Galatians 3:15

OLBGrk;

Though it be but a man's covenant: the word here translated covenant, diayhkh, is ordinarily translated testament; see Matthew 26:28. It signifies in the general, an ordering or disposing of things; more specially, a testament; which is the disposition of the testator's goods after his death. Now, (saith the apostle), I here argue according to the ordinary methods and doings of men, who have such a respect for a man's testament, as that, if it be once confirmed, according to the methods of law and civil sanctions of men, or rather by the death of the testator (for a testament is of no force while the testator liveth, Hebrews 9:17); nor will men alter the will or last testament of a deceased person, though it be not as yet confirmed according to the methods of human laws. No man disannulleth, or addeth thereto; no man, that is, no just man, will go about to disannul it, or add to it, nor will any just government endure any such violation of it. Hence the apostle argueth both the certainty and unalterableness for the covenant of grace with Abraham, and until the death of Christ it was but a covenant, or a testament not fully confirmed, but yet unalterable, because the covenant of that God who cannot lie, nor repent; but by the death of Christ it became a testament, and a testament ratified and confirmed by the death of the person that was the testator; therefore never to be disannulled, never capable of any additions. Those words, or addeth thereto, are fitly added, because these false teachers, though they might pretend not to disannul God's covenant, holding still justification by Christ; yet they added thereto, making circumcision, and other legal observances, necessary to justification; whereas by God's covenant, or testament, confirmed now by the death of Christ, faith in Christ only was necessary.