Amazing Grace: The Scary Lesson of Galatians, Part 1 (edited)

 [I’ve been re-posting these lessons as I edit them for the adult classes we’re teaching at my home congregation. I’ve accelerated re-posting these two lessons on Galatians by a week or two because of their relevance to the Quail Springs controversy.]

Actually, I’m being quite literal here: Galatians scares me. A lot. A whole lot. You see, I’m worried for the salvation of many of my friends because of what I read in Galatians.

The gist of Galatians is this: You are insisting that your members be circumcised — not for health or cultural reasons but to be saved. Those who aren’t circumcised, you treat as not Christians at all.

Not only is this a misunderstanding of the gospel, it destroys the gospel. You cannot teach this and be saved. You see, if you try to be saved by your own merit — by what work you do — then you have to keep the entire law of God. You have to be perfect! And no one can do that. (5:1-5:7)

Therefore, there is no mixing faith with law. You must ask God to save you by faith in Jesus or by your merits. But mixing the two is not allowed! Add any law to faith as a condition of salvation, then you’ve rejected faith and agreed to be judged by law, and as a result, you’re damned. You’re fallen from grace. You’re alienated from Christ. You sought salvation through a different gospel. (1:6-8).

Churches of Christ and the Law of Moses

The full impact of this teaching has been ignored in the Churches of Christ. You see, we’ve traditionally taught that salvation does indeed depend on works and law. As Galatians seems to contradict this popular doctrine, we limit Galatians to the Law of Moses. Indeed, we teach our members that the only laws that are a false gospel are the ceremonial laws of the Law of Moses.

On the other hand, I’ve heard Church members insist on parts of the ceremonial laws as salvation issues! Some members insist that God wants us to wear suits to the assembly because Leviticus teaches us to give our best to God. Some members insist that Sunday is a day of rest because it’s the Christian Sabbath. Some members insist that certain “unholy” things can’t be done in the church building because eating, cooking, or roller skating would desecrate it, and God commanded that his temple be kept a house of prayer.

Now, do you see why I say Galatians is scary? Even under the narrowest interpretation of Galatians that I’ve read in our commentaries and periodicals, we still often fail the test!

Now, to be fair, merely insisting on these things does not commit the Galatian heresy. Rather, insisting on these as salvation issues does. It’s the seeking to be justified by obedience to law — any law — that damns.

(Gal. 5:2-4) Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. 3 Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. 4 You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.

Ironically, every time I read an article from one my brothers in the Church saying someone has “fallen from grace,” it’s never about seeking to be justified by law. Doesn’t that tell you something is missing from our theology?

What really is “law”?

In 5:4, quoted above, in both the English and the Greek, “law” isn’t “the ceremonial law of Moses.” It’s not “Law of Moses.” It’s not even “the law.” It’s “law.”

Paul sure seems to be talking about God’s law in general, not just the Law of Moses. If that’s so, then the problem is far more serious!

Now, the difficulty of telling which is on Paul’s mind is complicated by the fact that the Galatians were insisting on circumcision because it was part of the Law of Moses. Hence, Paul does indeed speak of the Law of Moses at times. But is the principle broader?

Paul sometimes uses “law” to refer to God’s commands in general. Other times, he is specifically referring to the Law of Moses. It’s often hard to tell which is which, because in Paul’s mind, there’s not a big difference. God wrote the Law of Moses, after all.

Therefore, Paul often uses the Law of Moses as an example of God’s law or even declarative of God’s law. And he often considers the giving of the Law in the history of God’s gracious dealings with his people.

To figure which meaning Paul has in mind, we have to look at how Paul makes his arguments — are they based on a contrast between the Law of Moses and the New Covenant? Or a contrast between salvation by faith and salvation by faith + works?

Paul’s understanding of “law” in chapter 2

In chapter 2, Paul tells the story of how Peter treated Gentiles as second-class citizens. He confronted him by reminding him of the gospel —

(Gal. 2:15-16) “We who are Jews by birth and not ‘Gentile sinners’ 16 know that a man is not justified by observing [works of] the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing[works of] the law, because by observing [works of] the law no one will be justified.”

[The NIV omits “works of” in several places, which often actually makes Paul’s argument harder to follow. And it adds “the” where it doesn’t belong, so I’ve shown where it’s not in the Greek with strikethroughs.]

Paul’s contrast isn’t between ceremonial law vs. moral law, or right law vs. wrong law, it’s salvation by faith vs. salvation by works of law.

Paul’s understanding of “law” in chapter 3

Consider Paul’s argument at the beginning of chapter 3–

(Gal. 3:1-3, 5) You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. 2 I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing [works of] the law, or by believing what you heard? 3 Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? … Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe [works of] the law, or because you believe what you heard?

The contrast is–

• Observing law vs. believing
• Beginning with the Spirit vs. human effort [literally, the flesh]

Plainly, the contrast isn’t–

• Observing the Law of Moses vs. observing the Law of Jesus

Paul’s understanding of Abraham, who preceded the Law of Moses by hundreds of years, demonstrates Paul’s thinking–

(Gal. 3:6-9) Consider Abraham: “He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” 7 Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham. 8 The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” 9 So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

Why did Abraham need to be saved by faith if the “law” didn’t even exist while Abraham lived? Of course, Genesis quite frankly records sins and mistakes made by Abraham. But he never once violated the Law of Moses. He did violate God’s will–he sinned–and so faith was his only possible path to forgiveness. And that is Paul’s point!

Paul’s understanding of “law” in chapter 4

(Gal. 4:4-5) But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, 5 to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.

Now, it’s easy to imagine Jesus being “born under the ceremonial Law of Moses,” but that can’t be said about all Paul’s readers, many of whom were Gentiles. V. 5 says Jesus came to redeem “those under law,” that is, “we” who are God’s “sons.”

That’s all of us! Jews and Gentiles! And yet Paul plainly say we all were “under law” before God’s Son redeemed us!

Conclusion

Yes, Paul talks in places about the Law of Moses — but the thrust of his argument is about God’s law in general — the law that damns every single one of us. As Paul says in Romans 3–

(Rom. 3:20-24) Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.

20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. 21 But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

Paul’s point, made in Romans 1, 2, and the earlier portions of chapter 3, is that God’s will, what Paul calls “law,” applies to the “whole world”! This is NOT the ceremonial Law of Moses. The ceremonial law is one piece of law, or was at one time, but it’s NOT what Galatians is warning us against!

What about baptism?

I have to address this because nearly every Church of Christ periodical and commentary on the subject tries to make this argument:

• Baptism is essential for salvation
• Baptism is a work
• Therefore, works of law are essential for salvation

Of course, in this context, we take “works of law” to refer to God’s commands in the New Testament, which is just as confused as it seems.

There are two obvious flaws in this reasoning. First, entire New Testament books are written to teach us that works of law are NOT essential to salvation (Romans and Galatians would be two examples). Unless we know God’s will better than Paul, we have to realize we’ve made a mistake somewhere.

Second, baptism is not a work. For example, in Romans 6:1 ff, Paul uses the fact that we were buried with Jesus in baptism as an explanation of how salvation by faith works. In Galatians 3:27, Paul says we were “baptized into Christ.” Plainly, in the two books that most clearly teach against salvation by works, Paul isn’t thinking of baptism as a work!

Moreover, “works” is Pauline shorthand for “works of law,” which means works that have intrinsic merit in God’s eyes, that is, works that could earn our salvation if we did them perfectly.

These works of the law pre-existed Jesus. The passages we just quoted from Romans and Galatians make the point that the whole world was damned under “law” before Jesus and baptism even existed, because no one could obey God’s will perfectly.

Baptism came with the gospel. It’s a gift. It’s received passively. It’s in the passive voice: we are to be baptized. It’s not something we do. It’s a gift from God we accept — just like salvation and the Spirit.

Martin Luther said it better than I can —

But if they say, as they are accustomed: Still Baptism is itself a work, and you say works are of no avail for salvation; what then, becomes of faith? Answer: Yes, our works, indeed, avail nothing for salvation; Baptism, however, is not our work, but God’s (for, as was stated, you must put Christ-baptism far away from a bath-keeper’s baptism). …

Thus you see plainly that there is here no work done by us, but a treasure which He gives us, and which faith apprehends; just as the Lord Jesus Christ upon the cross is not a work, but a treasure comprehended in the Word, and offered to us and received by faith. Therefore they do us violence by exclaiming against us as though we preach against faith; while we alone insist upon it as being of such necessity that without it nothing can be received nor enjoyed.

(Luther’s The Large Catechism XIII).

Now, this is not true because Luther says it. Rather, Luther says it because he’s read the Bible. He just says it very well.

Read also this post.

James

Sometimes I fear that my brothers in the Churches of Christ think the entirety of the gospel is found in James 2 and Acts 2:38. These are certainly important and true, but we can hardly interpret James 2 to override several epistles written by Paul (among others)! Rather, we must find an interpretation consistent with them all.

(James 2:14-20) What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? 15 Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. 19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that–and shudder. 20 You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?

Now, let’s begin by noting that there are some extreme Calvinists who actually violate what James says. They so emphasize “faith only” that they belittle works as though they don’t matter at all. Most of these men seem to have late night AM radio shows! But, of course, works matter. James says so. So does Paul. Jesus certainly says so.

The question isn’t whether God wants us to do good works — countless verses teach that. Except for a few nuts, no one in the greater community of believers teaches otherwise. Rather, the question is whether certain works or a certain level of works are required for salvation. And the New Testament writers most emphatically say no, as Paul does in the Romans 3 passage quoted above.

Well, then, why do works if our salvation doesn’t depend on them? Here are some reasons:

• Out of gratitude for Jesus’ sacrifice.
• Out of love for God
• Out of love for our neighbors
• Because we enjoy doing good works
• Because it’s our new nature to do good works
• Because we repented before we were baptized, making a pledge to God to try to live as he wants us to
• Because we have faith that Jesus is Lord, and since he’s Lord, he is to be obeyed.
• Because if we intentionally continue to sin, we’ll be lost (Heb. 10:26-27).
• Because if we deny Jesus, we’ll be lost (1 John 4:2-3)

Now, it takes a little practice to realize that there’s a critical difference between this and what we often teach. A Christian can be penitent and be filled with faith and make a mistake on the doctrine of worship or church organization or divorce and remarriage.

Faith and penitence and baptism do not make one a perfect Bible student. They do assure that our converts will try to do right — as they understand it.

And herein is freedom. If we (Christians) try to do right and get it wrong, we’re still saved. If we get circumcision, meats sacrificed to idols, or the holy day question wrong, we are still saved.

Therefore, genuine faith — saving faith — always produces good works. Perhaps not the good works you think it should, but good works nonetheless. Therefore, if you don’t produce good works, you don’t have genuine faith.

The demons that James refers to believe and shudder — but this “faith” is not the faith that saves. They’ve not repented. They deny the Lordship of Jesus. And they are damned. Mere intellectual assent to the Sonship of Jesus does not save.

See also this post.

The point of Galatians

Which brings us to the conclusion. If “law” means the will of God, particularly works of the law that have intrinsic merit before God, then circumcision isn’t the only teaching that causes one to fall from grace.

Any teaching that adds conditions of salvation to the plan of salvation makes you fall from grace. “Hear, believe, repent, confess, be baptized” does not add to the God’s requirements. But hear, believer, repent, confess, be baptized, and be circumcised destroys the gospel and damns you!

What if we add something else? What if, for example, we make having the right position on elder re-affirmation a requirement to be saved? Well, then we’re bound to obey the entire law. We have get to heaven on our merits rather than Jesus’.

What about instrumental music? Well, there’s no damnation in teaching God’s will on a cappella music. But if you make it a test of salvation, then you’ve got to obey the entire law, and as Paul says, Christ is of no value to you. You’ve chosen to get to heaven on your own merits.

See why Galatians is so scary?

Now, my reading of Galatians is that the condemnation Paul pronounces is for the teachers, not those duped by the teachers. I don’t pretend to know the exact boundaries of Paul’s condemnation. I just know I need to stay far, far away from it.

For additional explanation, go to this page.