Galatians: 2
1 of the cardinal doctrines of Evangelicalism is the doctrine of justification by faith alone. That is to say, the sole means by which a fallen human being can be declared righteous by a holy God is by putting his/her faith in Jesus Christ—alone. No amount of good works can move God’s heart to declare a person just in his sight. Our only hope is faith in Christ alone. This is Paul’s gospel, which he began (cf. Acts) preaching to Jews—who, obviously, were zealous about doing the good works of the Mosaic Law (cf. Rom 10:1-3). Having defended his apostleship to the Galatians (chaps. 1-2), Paul defends his gospel message in chaps. 3 & 4.
He begins the defence of justification by faith by arguing from experience. By using a series of questions that all have the same answer, Paul declares that the Galatians were converted to Christ by faith not by obeying the Law (Gal 3:2). He reminds them that they suffered b/c of their belief in a gospel of justification by faith not a gospel of works (Gal 3:4). He reminds them that the miracles that took place in their midst were done by faith in Christ not by obeying the Law (Gal 3:5). He reminds them how by believing in Christ they had been set them free from the idols that had previously enslaved them (Gal 4:6-10). Question: Does Paul’s argument imply more generally, that it’s legitimate to argue for Christianity through your own subjective experience?
Paul then defends his gospel by arguing from scripture. He states that Abraham was justified before there ever was a law to be obeyed (Gal 3:6-9). While Abraham was blessed and the purveyor of blessings, the Mosaic Law brought about divine curses—at least for those who failed to obey any part of it (Gal 3:10-12). In terms of chronology, which came first: the chicken or the egg? Paul states that the covenant God made with Abraham came before the Law covenant, hence, it supersedes it (Gal 3:15-17). Further, Christ’s fulfilment of the Abrahamic covenant, many years after its establishment, annuls the place of the Mosaic Law. That is b/c of the purpose of the Law: God established the Law to lead people to Christ (Gal 3:22-25). In other words, the Mosaic Law when rightly understood teaches, on the one hand, that we simply cannot live up to the standard of God’s holy laws; and it teaches, on the other, that we need God to provide—since we cannot—us some other way of fulfilling his standard. In a bit more confusing section of his letter (4:21-31), Paul seems to be taking up his opponents’ allegorical interpretation of Mt. Sinai and Jerusalem, turning it on its head to show the exact opposite of what his rivals supposed, viz., that those who adhere to his gospel are spiritually free and the true heirs to Abraham’s son Isaac, while those who adhere to a gospel of works are spiritually enslaved, and are more akin to Hagar and her slave son, Ishmael.
Now clearly, if Paul preaches a gospel without borders (so to speak) then it’s easy to see how some people would misunderstand (or even twist) his message as giving them license to live like the world, the flesh, and the devil (cf. Rom 6:1, 15). So Paul cuts off this faulty line of thinking by describing some of the ethical implications of his gospel (chaps. 5-6). Paul affirms that believers are indeed free from the demands of the Mosaic Law (5:1-15). Nevertheless, we’re still obligated to live morally responsibly lives. But Paul cannot command this by simply invoking laws like “do not steal,” “do not lie,” “do not commit adultery”—b/c he’s taken great pains in the previous chapters to destroy the Mosaic Law’s place in the life of the believer. So what’s an apostle to do? Since he cannot invoke the Law, he appeals to life in the Holy Spirit (Gal 5:16, 25). A life lived in the flesh leads to moral chaos (Gal 5:19-21); but a life lived in the Spirit, and led by the Spirit, leads to Christian virtues (Gal 5:22-23). Question: Paul states that our fleshly desires and the Spirit’s desires are at war within us. So, how can we weaken one side and “help” the other so that we win this war?
Life in the Holy Spirit is not simply about experiencing individual blessings from God. Life in the Spirit entails communal obligations (6:1-10). So, Spirit-empowered believers will gently seek to restore brothers/sisters who have slipped into sin (Gal 6:1). Spirit-empowered believers will seek to help carry the spiritual burdens of other brothers/sisters (Gal 6:2). Spirit-empowered believers will seek to persevere in doing good (6:6-10).
Paul then closes out his small—at least compared to Romans and 1–2 Corinthians—but powerful letter with a harsh final warning (6:11-18). He states that his opponents who have been troubling the Galatians are actually cowards: they preach what they do so that they do not become targets of persecution (Gal 6:12). He also says they are hypocrites: they don’t even practice what they preach (Gal 6:13); they’re only looking for boasting rights. And in the end, their “gospel” of circumcision amounts to and accomplishes absolutely nothing before God, who transforms the people who accept Christ alone into brand new creations (Gal 6:15).
Next up: “Paul’s” Letter of Ephesians.