During his first missionary journey (46-48 A.D.), Paul together with Barnabas had the opportunity to establish several churches in the Roman province of Galatia (Ac 13:14-14:23). On his second trip (49-52 A.D.), Paul and Silas visited them again (Ac 16:1-5).
It wasn’t long, however, before some Jewish Christians came in and began teaching that Gentile Christians needed to be circumcised and keep the Law of Moses (similar to what happened at Antioch of Syria, cf. Ac 15:1). In an effort to persuade the Galatians, it appears the tactic was to discredit Paul as an apostle, challenge his concept of the gospel of Christ, and charge his doctrine with leading to loose living.
Time and Place of Writing:
Dating Galatians is affected by one’s view of whether the churches of Galatia were located in the north central part of Asia Minor (ethnic Galatia), or in the south central part (the Roman province of Galatia). The churches of Galatia were established by Paul in his first missionary journey (cf. Ac 13:14-14:23). I also believe that the meeting described in Ga 2:1-10 took place during the “Jerusalem Conference” related in Ac 15:1-29. This view opens several possibilities for the place and time of writing:
- Corinth, in the period of Ac 18:1-17
- Antioch, in the period of Ac 18:22
- Ephesus, in the period covered by Ac 19:1-41
- Macedonia or Achaia in the period of Ac 20:1-3
With such uncertainty one cannot be dogmatic, but in view of Paul’s lengthy stay in Ephesus, that would seem a likely possibility, and the date would be approximately A.D. 55.
Purpose of the Epistle:
The churches in Galatia were being influenced by those who would “pervert the gospel of Christ” (Gal 1:6-7; cf. Gal 3:1). Known as “Judaizing teachers”, these individuals taught that Gentile Christians needed to be circumcised and keep the Law of Moses (cf. Ac 15:1). Paul recognized that this doctrine would jeopardize the salvation of those souls who accepted it (cf. Gal 5:4). Because the enemies of the true gospel were trying to support their case by undermining Paul’s authority as an apostle of Christ, it was necessary to verify that he was truly an apostle “not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father” (Gal 1:1). Therefore, Paul writes.
The Law in the Language of the Jew:
The Jews call the Old Testament the “Tanakh.” It is divided into the Torah, Nevi’im, and Kethuvim. The Torah is also called the “The Law,” “The Five Books of Moses,” or “The Prophets.” The Nevi’im is also called “The Prophets.” The “Kethuvim includes all the other books such as the Psalms, Proverbs, Song of Solomon, and the historical books.
TO VERIFY HIS APOSTLESHIP AND THE GOSPEL OF JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH IN CHRIST
Because of his outstanding defense of the gospel of Christ in which we have freedom from sin and the Law, this epistle has frequently been called “The Magna Carta Of Christian Liberty.”
Introduction
Now with all the background for Paul to write this letter to the Galatians we will touch the curse of the Law as spoken by Paul:
When Paul says in verse 10 that “all who rely on works of the law are under a curse,” it reminds us of 1:7, 8, where he says, “There are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we preached to you, let him be accursed.” Evidently, Paul believed that there was a teaching among the churches of Galatia which was so destructive to people and so dishonouring to God that it merited a divine curse. It was a teaching propagated not by secular humanists from Athens but by God-fearing Jewish “Christian” church members from Jerusalem. The reason the book of Galatians has such a radical, life-changing message is that it pronounces a curse from God not on atheistic or agnostic outsiders but on professing Christians who try to serve God in a way that diminishes his grace and cultivates their own pride.
Therefore, the way to listen to this message from Galatians 3:10–14 is in a spirit of sober self-examination. 2 Corinthians 13:5 says, “Examine yourselves to see whether you are (standing) in faith. Test yourselves. For you should know yourselves—that Christ Jesus is in you, unless indeed you fail to meet the test.” Whenever the Word of God is faithfully preached, you are given a standard by which to test yourselves. It may affirm the reality of Christ’s work in your life and send you rejoicing with new power. Or it may prick your conscience and send you to prayer and repentance. But God forbid that you should pigeonhole a message from Galatians as applicable only to unbelievers or only to your degree of blessing in heaven. It is written for the church and the issue is the continental divide between divine blessing and divine curse.
Galatians 3:10–14 makes three high-level statements which ought to be just as momentous to you as if you heard over the loudspeaker that Russia had just launched 80 nuclear warheads toward this country. The first statement is verse 10: “Those who rely on works of the law are under a curse.” The second is verse 13: “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law.” The third, in verse 14, gives the purpose and result of the second: “that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” Let’s try to understand these one at a time and apply them to ourselves.
“Works of the Law”
First, “Those who rely on works of the law are under a curse.” The opposite of curse is blessing. This is clear from verses 13 and 14 where it says that Christ became a curse for us that we might have the blessing of Abraham. And since the blessing (according to verse 14) is the Holy Spirit, the curse must be at least the absence of the Holy Spirit. So when verse 10 says that “those who rely on works of the law are under a curse,” it means that they are without the Holy Spirit (as 3:5 says). And that means that they are cut off from God and that his wrath abides on them. So you can see how crucial it is to avoid being one who relies on works of the law. What does that mean?
Galatians 3:13
What does it mean that we are redeemed from the curse of the law?
In Galatians 3:13, the apostle Paul states that “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us.” When Paul refers to “the law,” he means the Mosaic Law found in the first five books of the Bible, which instructed the Israelites how to properly worship and honour God through various commands and requirements.
The Greek word for “redeem” in the Bible is exagorazo. It was a financial term that referred to the process of purchasing a slave’s freedom. When a slave was “redeemed,” he or she was no longer bound to the rules and expectations of a slave’s life. So, to be redeemed from the curse of the law means to be set free from its rules and regulations. In other words, those who are redeemed from the curse of the law are no longer required to observe the law’s commands as the Israelites were.
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law. That is, His sacrificial work on the cross purchased our freedom from the law. Jesus fulfilled the original intention and purpose of the Mosaic Law on our behalf (Matthew 5:17; Romans 8:34). What we could not do in perfectly obeying God’s will laid out in the law, Christ did for us. In that way, He fulfilled the law and accomplished what God intended.
This doesn’t mean we completely ignore everything in the Mosaic Law. There are many commands in the law that all people from all time should always obey. For example, Exodus 20:13 says, “You shall not murder.” Even though Christ fulfilled the law, God’s people should still observe the command not to take another human’s life. Though we are redeemed from the curse of the law and set free from its rules and regulations, it’s still important to observe the moral and ethical commands found within the law. Of the Ten Commandments, nine are repeated in the New Testament as commands for us today.
To be redeemed from the curse of the law also means that we no longer have to face the judgment of God. The law was perfect, and, as sinful beings, the Israelites could not perfectly observe the law. They were considered “cursed” whenever they disobeyed the law or failed to live up to its expectations. God’s judgment rested on all of those who did not live according to His ways. And since, according to Romans 2:14–15, God has placed the moral requirements of the law on all human hearts (not just the Israelites’), we are all under a curse and deserving of God’s judgment. “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23a).
So, when Paul says in Galatians 3:13 that we are redeemed from the curse of the law, he means that we no longer will receive the judgment of God because of the way we fall short of His holy standards. In the same verse, Paul quotes from Deuteronomy 21:23 in referring to Jesus’ death on the cross. Through Jesus’ atoning work on the cross, He became that curse for us in order to receive the judgment of God on Himself. He died in our place so that we wouldn’t have to experience the wrath of God (see 1 Peter 2:24); instead, we could receive the gift of His Holy Spirit (see Galatians 3:14).
To be redeemed from the curse of the law means to be freed from followings its rules and regulations and from experiencing the judgment of God. Jesus Christ is the Redeemer, becoming a curse for us and purchasing us from the slavery of sin through His death on the cross and gave the Holy Spirit so that we can do according to His will without relying from our own works to attain Salvation.[1]
[1] Gotquestions and desiringgod
