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

191 sizes the believer's sphere of existence. 132 The Christian is saved because he participates in the saving work of Christ which is best described as being "in Him. " 133 So Paul's point may be better summarized that Christians are "all one" because they are first of all "in Christ ," and thus being "in Christ" they participate in "the faithfulness of Christ," sharing the promise of righteousness. This understanding gives consistency to Paul's thought in the section of 3:22-28. The "faithfulness of Jesus Christ" (3:22) expressed at Calvary has "come" (3:23) and "been revealed" (3:23). The Law was a tutor until Christ came (3:24) but now that this "faithful– ness" (3:24) has come we are no longer under the law (3:25). Thus , all believers are sons of God because they are "in Christ" (3:26) and participate in the "faithfulness of Christ " (3:26). aKofj<; n(an:w<; 3:2. 5. Paul contrasts the familiar and more static phrase Epywv voµou twice' with aKofic; n(an:wc;, which is simply another way in which Paul expresses "the leading antithesis of the whole epistle. " 134 Although, this is probably true, the question remains, what is Paul 's nuance as expressed in this unique construction, aKofic; TTtOTEwc;? The grammatical possibilities are at least four depending upon whether each word is taken in an 132 Albrecht Oepke , "f.v," in Theological Dictionary of the New Te tament, ed . G. Kittel (Grand Rapid : Eerdman , 1977), 2:542, or as Burton note , to ha e hi tanding; in thi context to become object of the divine favour, on of God, a he i the on of God," Burton, Galatians, 203. 133 " he phra e 'in hri t' (and it cognate ) i a fa orite ith Paul to ignal th per onal, lo l, and dynamic r lation of the belie er to hri t. . . h in hri t' phra I- m 1t ari u f rm appear total of 164 time in th Pauline p rt fr m th Pa to al , " ngen k r, alatian , 15 . H ok r rgu that 'in I ti n , P ul' n rn 1 to ho th t the bl the ntil b th ir in orp r ti n in hri t," H er, "mane; 1 4 Burt n, alatzan , 147 .