The New Testament book of Galatians was originally written to the churches in the ancient
Roman province of Galatia, which was in the central portion of Asia Minor. The apostle Paul had
planted churches in Galatia, and had revisited and strengthened them, but after his departure,
certain teachers had entered in among them, and had persuaded them that it was necessary to
keep the Old Law, the Law of Moses. The entire theme of the book of Galatians is the Law of
Moses versus the Law of Christ. The apostle Paul argues powerfully throughout that chapter the
Christians are free from the burdens, ceremonies, and all other externals of the Law of Moses.

The Galatians had swallowed the message of the false teachers so completely that they had
instituted Old Testament feast days and ceremonies. They were trying to combine the gospel with
the Mosaic Law. Paul, in the book of Galatians, tells them plainly that the two systems do not
combine.

He asked them: "Received ye the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by the hearing of faith?" (Gal.
3:2). He argued that a man is not justified "by the works of the law" (Gal. 2:16). He said that
"Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law" (Gal. 3:13). What law was the talking about?
He was talking about the Old Law, the Law of Moses. He said plainly: "Ye are not under the law"
(Gal. 5:18).

This is an important point. Paul told Timothy: "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a
workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 Tim. 2:15). Some
of the greatest errors in religion are made today because men do not "rightly divide the word of
truth." One of the greatest natural divisions of the Word of God is the division between the Old
Law and the New Law, the Old Covenant and the New Testament of Christ The apostles teach
abundantly that there are two covenants, and that we are not under the Old Covenant or
Testament, but that we are under the New Testament.

We can see the idea of two covenants, one of which is better than the other, and one of which
has been taken away, by reading a few scriptures.

But now hath he [Christ] obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator
of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. For if that first covenant had
been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second (Heb. 8:6-7).

Do you see that there was a first covenant, and a second covenant? "In that he saith, A new
covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish
away" (Heb. 8:13). Here he speaks of a new covenant, and he said that God made the first
covenant old.

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