The Epistle reading for today is Galatians 2:16-20.
Galatians 2:16-20 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid. For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
Reformed View of this Passage
Reading this passage as a former Protestant, of course, brings to mind Luther and Calvin and their understanding of the law and justification. The Reformed interpretation of this passage hinges the meaning of the phrase “the works of the law” and the meaning of “justification“. The Westminster Confession on Justification puts it this way:
Those whom God effectually calleth, He also freely justifieth, (Rom 8:30; Rom 3:24): not by infusing righteousness into them, but by pardoning their sins, and by accounting and accepting their persons as righteous; not for anything wrought in them, or done by them, but for Christ’s sake alone; nor by imputing faith itself, the act of believing, or any other evangelical obedience to them, as their righteousness; but by imputing the obedience and satisfaction of Christ unto them,
For Calvinists, this is a legalistic imputation. The person is guilty under the law and the work of Christ is applied to their person from God regardless even of the faith of that person. That flies in the face of the very words of the passage “that we might be justified by the faith of Christ“. For the Reformed, even the faith we possess doesn’t justify.
NPP View of this passage
Here is where the NPP sheds light. The “works of the law” are a short form reference to the Covenant relationship of the Hebrews with God. They put their trust not in the ability to perform the law perfectly, but in the fact that they are genetically descended from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The words of Christ disallow physical decadency as a reason for justification.
Matthew 3:9-10 And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
With these words, Christ forever declared that physical decadency from Abraham does not secure salvation for a person. The people of God are now formed by those who believe in Jesus. Those descendants of Abrahem who come to faith in Jesus as His people, and form the Church.
First of all, the passage must be read in its immediate context. The scene is the John baptizing at the Jordan River. Some of those who went to John to be baptized imagined that they could just add John’s baptism as an act of righteousness but have unchanged hearts. Archeological evidence shows washings were a common practice in first century Judaism.
The Pharisees and Sadducees that John is addressing imagined that their Old Testament covenant relationship secured themselves a right relationship with God. They imagined in their minds that they were in a right standing with God because were descended from Abraham and followed the Law of God. This is what they put their trust in. But John told them:
Matthew 3:7-8 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:
John made it very clear to them that they would not be justified with God by that relationship and that God required repentance and the works that demonstrated they had repented. John pointed to Christ in the final part of the passage.
Matthew 3:11-12 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
Paul carries forward this theme and made it clear that the Hebrew branch was cut off by Christ.
Romans 11:17 And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;
The Orthodox Life
And here is where we get to the essence of the Orthodox Life. That life is found in being conformed to the Image of Christ.
Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Being conformed is a life-long process. It involves repentance and prayer. IN repentance, our minds are transformed as we set aside our wills and do what Christ Himself did:
Matthew 26:39 And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.
This conforming is found in the words of Saint Paul:
Rom 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
This conforming is also known as theosis where we are conformed into the image (icon in Greek) of Christ. This takes us full circle back to the end of the Epistle reading.
Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
The foregoing, says he, relates to our spiritual life, but this life of sense too, if considered, will be found owing to my faith in Christ. For as regards the former Dispensation and Law, I had incurred the severest punishment, and had long ago perished, for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23 And we, who lay under sentence, have been liberated by Christ, for all of us are dead, if not in fact, at least by sentence; and He has delivered us from the expected blow. When the Law had accused, and God condemned us, Christ came, and by giving Himself up to death, rescued us all from death. So that the life which I now live in the flesh, I live in faith. Had not this been, nothing could have averted a destruction as general as that which took place at the flood, but His advent arrested the wrath of God, and caused us to live by faith. That such is his meaning appears from what follows. After saying, that the life which I now live in the flesh, I live in faith…
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