11) Galatians 3:6-7

Jul 26

Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”? Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. (Galatians 3:5-7, ESV Bible)

Faith versus works or grace versus law is the theological argument about whether God saves a person by grace alone or by a person's obedience and good works. We derive the argument from Paul's epistles. It does not come from the teachings of Jesus. If we did not have Paul's epistles, we would all be a lot more "legalistic." For example, in the gospels, a young man comes to the Master:

And behold, a man came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” He said to him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” The young man said to him, “All these I have kept. What do I still lack?” Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. (Matthew 19:16-22, ESV Bible)

This seems to contradict the teachings of Paul. Paul says, "For by grace you have been saved through faith... not a result of works" (Ephesians 2:8-9). Paul makes it sound like we do not have to be obedient to God at all. We probably should not be doing any good works or trying to achieve any merit with God because salvation comes from faith as a free gift, not of works. We can illustrate this theological supposition as follows:

Works = Bad

Faith = Good

Law = Bad

Grace = Good

The Epistle to James

Then comes the Epistle of James, the brother of the Master. James seems to completely contradict Paul. Remember, when James spoke, he spoke with authority, not only as the brother of the Master and one of the pillars of the apostolic assembly in Jerusalem but also as the steward of the throne of David, the head over the assembly of believers.

James declared that faith without works is dead. He insisted that faith must be demonstrated by deeds. He dismissed those who place their confidence in mere faith, reminding them that the demons also believe. Then he cited the same passages about Abraham that Paul used to make his faith-alone argument:

Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness"-and he was called a friend of God. You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. (James 2:21-24)

Consider the contradiction. Paul says, "Faith, not works; grace, not law." James says, "Faith without works is dead ... A person is justified by works and not by faith alone."

I am setting two apostles opposite one another like two contenders in a theological boxing ring. In one corner we place Paul of Tarsus. He is saying, "We know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ ... not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified" (Galatians 2:16). He is saying, "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9).

In the opposite corner we place the Apostle James the Righteous, the brother of the Master. He is saying, "You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone" (James 2:24).

One apostle says, "Not justified by works."
One apostle says, "Justified by works."

How do we reconcile the faith-versus-works problem and the James-versus-Paul problem?

Abraham Believed God

Both James and Paul pointed to a common proof text. Genesis 15:6 is a cornerstone of Pauline theology. Paul used it as a proof text for his whole argument (Galatians 3:6). James quoted the same verse in what appears to be a contradiction to Paul's argument James 2:23).

The passage appears in the context of the LORD's covenant with Abraham. In the story, the LORD appears to Abraham and promises him a great inheritance. Abraham objects, pointing out that this promise has little value to him because he has no son to whom he can pass on an inheritance. The LORD promises that he will have a son who will be his heir. He shows him the starry sky at night and says, "Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them. So shall your offspring be" (Genesis 15:5). Paul said:

Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith-just as Abraham "believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness"? (Galatians 3:5-6)

The Apostle Paul identified this single verse as a summary statement on the faith of Abraham. God made promises; Abraham believed the promises. God credited Abraham with righteousness because of his belief.

Paul wanted to know, "How does a human being find justification, legal spiritual exoneration, in the eyes of God?" In other words, "If everyone sins (and everyone does), then how can a person find acquittal for his sin?" Put in other words, "Only the righteous will inherit the kingdom and the world to come. So on what basis does God declare a sinner righteous?"

The influencers in Galatia and the circumcision party among the believers had the religious conviction that justification, whereby a person may inherit the kingdom and the world to come, was attainable primarily through covenant relationship with God. The Jewish people, the nation of Israel, are the only people in covenant with God; Gentiles are not. Therefore, Gentiles need to undergo conversion by taking on the "works of the law" to become part of the nation. By"works of the law," they did not mean just any deeds of Torah. They were not talking about, for example, the commandment to chase a mother bird away from the nest before taking its young or the commandment to honor one's father and mother.

The "works of the law" are the particular commandments that define and identify a person as Jewish. When Paul used terms like "works," "works of the law," "circumcision", "under the law," or sometimes just "the law." he meant those commandments that identify a person as Jewish, commandments like circumcision.

Pauline terminology for the commandments that indicate Jewish status:

Works
Works of the law

Pauline terminology for halachic Jewish status:

Under the law
The law
Circumcision

Like Paul, the rabbis used the word "circumcised" as a synonym for the Jewish people, and they applied the term "uncircumcised" to Gentiles, regardless of whether a Gentile was physically circumcised or not:

The word 'uncircumcised' is used only as name for Gentiles, as it is written [in Jeremiah 9:26], "for all these nations are uncircumcised." (m. Nedarim 3:11)

Paul’s Insight

Paul had theological enemies. Paul’s opponents opposed his gospel which taught that Gentiles can be saved. They believed that being Jewish was a prerequisite for the kingdom of heaven and life in the world to come. One day, while reading through the scroll of Genesis, Paul had an insight. He read these words in the scroll of Genesis: "And he believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness."

Paul thought to himself, "Abraham was not even circumcised yet. He had not yet received the commandment of circumcision. The covenant in Genesis 15 takes place about fifteen years prior to the commandment of circumcision. So if circumcision is a prerequisite for salvation, for justification and righteousness, then how is it that the LORD reckoned Abraham as righteous prior to his circumcision?"

"Obviously," Paul thought to himself, "this implies that an uncircumcised person (that is to say, a Gentile, a non-Jewish person) can be saved without becoming Jewish." Follow Paul's simple logic:

If Abraham was declared righteous on the basis of his faith in the promises of God prior to being circumcised, ...
... then circumcision and Jewish status cannot be considered a prerequisite to salvation.

Based upon this big insight, Paul argued in his epistle to the Galatians that taking on "the works of the law," i.e., "circumcision," is not needed for salvation:

Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law [i.e., by those commandments that identify a person as Jewish, like circumcision], or by hearing with faith just as Abraham "believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness"? Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. (Galatians 3:5-7)

Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. (Galatians 3:7, ESV Bible)

Sons of Abraham

When a Gentile undergoes conversion to become a legal proselyte, he receives a new identity as a Jew and a new last name: the patronymic ben Avraham (son of Abraham). A woman who undergoes conversion receives the name bat Avraham (daughter of Abraham). Therefore, proselytes are collectively called benei Avraham (children of Abraham). If a man was born as a Gentile and later converted to become Jewish, he henceforth belonged to this category of Jewish people.

This nomenclature explains Paul's statement in Galatians 3:7 where he concluded, "Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham." This was a radical, counterintuitive statement.

Paul claimed that those who do not convert and become Jewish achieve the status of "sons of Abraham" by exercising the faith of Abraham. With this language, he created a new category of people within Israel: the proselytes by faith.

Paul did not contrast "those who are of faith" against "those who are not of faith." He contrasted "those who are of faith" against "those who are of the flesh." In Paul's thinking, "those who are of faith' are those who have believed the good news of the gospel and rely on the faithfulness of Jesus and the promises of God for justification. Those who are of the flesh are those who have placed their confidence in physical circumcision, flesh-level conversion, to become Jewish.

A Parallel in Romans 4

We can take all of this information and test drive it elsewhere in Paul's epistles to find corroboration. Several years after writing his epistle to the Galatians, Paul composed his epistle to the Romans. He returned to his central Galatians argument about the faith of Abraham as a justification for Gentile salvation, and he developed it further in Romans 4:

What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? (Romans 4:1)

When the apostles use the term "the flesh", they do not mean sin or the evil inclination. The term "the flesh" means the physical body as opposed to the spirit (the ruach/neshamah), the divine soul. When you read the phrase "to (or of) the flesh" in the New Testament, think, "physically" or "bodily." Therefore, Romans 4:1 can read:

"What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the [physical body]?" (Romans 4:1)

For if Abraham was justified by works [i.e., the commandments that identify a person as Jewish, such as circumcision], he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness." (Romans 4:2-3)

Abraham cannot boast that his Jewish status earned him legal exoneration before the LORD because God credited him with righteousness prior to his undergoing circumcision. He was not justified by "works." By the word "works," Paul only means the commandments that secure Jewish identity, such as circumcision.

Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work [i.e., does not take on Jewish identity or the commandments that identify a person as Jewish] but believes in him who [legally exonerates] the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness. (Romans 4:4-5)

Playing off the word "works," Paul pointed out that a laborer receives wages for works he performs, but if someone receives some compensation without having worked for it, then the compensation is not actually compensation; rather it is a gift. The "one who does not work" is not a godless or lawless person; he is a person who does not undertake the commandments of Torah that secure Jewish status. Although he does not undergo circumcision or take on the commandments that define Jewishness, he trusts in God, and God justifies him.

Is this blessing then only for the circumcised [i.e., Jews and proselytes] or also for the uncircumcised [God-fearing Gentiles]? We say that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness. How then was it counted to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised. (Romans 4:9-10)

As noted above, the term "circumcised" does not refer to a man's actual physical condition. In rabbinic language and in the language of the Apostle Paul, "circumcised" means either "a Jew" or "a proselyte to Judaism" who has undergone conversion. Quoting Psalm 32, Paul said "Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin" (Romans 4:7-8), and then he asked, "Is this blessing only for Jews and proselytes, or also for uncircumcised Gentiles?" He then argued that since God credited Abraham with righteousness before he underwent circumcision, this indicates that God can justify the uncircumcised as well as the circumcised.

This realization made Paul wonder what the point of circumcision is at all. He answered his unstated question as follows:

He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well, and to make him the father of the circumcised [i.e., the Jewish people] who are not merely circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised. (Romans 4:11-12)

In Paul's view, God credited Abraham with righteousness prior to his circumcision to demonstrate that Abraham is the spiritual father (by faith) of all who believe, whether Jewish or Gentile. Moreover, he received circumcision only after receiving the reward of faith in order to indicate that the Jewish people must also "walk in the footsteps of the faith" of Abraham and not merely rely on physical, national status.

That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring- not only to the adherent of the Law [i.e., the Jewish people] but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham [i.e., the God-fearing Gentile], who is the father of us all, as it is written, "I have made you the father of many nations." (Romans 4:16-17)

Paul referred to Jewish people and proselytes to Judaism as those who are "adherent[s] of the law." The God-fearing Gentile who does not have Jewish status is "the one who shares the faith of Abraham." Paul viewed Jewish and Gentile believers as having differing relationships to the Torah. He called the Jewish believer in Yeshua an "adherent of the law," but he did not assign that same relationship to the Gentile believer. In any case, he reckoned both the adherent of the law and the Gentile God-Fearer as "sons of Abraham" because Abraham "is the father of us all."

The Faith of Abraham

Both the "adherent of the law" and the God-fearing Gentile believer must "walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised." What is it that Abraham believed? What was this saving faith that he had?

[Abraham had faith] in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, "So shall your offspring be." (Romans 4:17-18)

In other words, Abraham believed in the promise about the stars. He believed God's promise from Genesis 15:5 when the LORD said, "Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them... So shall your offspring be." Paul explained that Abraham believed despite the fact that his body was as good as dead and Sarah was barren: "No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised" (Romans 4:20-21). To be "of the faith of Abraham" means to be "fully convinced that God [is] able to do what he [has] promised."

That is why his faith was "counted to him as righteousness." But the words "it was counted to him" were not written for his sake alone, but for ours also. It will be counted to us [Jews, and Gentiles] who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification [legal exoneration]. (Romans 4:22-25)

A Big Misunderstanding

Abraham was counted righteous prior to undergoing the "works" of circumcision; therefore, he is the father of faith both for Jewish believers and Gentile believers. This insight into Paul's theology provides the answer to the faith-versus-works question, the grace-versus-law problem, and the Paul-versus-James divide.

The entire argument about faith versus works and grace versus law is based upon wrong assumptions. When Paul spoke of "works," he was speaking only of circumcision and the other sign commandments and particulars that indicate Jewish status. He was not talking about obedience to God. He was talking about changing from being a Gentile and becoming Jewish. He also called it going under the law, circumcision, and so forth.

Very early on, however, believers misunderstood Paul's language and message. We know this from Acts 21 where the devout Jewish believers thought that Paul was dismissing Torah in general, even for Jewish people. James warned him about what people were saying. He told Paul, "[They think that] you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or walk according to our customs" (Acts 21:21).

James knew this was not so. He recognized that people had misunderstood Paul's message about "works." He realized that people in that day, like us, thought that "works" meant obedience to God's commandments in general and the performance of good deeds. In his epistle, James wrote to correct the error, but as he did, he did not adopt Paul's specialized use of the term "works." Instead, he used the term as it was being misunderstood and just as it is understood today. When James used the term "works," he meant obedience to God in general, both obedience to the commandments and good deeds in general. He gave two examples: Abraham obeying God's commandments to sacrifice Isaac, and Rahab the Gentile saving the lives of the two spies.

There is No Difficulty Here

It comes down to a matter of terminology. When Paul, writing to Gentiles, said "works," he meant conversion, circumcision, and being Jewish. When James, writing to Jewish believers, said "works," he meant obedience to the Torah and doing good deeds. There is no contradiction.

Paul: "Works" means conversion.

James: "Works" means obedience.

There is no faith-versus-works or grace-versus-law in the Bible. That was not an issue for the apostles, nor was it a matter of controversy. The real faith-versus-works argument was over the question, "Can an uncircumcised Gentile be saved by faith or does he have to do the works of circumcision and become Jewish?" Likewise, the real grace-versus-law question was, "Can an uncircumcised Gentile be considered a son of Abraham and recipient of the grace Abraham received, or does he have to keep the law as a Jew to attain that status?"

So we can agree with Paul when he says: "A person is not justified by works of the law [converting to being Jewish] but through faith in Jesus Christ ... not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified" (Galatians 2:16).

And we can also agree with James when he says: "You see that a person is justified by works [obedience] and not by faith alone" (James 2:24).

Referneces

This lesson was curated from teachings from First Fruits of Zion “Holy Epistle to the Galatians.”

Disciple X