In this series of blogs I intend to explore St. Paul the Campaigner's comment in Galatians 2:19 (RSV), " For I through the law died to the police force, that I might live to God ."

Paul3cSt. Paul is the prime elucidator of the Christian idea of the justification by faith rather than attaining God's justification through keeping Torah.  He was clear that it is religion in Christ which brings one to conservancy, not keeping the Law.  Nevertheless, St. Paul was not an anarchist nor even anomian, rather he had very clear ideas of morality based in the Jewish Tradition and Law.  Biblical Scholar James Dunn, in The Partings of the Ways, notes that keeping the Law for Jews was not the means to go function of the called people, rather keeping the Law was intended for those already within the customs of God's people and the means for distinguishing themselves from the other nations.

"For the devout Jew, obedience to the constabulary was not a manner of entering the covenant, not a way of winning a identify in God's favour. Obedience to the Torah was what God demanded of those already inside the covenant, already part of his chosen people. The police force told the covenant member how to live as a covenant member. 'Covenant nominism' is what the devout Jew did to limited his Jewishness, that which distinguished him from the other nations."

What Paul objected to was exactly the Jewish notion that since but Jews had the Law, merely Jews could keep the Law and therefore just Jews were capable of beingness saved by God.  St. Paul's statement is that all along it was faithfulness to God which was essential – keeping the Law was only meant as a sign of faithfulness – it was never intended to replace faith in God every bit the footing for our relationship to God.   Paul's argument is the Jews were meant to be a light to the nations, not the people who airtight the door on them.  Whatever who come across keeping tradition as the sign of their exclusively beingness saved by God have missed the point of godly Tradition.  Keeping Tradition like keeping Torah is but meant as a sign of our faithfulness only it is not intended to supercede faith as our way of relating to the Lord God.

The point St. Paul is trying to make is that what God always wanted from His people was that they remain faithful to Him.  God's intention was never to create a people who robotically obeyed the particular of Law, rather Law was given to help the people keep faith with God.   God did non create automatons but rather made u.s.a. humans meaning we have to freely choose to believe in God and follow Him.

God e'er wanted the states to live past faith, meaning that we actually trust God, believe His promises and alive as if we actually believe them. We are to pay attending to what God is doing, not just what God did in the by.  The Law was given as a means for believers to demonstrate that they practice have faith in God.  How would someone who believes in God alive?   St. James has it right when he says, "I by my works will show you my faith" (James 2:18).  If we really believe God, we will do what God commands.  The Law was given to help united states of america maintain a faithful human relationship with God.

PaulHere though is the issue as St. Paul defines information technology.  The Torah was given past God as the means for believers to demonstrate their faith (What difference does it make practically whether or not yous believe in God?  Yous live a particular life mode, ane that God has revealed and allowable).  The Torah was also given to help believers remain faithful, to be constantly reminded that they are to live and deed with faith in God as their prime motivator.  By beingness constantly faithful to God in every picayune deed we maintain a correct and living human relationship with God.  Nosotros pay attention to God and continually watch for what He is currently doing, where He is leading, what He expects from usa.   This is a living relationship – not just keeping old rules, but an engagement with God today in whatever circumstances we are now in.

What happened however for the Jews, according to St. Paul, is that they lost sight of the fact that keeping Torah was always about faith and being faithful.  Keeping Torah was a means to an stop.  Unfortunately, keeping Torah became the end in itself; the Jews came to value accented adherence to the Law as the goal of the spiritual life, only lost sight of the fact that keeping Torah was meant to keep us faithful – to keep our eyes on God and what God is presently doing and what God wants us to practise.

Next:   Keeping Torah – The Means to the End