Imperishable Inheritance

The "New Man" of Ephesians 2

In Ephesians 2 Paul also gives a similar lesson on the role of the Mosaic Law and its abolishment in the New Covenant and appearing of the Messiah.

Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called "Uncircumcision" by the so-called "Circumcision," which is performed in the flesh by human hands--remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. (Eph 2:11-16)

This passage has huge implications for our understanding of the New Covenant believer's relation to the Mosaic Law. His lesson is apparently targeted to a similar heresy in the Ephesian church. Some "circumcised" believers were telling the "uncircumcised" that they are not truly God's covenant people without the sign of circumcision, but Paul once again has trouble with this teaching (and rightfully so!).

He acknowledges that the Gentile Christians used to be separate from Christ and the commonwealth of Israel without hope. The barrier that existed between ethnic Israel and gentiles was the Mosaic Law which, through Israel's obedience, was supposed to make much of God's name (Deu 4:4-5). But due to Israel's failure (Jer 31:32; Eze 36: 23), and the success of Jesus this barrier has been removed because He "broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances." With this redemptive-historical shift Jesus has made the two into one new man reconciling them both by the cross.¹

The Inheritance Received and an Allegory

Resuming our analysis of Galatians Paul, in chapter four, continues the lesson of the temporal purpose of the Mosaic Law by stating that: "Now I say, as long as the heir is a child, he does not differ at all from a slave although he is owner of everything, but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by the father" (Gal 4:1-2). Paul's lesson is that even an heir, who is to receive an inheritance, is no better than a slave; because he does not yet own his inheritance.² But the one who leaves the inheritance has set a time when the heir will receive his inheritance and likewise have a different status than the slave. So also was the condition of Israel under the Mosaic economy. They were no better than a slave (spiritually speaking), because the Messiah had yet to be revealed in history. Then our Heavenly Father had set a time for Israel (and all the nations) to receive an inheritance: "But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons" (Gal 4:4-5).

Paul gives an important lesson by way of allegory at the end of chapter four. Reiterating to the Galatian Christians not to go back in redemptive history, he gives them an allegory concerning Isaac's sons and the mothers of those sons: "Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. But the Jerusalem above is free; she is our mother." (4:25-26).

The present Jerusalem corresponds to Hagar which symbolized Mount Sinai (and the covenant in general) to slavery. Those who desired to life a life under the Mosaic Law have inherited nothing but slavery, but those who live in the Messiah live in the "Jerusalem above" and "we [in Christ] are not children of a bondwoman, but of the free woman" (4:31).

Life in the Spirit and the Law of Christ

Paul then goes on with his discourse on living life in the Spirit as superior to life in the Mosaic economy under law and bondage. He starts off the chapter with an admonition to stand firm against the Judaizers: "It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery" (5:1). The New Covenant believer is also living "through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness" (5:5).

Paul then gives a startling teaching that only life led by the Spirit does one fulfill the law (5:14), and he then gives his law/Spirit contrast: "But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law" (4:18). The lesson is that the age of the Spirit has replaced the age of law now that the Messiah has appeared. The Mosaic Law led Old Covenant Israel to Christ, and the Holy Spirit leads New Covenant Israel to Christ. Paul then, in his traditional fashion, anticipates a rebuttal; he sees that the Judaizers will then label Paul "antinomian" to the Galatian Christians. Is the New Covenant believer completely free from all law? Paul then gives us an answer: "Bear one another's burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ" (6:2).

Paul also talks about the Law of Christ in 1 Corinthians 9:20-21 when he says that he is not "under the [Mosaic] Law [...] though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ." Paul recognizes that he is not subject to Moses but Jesus in the administration of God's law. Even though he is free from the Mosaic Law, he is subject to the commands of Christ. New Covenant law does serve a different function than Old Covenant law. Covenant faithfulness was tied to Israel following the Mosaic stipulations, but that covenant was broken and was replaced by the New Covenant. Only in the New Covenant, led by the Spirit, can the believer "fulfill" law.³

Reformed scholars have attempted to identify the Decalogue with the Law of Christ, but such efforts suffer from a serious misreading.⁴ The prophets of old spoke of the change the Messiah would bring to the law (Isa 2:3; 42:4; 51:4, 7; Mic.4:2), and when Jesus commissioned His disciples He said to go to the nations "teaching them to observe all that I commanded you" (Mat 28:20). The message is that the New Covenant believer is not directly under the Mosaic Law even though commandments are repeated in the New Testament. Paul also says that life in the Spirit producing the fruits thereof that "against such things there is no law" (5:23).

Concluding Thoughts

Even though Galatians introduces discontinuity concerning the Mosaic Law and the New Covenant believer there are great truths of continuity. By virtue of their union with Christ they are sons of Abraham heirs according to the promise (Gal 3:29). To properly understand Paul's message in Galatians we must recognize the same balance of continuity and discontinuity that Paul discusses in this fantastic letter of Christian liberty.

We must not forget that through all of his theological analysis, Paul reminds the Galatian Christians that the only thing they should boast in is the cross of Christ.

"But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. And those who will walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God." (6:14-16)

1. There are many other passages in the New Testament that speak to this issue, but I haven't the space to tackle them all here. For the reader's study cross-reference Acts 13:39; 15; Rom 2:12-15, 28-29; 3:19-21, 31; 5:13, 20; 6:14; 7; 8:2; 10:4; 13:8; 1 Cor 9:20-21; 2 Cor 3; Col 2:16-17; 1 Tim 1:8-11; Heb 4:1-11; 7:12; 8-10; Jam 1:25. [Back]
2. Phillip Graham Ryken. Galatians, pg. 157. [Back]
3. This covenant obedience established by God in the New Covenant is the teaching that "I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people" (Jer 31:33). This phrase (writing the law on the heart) is an idiom for covenant faithfulness. See Coxhead, Steven R. 'Deuteronomy 30:11-14 as a Prophecy of the New Covenant in Christ.' WTJ 68 (2006): 309. [Back]
4. Phillip Ryken strives to establish that, in the mind of Paul, that the law of Christ is the 'moral law' which Ryken says is the Decalogue (Galatians, pg. 249). I find it interesting that when Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was in the law He says that it is to love God with all our heart, mind, and strength and to love our neighbor as ourselves (Mat 22:37-40) neither of which are in the Decalogue. It would seem that Jesus would see these principles as the eternal moral law of God, because 'On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets' (Mat 22:40). [Back]