Maria Grace, Ph.D.

Exegetical Paper

The Law in Galatians

Final Assignment
January Term, 2009
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Introduction

This paper explores the meaning and different functions of the Sinaitic law in Paul’s

epistle to Galatians. The law occupies a central place in Pauline thought and is closely linked

with many other themes in his theology and ethics. A complicated and often problematic

subject, Paul’s view of the law begs right understanding and has inspired an enormous

volume of literature, especially in the last few decades. This paper is a mere attempt to

outline the present author’s understanding of the different and complex aspects of the

Sinaitic law in Galatians, which culminate in verse 5:14 to its definition as “neighborly love”.

The paper introduces the epistle, placing it in historical context and identifying Paul’s

audience and opponents. A macro-structure of the entire letter is then provided, followed by

an exegetical interpretation of Paul’s view of the law in Galatians. A section follows, focusing

on the exegetical interpretation of Paul’s view of “the whole law”, expressed in verses 5:3

and 5:14. A conclusion, endnotes and bibliography follow thereafter.

The Letter to Galatians

All scholars agree that Galatians is one of the most certain examples of Paul's writing

because of its style and themes, which are common to the core letters of the Pauline

corpus, and because of its historical connection to Acts of the Apostles. The core theme in

the letter addresses the question of how Gentiles could safely convert to Christianity, which

implies that it was written at a very early stage in church history, when the vast majority of

Christians were either Jewish or Jewish proselytes. This places the letter during Paul’s

lifetime. The original version of the letter does not exist. The earliest reasonably complete

version available to scholars today, named P46, dates to approximately the year 200 A.D.,

approximately 150 years after the original was presumably drafted.1

Date and audience

The chronology of the letter to Galatians is placed between the late 40s and early

50s.2 There are three main theories about the date and audience. The North Galatian view
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holds that the epistle was written very soon after Paul's second visit to Galatia3 after the

Council of Jerusalem, very close in time to the letter written to Romans, that is in the winter

of 57–58 AD, during Paul's stay in Corinth.4

The South Galatian view holds that Paul wrote Galatians before or shortly after the

First Jerusalem Council to churches he had presumably planted during either his time in

Tarsus,5 or during his first missionary journey, when he traveled throughout southern

Galatia. If it was written to the believers in South Galatia, it would likely have been written

in 49 AD.6

A third theory7 is that Galatians 2:1-10 is the visit of Acts 11:30. This theory implies

that the epistle was written before the Council was convened, making it the earliest of Paul's

epistles.

Historical Background

The churches of Galatia (Antioch of Pisidia, Iconium, Lystra and Derbe) were founded

by Paul himself (Acts 16:6; Gal 1:8; 4:13, 4:19) and they consisted mainly from Gentiles

who had converted from paganism (4:8). When Paul left, the churches were infiltrated by

teachers preaching “another gospel”, centered around Judaism and salvation through the

Mosaic law, and contrary to Paul’s gospel of salvation through faith in Christ alone (1:6-9).

Paul’s angry letter is his response to those teachers, while addressing the dangers the

churches of Galatia are facing in straying from his teaching.

The Identity of Paul’s Opponents in Galatia

Scholars have for years argued about the identity of the Galatian church infiltrators.

The more plausible conclusion is that they were Jewish Christian Judaizers (from the Greek

ἰουδαΐζω=to adopt the Judaic customs, beliefs and character) from Jerusalem who were

forcing the Galatians to be circumcised and to keep the law. Even though they did not

contradict Paul’s teachings they, nonetheless, claimed that he taught circumcision just as

they did. Paul’s epistle is his response to their claim.8

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The section on ethics (Gal. 5:13-6:10) contains the heart of Paul’s theological claim

that to be under the law is to be under sin. His language seems to address specifically a

Judaizing situation that would force the Galatians to complete their salvation by moving

from the Spirit to the flesh. It seems that the ethical section of the letter supports the view

that the opponents are Jewish Christian Judaizers. Finally, Paul’s use of word περιτεµνόµενοι

(“those who accept circumcision) and not περιτετµηµένοι (“those who are circumcised) in

Gal. 6:13, though ambiguous, does not prove that the infiltrators are Gentiles, and allows

the explanation that the infiltrators are Jewish Christian Judaizers from Jerusalem.

The Structure of Galatians

To place Paul’s view of the law in the context of his letter to Galatians, the macro-

structure of the epistle is presented as follows:9

1:1-1:5 I. Prescript

1:6-1:10 II. The Introduction: There is no other gospel than the gospel of Christ; the

infiltrators have misled the Galatians into following a non-gospel.

1:11-2:21 III. Narration: The statement of facts

1:11-12 A. Thesis: Paul establishes his credentials as a true preacher of the gospel of

Christ; he received the gospel by divine revelation, not by human tradition.

1:13-24 B. First Part: Paul presents his personal and spiritual journey, including his

conversion and subsequent independent apostleship.

2:1-2:10 C. Second Part: Paul recounts his second visit in Jerusalem, where the validity

of his gospel and apostleship were recognized.

2:11-2:14 D. Third Part: The conflict at Antioch. Paul accuses the practices of Cephas
(Peter) as betraying the gospel of Christ and misleading the church into
observing the law as a means for salvation.

2:15-2:21 IV. The Proposition: Salvation happens only through faith in Christ, never

through observing the law. The crucified Christ brought an end to the power

of the law as a means of salvation through works of the flesh and restored life

in God through faith in Christ alone.

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3:1-4:31 V. The Proofs

3:1-5 A. The First Argument: Paul admonishes the Galatians, warns them not to

forget their liberating experience of the Spirit.

3:6-14 B. The Second Argument: God’s promise to Abraham is fulfilled by the gospel

of the crucified Christ.

3:15-18 C. The Third Argument: Paul distinguishes between God’s free promise to

Abraham that was fulfilled through Christ and the Sinaitic law given to Moses,

430 years later.

3:19-25 1. Clarification: Paul declares the non-divine (i.e., human) aspects of the law

and affirms its necessity as a theological and moral custodian of the flesh,

until the gospel of Christ brought salvation through faith.

3:26-4:11 D. The Fourth Argument: Through the crucified Christ, Spirit has inhabited the

hearts of Christians, liberating them from the custody of the law, making

them heirs of the promise given to Abraham, and interceding in prayer to

God.

3:26-29 1. Proof: It is through baptism in the Spirit of the Son that the old paradigm

of patron/client, Jew/non-Jew, master/slave, male/female has forever died.

The Spirit of the Son has abolished the old unequal dualities (i.e., antinomies)

instituting a new, egalitarian world, where relationships are informed by a

human conscience freed in Christ.

4:1-7 2. Proof: Through the crucified, human-born Jesus, God sent the Spirit of the

Son to inhabit our hearts, thus freeing us from the custody of the law. It is

the Son’s Spirit that intercedes in our relationship with God, our father,

making us God’s children and, therefore, heirs of the Abrahamic promise.

4:8-11 3. Warning: Paul admonishes the Galatians for regressing to the enslaving

practices of the law after having received God’s liberating knowledge through

Christ.
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4:12-20 F. The Fifth Argument: Paul appeals to his emotional bond with the Galatians,

extols their past loyalty to him, and warns them not to freely offer it to false

and dangerous spiritual leaders.

4:21-31 G. The Sixth Argument: Using the story of Sarah and Hagar as an allegory,

Paul parallels the Galatians to Isaac who was born by Sarah through God’s

free promise, and not because of human works (such as the birth of Ishmael,

son of the slave Hagar).

5:1-6:10 Exhortation

5:1-12 A. Recapitulation: Circumcision does not bring salvation but slavery to

observing the entire law. Salvation comes through faith in the gospel of

Christ, which is fulfills the entire law in the concrete act of neighborly love.

5:13-24 B. Clarification: Living in the Spirit crucifies (i.e., brings an end to the

passions of) the flesh, which is under the power of the Sinaitic law. But the

law is powerless over the fruit of the Spirit, which is neighborly love

expressed through virtuous conduct among the people of the church.

5:25-6:10 C. Call to action: only life in the Spirit will bring salvation to the church,

keeping it shielded against sinful infiltrators.

6:11-18 Postscript

The Law in Galatians: Its Meaning and Functions

Νὀµος occurs 32 times in Galatians, used with or without the definite article, to refer

to the Mosaic law, imposed upon Israel on Mount Sinai (3:17, 4:24). For Paul, νόµος is a

complete unit, without any distinction between its ceremonial and ethical aspects (5:3,

5:14).

The law in Galatians has three functions. First, it serves as the obligation of the Sinai

covenant. Abraham’s justification by faith in God’s free promise (3:6-9) demonstrates that

the law that was added 430 years after the promise (3:17) was never intended to be a

means of justification. Paul seems to assert that the law was rather the condition for staying

in the covenantal relationship with God. The law was originally offered to the community of
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Israel that had already entered a special relationship with God when Abraham received the

promise. The covenant, therefore made by God with Israel, was based on God’s gracious

initiative.10 The law was then given as a means of informing and shaping a proper response

to God, instructing Israel how to live a holy life before God, as a special, chosen nation. Its

primary purpose was to guide, protect and keep the continual subduing of the flesh that

began with circumcision. Obedience to the law enabled Israel to keep the covenantal

relationship with God (3:12), whereas transgression incurred a curse as a result of breaking

the covenant. Paul refers to this curse as the result of failure to perfectly obey the law (Gal.

3:10).11

Paul then attests to how the curse of the law was removed by Christ, who took the

curse upon himself through his crucifixion, thus establishing a new covenant that invalidated

the old function of the law (Gal. 3:13). As the old law that set Israel apart from all other

nations is no longer effective, under the new covenant set by Christ there is no separation

among Jews and Gentiles (Gal. 3:28). The old paradigm of a world based on the antithetical

categories of sacred/profane is forever abolished. A new world is being revealed in Christ,

and a new language is used to describe egalitarian relationships among the people who are

baptized in the spirit of the crucified and risen Christ (Gal. 3:27). This new apocalyptic world

fulfills also the free promise given to Abraham, which is the shared inheritance of all who

have faith in Christ (Gal. 3:29).12

The second function of the law is that of its being an enslaving power, seeing

through the perspective of salvation history. Paul sees the Mosaic law as given by God in

order to provoke transgressions (Gal. 3:19; Rom. 5:20). In other words, one of its functions

of was to reveal the character of evil conduct as a transgression of God’s law, and give

people the “real knowledge of sin”. The law, thus, became the means through which we,

humans, come to know how we give into sin and how sinful conduct subjects us to divine

wrath. The implication that the law then may be sinful--as it leads human beings into sin--

questions the divine origin of the law, as well as God’s gracious intentions toward people.13

Paul addresses this issue in Romans and in Galatians. In Romans (7:7) Paul

vehemently rejects the identification of law with sin and presents the law as revelatory of
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Sin, which uses the very prohibitions of the Law to seduce the fragile human conscience into

transgressions that break our relationship with God.14 In Galatians, Paul states that the Law

was instituted by angels (3:19) and through a mediator (3:20), who is Moses. But, because

of the power of the law to reveal Sin by provoking transgressions, all people became

imprisoned under the power of Sin as revealed through the law (Gal. 3:22). As a prison, the

law kept all transgressors in custody under its curse (3:23). Paul compares this bondage to

the law with being under a παιδαγωγὀς (i.e., the slave who kept the school-age boy under

his eye, escorting him to school, overseeing his study, and supervising his conduct) (3:25),

under guardians and stewards (4:2), and being under the elemental spirits of the world

(4:3, 4:9). He seems to imply that, under the law, humans suffer lack of freedom and

subordination to external control that subjects them to the flesh (5:16-18). But Christ put

an end to the slavery of the law (3:25), by taking the curse of the law upon himself, “by

becoming a curse for us” (3:13).15

Paul’s use of “curse” comes from Deuteronomy 21:23 “Cursed be everyone who

hangs upon a tree.” That was a curse against the dead body of an executed criminal hanged

on a tree. Such a curse was pronounced over the crucified body of Jesus, who was “hanged

on a tree” (i.e., the Cross). By becoming a “curse” in that sense, Paul argues, Christ

removed the “curse” of the Law from those who were under it. Justification now is achieved

by faith in the crucified and risen Christ. Paul offers himself as the example of one who,

through faith in Christ, died in relation to the enslaving power of the law (2:19). That Paul

who had lived under the law was crucified with Christ so that Christ may live in him

eternally. The new Paul has been made righteous before God through faith in the Son alone,

a faith that does not need works (2:20-21).

The third function of the law in Galatians—once its two previous ones were

terminated by the redemptive Christ-event—is that of an expression of God’s will,

specifically, an expression of love. In verse 5:14, Paul states that the entire law has been

fulfilled (πεπλήρωται from πληρὢ = to fulfill) through loving the neighbor “as thyself”, as it

was commanded by God in Leviticus 19:18. In Gal. 6:20 he repeats his statement

somewhat differently. He states that the Law of Christ—which is a reference to the Mosaic
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law—will be fulfilled through the concrete act of love, which is bearing one another’s

burdens. Paul uses the word ἀναπληρὠσετε (from ἀναπληρῶ = to restore something lost,

hidden or missing) to denote that through bearing each other’s burdens, Christians will

satisfy the essential (i.e. hidden) intention of the law, which is love for the neighbor. Loving

one another as the concrete act of fulfilling the law does not require Christians to keep all

the other obligations prescribed by the law. In Galatians Paul explicitly rejects circumcision,

food regulations and festival days for Christians, especially Gentile coverts. Paul’s belief is

that the observance of such typically Jewish regulations by Jewish Christians in the Christian

community creates a division in the community and threatens its unity of love.16

In 5:22 Paul states that love is the fruit of the Spirit. By Spirit, he means the spirit of

the crucified and risen Christ, which has moved and now resides in the believers’ hearts.

This Spirit is our intercessor with God, and the one praying to God on our behalf. Living in

the Spirit compels Christians to love one another. In this love the finds the realization, the

fulfillment of its true intention.17 It follows that, for Paul, the whole of law, in its essence, is

love (Gal. 5:14).

“The Whole Law”: Curse that Enslaves (5:3) or Love that Frees (5:14)?

In the early part of his letter (4:21b) Paul is vehement about the deleterious effects

of the law on the lives of believers. Is he then, contradicting himself when he concludes his

letter by presenting the law as positively related to the life of the church (5:14)? How is this

paradox to be understood?

Exegete J. L. Martyn addresses this issue by contrasting verses 5:318 and 5:14,19 as

literary parallels, both referring to “the whole law” while giving two different portraits of the

law. The difference lies in the two verbs Paul uses, ποιῶ (= to observe) in verse 5:3, and

πληρῶ (= to fulfill) in verse 5:14. Whereas in verse 5:3 Paul speaks of observing the whole

of the Sinaitic law (which has many commandments), in verse 5:14 he says that one fulfills

the whole of the Sinaitic law by keeping the single commandment of neighborly love (Lev.

19:18), which is the law’s essence.20

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Secondly, Martyn sees two distinct voices between Paul’s references to the law in

verses 5:3 and 5:14, the first being a voice that curses and enslaves, whereas the second

being the voice of the pre-Sinaitic law, which speaks God’s own mind. This is the voice of

God who gave the free promise to Abraham, which found its fulfillment in Christ. This voice

does not curse, does not enslave, does not make a false promise, does not separate one

from Christ, but speaks in a way of being positively related to the life of the church.21

Thirdly, Martyn sees the change of the verb from ποιῶ (= to observe) in verse 5:3, to

πληρῶ (= to fulfill) in verse 5:14, as Paul’s reference to an event in the history of the law,

which he denotes using the past perfect πεπλέρωται (= it has been brought to completion).

Paul here implies that the whole of the law has been brought to completion through the

Christ-event, which has caused the law to bear significance in the life of he church.22

Finally, there is a difference in terms of plurality (5:3) and singularity (5:14) of the

law. In verse 5:3 Paul refers to a law with many commandments, whereas in 5:14 he refers

to a law that has been brought to completion ἐν ἑνί λόγω (= in one sentence). Numerous

interpreters have seen this singularity Paul attributes to the law as his summary of the law

in one sentence. But Martyn asks whether Paul sees the law as singular in its inception, its

singularity being revealed or climatically restored through the Christ event that brought the

law into completion. The use of verb ἀναπληρώσετε (= you will fulfill by restoring) (6:20)

clearly states that the church, through the concrete act of neighborly love will restore the

law as it was articulated in God’s mind, spoken directly by God to Abraham, and fulfilled

through Christ. That law was not a series of commandments, but the word of the

promissory gospel, “In you all the Gentiles will be blessed.” (Gen. 12:3)23

Conclusion

This brief attempt to explore Paul’s view of the law in Galatians can lead to a few

conclusions that illuminate the Pauline theology. First, contrary to scholarly attacks against

Paul that he presents a distorted view of the law,24 it seems that Paul does not misrepresent

the law in Judaism, but he clarifies that it was never intended to be a way of salvation in

God’s plan (Gal. 3:6-9, 3:17). Second, contrary to the scholarly opinion that Paul takes a
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vehemently hostile attitude toward the law, attributing its origin to demonic angels with the

evil intention of stimulating transgressions,25 Paul seems to regard “the whole of the Law”

as having a continuing role in the Christian life, because of its real intention which is

realized in love of the neighbor (Gal. 5:14; 6:2; Rom. 8:4; 13:8, 13:10), and which is made

possible by the power of the Spirit (5:22). It follows that, for Paul, the law still serves as an

expression of God’s holy will for Christians.

Finally, contrary to the scholarly accusation that in Paul’s theology of the law

“contradictions and tensions have to be accepted as constant features”,26 it seems that, in

Galatians, Paul consistently refers to the law as the Mosaic law given to Israel; he

distinguishes between observing (i.e., ποιεῖν) the law (Gal. 3:12) as the condition for

remaining within the covenant from fulfilling (i.e., πληροῦν) the law (Gal. 5:13) as satisfying

the true intention of the law through neighborly love, and; he maintains that Christians

fulfill the law only if they submit themselves to the directing and controlling power of the

Spirit (Gal. 3:27; 5:22)

In conclusion, one must read Paul always taking into account the complexity of his

thought and interpret his statements in the context of the rhetorical, historical, social and

theological situations that inspired and informed the writing of his epistles.

ENDNOTES

1
Ehrman, Bart, Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why,
Harper San Francisco, 2005, p. 60.
2
M. Coogan, ed. The New Oxford Annotated Bible, Oxford University Press: New York, 2001,
309 NT
3
Acts 18:23
4
Acts 20:2–3
5
Acts 9:30
6
Hayford, J. (Ed.) New Spirit Filled Life Bible.Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville: 2002, p.1628.
7
http://www.theologywebsite.com/nt/galatians.shtml
8
Howard, George. Paul: Crisis in Galatia: A Study in Early Christian Theology. Cambridge
University Press, 1979
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9
Betz, Hans D. Galatians: A Commentary on Paul’s Letter to the Churches on Galatia, pp.
vii-viii.
10
Luther, Martin, Lectures on Galatians 1535: Chapters 1-4. Luther’s Works, vol. 27. Saint
Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1964, p. 337
11
Notes from lecture presented by Dr. Erik Heen, LTSP, January 22, 2009
12
Notes from lecture presented by Dr. Erik Heen, LTSP, January 15, 2009
13
Fizmeyer, Joseph A., Spiritual Exercises Based on Paul’s Epistle to the Romans, New York,
Paulist Press, 1995, p. 110
14
Fizmeyer, Joseph A., Paul and His Theology, New Jersey, Prentice Hall, 1989, p. 81
15
Luther, Martin, Lectures on Galatians 1535: Chapters 1-4. Luther’s Works, vol. 27. Saint
Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1964. pp. 336-337
16
Hong, In-Gyu, The Law in Galatians, Sheffield Academic Press, 1993, p. 191
17
Luther, Martin, Lectures on Galatians 1535: Chapters 1-4. Luther’s Works, vol. 27. Saint
Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1964. (p. 380)
18
“And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to
keep the whole Law.” New American Standard Bible (©1995)
19
“For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, "You shall love your neighbor
as yourself." New American Standard Bible (©1995)
20
Martyn, J. Louis, Galatians: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary, The
Anchor Bible, vol 33a. New Haven, Yale University Press, 1997, p. 503
21
Ibid, p. 504
22
Ibid, p. 505
23
Ibid, p. 506
24
Raisanen, H. Paul’s Theological Difficulties with the Law, in E.A. Livingstone (ed), Studia
Biblica, III (JSNT Sup, 3; Sheffield; JSOT Press), 1980, pp. 301-20
25
Hubner, H. Law in Paul’s Thought: A Contribution to the Development of Pauline Theology
(Trans. JCG Greig; reprinted with corrections; SNTW; Edinburgh; T. & T. Clark), 1986
26
Raisanen, H. Paul and the Law (WUNT; Tubingen: Mohr [Paul Siebeck]), 1983

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. The Harper Collins Study Bible, New Revised Standard Version, 2005
2. The Greek New Testament, Third Edition. United Bible Societies, 1983
3. Bibleworks7, 2006