Gálatas 3
Bob Utley · Citado em PreceptAustin
Gálatas 3
Utley - Here is the basic assumption! In the matter of right standing (salvation) with God, the choice is faith or law, not faith and law. The Judaizers had turned faith in God into rules for God. Even in the OT the individual Israelite was only right by personal faith in YHWH. Never were all Israelites right with God because of their descent from Abraham.
Gálatas 3
Utley points out that "In the next step in the argument, Paul moved from Abraham to the strict legal requirements of the Mosaic Law. The argument challenges the bad theology of the Judaizers. Trusting in adherence to the Law characterized the Pharisees of Jesus’ day (cf. Ro 10:2–5+). Paul asserted that self-effort to obtain right standing is only a road to damnation (cf. Gal 2:16+). Paul knew this road well! Although Paul was primarily referring to the Mosaic Law, the referent is “law” in general or human effort by means of some external moral standard. Which standard is not important—the essential truth is that fallen mankind cannot claim that their moral accomplishment deserves acceptance by God. We call this approach self-righteous legalism. It is alive and well and thrives among religious people! (Galatians 3 Commentary) For (gar) - term of explanation - Gromacki explains "The connective “for” (gar) joins this section to the preceding two. Both the Galatians and Abraham had experiences of justification by faith “for” it was impossible for them to have gained the righteousness of God by legalistic works." (Stand Fast in Liberty - Exposition of Galatians) For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse - This must have been a shock to Paul's readers because the Judaizers had been teaching the Galatians that the pathway to divine blessing was works of the Law, when in fact these works were really the antithesis of blessing being in fact the broad road to destruction and a divine curse (Mt 7:13+ - Of course I am not implying true believers in Galatia would lose their salvation, but they certainly would lose the blessing of their salvation. That's what legalism aways does - it steals the joy of our salvation! Are you joyless? Do a self-exam for any forms of legalism.) The phrase of the works of the Law means "who are seeking to be justified by obedience to the Law of rituals" (Amplified) Having shattered the Jews' confidence in their physical relation to Abraham, Paul now shows that the Law brings a curse quoting from the Lxx of [Dt 27:26] arguing that man cannot possibly keep all the laws (Ja 2:10+). How utterly illogical would it be for the Galatian believers to seek to gain divine acceptance by their futile human efforts, as advocated by the Judaizers! The life of faith brings blessing, while life under the Law puts a man under a curse! "Law is unbending, it yields nothing to weakness, its standard is never lowered, not even by a hairbreadth; law makes no compromise, and finds no room for mercy!" (Vine)