Overview of Paul’s Theology Regarding Judaism and the Law
The book of Galatians approaches Paul’s teachings with the understanding that we as Christians are under grace and are free from the law. This is the understanding that brought former monk, Martin Luther, to write the 95 Theses that he is so famously known for which started the Protestant Reformation. In this theses, Luther addresses the issue that believers are saved by faith through grace and not because of the works of the law and/or paying for indulgences which were popular during his time based upon the man-made beliefs of the Catholic Church.[1] Whereas most Christians teach that under the Jewish law there was no room for grace, the New Perspective teaches that God’s grace was Him coming into covenant with His chosen people under grace as was shown by delivering them from Egypt. The law was then given to govern their lives as part of the covenant that He had with them as taught by E.P. Sanders in his book, “Paul and Palestinian Judaism” written in 1977.[2] Therefore, their keeping of the law was a condition to remain under the good graces of God.
Many Christians and Biblical scholars have and would disagree with the New Perspective due to Paul being animate concerning the practices of keeping that which Christ had come to fulfill. The law did not leave room for grace and Jesus’ death on the cross gave the grace that was needed to be freed from the law. Paul, who was a former Pharisee, understood quite well what the religious rulers of his day believed with regard to the teachings that they expected others to keep. Therefore, this is why he was part of the persecutions that were taking place during his day in response to the lack of grace that was not established under the old covenant system. We find this in many of today’s modern churches where old covenant laws are being resurrected for monetary gain whereas Paul said that if we were to obey part of the law, we must obey all of it. “Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law” (Galatians 5:3).[1] The New Perspective helps us to understand that there was not as much legalism amongst the Jews as many authors have suggested if one believes this particular view.[2] The question one may ask is that, “If there was so much grace with the Old Covenant, why would there had been a need for a new one?"
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