How is the law not of faith?

Explanation:

Paul tersely states that the law is not by faith (Galatians 3:12). He then extrapolates on this point from Galatians 3:19–25. First, he explains in Galatians 3:19 that the law was given in salvation history to uncover sin. Thus, in the context of salvation history, the law functions differently from faith. Second, the law is not able to make people alive (Galatians 3:21). Paul implies that the spiritual death of humans cannot be redeemed by the law. Third, faith in Christ is the solution to the distorted sinful nature of humanity (Galatians 3:22).⁷

To summarize, the law had a different function than faith in salvation history. The law brings knowledge of sin and a curse, while faith in Christ brings life and salvation. Thus, the law is not by faith.

Counterargument:

This argument runs counter to the meaning of the quote that Paul uses from Leviticus 18:5 in Galatians 3:12b. Paul says that the law is not by faith, and then he quotes from Leviticus 18:5, saying that the one who does the laws will live by them. Since Paul quotes from Leviticus 18:5, we need to understand Paul in light of the context of Leviticus. There, the Lord explains to Moses that the Israelites are not to do what the Egyptians or Canaanites do; rather, they are to do the laws and ordinances that God has commanded. Seen in this light, the laws seem to be a useful tool by which God’s people shall live. Given the positive benefits of the law, it is hard to see how Paul could cast the law in a negative light.

Response to counterargument:

It is true that the law of God is good and holy; Paul says as much in Romans 7:12. The problem with this counterargument is that it fails to interpret Paul’s intention. Paul is the one who quotes from Leviticus 18:5, so we need to understand how Paul is using that passage. Once we have this in mind, we can see that Paul is not suggesting that there is a problem with the law, but that in light of salvation history, the law cannot justify one before God.⁸ The holy law of God served an important function in salvation history, in that it revealed sin as sin (Romans 3:20). Still, because of the corruption of human nature it cannot save. Faith, on the other hand, can save, because Jesus Christ took our curse upon his shoulders.

Explanation:

Paul sets up a specific contrast between faith and the law. In Galatians 3:11 Paul quotes Habakkuk 2:4 to show that the righteous, that is, the justified, live by faith. In Galatians 3:12 he contrasts faith with the law by quoting Leviticus 18:5. Paul writes that the one who does the laws will live by them.⁹ Clearly, to live by the law has to do with doing the law. If faith and the law are in contrast, and the law has to do with doing, what does this say about faith? We already learned from Galatians 3:6 that Abraham was justified before God because he believed him. And the sons of Abraham are the men of faith (Galatians 3:7). Thus, faith has to do not with doing but with believing.

Counterargument:

If faith has to do with believing, it is hard to see how faith and the law could be opposing principles. The law of God was not only a set of rules but is summarized by the command to love the Lord with all one’s heart soul and mind, and to love one’s neighbour as oneself. Clearly the law is not a simple set of rules, but also entails one’s affections and will. Thus, the law has to do with doing and believing, for how could one love the Lord God without believing in him? If this is right, and faith and the law are somehow opposed, then faith is something other than believing.

Response to counterargument:

It is true that perfect obedience to God’s law entails loving God with the heart, soul, and mind, and that no one can love God without believing in him. Thus, we should not see Paul as contrasting the law, as an abstract means to justification, and faith. Rather, Paul has the concrete reality of law in mind. Law and faith are opposed, not because the law is opposed to believing, but because humans are unable to keep the law.¹⁰ Thus, if one seeks to be justified on the basis of the law, one is under a curse, because the corruption of human nature prevents the law from being obeyed. Faith is something different. Faith is believing in God, that is, believing in his love, justice, and mercy. In other words, the person of faith is justified by God, not by one’s own doing, but because of Jesus Christ’s doing.

It is hard to say what the weakness of this view might be other than the fact that because the law is a good gift from God, it is hard to see how Paul could portray the law negatively. Still, we have tried to resolve this dilemma throughout the arguments by showing that there is a difference between the law as an abstract concept and the reality that humans are sinful, and therefore unable to fulfill the law.

Explanation
Paul wants the Galatians to understand the law in the proper order of one’s relationship with God. The foundation of Israel’s relationship with God is faith, which is what establishes the covenant. Once the covenant is established, it is maintained by the works of the law. Thus, the difference between the law and faith is one of order. The covenant is first established by faith, and then maintained by the law. We can see this is Paul’s point by the order in which he presents his case. In Galatians 3:6 he explains that Abraham was counted righteous before God by his believing God, so that the sons of Abraham are men of faith (Galatians 3:7). Thus, faith is the foundation of the covenant. The law, on the other hand, was introduced as a way to maintain the covenant. Paul makes this point by introducing the quote from Leviticus 18:5: The one who does them shall live by them. In other words, the covenant is established on faith, and then one maintains the covenant by living according to the law.¹¹

Counterargument:

This argument overlooks Paul’s intent. It is true that God established the covenant with Abraham on faith (on the human side), and that the law was given to regulate the covenant. Of course, Paul’s point is not to rehash Israelite history, which would have been well-known to his audience, but to explain that this setup was deficient. Why was the setup deficient? Because all who rely on the works of the law are cursed (Galatians 3:10). Why are those who rely on the works of the law cursed? Because one who relies on the law must maintain the whole law (Galatians 3:10), and this is an impossible feat so that no one will be justified before God by works of the law (Galatians 3:11). On the other hand, the justified live by faith (Galatians 3:11). So, even if it is the case that faith is the foundation of the covenant, and the law is how the covenant is maintained, this is not Paul’s point in Galatians 3:12. Rather, when Paul says that the law is not by faith, he means that the law condemns due to humanity’s inability to keep it, while faith (in Christ) brings life.

Explanation:

It is clear that Paul presents the law here in a positive light.¹² This is seen by the fact that Paul quotes from Leviticus 18:5 to show that those who do the things of the law will live according to them. Paul insinuates there is no problem with the law. Rather, the problem Paul has with the Judaizers in Galatia is that they are prioritizing the law over faith. This is not right because, as Paul has shown, historically speaking, the covenant was established on faith, and the works of the law were meant to maintain it. So, the Judaizers are wrong for insisting that the Galatians prioritize the law over faith.¹³ The law is a positive advantage for Jews, but not when it takes priority over faith.

Counterargument:

The problem with this argument is that it overlooks the fact that no one is able to keep the law. Paul is not writing an abstract treatise on the nature of the law in light of God’s perfection. Rather, he is writing in light of the concrete reality that no one can keep the law. This means that the law, in the context that Paul has in mind, is far from something positive. Why is the law far from something positive? Because all who rely on the works of the law are cursed (Galatians 3:10).

This view fails to pinpoint Paul’s intent when writing to the Galatians. Paul is not interested in Jewish history or rabbinical arguments over the priority of the law and faith. Rather, Paul’s point throughout Galatians is soteriological: How is salvation achieved? How can a sinful human stand righteous before God? These are Paul’s concerns. If the answer was the priority of faith and law, Paul would have made this clear. Instead, as Paul has made clear, the answer is not the priority of faith over law, but the deficiency of human works compared to God’s work in Christ.