Can someone help me understand this passage

[CanIHunt]

I think I get that the whole passage means the importance of believing in Christ as opposed to concentrating on laws, but I am wondering what specifically about line 17-18 mean. Thank you. It is from Galatians 2.

17 “But if, in seeking to be justified in Christ, we Jews find ourselves also among the sinners, doesn’t that mean that Christ promotes sin? Absolutely not! 18 If I rebuild what I destroyed, then I really would be a lawbreaker. 19 “For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!”[e]

 

[joshuanazar]

I think I get that the whole passage means the importance of believing in Christ as opposed to concentrating on laws, but I am wondering what specifically about line 17-18 mean. Thank you. It is from Galatians 2.

17 “But if, in seeking to be justified in Christ, we Jews find ourselves also among the sinners, doesn’t that mean that Christ promotes sin? Absolutely not! 18 If I rebuild what I destroyed, then I really would be a lawbreaker. 19 “For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!”[e]

Pretty much Paul is talking about because of grace we are dead to the law, we are separated from it. He was talking to the Galatian church about their desire to be justified by the law instead of grace. I believe verse 17 is talking about if they are justified by grace and do not realize it but still sees themselves as sinners and tries to go back to the law justifying them again. He then asks if God supports sin. In verse 18 he seems to be speaking from God's view. If God rebuilds something that he has abolished rather sin or the law, then God would be wrong. Obviously he isn't so he is not in support of us living in sin or living by the law. then he goes on to say how he is separated from the law (v19) and living with God by God's grace through Paul's faith in that grace(v20) and finally he reemphasizes that salvation from sin is by grace and not the law. Chapter 3 begins with Paul asking who has bewitched them with this doctrine of law keeping. All together Galatians is an amazing letter explaining God's grace.

That is the interpretation that I have on the passage. I hope it helps.

 

[Sketcher]

"For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor."

What does the Gospel message, and thereby the preaching of it, destroy? Is it not sinful to rebuild such things? What Peter rebuilt in his example was shown in verses 12-14, a message that led to justification by the Law rather than Christ.

 

[CanIHunt]

Thank you for help

 

[bigo1984]

Pretty much Paul is talking about because of grace we are dead to the law, we are separated from it. He was talking to the Galatian church about their desire to be justified by the law instead of grace. I believe verse 17 is talking about if they are justified by grace and do not realize it but still sees themselves as sinners and tries to go back to the law justifying them again. He then asks if God supports sin. In verse 18 he seems to be speaking from God's view. If God rebuilds something that he has abolished rather sin or the law, then God would be wrong. Obviously he isn't so he is not in support of us living in sin or living by the law. then he goes on to say how he is separated from the law (v19) and living with God by God's grace through Paul's faith in that grace(v20) and finally he reemphasizes that salvation from sin is by grace and not the law. Chapter 3 begins with Paul asking who has bewitched them with this doctrine of law keeping. All together Galatians is an amazing letter explaining God's grace.

That is the interpretation that I have on the passage. I hope it helps.

I like your interpretation and it gave me a little insight into this scripture thanks. Galatians has always been one of my favorite books in the bible because it talks about grace. (which I need a lot of). So for example I sin and then feel remorse for it and dig into the old testament to try and find some comfort and of course it convicts me of being the sinner that I am it would be wrong because I would be trying to justify myself by the law when I am in fact saved by grace. Also when I hear the Law in the bible I don't just think of the ten commandments I think of the book of the law which I believe to be the old testament. Is this correct thinking?