Brothers and sisters, I give an example from daily life: once a person’s will has been ratified, no one adds to it or annuls it. Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring; it does not say, ‘And to offsprings’, as of many; but it says, ‘And to your offspring’, that is, to one person, who is Christ. My point is this: the law, which came four hundred and thirty years later, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to nullify the promise. For if the inheritance comes from the law, it no longer comes from the promise; but God granted it to Abraham through the promise. (Galatians 3: 15-18)

Engaging ancient scripture for contemporary meaning can be a treacherous business. Moving from one context to another and one language to another requires real care. It is tempting to find in scripture what we want to find.

Paul is referring to Genesis 22: 17-18 where God makes covenant with Abraham:

"In blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea-shore; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed."

In my opinion Paul has allowed his enthusiasm for making an argument overturn his concern for accurate translation. In Hebrew, as in English, seed - zera' - can be both singular and plural. The Greek - sperma - can also mean and usually does mean the plural.

I do not doubt Paul's authenticity or his inspiration. But I know myself well enough to recognize in Paul an unfortunate tendency toward over-statement. Making a dramatic point is often helpful. But especially in regard to scripture, humility is often more appropriate.