Hey brothers and sisters,
I have a question regarding Galatians. This is my third time reading it and one of the things that I’m having a hard time understanding, in conjunction with justified by faith, is that St. Paul mentions the law several times. I’m under the impression that he is talking about the Levitical Law. Now does this include the 10 commandments? If not, were there other laws that were practiced and if so what were they?(I know I could probably read the Old Testament, and one day I will, but I want to make sure I have a clear understanding)
Also, If I am reading correctly, Jesus Christ is the Faith, that he is referring to, that did away with the law meaning one didn’t have to do any kind of action, like circumcision, to be saved. Is this the right interpretation? I have noticed that protestants will not agree with Catholics on justification because of the book of Galatians. (as well as others) Could someone just help me out with this please. Thanks
The Galatian people were probably converts from paganism who were being told by Jewish converts to Christianity that that they had to add certain precepts of the mosaic law such as circumcision to their Christian practices in order to be saved. This is obviously not true and Paul, himself a devout and zealous Jew before his conversion, was correcting this mistake.
The heart of the mosaic law for most Jews was Leviticus 17 through 22. Jewish children were taught to read and write using the book of Leviticus. This served the dual purposes of literacy and training in the “Holiness Code” contained primarliy in those chapters. We have to understand that at the time of Christ, it was believe that adherance to the holiness code in particular, and the mosaic law in general, was what made one holy. If everyone were holy, then the messiah would come. It was believed that those who were not holy according to “The Law of Moses”, primarily as stated in the holiness code of Leviticus 17-22, these were actually
preventing the Messiah from coming. That is why seperation from those who were seen as unholy sinners was demanded. That is why Saul persecuted the first Jews who converted to Christianity. And this thought process, that holiness was based on what clothes you wore or how you cut your hair or what you ate, inculcated in the minds of young Jews for centuries, was being introduced into Christianity by some Jewish converts. This is what Paul was arguing against.
In Matthew 5, Jesus changed the holiness code. Jesus used a rabinnical teaching technique to bring the holiness code of Leviticus 17-22 to the minds of those who were listenting to him and supplanted it with something new, something better. The formula for his rabinnical teaching technique is, “
You have heard that it was said… But I say to you…”
*
You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, “You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment.” But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment, (Matthew 5:21-22)
You have heard that it was said, “You shall not commit adultery.” But I say to you, everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. (Mathew 5:27-28)
You have heard that it was said, “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on (your) right cheek, turn the other one to him as well. (Matthew 5:38-39)
You have heard that it was said, “You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, (Matthew 5:43-44)*
In the sermon on the mount, Jesus changes the definition of holiness from how well you observed the mosaic law (which was impossible to observe perfectly) to how you treated other people. Your treatment of others now determines how holy you are. How well you love others determines how holy you are in God’s eyes, not what you eat or even how you worship.
We must not mistake Paul’s insistence that circumcision was not needed for salvation and deprication of “The Law” in general, as an injunction against all ritual. Jesus himself was baptized and celebrated the passover, even using the celebration of the passover as the means by which he gave humanity himself in the Eucharist. The book of Acts tells us that the earlist Christians were dedicated “With one accord” to the breaking of the bread. Paul himself speaks of the “Cup of blessing which we bless”. These all speak to the rituals and liturgies as part of worship of God.
Ritual exists because there is a language of worship which is not used anywhere else on earth. Certain liturgical languages, dress, scents and postures are reseved for worship of God alone. You don’t see people in chausibles at the movies and as soon as you smell frankincense, you know you are at Mass. And the sacraments are God’s way of giving us his grace. But this is all worship due to God and God granting us grace. It does not make us holy.
Even Mass does not make anyone holy. Going to the most glorious latin pontifical high Mass every day wouldn’t make you a more holy person. How you pray the rosary doesn’t make you holy. It may give you grace and it certainly renders worship to God, but Jesus Christ himself radically redefined holiness in terms of love - how well you treated other human beings. That’s what Paul is getting at.
-Tim-
