Commentary on Galatians (7)
GALATIANS 1:13-24
For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it. I was advancing in Judaism beyond many Jews of my own age and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers. But when God, who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not consult any man, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went immediately into Arabia and later returned to Damascus.
Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Peter and stayed with him fifteen days. I saw none of the other apostles – only James, the Lord's brother. I assure you before God that what I am writing you is no lie. Later I went to Syria and Cilicia. I was personally unknown to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. They only heard the report: "The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy." And they praised God because of me.
This passage continues what Paul started in verses 11-12, and that is to demonstrate the independence of his message and ministry from human influence and authority. He does this by telling the story about his conversion and development. As noted, this is very likely his response to the accusations and misrepresentations of the Judaizers, and from what he says in the response, we can infer something about the accusations and misrepresentations that it answers.
Paul asserts the divine origin of his message and ministry, and his independence from human influence and authority. We infer from this that the Judaizers claim the opposite about him in their accusations and misrepresentations. And then, since Paul proceeds to give a history of his conversion and ministry, with emphasis on his independence from the Jerusalem church and its leaders, we infer that this also has to do with what the Judaizers have been saying in their attempts to undermine him.
Nevertheless, Paul's side of this interaction is rich enough in content that it is intelligible and meaningful to us even without a definite knowledge about the nature of these accusations and misrepresentations. Moreover, since we are striving for concision, and since we would like to avoid undue speculations, in what follows we will focus on what Paul actually says instead of what he is supposed to be defending himself against by what he says.
His story begins at the period before his conversion to the Christian faith. He calls his previous way of life "Judaism." Thus he makes a sharp distinction between Judaism and Christianity. These are not two expressions of one religion, and Christianity is not a sect of Judaism, but they are two different religions altogether. In fact, Judaism is not even the faith of the Old Testament. The religion of the Old Testament prescribes the law of Moses, but that has never been the way to salvation. Rather, the gospel that demands faith in the future Messiah has been preached since the very beginning, even since the fall of Adam (Genesis 3:15). And since that time the prophets have preached the gospel of the future Christ with increasing insight (1 Peter 1:10-12).9
On the other hand, Judaism is a faith that is "zealous for the traditions" of the elders. Many of these traditions have been imposed upon the Old Testament, not in order to obey it, but in order to disobey it while appearing to obey it.10 Since Judaism is not Christianity, and since Judaism does not obey even the Old Testament, the necessary conclusion is that no adherent of Judaism can receive salvation. Judaism has evolved since that time, but not for the better, and there is still no salvation in it.
Many Christians affirm all the premises that inevitably lead to this conclusion, but they will not state the conclusion. This is because they fear men rather than God. But "if I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ." So we say, all believers of Judaism will be condemned to hell. I wonder how anyone who refuses to affirm this can even be a Christian. Logically speaking, he cannot, since by refusing the negative implication of the gospel, he has logically repudiated its positive claims. This is the necessary implication of the gospel, but rather than to offend, some prefer to say that Christ died for nothing (2:21).
Paul was "advancing in Judaism" and was "extremely zealous" in it. Other portions of the New Testament provide us with additional information on his credentials and accomplishments in this religion. For example, he writes in Philippians 3:4-6, "If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless" (also see Acts 22:3-5, 26:4-11). No one can say that he turned away from Judaism because he was ignorant of it or failing in it.
NOTES
9 See Vincent Cheung, Commentary on First Peter
10 See Vincent Cheung, The Sermon on the Mount