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

212 Messiah. Paul agrees that Christ redeemed Israel from the curse of the Law with the result that "in Christ" the blessing of Abraham might come to Gentiles. Thus , the law was not the means of blessing. It's role was to bring Israel under a curse, highlighting the necessity for redemption. The law, though not a curse itself, did bring Israel under a curse because of her covenant disloyalty from which she was freed by Christ's atoning death. The fulfillment of the promise of redemption, while having implications first of all for Israel, also spilled over in blessing to Gentiles as well. 179 The law had a role in redemption history but its role was not to bless but to curse. The Priority of Promise to Law 3:15-18 Paul's point in this section is to clarify the chronological relationship between promise and law. In order to do this he must clarify that the promise given to Abraham wa in reality a promise concerning Messiah . Thus in 3: 16 he points out that the promises given concerning Abraham refer ultimately to his '"seed' that is Christ " (3: 16). Thus, the promi e that Gentiles would be blessed in Christ came long before the law and the law cannot change the prior promise (3: 17). This is why inheritance , i.e., Abrahamic bles ing i not ba ed 'in law," especially for Gentiles (3: 18). 179 Our understanding Paul' point in 3: 11-12 i not quite a clear. Normall , : 1 i under tood a aying that the Law doe not deal with believing but rather with d ing or meriting fa or with God. In Leviticu 18 however, the promi e i h Id ut a a p iti and reali tic goal of enjoying life in the land . Nehemiah al o quote the r in 9: in a dt c ur e about how the " ur e of the law" ha come upon th nati n. h mi h t under tand th ver e in it origin 1 en in rd r t pla th blam f r th people , implying that he ould h ve enj y d lif in th land if h h d rn d th m to r turn to your 1 w, but th y b nd di b Th y inn d a ain t y ur rdin n e , b hi h m n b th tu n d th 1r b n you, b m tiff-n k d a y, P ul' r um nt in : 10 1 uld butt d . In r