The Blessing of Abraham

The Spirit Given Through the Curse-Bearing Christ

“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us— for it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree’—in order that the blessing of Abraham would come to the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.”
— Galatians 3:13–14, Berean Standard Bible

This passage in Galatians is more than a theological nugget; it is the Apostle Paul’s sweeping declaration of the redemptive arc of Scripture—stretching from Eden to Abraham, from the Exodus to Calvary, and finally, to Pentecost. In these two verses, Paul unfolds a stunning mystery: the blessing once spoken to Abraham has now burst through ethnic boundaries and come to the nations in the form of the Holy Spirit, poured out on all who believe in Jesus.

Let’s consider the images, patterns, and fulfillments Paul is weaving together—and why they matter deeply for our understanding of the Gospel.

Christ Redeemed Us from the Curse of the Law

The phrase “redeemed from the curse” echoes deeply with Old Testament language of deliverance from slavery. Consider these parallels:

“You have led in Your steadfast love the people whom You have redeemed; You have guided them by Your strength to Your holy abode.”
— Exodus 15:13

“But it is because the LORD loves you and is keeping the oath that He swore to your fathers, that the LORD has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery…”
— Deuteronomy 7:8

Paul isn’t speaking in abstraction. He is rooting our salvation in a new Exodus—a deliverance from bondage to sin and the Law’s condemnation—accomplished through Jesus.

But this Exodus is not just led by a redeemer like Moses. It is secured by a Redeemer who became a curse for His people—a substitute, hanging not merely between heaven and earth but under the full weight of the Law’s curse.

Hanged on a Tree: The Cursed One in Our Place

“His body shall not remain on the tree overnight. You must bury him the same day. For anyone hung on a tree is under God’s curse.”
— Deuteronomy 21:23

By referencing this verse, Paul points to Jesus as the cursed covenant-breaker, hung upon a tree outside the city, under divine judgment. The “tree” itself recalls Eden’s forbidden tree and the judgment that came through it. Adam reached for life apart from God and brought death; Jesus was lifted on a tree and bore death to bring life.

This image fuses Eden, Passover, and the wilderness:

Eden’s Tree of Death: Where sin began.
Passover’s Wooden Doorposts: Marked with the blood of a lamb to ward off judgment.
The Bronze Serpent: Lifted up in the wilderness, a cursed image of judgment that brought healing to all who looked upon it (Numbers 21:9, cf. John 3:14).

And so the Cross becomes the cosmic hinge—the place where Eden’s curse, Egypt’s slavery, and the Law’s condemnation are all borne by the Lamb.

From Curse to Blessing: Receiving the Promised Spirit

Why did Christ do this? Galatians 3:14 gives two answers:

So that the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles in Christ Jesus.
So that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.

These are not two separate blessings. Paul sees them as one: the blessing of Abraham IS the reception of the Holy Spirit.

The “Blessing of Abraham” and the Spirit: A Surprising Connection

This raises a key question: How does Paul equate the blessing of Abraham with the giving of the Spirit, especially when the Spirit was promised later by the prophets to Israel and Judah (Jeremiah 31:31–34; Ezekiel 36:26–27)?

Scholars rightly point out that the Spirit was promised to Israel under the New Covenant. The Gentiles are not mentioned directly in these promises. But Paul—and the early Church—received divine insight into a mystery: Gentile believers in Christ now share in Israel’s promises.

At the Jerusalem Council, this was affirmed decisively:

“After this I will return and rebuild David’s fallen tent… that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, even all the Gentiles who bear My name.”
— Acts 15:16–17 (citing Amos 9:11–12)

The apostles understood that believing Gentiles are now reckoned as part of the restored House of David—the spiritual House of Judah—and therefore rightful recipients of the Spirit under the New Covenant.

But Why Genesis 17?

Paul could have easily appealed to Jeremiah or Ezekiel to speak of the Spirit. Instead, he links the blessing of Abraham directly to Genesis 17, where God promises:

“I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you… I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your offspring after you…”
— Genesis 17:6–7

Paul zooms in on a single word: offspring (Greek: sperma). In Galatians 3:16, he clarifies:

“Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his offspring. He does not say, ‘and to offsprings,’ meaning many, but ‘and to your offspring,’ meaning One, who is Christ.”

Here lies the key: All the covenant promises were made to Abraham and his singular Offspring—Christ. Therefore, to be “in Christ” is to be “in the Offspring” and thus a true heir of Abraham’s blessing.

But what is that blessing? Not merely land. Not only descendants. But the Spirit of God dwelling within.

Circumcision, the Covenant Sign, and the Fulfillment in Christ

Genesis 17 makes circumcision the sign of covenant membership. Yet Paul argues forcefully that this sign was always pointing toward a deeper, spiritual reality.

“In Him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of your sinful nature, with the circumcision performed by Christ, not by human hands.”
— Colossians 2:11

“He was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of My people.”
— Isaiah 53:8

Jesus was cut off—crucified—for our covenant-breaking. And by His death, He inaugurated the true, everlasting covenant. He fulfilled the sign in His flesh. And now, the true circumcision is of the heart, performed by the Spirit (Romans 2:28–29).

The True Seal of the Covenant: The Holy Spirit

Infant baptism is often defended as a continuation of circumcision—as a sign of covenant membership. But Paul makes it unmistakably clear:

“The promises were made… to your Offspring, who is Christ.”
— Galatians 3:16

Christ is the only Offspring. Therefore, covenant membership comes only through union with Him—not through natural birth, but through new birth.

“In Him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in Him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.”
— Ephesians 1:13

The Spirit is the true seal, not water, not circumcision, not law-keeping. The Spirit is the mark of covenant membership, given only to those who believe.

Conclusion: From Abraham to Pentecost—One Covenant Fulfilled in Christ

Paul’s declaration in Galatians 3:13–14 is nothing short of breathtaking:

“Christ redeemed us… so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.”

The Lamb cursed for us, the true Offspring of Abraham, was cut off so that we might be brought in—not just into the family, but into the very heart of God’s covenant promise.

That promise is the Holy Spirit—the living presence of God, the new creation power, the circumcising agent of the heart, the seal of inheritance, the guarantee of eternal life.

So when Paul speaks of the blessing of Abraham, he is not imagining something vague. He is proclaiming the glorious reality that through faith in Jesus, Jews and Gentiles alike receive the indwelling Spirit, the very life of the age to come.

The cross has undone the curse, and the Spirit has made us heirs of God. Christ is enough. The Spirit is here. The promise has been fulfilled.

Questions and Answers

Q: What is “the blessing of Abraham” in Galatians 3:14?
A: Paul identifies it as the receiving of the promised Holy Spirit by faith. It is not merely land or descendants, but the indwelling presence of God through the Spirit.

Q: How can Gentiles inherit promises originally made to Israel?
A: Through union with Christ, the true Offspring of Abraham. The apostles recognized that believing Gentiles are grafted into the family of faith and receive the same promises (Acts 15:16–17, Romans 11:17).

Q: Why is circumcision no longer required?
A: Because Christ was “cut off” for us, fulfilling the covenant sign (Isaiah 53:8). The true circumcision is now of the heart, by the Spirit (Romans 2:29, Colossians 2:11).

Q: Does infant baptism serve as a New Covenant parallel to circumcision?
A: No. Paul insists the promise was made to one Offspring—Christ—and we become heirs only through faith in Him. The seal of the New Covenant is the Spirit, not baptismal water.

Q: How does this impact our understanding of salvation?
A: It reveals that salvation is entirely a work of grace—initiated by Christ’s redemptive work, applied by the Spirit, and received through faith, not by ethnic descent, ritual, or law.

Q: What does it mean to be “in Christ”?
A: To be in Christ is to be united with the Offspring to whom the promises were made. In Him, we become Abraham’s true children and heirs of the Spirit (Galatians 3:29).

Q: Why is the Spirit essential to the New Covenant?
A: Because the Spirit is the one who brings life, righteousness, transformation, and the internalization of God’s law—marking us as God’s true people (2 Corinthians 3:6–18; Ezekiel 36:26–27).

“If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise.”
— Galatians 3:29