What was the original thing? And, the addition that came 430 years later, was it some 'extra rituals', or something else?
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In his letter to the saints in Galatia, the apostle Paul wrote about a law that
was "added". Many have wondered, what did he mean by that? It is important for believers
to know and understand the answer to that question. It is also important to know
what the original thing was, before that. There are even other questions, such as,
what did the apostle mean when he in that same epistle wrote, "This is the only
thing I want to find out from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the
Law, or by hearing with faith?" (3:2) and, "Tell me, you who want to be under the
Law, do you not understand the Law?" (4:21). Those things in the epistle to the
saints in Galatia might at first sight seem confusing, but this essay makes them
clearer and more easily understood, and shows what the apostle was talking about.
This study takes a closer look at Galatians 3:17-19 including the context, and explains
what Paul actually meant by the term "added law". Also, it will be shown, regarding
that addition which came 430 years after the original thing (as verse 17 tells us),
whether that addition consisted of some "extra rituals" as some have claimed, or
of something else.
See also the other parts in this series on the two covenants. You can find links to some of them in the "Additional reading" section towards the end of this essay; for more, look under the heading "Covenants" on the index-page keyw-c4.htm.
In his letter to the saints in Galatia, the apostle Paul spoke about an "added law" that came 430 years after the covenant which the Lord made with Abraham:
Galatians 3:16 Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring; it does not say, "And to offsprings," as of many; but it says, "And to your offspring," that is, to one person, who is Christ. 17 My point is this: the law, which came four hundred thirty years later, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to nullify the promise. 18 For if the inheritance comes from the law, it no longer comes from the promise; but God granted it to Abraham through the promise. 19 Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring would come to whom the promise had been made; and it was ordained through angels by a mediator. (NRSV)
What did Paul mean by his words about "added law" (verses 17 and 19)? In other words: Really what came "after 430 years" (verse 17), and also, what was the original thing that was there, before that? It is important to understand this matter.
It is clear that those 430 years refer to the period between the time when the Promises were given to Abraham, and the time when the Old Covenant was made at Sinai. But, some preachers have nevertheless claimed that the phrase "added law" in verse 19 supposedly referred to some "added, extra rituals" and not to the Old Covenant itself. This essay sorts out those claims, and explains what Paul meant and referred to.
A note: This covenant-related matter must not be misunderstood. Those who have carefully studied the New Testament, know that the apostles, especially Paul, held forth the importance of living a righteous life. Indeed, a much better manner of life was expected of the saints, than was ever demanded of the Israelites who were under the Old Covenant. The essay eg08b.htm explains what righteousness really is.
The Jews do not accept the New Testament or the New Covenant, but the meaning of the concept "the Law" is very clear to them. They know that it refers to the Law of Moses, and the Old Covenant. (It is true that the phrase "the Law" can also refer to the Old Testament as a book, or to the five books of Moses as a specific section of that book. But, in this kind of context, the phrase "the Law" mostly refers to the Old Covenant with its rules.)
In order to understand what Paul meant when he wrote about "a law that had been added", it is important to carefully consider the preceding verses. You will find them quoted, below.
Apparently, some people among the saints and believers in Galatia had in one way or another begun to observe the Old Covenant's rules and rituals. Because of that, the apostle reproved and corrected them:
Galatians 3:1 You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? 2 This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? (NASB-77)
Paul used strong words, because the matter was so important. He called those people anoêtoi (anoêtos, verse 1) – "stupid", "senseless", "without a mind" – and said that they had been "bewitched" (ebaskenen, baskainô, verse 1). Many bible-versions have "bewitched", some "enchanted", "deluded", "deceived" or similar; one has "by what strange powers have you been tricked".
Hopefully, the reader has open eyes and can see and understand what the apostle was saying here. Let us read more in the context:
Galatians 3:1 You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? 2 This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? [A] 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? 4 Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? 5 Does He then, who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? 6 Even so Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness. 7 Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham. 8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, "all the nations shall be blessed in you." 9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer. 10 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 abide by all things written in the book of the Law, to perform them." 11 Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, "the righteous man shall live by faith." 12 However, the Law is not of faith; on the contrary, "he who practices them shall live by them." 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, "cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"—14 in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. 15 Brethren, I speak in terms of human relations: even though it is only a man's covenant, yet when it has been ratified, no one sets it aside or adds conditions to it. 16 Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, "And to seeds," as referring to many, but rather to one, "And to your seed," that is, Christ. 17 What I am saying is this: the Law, which came four hundred and thirty years later, does not invalidate a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to nullify the promise. 18 For if the inheritance is based on law, it is no longer based on a promise; but God has granted it to Abraham by means of a promise. (NASB-77, note sign added)
[A] Here, it is important to know what the word "faith" really refers to. The essay eb10b.htm has more on that matter.
For those who read all of Galatians 3:1-18 with care and with open eyes and without prejudice, the whole matter becomes quite clear.
Some people in Galatia had been deceived ("bewitched", verse 1). That is, they had been deceived regarding the matter of the covenants. (Just as countless people have been, since then.)
Because of that, the apostle wrote to them, "This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?" – and then he continued as is recorded in verse 3 and onward; see that passage as it is quoted above.
Again, if one is able to read that passage with care, with open eyes and without prejudice, the whole matter becomes quite clear.
Galatians 3:17 – what was it that happened after 430 years? That is, four hundred and thirty years after the Promises were given to Abraham? What happened was the making of the Old Covenant at Sinai.
A note: Nine times in that epistle, Paul mentioned Abraham. Eight times in chapter three, one in chapter four. In the latter case, he spoke about the two covenants, using an allegory including Abraham's two wives (Galatians 4:21-31). There is more on that passage, later in this present essay, and also in the essay ea02d.htm.
Paul wrote to the saints and believers in Galatia, regarding "the law that came 430 years afterwards" (after the Promises):
Galatians 3:17 This is what I mean: the law, which came 430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to make the promise void. 18 For if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but God gave it to Abraham by a promise. 19 Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was put in place through angels by an intermediary. (ESV)
Verse 19 – what was the law that was added? Again, the simple answer is that it was the covenant which was made at Sinai. It was made 430 years after Abraham was given the Promises. In all simplicity: The Old Covenant was the addition that came after 430 years. (There are some notes on the years and chronologies that are connected to this, in a footnote towards the end of this essay.)
A note: The above-quoted translation of Galatians 3:17 contains the phrases "a covenant" and "the law". Some might find that confusing, perhaps also because of the fact that even the "law" that Paul spoke about, was in fact a covenant. For making things clearer: In Galatians 3:17, the word "covenant" refers to the covenant ("the Promises") which the Lord had made with Abraham, while the phrase "the Law" in that same verse refers to the Old Covenant which was made 430 years later.
Again, some preachers have claimed that Galatians 3:17 supposedly refers to some "added, extra rituals", or, "rituals added to the Old Covenant at a later point of time". They have claimed that the burned sacrifices and so on supposedly were such "added rituals". But that is not so. Anyone who has checked what was agreed upon at Sinai, [B] knows that the Old Covenant contained animal sacrifices right from the beginning; they were not "a later addition to the Old Covenant" as some have claimed.
[B] Regarding what the Old Covenant included and consisted of, read all of Exodus chapters 20, 21, 22, 23 and 24 (including Exodus 23:18 and 24:5).
Once again: It was the Old Covenant that was "added 430 years later" – four hundred and thirty years after the Lord had given the Promises to Abraham.
A note: Shortly after the Old Covenant was made at Sinai, there was a change to it. That change consisted of the system with first-fruits, firstlings and first-born sons, being replaced by the tribe of Levi, which then led to the system with a tithe on agricultural products. That was an "addition" to the Sinaitic covenant, a change of it. But again, for instance the burned sacrifices were a part of the original deal. But, it is totally clear that when it comes to Galatians 3:17 and 19, the apostle was talking about the Old Covenant in its entirety, as an "addition".
Paul wrote to the saints and believers in Galatia, noting that the added law could not annul the agreement that had been made a long time earlier:
Galatians 3:17 My point is this: the law, which came four hundred thirty years later, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to nullify the promise. (NRSV)
What did the apostle mean by this? Simply, that even though the covenant made at Sinai was in certain ways in contradiction and in conflict with the Promises that the Lord had given to Abraham, still, that covenant did not make the Promises void, because that Sinaitic covenant was only a temporary thing. The unconditional Promises which the Lord had given to Abraham were lasting and permanent. The covenant at Sinai, the Old Covenant, came 430 years after that and was an addition that was not meant to last any longer than what is stated here:
Galatians 3:19 Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring would come to whom the promise had been made; and it was ordained through angels by a mediator. (NRSV)
"Until the Offspring would come to whom the promise had been made". That refers to Jesus, who was an offspring (descendant) of Abraham. The Promises were really directed to him (Jesus). We read:
Galatians 3:16 Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring; it does not say, "And to offsprings," as of many; but it says, "And to your offspring," that is, to one person, who is Christ. (NRSV)
(And yes, even the saints became sharers of those Promises, together with Jesus, because they were betrothed to Jesus and then married to him.)
So, the covenant which the Lord made with Abraham (the Promises, directed to a specific descendant of Abraham), was permanent. The covenant which was added 430 years later at Sinai, was not permanent but temporary – it was to last only "until the Offspring would come", Galatians 3:16.
The New Covenant is tied to the Promises to Abraham, and is permanent. In 2 Corinthians 3:11, cited below, the words "what was set aside" refer to the Sinaitic Covenant, while the phrase "the permanent" refers to the New Covenant:
2 Corinthians 3:10 Indeed, what once had glory has lost its glory because of the greater glory; 11 for if what was set aside came through glory, much more has the permanent come in glory! (NRSV)
Again, by the words "[that which] was set aside", Paul referred to the Old Covenant. It had been a temporary addition only. It came 430 after the Promises. When the Offspring of Abraham came whom the Promises were directed to (that is, Jesus), the temporarily added thing was set aside. The Old Covenant came to its end, and the Real Thing whose shadow the Old Covenant had been, came forth instead. That is, the New Covenant.
So, it was the Promises that were not annulled. The covenant that was made at Sinai, was annulled.
A note: The matter of the Decalogue is discussed later in this essay, but it is good to know that the word "Decalogue" comes from the Greek phrase tous deka logous, "the ten words", in Exodus 34:28 in the Septuagint (the LXX, an ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament).
Again, the apostle Paul scolded some people in Galatia:
Galatians 3:1 O foolish Galatians, who bewitched you not to obey the truth, to whom before your eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed among you, crucified? 2 This only I desire to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by works of law or by hearing of faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, do you now perfect yourself in the flesh? 4 Did you suffer so much vainly, if indeed it also was vainly? 5 Then He supplying the Spirit to you and working works of power in you, is it by works of law or by hearing of faith? (LIT)
Some preachers might twist this passage, including the words of verse 3 which records how Paul was comparing "the Spirit" versus "the flesh" (the Holy Spirit and New Covenant, versus the Old Covenant and its physical rituals). Some preachers might twist that into a talk about a supposed "spirit of the law" versus a supposed "letter of the law", or something similar.
Here is an important fact: The Bible does not contain such phrases or concepts as "spirit of the law" or "letter of the law". See the next point.
As was noted earlier, the Bible does not contain such phrases or concepts as "spirit of the law" or "letter of the law". Instead, it was "the Spirit" (that is, the Holy Spirit and the New Covenant) versus "the letter" (the Old Covenant and its written rules).
Once again, a note: These things must not be misunderstood. As is known by those who have carefully studied the New Testament, the apostles, including Paul, held forth the importance of living a righteous life. A much better manner of life was expected of the saints who were under the New Covenant, than was ever demanded of the Israelites who had been under the Old Covenant. For more on righteousness, see the essay eg08b.htm. For more on the two covenants, old and new, look under the heading "Covenants" on the index-page keyw-c4.htm.
Let us read the relevant passage in Paul's letter to the saints in Corinth:
2 Corinthians 3:6 who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. 7 But if the ministry of death, in letters engraved on stones, came with glory, so that the sons of Israel could not look intently at the face of Moses because of the glory of his face, fading as it was, 8 how shall the ministry of the Spirit fail to be even more with glory? 9 For if the ministry of condemnation has glory, much more does the ministry of righteousness abound in glory. 10 For indeed what had glory, in this case has no glory on account of the glory that surpasses it. (NASB-77)
Again, "the Spirit" mentioned in verses 6 and 8 is the Holy Spirit (and the New Covenant). The phrase "the letter" in verse 6 refers to the Old Covenant and its written rules. (The apostle Paul used the tables of stone as a symbol for the Old Covenant in its entirety.)
The essay ec08c.htm has more on the Holy Spirit as the New Covenant's "writing".
The essay ec13c.htm has more on the matter of the letter versus the Spirit (2 Corinthians 3 and Romans 7).
The essays ec01c.htm and ec02d.htm have some general notes on the two covenants, old and new.
And, since the above-quoted 2 Corinthians 3:9 mentions righteousness as a central element of the New Covenant, see also the essay eg08b.htm which explains what the word "righteous" really means, and what new covenantal righteousness consists of.
Again, the word "Decalogue" comes from the Greek phrase tous deka logous, "the ten words", in Exodus 34:28 in the Septuagint (the LXX, an ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament).
This might surprise some, but the phrase "the Ten Commandments" was coined in the Middle Ages and is a mistranslation. The Hebrew text talks about "the words of the covenant, the ten words", Exodus 34:28. (Deuteronomy 4:13 and 10:4 have a shorter form, "the ten words".)
The invented phrase "the Ten Commandments" began to appear in the 1500s. Earlier bible-translations, such as Wycliffe (1395) and Coverdale (1535) did not have that invented wording; it was introduced in the 1560 Geneva bible.
The phrase "the words of the covenant, the ten words" (Exodus 34:28) of course refers to the covenant that was made at Sinai. Let us read the three relevant passages, as the 1917 Jewish Society Publication version has them:
Exodus 34:28 [...] And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten words. (JPS-1917, highlighting added)
Deuteronomy 4:13 And He declared unto you His covenant, which He commanded [C] you to perform, even the ten words; and He wrote them upon two tables of stone. (JPS-1917, highlighting and note sign added)
Deuteronomy 10:4 And He wrote on the tables according to the first writing, the ten words, which the LORD spoke unto you in the mount out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly; and the LORD gave them unto me. (JPS-1917, highlighting added)
A note: The actual "ten words of the covenant" are found recorded in Exodus 20, and also in Deuteronomy 5.
In the "Christian world", countless people have been caused to think that the "Decalogue" supposedly was something separate (as if it was not a part of the Sinaitic covenant), and even that it supposedly "pre-dated Sinai". But again, the simple facts are that the word "Decalogue" is taken from the Greek phrase tous deka logous, "the ten words", in Exodus 34:28 in the Septuagint. The ten words which that phrase refers to, were a central and inseparable part of the covenant that was made at Sinai – the Old Covenant. The essay ec06f.htm has more on this.
[C] Deuteronomy 4:13 – some might wonder about the word "commanded" which the 1917 JPS version has in that verse. But, anyone who checks what really happened at Sinai, will find that the Lord was not forcing anything on the Israelites. One does not "command" anyone into a covenant. Three times, the Israelites were asked whether they wanted to make such a covenant with the Lord. It was only after they had, three times, given their consent to the covenant which the Lord was proposing, that they became bound by that covenant and its rules. Concerning the translation of that part of Deuteronomy 4:13 – the meaning probably was something like "and he showed you the covenant which he asked you to make [with him], the ten words, and he wrote them on two tablets of stone".
Point: Those who open-mindedly consider this matter in more depth, can see that there is a significant difference between the phrase "the Ten Commandments" (which was invented in the Middle Ages), and the true wording "the words of the covenant, the ten words" which is what the Hebrew text of Exodus 34:28 actually means. The essay ec06f.htm has more on this, and on the whole matter of the Decalogue in general.
In that verse, many bible-translations make it seem that the Old Covenant was not in conflict with the Promises. Here is an example of that:
Galatians 3:21 Therefore, is the law against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given which was able to give life, truly righteousness would have been by the law. (EMTV)
Is that correct? This is a valid question, because it is clear that the covenant at Sinai (which was "added 430 years after the Promises") was in many ways in conflict with the Promises. Because of this, it is necessary to take a closer look at Galatians 3:21.
The word which most bible-versions in that verse translate as "against" or "opposed to", was kata in the Greek text. If we check how the makers of the 1769 KJ version translated kata in the New Testament, we find that they rendered it
One version of the NASB renders kata in around 155 passages as "according to", "accord", "according", "accordingly" or "conforming", and only in 52 passages as "against".
Further – if we look at how the apostle Paul himself used the word kata in that same letter (to the saints in Galatia), we find that most often, he used it in the meaning "according to". Such as, in these passages (here, cited from Green's Literal Translation):
Galatians 1:4, "according to the will of our God and Father"
Galatians 1:11, "not according to man"
Galatians 2:2, "I went up according to revelation"
Galatians 3:15, "brothers, I speak according to man"
Galatians 3:29, "heirs according to promise"
Galatians 4:23, "he of the slavewoman has been born according to flesh"
Galatians 4:28, "children of promise according to Isaac"
Galatians 4:29, "he born according to flesh persecuted the one according to Spirit"
(These quotes are from the LIT version.)
Thus, here is Galatians 3:21 with kata translated with its most common meaning, "according to":
Galatians 3:21 Then, was the Law according to the promises of God? Not in any way. For if a law had been given which could give life, then righteousness would have been through law. (Author's tr.)
Another way to view that passage and matter might be to consider that Paul simply was making the rhetorical question whether or not the Old Covenant nullified the Promises (was "against" them in that way). The answer is that the Old Covenant really did not nullify the Promises, because it (the Sinaitic covenant) was only a temporary thing, [B] and when it came to its end, the Promises could be delivered.
[B] Temporary – it was to be there only "until the Offspring would come to whom the promise had been made; and it was ordained through angels by a mediator" (Galatians 3:19).
What did the apostle mean by the words "Now tell me, you who want to be under the Law, have you heard what the Law says?" (That is from the Phillips translation. Some others have, "Tell me, you who desire to be subject to the Law, will you not listen to the Law?", or similar.)
The answer is that Paul was correcting some people in Galatia who wanted to follow the Old Covenant's rules. In a play on words, the apostle used the phrase "the Law" as a reference to the Old Testament (that book) – "have you heard what the Law says?" Then he proceeded to quote from that Law – the Old Testament – the story of Hagar and Sarah, and explained that in their lives and fate, there could be seen an allegory regarding the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. We read:
Galatians 4:21 Tell me, you who want to be under the law, do you not understand the law? 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman. 23 But one, the son by the slave woman, was born by natural descent, while the other, the son by the free woman, was born through the promise. 24 These things may be treated as an allegory, for these women represent two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai bearing children for slavery; this is Hagar. 25 Now Hagar represents Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. 26 But the Jerusalem above is free, 36 and she is our mother. 27 For it is written: 'Rejoice, O barren woman who does not bear children; break forth and shout, you who have no birth pains, because the children of the desolate woman are more numerous than those of the woman who has a husband.' 28 But you, brothers and sisters, are children of the promise like Isaac. 29 But just as at that time the one born by natural descent persecuted the one born according to the Spirit, so it is now. 30 But what does the scripture say? 'Throw out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman will not share the inheritance with the son' of the free woman. 31 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman but of the free woman.
Galatians 5:1 For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not be subject again to the yoke of slavery.
(NET)
(A note: Some translations have "bondwoman" instead of "slave-woman", and "bondage" instead of "slavery".)
The point here is that the apostle, using symbolic language ("cast out the slavewoman", Galatians 4:30), told the saints and believers in Galatia that they must understand that the Old Covenant had come to its end and was a thing of the past.
Regarding the phrase "do you not understand the Law" in verse 21 – Paul was making one of his many word-plays. Most of them do not survive translation, but this particular one does, at least in some bible-versions.
Galatians 4:21 Tell me, you who wish to be subject to the Law, why do you not listen to the Law? (MontNT)
Galatians 4:21 Now tell me, you who want to be under the Law, have you heard what the Law says? (PHIL)
The words "have you heard what the Law says" were directed to the "foolish Galatians" of Galatians 3:1 and 3, who wanted keep the Old Covenant's rules. In that way, they wanted to "be under the Law" – that is, under the rules of the Old Covenant which are found recorded in "the Law" (the Pentateuch, and the Old Testament as a whole). Paul then asked those people if they did not understand what the Law (the Old Testament) actually said, and then he proceeded to show what the Law did say, regarding the fate of Sarah and Hagar. He showed that in the fate of those women and their sons, there could be seen an allegory regarding the two covenants:
Here, it is important to understand that the New Covenant is not a "continuation", "modification" or "enhancement" of the Old Covenant as some have claimed. The New Covenant is something totally new – well, of course, one could say that it is based on the Promises that were given 430 years before the Old Covenant was made at Sinai.
The essay ec11c.htm has more on the fact that the New Covenant is not a "continuation" of "modification" of the Old Covenant. Please also read the essay ec06f.htm which straightens out a number of question-marks around the Decalogue. The essay ec08c.htm shows where the New Covenant's "writing", corresponding to the Old Covenant's tables of stone, is to be found. The essay eg08b.htm sorts out the matter of righteousness.
A note: The phrase "the Law" is often used as a name for the five books of Moses, or the whole Old Testament, but sometimes it is also used as a name for the Old Covenant.
Another note, regarding Galatians 4 which was quoted above. Some twist verse 26 and produce out of it a "Mother Church" dogma. But, the apostle Paul was not talking about churches. What he actually did was that he likened the Old Covenant and the place where it was made (Mount Sinai) to Hagar (the slavewoman), and the New Covenant and the heavenly place where it was to be formally ratified and celebrated, to Sarah (the freewoman, Abraham's wife). The essay ea02d.htm has more on this.
A side-note: Galatians 4:25 mentions "Mount Sinai in Arabia". Most maps place the wilderness of Sinai and Mount Sinai in an altogether wrong place. The essay eo06f.htm has more on the route of the Exodus, including where the Israelites crossed over the Red Sea, and the actual location of Mount Sinai.
This has to do with Galatians 3:19, Acts 7:53 and Hebrews 2:2. We read:
Galatians 3:19 Why then serves the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator. (AKJV)
Acts 7:53 Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it. (AKJV)
Hebrews 2:2 For if the word spoken by angels was steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward (AKJV)
So, we read, in connection with the Old Covenant, "it was ordained by angels" – "by the disposition of angels" – "the word spoken by angels". What do we make of that? There are even other, related passages to consider. But, that subject is too large to be included here. The essay ed06c.htm has some notes on that matter.
It is true that the apostle Paul several times, also in the epistle to Galatia, used the phrase ho nomos, "the Law" as a reference to the Old Covenant.
But, it is good to know that what happened at Sinai, was not that the Lord forced "a law" on Israel. It was a covenant he made with the Israelites, and it was only after those Israelites had three times given their consent to that covenant, that they became bound by that covenant and its rules. That covenant was in many ways similar to a marriage; this comes into expression in several bible-passages, among them the last part of Jeremiah 31:32.
Later the Jews came to call the core-part of the Old Covenant by the name Torah, translated into Greek as Nomos which then has been translated into English as "the Law". But again, at Sinai it was not a matter of the Lord "declaring a law" to the Israelites. The Lord did not "force a law" on them. Instead, he proposed them a covenant. And yes, that covenant had rules. The contents of that covenant, including the rules, were explained to the Israelites, three times. Each time, they said "yes" to what the Lord was proposing, and after their third "yes", they became joined to the Lord in a covenant.
The first "yes":
Exodus 19:6 [...] these words shalt thou speak to the children of Israel. 7 And Moses came and called the elders of the people, and he set before them all these words, which God appointed them. 8 And all the people answered with one accord, and said, All things that God has spoken, we will do and hearken to: and Moses reported these words to God. (LXXE)
So, here they gave their consent the first time.
The second "yes":
Exodus 24:3 And Moses went in and related to the people all the words of God and the ordinances; and all the people answered with one voice, saying, All the words which the Lord has spoken, we will do and be obedient. (LXXE)
Now they had two times given their consent to what the Lord was proposing. But, they were asked yet a third time.
When they for the third time said "yes", that led to the ratification of that covenant:
Exodus 24:7 And he took the book of the covenant and read it in the ears of the people, and they said, All things whatsoever the Lord has spoken we will do and hearken therein. 8 And Moses took the blood and sprinkled it upon the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the Lord has made with you concerning all these words. (LXXE)
That event took place around the time which under the Old Covenant came to be observed as "the Feast of Harvest of the First-fruits" and "Feast of Weeks", and which later in the Greek language came to be called tên hêmeran tês pentêkostês, "the fiftieth day", shortened to Pentêkostê, whence "Pentecost".
The reason why Pentecost has by some come to be called "a memorial of the giving of the Law", is that in the Middle Ages, a certain old-covenantal Jew by the name Maimonides invented a new name for Pentecost. Maimonides called it, translated into English, "a memorial of the giving of the law". But as was shown above, that is not really what happened at Sinai.
Most religious Jews reject Jesus, the New Testament and the New Covenant, and are stuck with the Old Covenant (even though it came to its end almost 2,000 years ago). And so, those Jews fail to see (or admit) the New Covenant related symbolism in Pentecost.
Yes, the Old Covenant was made around the time that later came to be observed as Pentecost. That covenant was "the letter" (2 Corinthians 3:6, quoted earlier), the temporary addition which was set aside when the Offspring came (Galatians 3:19). But, as all believers should know, even the New Covenant was "launched" on Pentecost, Acts 2, when a large group of people received the Spirit of God:
Acts 2:1 When the day of Pentecost had arrived, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like that of a violent rushing wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were staying. 3 And tongues, like flames of fire that were divided, appeared to them and rested on each one of them. 4 Then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different languages, as the Spirit gave them ability for speech. (HCSB)
The New Covenant has no "writing" made on physical things, of the kind the Old Covenant had. The New Covenant's writing is made, "not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart" (2 Corinthians 3:3, NKJV). Also: The New Covenant's "writing" does not consist of some "law-text"; it consists of the Holy Spirit. The essay ec08c.htm has more on the Holy Spirit as the New Covenant's "writing". (The essay eb01c.htm considers the matter of the distribution of the Holy Spirit, in the past, today, and in times to come.)
Again, as was explained earlier in this essay, the covenant that was made at Sinai, was a temporary one, only meant to last "until the Offspring would come to whom the Promise had been made", Galatians 3:19. That referred to Jesus, of course. And again, even the saints got a part of the Inheritance that was included in the Promises, because they were betrothed (and later married) to Jesus, and came to share his Inheritance. The essays eb05b.htm and ex11b.htm have more on the saints' Inheritance.
A footnote, regarding the chronologies of Exodus 12:40, Genesis 15:13 and Galatians 3:17.
It is not very easy to align such passages as Exodus 12:40, Genesis 15:13 and Galatians 3:17 with each other, or with the facts of history.
Let us first consider Exodus 12:40. It must be noted that there are different translations of that verse. Here are three of them – the BBE, the ACV and the LXXE which is an English translation of the Greek Septuagint. First the BBE:
Exodus 12:40 Now the children of Israel had been living in Egypt for four hundred and thirty years. (BBE)
That translation does not agree with the facts of history, because the Israelites did not live so many years in Egypt. The time between Jacob's move to Egypt and the Exodus was much shorter than that, perhaps around 215 years. Even the time from when the sons of Jacob were born, to the day when they left Egypt, was less than 430 years.
Here are the ACV and LXXE translations – please read this with extra care and thought:
Exodus 12:40 Now the time that the sons of Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan was four hundred and thirty years. (ACV)
Exodus 12:40 And the sojourning of the children of Israel, while [D] they sojourned in the land of Egypt and the land of Chanaan, was four hundred and thirty years. (LXXE)
[D] "While" – or which or who, as the Greek text of the LXX indicates.
That was a bit different, wasn't it. In those two translations, the years of sojourning were not only in Egypt. And, in the Greek text of the LXX, the meaning appears to be "who dwelled", rather than "when they dwelled".
Apparently, the beginning of the sojourning of Exodus 12:40, was when the Lord gave the Promises to Abraham (Genesis 15:1, et cetera).
But what about the 400 years in verse 13?
Genesis 15:13 And he said to Abram, Know of a certainty that thy seed shall be sojourners in a land that is not theirs. And shall serve them, and they shall afflict them four hundred years. (ACV)
Indeed, what do those 400 years refer to? A possible explanation is that perhaps we ought to put parenthesis around a section in that verse – like this:
Genesis 15:13 And he said to Abram, Know of a certainty that your seed shall be sojourners in a land that is not theirs (and shall serve them, and they shall afflict them), four hundred years.
Also, why the difference, 400 years versus 430 years? That is not clear. Perhaps the former number is given in "round figures". But again, that is not clear.
There are even some other things that are "problematic", or difficult to align with each other. Those things simply are not as clear as one would wish.
However, the mention of 430 years in Galatians 3:17 really cannot refer to anything else except the time between the giving of the Promises to Abraham, and the making of the Old Covenant at Sinai. So much is clear even here:
Galatians 3:17 And I say this: the law, which came 430 years later, does not revoke a covenant that was previously ratified by God, so as to cancel the promise. 18 For if the inheritance is from the law, it is no longer from the promise; but God granted it to Abraham through the promise. 19 Why the law then? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise was made would come. The law was ordered through angels by means of a mediator. (HCSB)
A note: The word "covenant" in verse 17 might confuse some. Again: In that verse, the phrase "a covenant" refers to the covenant which the Lord made with Abraham (the Promises), while the phrase "the Law" in that same verse refers to the Old Covenant which was made 430 years later at Sinai.
Then, it is another matter that most bible-translations make a mess of Galatians 3:21. Through that, they make it very hard for people to understand the preceding verses. The translation problems in connection with verse 21 are explained under a special heading in the main part of this essay.
Table of contents – What's new here? – Key-word index – Search function – Goal and purpose – Contact, comment, question
If this page did not contain what you were looking for, see the links below, and the key-word index and the table of contents, or use the search function.
Additional reading at the Bible Pages, on related as well as other issues:
A printable, bible-based word-search puzzle with words related to Galatians 3. → puzzle27-p.pdf – A large print version, and many more bible-based word-mazes. → ep01.htm
A clarifying explanation of the short names for the bible-versions quoted or mentioned at this site, such as that NKJV stands for New King James Version, YLT for Young's Literal translation, HCSB for Holman Christian Standard Bible, NRSV for the New Revised Standard Version, and so on. → es09c.htm
Is the New Covenant a "renewal" or "modification" of the Old Covenant? → ec11c.htm
The Old Testament: What was the difference between the concepts law, statutes, precepts, decrees, judgments, ordinances, charges, commandments and testimonies? → ec03d.htm
For more on the two covenants, old and new, look also under the heading "Covenants" on the index-page keyw-c4.htm.
What does the word "righteous" really mean? What does the Bible say about righteousness? → eg08b.htm
What does the word "faith" mean? What is true faith? On the words and concepts "faith", "faithfulness", "believe" and "believing", in the Bible and especially in the New Testament, and what those things meant in the saints' lives. → eb10b.htm
Where can one find New Covenant's law or rules, in written form? Also, notes on Jeremiah 31:33 and the Holy Spirit. → ec08c.htm
What does Galatians 4:26 mean? It talks about the heavenly Jerusalem and is a part of an allegory regarding the two covenants. Why have some preachers then claimed that it refers to some church? This essay finds the facts regarding the allegory of Galatians 4:21-31, and shows what the different things named in it pictured and symbolised. → ea02d.htm
Many talk about "the letter of the law" versus "the spirit of the law" – but those expressions are not found in the Bible. A detailed, down to the core study on 2 Corinthians 3:6-8 and Romans 7:6 and what the apostle Paul really meant and referred to when he wrote about the letter as opposed to the Spirit. → ec13c.htm
Check your bible knowledge. A basic self-test with 15 biblical questions (with answers and commentary). → es04b.htm
The New Covenant versus the Old Covenant, or the Old Covenant versus the New Covenant. Also, some notes on Matthew 5:17 and 18. → ec01c.htm
Several important points regarding the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. This essay ties in with its companion ec01c.htm (look above) which is about those two covenants and the difference between them. → ec02d.htm
Acts 15 and the matter of the covenants. → eo04d.htm
On 1 John 3:4 and the translation "whoever commits sin transgresses also the law, for sin is the transgression of the law". What was the apostle John really talking about, and what is the correct translation of the Greek word anomia in that verse? → ec14b.htm
How to understand the Bible. Easy keys to interpreting and understanding Scripture in a better and deeper way, by avoiding certain fundamental but common mistakes and errors in bible study. These vital keys are really the basics for objective bible study. Knowing these keys will make many things easier to interpret and comprehend, and one will see several central matters in the Bible from a new and different perspective, especially in connection with the Gospels and the Epistles. → eg02c.htm
The Ten Commandments – that phrase was coined in the Middle Ages and is a mistranslation. The Hebrew text talks about "the words of the covenant, the ten words". On the Decalogue, the "ten words" or eser dabarim as the Hebrew text has it, or tous deka logous as the Greek Septuagint or LXX translated it. → ec06f.htm
The route of the Exodus, and the location of Mount Sinai. Which part of the Red Sea did the Israelites cross over – the Gulf of Suez, or the Gulf of Aqaba? Or, was it "a reed sea" as some have claimed? Also, where did they spend the forty years of wilderness wandering? → eo06f.htm
Colossians 1:26, "the mystery of the ages" or "the secret of God", and the "princes of this age" and "thrones and dominions". How Jesus conquered and spoiled certain principalities and powers. → ed06c.htm
The Promises spoken to Abraham, and the saints' heavenly Rest and Inheritance. How the earthly Land of Israel symbolised and foreshadowed a Promised Land in Heaven. Also, how the words Promise, Inheritance, Rest and Land in certain bible passages point to the same thing. → eb05b.htm
A clarification of the actual nature of the sabbatismos or Rest of Hebrews 4:9. → ex11b.htm
The apostle Paul and his teachings. Notes regarding certain passages in Paul's letters and in the book of Acts. → eo11b.htm
What does the Bible say about authority? Who has biblical, spiritual or religious authority on the mundane, human level? Who can speak for God? Knowing the answers to those questions is a vital key to understanding the Bible in a better and deeper way. → es06d.htm
Does the New Covenant have dietary rules – instructions or commandments regarding foods? What kinds of food did the saints eat? Should believers observe some kind of dietary laws or eat "kosher food"? → ef01b.htm – ef03b.htm
What does the English language word and concept "doctrine" literally mean? Likewise, the terms "dogma", "creed" and "tenet", what do they signify? Countless preachers and doctors of theology compile dogmas, creeds, tenets and doctrinal statements of beliefs, and claim them to be "the Truth". But, they do not agree with each other. Their opinions and teachings differ, depending on their denomination and its viewpoints, and there is much confusion. So, the pertinent question is, who has the "true doctrines" or "correct dogmas"? What should one think – do the Scriptures give any guidance regarding this matter? What does the Bible say about "doctrine"? → es08c.htm
The meaning of the words Christ, Christian, Messiah and Messias. Also: Did the saints call themselves "Christians" – christianos or christianoi? → eg07b.htm
The Holy Spirit – an outline and a no-nonsense synopsis of the matter of the distribution of God's Spirit, in the past, today, and in the coming days of the future. Also: Whose baptism is valid? Churches and preachers baptise people, but they are not notably changed and no obvious signs or fruit of the Spirit are seen in their lives. Why is that? Is the Spirit of God at all given to humans, at this present time? → eb01c.htm
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