Now an intermediary implies more than one, but God is one.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Galatians 3:20
What does Galatians 3:20 mean?
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Galatians 3:20
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The core of Paul's argument here lies in the nature of mediation itself. He's highlighting that a mediator inherently points to two distinct parties needing to be brought together, whereas God's promise operates on a different, singular basis. This subtle distinction elevates God's direct, unilateral promise above any conditional covenant mediated through law.
Now an intermediary implies more than one, but God is one.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Paul is contrasting the Law given at Mount Sinai with God's promise to Abraham, arguing that the Law, mediated by Moses, was a temporary addition. The Law, being a conditional contract requiring human obedience, can't nullify the unconditional promise that came through faith. This verse emphasizes that mediation implies two parties, whereas God's promise originates from Him alone.
Why does Paul bring up the concept of a 'mediator' right here? It seems like a technical point, but it's crucial to understanding the difference between the Law and God's promise.
Paul is drawing a sharp contrast between how God related to humanity through the Law versus how He relates through the promise.
The Law and Its Mediator
The Law, given at Mount Sinai, required a mediator. Think of Moses, standing between God and the people. This immediately tells us something important: mediation implies two distinct parties who need someone to bridge the gap between them. The Law was a form of contract or covenant between God and Israel. It had conditions. If Israel met them, blessings would follow; if not, curses. This kind of relationship, by its very nature, is conditional and depends on both parties fulfilling their roles.
The Promise and God's Oneness
But God's promise, especially the one made to Abraham, is different. Paul says, 'God is one.' This highlights that God's promise isn't a contract between two equal or even distinct parties. It originates solely from God. He is the one initiating, the one guaranteeing. His promise depends not on human performance, but on His own unchanging nature and will. It's a one-sided commitment from God's perspective, though we are called to respond in faith.
If the Law requires a mediator and is conditional, what was its real purpose? Paul argues it wasn't meant to be the path to righteousness.
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Paul isn't saying the Law is bad; he's clarifying its role in God's plan.
The Law as a Revealer
Paul explains in the verses leading up to this one (Galatians 3:19) that the Law was 'added because of transgressions.' It wasn't God's original plan for relating to humanity, but an addition made necessary by sin. The Law, with its commands and stipulations, acted like a mirror. It didn't create sin, but it revealed the extent of human sinfulness and the impossibility of meeting God's perfect standard through our own efforts.
The Mediator as a Signpost
The mediation of the Law, therefore, points away from itself and toward something else. It showed people they couldn't keep God's requirements on their own. This created a need – a need for a true Mediator, one who could fulfill the Law's demands and bridge the gap created by sin. This points us directly to Christ, who is the Mediator of a new covenant established not on conditional obedience, but on God's unconditional grace.
The verse highlights the contrast between the conditional, two-party covenant of the Law mediated by Moses and the unconditional, God-initiated promise to Abraham. This distinction is crucial for understanding why faith, not law-keeping, is the basis of salvation.
c. 1446 BC— this verse
The Giving of the Law at Mount Sinai
God gives the Law, including the Ten Commandments, to the Israelites through Moses as the mediator at Mount Sinai. This event established a covenant relationship based on conditional obedience.
c. 1446 BC
The Covenant with Abraham
God establishes an unconditional covenant with Abraham, promising blessings and a lineage through faith. This promise predates the Law given at Sinai.
c. 5th century BC
The Law's Codification and Interpretation
The Law given at Sinai is further codified and interpreted by scribes and priests, solidifying its role in Jewish life and religious practice.
c. 1st century AD
The Rise of Legalistic Interpretations
As Christianity emerges, some Jewish leaders emphasize strict adherence to the Law, often seeing it as the primary means of righteousness and justification.
c. AD 48
Council of Jerusalem
Apostles and elders debate whether Gentile believers must adhere to the Mosaic Law, ultimately affirming that salvation comes through faith in Christ, not by the Law.
This passage describes God making a covenant directly with Abraham, without any intermediary, highlighting the nature of God's promise as being based solely on His own decree.
Exodus 20:18-19The Israelites' fear and request for Moses to mediate between them and God at Mount Sinai illustrates the necessity of an intermediary when there are two distinct parties, especially when one is God and the other is sinful humanity.
Deuteronomy 6:4This foundational declaration of monotheism underscores the 'God is one' aspect of the verse, emphasizing that there is only one divine being with whom all people, Jew and Gentile, ultimately relate.
1 Timothy 2:5This verse directly identifies Jesus Christ as the sole mediator between God and humanity, contrasting with the role of mediators like Moses in the Old Covenant described in Galatians.
vincentGalatians 3:20: "Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one."
Now a mediator is not a mediator of one (ὁ δὲ μεσίτης ἐνὸς οὐκ ἔστιν)Observe, 1. Δὲ is explanatory, not antithetic. The verse illustrates the conception of mediator. 2. The article, the mediator, has a generic force: the mediator according to the general and proper conception of his function. Comp. the apostle (2 Corinthians 12:12); the shepherd, the good (John 10:11). 3. Ἑνὸς of one, is to be explained by the…
bengelGalatians 3:20: "Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one."
Galatians 3:20 . Ὁ δὲ μεσίτης , now a Mediator ) The article has the meaning of the relative. That Mediator , Moses, who was far later than the promise, and at the same time severe.— ἑνὸς , of one ) The middle term of the syllogism, of which the major and minor proposition is expressed, the conclusion is understood, One does not make use of that Mediator (that is, whosoever is one [one and the same unchanging being] does…
The core of Paul's argument here lies in the nature of mediation itself. He's highlighting that a mediator inherently points to two distinct parties needing to be brought together, whereas God's promise operates on a different, singular basis. This subtle distinction elevates God's direct, unilateral promise above any conditional covenant mediated through law.
Paul is contrasting the Law given at Mount Sinai with God's promise to Abraham, arguing that the Law, mediated by Moses, was a temporary addition. The Law, being a conditional contract requiring human obedience, can't nullify the unconditional promise that came through faith. This verse emphasizes that mediation implies two parties, whereas God's promise originates from Him alone.
Paul is contrasting the Law given at Mount Sinai with God's promise to Abraham, arguing that the Law, mediated by Moses, was a temporary addition. The Law, being a conditional contract requiring human obedience, can't nullify the unconditional promise that came through faith. This verse emphasizes that mediation implies two parties, whereas God's promise originates from Him alone.
"Now an intermediary implies more than one, but God is one." — The core of Paul's argument here lies in the nature of mediation itself. He's highlighting that a mediator inherently points to two distinct parties needing to be brought together, whereas God's…
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Last reviewed October 2026