Cruciformity

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.

Another quaint George Herbert poem…

Love bade me welcome; yet my soul drew back,

Guilty of dust and sin.

But quick-eyed Love, observing me grow slack

From my first entrance in,

Drew nearer to me, sweetly questioning

If I lack'd anything.

'A guest,' I answer'd, 'worthy to be here:'

Love said, 'You shall be he.'

'I, the unkind, ungrateful? Ah, my dear,

I cannot look on Thee.'

Love took my hand and smiling did reply,

'Who made the eyes but I?'

'Truth, Lord; but I have marr'd them: let my shame

Go where it doth deserve.'

'And know you not,' says Love, 'Who bore the blame?'

'My dear, then I will serve.'

'You must sit down,' says Love, 'and taste my meat.'

So I did sit and eat.

I’ve been put onto George Herbert’s poems recently. Let me know if you have any favourites!

(Note that an ‘ague’ is something like ‘a fever’)

Lord, how I am all ague, when I seek
     What I have treasured in my memory!
     Since, if my soul make even with the week,
Each seventh note by right is due to thee.

I find there quarries of piled vanities,
     But shreds of holiness, that dare not venture
     To show their face, since cross to thy decrees:
There the circumference earth is, heav'n the centre.

In so much dregs the quintessence is small:
     The spirit and good extract of my heart
     Comes to about the many hundredth part.
Yet Lord restore thine image, hear my call:

     And though my hard heart scarce to thee can groan,
     Remember that thou once didst write in stone.

My New Testament 3 course has been something like a wild safari tour of Canberra as Brian Rosner has pointed to various aspects of the letter creating a deeper understanding of Paul’s world and his theology. Well, maybe safari tour is the wrong metaphor - actually, Brian’s lecturing style sometimes makes you think you’re at a trivia night! (a foible I’ve come to whole-heartedly embrace). In any case, we’ve not only seen the sights of the strange (and even obscene) culture of the place, but also, once you see the letter from the heights of its proper Jewish context, you see how amazingly well organised it is and how well it fits together! Surely a feat worthy of our own Walt Burley-Griffin! So for you bible readers out there, there’s no doubt that Brian’s forthcoming commentary in the Pillar series will be well worth the purchase price.

Current college work, combined with my fascination with the argument of Romans last year, has recently compelled me to read Paul in my quiet times each day and so I’ve started with Galatians. Galatians is confusing and riddled with statements under hot debate (cf. recent discussions on the meaning of pistis christou and ‘justification’ or ‘righteousness’ language) but also lines of passionate devotion to life in living Messiah - Jesus. I love it. Check this out:

I have been crucified with Christ; and 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. (Gal. 2:19b-20, HSCB).

Paul is SO personally charged by his understanding of Christ’s love for him that he busts into the first person in the middle of his rebuke to the Galatian church. If I was to get a tattoo of something that said something meaningful about me and who I wanted to be, these words be right up there as a candidate. On second thoughts I might end up looking like Ben Cousins without the physique…

I say this as a means of saying that I’m keen to nut out Paul some more on this blog. I want to think out loud some of the things where my faith and traditions have been challenged and some of the things that I’ve been learning in class and reading in writers like Michael F. Bird, Francis Watson, Tom Wright, and Richard B. Hays (not to mention Brian S. Rosner!). The above verse is a great example of a verse that can be ripped out of its context and be made to mean something completely different to what it’s intended (along with Romans 7, 8, and 9… I could keep counting!).

So anyway, stay posted for some more wrestling with Paul, trying to capture what he knows of my life in Christ.