Paul has made a strong argument that righteousness has always been “by faith,” and he points to Abraham – the father of the Jewish faith – as proof, quoting Genesis 15:6, “He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” In other words, observing the laws of the Torah was never what made Jews righteous it was always faith, therefore observing the laws of the Torah now (as either Jewish or Greek Christians) still won’t make you righteous.
At this point anyone (especially a Jew) might stop Paul and say, “Well then, what was the point of having the law?” The Jews have spent the better part of the last several hundred years being cursed for their disobedience to the law, and the better part of the last several generations trying to strictly adhere to it so they might be restored to their former prominence as the blessed people of God. Was all that for nothing?
Paul addresses this question. Today read Galatians 3:19-25 and compare to Romans 5:20-21 and 7:7-10.
Questions for reflection:
- Based on these passages what seems to have been the purpose of the law of the Torah for the Jews?
- How might these purposes have been related to grace?
- How might these purposes have contributed to the coming promise of blessing given to Abraham?
Today we continue our closer look at the “works of the law” or “observance of the law” from Galatians 2:16. This is important because ever since the Reformation it has been widely proposed that Paul was refuting a Jewish belief that a person was “saved” by earning their salvation through good works, and that those good works are what Paul meant by “works of the law.” Nowadays, we extend that same formula to condemn any attempts to “be good” or do good things as a form of “legalism.”
The problem – as any informed Jew will tell you – is that the Jews never taught a form of works-based righteousness. In other words, they were never trying to “earn their way into heaven” (and I would argue hardly anyone today, Jew or otherwise, is trying to do so either).
- Read Psalm 143, paying special attention to verse 2.
- Read Galatians 2:11-21, paying special attention to verse 16.
- Read Romans 3:9-20, paying special attention to verse 20.
Paul is quoting a variety of OT sources (he quotes Psalm 143:2 in both Gal 2:16 and Rom 3:20) that echo the Jewish understanding that none were righteous in God’s eyes.
So, if Paul isn’t coming against an early form of earning salvation by good works, what might he be speaking against? This is not an easy question to answer, but look for clues in Galatians chapters 1-2. As yourself, what is the issue at hand? Is it doing good deeds or something else?
Keeping in mind the backdrop of Acts 10 (Peter and Cornelius), and Acts 15 (The Jerusalem council where they dealt with the controversy of Gentile Christians becoming Jews), go back and read Galatians 2 and circle or highlight everywhere you find the word “law,” by which Paul means Torah.
Question:
- Given the issue at hand, what do you think Paul means specifically by “observing the law” or “works of the law” in Gal 2:16?
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