Galatians, one of four letters confidently attributed to Paul himself (Bruce 1), addresses a group possibly including “exiles in dispersion” from Roman persecution, but more likely consisting of converted local ethnic Celts, in today’s Turkey. (Bruce, 14). They had little prior Jewish connection, but they had fallen under the influence of some who emphasized adherence to Jewish law over-dependence on faith for salvation.
This departure from his teaching frustrates Paul. He points out that living in the Spirit empowers a different way of life. He then lists some behavior incompatible with the life of the Spirit. For gentile converts confused by the conflict of Paul’s gospel message with Jewish law, this message would have been liberating. It would have meant the inclusion of people who were not prepared to undergo adult circumcision.
For the gentile converts of the first century, the issue of following Jewish law (chiefly circumcision but also eating unclean meats, as in those offered to idols, as for example in I Corinthians 8-10) was a barrier to a full embrace of salvation by faith (The Holy Bible). Jews who were following Jesus still considered themselves Jews, but this left out gentiles. How, gentiles must have wondered, could they be both saved by faith and observant Jews? Furthermore, there were all sorts of other sinful actions to avoid, as well in the Roman Empire in the first-century C.E..
The problem is solved by living in the Spirit, acknowledging that life has changed because of Jesus’ generous act. This state of giving the strength to do “what you want,” or good and positive things, rather than what the “flesh” or the human impulses of our beings prompt us to do (The Holy Bible Galatians, 5:17). This is an empowering idea that builds on God’s loving, correcting actions over millennia but casts them in a new light.
Today, we worry less about circumcision than about, for example, appropriate behavior towards others on the job or in our church fellowships. Today, we might ask for the help of the Spirit in appreciating them as examples of God’s wondrous creation rather than lusting after them. With the help of the Spirit, we can have the fortitude and self-control to view others as our sisters and brothers rather than as sex objects.
The alternative, which is to separate people so that there is less chance of contact and transgressing current norms (both according to secular society and church expectations), is equivalent to the Judaizing approach that Paul criticizes. This solution would be legalistic rather than inclusive and hopeful of the human capacity to do the right thing with God’s help. As Duvall and Hays put it, “God’s grace is given as a gift” (Duvall and Hays 101) and a tool for building the Kingdom of the Spirit and not as a reward for keeping out of trouble.
Works Cited
Bruce, Frederick Fyvie. The Epistle to the Galatians: A Commentary on the Greek Text. W.B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1982. Web.
Duvall, J. Scott and J. Daniel Hays. Journey into God’s Word. Zondervan, 2005.
The Holy Bible. kingjamesbibleonline.com, 2014. Web.