Galatians 2:19 – I through law died to law

For I, through law, died to law, that I should be living to God. With Christ have I been crucified…

Verse 19 explains (“for”) why it is inconsistent for a believer to return to “works of law” (:18). And it also disproves the objection that to be without law is to walk in sin (:17).

When Paul writes, “I through law, died to law,” that dying is of course not literal. Christ literally died…for us, to share with us the new life of the resurrection. So that his death may be counted as our death. When He died it was “through law” because He bore the curse of the law on the pole (Gal.3:13). And with that He also died “to law”. After all, the law has no authority over the dead. In fact, the law abolishes itself: it condemns to death (cf. 2Cor.3:7,9) and then its authority ceases.

What Paul briefly brings up here is a recurring (wonderful!) theme in his letters: our union with Christ. God sees us in and with Him! He died through the law and to the law. And Paul says: And I have been crucified with Him! But then also raised with Him to walk “in newness of life” before God (Rom.6:4)!

Delen: