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 Pauline Literature II - A Study of the Letter to the Galatians Compiled by Sr. Audrey Mwale, LSMI 1|P a g e 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) Pauline Literature II - A Study of the Letter to the Galatians Compiled by Sr. Audrey Mwale, LSMI 2|P a g e 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; Pauline Literature II - A Study of the Letter to the Galatians Compiled by Sr. Audrey Mwale, LSMI 3|P a g e 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. Pauline Literature II - A Study of the Letter to the Galatians Compiled by Sr. Audrey Mwale, LSMI 4|P a g e 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 Pauline Literature II - A Study of the Letter to the Galatians Compiled by Sr. Audrey Mwale, LSMI 5|P a g e 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. Pauline Literature II - A Study of the Letter to the Galatians Compiled by Sr. Audrey Mwale, LSMI 6|P a g e 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 Pauline Literature II - A Study of the Letter to the Galatians Compiled by Sr. Audrey Mwale, LSMI 7|P a g e 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 Pauline Literature II - A Study of the Letter to the Galatians Compiled by Sr. Audrey Mwale, LSMI 8|P a g e 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 Pauline Literature II - A Study of the Letter to the Galatians Compiled by Sr. Audrey Mwale, LSMI 9|P a g e “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 Pauline Literature II - A Study of the Letter to the Galatians Compiled by Sr. Audrey Mwale, LSMI 10 | P a g e 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. Pauline Literature II - A Study of the Letter to the Galatians Compiled by Sr. Audrey Mwale, LSMI 11 | P a g e