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16 God gave the promises to Abraham and his child.[a] And notice that the Scripture doesn’t say “to his children,[b]” as if it meant many descendants. Rather, it says “to his child”—and that, of course, means Christ. 17 This is what I am trying to say: The agreement God made with Abraham could not be canceled 430 years later when God gave the law to Moses. God would be breaking his promise. 18 For if the inheritance could be received by keeping the law, then it would not be the result of accepting God’s promise. But God graciously gave it to Abraham as a promise.

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Footnotes

  1. 3:16a Greek seed; also in 3:16c, 19. See notes on Gen 12:7 and 13:15.
  2. 3:16b Greek seeds.

16 The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed.(A) Scripture does not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,”[a](B) meaning one person, who is Christ. 17 What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years(C) later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise. 18 For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on the promise;(D) but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise.

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Footnotes

  1. Galatians 3:16 Gen. 12:7; 13:15; 24:7