Freedom Within the Law (Torah)

TORAH

Gen. 12:1-17:27

HAFTORAH

Isa. 40:27-41:16

B’RIT HADASHAH

Acts 7:1-8; Rom. 3:19

Gal. 3:15-18; 5:1-6

Col. 2:11-15; Heb. 7:1-19; 11:8-12
 

Gal. 5:1-6; Col. 2:11-15

The letter to the Galatians was writen to Gentiles, not Jews. This is indicated partly by extrabiblical historical and archaeological evidence, but also by the text itself, in verse 2: “if you accept circumcision.” Jews of course are and were circumcised on their eighth day; it is not a question of “accepting” circumcision. So the admonitions we find in Galatians are not directed at Jews, but rather Gentiles.

Judaizers within the early church (including the Galatian congregation) maintained that salvation was only possible by accepting the Torah including not just its moral requirements but its ceremonial requirements as well, of which circumcision was the most powerful symbol. In fact, circumcision is the fundamental condition that defines a Jew. Circumcision was the one condition of God's covenant with Abraham, which covenant created the Jewish people. Quoting Dr. David Stern, from his Jewish New Testament Commentary (Jewish New Testament Publications, Clarksville, 1992, p. 561) “Circumcision is part of an initiation rite which makes a Gentile part of the Jewish community. At that point he ceases to be a Gentile, becomes a Jew and voluntarily obligates himself to do everything a Jew is expected to do. And what is a Jew expected to do? Obey the Torah.” Therefore, when a non-Jew allows himself to be circumcised, he is in effect putting his hope and trust in all the laws of the Torah and consequently turning his back on the grace provided in Christ Jesus. These Judaizers were in effect pressuring the Gentile members of the congregation to become Jews.

Therefore, “the yoke of slavery” (which is better translated as “a heavy burden”) and which the Galatians were in danger of submitting to again, does not refer to the Torah per se (which the Gentile members had not yet submitted to, though they were apparently tottering on the brink). It refers rather to the Gentile Galatians’ personal willingness to be governed by external rules and regulations as a method for obtaining justification or righteousness. So that when Paul wrote this letter, they were in jeopardy of submitting to the legal, ceremonial demands of the Torah—“the yoke of slavery”—instead of their old pagan rules and regulations (and to which they could never again return). For Paul, the crucial point is justification, as he makes plain in Rom. 2:17, “as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith’” quoting from the OT prophet Habakkuk (2:4b).

But Paul makes it clear that accepting circumcision was accepting the yoke of slavery, and by this he meant the ceremonial obligations of the law, not the moral injunctions. Christ came to earth partly in order to meet the ceremonial aspects of the Torah by His willing and atoning death on the cross. By this, He nullified the yoke of slavery.

In Colossians, justification (or righteousness, a parallel word, see Gal. 2:16) is here described as being “made alive together with him” and this through our faith (Eph. 2:8) and witnessed by our baptism—which is a work of sanctification not justification. God’s forgiveness is manifested and made possible by His wiping away, obliterating our “record of debt.” This record of debt is in the Greek “adverse handwriting” (hypenantion cheirographon). It is like an I. O. U. except in reverse, i.e. it is really a U. O. Me. That is to say, it is a record of the sin of every person since Adam and the penalty imposed by God for such sin. This record of debt has now been fully paid by Christ. The legal demands are not the demands of the Ten Commandments i.e. the moral law, but rather what David Stern has phrased as, “legalistic observance of Torah commands” (Stern, 1992, p. 537).

What do we take from this? The keeping of the moral law is still binding as a standard of acceptable conduct, as we see exemplified for instance in Eph. 4:1-2, “walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love.” The moral aspect of the Torah—necessarily including the fourth commandment—is perfect, as David says,
“The law of the Lord is perfect,

    reviving the soul;
the testimony of the Lord is sure,
    making wise the simple;
the precepts of the Lord are right,
    rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is pure,
    enlightening the eyes.”

Paul assures us that the law is still in effect—“We hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law” (Rom. 3:28, 30-31). The “law” upheld by Paul is the moral law—not the ceremonial law. But the law cannot justify, it can only point out our sin; until the coming of the Holy Spirit, it alone was able to convict us of our sin and to encourage us in our endevours. But now, with the coming of the Holy Spirit, we are given the justification through faith that the law could not provide but clearly pointed too nevertheless. The Holy Spirit uses the moral law as the witness of our sanctification, while our justification has been provided for by the righteousness of Christ. The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ, now enables us to live by the standard set by God for our blessing.

What does all this mean for us? It means that God’s moral law, as summarized in the Ten Commandments, is still operative in our walk as believers (“walk in a manner worthy of your calling”) both Jew and Gentile. The “calling” we have is eternal and permanent and has relieved us of the torments of Hell and given us an inexpressible joy. Our only fitting response is a life dedicated to honouring this call, bestowed entirely through grace. By following the commandments given for our blessing, we are worthy of the calling we have received.

AMEN