Galatians 3:16-18
16 “Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, ‘And to seeds,’ as one would in referring to many, but rather as in referring to one, ‘And to your seed,’ that is, Christ.17 What I am saying is this: the Law, which came 430 years later, does not invalidate a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to nullify the promise.18 For if the inheritance is based on law, it is no longer based on a promise; but God has granted it to Abraham by means of a promise.”
Seed: There’s a hidden aspect to the promise made by God to Abraham. The promise was ultimately a promise that God made to Himself to save all who believe in Jesus. The New Covenant, therefore, is an eternal covenant and is not usurped by the law (Hebrews 6:16).
The Law, which came 430 years later: Paul wants to make sure that the Galatian church understands the context of the law in salvation history. The law came after the promise to Abraham. It did not make void this promise. It was given as a shadow of the promise to ready Israel for their messiah (Galatians 3:19-22; Romans 3: 19-20). The law is not compatible with the Gospel because it was not part of the original promise. There is no performance clause in the Gospel. Therefore, the law does not invalidate the promise of salvation to all who believe in Jesus.
Inheritance: The kingdom of God is given as a promise. It is not given based on our performance under law. Therefore, Paul refers to it as an inheritance or something received because of the death of another. Jesus died, and we receive the blessings of the New Covenant as a result (Luke 22:20; Hebrews 9:16).
