For much of Paul, it is necessary to contextualize him within the matrix of the Old Testament, in order to properly understand the complexity of his argument. Many of his sources for Galatians 3 are already known (such as Genesis 15), but the extent to which he refers to Deuteronomy remains largely unrecognized. Firstly, the background of the epistle is not only the status of the Law, but the position of Gentiles with regard to that Law. The Law was being used as an instrument of division by Jewish-Christians, intent on laying the whole burden of Law keeping on the shoulders of their Gentile brethren, and demanding that it was essential to salvation. According to these Jewish-Christians, the keeping of the full Law was still necessary for salvation. Paul is making the point that the Law was never intended to that end—in fact the opposite was true—the law brought death and the Jews themselves could not keep it. Pauline rhetorical strategy focuses on demonstrating that the Promise (and therefore the promised Christ) is superior to the Law and that unlike the Law, the Promise results in unity between Jew and Gentile, reconciliation with God and therefore ultimately in salvation (instead of death).
Paul bases much of his argument on Deuteronomy. The comparison table below is replete with allusions, echoes and sometimes with direct citations from Deuteronomy. Sometimes Paul contrasts the Law with the Promise (such as Gal 3:19/Deut 4:2 – it was forbidden to ‘add’ to the Law but the Promise had the Law ‘added’); at other times his wording echoes Deuteronomy (cf. ‘teacher’ in Gal.3:24-25/Deut.6:7). It can therefore be stated with some confidence that Paul refers to the Shema of Deut.6:4 in Gal.3:20 and that it forms the core of his rhetorical strategy concerning mediatorship and the Law.
| Deuteronomy | Galatians |
|---|---|
| 32:29 Oh, that they were wise…. | 3:1 O foolish Galatians! |
| 27:26 Cursed is the one who does not confirm all the words of this law. And all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’ | 3:10 …it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.” |
| 30:19 I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live. | 3:12 Yet the law is not of faith, but “the man who does them shall live by them”. |
| 21:23 His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed) | 3:13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”)… |
| 4:2 You shall not add to the word [law] which I command you, nor take from it… |
3:15 Brethren, I speak in the manner of men: Though it is only a man’s covenant, yet if it is confirmed, no one annuls or adds to it. 3:19 What purpose then does the law serve? It was added [to the promise] because of transgressions… |
| 32:51 …because you [Moses] trespassed against me…you shall not go there, into the land which I am giving to the children of Israel. | 3:18 For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise |
| 7:8 …but because the Lord loves you, and because he would keep the oath which he swore to your fathers… (v. 9) …he is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations……. |
3:16 Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. 3:19 ….till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made; |
|
4:12 And the Lord spoke to you out of the midst of the fire… (v.13) …So he declared to you his covenant …and he wrote them on two tablets of stone. 33:2 And he said: “The Lord came from Sinai…. with ten thousands of saints (angels)… from his right hand came a fiery law for them. |
3:19 …and it was appointed through angels
3:19 …..by the hand of a mediator. |
| 5:5 I [Moses] stood between the Lord and you at that time, to declare to you the word of the Lord… | 3:19 …by the hand of a mediator. |
| 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! | 3:20 Now a mediator does not mediate for one only, but God is one. |
| 6:25 Then it will be righteousness for us, if we are careful to observe all these commandments before the Lord our God, as he has commanded us.’ | 3:21 Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law. |
| 6:7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. | 3:24-25 Therefore the law was our teacher to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. |
| 32:36 The Lord will judge his people, and will have mercy on his servants: he shall see that their hand is weakened, and that they who were shut up have also failed, and they that remained are consumed. | 3:23 But before the faith came, we were kept under the law shut up, unto that faith which was to be revealed. |
| 32:20 ……For they are a perverse generation, Children in whom is no faith. | KJV3:26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. |
| 32:43 Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people… | 3:28 …for you are all one in Christ Jesus. |
Justification through the Law was conditional on the whole Law being kept. Therefore the Law could only result in cursing and alienation. Even Christ (who kept the whole Law) was cursed by the Law thus demonstrating that the Law was an inadequate vehicle for salvation. However, the fact that the Law unjustly cursed Christ (the Law keeper), meant that the punishment for disobedience (death) had no hold on him and it has no hold on those who identify with his death – the Law is effectively abolished for them for it has no hold on those who are risen!
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One