16 “But we know that man is not justice from ²works of La but, through the faithfulnessⁿ of  Mẽssiah Yẽshua. Even we toª Mẽssiah Yẽshua give our support, so that we may be justice from the faithfulnessⁿ of  Mẽssiah, and not from ²works of La, because from ²works of La shall no flesh be justice.”

 

(MISB, Gal. 2:16).

(Link to MISB: http://www.torahtimes.org/NewTranslation/bibleframe.html)

 

1. The scales of justice are not leveled out by means of good works. Good works from the Law do not satisfy a penalty for sin.

 

2.  Also customary works. [In the genitive construction, nomos is a construct adjective: works of custom = customary works.] A work can also be a doctrinal edifice constructed by someone: Orderly works can specify particular systems of thought, or legal works, including heretical systematic theology. Thus, in the most general case, Paul includes, any particular legal deed of the law, any particular ritual or custom whether in the law or not, and any particular belief system, philosophy, or ordered matter that is supposed to justify man on the basis of legalistic equity, or is given an exaggerated place in salvation. See BDAG, “ergon” def. 4, “something having to do with something under discussion, thing, matter” (cf. LSJ, II). The DSS phrase in MMT, “some ends (matters) of the law” qualifies as a subset of Paul’s broader more generalized phrase.

 

3. Legal works, or matters of law falsely claimed to justify or provide a false access to grace or salvation: 1. Baptism (Cathoic, Lutheran), 2. Eucharist (Catholic, Lutheran), 3. Saying the Sacred Name, 4. The doctrine that human faith in Messiah is counted as justifying righteousness on the scales of justice (Reformed, Gnostic). 5. The doctrine that Messiah’s keeping of the Law is an equal payment for sin (Reformed, Gnostic), 6. Any “moment of faith” legalisms that assure salvation., 7. Any cleansing legalisms supposed to have already made one perfect. 8. Any particular belief or practice that is given a divisively and sectarianly exaggerated position in the matter of salvation is legalism to be identified by the lies upon which they are based and their one-size-fits all subversion of individual repentance in varying circumstances. 9. Circumcision said to make one Jewish and thus saved by election. 10. Salvation by birthright, Jewish birth, or any other form of individual predestination.

 

N. The proper translation here is faithfulness of Messiah, and is defended in Daniel B. Wallace’s Exegetical Syntax, pg. 114-115, and also in the footnotes of the NET Bible: www.bible.org. From the Hebrew and Messianic perspective, this is absolutely correct, and the mistranslation “faith in Messiah” incorrect. What Paul means is Messiah’s faithfulness on the cross, his commitment and support to pay the penalty for our sins. It makes all the difference in the world that we are justiced by His faithfulness, and not by our own.

 

A. ref. mark, not a note.

 

18 “For if I rebuild the case which I have destroyed¹, I prove myself to be a transgressor². 19 For through the nor I die t the nor, so that I might live t the Almĩghty.”

 

(MISB, Gal. 2:18-19).

(Link to MISB: http://www.torahtimes.org/NewTranslation/bibleframe.html)

 

 18.1 The first defendant thought he was acquitted of all charges. The judge brought out his scales of justice, and laid the sinners debt on it. I do not acquit anyone he says. Baliff, take him away to be justiced. The second defendant offered his own works to go on his side of the balance. My balance of justice is not justiced (leveled out, justified) he says. Your works are not good enough. Baliff, take him away to be justiced. The third defendent offers Christ’s works to go on the scales, but they do not balance. The judge explains, “How do you expect My works to compensate for your sin. Justice is not only punitive; justice requires restitution and an undoing of the damages. Your sin caused permenant damages to others. It cannot be compensated for. Take him away to be justiced. The final defendant said, I have no way to undo my sin. I beg forgiveness and mercy, and need you O Judge to change and reform me.” The judge says, “I pardon you”, and “I will give my righteousness to you and you must walk in it.” The sinner says, what about the scales of justice. The judge sweeps the penalty of eternal death off the balance, and the requirement of compensation for irreversable effects of sin. I forgive all that, he says. Then, he replaces it with a new kind of penalty for the repentant: a substituionary sacrifice. Who will pay the substitute penalty says the sinner. I’m doing that for you says the Judge revealing the nail prints in his hands. The judge put His payment on the balance. The balances were justiced (justified, leveled). See says the judge, justice has been done with mercy, and my scale balances without works (plural), but only one work, which is my death on the cross.

 

 18.2 Post trial analysis: the first defendant was a Catholic. He believed that his sin was expiated, which is to say nullified in eternity (by virture of his baptism) as if it had never happened. So he sought acquittal on the grounds of innocence in Yahweh’s sight. The second defendant represents many religions, including the Catholic idea of penance and purgatory. The third defendant is a Protestant follower of Martin Luther or John Calvin. He believes that Christ’s righteousness was imputed onto the balances against the full debt of sin on the other side. This view requires no forgiveness at all, and is based on the idea of 100% total equity—that sin can be totally compensated for. The judge proves them all unrepentant transgressors. Our final defendant realizes that only mercy will do any good, without the legalistic tricks with works on the balance. The judge agrees and explains that His justice/righteousenss IS to show mercy in the final case. His Justice (Justicia), Messiah, is put on the balance. And he promises to give his Raised Righteousness to the sinner until He completes it at the End of Days. Wherefore: he is/will be called Yahweh our Justice/Righteousness.

 

 19.1 The norm Paul speaks of here is the actual status quo of the sin nature. It is the actual reality of sin and death that teaches us about sinfulness and the fleshy nature. It is this status quo that will lead us to realize and reject all legalistic norms of dealing with it.

 

 19.2 The norm must be died to. What is it? The status quo of seeking an acquittal, pleading innocent, being proved right, being declared righteous, justification via Rome or Luther. These methods all view the Almighty One as unmerciful and unforgiving—therefore they seek to equalize justice with some form of works, and even if it is Christ’s works (plural) justice cannot be equalized. Therefore, they argue the outcome of the trial is the defendant being “declared right” or “made right” instead of just the case itself. This view of being “justified” says the Almighty is blind to the real condition of the transgressor in deciding the case. Justification is what the judge does in dispensing his mercy via the parable of the balances. The parable gives a picture of what the judge is doing. It demonstrates how the judge Himself is righteous in deciding the case, and has nothing to do with the judge viewing the sinner as righteous. The judge already views the sinner correctly—as a sinner. To say that a sinner is justiced means only two things in Paul’s courtroom setting. 1. Baliff: take him away to be justiced (pay the penalty), or 2. That the judge has justified the sinner’s [case] for mercy.

 

 19.3 The judge has justified letting the sinner live on several facts. 1. the sinner is repentant, 2. the sinner asked for mercy, and 2. the judge plans to make the sinner righteous in conjunction with his or her ongoing repentance. To justify or justice the sinner, then is for the judge to decide what His righteousness requires for him to do or not do in the case, to show mercy, or not to show mercy. In Paul’s Hellenistic Greek, then justified would mean the judge administered justice to you, either because justice required mercy, or that justice did not require mercy, and the sinner is justiced (pays the penalty). In the one case the repentant sinner is pardoned and lives, and in the other the sinner dies. It has nothing to do with the judge seeing either sinner as righteous. That would be legal trickery. But it is the mystery of iniquity to think the Almighty judge is like this and would engage in such legal fictions. I would suspect that the New Perspective Theologian N.T. Wright is not far from this position—but there is a lot of excess church philosophy in what he writes.

 

21 I am not setting aside the loving kindness of the Almĩghty; for if justic comes through the nor, then Mẽssiah died needlessly².

 

(MISB, Gal. 2:21).

(Link to MISB: http://www.torahtimes.org/NewTranslation/bibleframe.html)

 

 1. BDAG, def. 1: δικαιοσύνη = “justice, equitableness, fairness”. Paul here means satisfaction for the penalty of sin. This is the same as צְדָקָה = צֶדֶק. “Justice” pertains to that which is judicially right, or legally proper. English translations, which here have “righteousness” are incorrect in implying that righteousness does not come by the law (cf. note on norm). Such a notion is squarely contradicted by Deut. 6:25 and indeed by the whole teaching of Scripture. The mistranslation, “righteousness” cannot be excused by reinterpreting the text with greater harmony to Torah. It is fundamentally wrong based on the Greek.

 

 2. BDAG, def. 1 νόμος = “a custom, rule, principle, norm”, and really “norm” or “status quo” is the fundamental sense of this word. Paul means here trying to satisfy the penalty of sin by any other way than Messiah. The other ways he identifies as the norm or status quo. Having Messiah pay the penalty for you is against the norm. His death is the exception to the norm. Trying to pay one’s own penalty for sin is the “norm” of the world. Now, to translate nomos as law is to ignore the critical nuance and connotation of the Greek word; this cannot be reproduced in either Hebrew or Aramaic. Hence the Greek word was borrowed into Hebrew as נוֹמוֹס. Justice is according to the Law (Torah), but in Greek the nuance is that “justice” is simply not according to the “norm” of the Law. The norm is when the sinner dies for his own sin. The exception (provided by the Torah) is when the sacrifice pays the penalty and the sinner is forgiven.

 

 3. This text typically says righteousness does not come from the law. A look at Deut. 6:25 will disprove those translations. What is really going on here is that divine justice can be executed in two ways. The sinner can die for their own sin. This is what Paul would mean by the norm or status quo. Or, one can repent, and then Messiah will pay the penalty for you. This is a kind of justice entirely apart from the norm! It is the exception to the norm for those who turn to Him. But if someone still want’s to be under the normal justice, then what is the point of Messiah’s dying for sin? It would be needless.