St. Dominic’s Major Seminary
Theology III
Class Notes for Private Use of the Students
Prepared by Sr. Audrey Ngao Mwale, LSMI
ST. DOMINIC’S MAJOR SEMINARY
LECTURE NOTES
A. A study of Paul’s first letter to the Galatians
St. Paul’s Letter to the Churches in Galatia is often considered the most Pauline of all
Pauline writing. According to Raymond Brown, it is one single piece in which anger
probably caused Paul to say what he really thought. As such, it has a prophetic slant
like that of Amos. Paul opted to talk straight and radically challenge the Galatians.
1.0. The Historical Background
1.1.
Galatia:
2.0. Some Key Literary Features of the Letter
2.1.
Authorship: In terms of authorship, Galatians is generally considered to be
genuinely Pauline. Very few scholars have any serious doubt that St. Paul is
the author behind this writing.
2.2.
Date: Just as the location of the Galatian churches is under dispute, so too the
time and place of writing can be determined only with probability. Since the
majority favour the view that Paul is writing to the Churches in the north, it also
seems probable that he wrote this letter shortly after his second visit to them
(Acts 18:23), while at Ephesus (Acts 19:1ff) or later in Greece (Acts 20:1-2). The
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striking similarity in theme and vocabulary between Galatians and Romans
suggests that the Letter to Galatians was written shortly before Romans around
56/57 A.D.
2.3.
Audience: It is not yet certain what group of people in Asia Minor Paul has in
mind when he addresses his readers as “Galatians” (3:1) and greets them as the
“churches of Galatia” (1:2). On his first missionary journey, Paul preached in the
cities of the south (Acts 13:13 – 14:24), where he converted many Jews and
Gentiles (Acts 14:1), though hostile Jews countered his preaching with open
persecution. On the second missionary journey he returned to the cities (Acts
16:1-6) and then extended his course northward to “Phrygia and the Galatian
country” (Acts 16:6), though there are no record of his labour there. On his third
missionary journey he again travelled “through the Galatian country and
Phrygia, strengthening all disciples” (Acts 18:23).
Due to the scantiness of the account in Acts, there are varying opinions with
regard to the recipients of the present epistle. Some think that Paul here
addresses the churches of the south which he evangelised on the first missionary
journey. A large group of authors think that he writes to the churches of the
north which he founded on his second missionary journey and re-visited on the
third. The Galatians to whom the letter is addressed were Paul’s converts. He
wrote to the Churches around Ancyra in ethnic Galatian territory, i.e., northcentral section of the province of Galatia in Asia Minor. In any case, the new
Christians whom Paul is addressing were converts from paganism (Gal 4:8–9)
who were now being enticed by other missionaries to add the observances of the
Jewish law, including the rite of circumcision, to the cross of Christ as a means
of salvation.
2.4.
Literary Style: The Letter to Galatians reflects the fact that it belongs to the
epistolary genre, and the way it is written corresponds to Greco-Roman letterwriting conventions. The beginning states the sender, “Paul,” followed by
greeting, “grace to you and peace” (Gal. 1:1-3). Another salutation ends the
letter: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen”
(6:18). In terms of its structural designs, Galatians begin with an
autobiographical section (Gal 1:11-24) in which Paul relays first-hand
information about his prior to his conversion and the years after it, as well as
his relationship with Peter and the Church of Jerusalem. When writing
Galatians, the author generally employed the format of letter writing in the
Greco-Roman world, but without a “Thanksgiving”
A. Opening Formula – Gal 1:1-5
B. Thanksgiving – None
C. Main Body – Gal. 1:6 – 6:10
D. Conclusion Formula – Gal 6:11-18
The following are the principal (Main) divisions of the Letter to the
Galatians:
I. Address (1:1-5)
II. Loyalty to the Gospel (1:6-10)
III. Paul’s Defence of His Gospel and His Authority (1:11 – 2:21)
IV. Faith and Liberty (3:1-4:31)
V. No Freedom but in Christ /Exhortation to Christian Living
(5:1–6:10)
VI. Conclusion (6:11-18)
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3.0. The Rationale:
3.1.
Some would-be Jewish Christians appeared on the scene to create trouble. The
new preachers questioned the authority of Paul as an apostle, that the grounds
of his commission did not come from Christ. (1:1, 12). They began creating
doubts about Pauls authority, making fun of him as being only a disciple of the
disciples of Christ. They claimed that he had never seen Jesus and could not
claim true apostleship.
3.2.
Moreover, they accused him of deliberately distorting the doctrine he had
received and of preaching freedom from the law (1:10). That he was not
preaching the true gospel, 1:7 because he did not insist on observing the mosaic
regulations. They insisted that in order to inherit the promises made to
Abraham, one had to be linked to him at least by circumcision (cf. 6:12; Acts
15:1,5). He was also accused of not observing the celebrations of the Jewish feast
4:10 and of being opportunism for having once permitted circumcision 5:11.
3.3.
When Paul learned of the situation, he wrote this defence of his apostolic
authority and of the correct understanding of the faith. He set forth the unique
importance of Christ and his redemptive sacrifice on the cross, the freedom that
Christians enjoy from the old burdens of the law, the total sufficiency of Christ
and of faith in Christ as the way to God and to eternal life, and the beauty of the
new life of the Spirit. Galatians is thus a summary of basic Pauline theology. Its
themes were more fully and less polemically developed in the Letter to the
Romans.
3.4.
Autobiographically, the letter gives us Paul’s own accounts of how he came to
faith (Gal 1:15–24), the agreement in “the truth of the gospel” (Gal 2:5, 14) that
he shared with the Jewish Christian leaders in Jerusalem, James, Cephas, and
John (Gal 2:1–10), and the rebuke he had to deliver to Cephas in Antioch for
inconsistency, contrary to the gospel, on the issue of table fellowship in the
racially mixed church of Jewish and Gentile Christians in Antioch (Gal 2:11–14;
cf. Gal 2:15–21). At the conclusion of the letter (Gal 6:11–18), Paul wrote in his
own hand (cf. 2 Thes 3:17–18) a vivid summary of the message to the Galatians.
3.5.
In his vigorous emphasis on the absolute pre-eminence of Christ and his cross
as God’s way to salvation and holiness, Paul stresses Christian freedom and the
ineffectiveness of the Mosaic law for gaining divine favour and blessings (Gal
3:19–29). The pious Jew saw in the law a way established by God to win divine
approval by a life of meticulous observance of ritual, social, and moral
regulations. But Paul’s profound insight into the higher designs of God in Christ
led him to understand and welcome the priority of promise and faith (shown in
the experience of Abraham, Gal 3:6–18) and the supernatural gifts of the Spirit
(Gal 3:2–5; 5:16–6:10). His enthusiasm for this new vision of the life of grace in
Christ and of the uniquely salvific role of Christ’s redemptive death on the cross
shines through this whole letter.
3.6.
Others present the goals of the letter in twofold:
3.6.1.
First he defends his personal authority against the attack of the
Jewish teachers (cf. 1 – 2). He defended his position as an apostle and
strongly maintained that the gospel preached, without observance of
Mosaic practices was the only correct view of Christianity. No other letter
contains so full and objective a piece of Pauline autobiography (1:16-17;
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2:6). Whatever he has taught could not be a distortion of their teaching, for
he has learned everything from God (1:11-12; 2:9).
3.6.2.
In the second section (cf. 3 – 4) he presents a stirring demonstration of
the chief truth under attack: it is only the redeeming death of Christ and
man’s share in this through faith and baptism that bring true justice (3:15, 13-14; 4:4-5). Hence no other means, not even the laws and practices of
Judaism, can bring salvation (2:16; 3:10-12, 18). This was also a fierce
attack on the Galatians’ adherence to another gospel.
3.6.3.
Last of all, in cc. 5 – 6, Paul concludes with words of warning and
exhortation, drawing obvious conclusions from the doctrine of freedom
(5:1-11; 6:11-15) and also widening his scope to make many pointed
references to the needs of Christian life. He warned his Christians followers
against the different gospels 1:7 that was actually being preached to them
by the so called “Judaizers” or simply the new teachers/ preachers.
3.7.
Galatians thus became the first letter of St. Paul teaching about Justification by
grace through faith apart from deeds prescribed by the law. It is Paul’s manifesto
about Christian freedom. Though he called the Galatians “senseless” 3:1, he still
found room in his heart for “my children” (4:19) and “brothers” (4:12; 5:11; 6:18).
4.0. An Exegetical study of the Selected Text from the Letter to the Galatians
Probatio: In God’s Plan Humanity is Saved by Faith, Not the Law (3:1 – 4:31).
Proof 1: Experience of the Galatians in First Receiving the Spirit (3:1-5);
Proof 2: Experience Abraham and God’s Promises to Him (3:6-26);
Proof 3: Experience of Christians in Baptism (3:27-29)
Proof 4: Experience of Christians as Children of God (4:1-11);
Proof 5: Experience of Galatians in Their Relation to Paul (4:12-20);
Proof 6: The Allegory of Sarah and Hagar (4:21-31)
4.1.
Paul gives theological arguments based on scripture to support the thesis on
faith and justification. To modern readers his arguments will appear strange and
convoluted. Paul is not giving arguments based on modern logic, but he is using
the Jewish Rabbinic style of argument known as “midrash” using strings of
biblical texts and words to drive home a point.
4.2.
Proof 2: Experience Abraham and God’s Promises to Him (3:6-26);
3:6-14: The Blessing of Abraham and the Curse of the Law:
a) The Historical Context: Paul, Apostle to the Gentiles, established churches
in Galatia composed primarily of Gentiles who received the Gospel eagerly
(4:14-15). He believed that they were “running well” (5:7). But after he left
Galatia, he learned that Judaizers had persuaded the Galatians to adopt
Jewish practices – circumcision in particular. In this letter to the Galatians,
Paul has criticised the Galatians for their turn away from the Gospel which
they have been taught – and has promised a curse on those who have seduced
them to observe Jewish practices (1:6-9). In the earlier part of this chapter
Paul quoted Hebrew Scripture to show that the purpose of the law was to
guide Israel until the Messiah came. His point was that the law, while
necessary, was intended to be temporary.
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b) The Exegetical Commentary on the Text - 3:6-14: This passage has three
sense units. In the first (vv. 6-9), Paul identifies ‘those who are from faith’
as the exclusive “son” of Abraham. In the second (vv. 10-12), Paul seeks to
show that “those who are from works of the law” are under curse and that
the law is therefore utterly incompatible with faith since the latter bestows a
blessing. In the third (vv. 13-14), Paul proclaims that Christ has redeemed
us from the law’s curse, whereby we could ‘receive the promise of the Spirit
through faith’.
The periscope 3:6-14 in Paul’s letter to the Galatians is among the most
argument-rich passages in the NT. It is characterised by unusually
quotations from Scripture. The quotations are centred on Abraham. In 3:614 there are six quotations:
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
vi.
Gen. 15:6 (Gal. 3:6);
Gen. 12:3 (Gal. 3:8);
Deut. 27:26 (Gal. 3:10);
Hab. 2:4 (Gal. 3:11);
Lev. 18: 5 (3:12); and
Deut. 21:23 (Gal. 3:13)
c) He quoted Genesis 15:6 to note that Abraham, the father of Israel, was
counted as righteous, not because of his works, but because of his belief (3:6)
– and said, ‘know therefore that those who are of faith, the same children of
Abraham’(3:7). If, then, he was justified without the deeds of the law, he was
justified by faith; and if he was justified by faith, long before the law was given
then the law is not necessary to salvation. Consequently, the promise was
fulfilled: In thee shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.
d) He quoted Genesis 12:3 to show ‘that God would justify the Gentiles by
faith,’ citing God’s promise to Abraham, “In you all the nation as will be
blessed” (3:10). He blended Deuteronomy 27:26 and 28:58 to show that those
who live by the law are under a curse, because no one is able to keep the law
faithfully (3:10). He cited Habakkuk 2:4b to show that the righteous person
lives by faith – not by the law (3:11), He quoted Deuteronomy 21:23 to support
his argument that Christ redeemed us by becoming a curse for us (3:13).
e) He cited the promises of Genesis 12:2-3; 15:5; 17:8; 22:17-18 to show
that the promises that God made to Abraham have been fulfilled in Christ
(3:16). Abraham’s life demonstrates that God justifies on the basis of faith,
not law-keeping. (To understand the illustrations that follow, read Genesis
12:1-3; Genesis 13:14-18; Genesis 15:1-6; Genesis 22:15-18.) Abraham was
justified not because he kept the law, but because he believed God. The law,
with its rules about circumcision, had not yet been given. The real children
of Abraham are not those who have been circumcised according to the law,
but those who have been saved by faith (6-7). The Old Testament long ago
declared that Gentiles would be saved the same way as Abraham - by faith
(8-9).
f) Those who try to win God’s favour by keeping the law are condemned to death
by that law when they break it. Since all break it, all are condemned (10).
Another reason why people cannot be justified through the law is that
justification is by faith; but the law requires obedience, not faith (11-12).
Christ’s death on the cross was the clear sign to all that he bore the curse of
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God. He suffered the death penalty on behalf of the law-breakers, so that all
who believe in him might escape the law’s curse. Like Abraham, they are
justified by faith (13-14).
5.0. The Major Theological Issues the Theology of the Letter
More than any other book in the New Testament, including perhaps even Romans,
Paul's letter to the Galatians has been the source of theological teaching for the
church in the midst of its deepest crises. Galatians is a theological battleground. It is
the primary document in a struggle for the very life of early Christianity. If Paul had
lost his battle, Christianity would have been left as an inferior sect of Judaism. But,
by the grace of God, the liberating gospel of salvation by faith in Jesus Christ has
triumphed. A Gentile did not have to become a Jew in order to be a Christian.
Because of this fundamental theological issue, Galatians is one of the most
theological of all the New Testament writings. Every part of it is shaped by the clash
of belief s, and Paul is defending his apostleship and his understanding of the gospel
in practically every line of this letter. Paul’s authority as an apostle and his message
of salvation by faith in Jesus Christ are inseparable parts of one great reality—the
revelation which came to him “not from men nor through man,” but “through Jesus
Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead.”
5.1.
Theology of the Last Things: Galatians reflects a salvation-historical
perspective in which the coming of Christ is seen to be the climactic fulfilment
towards which the whole history of Israel has been leading. The eschatological
age of salvation will herald the end of pre-resurrection history. The radical
nature of the transformation accomplished by the coming of Christ is such that
Paul can say that both the former world and his former existence came to an
end with the crucifixion of Christ (6:14; 2:20; 5:24). Paul’s teaching in the book
of Galatians was an application of his central eschatological views. The apostle
Paul taught that the great age to come had begun with Christ's death and
resurrection, even though sin and death would not completely vanish until
Christ returned in glory. And this means that Christians live in what we might
call the "already and not yet," a time when the age of sin and death overlaps the
age of eternal salvation.
But the fact that this age and the age to come exist simultaneously gave rise to
some critical misunderstandings in Galatia The more fundamental error in
Galatia was that the false teachers seriously underestimated the degree to which
Christ had brought the age to come through his death and resurrection. They
failed to realize just how much of the age to come was already present. As a
result, we might call this false teaching "under-realized eschatology," meaning
that their views diminished the significance of Christ's first coming. Now in one
sense, Paul attacked the false teachers' "under-realized eschatology" in every
portion of the book of Galatians. But we'll focus on six areas in which Paul clearly
applied his central theological outlooks to this problem:
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
vi.
First, his description of Christ;
Second, his focus on the gospel;
Third, the law of Moses,
Fourth, the doctrine of union with Christ,
Fifth, his emphasis on the Holy Spirit in the Christian life, and
Sixth, his final appeal to his doctrine of the new creation.
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a) First, his Description of Christ: Grace and peace to you from God our
Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue
us from the present evil age. (Galatians 1:3-4). Notice that Paul did not
simply wish blessings from the Father and Christ for the Galatians.
Instead, he drew attention to the purpose for which the Father had sent
Christ. As he put it here, Jesus was sent "to rescue us from the present
evil age”. Paul described Christ in this way because he wanted to point out
at the beginning of his letter that the Galatians had lost sight of the reason
Christ had come to this earth, namely to deliver Christians into the age to
come.
b) Second, his Focus on the Gospel: I am astonished that you are...turning
to a different gospel which is really no gospel at all. (Galatians 1:6-7). To
catch the significance of this statement, we have to remember that the
term "gospel," or "good news" as it's sometimes translated, comes from the
Greek word euangelion. This New Testament Greek terminology was
based on the Old Testament Hebrew term mebasar, especially as it was
used in Isaiah. Listen to the prophet Isaiah's words in Isaiah chapter 52
verse 7: How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring
good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim
salvation, who say to Zion, 'Your God reigns!' (Isaiah 52:7) In this passage,
Isaiah spoke of the time when the Old Testament exile of Israel would end.
And he used the term "good news" to describe the announcement that the
exile was over, that God had established his reign in human history, and
that God had begun judging his enemies and blessing his people.
As Isaiah said here, the good news of salvation is "Your God reigns," the
reign of God. This reign of God after the exile is what the New Testament
calls "the kingdom of God," which is also another term for "the age to come.
“So, when Paul said that the false teachers had "no gospel at all," he
implied that they denied that Christ had brought the age to come, the age
of salvation, the age of the kingdom of God. By teaching circumcision, and
implying justification by works of the law, the false teachers rejected the
true significance of Christ's first coming. They had no good news or gospel
to offer anyone because they didn't believe that Christ had brought the
Kingdom of God, or the age to come, in any significant way. Here again,
Paul understood the root of the problem in Galatia was that the false
teachers had an under-realized eschatology. The Christian gospel is the
announcement that the Christ has indeed brought the Kingdom of God to
earth; he has introduced the age to come.
c) Third, the Law of Moses: A third way Paul's eschatology influenced his
letter to the Galatians was in his assessment of the Mosaic Law. Paul
touched on the subject of the Law several times in this letter, but in
chapter 3 he dealt clearly with its purpose in relation to this age and the
age to come. What, then, was the purpose of the law? It was added because
of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come.
(Galatians 3:19). What, then, was the purpose of the law? It was added
because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred
had come. (Galatians 3:19). Faith had always been the way of salvation
throughout the Scriptures. But Paul's emphasis on faith raised a serious
question: if God's blessings for Jews and Gentiles have always come by
means of faith alone, then what was the purpose of the Law of Moses?
Why had God given the Mosaic Law to Israel? Paul answered these
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questions in chapter 3 verse 19: At first glance, it might look like Paul
simply brushed aside the moral relevance of the Law of Moses, consigning
it to an age before the coming of Christ.
Several passages in Galatians show that this was not so. In Galatians
chapter 5 verse 14 Paul appealed to Leviticus chapter 19 verse 18 to
explain why believers should pursue love: The entire law is summed up in
a single command: "Love your neighbour as yourself." (Galatians 5:14) A
similar appeal to the Law appears in Galatians chapter 5 verses 22 and
23. As he put it there: As he put it there: The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy,
peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and selfcontrol. Against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23). The Law
wasn't instituted to give God's people salvation or to empower them to live
righteously; it was instituted to reveal their sin. But the law had this
important function in God's plan "until the Seed... had come," that is until
Christ had come. But the Law's authority to condemn was only temporary.
Now that Christ has come, he has inaugurated a new age, and because
believers are united to Christ, they are ushered into the age to come.
d) Fourth, the doctrine of union with Christ: A fourth way Paul's writing
depended on his central outlook on eschatology was by focusing on
believers' union with Christ. The false teachers in Galatia encouraged the
Galatians to think of their salvation in individualistic terms. Their focus
on circumcision and the stipulations of the Mosaic Law had reduced
salvation to an individual attempt to live righteously, and implicitly to earn
justification, by obeying the Law. But Paul insisted that neither
justification nor righteous living could be gained this way. Justification
and righteous living had to come through union with Christ. In Galatians
chapter 3 verses 26 through 29 Paul put it this way: You are all sons of
God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into
Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor
Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according
to the promise. (Galatians 3:26-29).
e) Fifth, his emphasis on the Holy Spirit in the Christian life: A fifth way
Paul's eschatology guided his writing of Galatians was in his discussion of
the Holy Spirit's role in the Christian life. You foolish Galatians! Who has
bewitched you?... Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are
you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? (Galatians 3:1-3). Paul
was amazed that the Galatians, who had begun their Christian lives by
relying on the Holy Spirit, had somehow been tricked into relying on their
own human effort. One place in which Paul called great attention to the
contrast between the work of the Holy Spirit and the work of fleshly human
effort was Galatians chapter 5 verses 16 through 26. There, he developed
a strong contrast between the flesh and the Spirit. Paul contrasted the
acts of the sinful nature, or of fleshly human effort, with the fruit of the
Spirit. The false teachers wanted people to believe that by fleshly human
effort they could submit to circumcision, and that they could be
empowered to live righteously. But as Paul showed here, the only thing
human effort could produce was sin.
The false teachers wanted people to believe that by fleshly human effort
they could submit to circumcision, and that they could be empowered to
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live righteously. But as Paul showed here, the only thing human effort
could produce was sin. Joel chapter 2 verse 28 is one prophecy which
clearly expressed that during the age to come God would pour out his
Spirit in ways that he had not done in the Old Testament. "And afterward,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will
prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see
visions." (Joel 2:28).
"And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and
daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young
men will see visions." (Joel 2:28). But Joel prophesied that in the age to
come the Holy Spirit would be poured out on all classes and groups of
believers. And as we learn in Acts chapter 2, Joel's prophecy began to be
fulfilled on the day of Pentecost. At that time, God began pouring out his
Spirit on all his people in a dramatic way, indicating that the hope of the
age to come had become a reality. But in Galatia, the false teachers had
instructed the Galatians to rely on their own human efforts to live
righteously, indicating that they denied the Spirit's abundant gifting and
enabling in the New Testament era. They failed to realize the great blessing
of the Holy Spirit that Christ had brought when he inaugurated the age to
come. In response, Paul reminded the Galatians that those who belong to
Christ already possess the Holy Spirit in the fullness of his power. When
followers of Christ rely on the Spirit's power; he moves within them to
produce the fruit of righteousness.
f) Sixth, his Final appeal to his Doctrine of the New Creation. A final
place in which we may see Paul's heavy dependence on his doctrine of the
latter days is his appeal to the idea of the new creation. This doctrine
appears in the postscript of his epistle. Listen to the way Paul put it in
Galatians chapter 6 verse 15 through 16. Neither circumcision nor
uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation. Peace and
mercy to all who follow this rule, even to the Israel of God. (Galatians 6:1516). In many respects, these words summarize the entire point of view
presented in the book of Galatians. In Paul's outlook, his opponents were
making far too much out of circumcision because with the coming of
Christ, it does not matter at all if a person is circumcised or not. Instead,
what matters is that every person become a part of "the new creation.
5.2.
Galatian Christology: The coming of Christ and his death and resurrection,
mark the turning point between the ages. These events have transformed the
world and brought the promises of Abraham, of the Spirit, redemption, grace
and freedom to both Jews and Gentiles.
5.2.1.
However, at every turn the focus is on the work of Christ, while God the
Father is ultimately responsible for everything (Monotheistic). This double
focus appears at the beginning in the salutation (v1 & 3) and it goes
throughout at the key soteriological moments. God is the one who was
pleased to reveal his Son in Paul (1:15-16); God sent his Son and the Spirit
of his Son in order to redeem and certify Gentile adoption unto God’s family
(4:4-7).
5.2.2.
Paul identifies Christ as the true “seed” of Abraham, so that those who
are “of Christ” in turn are Abraham’s true descendants (“seed”) and thus
“heirs in keeping with the promise. Israel as a whole is identified as God’s
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“son” (Ex 4:22-23); at a later time in the story their king, who represents
the people, is likewise identified as God’s “son” (Ps 2:7). Thus, after the
demise of the Davidic dynasty, “Son of God” becomes a messianic
symbol, who will assume Israel’s identity and becomes its deliverer, so that
he in turn can make his people once more “the sons of God.”
5.2.3.
Christ, God’s Messianic Son: Pre-existent and Incarnate. The language of
“Son” is best understood first of all in terms of Jewish messianism, “God
sent his Son,” “implies the Son’s pre-existence even while it emphasises his
incarnation in terms is genuine humanity.
5.3.
Theology of Grace in Paul’s Vocation: In the process of establishing the divine
and authority of his ministry and message (1:11 – 2:21), Paul reveals that he
considers himself to be a figure of considerable theological importance. God had
set him apart before his birth and having now called him by his grace (1:15) he
has sent him, through a special revelation of his Son (1:11, 16) to preach Christ
to the Gentiles. He is one of key figures in God’s missionary strategy: he was
given a special grace (2:9), being entrusted with the ministry to the Gentiles just
as Peter was entrusted with the ministry to the Jews (2:7),
5.4.
Ecclesiology - The Church of God and Israel of God: Paul seems to understand
the Church as the eschatological Israel in whom God’s prophetic promises are
being fulfilled. His reference to ‘the church of God’ (1:13) strongly suggests that
the Church is eschatological equivalent of the OT assembly of the Lord or
assembly of God (Deut. 23:1 – 3, 8; 1 Chr. 28:8; Mic 2:5; Heh. 13:1. The Galatian
churches have been ‘redeemed’ and ‘called’ by God of Israel (3:13; 1:6). They
have received the gospel (1:6-9), the good news which Israel had been waiting to
hear (Is 40:9-11; 52:7-10). They are the children and heirs of Abraham (3:7, 29)
and the children and heirs of God (3:26; 4:5-7). They have received the Spirit
(4:6) whom God has promised to pour out on his people Israel (Is. 44:3; Ezek.
36:26-27).
5.5.
Justification by Faith in Christ – Faith and Its benefits: There is a serious
debate in Pauline studies over the meaning of the expression pistis Christou,
traditionally translated ‘faith in Christ’. A growing number of scholars have been
arguing that it should be translated ‘the faith of Christ’ or ‘Christ’s faithfulness’
understood as a reference to Christ’s death on the cross, the act of obedience
which is the ground of the Justification available to those who believe in him.
One of the key texts in the debate is Galatians 2:16 where the expression appears
twice in the same verse (see also 3:22). One of the key texts in the debate is
Galatians 2:16 where the expression appears twice in the same verse (see also
3:22). Supporters of the traditional view believe that the clause ‘we have believed
in Christ Jesus’ makes clear that the other expressions refer to believers’ faith
in Christ. In either case it is clear that our salvation was made possible by
Christ’s death for us (3:2; 6:14), a self-sacrifice of love (1:4; 2:20) in which he
became a curse on our behalf to redeem us from the curse of the law (3:13).
5.6.
The Law: The difference between Paul’s view of the Law and that of the other
teachers in Galatia is based on the greater discontinuity implied in Paul’s more
apocalyptic perspective. He does not expect the Mosaic covenant (and its laws)
to survive his purposes (3:19-24), it pertained to the former age to which Christ
and his community have died (3:19-24), it pertained to the former age to which
Christ and his community have died (2:19; 3:25). Unlike the law, the promise
given to Abraham was not limited to the former age and always referred to and
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awaited an eschatological fulfilment (3:8). The law does not annul that promise
(3:17), and the coming of Christ brings about its long-awaited realisation (3:14,
29).
5.7.
Theology of Christian Freedom – The life of Freedom through the Spirit: In
the last two chapters of the letter, Paul focuses on the issues of freedom and its
proper manifestation by means of the Spirit. He has already referred to ‘the
freedom we have in Christ Jesus’ in 2:4. In Galatians 4:21-31 he establishes that
Christians, as children of the heavenly Jerusalem, enjoy a freedom not shared
by those who are under the Mosaic law. He then summarises much of the
theology of the letter with the phrase ‘for freedom Christ has set us free’(5:1).
Christians must guard their freedom from those who would have them become
enslaved again by taking on the Mosaic law (2:4; 5:1-2). But that freedom is not
to be abused by indulging the flesh (anthropological); rather, it should be used
in serving each other in love (5:13). This is achieved by means of the Spirit
(eschatological)
6.0. The Relevance of the Letter to the Galatians for the Church Today
6.1.
The person of Christ is at the very centre of God’s salvific plan. Just as the
promise made to Abraham found fulfilled in Christ, so every form of PreChristian revelation is completed in him and is defective without him.
6.2.
Christians who move between traditional religious practices and Christianity are
profoundly challenged by Paul’s insights.
6.3.
Galatians is a letter of freedom.
6.4.
We know that we are on the way to salvation if our lives show forth the gifts of
the Holy Spirit, the first of which is love (5:22).
6.5.
The stress throughout the letter is on life in a community, but the idea of
personal relationship to Christ is not lost (1:16).
6.6.
According to St. Paul, nobody should be forced to adopt Jewish customs (e.g.
circumcision), in order to be counted as a Christian. Christ accepts everybody
with their own distinctive traditions.
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