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should be taken) it could not “make alive.” From the very nature o f the case law can not make alive. It can tell a man what to do, but it cannot impart power to do it. Therein lies the impossibility o f saving men- by any system o f mere ethical teaching. Ethics simply tell men how to live, but do not impart power to thus live: but man is Mead (Eph. 2 :1 ), and has not power to live that way; then the gospel comes, the personal life-giving Christ comes, and gives life, then ethics are o f use after the man has life (cf. Rom. 8:3, 4). Until Christ imparts life, all that the law, the Mosaic law or any system o f ethics, can do for us is simply to reveal our sin and our need o f a Saviour (cf. Rom. 3:19, 20; Gal. 3:22-24)., “ If a law had been %iven which could make alive (which was having power to make alive), verily (i.e., in reality and not in mere fancy as in the case o f the Judaizers in Galatia) righteousness would have been o f (out o f) the law.” But such a law was not given, and such a law could not be given, therefore righteousness must come some other way than through law, viz., as the free gift o f God upon the sole condition o f faith. So far from the law making alive, “the Scripture had shut up (as in a prison) all things (man and nature also, which' was involved in man’s fall, cf. Rom. 8:20-22), under sin.” But for what purpose were men thus shut up under sin? For their harm? Praise God, no. But “that (better, in order that)' the promise by (out o f) faith in Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.” God had a purpose o f saving Ipve in the law that He sent to condemn men. The promise by faith in Jesus Christ is something “given” i.e., a free gift (cf. Rom. 6:23). Saturday, May 4 . ■' Gal. 3 : 23 , 24 . . The law had its purpose until faith came. Faith could not come until He who was to be the object -of faith, i. e., Jesus Christ, came. Until then the law acted as a jailer to keep men in ward (v. 23, R. V .; cf. v. 22), “shut up into the faith which was to be (should) afterward (be) revealed.” Paul
had more abundant honor bestowed upon it. In verse 20 Paul continues, “ A media tor is not a mediator o f one; but God is one;” therefore the promise which God gave to Abraham (and gives to all in Christ), without conditions and mediation, gave o f His own solitary and sovereign grace, is much more in keeping with the unity o f God, than the law that supposes two parties to a covenant with a middle man between them. The phrase “ God is one” was a favorite phrase with the Jews, they began their worship with it. Thus this argument which Paul makes here would have great weight with the Jews, and it is in itself an argument o f great depth and meaning, finding its foundation in the essential nature and being o f God. (A closely allied thought is. found in 1 Cor. IS :24, 28). But some one may ask, “ Does not the gospel itself have a mediator?” (cf. 1 Tim. 2 :5 ). Not at all in the sense that Moses was mediator between God and Israel. Paul’s thought is that Moses sepa rated between God and Israel so that Israel did not come directly to God at all (Ex. 20:19; Deut. 5:5 ), but Christ, on the con trary, brings man to God, into direct com munion with Him (Heb. 7 :25, R. V .; John 14:6; 1 John 1 :3; Heb. 10:19-22). More over Christ was Himself God drawing near to man (2 Cor. 5:19) and not a middleman as o third party, and Jesus Christ was also man uniting humanity with Deity. He in His own person took human nature, He took man, into communion with God. Friday, May 3 . Gal. 3 : 21 , 22 . But some Galatians might ask (and some o f us might ask), “Is the law then against the promises o f God?” Paul spurns the thought: “may it not be” (not for a moment should the thought be entertained) he cries. The law had its place in carry ing out the promises. What that place was verses 23 to 25 will explain. But while the law was not against the prom ises o f God, nevertheless, it had a fatal effect. Taken by itself without the gos pel (in which way God never intended it
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