Redeemed from the curse of the Law:

aul was astonished that the Christians in Galatia were attracted to a "gospel" that heaped extra requirements on them. Judaizers were saying that everyone needed to keep the laws of Moses. In chapter 3 Paul explains that Christ died to release us from these obsolete rules.

By law, or by the Spirit?

In verses 1-5, he points out that the experience of the Galatians should have made it obvious—they received the Spirit by faith, not through the law.

Paul expresses his surprise: You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified (v. 1). We might say, Who has pulled the wool over your eyes? Paul had made it abundantly clear that Jesus died on a cross; he would have also explained that this ignominious death had a purpose: Jesus died to save us. Salvation comes from him, not from anything we do.

A few questions should make it clear. I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? (v. 2). The answer was obvious: They received the Spirit by faith. The Spirit was the promise of eternal life, and they already had the promise, so why would they think that more requirements might be necessary? 

Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort*? (v. 3). The Spirit was given by grace, not law, so what did they hope to achieve by law? It just didn’t make sense! The Galatians had been persecuted for their faith, so Paul asks, Have you suffered so much for nothing—if it really was for nothing? (v. 4)

*The Greek is sarx, or “flesh.” “Human effort” captures part of the meaning, but misses the allusion to circumcision.

The Galatians had already seen enough evidence. Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard? (v. 5). The Galatians were doing great without the law, so why would they now entertain the idea that they needed to start keeping the law?

Evidence from Scripture

Paul’s opponents were apparently saying that Scripture required people to observe the law in order to be counted as righteous (Deut. 6:25). They would have cited the example of Abraham, since Jews traced the promise of salvation back to him, and traced the requirement of circumcision back to him, as well.

Paul accepts the challenge and notes that the Old Testament supports salvation by faith. Consider Abraham, he writes. "He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness" (v. 6, quoting Gen. 15:16). His faith was counted as righteousness, without any mention of the law.

Paul agrees that people need to be part of Abraham’s family, but he says that the law is not part of the deal: Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham (v. 7). God counted Abraham as acceptable because he believed, and he will accept everyone who believes, because they are like Abraham in this significant respect.

Paul quotes Scripture again: The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: "All nations will be blessed through you" (v. 8, quoting Gen. 12:3). God promised that the Gentile nations would be blessed through Abraham. They could receive the blessing even while they were Gentiles, that is, while they were uncircumcised.

The conclusion: So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith (v. 9). We are blessed in the same way Abraham was: by faith.

The curse of the law

Faith is one basis for being declared righteous. Is the law is another? "No," Paul says. All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law" (v. 10, quoting Deut. 27:26).

If the law is our standard, we are under the threat of a curse. The law can point out where we failed, but it cannot pronounce us righteous; that was not its purpose.

Paul concludes, Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, "The righteous will live by faith" (v. 11, quoting Hab. 2:4). Habakkuk connects righteousness with faith, not with law.

These two approaches are contradictory: The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, "The man who does these things will live by them" (v. 12, quoting Lev. 18:5). The law requires external behavior. The problem, Paul implies, is that no one "does these things" well enough.

In a law-defined world, we are under a curse. But God has provided a solution to our dilemma: 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" (v. 13, quoting Deut. 21:23). Christ, by becoming human, became our representative. On behalf of all humanity, Christ experienced the curse pronounced by the law—death. He let the law do its worst on him, but it was on our behalf. We are rescued because our representative suffered the consequences of our failure. The law has no further claim on us.

Why did he do this? He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit (v. 14). Christ removed humanity from the domain of law so that salvation might be given to Gentiles (and Jews) through Christ. By faith, we receive the Spirit, the guarantee of eternal life.

Paul has made two points: Justification is by faith, and the law cannot exonerate us. So the obvious question is: What was the law for?

Paul begins with an illustration from everyday life: Just as no one can set aside or add to a human covenant that has been duly established, so it is in this case (v. 15). A human covenant may refer to a business contract, or to a “last will and testament.” Once a contract has been made, neither party can change it without permission from the other. Or for a will, no one (except for the person who made it) can make any changes.

Paul then compares that to the covenant God made with Abraham: The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,” meaning one person, who is Christ (v. 16, quoting Gen. 12:7). Paul knows that “seed” is a collective word including many people (v. 29), but here he points out that the singular meaning fits well with a promise focused on one person, Christ.

In verse 17, Paul compares that to the covenant God made with Abraham: What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise. God would be going back on his word if he originally gave an unconditional promise, and then later started adding conditions. The law of Moses cannot impose requirements that negate the promise of salvation.

For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on a promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise (v. 18). Law and grace are contradictory. God gave the promise to Abraham as a gift, which means that it does not come by the law.

In verse 19, Paul deals with the obvious question: What, then, was the purpose of the law? And he answers: It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. The Law of Moses was designed to be in effect only until Christ came. It was given to demonstrate that people would continue to sin even after a written law was given. The law made it obvious that humans are incapable of attaining righteousness, and that righteousness can come only as a gift.

The law was put into effect through angels by a mediator. A mediator, however, does not represent just one party; but God is one (vv. 19-20). Jewish tradition said that the law was given through angels, and the mediator is apparently Moses, but Paul’s next point about "one" is obscure. There are three possible explanations: 1) a mediator implies two parties—in this case, God and the Israelites. 2) a mediator represents a group, not an individual—in this case, the Israelites. 3) a mediator implies indirect dealings, and is not as good as dealing directly with God, as Abraham did (Richard Longenecker, Galatians [Word Biblical Commentary 41; Word, 1990], 141). The verse does not seem necessary for Paul’s logic.

Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law (v. 21). If the Law of Moses could give life, then God would have used it to give life. But that was not its purpose. If any law could give life, then God would have done it that way. But by its very nature, law cannot give life—it can only condemn.

So what was the result of the law? The Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin… The law made it clear that humanity needs a Savior. What was the purpose of doing that? So that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe (v. 22). God provided the diagnosis and the solution—and it is given (by grace) to those who believe the gospel of the crucified Messiah.

Paul summarizes: Before this faith came [that is, before the gospel], we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed (v. 23). The law held the Jews captive, giving requirements but never rescuing anyone from their tendency to sin, and this bondage lasted only until Christ came.

So the law was put in charge to lead* us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law (v. 25). The law had power in the era before Christ, showing that humans are transgressors, prisoners of sin, unable to be justified by works. But now, the law no longer has authority over us; it cannot condemn us. Christians are not to look at the law of Moses as if it has anything to do with their salvation. •