“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.”
The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. Scripture does not say 'and to seeds,' meaning many people, but 'and to your seed,' meaning one person, who is Christ. — Paul's striking hermeneutic, focusing on 'seed' (singular, sperma) rather than 'seeds' (plural): the Abrahamic promise flows through a singular heir, Christ, not through multiplied Abrahamic descendants; this Christological reading subordinates ethnic Israel to Christ as the true 'seed' of Abraham.
Church Fathers on Galatians 3:16
“Now to Abraham were the promises spoken and to his seed. He says not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of One, And to your seed, which is Christ. Now this I say, A covenant, confirmed before hand by God the Law, which came four hundred and thirty years after, does not disannul, so as to make the promise of none effect. For if the inheritance is of the Law, it is no more of promise: but God has granted it to Abraham by promise.” Thus God made a covenant with Abraham,…
Nicene & Post-Nicene / Ante-Nicene Fathers translations · public domain
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