What does it mean that Christ redeemed those under the law?

Explanation:

Paul says that Jesus was born under the law (Galatians 4:4) to redeem those under the law (Galatians 4:5). The verb he uses for redeem is ἐξαγοράζω. Paul is the only New Testament writer to use the verb, and that only a total of four times. Two of those instances are found in his letter to Galatians, first in Galatians 3:13 where Paul says that Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, and now in Galatians 4:5 to say that Christ redeems those under the law. Given that in both cases Paul uses the verb in relation to Christ freeing humans from the law, we can see that he says something similar in both places.⁵ What is important to note is that in Galatians 3:13, Paul explains how Jesus redeems those under the law, whereas in Galatians 4:5 he explains why. So how does Jesus redeem those under the law? By becoming a curse (Galatians 3:13), which means, by dying on the cross. Thus Christ redeemed those under the law by dying on the cross.⁶ And why does Christ redeem those under the law? So that they can be adopted as sons of God (Galatians 4:5).

Counterargument:

It is true that Christ redeemed those under the law by taking the curse through his death on the cross. Still, the notion of redemption has to do with purchasing a slave. In other words, that Jesus redeems those under the law is similar to the notion of purchasing a slave’s freedom. Interestingly, Paul hints at something like slavery in Galatians 4:3 when he says that we were under the elementary forces of this world. Thus, when Paul says that Christ redeems those under the law, he likely has in mind that Christ frees us from the elemental forces of this world.

Response to counterargument:

That Jesus redeems us from the elemental forces of this world does not rule out the idea that this is accomplished by Jesus’ death on the cross. In fact, it is because the people were enslaved by the elemental forces of this world that they could not keep the law, and this put them under a curse. Thus, by taking the curse of the law upon himself in his death on the cross, Jesus redeems us from the elemental forces of this world.

Explanation:

Paul writes that Jesus redeemed those under the law. The preposition under is used by Paul in multiple verses to indicate being under the tyranny and mastery of sin. For example, he says that those who are under the law (Galatians 3:23) are also under a curse (Galatians 3:10), under sin (Galatians 3:22), under a custodian (Galatians 3:25), and under the elemental forces (Galatians 4:3).⁷ Thus, when Paul says that Jesus redeems those under the law, he refers to Christ’s substitutionary death on the cross where Jesus took the curse of sin upon himself.

Counterargument:

Of course, it is true that Jesus took the curse of sin upon himself on the cross. Still, we want to know what Paul means when he says that Christ redeemed those under the law. The fact is, Paul does not say that to be under something is to be exclusively under the power and tyranny of sin. Rather, he says that one is under the law, a curse, sin, a supervisor, and the elemental forces. It is a mistake to reduce Paul’s use of the preposition under to refer to being under the tyranny and power of sin when Paul clearly has in mind sin and more throughout Galatians 3:1–4:31.

Response to counterargument:

While Paul characterizes the tyranny of sin in various ways, in the end the mastery of sin is the common component from which humans need redemption. For example, we know that the law itself is good because it reflects the will of God, but because of human sin, the law puts us under a curse. Further, we are under a custodian because our behaviour does not align with the will of God, and it does not align with the will of God because of sin. Thus, when Paul says that Christ redeems those under the law, he means that Christ redeems us from the power and tyranny of sin. And how does Christ do this? By talking on the curse of sin in his death on the cross.

The only problem with this view is that Paul seems to suggest that the law not only curses but also imprisons and supervises. Thus, when He says that Christ redeems us from the law, he might want us to understand that Christ redeems us from all the law’s confinements, including the curse.

Explanation:

When Paul says that Christ redeemed those under the law, his point is that Christ sets us free from the law. So how does the law constrain us that we need redemption from it? Paul already explained this in Galatians 3:10–13 and Galatians 3:22–25. In Galatians 3:10 he explained that unless one obeys every aspect of the law, one is under a curse. He goes on to say that Jesus redeemed us from this curse by becoming a curse for us. Thus, the law constrains us in the sense that it brings a curse upon us.

Paul then goes on to explain that the law imprisoned us until faith was revealed. How does the law imprison us? By acting as a παιδαγωγος (guardian), which, in Paul’s time, referred to a slave who acted as a disciplinarian over children as they grew to maturity. Thus, to be under the law is to be imprisoned by a disciplinary guardian who supervises one’s every move.

So, when Paul says that Christ redeemed us from the law (Galatians 4:5), he means that Christ redeemed us from the condemnatory curse of the law, and from the supervisory role of the law.

Counterargument:

The verb ἐξαγοράζω (to redeem) has to do with purchasing something, as in purchasing a slave’s freedom.⁸ When we look at the context, we only detect one area where Paul explains that Jesus made a payment, and that is when he takes the curse that we deserve upon himself. In other words, an exchange takes place where a life is offered to pay for the curse that we have incurred for breaking the law, except it is the life of Jesus, and not us who are the actual law-breakers. Thus, since the verb ἐξαγοράζω has to do with paying a price, and the text explains that Jesus pays a price by taking on the curse, we ought to see it that Jesus redeems us in the sense that he takes on the curse.

Response to counterargument:

This counterargument works against itself. For if ἐξαγοράζω (to redeem) has to do with paying a price to free a slave, then it only makes sense to deduce that Christ freed us from the curse and the imprisonment of the law. Paul’s point here is not how Christ attained our freedom, whether through his ability to uphold the law perfectly, or his paying the penalty of our sin on the cross, but from what he redeemed us. Since we were condemned by the curse of the law (Galatians 3:13) and imprisoned by the supervisory role of the law, Christ redeemed us from both.

This view offers a modest approach to the text, although, if possible, we would like to get more theological traction out of Galatians 4:5. That is to say, while it’s true that Christ redeems us from the curse of the law, and its supervisory function, we also want to know how he does this. Paul offers clues, including the fact that Jesus became a curse, and that he was born of a woman.

Explanation:

We want to understand what Paul means when he says that Jesus redeemed those under the law. Most likely he means that Christ redeemed us from the ruling power of the old historical redemptive age.¹³ We can deduce this because Paul explains in Galatians 3:23 that before faith came, the Jews were held captive under the law until faith should be revealed. In this context, the law refers to the old ruling power, while faith refers to the new ruling power.¹⁴ Thus, when Paul says that Jesus came to redeem those under the law, he is saying that Christ came to rescue those from the old ruling power of the law, so they can be justified before God by the new ruling power of faith.

Counterargument:

While it is true that Christ redeemed us from the ruling power of the old age (the law), there is no indication from this view why we needed rescue from the ruling power of the law. Paul seems to say more than that Christ rescued us from the ruling power. He also seems to say that we need rescue from the ruling power of the law because with the law came a curse (Galatians 3:13) and imprisonment (Galatians 3:23). Thus, Christ redeemed us from the ruling power of the law in the sense that he redeemed us from the curse of the law and its supervisory function.¹⁵

Explanation:

We can understand what Paul means when he says that Christ redeemed those under the law by looking back to Galatians 4:4. There he explains that Jesus was born of a woman, born under the law. The point is that the Israelites were not able to live up to the expectations of the law, so Jesus was born of a woman, under the law, so he could fulfill the law.¹⁶ By fulfilling the law, Christ bore our obligation and thus redeemed us from the condemnation of the law.¹⁷ Further, Christ not only fulfilled our obligation to the law, but he also took on the curse that we deserve for breaking the law. Thus, Paul has in view both the incarnation and death of Christ. Christ redeemed those under the law through his incarnation and obedience to the law, as well as by taking on the curse of the law through his death on the cross.

Counterargument:

While it might be that Jesus redeemed us from the law by fulfilling the demands of the law, this is not in Paul’s purview in Galatians 4:5. There Paul simply states that Jesus redeems those under the law. In fact, nowhere in the surrounding context does Paul say that Jesus redeemed us from the law by fulfilling the obligations of the law. Yet, in Galatians 3:13 he does point out that Jesus redeems us from the law by taking on the curse of the law. Thus, when he says that Jesus redeemed those under the law, his point is that he redeemed them from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for them.

The problem with this view is that it seems general, whereas Paul is specific. It is true that the new era of faith has arrived, and that the law was the power of the old age, but Paul does not only characterize the law as a power. Rather, he explains why the law was not able to justify us before God, because it brings a curse, reveals sin, and imprisons us. Given that Paul has carefully explained what it means to be under the law, we can deduce specifically what it means to be redeemed from under the law.