contempt of infinite authority, a contrariety to infinite holiness, a provocation of infinite justice, and an abuse of infinite mercy; and consequently, the desert of sin is death and the curse.

Fuente: Expository Notes with Practical Observations on the New Testament

Gal 3:10. As many as are of the works of the law Of the number of those who seek justification thereby; are under Or liable to; the curse: for it is written, (Deu 27:26,) Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things, &c. Or, as it is there expressed, that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them. So that it required what no man on earth can perform, namely, universal, perfect, uninterrupted, and perpetual obedience. The apostle, it must be observed, in quoting this passage from the book of Deuteronomy, follows the translation of the LXX., the Hebrew word, which our translators have rendered confirmeth, signifying also continueth, and having been so translated, 1Sa 13:14, Thy kingdom shall not continue; the apostle, following the LXX., has added the words, every one and all, and written in this book. But, as Macknight observes, they make no alteration in the sense of the passage; for the indefinite proposition, cursed is he, hath the same meaning with cursed is every one; and all things written in the book of the law, is perfectly the same with the words of this law; which, as is plain from the context, means not any particular law, but the law of Moses in general.

Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

For as many as are of the works of the law are under a curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one who continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the law, to do them. [Deu 27:26 . But if the Scripture declares positively that the blessing of justification comes by faith, it likewise declares negatively that it does not come by the law, for all failed to keep the law, and it says that all who thus fail rest under a curse, instead of a blessing.]

Fuente: McGarvey and Pendleton Commentaries (New Testament)

SECTION 11. THE LAW BRINGS A CURSE.

CH. 3:10-14.

For so many as are of works of law are under a curse: for it is written that Cursed is every one that does not continue in all the things written in the Book of the Law to do them. (Deu 27:26.) And that in law no one is justified in the presence of God, is evident: because the righteous man by faith will live. (Hab 2:4.) But the Law is not by faith, but He that hath done them will live in them. (Lev 18:5.) Christ hath bought us off from the curse of the Law having on our behalf become a curse; (because it is written, Cursed is everyone that hangs upon wood: Deu 21:23;) that to the Gentiles might come the blessing of Abraham in Christ Jesus, that we might receive through faith the promise of the Spirit.

Proof that the promise to Abraham was a foresight of the Gospel; viz. because not otherwise can that promise be fulfilled, since all who trust in law are under a curse: Gal 3:10. That the Law cannot save, is proved by its difference from faith as a means of salvation: Gal 3:11-12. The powerlessness of the Law to save rendered needful the death of Christ for the fulfilment of the promise to Abraham: Gal 3:13-14.

Gal 3:10. Proof of Gal 3:8-9. The original promise to Abraham is fulfilled in those who believe the Gospel: for all others, including all who trust in Law, are under a curse. Paul thus approaches, from the platform set up in 10 on the firm foundation of Gods first treatment of Abraham which agrees with his readers own spiritual experience in 9, the chief matter of DIV. II., viz. our relation to the Law.

So many as: favourite phrase with Paul; Gal 3:27; Gal 6:12; Gal 6:16; Rom 2:12; Rom 6:3; Rom 8:14.

Of works of law: whose religious life and claim to Gods favour are derived from, and determined by, actions prescribed in a rule of conduct. That all such are under a curse, is proved by the very solemn and conspicuous words of Deu 27:26, which are a summary and culmination of the curses which Moses bade the Levites pronounce on Mount Ebal, and which embody the spirit of the entire Mosaic Law. The quotation is from the LXX., which however reads all the words of this Law. The Hebrew, omitting everyone and all reads Cursed is he who does not establish the words of this Law to do them. But the difference is unimportant: for these strong universal terms give the tenor of the whole Law.

The Book of the Law: same phrase in Deu 31:26; Jos 2:8; 2Ki 22:8; 2Ki 22:11.

Continue in: abiding self-restraint within the limits marked out by the Law.

To do them: purpose of this self-restraint.

This argument implies that none have kept the Law, i.e. that all have sinned. So Rom 2:1; Rom 3:9; Rom 3:19; Rom 3:23. To make us conscious of this, Paul chose the exceedingly broad and conspicuous summary of the Law of Moses in Deu 27:26, which reminds us that the Law is no mere series of regulations which we can easily keep but covers and touches all the actions of life and even the secret springs of conduct. Consequently, each deeper insight into the Law reveals transgressions undetected before and pronounces against us a fresh condemnation. And if so, the first great promise to Abraham can never be fulfilled to any one on the basis of law. It can be fulfilled only as the Galatian Christians have already received blessing from God, viz. by faith. And all this was foreseen by God when He spoke the promise.

Gal 3:11-12. Further proof that the Law cannot save.

Justified in law: same phrase in Gal 5:4; and, from the lips of Paul, Act 13:39 : to have a rule of life as the surrounding element in which, and therefore the medium through which, a man receives justification. Cp. in Christ, Gal 2:17; Act 13:39; in the blood and name of Christ, Rom 5:9; 1Co 6:11; 1Co 4:4.

In the presence of God: the Great Judge who knows the whole case and pronounces just judgment. Cp. righteous before God, Rom 2:13; 2Th 1:6; Rom 2:11; Rom 9:14; Rom 11:25.

No one is justified: an abiding principle. No one obtains by accepting a rule of conduct as the surrounding element of his spiritual life, a favourable sentence in the presence of the heart-searching Judge. This is evident from the total difference between justification by faith and by law. These two incompatible principles Paul states in word-for-word quotations from Hab 2:4 and Lev 18:5. Gods words to Habakkuk are not perhaps given as independent proof that salvation is by faith: yet, taken in connection with Gen 15:6, they remind us that this doctrine has its roots in the records of the Old Covenant. See under Rom 1:17. Not only did God accept Abrahams faith as a fulfilment of the required condition of the promise, but to Habakkuk He declared that by unshaken firmness, resting upon the believed word of God, the righteous man will survive the coming storm. But the main argument is the contrast with Lev 18:5.

The Law is not by faith, or from faith: it is not derived from the principle believe and live. This modest and indisputable assertion reveals the infinite difference between the Law and faith.

He that hath done, etc.: a broad principle prefixed in Lev 18:5 to a series of legal prescriptions. Same quotation in Rom 10:5. It is the principle underlying all law. Reward follows right doing. The word will-live is a link uniting the two quotations; life through faith and life through obedience. That in each case bodily life is referred to, does not weaken the argument: for even bodily life is in the Old Testament a mark of the smile of God. The total incompatibility of these two channels of life, in connection with the exceeding breadth of the Law and with the Gospel announced by Christ and reflected from afar here and there in the pages of the Old Testament, makes it quite evident that on the basis of law no one stands before God justified.

Gal 3:13-14. Relation of Justification by Faith to Christ.

Us: rather emphatic: viz. Paul and the Jews who had received and broken the Mosaic Law. But this is true of all men: for all have (Rom 2:15) broken the same Law, and lie under the same curse.

Bought-off: same word in Rom 4:5; Eph 5:16; Col 4:5; cp. bought in 1Co 6:20; 1Co 7:23; 2Pe 2:1; Rev 5:9. The word rendered redeem in Tit 2:14; 1Pe 1:18; Luk 24:21 (cp. Rom 3:24) is quite different; yet similar in sense. See under Rom 3:24.

The curse of the Mosaic Law: that pronounced in Deu 27:26, quoted in Gal 3:10.

Having become on our behalf a curse; explains and justifies bought off, by stating the price, i.e. the costly method, by which Christ set us free.

On our behalf, or for our benefit: constant statement of the relation to us of Christs death; Gal 2:20; Rom 5:6 ff; Rom 8:31 f; Rom 14:15; 1Co 2:13; 1Co 11:24; 1Co 15:3; 2Co 5:15. That the benefit was rendered by Christ taking our place, we learn here from the context. For the price takes the place of the thing bought: and we were made free from the curse by Christ placing Himself under it. And, since that curse was death, we rightly say that Christ died in our stead. But this is only a forceful way of stating the great fundamental doctrine of Rom 3:24-26, (see note,) that we are justified by means of the death of Christ.

A curse: an example and embodiment of a divine curse. What that is, we learn by contemplating Christ Crucified. The word was suggested by the Hebrew form of Deu 21:23, a curse of God is a hanged one. So Zec 8:13, ye were a curse among the nations. A very close parallel in 2Co 5:21.

Because it is written, etc.: an important quotation (Deu 21:23) placing Christ actually under the curse of the Law; slightly changed from the LXX. in which upon wood is repeated from Deu 21:22. These words are needful here, to give the full sense of the original. As in the quotation in Gal 3:10, the LXX. strengthens the passage by inserting everyone. The Hebrew equivalent of the word wood denotes primarily a tree, as in Gen 2:9; Gen 2:16; then the material derived from trees. The corresponding word denotes in classic Greek wood, or things made from wood, and very rarely or never a tree. But it is used by the LXX. for the above Hebrew word even when used in this last sense, as in Gen 2:9; Gen 2:16; and in the same sense and reference is found in Rev 2:7; Rev 22:2; Rev 22:14; Rev 22:19. But elsewhere in the N.T. there is no need to give it any other than its ordinary sense of a piece of wood. The original words of Deu 21:23 embrace both a living tree, and any pole from which a dead body might be hung. A corpse hanging from a tree or pole, as being a conspicuous presentation of death and of crime, was marked out in the Law as specially accursed; and was not allowed to remain over night. By a strange coincidence (for crucifixion was a Roman punishment) Christ came under this legal curse: and in obedience to the Law His body was removed lest even that Most Sacred Temple should defile the coming Sabbath. And this apparently small coincidence reveals how completely He had taken upon Him our curse. Thus the Law pronounced a curse upon the All-Blessed One; and by so doing proclaimed itself to be imperfect and passing.

Gal 3:14. Double purpose for which Christ became a curse. It thus expounds on our behalf.

To the Gentiles, or nations: emphatic.

The blessing of Abraham: recorded in Gal 3:8 as proclaimed in Gen 12:3.

In Christ Jesus. Not until Christ came and bore our curse, and only in proportion to our spiritual union with the Risen Saviour, can the blessing of Abraham reach us.

That we might receive, etc.: further purpose, expounding the practical significance of the foregoing. It leads us back to the spiritual facts of Gal 3:2-5, with which the case of Abraham was in Gal 3:6 said to agree; thus preparing a way to Gal 4:6 and Gal 5:16.

The promise of the Spirit: viz. that the Spirit shall be given: Joe 2:28; Eze 36:27; Joh 14:16; Joh 14:26.

Receive (or obtain) the promise: receive its fulfilment; Heb 10:36; Luk 24:49; Act 2:4.

Through faith, joins 11 through 10 to 9. It marks the completion of the matter introduced in Gal 3:2.

Gal 3:13-14 assume that Christ was crucified in order that Gods purpose of mercy might be accomplished in us, a fundamental doctrine which probably no Christian would deny. But, if crucified, he fell under a curse conspicuously pronounced by the Law. Now upon all men the Law pronounces a curse: for none have fully obeyed its commands. Consequently, Christ fell under the curse of the Law in order to rescue us from it. And only through Him, and to those who believe the Gospel, can the original promise made to Abraham be fulfilled: for all others are shut out from all blessing by the curse of the Law. Therefore, Christ bought us off from the curse of the Law by Himself submitting to its curse. Moreover the Spirit given to those who believe is Himself a fulfilment, and the agent of the complete fulfilment, of the first promise made to Abraham. Consequently, this gift was the aim of the death of Christ.

In 9 Paul appealed to his readers past and present experience in proof that the Holy Spirit, the great gift of the New Covenant, comes by faith and not by works of law. In 10 he shows that this agrees with the story of Abraham; and asserts that it is a fulfilment of the original promise to Abraham. This last assertion, he proves in 11 by showing that in no other way can this promise be fulfilled; that as a means of salvation obedience to law is incompatible with faith, by which he has already shown that Abraham obtained Gods favour; and that the only conceivable explanation of the death of Christ is that He died that in the spiritual facts of 9 the promise to Abraham might be fulfilled.

Fuente: Beet’s Commentary on Selected Books of the New Testament

For as many as are out of works of the Law, these are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the Book of the Law, to do them.”

Once obedient to the law for salvation, one has rejected Christ and thus is under the complete law – one hundred percent obedience to the law if they really want to be saved – of course no one (except Christ Himself) can obey the law perfectly, thus the curse.

Fuente: Mr. D’s Notes on Selected New Testament Books by Stanley Derickson

3:10 {10} For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: {11} for it is written, Cursed [is] every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.

(10) The sixth argument, the conclusion of which is also in the former verse, taken from opposites, is this: they are accursed who are of the works of the Law, that is to say, who consider their righteousness to come from the performance of the Law. Therefore they are blessed who are of faith, that is, those who have righteousness by faith.

(11) A proof of the former sentence or proposition, and the proposition of this argument is this: cursed is he that does not fulfil the whole Law.

Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes

The curse of works 3:10-14

"In Gal 3:6-9 Paul set forth a positive argument for justification by faith. In Gal 3:10-14 he turned the tables and argued negatively against the possibility of justification by works." [Note: George, p. 227. Cf. Lightfoot, p. 137.]

Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)

Living under the Mosaic Law did not bring blessing but a curse. The reason is that to obtain God’s blessing under the Law a person had to keep it perfectly, and no one could. Even one failure brought God’s curse. Paul cited Deu 27:26 that was a passage the legalists would have respected highly because it is in a highly legal section of a highly legal book. He did so to support his argument. The Law is similar to a chain; one must forge every single link securely or it will not support the person who clings to it for salvation (cf. Gal 5:3; Jas 2:10).

Paul was not changing the original intention of the passage he quoted (i.e., Deu 27:26). The whole Law taught that people cannot earn God’s blessing. The blessing that people experience because they do God’s will is not something they earn. God grants it freely in grace. What people earn and deserve is cursing and judgment from God since they cannot obey the Law perfectly (Rom 6:23).

Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)