It’s an odd way of putting it and for good reason. We don’t often think of Scripture, the written word, as planning, acting and doing. Isn’t it’s job to tell and report to us what has happened? It’s really odd that Paul would say what he says here in this way.
Note what Scripture is doing in these passages.
Galatians 3:8 The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “All the nations will be blessed in you.” 9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer.
Galatians 3:22 But the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
Scripture is rightly capitalized because it is being personified. It’s no mere written word, no it is the personified WORD. The Logos, John 1:1, Word, being talked about here.
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. 5 The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
Note how active both Word and Scripture are. It’s because both are the same person. Jesus, the 2nd person of the Trinity is the Word and the Scripture.
What is clear in Paul’s mind is that Jesus the Christ was active as God in creation, active in redemption, active as planner, procurer and securer of the entire cosmos. It seems He is quite literally the Master of the Universe.
If the Christ is truly this personified Word/Scripture, additionally, it says He is the Seed, the Only Seed who is the recipient of the promise to Abraham. To get this straight He is both the Promiser, the Promised, and the Promising One.
Galatians 3:16 Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as referring to many, but rather to one, “And to your seed,” that is, Christ.
So to wrap things up, we have a pretty amazing glimpse into the mind and plan of God. It would seem pretty reasonable to conclude that today’s problems might not be that big of a deal to Him. Those problems of today are for us though, a big deal; only if we’re attempting to solve them on our own.
Like Abraham, we ought to believe God. Also like Abraham we’ll fail to do so. That’s the wonderful and amazing gospel’s opportunity to make the plan succeed even when we fail. Cuz we will!
Christ the Word, the Seed, the Scripture, the Promise and the Promiser, has not failed and we are His for He has redeemed us for His own.
We have been grafted into Christ and His triumph over sin, death, corruption is our triumph over these as well.
Soli Deo Gloria
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