The Jewish Annotated New Testament (272 page)

13
:
Other Jews
, most likely, Jewish believers of the church in Antioch.
Barnabas
, see 2.1n.

14
:
Cephas
, see 1.18n.
Live like a Gentile
, there are no other reports that Peter abandoned Torah Law, although Acts 10 can be understood as Peter’s rejecting dietary laws.
Live like Jews
, lit., “judaize,” to follow Jewish practices, see 1.13n. Paul interprets Peter’s refusal to dine with Gentile Christians as an effort to compel them to observe Torah Law.

2.15
–21: Faith vs. law. 15
:
We
, Paul and Peter.
By birth
, or “by nature”; cf. Rom 2.27; 11.21–24.
Gentile
s are
sinners
because they worship idols and do not follow the Torah. Since Paul believes that Gentiles, even in their Gentile state, can be justified before God (see next verse), either he is speaking ironically or is citing the view of his traditionalist opponents.

16
:
Justified
(“dikaiosynē”), or “reckoned as righteous.” The LXX uses the Gk to translate Heb “tzedaqah,” especially in Gen 15.6, a significant verse for Paul (cf. 3.6; Rom 4.3).
Works of the law
, lit., “works of law,” legal observances (see 3.2; Rom 3.28). With the definite article (see 4.21n.) the phrase would be equivalent to “ma‘asei ha-Torah,” lit., “works of the Torah,” which appears at Qumran (e.g., 4QMMT). Greek-speaking Jews used “nomos” to translate “Torah.”
Faith
(“pistis”), like Heb “‘emunah,” connotes “trust, confidence”; it does not refer to belief in something irrational.
Faith in Jesus Christ
means confidence in Christ. The alternative translation, “faith of Jesus Christ,” means that Jesus had confidence in God. The phrase is usually understood in the former sense (cf. 3.26, which is unambiguous), but the latter is possible.
No one will be justified
, Ps 143.2. Paul adds
by the works of the law
, cf. Rom 3.20.

17
:
We ourselves have been found to be sinners
, according to you, Peter; because you separated from Gentiles, implying that table-fellowship with them was sinful.
Certainly not
, because faith in Christ frees us from Torah observance.

18
:
The very things
, the very aspects of Torah piety, including separation from Gentiles.

19
: C
rucified with Christ
, a Pauline tenet: 5.24; 6.14; Rom 6.5–11; 2 Cor 4.7–12.

20
:
Christ who lives in me
, another central tenet: Rom 8.9–11; 2 Cor 13.5; cf. Col 1.27.
I live by faith
or “I live in the faith,” cf. 2.16n.

21
: By rejecting works of law, Paul might be thought to be
nullifying the grace of God
, who gave Israel the Torah. Paul denies he is doing this. He discusses why God gave the Torah in 3.19–25.

3.1
–5: Faith vs. works. 2
:
By doing the works of the law or by believing what you heard
, lit., “by works of law or by hearing of faith” (also v. 5). In Acts possession by the Holy Spirit, especially in relation to baptism (2.38) or the laying on of hands (8.15–16; 19.5–6), evinces the efficacy of faith (2.4; 10.44).

3
:
Spirit … flesh
, an important contrast (4.29; 5.16–25; 6.8; Rom 2.28–29; 8.4–17; 1 Cor 5.5).
Flesh
may allude to circumcision.

5
:
Miracles
, charismatic activity attesting to the Spirit’s presence.

3.6
–9: Abraham the model of faith.
3.6–4.31 centers on Abraham. Paul’s opponents likely adduced Abraham, because the Torah declares circumcision an everlasting covenant between God and Abraham’s descendants; the uncircumcised as “cut off” (Gen 17.9–14).

6
: Gen 15.6. Paul states that Abraham, before his circumcision in Gen 17, was declared righteous through faith (or trust; 2.16n.).

7
: Hence those
who believe
become “
descendants
[lit., “sons,” the better translation given the allusion to circumcision]
of Abraham
,” “blessed with Abraham” (v. 9, cf. 3.14), and “offspring of Abraham” (3.29). See also Rom 2–4.

8
:
Scripture
(“graphē”), usually referring to a specific verse, corresponding to the rabbinic “ha-katuv,” “what is written.”
All the Gentiles shall be blessed in you
(Gen 12.3, cf. 18.18). The Heb is ambiguous. Paul understands
in you
to mean “through you”: following Abraham’s example the nations attain God’s blessing. Jewish exegesis understands
in you
as “by you.” Rashi on Gen 12.3 explains that even Gentiles will say “may God bless you as he blessed Abraham” (“by you” = “by invoking you”).
Gen. Rab
. on Gen 12.3 explains that God tells Abraham that the blessings of nature will reach all humanity “by you” = “on your account.”

3.10
–14: The curse of the law. 10
:
Cursed is everyone
, Deut 27.26. Paul’s citation differs slightly (by adding “the book”) from the Heb or Gk.

11
:
The one who is righteous
, the Heb of Hab 2.4 (cf. Rom 1.17) should probably be translated “The one who is righteous shall live by his faith,” but Paul’s argument implies “The one who is righteous by faith shall live.” For Paul, Gen 15.6 and Hab 2.4 prove righteousness is attained through faith (confidence, trust, see 2.16n.), not “works of the law.” For the Talmud, Hab 2.4 demonstrates the opposite: the Torah contains 613 commandments, but Habakkuk concentrated them in one, “the righteous one shall live by his faith” (
b. Makk
. 24a).

12
: Lev 18.5.

13
: Deut 21.23 [LXX], which Paul cites to create a parallel to Deut 27.26 cited in 3.10. Deut 21.23 speaks of hanging (exposing) the corpse of an executed criminal; for Paul
tree
means “cross,” and the verse speaks of the execution. The
curse
is pronounced against all those who cannot observe the entire Torah. 11QSTemple and 4QpNahum also understand Deut 21.23 as referring to crucifixion.

3.15
–18: Covenant and law.
God’s
covenant
(Heb “berit,” Gk “diathēkē”) with Abraham included a
promise
or
promises
of an inheritance.

15
:
Has been ratified
, Mosaic Torah does not nullify the earlier Abrahamic covenant, see v. 17.

16
:
Offspring
(“sperma,” lit., “seed”), Gen 12.7; 15.5; 17.8; 22.17, singular in Heb. For Genesis, “seed” is a collective noun referring to the people of Israel. Paul reads the noun as a singular, referring to Christ.

17
: Ex 12.40 (Heb) places the Israelites in Egypt
four hundred thirty years
. Paul, following the Septuagint, has those four hundred and thirty years begin with Abraham’s sojourn in Canaan. Rabbinic chronology agrees (
Seder Olam Rab
. 3), claiming that Israel’s sojourn in Egypt was 210 years.

18
: Paul posits a mutually exclusive relationship between the covenant,
the promise
, and
the inheritance
on one side, and
law
on the other.

3.19
–22: The purpose of the law.
Cf. Rom 7.

19
:
Because of transgressions
, either the law restrains sin (vv. 23–24), brings knowledge of sin (Rom 3.20; 7.7), or provokes sin (Rom 5.20).
Offspring
, see v. 16n. For
angels
having a role in the revelation of Torah see Deut 33.2 LXX; Acts 7.38,53; Heb 2.2;
Ant
. 15.136. Paul’s point is that Torah, ordained by angels, is of lesser status than Abraham’s covenant, which came from God.
By
, lit., “by the hand of”; perhaps a Hebraism (Lev 26.46; Num 36.13), perhaps to be taken literally (Ex 32.19).
Mediator
, Moses (Deut 5.5). Philo (
Life of Moses
2.166) calls Moses a mediator. In Heb 8.6; 9.15; 12.24; 1 Tim 2.5, Jesus is the mediator.

20
:
More than one party
, thus the law did not come directly from God.

21
: The logic of the argument implies that the law is opposed to divine promises, but Paul is unwilling to draw this conclusion (see Rom 11.1).

21
–22
: The law was to
imprison
or confine
all things under the power of sin
, not to
make alive. Faith in Jesus Christ
, see 2.16n.

3.23
–29: Children of God through faith. 24–25
:
Disciplinarian
(“pedagogue”), a household slave charged with keeping the master’s son out of trouble and escorting him outside the house. Calling the law a pedagogue indicates its temporary role and the immaturity of its wards.

27
:
Were baptized into Christ
, immersion of converts to Judaism is not securely attested in pre-rabbinic texts, so there is much debate whether Christian baptism of converts derives from Jewish practice. In Christian baptism, the convert is baptized “in” or “in the name of” Christ (Mt 28.19; Acts 8.16; 19.3,5; Rom 6.3; 1 Cor 1.13,15); the Jewish conversion ritual has no baptizer and no “in the name of” language (
b. Yebam
. 47a–b). Verse 27 has suggested to scholars that v. 28 is a baptismal formula.
Clothed yourselves
, Rom 13.14.

28
: The law in general, and circumcision in particular, maintain social distinctions. According to Diogenes Laertius, a historian of the second century CE, Socrates (or some other Greek sage) said he had three blessings: “that I was born a human being and not a beast, a man and not a woman, a Greek and not a barbarian” (
Vit. Phil
. 1.33). According to
t. Ber
. 6.18, R. Judah says that a man is obligated daily to recite: “Blessed is God who has not made me a Gentile, who has not made me a boor, who has not made me a woman.”
B. Men
. 43b–44a substitutes “slave” for “boor,” and these three separate blessings—“Blessed is God who has not made me a Gentile … a slave … a woman”—still appear in the Orthodox prayerbook. (In fourteenth-century Spain the custom arose for women to recite “who has made me according to his will” instead of simply skipping “who has not made me a woman,” and this custom is still followed in Orthodox circles.) These three benedictions have raised much controversy in modern times. Some Jewish movements have done away with them altogether, or have converted the negative into a positive: “Blessed is God who has made me an Israelite (or Jew) … a free-person … a human being (or in some versions: in his image).” Some modern Christians have tried to read Paul as a liberation theologian, as if Paul, anticipating the struggles of our time, was opposed to the power structures of his time. But this reading of Paul is most unlikely. On the contrary, Paul and the Pauline tradition counsel women to remain subject to their husbands (1 Cor 11.3; 14.34–35; cf. Eph 5.22–24; Col 3.18; 1 Tim 2.12; Titus 2.4–5; 1 Pet 3.1–5). Paul’s acceptance of slavery is evident in Philemon. The phrase in Gal 3.28 recurs in somewhat different form in Rom 10.12; 1 Cor 12.13, and Col 3.11, but the only distinction that appears in all four is that between Jew and Greek (Gentile), because the effacement of that distinction is the one that matters to Paul.