Paul and the Law

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passion and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other. Galatians 5:22-26

How did Saul the man, who condoned the murder of Stephen as a part of honoring his adherence to the Law of his forebears, become Paul the Apostle who clearly had a different view of the application of Jewish Law? How did Saul become the man who would teach, preach and write of the virtues of the Fruit of the Spirit?

The scripture above is from Paul’s letter to the Galatians, a church Paul had founded. Howard Clark Kee suggests that this letter was written in year 51, following Paul’s second trip to Jerusalem to meet with the Apostles.

This week is Part 2 of a series on the Apostle Paul. Last week’s post focused on Paul’s mission to persecute followers of Jesus and his conversion on the road to Damascus.

Paul’s background in the Jewish Law

Paul was raised in a faithful Jewish family, thus adherence to the traditions and rituals of Jewish Law guided his upbringing . The Law had been given to Moses by God around 1200 BC. The purpose of the Law was to guide human behavior (since humans seemed incapable of living in a righteous manner).

The Covenant of Circumcision, part of these guidelines rendered by God to the Hebrew people, was considered vital for any male Jewish offspring.

For the generations to come every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised. Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised in the flesh, will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant. Genesis 17:12a, 14.

In obedience to this command, Abraham set the precedence by circumcising his son Isaac. This aspect of Hebrew Law is again emphasized in Leviticus:

On the eighth day the boy is to be circumcised. Leviticus 12:3

Paul was proud of his heritage. He embraced his Jewish upbringing and the importance of obedience to the Law. In his letter to the Philippians, Paul writes about his standing in the Jewish community:

[I was] circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless. Philippians 3:5-6

Paul was educated at a young age to know Jewish Scripture and Law.  He describes himself as zealous and sought to follow God’s law as rigorously as possible. But, those of us who know “the rest of the story” are aware that Paul’s view of how the Law is to be implemented changed drastically.

Fulfillment of the Law

After Paul’s conversion and the beginning of his missionary work for Jesus, he found it necessary to make a connection between the Law of his heritage and his work for Jesus. Since Paul had originally used the Law to persecute followers of Jesus, he had to either change his view of the Law or his perspective of how the Law fit into his mission.

Paul concluded that Jesus is the fulfillment of the law.

The Law attempted to teach the Jewish people the right way to live, but, Paul realized humans cannot fulfill the expectations of the Law.

People lived by the “letter” of the Law, but not the “spirit” of the Law (Yoder). Paul argued that the true purpose of the Law was to lead people to Christ. Humans are rebellious, in need guidance and discipline, thus the coming of Christ was the fulfillment of the Law. 

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law—the curse of the Law is that no one can fulfill it. Dr. J. Larry Yoder

Jesus confirmed that He was the fulfillment of the Law:

Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Matthew 5:17-18, 20

Paul had recognized that without Jesus, no one could live up to the letter of the Law. Thus, when some of the disciples demanded that followers of Jesus must also abide by Jewish Law, Paul objected. Kee views the purpose of Paul’s letter to the Galatians to be a rebuke:

This matter arose because some false believers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus. We did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you. Galatians 2:4-5

To impose such requirements on non-Jewish Christians would not only be defeating for them, but it would render Christ’s death meaningless. For Paul, the death of Jesus was as a sacrifice on behalf of others: His death on the cross liberates all who turn to him in faith from obligations to the law that they did not and could not discharge.”

Howard Clark Kee

We must have Christ, through the gift of grace, to survive. “If righteousness could be gained through the law, then Christ died for nothing.” Galatians 2:21. 

Only by being “in Christ” with one’s faith in the resurrection of Jesus to guide one’s spiritual growth, can we fulfill the good intentions of the Law (living in a righteous manner) as led by Jesus.

As a Jew, Paul had practiced the Law to the best of his ability. As a follower of Christ, he still perceived the Law as essential in practice, but he did not view that he was leaving one religion for another.

In his view, faith in Jesus as the Messiah was the fulfillment and correct understanding of the religion he had always embraced, the religion of his Jewish ancestors; it was, in a sense, ‘true’ Judaism.  Paul did not change his view of religion; he changed his view of Jesus.”

Bart Ehrman, 2009

Just as happens to us when we find and receive our Lord and Savior, Paul was forever changed when he met Jesus.

But when God, who set me apart in my mother’s womb and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles… Galatians 1:15-16a

Aren’t we blessed that Paul was chosen by Jesus to teach and preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Good News, to us?

How were you changed when you met Jesus? For what has God set you apart?

Next week: Paul as Teacher, Preacher and Author

Sources

Ehrman, Bart D. (2006). Peter, Paul, and Mary Madalene:  the Followers of Jesus in History and Legend,  New York:  Oxford University Press.

Kee, Howard Clark. (1993). Understanding the New Testament, 5^th Ed. Upper Saddle River, New Jersy:  Pearson Education.

Yoder, J.L. (2009). Class lecture notes for Religion 383:  The Life and Teachings of Paul.