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Galatians in general and chapters 2 and 3 in particular frequently are used to prove that observing the Law isn’t required for believers. However, the discussion of “justification” and “works of [the] law” in this passage reinforces that the real problem was excluding “justified” believers in God and His Messiah from membership in Israel, whose constitution is the Law of God.
Galatians 1:10–2:10
Paul defends his message as having come from God and not from man. Paul twice leveled a warning of excommunication for proclaiming gospel, or “good news,” opposed to what the congregations had “received” (Gal. 1:8–9).
Galatians 2:11–3:5
Paul rebukes Cephas (Peter) for separating himself from believer goyim, opting for “justification” by “works of [the] law” rather than by “faith.” Paul rebukes the Galatian congregations for choosing “justification” by “works of [the] law” over “faith.”
“But not even Titus, who was with me, though he was a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised.”
Gal. 2:3 NASB
As we’ve discussed before, Paul circumcised Timothy, whose mother was a Jew and his father a Greek, because not to do so would have been a distraction from the message.
“Paul wanted this man to go with him; and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those parts, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.”
Acts 16:3 NASB
Timothy was considered a Jew because his mother was. Timothy’s father hadn’t circumcised him. An uncircumcised Jew in a synagogue would have been a lightning rod for criticism, as seen in Acts 21 when Paul was accused of not following the Torah and of bringing an uncircumcised person into the temple.
Paul hadn’t circumcised Titus because physical circumcision in the first century A.D. was only slightly less abhorrent than it was for Jews in the second century B.C. during the Maccabean revolt against the Antiochus IV, who outlawed the observance of the Torah.
Roman historian Tacitus wrote that proselytes to Judaism adopt “sinister and revolting” practices, noting that circumcision shows Jews are “different from others.”
“…the very first lesson they learn is to despise the gods, shed all feelings of patriotism, and consider parents, children and brothers as readily expendable” (V.5.2)
Cornelius Tacitus. The Histories, trans. Kenneth Wellesley. Penguin Books, 1992. Quoted by J.K. McKee, Galatians for the Practical Messianic, TNN Press, 2007, p. 44.
“But it was because of the false brethren secretly brought in, who had sneaked in to spy out our liberty which we have in Messiah Yeshua, in order to bring us into bondage.”
Gal. 2:4 NASB
Some assert that this is “liberty” from the Law. In considering what is meant by “liberty which we have in Messiah Yeshua,” we must keep in mind: One is able to “walk in open areas”1Liberty in Psa. 119:45 is translated from בחר rachab (Strong’s lexicon No. H7342): wide, broad. (New American Standard Bible Lexicon). or “walk freely” by seeking God’s Law, His instructions for life.
“May Your lovingkindnesses also come to me, O LORD, Your salvation according to Your word; So I will have an answer for him who reproaches me, For I trust in Your word. And do not take the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, For I wait for Your ordinances. So I will keep Your law continually, Forever and ever. And I will walk at liberty, For I seek Your precepts. I will also speak of Your testimonies before kings And shall not be ashamed. I shall delight in Your commandments, Which I love. And I shall lift up my hands to Your commandments, Which I love; And I will meditate on Your statutes.”
Psa. 119:41–48 NASB
The apostle Ya’akov (James) called the Law, the “perfect law of liberty.”
“But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does. … So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty.”
Jas. 1:25; 2:12 NASB
Messiah Yeshua said that He would not change one bit of the Law, and the Law would last until a point we have not yet reached.
“Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”
Matt. 5:17–19 NASB
The Greek phrase ἔργων νόµου ergonnomou, literally translated as “works of law,” shows up eight times in the Apostolic Scriptures, twice in the letter to the congregation in Rome and six times in the letter to the Galatian congregations. In Romans 3, Paul explains the relationship between the Law and righteousness before God.
“Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law2ἐν τῷ νόµῳ en to nomou, or “in the law”, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God; because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin. But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Yeshua Messiah for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Messiah Yeshua; 25 whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation3Propitiation = “win or regain the favor of (a god, spirit, or person) by doing something that pleases them.” From the Latin verb propitiare, from propitius or “favorable, gracious.” Synonyms: appease, placate, mollify, pacify, make peace with, conciliate, make amends to, soothe, calm. (New Oxford American Dictionary, 2010) Yeshua made peace with God on our behalf by being our substitute for the wrath of God on rebellious mankind. in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Yeshua. Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law. Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of goyim also? Yes, of Gentiles also, since indeed God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith is one. Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law.”
Rom. 3:19–31 NASB
Justify in the Romans 3 passage is translated from δικαιόω dikaioō (Strong’s lexicon No. G1344), which means “to declare, pronounce, one to be just, righteous, or such as he ought to be”4Joseph H. Thayer. Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. or “to render a favorable verdict, vindicate”5W. Bauer, F. W. Danker, F. Arndt, and F. W. Gingrich, eds. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and other Early Christian Literature. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000..
That Greek word is used 49 times in the Septuagint, mostly to translate the Hebrew verb קדצ tsadeq or tsadoq (H6663), which has the same meaning as dikaioō. From קדצ comes קידצ tsadiq, or “saint.” In the related Semitic language of Arabic, sadaqua means “speak the truth.”6Francis Brown, S.R. Driver, and Charles A. Briggs, eds. A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Scribe, Inc., Dania Beach, Florida.
Therefore, God can truly call us righteous because He has declared us righteous because of Yeshua.
As he does in Galatians 3, Paul illustrates from the life of Abraham in Romans 4 that “justification” comes through “faith” in God and not from prior observance of the Torah. Paul singles out observance of the commandment to circumcise sons of Israel on the eighth day as a key accepted “marker” of membership in the people of God.
In Galatians 2 during a dressing down of Cephas for separating , Paul reminds him that God has one standard for righteousness before Him for all believers.
“ ‘We are Jews by nature and not sinners from among the Gentiles; nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Messiah Yeshua, even we have believed in Messiah Yeshua, so that we may be justified by faith in Messiah and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.’ ”
Gal. 2:15–16 NASB
This is not a discussion of to observe the Law or not to observe the Law. It’s about justification, or being declared righteous in God’s eyes. The room in which Paul confronted Peter was full of believers, both Jew and non-Jew.
So, this is a matter of who is declared a part of Israel and who isn’t. Open membership in the commonwealth of Israel is underscored with the illustration from the life of Abraham that follows in chapter 3. All who believe God, similarly to how Abraham did, become citizens of Israel.
In Galatians 3, Paul turns his rebuke to Galatian believers who seem to have also bought into this -by-works-of-law teaching.
“You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Yeshua Messiah was publicly portrayed as crucified? This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the 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? Did you suffer so many things in vain — if indeed it was in vain? So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?”
Gal. 3:1–5 NASB
Galatians 3:6–29
Abraham is the example of someone God declared “righteous” for his “faith” in God. Are goyim believers in Messiah part of the covenant God made with Israel at Sinai?
There are some who claim that non-Jews who believe in God’s Messiah, Yeshua, are not expected to follow the Torah as God’s instructions for Israel. Rather, they are obligated only to follow the “Noachide laws,” said to be roughly outlined in Acts 15, and “invited” to follow the rest of the Torah. ◦ In his illustration from the life for Abraham, Paul asserts that the blessing of Abraham, which includes the formation of Israel and righteousness before God by faith in Him, is for the whole world.
“The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, ‘ALL THE NATIONS WILL BE BLESSED IN YOU’ (Gen. 12:3). So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer.”
Gal. 3:8–9 NASB
Messiah’s herald, Yokhanan, also said that blood relationship wasn’t as important to God as a heart and mind relationship.
“But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, ‘You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance; and do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, “We have Abraham for our father ”; for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham. The axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 11 As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.’ ”
Matt. 3:7–12 NASB; cf. Luke 3:5–9
Messianic scholar J.K. McKee points out that the promise of the New Covenant is for God’s Spirit to put the whole Torah in the hearts and minds of all believers. Because this is a work of the Spirit, observance of the Torah is neither a mandatory obligation nor an optional invitation. McKee calls it a “supernatural compulsion.”
“Men and women, who are guided by God’s grace and mercy to no longer commit sin and violate His Law, have placed at the very center of their being Yeshua the Messiah exalted and reigning as King. They recognize that salvation is by grace, but that actions reflective of such salvation are to be required (Ephesians 2:8-10). In establishing or upholding the Law of God in their lives, they desire to accomplish the good works that He requires of us, particularly actions of kindness and mercy (James 1:27). Obeying the Lord is neither an optional invitation nor a mandated obligation, it is a supernatural compulsion enacted by the perfecting activity of the Holy Spirit on the human soul. The more we obey the Lord and submit ourselves to His will, the more we are able to experience His presence and communion in our hearts, being conformed to the image of Yeshua (Romans 8:29), and become repelled by not only the mention of sin, but even the presence of it (cf. Ephesians 5:3).”
J.K. McKee. “One Law for All.” TNN Online : Aug. 12, 2010. p. 43.
“For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse; for it is written, ‘CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO DOES NOT ABIDE BY ALL THINGS WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF THE LAW, TO PERFORM THEM’ (Deut. 27:26).”
Gal. 3:10 NASB
Galatians can be thought of apostle Paul’s pre-Acts 15 teaching, and he wrote Romans after the matters of circumcision, etc. and salvation were resolved by the Jerusalem Council. So the topic in Gal. 3:10 is more fully explored in Romans 2 (specifically, Rom. 2:17–29). And the punchline in Rom. 2:29 is expanded in Romans 8: New man = Sinai + Spirit.
Reader: David. Speaker: Jeff.