The Spirit or the Law?
A deep dive into Paul's rejection of the Law of Moses in Galatians chapter 3.
This is a supplement to my piece on the Law and the 10 commandments. See part 3 here.
I wanted to drill down into Galatians 3, because Paul gives such a poignant argument from the Old Testament Scripture itself.
“...did you receive the Spirit by works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?” -v.2-3
“So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?” -v.5
Paul digs into the Galatians here for attempting to force the Law of Moses onto Christians. In fact, Paul begins by calling them foolish, thereby showing how upsetting their behavior is. He asks them bluntly if they received the Holy Spirit “by works of the law” or “by hearing with faith?” He is astounded that they would think that they could begin by the Spirit, but somehow be perfected by the flesh—that is performing the actions required by the Law. He asks if they think God, who has given us the Spirit, operates among the Church through works of the law or by “hearing with faith?”
This idea of hearing with faith is to hear the Word of God and accept its truth. To know the teachings and commandments of Jesus and to follow them out of love, not fear of disobeying the law and being punished (1 John 4:18). Paul then goes further to explain how not even Abraham was considered righteous because of the Law (for the Law would come later). Rather he was found righteous because he heard and believed the promise of God (v.6-9).
It should be noted that this is not about doing good works—we should of course still be doing that—but it is a question of righteousness and justification. James 2:18 goes into how works are an outward expression of what is already on the inside. What Paul is warning of is the reverse; attempting to gain inward justification and righteousness by following a set of rules.
Paul explains that being under the Law is not actually a good thing, but rather a curse. For one cannot be justified by the Law, according to Scripture itself;
“’CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO DOES NOT ABIDE BY ALL THE THINGS WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF THE LAW, TO DO THEM.’” -v.10 (quoting Deu. 27:26).
So then no one may be justified by the Law, because it is faith that brings righteousness;
“Now, that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, ‘THE RIGHTEOUS ONE WILL LIVE BY FAITH.’” v.11 (quoting Hab. 2:4)
Yet Scripture tells us that those under the Law live by that Law, not faith as Habakkuk says;
“However, the Law is not of faith; on the contrary, ‘THE PERSON WHO PERFORMS THEM WILL LIVE BY THEM.’” v.12 (quoting Levi. 18:5)
By quoting Scripture regarding the Law, Paul makes clear that following the Law puts the person under the curse of the Law, for they must live by it, yet can never by justified. It is only faith that truly justifies a person, bound to the redemption of the sacrifice of the Christ. Otherwise, Jesus wouldn’t have needed to go to the cross and rise again into new life, we could have just had the Law.
Paul is trying to warn the people that they are going backwards, rejecting the life of the Spirit gained through the redemption and resurrection, in order to follow a strict set of rules once more. He explains that a promise was given to Abraham, not a Law, and that promise was for the Christ to come. The Law was there to keep the people until the time of faith in the Christ;
“But the Scripture has confined everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.” v.22
He says that the Law was to act as a sort of guardian to keep the people until a better time, one where we would live not by a set of rules, but by love and faith;
“But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the Law, being confined for the faith that was destined to be revealed. Therefore the Law has become our guardian to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian. For you are all sons and daughters 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, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.” -v.23-29
It was important here for Paul to distinguish that the gospel is for all and that adherence to the Law given to Abraham’s descendants is not needed to enter into the grace of God and become justified by faith in Christ. We enter into a family, where love prevails. Jesus said to learn what it meant that “I desire mercy, not sacrifice,” (Matt 12:7, quoting Hosea 6:6).
Remember that routine sacrifice was a foundational component of the law, but Jesus was forming a new covenant, based on doing what was right from love of God and love of our neighbor (the two greatest commandments, Matt 22:37-40). His ultimate sacrifice would be a permanent atonement (Heb. 10). We are then able to discern right from wrong and do good only through the power of the Holy Spirit (John 14:26). But even the one who does works in Jesus name, but does not have love and faith, will not be justified (Matt 7:23). This is what Paul meant by imploring us to live by the Spirit and not by the Law.
“If I speak with the tongues of mankind and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give away all my possessions to charity, and if I surrender my body so that I may glory, but do not have love, it does me no good.” -1 Cor. 13:1-3