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20 Now [de] a mediator [mesites] is [esti] not [ou] a mediator of one, [heis]
but [de] God [theos] is [esti] one. [heis] KJV-Interlinear
20 Now a
mediator is not for one party only; whereas God is only one. NASB
The original promise from God to Abraham, was that through the faith, or pattern of faith, in Abraham, then the promise of God would go to all the people of the world with no exceptions.
We will see in the next few verses that the Law as given to Moses, was made in order to bring people to faith, and not to provide an alternative option for salvation.
When Moses received the Law, he stood there, representing only one race, the Israelites.
The gentiles were not there and not represented, in principle.
When it comes to a mediator, it is presumed that there are two or more parties, that the parties are in opposition to each other for one reason or another, and that the mediator was both equal to and acceptable to, both or all parties.
Moses could not fulfill that role. He neither represented all parties, nor was he equal with all parties.
God made a promise to all peoples. Abraham received that promise by means of faith, not works, and thus set the pattern of mans reception of that promise from God. And, the promise was not restricted to but one race, nor was it made dependent on mans effort.
The promise was Gods will and fulfilled by means of Gods effort.
God is one, and one, 'heis,' means primary, one, another, only, other, some, and here comes to represent Gods position not only as one of the parties, but the only party opposite to all other parties. Man is on the other side of the table. And not just the Israelites, or the Jews as was their description in Pauls day, but man includes all men from all races, making no exception for anyone, excluding no one.
Likewise, there is but one agreement being mediated, that agreement was salvation by means of faith. There are no other means of salvation, no other agreements, no other terms to Gods agreement of promise.
And the promise was made for and pointing to, the promised single seed of Abraham, the Messiah, who would be both God and man, making Him the perfect and only candidate to mediate the finality of Gods promise. Who is of course Jesus Christ.
