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

176 So then if our understanding of the biblical and extra-biblical literature is correct , Paul's reference to "the curse" of the law in Galatians 3: 10, 13 is not shorthand for " the cursed law" 97 nor is it a curse from God which falls on every man for a lack of moral perfection, but rather the specific Deuteronomic curse which fell on the nation as a whole in 586 B.C. and continued in some sense throughout the intertestamental period. That curse according to Daniel would only find its solution in the coming of Messiah. One final defining component of the phrase l~ Epywv voµou in 3: 10 is found in 3: 13 . The mention of the curse in 3: 10 finds it solution in Christ ' s redemption from the curse of the law discussed in 3: 13. Once again Paul buttresses and explains his statement by quoting a verse from Deuteronomy, 21 :23. Our interest in this verse is that the solution to the plight helps define the plight which, in turn , helps further define the subjects (those "of the works of the law") of that plight. Paul changes the wording of the LXX slightly, from KEKaTTJpaµt voc;; (Deut 21:23) to l mKaTapaToc;; ("Cursed is everyone," Gal 3: 13) , most likely to match the wording of Galatians 3 :10 ( l m KaTapaToc;; ) and thus connect the two texts of Deuteronomy. That is, Paul is eager to show that Calvary is the solution to the curse of the law and Paul reads the law as a cohesive unit. Paul 's use of the Old Testament in Galatians 3: 13 is sometime u ed a an example of his ad hoc use of proof texts because his interest in Deuteronomy 21 :23 eem to re ol e around the common theme of cur e and " tree" which i under tood a a ret ren to al ary . ertainly Deuteronomy 21 :23 wa not a prediction of the rucifi ion and if that a Paul ' rea on or citing it he clearly a igned a different m aning to the r e. In th ont t D uter nomy 21, hanging upon the tr wa not th m thod f l a 97 A B tz , alatwn , 1 ther d finit i n or th phr