"Tell me, you that desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law?" (Galatians 4:21)
A complete understanding of the force of this verse can be had only by:
1. A knowledge of the peculiar danger of the Galatians, which made the writing of this epistle necessary;
2. An examination of the remainder of the chapter, which involves
3. A brief consideration of the two covenants.
As this is all in the line of our study of the law, and will be very useful in our further investigation, we will take time right here to examine these points.
History of the Controversy
In the 1st chapter of Galatians, Paul speaks of his call to the ministry, and his first connection with the church. His call, he says, was not from men, but from God. It was three years after his conversion before he went to Jerusalem, and then the only apostles whom he saw were Peter and James. Therefore he did not receive his knowledge of the gospel from men, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.
In the 2nd chapter, Paul states the occasion of his second visit to Jerusalem, which was fourteen years after his first visit. The occasion of this visit was the council which was held in Jerusalem, and which forms the subject of the 15th chapter of Acts. Certain men had come down from Judea to Antioch, where Paul was laboring, and had taught the brethren, saying, "Except you be circumcised after the manner of Moses, you cannot be saved." (Acts 15:1)
After much discussion in regard to the matter, the brethren determined that Paul and Barnabas, and a few others, should go up to Jerusalem to lay the matter before the apostles and elders.
That the question which came before this council was the one which was troubling the Galatian brethren, in regard to which they were in danger, appears from the 2nd chapter of Galatians. Paul mentions the visit, but assures the brethren that those who "seemed to be somewhat in conference," that is, the leading men in the council, "added nothing" to him. The gospel had been made known to him by direct revelation from Jesus Christ, and so he knew the whole truth of the matter before the council convened.
Further, he states that after the council, he had a controversy on the very same subject which was there discussed, with Peter, who was acting contrary to the decision of the council.
These things show that the danger which threatened the Galatian brethren, and which called out Paul's epistle to them, was the same thing into which the men from Judea tried to lead all of Paul's converts. For the Jews constantly followed Paul around, trying to overthrow his work.
The False Teaching
Let us now examine the teaching of these men from Judea.
"Except you be circumcised after the manner of Moses, you cannot be saved." (Acts 15:1)
Of course all the kindred ordinances of the ceremonial law were included with circumcision. Now why did they want to force circumcision upon these converts from among the Gentiles? The reason given was, in order that they might be saved. Circumcision, they taught, was the one thing indispensable, if they would secure salvation. But the only thing which stands in the way of salvation of all men is sin; and therefore since circumcision was put forth as the condition of salvation, we must conclude that it was urged as a means of justification.
But this was directly contrary to the gospel which Paul preached, namely, that justification comes only through Christ. This was indeed "another gospel," which was no gospel at all. That the seditious ones urged circumcision upon the Gentiles as the means of justification, is still further shown by the words of Peter, who said: "Men and brethren, you know how that a good while ago, God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. And God, which knows the hearts, bore them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as He did unto us; And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith." (Acts 15:7-9)
Peter's argument was that God purposed to treat the Gentiles who believed just as He did the believing Jews, giving both the Holy Ghost, and purifying them by faith, and not by circumcision or by any other work which they could do.
Notice particularly the effect which the teaching of these men from Judea must necessarily have had on those who accepted it. It led those who accepted it to reject Christ as the means of justification from sin. If they were justified by circumcision, of course they would have no need of Christ. And this was why that doctrine was taught.
These men from Judea did not accept Christ; their sole opposition to the preaching of Paul and the other apostles was that Christ was set forth as the only means of justification and future resurrection. "And as they spoke unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them, Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead." (Acts 4:1-2)
These men from Judea are sometimes styled "Judaizing Christians," but they were not Christians at all. Their sole work was to oppose the gospel of Christ. And in their hatred of it and of Christ, they went about among the churches, trying to induce the new converts to seek pardon and salvation by circumcision, instead of through Christ.
These were the men who were "zealously affecting" the Galatians, with the sole purpose of "excluding" them from the faith of Christ. "They zealously affect you, but not well; yea, they would exclude you, that you might affect them." (Galatians 4:17)
Christ or Circumcision
We have before shown that all who are in sin are "under the law,"-condemned. Besides Christ, "There is none other name under Heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)
Since men are not justified by any works of their own, but solely by faith in Christ,--it follows that all who accepted the teaching of the men from Judea, and were circumcised for justification, were still "under the law." No amount of work, whether it was circumcision or something else, could clear them from the guilt of past sins.
Moreover, those who had accepted Christ, and had been forgiven, if they listened to this teaching, fell from grace; for to be circumcised with a view to justification thereby, was simply rejecting Christ and repudiating their former profession. And this is just what Paul told them: "Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if you be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing." (Galatians 5:2)
Paul did not mean that there was anything wicked in circumcision of itself, for he himself circumcised Timothy, and that, too, after the council at Jerusalem. "Then he came to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek: Which was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium. Him would Paul have to go forth with him; and took and circumcised him because of the Jews which were in those quarters: for they knew all that his father was a Greek." (Acts 16:1-3)
Timothy's father was a Gentile, although his mother was a Jewess, and if Timothy had not been circumcised, he would not have been allowed to labor with Paul among the Jews in their synagogues. Therefore as a matter of expediency, Paul circumcised Timothy, thus showing that whether a man was circumcised or not, was regarded by him as a matter of no vital importance. "Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God." (1 Corinthians 7:19)
But when men submitted to circumcision as a means of gaining salvation, that moment they rejected Christ, man's only hope, and therefore Christ profited them nothing, Christ cannot help those who reject Him. So we see that it was a grave heresy which was being preached to these young Christians.
The Danger of Heathen Customs
Note again: The heathen religion was a religion of forms and ceremonies. Some of these ceremonies were of the most licentious nature. Now if the converts from among the heathen could only be induced to rest their hope of salvation on Jewish ceremonies, it would be but a step for them to sink back into their old heathen customs.
This was actually the effect that it had on the Galatians; for Paul said to them: "You observe days, and months, and times, 'When you are come into the land which the Lord your God gives you, you shall not learn to do after the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you ... an observer of times.' (Deuteronomy 18:9-10) and years. I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labor in vain." (Galatians 4:10-11)
Their being circumcised did not lead simply to the substitution of Judaism for Christianity, but to a relapse into heathenism. And thus we see that the Galatians were really going back "under the law," or, as stated in verse 9, they were turning to the weak and beggarly elements of the world, to which they were desirous of again being in bondage.
Some may wonder at the expression which Paul uses in: "Tell me, you that desire to be under the law." (Galatians 4:21)
Why should Paul charge them with desiring death? For if "under the law" means under sentence of death, he did virtually charge them with desiring death. A parallel passage is found in: "They that hate me love death." (Proverbs 8:36)
Now while no one would love death itself, so as to deliberately choose it, people do love sin, not realizing that the end thereof is death.
So with those to whom Paul speaks. They desired a certain thing which would bring them under the condemnation of the law; and therefore they could be said to desire to be under the law, although they did not realize that such would be the consequences of their choice.--Signs of the Times, May 27, 1886--Original title: Under the Law.