The debate between the relationship between the Old Testament and the gospel message began with the arrival of Christ and continued into the New Testament writings and beyond. However, the Apostle Paul emphatically asserts that the law and promise are not contradictory. Without a clear understanding of the relationship between the covenants, believers risk misunderstanding both the Hebrew Scriptures and the gospel message. In the letter to the Galatians, and specifically in Galatians 3:19-29, Paul asserts that the law points to a Messianic age where believers are transferred into a new realm through their participation in Christ. The research begins by addressing the law’s purpose in God’s salvation history, followed by an analysis of the law’s involvement in the believer’s transference into a new cosmic reality that incorporates the individual into Christ.
The Law: Galatians 3:19-22
Galatians 3:19: The Law’s Purpose
If believers are justified by faith and not the law (Gal 2:16), and the righteous will live by faith and not the law (Gal 3:11), then what was the purpose of the law? Paul explains the law was an added element to an already existing promise to Abraham (Gen 12:1-3) that existed “because of transgressions” (Gal 3:19). [1] The meaning of the phrase is debated. First, Richard Longenecker defends a cognitive interpretation whereby the law increased awareness of sin.[2] Second, James Dunn suggests that Paul meant the purpose of the law was to provide a way to deal with transgressions through the sacrificial system.[3] Third, David Lull asserts that the phrase under investigation meant to restrain sin.[4] Finally, Thomas Schreiner espouses a causative function by which the law functions to increase, rather than restrain, transgressions.[5] Contextual evidence removes the need to limit the semantic breadth of Paul’s phrase. It appears the law served multiple purposes. At times, the law positively increased awareness, restrained sin, and meaningfully dealt with transgressions (See Rom 3:20; 4:15). At other times, the law increased sin through man’s attempt to legalistically or nomistically manipulate God, which promoted pride, or the law proved the impossibility of keeping the whole law, all of which ultimately pointed to the necessity of a Messiah (See Gal 3:10; Rom 5:20).
Galatians 3:20: The Law’s Intermediary
The law was established via an intermediary with the involvement of angels and was in effect until the coming of Christ. Historical and cultural background information assists in understanding the nature of the mediation, which remains debated. Longenecker explains that in the history of ancient Judaism, the term mediator often pertained to Moses, who brought the law to Israel from Mount Sinai.[6] According to F. F. Bruce, although administration of the law from angels to Moses is difficult to identify prior to Paul’s letter, it was a well-known Jewish tradition and points to the inferiority of the law to the promise administered directly from God to Abraham.[7] Additional difficulties occur when Paul compares the plurality of an intermediary with the oneness of God. However, Schreiner brings clarity by explaining that the transmission of the law required multiple parties, God, angels, Moses, and the recipients, but God’s covenant with Abraham, reminiscent of the Shema, is superior to the law as it came directly from the one and only God.[8] Thus, the nature of the law points to a superior Messianic age.
Galatians 3:21-22: The Law’s Contradiction
Now that Paul has identified the purpose of the law and its inferiority with respect to the promise, he anticipates the troublemakers’ next question: Does the law contradict the promise of the Spirit received through faith that fulfills the covenant with Abraham? Paul’s use of rhetorical devices to further his argument supports Hans Dieter Betz’s assertion that the genre of Paul’s writing is an apologetic letter using forensic rhetoric.[9] However, Longenecker correctly broadens Betz’s forensic perspective by recognizing that Paul’s letter combines Hellenistic, Greco-Roman, and Jewish methods of analysis and persuasion to support his apology.[10] For example, Paul’s use of means-end argumentation in verse 21, whereby the law is not the means of righteousness, highlights the genre’s impact on the meaning of Paul’s letter. Accordingly, Schreiner concludes that the result of Paul’s argument is that the law and promise do not contradict each other, but “play different roles.”[11]
The role of the law, which points to the Messiah, differs from the role of the promise, which is to give life in a new sphere. A life that, according to Scripture, is under the dominion of sin until driven to the promise ἐκ πίστεως ʼΙησοῦ Χριστῦ. The elasticity of the genitive case provides a long-standing syntactical challenge. If the subjective genitive is preferred, then Christ is the subject and Christ’s faithfulness is in view, but if the objective genitive is preferred, then Christ is the object of the believer’s faith. However, as long as the interpretive preference does not undermine the reality of the alternative, the decision is not critical as both Christ’s faithfulness and the believer’s faith are foundational to Paul’s message. In summary, the law does not contradict the promise, but points to the consummation of the covenantal promise in a new Messianic age.
The Transfer: Galatians 3:23-25
Galatians 3:23: Captivity
Paul now shifts his emphasis from all humanity, who is under sin, to the Jews in particular. The Jews were part of all humanity under the dominion of sin, but were also uniquely bound to the Torah. The salvation-historical aspects of Paul’s message now take center stage. Notably, the subjection to the law that came before the faith (πρὸ . . . τὴν πίστιν) cannot mean before the existence of faith as Abraham’s faith preceded the law. Instead, as Longenecker explains, the articular noun identifies a particular faith, a faith that represents the faithfulness of Christ and the believer’s faith in Christ.[12] Foreshadowing verses 26-29, Paul is referring to a faith inaugurated by Christ where, as Bruce explains, believers are transferred from an old realm under the custodian of the law to a new realm with the coming of Christ.[13]
Galatians 3:24: Guardian
Paul now explains what he means by the Jews were held captive or detained under the law prior to the faith by using the analogy of a pedagogue or guardian. The meaning of the word παιδαγωγός is critical to understanding Paul’s intentions. The New International Dictionary of the New Testament Theology (NIDNTT) suggests that in classical literature the word has a educative and custodial aspect, while the Old Testament emphasizes a custodial and disciplinary role especially regarding obedience to the Torah, and the New Testament often focuses on chastening, education, and restoration related to pleasing God.[14] Within the literary and historical context of Galatians, Longenecker seems to adequately summarize the pedagogical concept by highlighting the law’s supervisory role and temporary nature, while noting the inferior status of the individual under guardianship.[15]
The final phrase reiterates the ultimate purpose of the law, that believers “might be justified by faith” (Gal 3:24). A diachronic and synchronic study of δικαιόω suggests a relatively broad semantic range. The NIDNTT and Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (TDNT) attest to the forensic, ethical, and participatory nuances of the verb, all of which must be considered relevant to the passage as the declarative nature is unmistakable, the participatory nature is affirmed in the literary context of verses 26-29, and the ethical implications must not be denied (Gal 5:13-26).[16] Finally, according to Bruce, the inclusive first-person plural now contextually requires the exegete to acknowledge that justification by faith “obliterates the partition” between Jews and Gentiles, and all have the opportunity to transfer into the new realm of Christ.
Galatians 3:25: Faith
Paul now summarizes the preceding argument and concludes that the new age of faith has been inaugurated by Christ and believers are no longer under the old age of the guardianship of the law. More specifically, as Longenecker points out, Paul contends, against his opponents, that a new cosmic reality exists where neither circumcision nor any other Jewish custom is a pre-requisite to life.[17] Instead, a new realm is launched, a new freedom is available, and a new identity is established in Christ Jesus.
The Participation: Galatians 3:26-29
Galatians 3:26: Sons in Christ
In Christ in Paul: Explorations in Paul’s Theology of Union and Participation
Paul now moves into the participatory aspects of his soteriology, which, unlike the law, inclusively bridges the divide between the Abrahamic covenant and both Jews and Gentiles. Two exegetical issues need to be addressed. The first issue is the syntactical nature of the phrase έν Χριστῷ ʼΙησοῦ in verse 26. Constantine Campbell claims that believers are sons of God through faith in Christ, where Christ is the object of belief.[18] In other words, a dative of means is likely in view where faith is the means by which believers become children of God. More likely, Bruce argues that Paul normally communicates faith in Christ with the objective genitive, not the dative, thus participation is in view; believers are incorporated into Christ, who is God’s Son, thus believers are adopted as sons of God.[19] The second issue is the relationship between forensic righteousness and participation. A participatory view acknowledges a mystical reality in Pauline theology. However, Longenecker argues that if absorption is avoided, and thus identities remain distinct, theosis is not a necessary result.[20] Furthermore, the complete avoidance of mysticism risks undermining a believer’s pneumatic relationship. Accordingly, forensic righteousness and participatory communion with Christ may be distinctive but cannot be bifurcated.
Galatians 3:27: Baptized in Christ
Paul’s only reference to baptism in his letter to the Galatians solidifies the participatory nature of Paul’s message. Campbell recognizes that the context of being baptized εἰς Χριστὸν implies an involvement in Christ’s death and resurrection (cf. Gal 6:3-5), and putting on Christ denotes an incorporation of the believer into Christ.[21] The participatory nature of the new cosmic reality also has ethical ramifications represented by the figurative language of wearing a garment. Bruce summarizes Paul’s indicative/imperative overtones in verse 27 by stating that believers are called to “be what you are.”[22] Finally, the efficacy of the rite of baptism needs addressed. If the works of the law, including the external rite of circumcision, cannot justify, then neither can the external rite of baptism. Justification is by faith alone via participation in Christ.
Galatians 3:28-29: One in Christ
Although alluded to earlier, Paul now overtly, emphatically, and revolutionarily breaks down all divisions and partitions between believers and affirms a oneness that exists in the new “in Christ” reality. The three couplets highlight the comprehensiveness of Paul’s thought regarding unity. Specifically, Longenecker notes that Paul addresses all human relationships: racial, cultural, and sexual.[23] Importantly, the unity Paul espouses is not intended to mean uniformity. Distinct personalities and functionalities continue to exist as God’s Spirit works in and through His diverse creation. However, if restrictions or hierarchies are to exist, then, according to Bruce, the exegete must consider these constraints in light of verse 28.[24] The final phrase of verse 28 identifies the authority for oneness, which exists in the new cosmic reality where believers reside έν Χριστῷ ʼΙησοῦ. Finally, in verse 29, Paul links the believer’s identity in Christ with Abraham, thus placing a final period at the end of his sentence against the Judaizers. Bruce logically explains that if Christ is a descendant of Abraham, and believers are incorporated into Christ by faith, then believers are also Abraham’s offspring with the same rights and privileges of an heir.[25]
Conclusion
In a few verses, Paul covers much ground including the law’s purpose in God’s salvation history and the law’s involvement in the believer’s transference into a new cosmic reality that incorporates the individual into Christ. More specifically, in Galatians 3:19-29, Paul asserts that the law points to a Messianic age where believers are transferred into a new realm through their participation in Christ. The significance of Paul’s message is hard to overestimate. It is foundational to the gospel message. Finally, additional research is suggested regarding how Paul’s passage can be reconciled with four modern Pauline interpretive perspectives: (1) the Lutheran Paul, (2) the new perspective, (3) the apocalyptic Paul, and (4) the particpationist perspective.
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[1] Unless otherwise noted, all biblical passages referenced are in the English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2008).
[2] Richard N. Longenecker, Galatians, vol. 41 of Word Biblical Commentary, ed. Ralph P. Martin (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1990), 138.
[3] James D. G. Dunn, The Theology of Paul the Apostle (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1998), 139.
[4] David John Lull, “The Law Was Our Pedagogue: A Study in Galatians 3:19-25,” Journal of Biblical Literature 105, no. 3 (September 1986): 481–82.
[5] Thomas R. Schreiner, Galatians, Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, ed. Clinton E. Arnold (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2010), 240.
[6] Longenecker, Galatians, 140–41.
[7] F. F. Bruce, The Epistle to the Galatians, The New International Greek Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans, 1982), 176–77.
[8] Schreiner, Galatians, 242–43.
[9] Hans Dieter Betz, “Literary Composition and Function of Paul’s Letter to the Galatians,” New Testament Studies 21, no. 3 (April 1975): 377–78.
[10] Longenecker, Galatians, cxix.
[11] Schreiner, Galatians, 244.
[12] Longenecker, Galatians, 146.
[13] Bruce, The Epistle, 181.
[14] New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology, s.v. “παιδεύω,” ed. Verlyn D. Verbrugge, abr. ed. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2000), 426–27.
[15] Longenecker, Galatians, 148.
[16] NIDNTT, “δικαιόω,”, 143–44. See also Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, s.v. “δικαιόω,” ed. Gerhard Kittel, Geoffrey W. Bromiley, and Gerhard Friedrich (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1964), 211–18. The argument that the multiple nuance of the verb lands in an illegitimate totality transfer fails as the meanings are not contradictory but complementary.
[17] Longenecker, Galatians, 149.
[18] Constantine R. Campbell, Paul and Union with Christ: An Exegetical and Theological Study (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2012), 112.
[19] Bruce, The Epistle, 184.
[20] Longenecker, Galatians, 154.
[21] Campbell, Paul and Union, 207–8. See also Bruce, The Epistle, 186.
[22] Bruce, The Epistle, 186.
[23] Longenecker, Galatians, 157.
[24] Bruce, The Epistle, 190.
[25] Ibid., 190–91.
Bibliography
- Betz, Hans Dieter. “Literary Composition and Function of Paul’s Letter to the Galatians.” New Testament Studies 21, no. 3 (April 1975): 353–79.
- Bruce, F. F. The Epistle to the Galatians. The New International Greek Testament Commentary. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans, 1982.
- Campbell, Constantine R. Paul and Union with Christ: An Exegetical and Theological Study. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2012.
- Dunn, James D. G. The Theology of Paul the Apostle. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1998.
- Kittel, Gerhard, Geoffrey W. Bromiley, and Gerhard Friedrich., eds. New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology. Vol. 2. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1964.
- Longenecker, Richard N. Galatians. Vol. 41 in Word Biblical Commentary. Edited by Ralph P. Martin. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1990.
- Lull, David John. “The Law Was Our Pedagogue: A Study in Galatians 3:19-25.” Journal of Biblical Literature 105, no. 3 (September 1986): 481–98.
- Schreiner, Thomas R. Galatians. Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament. Edited by Clinton E. Arnold. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2010.
- Verbrugge, Verlyn D., ed. New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology. Abr. ed. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2000.
