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Is Justice Satisfied By Faithfulness or Some Traditional Works?
3:1 O unthinking Galatians! Who bewitched you? † Before your very eyes Jesus Christ's crucifixion was graphically described. 2 I just want to learn this from you— did you receive the Spirit because you did some °customary works† or because you heard about° faithfulness? † 3 You are so unthinking to have stared with the Spirit, and now to think you are perfect† in the flesh! 4 Was all your experience for nothing? If you are so perfect then it was for nothing! 5 Does he accordingly supply the Spirit to you, and work with miracles among you because you did some customary° deeds† or because you listened with faithfulness— 6 just as Abraham, "°faithfully trusted in the LORD, and it was °considered in him† as righteousness. 7 Therefore, you must know that those who coming to justice by °faithfulness are the sons of Abraham. 8 Also the scripture, predicting that God brings to justice the peoples by faithfulness†, announced the good news long ago to Abraham saying, "All the peoples will be blessed by you." † 9 So then, those who walk by faithfulness° are blessed along with the faithful° Abraham.
The Righteous Shall Live By His Faithfulness
10 Whosoever tries° to satisfy justice by °some °customary deeds† is under a curse. Because it is written, "Accursed is everyone who does not stand by° all the things which have been written in the scroll of the Law, in order° to do them." †° 11 And so clearly, by the norm no one himself satisfies justice° in the sight of God. For, "the righteous person will live by °faithfulness"†. 12 However, the °norm for justice is not achieved† by faithfulness, °unless†, "one does the commandments— then one will have lived° by them." 13 Christ redeems us from the °customary curse. 14 He became accursed in our place, because it is written, "Accursed is every one hanged on a tree." 14 This is so the blessing of Abraham might come to the peoples by Christ Jesus, and so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faithfulness†.
Mediation By The Promise Or the Curse?
15 Brothers, I will use a human argument. Once a human agreement is ratified no one annuls it or adds to it, 16 and so the promises were spoken to Abraham, "and to his seed," but it does not say, "and to the seeds" speaking about many, unless° it also speaks about one, "and to your seed," which is Christ. 17 Also, I am saying this: the curse that turned out° to be the norm° four hundred and thirty years afterward does not annul the covenant previously established by God, so as to undo the promise. 18 For if the inheritance comes by the norm° for justice, then it is no longer by promise. So God graciously gave it to Abraham by the promise. 19 So why the °norm† for justice? It was added because of transgressions, until the seed should come, (in which He had promised himself), to make satisfaction for it— it was put in place through messengers† with the help of a mediator.
The One Mediator Like Moses
20 But, the mediator of the Unity† sect is not like him. But the Divine One is like him. 21 So now, does the °norm for justice nullify the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if some °norm were given which was able to make deadness alive†, then certainly justice° would be according to the °norm. 22 But the scripture confines all creation under sin, in order that the promise might be given by the faithfulness° of Jesus Christ to those who are firmly trusting°. 23 Before the coming of this faithfulness°, we were guarded under the norm°, and confined when this faithfulness° was about to be revealed. 24 So the norm° for justice turned out to be a truant officer† to bring us to Christ, so that by faithfulness we can be brought to justice°. 25 And when this faithfulness° comes, we are no longer under a truant officer.
True Unity In Christ
26 For we all become° sons of God through the °faithfulness† in Christ Jesus. 27 And all of you who are °immersed† in Christ, also put on°† Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek; there is neither slave nor free; there is neither male or female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed†, and heirs according to the promise.
Comment: This is CNET (Common Names English Translation). The SET (Standard English Translation) in the book has Yeshua and Messiah in place of Jesus and Christ.
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3 comments:
I just want to learn this from you— did you receive the Spirit because you did some °customary works† or because you heard about° faithfulness?
Let's start off with this text. "Customary works" includes anything that someone might offer to God by way of performance to try to acquit oneself before him in an attempt to get God to declare you legally innocent.
In the immediate context Paul was refering to the perversion of circumcision that some were trying to teach the Galatians. But if we are to make a broader application, we might identify "baptism" as taught by the Catholic Church as a "customary work" or Modern Judaism's substitution of prayer and alms for biblical sacrifices.
True believers have difficulty understanding some of these attempts at acquittal, because it is the farthest thing from their mind. You almost have to see it to believe it.
Yet this mystery of iniquity lurks in practices and theologies everywhere. The Greek word for "works" "deeds" also means "actions" --- one might get the sense of "legal actions" out of the text. You will see what I am aiming at in a minute.
Christianity has replaced outward works with a philosophy of salvation -- at least the Catholic and Protestant versions (Luther and Calvin). Don't let the lack of outward deeds as a basis for salvation fool you. The philosophy is just as deadly. This is an inward way of thinking that has replaced the outward form of works. It is a salvation based on customary legal actions -- i.e. the idea that one must be acquitted (declared innocent) in order to be saved.
Here is how it works in dispensational Evangelicalism (a.k.a. Lewis Sperry Chaeffer) -- you have a "one time moment of faith" and then God counts perfect righteousness to the believer because of the faith. One is legally considered perfect, and then because one is legally considered perfect, one is forgiven and accepted by God.
But what happened to the gospel? What happened to being considered guilty before the God who sees all things?
God does not acquit the guilty. The legal truth is that we were found guilty before God, and then Messiah Yeshua offered to pay the penalty. We received a pardon (forgiveness) when we repented and put our trust in Him.
Therefore, there is no point to being considered legally righteous (when in fact we are not perfectly righteous).
We received a pardon because of the commitment (faithfulness) of Yeshua to the cross. This is the faithfulness we heard about. Now the translation is ambiguous. It also means we heard with faithfulness. In other words, we put out trust and commitment in Messiah Yeshua.
We receive the Spirit when we admit out guilt and trust in the faithfulness of Yeshua to pay the penalty -- this is way far away from thinking that we receive an acquittal (declaration of innocence).
I may get to it later, but the texts that speak of us being counted as righteous only mean those things in us that actually are righteous -- and they are only fulfilled in the degree of perfection when Yeshua returns.
And some of them speak of "imputed justice" (i.e. Romans 4) and not "imputed righteousness" in the English sense. God counts justice done to us in Messiah -- that's what "imputed justice" would be, but this is not a counting that considers us morally perfect. It is just a counting of the penalty paid for us.
Hi Dan are we saying that the 'one time moment' of faith is equated to the acquittal of circumcision and baptism?
I may get to it later, but the texts that speak of us being counted as righteous only mean those things in us that actually are righteous -- and they are only fulfilled in the degree of perfection when Yeshua returns.
And some of them speak of "imputed justice" (i.e. Romans 4) and not "imputed righteousness" in the English sense. God counts justice done to us in Messiah -- that's what "imputed justice" would be, but this is not a counting that considers us morally perfect. It is just a counting of the penalty paid for us.
I hope you get into this because I believe it's as equally as important.
Still in California?
Marc
Shalom Marc,
Yes, I am saying that the "one time moment of faith" has become in dispensational theology of the 'once saved always saved' following the equivalent of 'cirucmcision' as taught by Paul's enemies or 'baptism' as taught by Roman Catholicicm. It is the magic key that gets you in.
The moment of faith triggers the application of Christ's righteousness to one's legal account; then God sees perfection and does not condemen the person.
Admission of guilt before God, and forgiveness have gone out the door. That's the logical conclusion of the formal theology.
Yes I am still here until the beginning of March.
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