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The Covenant in The Epistle to the Galatians

Božidar Mrakovčić ; Teologija u Rijeci - Područni studij Katoličkog bogoslovnog fakulteta Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, Rijeka, Hrvatska

Sažetak

The article handles the topic of the covenant in the Epistle to the Galatians focusing on two pericopes in which the term covenant (διαήκη)appears (3:15-18 and 4:21-31). The said pericopes are part of Paul's doctrinal arguments in which he defends the content of his gospel (3:1-4, 31), i.e. the thesis that man is not justified by acts of the Law as claimed by Judaism which compelled the Galatians to circumcision (6:12) but exclusively through »belief in Jesus Christ« (2:16).
After previously claiming that Abraham justified himself by faith (3:6) then equalled God's promise to bless all the peoples given to Abraham justifying the pagan by faith (3:8), in periscope 3:15-18 Paul proves that the realisation of that promise may depend on the execution of the Law. In order to prove it, he calls on human experience and uses the argument a fortiori comparing human and divine valid covenant - διαήκη. The article discusses the meaning of the term διαθήκη in 3:15-17 and concludes that not only is it permissible but more appropriate to comprehend and translate it as a 'covenant' and not as a legacy'. Using the argument a fortiori Paul compares the human and divine valid covenant made and suggests a conclusion that if the first is unbreakable and unchangeable how much more so is the second? Seeing that the promises made to he whom was the promise of the blessing for all his people the content of the unchangeable and unbreakable covenant that God made with Abraham, their unconditional and gratuitous nature cannot be changed by Law that came into force 430 years later and whose role in the history of redemption is merely temporary. (3:19-25).
Paul speaks about the covenant again in pericope 4:21-31. This time Paul argues, referring to the Letter and explicitly says that his argument is directed to those Galatians who wish to succumb to the Law, considering it as a condition for justification. Paul firstly surmises the fable of lshmael and Isaac's births and then claims that the said data has an allegoric meaning. Two women, one of whom is a slave and the other a free woman literally symbolise Hagar and Sara. They allegorically represent the two covenants of which the first - on Mount Sinai - determined by slavery and bodily, i.e. servility to the Law and religious existentiality leaning upon it and the second, that which God made with Abraham, freely and promisingly, i.e. religious existentiality leaning on faith. In the same line as the covenant on Mount Sinai is »current-day Jerusalem« which under the context of the Epistle to the Galatians is conceived to be that part of Jerusalem representing the Christian community for whom the pagans have set the condition of redemption, compelling them to circumcision and adherence to the Law. Paul contradicts »Current-day Jerusalem« with Jerusalem above«, i.e. the heavenly Jerusalem which is free like Sara and as such in line with the covenant that she symbolises, that is, it represents its fulfilment. Namely, it contains the approach by which pagans become his successors not by the acts of the Law but through faith in Jesus Christ, i.e. the »power of the promise«.
In the same way that in 3:18, he contradicts the promise and the Law with regard to gaining heritage now in 4:30 Paul radically veers, once again with regard to heritage, the son of the servant from the son of the free woman, i.e. the son of Sara – διαθήκη from the son of Hagar – διαθήκη. Contrary to Judaism by which the covenant of Sinai represents the realisation of Abraham's covenant, for Paul with regard to his missionary work amongst pagans, this synthesis is unacceptable because it results in serving the Law as a condition to realise Abraham's promise. Paul therefore seeks radical separation by the Galatians from Judaism and Judaist fractions in the Galatian community and supports his demand with an allegoric-typological reading Gen. 21. In conclusion the article points out that Paul's reference to the covenant in the Epistle to the Galatians is in the ministry of defending his thesis of justification and his missionary practise amongst pagans.

Ključne riječi

covenant; Law; promise; justification; Abraham; Hagar; Isaac; Epistle to the Galatians

Hrčak ID:

50848

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/50848

Datum izdavanja:

14.4.2010.

Podaci na drugim jezicima: hrvatski

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