ing the story only of an
old debate, and at some points we cannot confidently distinguish the
rebuke to St. Peter from the exhortation to the Galatians (ii. 14-21).

Then, still as if he were making a speech, the apostle proceeds to
argue as he does later in the Epistle to the Romans. He recalls to the
"bewitched" Galatians the happy memories of the days when they first
heard of Christ--the out-pouring of the Spirit, the first sharp
persecution endured so well. Did not all this happen when they were
under the gospel of Faith (iii. 2-5)? The true sons of Abraham are
those who accept the gospel (iii. 6-9). On the other hand, the people
who still desire to be under the Law can only avoid being under a curse
by keeping the whole Law--and this is impossible (iii. 10). God's will
is plain: He has said, "The righteous shall live by faith" (iii. 11,
12). Moreover, whatever claim the Law had on us is now discharged by
the satisfaction made by Christ (iii. 13, 14). Now St. Paul goes on to
show that the promise made by God to Abraham binds Him still. Just as
no subsequent transaction can nullify a Greek "covenant," _i.e._ will,
so the Law cannot nullify the earlier promise of God (iii. 15-18).[3]
Then he compares the promise made to {155} Abraham with the Law. The
latter was a contract, a mutual agreement between two parties involving
mutual obligations; if the Jews did not keep the Law, God was not bound
to bless them. But in the case of the promise, there is no suggestion
of contract. Then, lest his readers should suppose that there was an
inconsistency in the fact that God was the Author of both the Law and
the promise, St. Paul adds an explanation (iii. 19-22). The Law would
have been contrary to the promise if it had been intended to produce
the same result as the promise by another method. But, on the
contrary, the Law was added as a parenthesis in order to make known
transgressions, and with the result that it increased them (iii. 19).
Scripture shut up all mankind in the fold of sin, that they might look
forward to the reign of faith as the only means of escape. To
emphasize further the contrast between the Law and the promise, St.
Paul asserts that the Law did not come direct from God to man. It
came, as Jewish traditions said, from God and the angels to Moses, the
mediator, and from him to the Hebrews. The Law had a mediator,
therefore it involved two parties--God and the Hebrew people. But
there was no