GALATIANS 6:2

Q: What is meant by the term “the law of Christ?”

The two similar phrases in Paul's writings appear at I Corinthians 9:21 (“under the law of Christ”) and Romans 8:2 (“the law of the Spirit of life in Christ”). In the Romans passage, this law is contrasted to the “law of sin and of death.” In the I Corinthians passage, this law appears to be distinguished from the OT law.

Regarding Romans 8:2, Joseph Fitzmyer (Romans, Anchor Bible) says, “Paul indulges in oxymoron as he now applies nomos to the Spirit, which in his understanding is anything but “law.” Rather, the law of the Spirit is nothing other than the 'Spirit of God' or the 'Spirit of Christ' in its ruling function in the sphere of Christ.” John Murray (The Epistle to the Romans) similarly explains: “'The law of the Spirit of life' is, therefore, the power of the Holy Spirit operative in us...and it is only in Christ Jesus that the Spirit's power is operative unto life.” Leon Morris (The Epistle to the Romans) agrees with this general understanding and rejects the idea that this particular law is the gospel or the plan of salvation.

I Corinthians 9:21 provides a much closer parallel to Galatians 6:2 as is seen in the Greek: ennomos Xristou vs. tou nomon tou Xristou.  J. Louis Martyn (Galatians, Anchor Bible) notes “the strikingly similar expressions” while F. F. Bruce (Commentary on Galatians) says that the two passages refer to the same law.

So what does this law consist of? Martyn outlines five proposed options for understanding Galatians 6:2:

1. The Law of Christ (the Messiah) relates to Jewish traditions about the role of the Law in the future, messianic age.

2. The expression refers to the teaching of Jesus.

3. The expression is one used by Paul's critics; he turns it around to make his own point.

4. It refers to the fulfilling the Mosaic Law through love.

5. Paul is using nomos to refer to the “principle” of love as demonstrated by Christ.

Martyn's own understanding is that “Paul refers to the Law as it has been taken in hand by Christ Himself.”

Using my favorite tool of structural criticism, this passage is found to be part of the chiasm shown below:

A. Circumcision (5:2-12)

B. Love Your Neighbor (5:13-15)

C. Walking in the Spirit (5:16-26)

B'. Do Good to All Men (6:1-10)

A'. Circumcision (6:11-15)

Therefore the parallel verses 5:13-15 are the best place to look for a possible definition of “the law of Christ.” It is in these verses that we read “For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'” F. F. Bruce agrees with this assessment, which is also basically the same as option #4 above.