14<\/strong>. The twofold result of our Lord’s obedience unto death, the justification of the Gentiles, and the gift of the Spirit, through faith.<\/p>\n Christ having satisfied the Law in its most minute demands, has abolished it as a condition of salvation, and has thus removed the wall of separation between Jew and Gentile. “They which are of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham”, Gal 3:9<\/em><\/span>.<\/p>\n the blessing of Abraham<\/em> ] Justification by faith, Gal 3:9<\/em><\/span>.<\/p>\n the promise of the Spirit<\/em> ] This takes us back to the question of Gal 3:2<\/em><\/span>. The ‘promise’ is of course not the promise spoken, but the promise fulfilled. So in Act 1:4<\/span>, where to wait for the promise is to await its fulfilment.<\/p>\n That the blessing of Abraham – <\/B>The blessing which Abraham enjoyed, to wit, that of being justified by faith. Might come on the Gentiles. As well as on the Jews. Abraham was blessed in this manner before he was circumcised Rom 4:11<\/span>, and the same blessing might be imparted to others also who were not circumcised; see this argument illustrated in the notes at Rom 4:10-12<\/span>.<\/P> Through Jesus Christ – <\/B>Since he has been made a curse for all, and since he had no exclusive reference to the Jews or to any other class of people, all may come and partake alike of the benefits of his salvation.<\/P> That we might receive the promise of the Spirit – <\/B>That all we who are Christian converts. The promise of the Spirit, or the promised Spirit, is here put for all the blessings connected with the Christian religion. It includes evidently the miraculous agency of the Holy Spirit; and all his influences in renewing the heart, in sanctifying the soul, and in comforting the people of God. These influences had been obtained in virtue of the sufferings and death of the Lord Jesus in the place of sinners, and these influences were the sum of all the blessings promised by the prophets.<\/P> <\/p>\n Gal 3:14<\/span><\/p>\n That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p>\n The purpose of redemption<\/strong><\/p>\n 1. <\/strong>Whence comes this blessing? From the cursed death of Christ.<\/p>\n 2. <\/strong>Where is it to be found? In Christ Jesus, who is<\/p>\n (1)<\/strong> the storehouse of Gods blessing;<\/p>\n (2)<\/strong> the dispenser thereof to all nations.<\/p>\n 1. <\/strong>What is meant by the promise? (see Isa 44:3<\/span>; Joe 2:28<\/span>).<\/p>\n 2. <\/strong>For what end do we receive the Spirit?<\/p>\n (1)<\/strong> For illumination (1Jn 2:27<\/span>; 1Co 2:13<\/span>).<\/p>\n (2)<\/strong> Regeneration, whereby the image of God is restored to us (Joh 3:5<\/span>).<\/p>\n (3)<\/strong> For the government of our counsels, will, affections, actions (Isa 11:1<\/span>; Rom 8:14<\/span>).<\/p>\n (4)<\/strong> For union with Christ (1Co 6:17<\/span>).<\/p>\n (5)<\/strong> For consolation (Rom 8:16<\/span>).<\/p>\n (6)<\/strong> For the confirmation of our faith in every good duty (2Co 1:22<\/span>). (W. Perkins<\/em>)<\/p>\n .<\/em><\/p>\n The blessing of Abraham<\/strong><\/p>\n The meek, the just, the pious, the devout souls are everywhere and in all ages of one religion; and when death hath taken off the mask they know one another, though the liveries they wear here make them strangers. (William Penn.<\/em>)<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Perpetuated blessings<\/strong><\/p>\n It has been asked why the goodness of one man should extend to, and be rewarded in, successive generations, covering the remotest ages and reaching to the close of our present economy? But is it not a fact that in the world of providence the very same thing occurs? Has not, e.g.,<\/em> such a character as Howard left a mark upon the world that cannot be <\/strong>obliterated, and bequeathed influences that live long after he has gone up higher? Have not the victories of Wallington, secured at a dread price, left us years of prosperity and peace? Do not millions shine in the light, and are not thousands of hearts warmed by the fires, that were kindled by Luther, Ridley, Cranmer, Knox, Calvin, and others? And if you find this to be a fact in the world, you should not object to its being declared the law of Gods administration of the world. The discovery of printing, steam, the telegraph, are also illustrations all tending to show that beneficent discoveries made by fathers break in benedictions upon their children. (J. Cumming,<\/em> D. D.<\/em>)<\/p>\n<\/p>\n The value and power of faith<\/strong><\/p>\n Faith is the only sure and infallable good, the solace of life, the fulfilment of worthy hopes, barren of evil and fertile in good, the repudiation of the powers of evil, the confession of piety, the inheritance of happiness, the entire amelioration of the soul which leans for support on Him who is the cause of all things and willeth to do those things which are excellent. In the possession of this Abraham was thrice blessed indeed. (Philo.<\/em>)<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Blessing through Christs sufferings<\/strong><\/p>\n When the prairie grass catches fire and the wind is strong and the flames hasten onward twenty feet high, what do the frontier men do when they see them coming? Knowing that they cannot outrun them–the fleetest horse cannot do that–they just take a match, says Mr. Moody, and light the grass around them, and let the <\/strong>fire sweep it, and then they get into the burnt district and stand safe. They hear the flames roar; they see death coming towards them; but they do not tremble, because the fire has passed over the place where they are and there is no danger; there is nothing for the fire to burn. There is one mountain peak that the wrath of God has swept: that is Mount Calvary, and that fire spent its fury upon the bosom of the Son of God. Take your stand here by the Cross, and you will be safe for time and for eternity.<\/p>\n Verse 14. That the blessing of Abraham<\/B><\/I>] That is, justification or the pardon of sin, with all other blessings consequent on it, such as peace with God, spiritual life<\/I>, and eternal glory<\/I>.<\/P> <\/P> Might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ<\/B><\/I>] So we find that he was made a curse for us<\/I>, that the blessings<\/I> promised to Abraham might be given to them who believe on him, as having been made a curse<\/I>; i.e. an expiatory victim<\/I> for them.<\/P> <\/P> The promise of the Spirit<\/B><\/I>] The spirit of adoption, sonship<\/I> with God; and the Spirit<\/I> of God to attest that sonship<\/I>. And all this was through faith<\/I>. Hence, from the beginning God had purposed that salvation should be through faith<\/I>, and never expected that any soul of man should be justified by the works of the law; and only gave that law that the exceeding sinfulness of sin might appear, and that man might be prepared to welcome the Gospel<\/I>, which proclaimed salvation to a lost world through the atoning passion and death of Christ.<\/P> <\/p>\n The apostle, by the blessing of Abraham, <\/B>here, understands those spiritual blessings of justification, reconciliation, and adoption, which came to Abraham upon his believing, and the imputation of righteousness thereupon unto him. Christ<\/I> (he saith) was made a curse for us, <\/I>that all those blessings through him might come on the Gentiles; <\/I>and so all the nations of the earth might be blessed in him. Particularly, that the Gentiles <\/P> might receive the promise of the Spirit; <\/B>which promise is not to be interpreted so narrowly, as only to signify its miraculous gifts, but to be extended to all those gifts and habits of grace which are the effects of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of believers, whether sanctifying or sealing them; which Holy Spirit is received upon persons believing: see Gal 4:6<\/span>; Rom 8:13<\/span>. <\/P> <\/p>\n 14.<\/B> The intent of “Christbecoming a curse for us”; “To the end that upon theGentiles the blessing of Abraham (that is, promised to<\/I>Abraham, namely, justification by faith) might come in Christ Jesus”(compare Ga 3:8<\/span>). <\/P> that we might receive thepromise of the Spirit<\/B>the promised Spirit (Joe 2:28<\/span>;Joe 2:29<\/span>; Luk 24:49<\/span>).This clause follows not the clause immediately preceding (for ourreceiving the Spirit<\/I> is not the result of the blessing ofAbraham coming on the Gentiles<\/I>), but “Christ hath redeemedus,” &c. <\/P> through faith<\/B>not byworks. Here he resumes the thought in Ga3:2<\/span>. “The Spirit from without, kindles within us some sparkof faith Whereby we lay hold of Christ, and even of the SpiritHimself, that He may dwell within us” [FLACIUS].<\/P><\/p>\n That the blessing of Abraham<\/strong>,…. The same blessing Abraham enjoyed, even justification by the righteousness of Christ; and what was promised to Abraham, that in him, his seed, that is Christ, the Gentiles should be blessed, or justified; for though this blessing may in general comprise every spiritual blessing, yet it chiefly regards that of justification; or a deliverance from the curse of the law, and which is the end of Christ’s being made a curse, that this blessedness<\/p>\n might come on the Gentiles<\/strong>; the uncircumcision, as well as the circumcision; see Ro 4:9<\/span> that is, upon as many of them as were ordained unto eternal life, and in consequence of that believe in Christ; quite contrary to a Jewish notion, that<\/p>\n “no blessing dwells but upon an Israelite a:”<\/p>\n now though this blessing, as all other spiritual ones, were laid up in the covenant of grace, put into the hands of Christ, and God’s elect blessed therewith, as considered in him, yet the curse of the law for their transgressions stood in the way of their personal enjoyment of it, to their peace and comfort in their own souls; wherefore Christ is made a curse for them, to make way for the blessing to take place upon them; which is by an act of God’s grace imputed to them, and is received by faith:<\/p>\n through Jesus Christ<\/strong>; or “in Jesus Christ”, as the words may be read; meaning either, that this blessing comes upon the Gentiles that were in Christ, chosen in him, in union with him, and represented by him, both in the covenant and on the cross; or else that Christ is the Mediator, as from whom, so through whom, this, as every blessing of grace, comes to the children of God:<\/p>\n that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith<\/strong>; Beza puts the copulative and to this clause, reading it, “and that we”, c. as does the Ethiopic version thereby more clearly pointing out this to be another end of Christ’s being made a curse for us: by “the promise of the Spirit” may be meant, either by an “hypallage”, the Spirit of promise, who opens and applies the promises; or the Spirit promised, not as a spirit of regeneration, conversion, and faith; for, as such, he cannot be received by faith; Since, antecedent to his being so, there can be no faith; but rather as a spirit of adoption, in respect to which he is said to be received, Ro 8:15<\/span> and this blessing of adoption, as in consequence of redemption from under the law, its curse and condemnation, Ga 4:4<\/span>. Or else a spiritual promise, in distinction from the temporal promise of the land of Canaan, made to Abraham and his natural seed, and means the promise of eternal life and happiness in the world to come; which promise is now received by faith, and that in consequence of the sufferings and death of Christ the testator; see Heb 9:15<\/span>.<\/p>\n a Zohar in Exod. fol. 51. 3.<\/p>\n That upon the Gentiles <\/B> ( <\/SPAN><\/span>). Final clause (<\/SPAN><\/span> and <\/SPAN><\/span>, aorist middle subjunctive).<\/P> That we might receive <\/B> ( <\/SPAN><\/span>). Second final clause coordinate with the first as in 2Co 9:3<\/span>. So in Christ we all (Gentile and Jew) obtain the promise of blessing made to Abraham, through faith. <\/P> <\/p>\n That [<\/SPAN><\/span>] Marking the purpose of Christ in redeeming from the curse of the law. <\/P> That we might receive, etc. The second ina is parallel with the first. The deliverance from the curse results not only in extending to the Gentiles the blessing promised to Abraham, but in the impartation of the Spirit to both Jews and Gentiles through faith. The eujlogia blessing is not God ‘s gift of justification as the opposite of the curse; for in vv. 10, 11, justification is not represented as the opposite of the curse, but as that by which the curse is removed and the blessing realized. The content of the curse is death, verse 13. The opposite of the curse is life. The subject of the promise is the life which comes through the Spirit. See Joh 7:39<\/span>; Act 2:17<\/span>, 38<\/span>, 39<\/span>; Act 10:45<\/span>, 47<\/span>; Act 14:7<\/span>, 8<\/span>; Rom 5:5<\/span>; Rom 8:2<\/span>, 4<\/span>, 6<\/span>, 11<\/span>; Eph 1:13<\/span>.<\/P> <\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n 1) “That the blessings of Abraham,”<\/strong> (hina he eulogia tou Abraam) “In order that the blessings of Abraham,” the heritage available to all men, thru faith and obedience, that was seen in Abraham was made available to all in this Gentile age, thru Jesus Christ and His church, Act 20:28<\/span>; Eph 3:21<\/span>.<\/p>\n 2) “Might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ,”<\/strong> (genetai en lesou Christou eis ta ethne) might be in Jesus Christ to all heathen, races, nations, or people;” this seems to involve not only Salvation but also rights to rule and reign over the promised land, extended to or including the church, called from among the Gentiles, as a people for His name’s sake, Act 10:36<\/span>; Mat 4:12-21<\/span>; Mat 19:29<\/span>.<\/p>\n 3) “That we might receive the promise of the Spirit,”<\/strong> (hina ten epangelion tou pneumatos lagomen) “in order that we might receive the promise of the Spirit,” in the sense of the promise fulfilled through the Spirit, a promise of complete redemption from sin and restoration to God’s favor and the inheritance of the Land – grant promise God made to Abraham, into which the church by faith and obedient service is to partake, Gen 15:18<\/span>; Luk 22:30<\/span>.<\/p>\n 4) “Through faith,”<\/strong> (diates pisteos) “through the faith,” the system of faith, the body of Christian truth; It appears that not only natural Israel is to occupy the Abrahamic covenant Land -grant territorial promise in the millennial, Gen 15:18<\/span>, but also that the church of Jesus Christ, called from among the Gentiles may have jurisdictional reigning honors over the people of the Land as the twelve Apostles shall receive Christ’s fulfilled promise that they should sit on the twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel, Luk 22:30<\/span>; Eph 3:21<\/span>; Luk 10:12-27<\/span>.<\/p>\n 14. That the blessing of Abraham. Having said that “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law” he now applies that statement more closely to his purpose. The promised blessing of Abraham is founded on this, and flows from it to the Gentiles. If the Jews must be delivered from the law, in order to become the heirs of Abraham, what shall hinder the Gentiles from obtaining the same benefit? And if that blessing is found in Christ alone, it is faith in Christ which alone brings it into our possession. <\/p>\n The promise of the Spirit appears to me to mean, agreeably to a Hebrew idiom, a spiritual promise. Although that promise relates to the New Testament, “I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh,” (Joe 2:28<\/span>,) yet, in this passage, Paul refers to another subject. The spirit is here contrasted with all outward things, not with ceremonies merely, but with lineal descent, so as to leave no room for diversity of rank. From the nature of the promise, he proves that Jews differ nothing from Gentiles; because, if it is spiritual, it is received by faith alone. <\/p>\n (14) The abolition of the Law, consummated upon the cross, involved the doing away of all the old restrictions which confined the Messianic inheritance to the Jews. Henceforth this inheritance, and the promised outpouring of the Spirit which was to accompany it, was open equally to the Gentiles. The one condition now was faith, and that intimate relation to the Messiah which faith implied.<\/p>\n The blessing of Abraham.<\/strong>That is, the blessing pronounced upon Abraham and to be fulfilled in his seed.<\/p>\n Through Jesus Christ.<\/strong>Through the relation into which they enter with Christ by embracing Christianity.<\/p>\n We.<\/strong>The Apostle and his readers, whether Jews or Gentiles.<\/p>\n Receive the promise of the Spirit.<\/strong>A special outpouring of the Spirit was to be one of the characteristics of the great Messianic manifestation. (Comp. Joe. 2:28-29<\/span>; Act. 2:16-21<\/span>.) The promise is said to be received by the generation on which it is fulfilled, not by that to which it is given. The same phrase occurs in Act. 2:33<\/span>; Heb. 9:15<\/span>.<\/p>\n 14<\/strong>. <\/strong> That<\/strong> Depends upon redeemed <\/strong> in Gal 3:13<\/span>. <\/p>\n The promise<\/strong> That is, the blessing contained in the promise<\/strong>.<\/p>\n ‘That on the Gentiles might come the blessing of Abraham in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.’<\/p>\n And the purpose of His being made a curse for us was so that through faith we might be accounted as righteous, receiving the blessing of the Spirit. For we can only receive the Spirit because of what He has done for us. Paul here links the blessing of Abraham, which will come on all nations (Gen 12:3<\/span>) with the giving of the Holy Spirit. He is linking Abraham’s responsive faith, which resulted in him being seen as righteous, and in his willingness to sacrifice his own son, receiving him back as it were from the dead (Gen 22:18<\/span>), with the giving of the promised Holy Spirit. For the Holy Spirit was to be poured out on the people of God in so far as they looked to Abraham as their father and walked in the same way as he did, by true faith in God (Isa 44:1-5<\/span> with Isa 41:8<\/span>; Isa 51:1-3<\/span>). The Holy Spirit was to be poured out on ‘all flesh’, that is on all kinds of people, not only on the people of Israel, but on servants and handmaids as well (Joe 2:28-29<\/span>), and the One on Whom is the Spirit is the One Who will bring forth justice to the Gentiles as well as to Israel (Isa 42:1<\/span>).<\/p>\n Thus it is through His death on the cross that the promised Holy Spirit can come, coming to those who respond in faith. For the new birth of the Spirit (Joh 3:5<\/span>) is linked with the lifting up on the cross (Joh 3:14<\/span>), through which those who believe receive eternal life.<\/p>\n Gal 3:14<\/span><\/em><\/strong>. <\/strong>That the blessing, <\/em><\/strong>&c.<\/strong> That the blessing, <\/em>Gal 3:8-9<\/span>; Gal 3:14<\/span> justification, <\/em>Gal 3:11<\/span> and being the children of God, <\/em>Gal 3:26<\/span> are in effect all the same, on the one side; and that the curse, <\/em>Gal 3:13<\/span> is the direct contrary, on the other side, is so plain in St. Paul’s discourse here, that nobody who reads it with the least attention can be in any doubt. His argument, to convince the Galatians that they ought not to be circumcised, or to submit to the law, on account of their having received the Spirit from him, that is, by his instrumentality, on embracing the gospel which he preached to them, stands thus: “The blessing promised to Abraham and his seed was wholly upon account of faith, Gal 3:7<\/span>. There were not different seeds <\/em>who should inherit the promise,the one by the works of the law, and the other by faith; for there was but one seed, <\/em>which was Christ, <\/em>(Gal 3:16<\/span>.) and those who should claim in and under him by faith. Among these there was no distinction of Jew and Gentile: they, and they only, who believed, were all one and the same true seed of Abraham, and heirs according to the promise, Gal 3:28-29<\/span>. And therefore the promise made to the people of God, of giving them the Spirit under the Gospel was performed only to those who believed in Christ:a clear evidence that it was not by putting themselves under the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ, that they were the people of God, and heirs of the promise.” It has been observed, that the plentiful effusion of the Holy Spirit of God had been so frequently promised by the prophets, as the great blessing of the latter day, <\/em>that it is here used as synonimous to the blessing of Abraham. <\/em>Whence the great importance of the Spirit may be inferred; since the imparting it is represented as the great blessing <\/em>of the gospel dispensation. And hence it follows, that the withdrawing and withholding it, is the great calamity <\/em>which falls upon men by their apostacy from God. Only, it must ever be remembered, that every good thought, word and work, which has been produced by fallen man, has originated with this same Divine Spirit. <\/p>\n Gal 3:14<\/span> . Divine purpose in Christ’s redeeming us (the Jews) from the curse of the law; in order that the blessing promised to Abraham<\/em> (justification; see on Gal 3:8<\/span> ) might be imparted in Christ Jesus to the Gentiles<\/em> (not: to all peoples<\/em> , as Olshausen and Baumgarten-Crusius, following the earlier expositors, take , in opposition to the context). So long, namely, as the curse of the law stood in force and consequently the Jews were still subject to this divine curse, the Gentiles could not be partakers of that blessing; for, according to that promise made to Abraham, it was implied in the preference which in the divine plan of salvation was granted to the Jews (Rom 1:17<\/span> ; Rom 15:8-9<\/span> ; Rom 3:1-2<\/span> ; Rom 9:1-5<\/span> ), that salvation should issue from them and pass over to the Gentiles (comp. Rom 15:27<\/span> ; Joh 4:22<\/span> ; Joh 11:52<\/span> ). Hence, when Christ by His atoning death redeemed the Jews<\/em> from the curse of the divine law, God, in thus arranging His salvation, must necessarily have had the design that the Gentiles<\/em> , who are expressly named in the promise made to Abraham (Gal 3:8<\/span> ), should share in the promised justification, and that not in some way through the law<\/em> , as if they were to be subjected to this, but in Christ Jesus<\/em> , through whom in fact the Jews had been made free<\/em> from the curse of the law. The opposite of this liberation of the Jews<\/em> could not exist in God’s purpose in regard to the Gentiles<\/em> . Rckert takes a different view of the logical connection (as to which most expositors are silent), in the light of Eph 2:14<\/span> ff.: “So long as the law continued, an impenetrable wall of partition was set up between the Jewish and the Gentile world; and just as long it was simply impossible that the blessing should pass over to the Gentiles.” But the context speaks not of the law itself<\/em> as having been Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
I. <\/strong>That the blessing of abraham might come upon the gentiles.<\/p>\n
II. <\/strong>That we might receive the promise of the spirit through faith.<\/p>\n
I. <\/strong>The receivers of Gods blessing receive it not for themselves alone.<\/p>\n
II. <\/strong>One is most blessed in being made a blessing to others. (J. Parker,<\/em> D. D.<\/em>)<\/p>\n<\/p>\nFuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible <\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n