The Relationship of Jewish and Gentile Believers to the Law Between A.D. 30 and 70 in the Scripture

161 been offered, a singular satisfying approach to Galatians is still lacking. One senses the feeling that many of the pieces of the puzzle are on the table but have yet to be arranged into a focused picture of the book. It is also clear that in order to establish a coherent meaning for the epistle as a whole, the antithesis between "works" and "faith" which is so integral to the argument, must be articulated. In addition, proper emphasis must be given to the historical– redemptive nature of the cross. Jesus did not have to die to put an end to a misunderstanding of the law and neither did he have to die to free the world from an "enslaving" dispensation. Finally, any solution must explain how Paul's answer of Galatians addresses the historical question of the Gentiles' relationship to the Law since Messiah. A Proposed Type of Meaning An Explanation of the View ., An alternative meaning of Galatians which we propose would first of all view the antithesis between "works" and "faith" as: an "identity with Moses" versus an 'identity with Messiah. " 57 That is, Paul's concern is not with the difference between individual human works or human faith but with much broader historical categories which have been defined b the coming of Christ. The argument of the book can much more ea ily be traced according to historia salutis, "the objective act of God in alvation hi tory to accompli h humanit ' 57 1 am indebted to the work of A. B. aneday, The ur e of the Law and the ro Work of the Law and Faith in Galatians 3:1-14, for thi fundamental at car fully demon tr ted hi the i con erning P ul' argum nt in al tian de loped hi ba ic argument diff rently how v r, t r although h h d m aning or Paul ' ntith i of rk " nd f ith," nd ar full I- r d m tt lin Paul' argum nt , h ha n t gi n uffi i nt mile m th r ument of th b k. n d "P ul d uld 1ft 11 f r th b n fit t