GALATIANS 3:18-20 For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise. 19 What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator. 20 Now a mediator does not mediate for one only, but God is one.
NSB* - The law of Moses and the promise God made to Abraham were at odds with each other. Paul demonstrated that the false teachers' view that the law was the fulfillment of the Abrahamic covenant had no scriptural basis.
Inheritance; Dodson denotes - an inheritance an inheritance, an heritage, regularly the gift of God to His chosen people, in the Old Testament: the Promised Land, in NT a possession viewed in one sense as present, in another as future; a share, participation. The Greek word is κληρονομία klēronomia. Strong's G2817.
Of Promise: This note from Vine doesn't directly reference this instance, but it does provide background and the message of Chapter 3 related to this. Galatians. 3 is occupied with showing that the "promise" was conditional upon faith and not upon the fulfillment of the Law. The Law was later than, and inferior to, the "promise," and did not annul it, Galatians 3:21; cp. Galatians 4:23, Galatians 4:28. The Greek word for promise is ἐπαγγελία. It is defined here.
Moving to verse 19.
Galatians 3:19 What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator.
NSB* - The purpose of the law of Moses was not to justify humankind in God's eyes (Galatians 2:16). Rather the law was added after God's promise to Abraham (vv16,17) to clarify the issue of sin until Christ the Seed (v. 16) came. According to Stephen's sermon in Acts 7, the law was given through angels as the human mediator (Acts 7:38). This view was in line with the Jewish teaching of the New Testament era. No mediator of go-between was needed in the Abrahamic covenant since it was a one-party, or unilateral, promise. God put Abraham into a deep sleep and consummated the ceremonial enactment of the covenant alone. (see Genesis 15:12-17).
Note references - Acts 7:38 This is he who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the Angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers, the one who received the living oracles to give to us,
Genesis 15:12-17 Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, horror and great darkness fell upon him. 13 Then He said to Abram: “Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years. 14 And also the nation whom they serve I will judge; afterward they shall come out with great possessions. 15 Now as for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried at a good old age. 16 But in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.”17 And it came to pass, when the sun went down and it was dark, that behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a burning torch that passed between those pieces.
Purpose; The King James version reads - "Wherefore then serveth the law?" Wherefore in the KJV is an interrogative pronoun, who, which or what (in direct or indirect questions). It can mean "who", "which", or "what". The Greek word is τίς tis. Strong's G5101. Then we get to "serveth" which means law (through the idea of prescriptive usage), genitive case (regulation), specially, (of Moses (including the volume); also of the Gospel), or figuratively (a principle). So the New Kings James using the word "What purpose then does the law serve?" makes perfect sense. The Greek word for "serveth" by the way is νόμος nomos. Strong's G3551.
Transgressions; lit., to go aside" (para), hence "to go beyond," is chiefly used metaphorically of "transgressing"of "transgressions" of the Law, in this verse, where the statement "it was added because of transgressions" is best understood according to Romans 4:15; Romans 5:13; Romans 5:20; the Law does not make men sinners, but makes them "transgressors;" hence sin becomes "exceeding sinful," Romans 7:7, Romans 7:13. Conscience thus had a standard external to itself; by the Law men are taught their inability to yield complete obedience to God, that thereby they may become convinced of their need of a Savior; in Romans 2:23, RV, "transgression (of the Law)," AV, "breaking (the Law);" Hebrews 2:2; Hebrews 9:15. The Greek word is παράβασις parabasis. Vine's (def B-1d), Strong's G3847.
Definition References - Romans 4:15 Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.
Romans 5:13 (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
Romans 5:20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
Romans 7:7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.
Romans 7:13 Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.
Romans 2:23 You who make your boast in the law, do you dishonor God through breaking the law?
Hebrews 2:2 For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward,
Hebrews 9:15 And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.
Appointed; a strengthened form of tasso (dia, "through," intensive), frequently denotes "to arrange, appoint, prescribe," e.g., of what was "appointed". In this case of the Law as Divinely "ordained," or administered, through angels, by Moses. The Greek word is διατάσσω diatasso. Vine's (def 6), Strong's G1299.
Angels; (to bring tidings); a messenger; especially an "angel"; by implication, a pastor. Dodson denotes - an angel, messenger a messenger, generally a (supernatural) messenger from God, an angel, conveying news or behests from God to men. The Greek word is ἄγγελος aggelos. Strong's G32.
Mediator; a go-between, i.e. (simply) an internunciator, or (by implication) a reconciler (intercessor). The Greek word used here is μεσίτης mesitēs.
Galatians 4:4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law,
Acts 7:53 who have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it.”
Exodus 20:19 Then they said to Moses, “You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.”
Moving to Verse 20.
Galatians 3:20 Now a mediator does not mediate for one only, but God is one.
My Notes - Paul goes on to say in the next verse that the law is NOT against the promise of God, he then explains that. Then he goes on to answer his in verse 19. What purpose then does the law serve? I was asked this question online and almost got tripped up by not reading the entire passage. I do my studies in chunks so taking the whole picture of scripture is always key to any study.
Takeaways - While we have to read on to determine the purpose of the law, we can determine from earlier studies that the purpose of the law was not to justify man. We can also determine that God has different purposes for different things at different times.
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