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[23] Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law until faith would be revealed. [24] Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be justified by faith. [25] But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian, for in Christ Jesus [26] you are all children of God through faith. [27] As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. [28] There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. [29] And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to the promise.
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This is the Epistle selection that will be read aloud on the second Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 7), Year C, according to the lectionary for the Episcopal Church. On this day there are two potential Old Testament possibilities, one from First King and the other from Isaiah. The First Kings reading says, “Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, "So may the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life like the life of one of them by this time tomorrow.”’ If it is chosen, then both Psalm 42 and Psalm 43 will be sung, both of which say, “Put your trust in lelohim; for I will yet give thanks to him, who is the help of my countenance, and welohay.” If the Isaiah reading is chosen, it will state, “See, it is written before me: I will not keep silent, but I will repay; I will indeed repay into their laps their iniquities and their ancestors' iniquities together.” If this is read, then a singing of Psalm 22 will follow, which has the lyrics: “My praise is of him in the great assembly; I will perform my vows in the presence of those who worship him.” All readings will accompany the Gospel selection from Luke, which states: “Jesus and his disciples arrived at the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. As he stepped out on land, a man of the city who had demons met him.”
I wrote about the first three verses in this selection, as they are part of readings set aside for Christmas (the first Sunday after, each Year). Galatians 3:23-25 are read along with those from chapter four, verses four to seven. That commentary was offered in Year C, just this past December. It can be read (if so desired) by following this link: How to inherit eternal life. For today’s observations, I will address these verses as they apply to one’s entrance into ministry, after having been reborn as Jesus. Christmas is when that rebirth is still too new to minister to others. After Pentecost, one has been fully prepared for such works of faith.
In the translation services websites, they enjoy helping the readers, by placing fabricated headings over sections of text. For the NRSV (the said translator for the Episcopal Church’s versions read aloud), verses nineteen through twenty-nine are headed as “The Purpose of the Law.” My translation tool – BibleHub Interlinear – has the same heading before verse nineteen, but after verse twenty-five they add another header that says, “Sons through Faith in Christ.” When one sees that minute detail to assisting the reader in theme shifts, one can see how the Episcopal Church would recite verses twenty-three through twenty-five in their mixed Galatians presentation read aloud on Christmas (the Sunday after service). That was taking the verses focusing on the Law and placing those with verses in chapter four that related to that theme. The NRSV not placing another header says they see being “Sons through Faith in Christ” as being part of “The Purpose of the Law.” They see Paul’s intent was to say that, as Paul placed no headers in his letters. This says the Law’s purpose is to lead one to becoming a Christ, through Faith; and, that forethought should guide one through discernment of these seven verses [which I have numbered above, in bold type, between brackets].
Verse twenty-three is written in three segments, marked by commas. It begins with the segment that states (in Greek), “Pro tou de elthien tēn pistin,” which literally translates to say, “Earlier of this now came this faith”. In that, the first word is capitalized, meaning a divine elevation to a level of Yahweh must be read into a word that normally says (in the lower-case), “(a) of place: before, in front of, (b) of time: before, earlier than.” [Strong's] Because the reference here is the previous importance of the Law, the divine elevation must be seen as relating to the time “Before faith came” into the true Christians of Galatia.
The words “tou de” state a possessive case [the Genitive of “tou”], where “Earlier” those true Christians were “of this” which was robotic or compliant to the Law, as it possessed them. That lasted until “now” (“de”), when Paul referenced the change that “came” and possessed them “now,” which was that possession that led them all to know “this faith.”
The Greek word “pistin” (a feminine form of “pistis”) means “faith, faithfulness,” also implying in usage: “belief, trust, confidence; and fidelity.” [Strong’s] In that, the word “belief” must be seen as a weaker form of “faith,” such that the Law was taught to those true Christians in Galatia, “Before faith came” to them. They would have believed the Law was true; but they would have been told to believe that to be truth. All the while, no teachers of the Law could fully explain the meaning of the words of the Law, so “faith” could not “come” to them "Earlier." The usage of “faith” (“pistin”) must be understood to be a significant change that came upon each individual soul in a body of flesh that had “Before” been told to believe in the Law, but “now faith had come,” transforming them from Jews into true Christians. This must be understood as the theme of these seven verses that Paul wrote.
In the second segment of verse twenty-three, Paul wrote (in Greek), “hypo nomon ephrouroumetha,” which literally translates to say, “under the law we were held guarded.” In that, the root verb “phroureó” means “to guard, keep,” implying “under military guard or watch.” [Strong's] This is Paul stating what the “Before” time was like, as it was a “Do as the Law says, not what us teachers of the Law are seen to do” test of faith. That is because the guards or watchers were free to do as they wished, because they were merely employees of the Law’s containment principles. Those contained by the Law cannot complain about their watchers routinely breaking the Laws that form the prison in which they are hired hands. Because those were told to do as the Law says, each Jew was locked up by their own self-containment, knowing they were being watched at all times. Thus, they too became their watchers, too afraid to call out their teachers, due to having never had the Law explained to them; and, they did not want to be judged as lawbreakers because they questioned the authorities.
In the third segment of verse twenty-three, Paul wrote (in Greek), “synkleiomenoi eis tēn mellousan pistin apokalyphthēnai”. This translates literally to say, “being enclosed into this being intent faith to be brought to light”. In this, the two word expressed in the present participle [“being enclosed” and “being intent”] are stating Paul’s focus on the “now” that has “come” to the true Christians of Galatia. By “being enclosed” by the Law, even without teachers that could explain the meaning of the Law, their souls were “being intent” of the Law, by their self-controls. Thus, their patience without understanding, based on beliefs unexplained, was that “being intent” behind the sudden ability to have “faith.” That “faith” was a personal experience, unlike “Before,” where their souls had been “brought the light” of truth. By being able to see “the light” with their own inner eyes – a soul state of vision – their state of compliant beliefs were transfigured into full-born “faith.”
Verse twenty-four then had Paul again separate a thought into three segments. The first segment states (in Greek), “hōste ho nomos paidagōgos hēmōn gegonen”. In simple terms, this literally says, “so then this law a tutor of us it has come into being”. On a deeper level of translation, the word “hēmōn” is read as “ourselves” (third-person plural possessive pronoun), where one understands that a “self” equates to a “soul,. This means “a tutor” is (on a deeper level) “of our souls,” where Paul had a soul the same as those other true Christians in Galatia; but only those “souls” had been “tutored” to find the “law” as the root of true “faith.”
Then, the word “gegonen” can more deeply be seen as translating as a form of “ginomai,” which means “born,” more than “become” or “come into being.” Thus, the deeper translation of this segment has Paul saying, “so then this law a tutor of our souls it [faith] is born.”
By seeing that initial segment of verse twenty-four as saying that, the second segment then is two words (in Greek): “eis Christon”. That literally states, “into Christ”. This word “Christon” is capitalized, giving it a divine level of meaning, relative to Yahweh, where the lower-case spelling (“christon”) means “anoint with olive oil.” (HELPS Word-studies) Certainly, the implication is as another name for Jesus; but that misses the point of the truth. True “faith” does not come simply because Jesus said something, which was written in Scripture by Apostles. Reading that and being taught to believe that is an externalization that is being “enclosed by the law” and “guarded” as to whether or not one does as Jesus said do. The “Christon” is a placement of the “Advocate” that Jesus promised his Father would sent to the disciples, which would be “the Spirit of truth.” The “Spirit” is the divine Baptism of Yahweh, where it is poured out upon one’s soul, cleansing that soul, making it become “a Christ.” Thus, this second segment is Paul clarifying that “our souls are born … into” this stated of sacredness that is “the Christ.” The “Christ” is then related to one’s new “birth.”
In the third segment in verse twenty-four, Paul wrote (in Greek), “hina ek pisteōs dikaiōthōmen”, which literally translates into English saying, “in order that from out of faith we might be shown to be righteous.” This is relating to the “Before” and after that transfigures one’s soul from beliefs to “faith.” By translating “hina” as saying, “in order that,” this says there is “order” in this transformation. It is not magic. It is systematic, based on having attempted to live up to the Law, because one believes it is true, regardless of how little one has been taught that confirms that truth externally.
This then says “faith” comes “from out of” that which had “Prior” been a foundation laid. The “intent” of the Law is to live a righteous lifestyle; but belief makes total adherence to that high level of being impossible. A true state of “righteousness” must be “shown” to each one individually; and, the element that makes one “be shown to be righteous” begins with the cleansing of Spiritual Baptism, making one’s soul become a virgin womb that is “the Christ” state of being.
In verse twenty-five, Paul wrote two segments, the first of which says (in Greek), “elthousēs de tēs pisteōs”, where Paul rephrased this “light of faith” that will “be born” as that “having come now this faith”. This relates back to the beginning of verse twenty-three, where Paul wrote, “Earlier of this now came this faith.” Paul now repeats that beliefs have passed away, replaced by the experience that brings true “faith.”
This then leads to the second segment saying (in Greek), “ouketi hypo paidagōgon esmen,” which literally translates into English saying, “no longer under a tutor we are.” Here, Paul is also repeating his prior statement that the Law true Christians knew had been “under the law guarded and enclosed.” There, Scripture (misunderstood as it was) was their “tutor.” This does not say that such divine writings are no longer important. Instead, when one realizes “esmen” is the first-person plural form of “eimi,” meaning “I am, exist,” Paul is stating that true Christians (those “born” as “a Christ”) are those (plural) who “exist under tutor,” as ministers of the truth of the light. By “becoming a Christ,” true Christians are transfigured into “those who shine the light of truth” to other souls being held “enclosed by the Law.” They “no longer” seek outside “tutoring,” as they “exist” as the future writers of Scripture, having been led to see the truth as a Christ.
It is at this point that BibleHub Interlinear places its heading that says, “Sons through Faith in Christ.” After having discerned the prior three verses, we have an understanding of the depth of meaning that is “Faith in Christ.” This has absolutely nothing to do with naming Jesus as some external source of belief, called “faith. For them to say “in Christ” means “faith” is only truly possible when one’s soul has been possessed by Yahweh and is, thus, “in Christ.” The expectation set by this header (as all headers simply repeat verbiage from within the text) is “sons” is about to become part of this focus.
In verse twenty-six, Paul wrote one statement, without separating the focus. In his Greek, he wrote, “Pantes gar huioi Theou este dia tēs pisteōs ChristōIēsou.” This literally states, “All indeed sons of God you exist on account of of this of faith to Christ to Jesus.” Here, four capitalized words are found, with each divinely elevated in meaning, so all reflect the presence of Yahweh in their meanings.
The first capitalized word is “Pantes,” which is a masculine plural form of “pas,” meaning (in the lower-case) “all, every,” implying in usage, “the whole, every kind of.” [Strong’s] The masculine gender says this word denotes a spiritual presence, as opposed to the feminine of a soul trapped in a body of flesh alone. The masculine indicates the additional presence of Yahweh’s Spirit within one’s soul. As such, “All” is an indication of “them” who are “Christs,” who have had “faith born within them.”
The word “gar” then states this to “indeed” be the case, as another way of saying “truthfully.” This then has Paul say those who are “Christs” are “indeed sons of God,” where the Genitive case ("of God") states soul possession [the masculine additive to a feminine state, transforming that into the masculine “All”]. The use of “este,” which is a second-person plural form of “eimi,” thus like the prior use of “esmen,” is another statement of a new “existence,” due to being “of God.” This new “existence” is “on account of” this divine possession, as that which has made a soul capable “of this of faith.”
Paul then said that was directly related to the possession “of God,” because that possession is what made “All” be allowed “to Christ.” In that, the Dative case needs to be read as the direction that God sends His wife-soul first, after His Spirit joins with souls submitted to Him, with that Spirit being the outpouring that becomes a Baptism of “Anointment” (the meaning of “Christ). It is then following this state that takes one’s soul “to Christ” that that same soul gives birth “to Jesus.” This inner resurrection can only be after having had one’s soul be made into a virgin womb, into which Yahweh places the soul of His Son “Jesus.”
In verse twenty-seven, Paul wrote two segments, where each places focus on “Christ,” not “Jesus.” In the first of those segments, Paul wrote (in Greek), “hosoi gar eis Christon ebaptisthēte,” which literally states in English, “how many indeed into Christ you were submerged”. In that, Paul is confirming that the “Christ” is the Spiritual Baptism that led John to say, “I baptize you with water, but there will come another that will Baptize souls with Spirit, making those become Sacred.” In this, the word “hosoi” is a word meaning “how many,” while implying “all” [NASB shows 9 uses as such] or “all … who” [NASB shows 5 uses as such], with that being confirmation of the prior use of “Pantes.” Again Paul says, “all who indeed” have entered “into” this divine state of “Anointment” (a “Christ”) have become “submerged” or “immersed” in the outpouring of Yahweh’s Spirit. This is a cleansing of all past sins … forever, unlike a bath by water in a river or stream, which washes off dirt temporarily.
The second segment of verse twenty-seven then has Paul state (in Greek), “Christon enedysasthe”, which literally says, “Christ you have been clothed.” This is metaphor that has been seen recently in the Revelation of John, where the elder soul-angel [the soul of Jesus he spoke with] told John’s soul, “Blessed [metaphor for Saints] those washing those robes of them in order that will exist this privilege of their souls upon this of tree of life”. The “robes” are the “Christ” outpouring of “Baptism” that one wears – permanently – which makes it possible for the soul of Jesus to enter into one’s soul.
Jesus does not come into filth. The filth of one trying to follow the Law, without external guidance, will attract Yahweh’s love, which begins a divine courtship that tests how well one’s soul is willing to listen to an inner voice and do as told. That compliance becomes the grounds upon which a marriage proposal is put forth, where the Covenant (the Law) is the vows one’s soul commits fully to. Once married, Yahweh’s Spirit will cleanse the soul of all past transgressions, making one’s soul be pure and able to conceive the soul of Yahweh’s Son. For that resurrection of Jesus to enter into one’s soul, one must be “clothed in the Christ.”
In verse twenty-eight, Paul wrote four statements, each separated from the others by semi-colons. The first statement then has Paul writing (in Greek), “ouk eni Ioudaios oude Hellēn”. This simply says, “not can be Jew nor Greek”. In the capitalization of “Jew” and “Greek,” the words must be seen as divinely elevated to a level of Yahweh that goes to the meaning behind the name. Simply put, a “Jew” is one who “Praises” Yahweh, which is the One God. The word “Greek” implies “Gentile,” in the sense that the “Greeks” epitomized polytheistic beliefs, where many gods [Greek mythology] were worshiped. The Greek word “eni” means “is in, has place, can be,” implying in usage “there is in, is present,” but the word is rooted in “eneimi,” meaning “to be in, within,” or “I am in, within.” Thus, Paul is setting the expectation that none (“not”) of the “All” (“Pantes”) will be members of a race or sect of religious people. Such distinction would reflect on worshipers who externalized one god or many gods, based on philosophical guesses at to what their gods expect.
In the second statement, Paul wrote (in Greek), “ouk eni doulos oude eleutheros,” which translates literally into English saying, “not can be slave or free”. Here, the comparison to the prior statement has “slave” and “free” be relative to “Jew” and “Greek.” This says that one’s soul is “not” limited to being a “slave” to a dogma, such as are the philosophical guesses coming from an unexplained Law. That becomes external rules that “enslave” one to the beliefs of others. Likewise, the wide variety of gods does not give a soul the “freedom” to pick and chose which god or gods one will worship today, different from other days.
In the third statement, Paul wrote (in Greek), “ouk eni arsen kai thēly,” which includes a use of the word “kai.” Knowing that this is a marker word that needs no translation, as it simply signifies where importance is to be found in that written after that mark, one can see this statement translate literally into English saying, “not can be male [importantly] female”. Here, the mark of importance forces one to look at the deeper meaning of “female.”
Certainly, Paul was not writing to true Christians in Galatia (who consisted of souls in both male and female bodies of flesh) saying a “Christ” cannot be a cleaned “male or female.” Such an exclusion would mean no human beings on earth could ever be a "Christ." Instead, it says the “male-dominated” societies of both “Jews” and “Greeks” – believers in One God or many gods – would no longer hold water. Only those Spiritually possessed by Yahweh will be able to claim a masculine essence, which is the truth of the Father, His Sons, and those who are “brothers” of Jesus. The Spiritual essence of a “Christ” is only “male.”
This then forces one to see that “not” being a “Christ” makes one a “female,” which is the essence an eternal soul has, when trapped in the femininity of a body of flesh. “All” souls in human beings are “female,” therefore "All" souls are potentially bride material for Yahweh. If one is more concerned with worship of a sex organ [souls have no need to reproduce], then one will “not” find one’s soul being “born” as a “Christ.” A host soul in a body of flesh (regardless of the gender of that body) is always "female" (the importance denoted by "kai"), as only the soul of Jesus resurrected within that soul brings on the spiritual essence of being "male."
In the fourth statement of verse twenty-eight, Paul wrote (in Greek), “pantes gar hymeis heis este en Christō Iēsou.” Here, the literal English translation says, “all indeed your souls you exist within to Christ to Jesus.” This (obviously) is most important to grasp, simply because of the two capitalized names being present: "to Christ" and "to Jesus."
Here, the repeated use of “pantes” (in the lower-case) refers to everyone of all kinds of people in the world, as their religious mores and rules are all manmade, not the truth of the light of Yahweh. It says everyone is a slave to the truth, once made a “Christ,” while everyone is “free” from the prison that religious dogma causes. Everyone saved by the Christ is “free” from the failures of sin, which imprison a soul into reincarnation and always moving from one ‘guardhouse’ to another, life after life.
When “hymeis” is read as the second-person plural form of “you,” as “yourselves,” here (again) is a “self” read as a “soul.” It is “your souls” that are transformed, so “you exist within," and not externally led. A soul is “within” and that takes one “to a Christ” state of purification, as “Anointed” by Yahweh, through divine union-marriage.
This then leads a soul “to Jesus,” where no one can ever externalize “Jesus” and be saved [the name “Jesus” means “Yahweh Saves”]. One has to be the resurrection of “Jesus’s” soul, so one’s soul becomes “Jesus” reborn. Jesus is “THE Christ” made by the hand of God in Eden [the “Yahweh elohim” that we love to call ‘Adam’], who can only “return” in a soul-body that has been prepared for his return by the Father.
Before going to the last verse of this reading, it is good to take time to see the truth of Christianity as being more than some externalized belief in Jesus Christ. Christianity is not a club that can be joined, where the only cost of admission is saying the words, “I believe in Jesus Christ.” That does not make one be truly Christian. To be truly Christian, one must have one’s soul be Baptized by the Spirit of Yahweh, which means being made Sacred and-or Saintly, as a “Christ.” If one is not a Saint, who has been reborn in the name of Jesus, then one is a fake Christian. One is in the same prison created by the Law, where all the questions that ask, “What did Jesus mean when he said this?” are never answered by those who are fake Christians. To be a Christ means to have the soul of Jesus returned to the material plane, as each and every soul-wife of Yahweh, who has been prepared for the return of Jesus by a divine marriage of a soul to Yahweh’s Spirit, made a Saint.
With that said, Paul then wrote three segments in verse twenty-nine. The first segment has him writing (in Greek), “ei de hymeis Christou,” which literally translates into English saying, “if now your souls of Christ.” In this, the Genitive case of “Christou” states the “if” conditional is the possession “of Christ,” where that possessed is “your souls” (from “hymeis” being the second person plural of “yourselves”). The “if” makes it clear that no soul will ever be forced into a state of self-sacrifice to Yahweh; so, no soul will ever be “a Christ” without such self-sacrifice. That becomes a desire to understand the Law, such that the inability of external teachers to tell one the truth of “faith” must motivate oneself (one's soul) to seek the truth within. The “if” asks oneself, “Do you hear Yahweh leading you to commit in divine marriage?” Only each individual soul in a body of flesh can answer that question. There are no ‘mass marriages,’ like those who follow gurus from the east are known to fake.
In the second segment, Paul then wrote (in Greek), “ara tou Abraam sperma este,” which literally translates into English saying, “then of this of Abram seed you exist”. In that, “then” becomes a statement that says the “if” condition has been met. The way to determine this is “then” by knowing one’s soul is possessed “of this,” which is the “Christ” presence.
The Genitive case attached to “Abraam” can be seen as one’s having become of the spiritual lineage “of Abram,” but the capitalization yields a higher meaning as that from which the name comes. The name “Abram” means “Exalted Father” [from “ab rum,” or “father elevated”], such that Paul wrote, “then of this [Christ] of Yahweh [the Exalted Father] seed you exist,” where the “seed” of Yahweh is His Son “Jesus.” This is then Paul saying the proof of one being a “Christ” is being “Jesus” reborn. As “Jesus” reborn, the “seed” of the “Exalted Father” once again walks the face of the earth, as Yahweh intended, when he made Adam-Jesus.
The truth relative to the lineage "of Abram" is there never is a bloodline - a physical passing - that results in a soul being saved. No soul is born saved. No soul is returned to the material plane as Jesus. Yahweh hand-made Adam; and, then Yahweh hand-planted the seed of that Yahweh elohim into a Virgin Mary (most likely the reincarnated soul of the female we call Eve). Thus, the spiritual lineage that is "of Abram" reflects on all souls that do as Abram did and self-sacrifice in service to Yahweh. Such a lineage "of Abram" skips over many generations and the only firm relationship that anchors all souls is that to Yahweh, all having been reborn as His Son Jesus.
In the last segment of this reading, Paul then wrote (in Greek), “kat’ epangelian klēronomoi,” which literally translates into English saying, “according to promise heirs.” The “promise” is that which is the meaning of the name “Jesus,” which says “Yahweh Saves.” The “promise” is Salvation to all souls who receive the “seed” of “Jesus” and enter ministry in his name. The “heir” makes one become a “brother” of all others who are reborn as Jesus; so, as equal “sons of Gods” (written in verse twenty-six), all are “heirs” of eternal life.
This is the truth of Christianity; and, those true Christians in Galatia knew that Paul was writing to them to tell them what they already knew (as each was a “Christ,” each reborn as “Jesus” in ministry). They knew their soul sacrifices to Yahweh were done not for self, but to make more become “heirs” to the “promise.” Still, all any Apostle can do is make Jesus be available to answer truthfully the questions of seekers. The rest is left up to their own souls to decide if total commitment is what they want to do.
As an Epistle reading for the second Sunday after Pentecost, when one should be beginning to walk the path of righteousness and take the truth to those seeking to know the truth, it is vital to take the time to understand these words I have written explaining the truth of Paul’s letter to the Galatians. The fake Christians will lead you into the prison of guilt, which says, “Do as we tell you to believe, not as we practice in our lives (that are sinful).” No one can lead a soul to heaven. Heaven is within, not some place in outer space. Jesus has returned many times over; so, there is no waiting until the end times to see fake Jesus fly down on a cloud, all angry-eyed and sword wielding. This Epistle reading says everything one needs to know, in order to commit one’s soul to Yahweh.