THE CHANGING OF THE TENSE OF "SEED" FROM THE PLURAL TO THE SINGULAR AND THE MISAPPLICATION OF GENESIS 13:15 & 25:7 IN GALATIANS 3:16

THE SEMANTICS OF SEED AND SEEDS

Paul played a game of semantics in his perversion of the use of the word 'seed' as found in Galatians 3:16. The writer of Galatians contended that when God spoke to Abraham about his “seed,” God did not mean the Patriarch's descendants, but only Jesus yet it can be shown that the word from which the Galatians writer quoted is used in the plural in the verses to which he refers. But of course his Gentile readers would have not known that and the same is apparent for the vast majority of Gentile Christians today who let this passage be read over and over and never spot this mistake or challenge it. Again the Word of God has been diminished and few know enough to take such error to task. Paul leads his readers to believe that the promise given Abraham about his "seed" was to understood as the "singular;" namely Jesus. But such is plainly false. Let us examine this in more detail.

Gal 3:16 16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. (KJV) Gal 3:16 16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. (KJV)

Answer for yourself: Does Abraham’s “seed” refer to Jesus alone and as the Galatians writer again lied to his readership when saying the promise "saith NOT, And to sees, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed which is Christ?

In Gal. 3:16 Paul said: The promises were spoken to Abraham and to seed. According to the pro-Pauline writers of Galatians (not written until 180 to 200 A.D.) the Scripture from which he quotes does not say "And to his seeds meaning many people" but "and to your seed" meaning one person who is “Christ.” For Paul the use of “seed” could only refer to Jesus.

Answer for yourself: Is what this writer is saying in Gal. 3:16 correct and an honest interpretation of the Hebrew Scriptures?

Paul's proof texts are Gen. 13:15 and 25:7. Let's look at what they say in their original context:

For all the land which you see, to you and to your seed I will give it forever. ...unto your seed will I give this land. .

The word in Hebrew for “seed” is zera”. It has the same meaning and implication in the singular as in English-- progeny or posterity (carries with it the implication of plurality). Interestingly, in the plural in both English and Hebrew, the word 'seeds' refers to planting. The meaning is clear from the standpoint of the context and the definition of the word. According the the Hebrew word 'seed' was meant a multitude of people who would be Abraham's descendants and should not refer to Jesus alone, although he is included in such a designation! But to read the passage of Paul and make it exclusive of all but Jesus again does injustice to the text which must be based upon the accurate meaning of the word from the Hebrew.

We must never forget that regardless of what our accepted theologies about Jesus we have accepted through preaching, unless these same theologies can be substantiated by in-depth study of the Scriptures, then when proven in error, they must in the spirit of repentance and truth be rejected for the truth!

Although rabbinic exegesis often states that seed applied to Isaac, it was apparent that through him the lineage from Abraham would flow to many progeny who would occupy the land with which God endowed Abraham. This was spelled out in Gen. 22:17, “I will multiply your seed as the stars of the heaven and as the sand at the seashore." So much for Paul's argument about the identity of Abraham's seed as referring to Jesus “alone.”

So we find again that the Galatians writer has misapplied another Jewish passage for theological purposes and in so doing has destroyed the original intent of the Holy Spirit as He moved holy men of old to write the Divine revelation.