Saturday 11 October 2008

Background

The religious law, as given to Moses, was necessary and had atleast two functions:

• A permanent standard to which we hold ourselves toaccount.
• A temporary system of rule for a particular people group at aparticular time (the Israelites in the wilderness).

In this way it rooted people to God by reminding them oftheir humanness against such godliness, and provided a way for themto relate to their Jehovah. Most significantly for Paul it was alsothe platform from which the gospel (good news) could be launched;finding ultimate justification in Jesus' death andResurrection.

According to Paul, the Law condemned everyone (verse 22), andthis links back to the reference he makes to  Deuteronomy27:26 in verse 10. By placing the emphasis on theuniversality of human sin Paul implicitly says Gentiles and Jewsare in the same boat. No amount of rule-keeping and rule-makingwill resolve the fracture between humankind and God. Indeed he goeson to say that Law restricts and traps us within sin - it does notbring freedom and liberation and abundance. These things, and theresolution between humans and God are only possible in Jesus. Hisway is the natural path leading out from the binds of theLaw.

Paul's way of describing one of the purposes of the Law isthat it was "our disciplinarian until Christ came" (verse 24). Theword 'disciplinarian' may resonate uncomfortably here, but it isworth noting that the word in the original Greek is translatable as"pedagogue". At this period a 'pedagogue' was a slave who wascharged with accompanying a child on the way to school andsupervising their behaviour, not a teacher. So, maybe we can inferthat Paul was communicating to the Galatians that the Law islimited in its capacity to teach and it is Jesus with the HolySpirit who develops their understanding.

Paul ends this section jubilantly, quite a contrast from thenegative repercussions of living under the Law. He asserts thatfaith is the sign of a covenant relationship with God, baptismbeing the symbolic gesture of this transformative relationship. Healso asserts that there is "no longer Jew or Greek ... slave orfree ... male and female". This is still a belief that has thepower to send shockwaves through the Church. And by implication, aChurch which does not reflect this godly equality and unity doesnot reflect the gospel as Paul knows it.

To Ponder

Our default position is often one of disunity,discouragement, prejudice and fear - so in what ways can wecultivate unity in our relationships, families and communities?

Think back over the news stories of the last fewdays. How many of these had division and inequality as their maintheme? Perhaps there is another way to interpret these stories.Look for the kernels of equality, grace and oneness in your day,your newspaper, and your conversations today.