THE OLD TESTAMENT IN GALATIANS

I am not going to attempt a complete survey of the use of the OT in all of Paul's epistles, but this review of Paul's reliance on the Hebrew Scripture will serve as a typical example. Silva notes that the proportion of OT quotes in Galatians in relation to the size of the letter is second only to the Letter to the Romans. These references, however, are rather unevenly distributed throughout with virtually no quotations or allusions in the first and last two chapters.

It might at first seem strange that such an emphasis is placed on arguments based on the OT when the letter is addressed to Gentile Christians. However, the whole point of the letter was to rebut the arguments posed by the judaizers in the church who were trying to force the Gentiles to adopt all of the OT practices. This also explains why Paul draws a large proportion of his ammunition from the Five Books of the Law.

1:15 is taken from Isaiah 44:2,24.

1:16 may indicate that Paul considered that he was chosen to continue the word of the suffering servant of Isaiah 49:1-6 to become a light to the nations.

2:6 “God shows no partiality” reads literally in the Greek “God does not accept the face of a man.” Thus, it expresses a thought similar to that in Leviticus 19:15.

2:12 Briggs notes that “refusal to eat Gentile food was a sign of loyal devotion to God,” an idea perhaps taken from Daniel 1:8-16.

2:16 may possibly be an approximate quotation from Psalm 143:2.

3:6-9 Abraham is given as an example, with v. 6 relying on Genesis 15:6 and v. 8 alluding to passages such as Gen. 12:3; 18:18; and 22:18.

3:6-14 Silva presents an extensive discussion of these verses in Commentary of the NT Use of the OT, which I will not attempt to duplicate.

“As it is written” introduces a quotation from Deuteronomy 27:36.

3:11 See Habakkuk 2:4. This is the only reference to the Minor Prophets in Galatians.

3:12 references Lev. 18:5.

3:13 “As it is written” is again used as a citation formula, this time referring to Deut. 21:23. The original pronouncement probably referred to the shame attached to criminals who were executed and subsequently hung up on trees rather than being decently buried. But Paul applies this to the death of Jesus on a “tree,” even though he was buried soon afterward.

3:14 circles back to the promise to Abraham that he would be a blessing to the nations (i.e. the Gentiles).

3:16 Paul's argument here is based on the Septuagint version of Genesis 12:7; 15:5; 17:8; and 22:17 to demonstrate that “seed” is singular, referring to Christ, not plural as is the more usual understanding of the Hebrew texts.

3:17-29 Silva notes, “There is hardly a clause in this section (with the exception of 3:25-28) that does not allude to the Old Testament in a fairly explicit manner.”

3:17 Paul's mention of 430 years from Abraham to the giving of the law follows the Septuagint rather than the Hebrew, which has 400 years in Exodus 12:40. This includes both the time of the Israelites in Egypt and the earlier time of the patriarchs in Canaan.

3:19 The idea that the law was delivered to Moses by way of angels reflects later Jewish interpretation of Deuteronomy 33:2 (Septuagint). The same assertion occurs in Acts 7:38,53 and Hebrews 2:2. The mediator mentioned here is, of course, Moses.

3:20 The pronouncement that God is One comes from the Shema.

4:10 “Observing special days” may refer to following the Jewish liturgical calendar and feast days spelled out in the Pentateuch.

4:21-31 This extended allegorical argument is the only one found in Paul's writings. It is based on the story of Abraham's two wives and their children (see Genesis 16:1-4,15 and 21:1-21).

4:26 Comparison of Jerusalem to a mother is found in Psalm 87:5.

4:27 This extended quotation, again introduced by the words “as it is written,” comes from Isaiah 54:1.

4:29-30 Genesis 21:9-10 provides the answer to the question “But what does the scripture say?”