Galatians is almost certainly one of the earliest New Testament writings, to my knowledge it was indisputably written by Paul, and, as far as I can tell, it has served as a frontline of recent New Testament fistycuffs. So I’m aware that it’s kind of trendy to blog about this kind of thing and I want to avoid the trend of making reductionistic conclusions (not to mention slanderous conclusions!) like a pyromaniacal kid, fixated upon finding the hottest part of the fires of controversy and have a good poke and prod around, toasting well-worn pastors and scholars like marshmellows for a cheap-shot melting moment… Ok, the metaphor’s run it’s course.

I’ve been reading through Tom Wright’s new book, Justification: God’s Plan and Paul’s Vision and I have thoroughly enjoyed engaging again with Paul’s writings and trying to hear what Paul actually says. I’ve been challenged to consider some of the tensions and complications that I had simply settled with previously.

As I started reading through Galatians again recently, the place that I first got bogged down, (and I don’t think that I’m the only one!) was the end of chapter 2 at the end of Paul’s conversion narrative and immediately following his confrontation with Peter. So what I want to do here is walk slowly through Galatians and try and make sense of it as a whole, not arguing for a particular viewpoint (Wright’s or Luther’s or otherwise). What is the logic of what Paul says to Peter in v14? What do the three phrases in v16 mean: ‘justified’, ‘works of the law’, ‘faith in Jesus Christ’ (pistis christou)?? Is there a logic to what he’s saying? Why does he mean by rebuilding in v18?

11  But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face because he stood condemned. 12 For he used to eat with the Gentiles before certain men came from James. However, when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, because he feared those from the circumcision party.  13 Then the rest of the Jews joined his hypocrisy, so that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy.  14 But when I saw that they were deviating from the truth of the gospel, I told Cephas in front of everyone, If you, who are a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you compel Gentiles to live like Jews?

15  We are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners;  16 yet we know that no one is justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no human being will be justified.  17 But if, while seeking to be justified by Christ, we ourselves are also found to be sinners, is Christ then a promoter of sin? Absolutely not!  18 If I rebuild those things that I tore down, I show myself to be a lawbreaker. 19 For through the law I have died to the law, that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; 20 and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.  21 I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing.