Father Abraham has Many Sons (Gal. 3:6-9) - Part 1

GALATIANS EXPOSITORY SERIES   Undoubtedly the reason Paul has so much to say about Abraham in Galatians 3 and 4 is that the Judaizers made such a fuss over him. They claimed that Father Abraham and all his children belonged to God, not by faith alone, but by works of the law. In addition to misunderstanding the gospel, the Judaizers were also guilty of misunderstanding the OT. The fact that Abraham was justified as a Gentile made him the perfect example to use for the Galatians, who had been wrestling with two questions: Whom does God accept, and on what basis? For his answer, Paul took Abraham's history and applied it to their situation, and to ours: Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham (Gal. 3:7). This faith is not just for Abraham and the Galatians, but for everyone. In v. 6 Paul proved that justification by faith was God's plan for Abraham. In v. 7 he showed that people like the Galatians could become Abraham's children by the same faith. Then in v. 8 he proves that justification by faith alone has always been God's plan for all people everywhere: And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, 'In you shall all the nations be blessed' (Gal. 3:8).   ____________________________________________________________________   Today’s podcast is brought to you by Time in the Word. As God ministers to you through this series of studies and as you experience God’s love and grace in your own life, share these podcasts with others, so that they too may be blessed by God’s Word and His amazing grace. Time in the Word with Bible teacher Dr. Miguel Gonzalez is a ministry of Reasons for Faith International Ministries, a ministry committed to the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the clear exposition of God’s Word. For additional resources, or if you have enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting www.rffiministries.org.