Galatians 3:15 kjv
Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto.
Galatians 3:15 nkjv
Brethren, I speak in the manner of men: Though it is only a man's covenant, yet if it is confirmed, no one annuls or adds to it.
Galatians 3:15 niv
Brothers and sisters, let me take an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or add to a human covenant that has been duly established, so it is in this case.
Galatians 3:15 esv
To give a human example, brothers: even with a man-made covenant, no one annuls it or adds to it once it has been ratified.
Galatians 3:15 nlt
Dear brothers and sisters, here's an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or amend an irrevocable agreement, so it is in this case.
Galatians 3 15 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Galatians 3:15 | To human terms, I say this. Though only a man’s covenant, yet no one sets it aside or adds to it. | God's covenant faithfulness, God's word is steadfast |
| Numbers 23:19 | God is not a man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not make it good? | God's immutability, His promises are sure |
| 2 Samuel 7:28 | “Now you are God, and your words are true, and you have promised this good thing to your servant. | God's word and promise are trustworthy |
| Psalm 89:34 | no, I will not violate my covenant or change the word that went out of my lips. | God will not break His covenant or His word |
| Jeremiah 31:31-32 | "Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them from the land of Egypt... | New covenant contrasts with the Mosaic |
| Matthew 5:18 | For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. | Jesus affirms the permanence of the Law |
| Acts 3:21 | whom heaven must receive until the time for the restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old. | Restoration through prophetic promises |
| Romans 3:3-4 | What if some were unfaithful? Will their unfaithfulness nullify the faithfulness of God? Let God be true, though every man be a liar... | God's faithfulness stands even if humans are not |
| Hebrews 6:17-18 | So when God desired to show more forcibly to the heirs of the promise the immutability of his counsel, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. | God confirmed His promise with an oath |
| Hebrews 8:6 | But as it is, he has obtained a ministry most excellent as the mediator of a better covenant, established on better promises. | Christ is mediator of a better covenant |
| Galatians 3:16 | Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, "and to offsprings," as referring to many, but as referring to one, "and to your offspring," who is Christ. | Clarifies the fulfillment of God's promises in Christ |
| Deuteronomy 4:2 | You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God that I command you. | Prohibition against altering God's commands |
| Proverbs 30:6 | Add not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar. | Warning against adding to God's words |
| John 1:17 | For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. | Law vs. Grace |
| 1 Corinthians 10:13 | No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide a way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. | God's faithfulness in provision and escape |
| 2 Timothy 2:13 | if we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself. | God's faithfulness is intrinsic to His nature |
| Titus 1:2 | in hope of eternal life which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began | God's promise is eternal and without falsehood |
| Revelation 22:18 | I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book... | Warning against adding to prophetic word |
| Genesis 15:18 | On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, "To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates..." | The Abrahamic covenant |
| Romans 4:13-16 | For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith. For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. Therefore it is of faith, that it may be grace, in order that the promise may be sure to all the offspring... | Faith as the basis for the promise |
Galatians 3 verses
Galatians 3 15 Meaning
The verse emphasizes the permanence of human covenants. Once a covenant is made, even if it's only by a human, it cannot be annulled or altered, especially not by adding or subtracting terms. This establishes a precedent for understanding the immutability of God's covenant with Abraham and, by extension, His covenant promises to believers through Christ. It underscores that God's promises are not dependent on conditional additions but are foundational and steadfast.
Galatians 3 15 Context
Galatians chapter 3 addresses the crucial issue of how one is made right with God. Paul is confronting Judaizers who were insisting that Gentile believers must be circumcised and adhere to the Law of Moses to be truly saved and to remain in God's favor. Paul argues that salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, not by works of the Law.
Verse 15 serves as an analogy to emphasize the unchangeable nature of God's promises, specifically His covenant with Abraham. Paul draws from the common practice of human covenants, stating that once established, they are binding and cannot be arbitrarily altered or added to by either party without mutual agreement or the breaking of the covenant. This principle of immutability highlights that God's covenant promises, established through faith, are likewise secure and unalterable. The subsequent verse (v. 16) explicitly links this to the Abrahamic covenant and its fulfillment in Christ, showing that God’s promise was specific and has its ultimate guarantor in Christ, not in subsequent human attempts to add to it.
Galatians 3 15 Word Analysis
"man’s" (Greek: anthrōpou) - Refers to a human being. Paul uses a human legal framework, a common and understandable contract, to illustrate a deeper divine principle.
"covenant" (Greek: diatheken) - This term can mean covenant, testament, or will. In this context, it refers to a binding agreement or testament, legally ratified.
"annulled" (Greek: akyrōsai) - To make void, to make invalid, to cancel, or to set aside. It implies rendering something ineffective or without legal force.
"dispensed" (Greek: prostithenai) - To add to, to supplement, or to join with. In a legal or covenantal sense, it means adding new conditions or stipulations.
Human Covenant Analogy: Paul draws an analogy from human legal practice. Once a valid legal contract or covenant is made between humans, it's considered binding. Neither party can unilaterally change its terms or invalidate it. If they do, the covenant is broken.
Implication for God's Covenant: This principle of human covenants serves to underscore the absolute certainty and immutability of God's covenant promises to Abraham. If even a man's legal agreement is firm, how much more so is God's promise, which is perfect and made with infallible authority.
Rejection of Additions: The analogy directly challenges the idea that further requirements (like adherence to Mosaic Law) could be "added" to God's original covenant promise to Abraham and thus invalidate its primary intent or effect.
Galatians 3 15 Bonus Section
This verse directly refutes the idea of conditional promises in God's initial covenant with Abraham. It implies that any teaching suggesting salvation or divine favor requires additional human works or adherence to a different covenant, beyond the foundational faith-promise, is akin to corrupting an established legal contract. The subsequent verse, 16, clarifies that this promise was singularly directed to Abraham’s offspring in the singular, "which is Christ," demonstrating that the fulfillment and guarantor of the promise is Christ himself. This shifts the focus from multiple, conditional stipulations to a singular, Christ-centered fulfillment. The analogy Paul uses is a standard legal understanding common in the Greco-Roman world and in Jewish tradition, making it a universally understood point.
Galatians 3 15 Commentary
Paul's argument hinges on the principle of contractual integrity. Just as a legal agreement made between two individuals, once finalized, cannot be arbitrarily altered or added to by one party without invalidating the agreement itself, so too God’s covenant with Abraham stands firm. This illustrates that the divine promises were not open to renegotiation or amendment by later human stipulations. The Judaizers’ insistence on adding the Law as a requirement for salvation, in Paul’s view, was like trying to change a completed contract. He uses this legal reality to highlight the fixed and eternal nature of God’s redemptive plan as established in His promise to Abraham and fulfilled in Christ. The promise is therefore not conditional on post-covenant requirements but is a secured, unalterable inheritance based on God’s faithfulness.
- Practical Application: Believers can trust the immutability of God's promises.
- Example: Just as a marriage vow is considered binding, God's promises are likewise to be trusted as enduring and unchangeable.