In this section, Paul quotes Habakkuk, “The righteous shall live by his faith” (Hab. 2:4; may also see “the just”). This statement is so important that the Holy Spirit inspired three New Testament books to explain it as mentioned before. Romans explains “the righteous” and tells how the sinner can be justified before God (Rom. 1:17). Galatians explains how the righteous “shall live”; and Hebrews discusses “by faith” (Heb. 10:38). Nobody could ever live “by Law” because the Law kills and shows the sinner he/she is guilty before God (Rom. 3:20; 7:7–11).
But a person might argue that it takes faith even to obey the Law; so in verse 12, Paul quotes Leviticus to prove that it is doing the Law, not believing it, that God requires (Lev. 18:5). The Law says, “Do and live!” but grace says, “Believe and live!”[1] Paul’s own experience (Phil. 3:1–10), as well as the history of Israel (Rom. 10:1–10), proves that works righteousness can never save the sinner; only faith righteousness can do that.
For the Christian to abandon faith and grace for Law and works is to lose everything amazing that the Christian can experience in their daily fellowship with the Lord. The Law cannot justify the sinner (Gal. 2:16); neither can it give them righteousness (Gal. 2:21). The Law cannot give the gift of the Spirit (Gal. 3:2), nor can it guarantee the spiritual inheritance that belongs to God’s children (Gal. 3:18). The Law cannot give life (Gal. 3:21), and the Law cannot give liberty (Gal. 4:8–10). So why would we go back to the Law?
10 For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” 11 Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.” 12 But the law is not of faith, rather “The one who does them shall live by them.” 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”— 14 so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith. (ESV)
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- The law cannot justify. It can only bring judgment. Therefore, grace is superior to the law.
- The works of the law and the faith of the gospel have radically different consequences.
- There is a fascination to the Law, but it is only bait that leads to a trap; and once the believer takes the bait, they find themselves in bondage. Far better to take God at His Word and rest on His grace. We were saved “by grace, through faith” and we must live “by grace, through faith.” This is the way to blessing. The other way is the way to bondage.
CLOSER LOOK:
Verses 10: Contrary to what the Judaizers taught, the Law could not justify; it could only condemn. Paul quoted Deuteronomy 27:26 (“Cursed be anyone who does not confirm the words of this law by doing them.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’” (ESV)) to show that the Law demanded perfection and that a curse was attached to failure to keep any part of it. Contrary to what the Judaizers claimed, the law cannot justify and save. It can only condemn. The breaking of any aspect of the law brought a curse on the person who broke the law. The breaking of only one command even once brings a person under the curse; and since everybody fails at some point, all are under the curse. The proposition that a person can gain divine acceptance by human effort is therefore totally destroyed. Since no one can keep the law perfectly, we are all cursed. Paul, with this argument, destroys the Judaizers’ belief that a person is saved through the law.
Verse 11: Quoting the Old Testament again, Paul showed that even during the dispensation of Law, legal obedience was not the basis for a justified standing before God because, as the Prophet Habakkuk wrote, “The righteous shall live by faith” (Hab. 2:4). This verse reveals that even during the time of the law people were justified by faith and not obedience to the law. The Judaizers would have been wrong in their fundamental message even if they had lived during the time of Moses, because they misunderstood the purpose and power of the law.
Verse 12: To combat the argument that perhaps faith and the Law could be combined; perhaps both are needed, Paul quotes again from the Old Testament to prove this to be scripturally impossible. Law and faith are mutually exclusive. The works of the law and the faith of the gospel have radically different consequences. The basic principle of the Law is found in Leviticus 18:5, which says, “if a person does them, he shall live by them” (ESV). Only perfect performance could win divine approval under the Law, but since that was not achievable the Law could only condemn a person (cf. James 2:10) and cause them to cast themselves on God in faith.
Verse 13: The positive side of Paul’s argument emphasized that there is hope for all who have broken the Law and are therefore under its curse. That hope is not in man but in Christ who “redeemed us from the curse of the Law.” Redeem means “to buy out of slavery by paying a price.” This word was used when someone purchased a slave for the purpose of freeing them. But how did Christ redeem (exēgorasen, cf. 4:5) mankind? The answer is by becoming a curse for us. This is a strong declaration of substitutionary redemption whereby Christ took the penalty of all guilty lawbreakers on Himself. Thus the “curse of the Law” was transferred from sinners to Christ, the sinless One (cf. 1 Peter 3:18), and He delivered people from it. When Jesus died on the cross, He took our curse upon Himself. Through His substitutionary atonement, Christ paid the penalty of the curse. When we believe in Him, He frees us from the slavery of the law. The confirming quotation from Deuteronomy 21:23 refers to the fact that in Old Testament times criminals were executed (normally by stoning) and then displayed on a stake or post to show God’s divine rejection.[2] When Christ was crucified, it was evidence He had come under the curse of God. The manner of His death was a great obstacle to faith for Jews until they realized the curse He bore was for them (cf. Isa. 53).
To explain this curse further, the Jews did not crucify criminals; they stoned them to death. But in cases of shameful violation of the Law, the body was hung on a tree and exposed for all to see. This was a great humiliation because the Jewish people were very careful in their treatment of a dead body. After the body had been exposed for a time, it was taken down and buried (see Josh. 8:29; 10:26; 2 Sam. 4:12).
Verse 14: Two purposes for Christ’s redemptive work are given, each introduced by the Greek conjunction hina, “so that” (cf. 4:5): (1) Gentiles might receive the blessing given to Abraham; as already stated (3:8) this is a reference not to personal or national blessings but to the promised blessing of justification apart from works of the Law, available to all who believe. Quite simply, salvation through faith. And (2) all who thus believe might receive the promise of the Spirit, that is, the Holy Spirit, who was promised (cf. v. 2). Again the apostle emphasized that salvation and sanctification come by faith, not by works.
Verses 13-14 can be summarized as follows: Does the Law put sinners under a curse? Then Christ has redeemed us from that curse! Do you want the blessing of Abraham? It comes through Christ! Do you want the gift of the Spirit, but you are a Gentile? This gift is given through Christ to the Gentiles! All that you need is in Christ! There is no reason to go back to Moses.
| New Testament Words for Redemption[3] | |||
| Greek Words | English Meanings | References | |
| agorazō (verb) | To buy, to purchase in the market (or slave market) | (1 Cor. 6:20; 7:23; 2 Peter 2:1; Rev. 5:9; 14:3–4) | |
| exagorazō (verb) | To buy out, to purchase out of the market (or slave market) | (Gal. 3:13; 4:5; Eph. 5:16; Col. 4:5) | |
| lytron (noun) | Ransom, price of release | (Matt. 20:28; Mark 10:45) | |
| lytroomai (verb) | To ransom, to free by paying a ransom price | (Luke 24:21; Titus 2:14; 1 Peter 1:18) | |
| lytrōsis (noun) | Act of freeing by paying a ransom price | (Luke 1:68; 2:38; Heb. 9:12) | |
| apolytrōsis (noun) | A buying back, a setting free by paying a ransom price | (Luke 21:28; Rom. 3:24; 8:23; 1 Cor. 1:30; Eph. 1:7, 14; 4:30; Col. 1:14; Heb. 9:15; 11:35) |
[1] Warren Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary (Wheaton: Victor Books, 1989), n.p.
[2] Donald K. Campbell, “Galatians,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, eds. John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton: Victor Books, 1985), 597.
[3] John D. Grassmick, “Mark,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, eds. John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton: Victor Books, 1985), 153.