Michael Seiler

Category: Galatians

  • Boasting about the Cross

    See what large letters I make when I am writing in my own hand! It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh that try to compel you to be circumcised — only that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. Even the circumcised do not themselves obey the law, but they want you to be circumcised so that they may boast about your flesh. May I never boast of anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is anything; but a new creation is everything! As for those who will follow this rule — peace be upon them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God. From now on, let no one make trouble for me; for I carry the marks of Jesus branded on my body. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen.

    Galatians 6:11-18

    In this final closing bit of the letter, Paul kind of reiterates the main points about circumcision that he made in the previous chapters, and then sends blessings. But The most interesting part of these final few verses is the sentence that says, “May I never boast of anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”

    Paul is claiming to boast in Christ’s crucifixion. That in itself reminds us of the passage in 1 Corinthians 2:2 where Paul says he wants to know nothing but “Jesus Christ, and Him Crucified.” This thought that Paul repeats is to remind us that the main thing, the most important thing, in the story of God’s salvation in this world is that God died for us to make us a part of God’s family, to bring us into communion with God.

    Then the second part of that phrase makes more sense. If we accept that God died for us, then we too have taken on the crucifixion of Christ – that is, we have accepted that God suffered for us, and that we will share in that suffering as we progress in our spiritual and physical lives. And we will share in that suffering particularly when we try to share this news with others. But it is this that brings about communion in the world. The world is crucified to us, and we to the world. That is, we are to become one, and strive for unity between ourselves and the world; the crucifixion simply reminds us that it may require sacrifice, and it will not be easy. But neither was Christ’s death.

    The idea that Paul carried “the arks of jesus branded on his body” has led some to suggest he had the stigmata. But others suggest that Paul is simply implying that he has suffered and retained scars and physical damage for his work in this world. In other words, Paul has suffered physically to spread the Gospel. This would be in line with the idea of the world crucified to Paul and Paul to the world.

  • Understanding

    My friends, if anyone is detected in a transgression, you who have received the Spirit should restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness. Take care that you yourselves are not tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. For if those who are nothing think they are something, they deceive themselves. All must test their own work; then that work, rather than their neighbor’s work, will become a cause for pride. For all must carry their own loads. Those who are taught the word must share in all good things with their teacher. Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow. If you sow to your own flesh, you will reap corruption from the flesh; but if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the Spirit. So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up. So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all, and especially for those of the family of faith.

    Galatians 6:1-10

    If the last section focused on allowing ourselves to think too highly of ourselves and thereby allowing ourselves to delve into free for all behaviors, then this section is the flip side. It’s still related, though, and in this case, Paul is urging us not to look at others with judgement. Judgement of others always comes from a feeling of superiority, so Paul warns us to confront others with a spirit of gentleness. It’s intended to help us see that the other is most likely burdened with something that is provoking those behaviors, rather than pure spite.

    When it comes to people who have been arrested for crimes and imprisoned, it is far too easy to simply write it off as “they got what they deserved,” and leave it at that. But the work should not end there. Carrying one another’s burdens should lead us to understand why this person felt the need to act they way they did. Understanding goes a long way to making sure that they will not do it again. It’s not that we are looking for an excuse to their behavior, but rather an explanation for why they ended up where they did. That understanding will help them to make positive changes in their lives, and hopefully keep them from repeating the behavior. This is the spirit of gentleness that Paul mentions; this is carrying one another’s burdens. Carrying each other’s burdens is not just for those that agree with us, or with those we find agreeable, but for all of our siblings in Christ. Even those that have wronged us or others.

    While I use an example about criminal behavior, this need to seek understanding between ourselves and others is what will drive unity. Without seeking each other out in a spirit of gentleness, and without seeking to understand the motivations behind why we act the way we do, we will continue to entertain the idea of superiority. Ultimately, it is behavior that is focused on others and on a comparison between those others and ourselves. When we focus on God we focus on the benefit of others. When we focus on what others are doing, we focus on the benefit to ourselves; it is this comparison between where they stand, and where we stand in whatever measurement we are using that forces us to draw our attention to our own issues. This is why it is so important to approach others with a spirit of gentleness, so that we can understand one another, and move each other toward the common goal of Christ’s reign in this world.

  • Freedom Fruits

    Live by the Spirit, I say, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. For what the flesh desires is opposed to the Spirit, and what the Spirit desires is opposed to the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not subject to the law. Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. I am warning you, as I warned you before: those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, competing against one another, envying one another.

    Galatians 5:16-26

    From the title you might think I’m a farmer with a street cart trying to get you to buy my patriotically grown product (whatever that might mean). But I assure you, this fruit is devoid of any jingoism or supposed conflation of Christianity and national pride. In fact, the fruits of the Spirit that Paul is speaking about transcend anything remotely isolationist, since it speaks of our belonging to a tribe of people that exist outside of national boundaries.

    Often, when students head off to college for the first time, they are suddenly struck with the realization that no one is watching their every move; they are free from family, free from old friends, free from the people across the street, and their neighborhood pastor. Suddenly, they encounter the idea of freedom to do as they please, without the social repercussions experienced in a community that has placed expectations upon them from birth. And with that comes the possibility for acting on every whim, devoid of second thoughts and responsible actions; it comes with the possibility of a free for all.

    In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul wrote that all things are permissible, but not all things are beneficial.1 He said this while discussing a similar set of free for all behaviors. But, moreover, in Corinthians, Paul continues that while all things are lawful/permissible, he will not be brought under the power of any of them. Those comments in the letter to the Corinthians share the same words as Paul frequently uses in the letter to the Galatians; Paul is saying that he will not become a slave to these behaviors. There is a fine distinction here between acting upon every whim of our desires and acting out of self-control and out of a spirit of love. If we allow ourselves to follow our innate desires, we may very well descend into behaviors that are driven by our addiction to them and our addiction to our own sense of self-worth and power. But if we moderate those behaviors, based in our love for God and our neighbor, then those behaviors will never dominate or enslave us; instead, our behavior will be tempered by our relationship with Christ, and with his children.

    The important thing to remember, of course, is that these fruits of the spirit are a result of seeking God first in all we do, and not in seeking to fulfill our own desires. If we look at all the things Paul mentions in this passage, we see that all of them stem from some form of self-importance; every one of these behaviors can be traced back to the idea that we are more important than others, or that others have harmed or infringed upon the stellar specimen of humanity that is us.

    And, just as in the last section, Paul is attempting to point people’s lives toward God, and not toward selfish desires and ambitions. He ends this section with the command that we should not become conceited, that we should not compete against one another, nor that we should envy one another. There is no reason to fear one another, to compete with one another, to envy each other when we all share in God’s promise to us through our belief in Christ. If we all have the same promise, then our lives should be tempered through the lens of that promise, the lens of seeking Christ’s work in this world. When we do this, we do not run the risk of becoming enslaved to these behaviors, but instead our behaviors are lived out through the lens of a shared goal and through our shared love of Christ and neighbor.

    1. 1 Corinthians 6:12

  • The Only Thing that Counts

    For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. Listen! I, Paul, am telling you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no benefit to you. Once again I testify to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obliged to obey the entire law. You who want to be justified by the law have cut yourselves off from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. For through the Spirit, by faith, we eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything; the only thing that counts is faith working through love. You were running well; who prevented you from obeying the truth? Such persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. A little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough. I am confident about you in the Lord that you will not think otherwise. But whoever it is that is confusing you will pay the penalty. But my friends, why am I still being persecuted if I am still preaching circumcision? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed. I wish those who unsettle you would castrate themselves! For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become slaves to one another. For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” If, however, you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.

    Galatians 5:1-15

    Many years ago, while still a part of a Pentecostal congregation, there was a particular individual who had come to preach and to provide healing to members of the congregation. When people were not automatically healed, they were informed that they either did not have enough faith, or that they had done something (a vague something) to remove God’s blessing from their lives. In other words, God’s work in this world was dependent upon their actions; if they had sin in their lives or sin in their hearts, God would refuse to work. Naturally, this either spurred people to keep ridiculous man-made requirements, or it caused them to despair of God’s grace, and walk away from the church, knowing that no matter how hard they tried, they would never be able to uphold all of the requirements.

    In a sense, Paul is telling the Galatians that by trying to keep the Law, they were taking the work of salvation into their own hands. Granted, this is more of a shift in thought, but the orientation of their thoughts makes a big difference in how their lives would unfold. If they chose to follow the Law, and to be bound by the Law, they would be placing themselves under the obligation to uphold all of the law. And that, of course, as Paul has been saying is something that is not possible to do on one’s own.

    What’s more, Paul goes on to say, in the freedom that Christ’s death and resurrection had brought to them, upholding the rules and regulations really meant nothing. In Christ, the only thing that mattered was “faith working through love.” Paul then goes on in the next several verses to explain that the only real thing that matters is fulfilling the law by Loving your neighbor as yourself.

    This, of course, is again Paul’s main point. Living in the relationship, attempting to love God and one’s neighbor is where the freedom in Christ comes from. There are no rules and regulations to follow, except for loving one’s neighbor, just as one loves oneself. This is simultaneously easier, and more difficult. Sometimes, loving our neighbors is not easy, even though the commandment is simple. For people who would rather have things be both simple, and easy, they can feel as though they are living up to the requirements by checking things off a list. The trouble is that they will never be able to check off all items.

    The caveat to living in this freedom, Paul goes on to say, is that we might abuse that freedom to indulge ourselves. If we do not use this freedom in Christ to love one another, then we become consumed in pushing our own agendas and actions. And when we push our own agendas and actions, we become self-centered, and then we begin to devour one another with our actions that seek to serve ourselves, rather than others.

    This sort of devouring and consuming behavior is probably not something that needs an example, as each of us can think of a situation where fellow believers pushed their own agendas despite the needs of others. They loved themselves more than others, and therefore came to a point where their actions proved to be self-defeating.

  • Fearful or Free

    Tell me, you who desire to be subject to the law, will you not listen to the law? For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman and the other by a free woman. One, the child of the slave, was born according to the flesh; the other, the child of the free woman, was born through the promise. Now this is an allegory: these women are two covenants. One woman, in fact, is Hagar, from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery. Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. But the other woman corresponds to the Jerusalem above; she is free, and she is our mother. For it is written, “Rejoice, you childless one, you who bear no children, burst into song and shout, you who endure no birth pangs; for the children of the desolate woman are more numerous than the children of the one who is married.” Now you, my friends, are children of the promise, like Isaac. But just as at that time the child who was born according to the flesh persecuted the child who was born according to the Spirit, so it is now also. But what does the scripture say? “Drive out the slave and her child; for the child of the slave will not share the inheritance with the child of the free woman.” So then, friends, we are children, not of the slave but of the free woman.

    Galatians 4:21-31

    Wow. At first reading this makes my head spin. What do these two women have to do with the Law? At first I got caught up in the place names, and the comparisons to other places, wondering what might be going on. But it seems to be much more simple than all of that. Men in those days might have had children from their slave women, but those children were never brought in to the will, the inheritance. In this case, those children born of slave women would never have the inheritance that Isaac would have, because they were not part of God’s promise to Abraham. That promise was to come through Isaac. And, Paul alludes to this when he says, “Rejoice, you childless one, you who bear no children … for the children of the desolate woman are more numerous than the one who is married.” Sara was barren until the promise of God came to her that she would be the “mother of nations.” And the promise came to be.

    But imagine what Sara must have gone though all those years of being childless while wanting a child. Or, later, of seeing Abraham have a child with her servant Hagar. We know she was upset, because the bible tells us that she treated Hagar harshly 1 – jealous, most likely, at Hagar’s good fortune of fertility. Even later, when she herself gives birth to Isaac – through whom God’s promise was to come – she again treats Hagar harshly; this time probably not from jealousy, but more likely fear that Ishmael would try to usurp Isaac’s rights, or even kill him 2. Obviously, we can only speculate at her intentions based on what the scripture tells us, but the end result is that Ishmael is kicked out of Abraham’s group of people.

    These speculations on what Sara might have been thinking come from my experience of being in ministry, and watching others in ministry. There are times where our ministries and lives seem to be spiritually barren, where nothing quite seems to go as expected, even though we believe with all our might that God has brought us to that place. And yet, despite our work, our ministries and lives seem to bear no fruit. Meanwhile, others seem to enjoy the fruits of God’s blessings, their ministries flourish for no apparent reason, and they are gifted with God’s promise of abundant ministry. Being human, we often tend toward anger, bitterness, and maybe even mockery, instead of rejoicing that God is accomplishing work in the world in partnership with others.

    What’s even more odd, is that often when ministry does take off, when God’s blessing seems to rest with our work in partnership with God, then when we see someone else who might infringe up on “our” work, we often enter into the same anger, bitterness, and mockery. I’ve seen it happen where a new pastor at a church has demolished the work of others – good work, bearing fruits within the community – simply because they feared that the others would take the spotlight, or take over their own ministry. Those people were, in every sense of the word, banished from the community, simply because the new pastor feared their work.

    It is good to remember, though, that Paul is simply giving us another example of how we are related to God’s work in this world. We have received a promise through our belief in Christ, and that belief frees us up from being slaves to rules and regulations to being free to relish in the promise and live our lives according to the joy that comes with a promise of that magnitude, rather than in the fear of retribution for failing to keep all the rules. Also, we’re not an only child; we are children of the promise, which means that everyone who believes shares that promise. Just because one’s work is bearing fruit at this time does not mean that we will miss out on the promise; we’re all going to get the same, regardless of how mundane or fantastic our ministries or lives are here on this earth. That alone should be a freeing thought.

    1. Genesis 16:4-6
    2. Genesis 21:9 and Genesis 25

  • Beyond The Rules

    Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to beings that by nature are not gods. Now, however, that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and beggarly elemental spirits? How can you want to be enslaved to them again? You are observing special days, and months, and seasons, and years. I am afraid that my work for you may have been wasted. Friends, I beg you, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You have done me no wrong. You know that it was because of a physical infirmity that I first announced the gospel to you; though my condition put you to the test, you did not scorn or despise me, but welcomed me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus. What has become of the goodwill you felt? For I testify that, had it been possible, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me. Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth? They make much of you, but for no good purpose; they want to exclude you, so that you may make much of them. It is good to be made much of for a good purpose at all times, and not only when I am present with you. My little children, for whom I am again in the pain of childbirth until Christ is formed in you, I wish I were present with you now and could change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.

    Galatians 4:8-4:20 (NRSV)

    Years ago, I used to smoke. Regularly. You might say I was enslaved to the little death sticks. And each year at New Year’s, sometimes maybe during the rest of the year, I would make the declaration that I was done, finished with this nonsense. And quitting might last a few days, maybe a few weeks, but then I would return to smoking with a renewed sense of passion, almost like I had to make up for those days or weeks without.

    This is because all of my momentary changes were based on external stimuli, either others telling me it was necessary to quit, or hearing more news about the dangers of smoking, or cultural pressures that made sure to make you feel bad for doing so. It wasn’t until I had that moment of clarity, that moment of disgust that made me want to quit for my own reasons that I finally kicked the habit. The motivation came from within, rather than without.

    In a sense, in this passage, Paul is questioning how deep the motivations of the Galatians lie: “how can you turn back again to the weak and beggarly elemental spirits? How can you want to be enslaved to them again?” Especially, since the whole reason that they had left these things in the first place was because they had “known God.” Or rather, they had been “known by God.” The distinction is one that Paul wants to clarify in their own minds. The Galatians had known God, and in return been known by God. This was an active, living relationship, not one that grew out of blindly following rules and regulations. They had been known by God, and yet, they still returned to the old ways, the way of the Law, which prescribed behavior, rather than dealing with the relationship of being known by the God of Love. What could motivate them to leave that relationship for the legalism again?

    A few weeks ago, I sat with a couple around a fire, and we were discussing God and religion. The conversation turned to what Christians were supposed to do, and what they were not supposed to do. My response was, “if your faith revolves around what is allowed or not allowed, then you’ve missed the mark. Your faith should be about the relationship with God.” I then drew a comparison between their own relationship and how they probably don’t have rules for each other to follow, but rather have expectations. And if one of them failed to live up to those expectations, there wouldn’t be punishment, but rather a conversation, since the idea was to strengthen the relationship, rather than punishing one for failing to live up to the other’s standard.

    If the Galatians would rather just have a list of things that they could do, and could not do, and would rather just have a a menu of behavior that was deemed acceptable, then that rightly made Paul fear for them, that his work for them might have been wasted (v.11) If they would rather have a list of prescribed behaviors than a relationship with God, then that meant that they had chosen the easy path, the easy way out.

    Paul reminds them that he gave up this legalism in order to preach the Gospel to them, because if he had been following the prescriptions of the law, he wouldn’t have even been able to eat with them, much less spend time speaking with them. Instead, he didn’t allow himself to be hamstrung with rituals and childish ideations so that he could form a relationship with them, and show them how to form a relationship with God.

    And this relationship that Paul has with the Galatians is what allows him to tell them the truth. Real friends do not shy away from telling each other the truth. But the truth is not always easy to hear, so the Galatians have branded Paul their enemy. And it is for this reason that Paul calls them “my little children.” It is not just to remind them of the relationship he has to them, but more importantly, to remind them that they are behaving as children, because they have not yet come to understand the freedom in Christ that comes with a relationship with God.

  • What’s my Inheritance?

    for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise. My point is this: heirs, as long as they are minors, are no better than slaves, though they are the owners of all the property; but they remain under guardians and trustees until the date set by the father. So with us; while we were minors, we were enslaved to the elemental spirits of the world. But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children. And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God.

    Galatians 3:26-4:7

    According to some studies, up to 70% of people who receive an inheritance squander it within two years. Other studies show that up to 90% of people who inherit money no longer have that wealth by the third generation. More often than not, it seems, it is because those who made the money did not adequately prepare those who inherited it on how to spend it wisely.

    Paul often talks about being joint heirs with Christ, and tries to remind his readers that by believing in the work of Jesus in this world, we are not just children of God, but that we also inherit God’s kingdom. Children in the ancient world really didn’t have much more rights than the slaves that they were being raised by, because until they came to be of age, they would not have the rights to the inheritance granted to them. Paul is likening being under the law, or being required to uphold the law, as the same as being a child. Then, coming to understand the freedom that Christ’s death and resurrection granted to people is likened to becoming an heir to the kingdom of God. Those that were slaves in a wealthy household in the ancient world could never attain the inheritance that the child they were raising could. But under Christ, they would become an heir, just like that child. This is a reference to the Jews – God’s chosen people – and the gentiles; now that Christ had come, Gentiles have the same inheritance in the kingdom of God as those born into the Jewish faith. This was good news to those outside of Israel – or should have been.

    It seems to me that we often forget that we are joint heirs of Christ, and therefore have access to the inheritance of the Kingdom of God. Too often, belief in Christ is equated with eternal life, as if that is the only inheritance that we receive. But as expressed in the book of Acts, and in various other areas of Paul’s letters, the Holy Spirit, the spirit of God is one of the things that we inherit as children of God. And this gift, the gift of the Spirit, is not something that we get only at the end of our lives.

    Instead, as Paul gets further into his letter to the Galatians, he gets around to expressing what the fruits of the Spirit are: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. These are the gifts that we inherit even now, and which we can access through our acceptance of the gift of Christ. Trouble is, it seems, we have not always been taught how to use our inheritance, and so we squander that inheritance, rather than using it wisely. Instead of love, we often push hatred in the name of Jesus, saying that God would not love those who live in sin. Paul called himself chief among sinners, because he understood the gift he had received, while too often we call others sinners, and name ourselves as the righteous. We often peddle anger, and self-righteous indignation, rather than joy, kindness, and gentleness. Instead of faithfulness to the good news that Christ’s death made us heirs in God’s kingdom, we often find ourselves faithful to political ideologies.

    Why do we squander our inheritance? Probably because it is easier to live within the construct of our cultures than to be countercultural like Jesus. Jesus up-ended the way of life for many people who thought that they were righteous, by showing them that they were motivated by fear, by power, or by greed, rather than love for God. If we are children of God, we inherit the Spirit of God, and if we inherit the Spirit of God, we begin to display in our lives those things that are of God, and not of this world.

    κληρονόμος – Kleronomos, out, o – heir;1

    1. Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, 1 volume (TDNT), pp. 445-446

  • Training Wheels

    Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring would come to whom the promise had been made; and it was ordained through angels by a mediator. Now a mediator involves more than one party; but God is one. Is the law then opposed to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could make alive, then righteousness would indeed come through the law. But the scripture has imprisoned all things under the power of sin, so that what was promised through faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law until faith would be revealed. Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian

    Galatians 3:19-25

    After having read Paul’s arguments for the law, I started singing the lyrics to the old Temptations song, “War.” Only I modified the lyrics, “Law! What is it good for, absolutely nothing!” Of course, that just means that I was following along with Paul’s train of thought, and going right where he wanted his readers/listeners to go. After all of this arguments, we are left wondering exactly the same question that Paul starts this passage with: “Why then the law?” If the promise God made to Abraham supersedes the law, then why was there ever a compendium of rules and regulations? Why were they necessary, if the way to God could be found through faith alone?

    Well, it seems that not everyone had the pleasure of interacting with God in the manner than Abraham did, and so for those, the law was given as a means of moving people toward the mindset exemplified by a living faith by giving people the guidance they need to move forward. Kind of like training wheels on a child’s bike. They are pedaling, keeping themselves mostly upright and balanced, until something throws them slightly off kilter and they fall a bit to the left or right. But then the training wheels catch them, bringing them back to a level of equilibrium.

    Another example, perhaps more in line with Paul’s thinking, is this word “adulting.” A lot of memes these days talk about “adulting,” and how taking on the responsibilities of being an adult are difficult. Everyone wishes they could still be a child, have their parents or guardians – or anyone else, really – doing the difficult, heavy lifting of life for them, while they are allowed to focus on the fun and enjoyable bits of life. This calls back the idea found in earlier chapters, in which we understand the irony of living a life according to rules and regulations set down by others. It is easier to live according to a set of rules than to move forward completely free to live as we choose – and still choosing to live that life for God. Paul’s thoughts here tell us that the Law was that guide, that tutor, that chaperone that helped to teach us and prepare us to take on the challenges of life in that day when the training wheels are removed, or when those that have raised us are no longer around.

    The law was intended to guide people until the messiah came, until the path of faith provided the means to God. But, now that Paul declares the age of the messiah, he is by no means saying that the law should be completely thrown out either. Just because faith in the messiah now provides access to God to all people, including the gentiles, does not mean that Paul intends to throw out the Law altogether. In fact, in Romans 3, Paul talks about the law, and asks whether the whole codex should be nullified, and answers his own question with “It should never be so.” Paul does seem to think that the Law is still beneficial to believers, even though believers have been set free from the condemnation of the Law when failing to live up to it. The Law still provides guidance toward living in freedom, once one has started along the path of faith.

    Important Words and Phrases

    παράβασις – parabasis, eos, on – “Striding to and fro,” overstepping, transgression, violation. In the NT it denotes sin in relation to the Law. Between Adam and Moses there is sin, but no parabasis because the law is not yet given. In Galatians 3:19 the law is given to show that evil deeds are transgressions of God’s will. 1 Those that know God’s will might have a chance of avoiding transgressions, while those who seek only to follow the rules and regulations of the law will be destined to fail to achieve to uphold it.

    ἐπαγγελία – Promise.2 Paul links the word promise to the gospel, and looks at “promise” from the standpoint of επανγέλεσθαι (middle voice for “I announce myself”) with the implication being that one announces oneself with the intention of providing one’s services to others. It seems that the idea of a promise to Paul includes the idea of service. The gospel includes the service of Christ to the people of the world, through his death. How does viewing a promise as service to others affect the definition of the word?

    προστίθημι – Prostithemi – To add to, increase, or do again. In the context of Galatians 3:19, it suggests that the law was simply an interlude [on the way to the final fulfillment of the promise of Christ].3

    παιδαγωγος – Paidagogos – attendant, custodian, guide (possibly a tutor). For Paul, the law has only limited validity (Gal. 3:24). Its time end with Christ. It is a paedagogos while we are minors. During our minority, we are under it and virtually in the position of slaves. With faith, however, we achieve adult sonship and a new immediacy to the Father which is far better than dependence on even the best “pedagogue.” Although Paul here associates the law with the “elemental spirits,” he is not against the law. It is a taskmaster with an educational role. He thus continues to appeal to it when decisions must be made in congregational life, interpreting the OT in the light of Christ. 4 Consider also the concept of the Greek idea of home education, which had the intention of training children – and heirs – to be cultured and upright so that they could assume the responsibilities of the household after the death of a parent.

    1. Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, 1 volume (TDNT), pp. 772-773
    2. TDNT, pp. 76
    3. TDNT, pp. 1181
    4. TDNT, pp. 757

  • Rewriting the Promise

    For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the things written in the book of the law.” Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law; for “The one who is righteous will live by faith.” But the law does not rest on faith; on the contrary, “Whoever does the works of the law will live by them.” Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us — for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree” — in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

    Galatians 3:10-14

    Every one of us knows someone – or maybe we ourselves fit into the category – who can never let go of something until they determine that it is “perfect.” The will not give up on a task or on a project until it has met their rigorous standards. Often that means that they will never complete the project, because after every little bit of tinkering, every little change, they discover that something else is still missing that certain special feature that keeps the whole thing from being perfect. No matter how hard they try, whatever it is they are trying to accomplish simply doesn’t live up to the perfection that they strive for.

    You could almost say that they are cursed with an affliction that keeps them from ever attaining what they seek, simply because nothing quite measures up. Even when everyone else around them is convinced of the merits of the project or task.

    It is this struggle to live up to an unattainable goal that Paul is trying to point out, starting in verse ten. In verse nine, he had only just said that all who are of faith are blessed with believing in Abraham. And then he immediately contrasts that with those who are cursed because they are trying to keep the Law of Moses. Paul quotes Deuteronomy 27, where the Levites are to proclaim “in a loud voice” those who will be cursed, specifically verse 26, where they state, “Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the things written in the book of the law.” The idea of being able to keep the entirety of the law is simply unattainable. Paul, who had been a Pharisee, an ardent adherent of the Law, knew that it was impossible to keep all of the laws. Even Jesus pointed out to the Pharisees that they neglect the weightier parts of the law, like justice, mercy, and faith (v. 23), and instead rely on their own understanding of righteousness, an understanding of righteousness that is only an outward show (v. 28) (verses from Matthew 23).

    For those listening – knowing Paul’s history as one of those considered righteous according to the law – and hearing him state that it is impossible to completely keep the law, no matter how badly you want to, or how hard you try, must have been confusing enough to give Paul the effect he was looking for. The effect would be this: “Look, I was a Pharisee, I stood for the full and robust keeping of the Law, but even I couldn’t keep it completely. And now, I have something better to tell you. A means to seek God through your faith, and not through something unattainable. Salvation is unattainable through our own works. We are cursed if we do not keep it all, so what we need instead is one who takes on that curse for us. That, my friends, was Jesus. Christ became the curse for us, to bring the blessing of Abraham to all of us, through his own cursed nature, hanging on a tree.”

    While the argument makes sense even without knowing Paul’s history, I think that the argument is much more effective for those who knew of Paul’s history as one who persecuted the church because of his ardent adherence to the Law. And, I think this is where we can also look to our own lives. Evangelism is never just a simple recounting of the academic points of what Christ did for us, but an active, tangible display of what Christ has changed in us, in our lives. People may remember the academic bullet points, but still not believe because they haven’t seen a drastic change in the lives of those sharing the message. I believe that sometimes those who have come from darker histories have a greater example – and therefore a greater opportunity – to share the message of Christ’s redemption, because people see the metamorphosis that they have undergone. Those who have always managed to fit into society’s “approved circles” will never really have the same context to declare the good news as those who have walked through the radical transformation that this message brings.

    Brothers and sisters, I give an example from daily life: once a person’s will has been ratified, no one adds to it or annuls it. Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring; it does not say, “And to offsprings,” as of many; but it says, “And to your offspring,” that is, to one person, who is Christ. My point is this: the law, which came four hundred thirty years later, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to nullify the promise. For if the inheritance comes from the law, it no longer comes from the promise; but God granted it to Abraham through the promise.

    Galatians 3:15-18

    I think most of us, when first reading this passage, can be excused for cocking our heads to the side and wondering out loud, “Could you be any more esoteric, Paul?” What exactly is he driving at with this comment about someone’s last will and testament? People change their wills all the time, don’t they? At least before they die, so why bring this up here? It seems, that Paul wants to again make the point that God had made a promise to Abraham, that all nations would be blessed through Abraham. And so, this discussion about a will is really about the ultimate provider of salvation – the law, or faith.

    Or, those things that come from clear cut definitive words on paper, and those that come from a relationship. Those pushing for the gentiles to become Jews first, before following the Messiah, were arguing that the Law was the ultimate result of the Abrahamic covenant. But Paul points out that God had promised a global family to Abraham long before the law was handed down. So, if the inheritance of a global family came from the law, then there would be no need for the promise. And, since God had promised this to Abraham before the law was delivered, then the promise of this vast number of descendants can only be fulfilled with an action beyond the law. Again, this action is Christ’s death on the cross, through whom even the Gentiles are added to Abraham’s lineage, fulfilling the promise that through Abraham, all nations would be blessed.

    N.T. Wright defines this whole conversation as those who wanted to convert people to the law before allowing them to become a part of the family of Christ as trying to re-interpret the will of a dead person, by claiming that “It’s what he would have wanted.” 1 But, Paul says, what God wanted was already clear, so this desire to make people adhere to the law is nothing more than trying to put words into God’s mouth.

    Important Words and Phrases

    ἐπικατάρατος, -ον – Accursed, execrable – only has Ecclesiastical and biblical uses, and only appears in Galatians 3:13. Another form of the word, επάρατοσ, used in John 7:49, expresses the scorn of the scribes for the unlearned; those that do not know the law are “cursed.” 2 Does the idea of “ignorance of the law is no excuse” express a similar idea to the scorn of the scribes?

    σπέρμα – Something sown, i.e. seed, including the male “sperm.” figuratively, descendents, offspring. In Paul, both the idea of plant seed as well as the male offspring. Sometimes it refers to Christ (Galatians 3:16), or to the church (Romans 9:8).3

    ἐπαγγελία – Promise.4 Paul links the word promise to the gospel, and looks at “promise” from the standpoint of επανγέλεσθαι (middle voice for “I announce myself”) with the implication being that one announces oneself with the intention of providing one’s services to others. It seems that the idea of a promise to Paul includes the idea of service. The gospel includes the service of Christ to the people of the world, through his death. How does viewing a promise as service to others affect the definition of the word?

    1. N. T. Wright, Paul for Everyone – Galatians and Thessalonians, pp. 35-36
    2. Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, 1 volume (TDNT), pp. 76
    3. TDNT, pp 1066-1067
    4. TDNT, pp 240-241

  • Father Abraham Had Many Children

    You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly exhibited as crucified! The only thing I want to learn from you is this: Did you receive the Spirit by doing the works of the law or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? Having started with the Spirit, are you now ending with the flesh? Did you experience so much for nothing? — if it really was for nothing. Well then, does God supply you with the Spirit and work miracles among you by your doing the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard? Just as Abraham “believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,” so, you see, those who believe are the descendants of Abraham. And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, declared the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “All the Gentiles shall be blessed in you.” For this reason, those who believe are blessed with Abraham who believed.

    Galatians 3:1-9

    When I was still in grade school, one of the songs we sang in Sunday school and vacation bible school was “Father Abraham.” The song was a a few short verses, and went like this:

    “Father Abraham had many sons.
    Many sons had Father Abraham.
    And I am one of them.
    And so are you.
    Many Sons had Father Abraham.
    So let’s just praise the Lord.”

    Father Abraham

    Granted, the language might need some updating to be a bit more inclusive, but the simple truth that was passed on to little ones like me and my friends was that we were part of the tribe of Abraham, part of his spiritual family, brought about by the promise that God had made to Abraham. And this truth is what Paul is trying to convey to the people of Galatia. He is continuing the argument he began with the story of Peter failing to live up to his own convictions, attempting to show the difference between faith and works.

    The reason Paul is so perplexed by the Galatians is that they had already understood that they were accepted as members of God’s family, and that this status as members of the family was attained through their belief in Jesus as the Messiah. And so now, when people come along telling them that they need to first become Jews and follow all the rules and regulations of the Jewish faith before they can consider themselves followers of Christ, Paul thinks that they must be bewitched. What else could explain going from already being accepted in the family of God to suddenly trying to attain something they already had by doing work that they didn’t need to do? “Mind-boggling. It must be that someone has put a spell on them.”

    But why bring up Abraham at all? N.T. Wright, and others, think that those demanding the gentiles follow the Jewish law were probably throwing around Abraham’s name, because God had made the covenant with Abraham, and had demanded circumcision as part of that covenant (Genesis 17). This would seem like a logical argument, and would explain why they are demanding that everyone need to get circumcised. But Paul reminds them that not even Abraham had been circumcised only after God had deemed him righteous (Genesis 15:1-6). So it was not works that justified Abram in the eyes of God, but his faith in God’s promise of his future lineage that did so.

    And if that wasn’t enough to remind the Galatians that they were already justified before God through their faith and belief in the work of the messiah, then Paul throws in an extra little reminder: God had promised that all nations would be blessed through Abraham (“or all gentiles shall be blessed in you”). This really draws home Paul’s argument, that even from the beginning of the covenant, God had the gentiles in mind. God had planned that the sons of Abraham would be the people from whom would come the blessing that would save the world (Genesis 22:1-18). And, if we follow the opening recitations of lineage in the Gospel according to Matthew, we see that Jesus, the Christ, was in the direct lineage of Abraham. And from him came the salvation of the world; through him all nations were blessed; through him all gentiles were blessed and became children of Abraham.

    Divisions, Divisions

    What’s interesting here, is the word that Paul uses here to describe the Gentiles is ethnos (pl. ethne), meaning “a race, a nation” and implying any nation other than Israel. It is also the word from which we get the English word Ethnic. Generally, this word, in current usage, tends not to refer to other nations. Instead, it takes on the meaning more closely related to it’s original implied meaning of “anything other than Israel,” with the new implication being that anyone who is ethnic is not like us. It is usually uttered by those who are trying to make the distinction between themselves and others, often with the intention of separating themselves from those others; in short, it often has racist overtones, even among those who would call themselves believers. It would be more akin to Peter’s attempt to remove himself from the gentiles in Galatians 2:11-24, and less like Paul’s reminder that all are welcome in the family of God, if only they believe.

    In fact, it seems that over the centuries, Christians have proven that they are more adept at finding reasons for division than for unity. According to recent numbers, there are roughly 200 denominations in the United States alone, and roughly 45,000 different denominations globally1. These all represent some form of division and disagreement.

    When I was in seminary, several of the people in our cohort joked about their denominations’ ability to have church splits over seemingly inconsequential things. “We’ll have a split over whether to use an organ or a piano,” one of them joked. “It’s not even a theological issue. More of a preference. But you’ll get all the righteous indignation and proof-texting to show that this is how God wanted it.” We all had a chuckle about that, but the reality is that all of these disagreements, and the resulting church splits, are damaging both to the believers in the church, and especially to the faith itself. Because who, when watching this in-fighting unfold can truly say that these believers are following The Way of Love?

    Important Words and Phrases

    ἀνόητοι – anontoi, from anoetos– “unswise, irrational, or foolish,” not so much in the sense of stupid, but more along the lines of lacking in wisdom, failing to reason through something with proper logic, and has overtones of a lack of moral wisdom. 2

    ἐβάσκανεν – “has bewitched” – from βασκαίνω – baskaino – To “hurt by words,” slander, and then, to bewitch. The use here in Galatians 3:1 is the only use in the New Testament. “The use is figurative, but not without some realism insofar as the power of falsehood stands behind magic. In yielding to these ‘magicians’ the Galatians have come under the power of untruth.” 3

    ἐπιτελεῖσθε – “being perfected, completed” – from ἐπιτελέω – epiteleo – I finish, I complete, I accomplish. 4 The idea here is to contrast it to the “starting” with the spirit, drawing together the idea that they are trying to complete things through their own power.

    ἔθνη – “the nations” – from ἔθνος, ους, τό – ethnos – a race, a nation, the nations (as distinct from Israel). 5

    Notes

    1. https://www.livescience.com/christianity-denominations.html
    2. Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (TDNT), Abridged in 1 Vol., pp 638
    3. TDNT, pp 102
    4. TDNT, pp 1163
    5. TDNT, pp 201-202