The Holy Spirit in Galatians

The Holy Spirit in the Letter to the Galatians (c) Rev Nicholas Tuohy [email protected] page 1

Paul’s understanding of the role of the Spirit in the letter to the Galatians, with exegetical

focus on Gal 3:1-5 and 5:13-6:10

Introduction

The Theme of Justification has been so closely bound to Paul‟s letter to the Galatians that at

times I have caught myself thinking that Martin Luther, himself, actually penned the letter!

This theme is of great importance in grasping the meaning of the letter, and has consequently

had fair and thorough treatment by scholars and the like.1 With this in mind I have decided

to pursue a theme in Galatians that has not been as generously dealt with as has the

aforementioned one: The role of, and Paul‟s understanding of, the Spirit in the Galatians

letter. In fact, in contemporary scholarship, Paul‟s pneumatology has not had the treatment it

needs or deserves. This has been highlighted by Gordon Fee in his recent publication (1994),

God’s Empowering Presence: The Holy Spirit in the Letters of Paul.2 Another commentator on

Galatians, R.N. Longenecker, has stated, “Much that has been written on Galatians has

tended to ignore the central place of the Spirit in Paul‟s argumentation throughout his

Galatian letter.”3

One problem, however, that must be noted in dealing with any theme in Paul, is that we have

access to only occasional letters, rather than systematic theological monologues and the like.

Therefore, we cannot claim to find a comprehensive understanding of any theological

themes in Paul. Also, we do not have the inside details or the tacit knowledge that Paul and

1 James Dunn (Jesus, Paul, and the Law. London: SPCK, 1990 184.), however, highlights the work of E.P.

Sanders (Paul and Palastinian Judaism. 1977.) as “breaking the mould” in Pauline studies. Sanders has argued

against what he considers the historically false and misguided picture of Judaism that has been readily accepted by

Pauline scholars. Luther, it seems, equated the Catholic system of merit of his own day with the Judaism of Paul‟s

day. Dunn, 185, refers to Krister Stendhal (“The Apostle Paul and the Introspective Conscience of the West”)who

warned that it was all to easy to “read Paul in the light of Luther‟s agonised search for relief from a troubled

conscience.” Dunn, himself, claims, “…throughout this century the standard depiction of the Judaism which Paul

rejected has been the reflex of Lutheran hermeneutic (185).”

2 While Fee does not go to great lengths in tracing the history of Pauline pneumatological study, he does note the

gap that exists in such scholarship. Fee deals with this more extensively in pp. 1-13. Gordon Fee, God’s Empowering

Presence: The Holy Spirit in the Letters of Paul. (Massachusetts: Hendrickson 1994). In this essay I will be drawing

on Fee‟s work extensively, as it is to date the most thorough treatment of this subject. Another excellent study on the

theme of the Spirit in Galatians is Charles H. Cosgrove The Cross and the Spirit: A Study in the Argument and

Theology of Galatians (Mercer: Georgia, 1988). I will be incorporating some of Cosgrove‟s insights throughout this

essay, but more specifically addressing them in the synthesis.

3 Richard N. Longenecker,. Galatians. WBC. (Dallas: Word Books, 1990).


the Galatian community share. Paul, of course, writes (though perhaps not always

consciously) with knowledge of this taciturn information assuming and taking various things

for granted. Exegesis and hermeneutics is the art of faithfully and carefully seeking to

breathe life into those silent and voiceless areas that we know exist, but know little about. Be

that though it may, if we look at hermeneutics as one climbing a mountain, we see that some

just enjoy mountain climbing for its own sake, others enjoy working out the best way to

climb the mountain, while others stay down on the ground telling others it is impossible and

dangerous to climb the mountain. Of course, there are those, also, who have falls while

climbing!

With this in mind, I will seek to enjoy climbing the mountain that is Galatians, looking to

others for the best known ways up the mountain, aware of the possible dangers of making

ungrounded assuptions, and hoping not to fall off. This I will do in the following manner:

1. Nuances of Ruach in Hebrew thought.

2. The Role and understanding of Spirit in the Pauline Corpus - a brief overview.

3. The understanding of the Spirit in Galatians.

4. Exegetical focus on Gal 3:1-5

5. Exegetical focus on Gal 5:13-6:10

6. Synthesis and Summary

7. Conclusion.

In relation to the Pauline corpus, I will be treating the letters to the Romans, 1 & 2

Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, and Philemon,

as having authentic Pauline authorship, and consequently primary importance. I am still

undecided on 2 Thessalonians. However, Titus, and 1 & 2 Timothy will be considered

pseudo-Pauline and secondary to the aforementioned letters.4

4 The focus of this study is not to argue the‟ fors‟ and „againsts‟ of authentic Pauline authorship. However, there is

little if any doubt among modern commentators that the author of Galatians is none other than the apostle Paul,

himself.


1. Ruach- Spirit in Hebrew/Jewish thought.

It has been suggested by German theologian, Jürgen Moltmann, that if we desire to

understand the Hebrew Bible‟s use of ruach, we must distance ourselves from the term „spirit‟

for it is captive to Western culture.5 He further adds that the Greek, Latin, and Germanic

conceptions of spirit are antithetical to matter and body. He then states, “The Western

cleavage between spirit and body…is so deeply rooted in our languages that we must have

recourse to other translations if we want to arrive at a more or less adequate rendering of the

word ruach.”6 It is important to be aware of „baggage‟ we bring to the interpretation of a word

like “Spirit.” When as Christians we read „Holy Spirit‟ in the Hebrew Bible, we come laden

with our own historical and theological perspectives. Moreover, while I share Moltmann‟s

concerns, I am certain that Hebrew thought concerning the Spirit of God is neither wholly

objective, nor culturally void either. The purpose in surveying ruach is to highlight the likely

connection of a Hebrew understanding of Spirit, with the apostle Paul, who was Jewish7. For

to view Paul‟s understanding of the Spirit apart from his Jewish background would be

unwise. However, it would be unwise, also, to expect to find harmony and unified

consensus concerning Hebrew and Jewish understanding of God‟s Spirit. However, we

hopefully possess enough knowledge and insight to be able to draw an authentic picture.

In early Rabbinic writings, „Holy Spirit‟ does not denote God, but rather “a medium of

revelation and a qualification for a sanctified ministry.”8 Within Hebrew tradition, concepts

of ruach were evolving and developing, rather than static and set. Earlier tradition viewed the

ruach of Yahweh as something that was a spatial, temporal and a unique, particular act.9 This

is seen in the Judges and pre-exilic prophets when the “Spirit of the Lord” came upon them

(Jdg 3:10; 11:29; 14:6. 1Sam 10:6; 16:13). In later tradition such as exilic and post-exilic times,

“the efficacies of all God‟s works came to be ascribed to the Spirit…”10 With the loss of the

temple, Israel‟s locating of God‟s Spirit shifted from the temple, to herself as a nation.

5 Jürgen Moltmann, The Spirit of Life: A Universal Affirmation (Fortress Press: Minneapolis, 1992), 40.

6 Ibid., 40.

7 By „Hebrew‟ I am referring to the pre-exilic people, and by „Jewish‟ I am referring to the post-exilic people.

8 Ibid., 47.

9 Ibid., 54.

10 Ibid., 54.


“Yahweh‟s ruach no longer dwells and merely rests in the temple. His dwelling is the people

and its history.”11

But the latter prophets such as Jeremiah, Joel, and Ezekiel accentuate this understanding

much more acutely and eschatologically (cf. Ezek 36:25-27; Jer 31:33-34: Joel 2:28-32). The

prayer of Moses that the Lord would put his Spirit on all his people (Num 11:29) becomes a

promise in these latter prophets. Thus, the early Jewish Christians understood their

experience of the Spirit as “the fulfillment (sic) of prophetic hopes that in the age of the

Messiah, the Spirit would fall on “Israel.”12

The question must be raised, “How then does this latter eschatological development reflect

or influence Paul‟s understanding of God‟s Spirit”? A closer look at the Pauline corpus will

help in answering this.

2. The Spirit in the Pauline corpus.

It would be reasonably safe to say that the occurrence of the Spirit in the Pauline corpus is

not a rare phenomenon. One has to only call to mind Romans 8, 1 Corinthians 12, Galatians

3:1-5; 5:16-26, as indicators of a prominent place the Spirit has in Paul‟s thought. In the

thirteen letters attributed to Paul, occurs 145 times with the majority of these being

concerned with the Holy Spirit.13

Fee highlights three metaphors for the Spirit that are unique to Paul, “down payment” (2

Cor: 1:21-22; 5:5; Eph 1:14), “firstfruits” (Rom 8:23), and “seal” (2 Cor 1:21-22; Eph 1:13;

4:30). Each of these carry overtones of the above mentioned eschatological framework and

by looking at these, we can gain insight into Paul‟s understanding of the Spirit.14

11

Ibid., 54. Furthermore, T. Paige states, “The OT holds out a hope that this Spirit as the power of prophecy, life and

covenant keeping will be a feature of the future messianic age of blessing…and this hope persisted into the Second

Temple period…” “Holy Spirit,” Dictionary of Paul and His letters (Intervarsity Press: Illinios), 404. 12

T. Paige, 405. 13

Fee, 14. Fee‟s exegetical analysis of these instances is thorough and detailed on pp 14-36. It must be noted that the

majority of the occurances of are found in the more generally accepted „authentic‟ Pauline letters. 14

Fee, 806-808


“Down payment” (), used only by Paul in the New Testament, is also used in the

Septuagint when Tamar deceived her father-in-law, Judah, by pretending to be a prostitute.

Tamar asked for a pledge () concerning his promise of one of his herd for

payment. The word occurs only here in the Septuagint. The term is found widely in Greek

literature and “it both establishes the contractual obligation and guarantees its fulfilment.”15

“Firstfruits” (, translates into „first portion,‟ or a foretaste and pledge of blessings to

come. It is similar in meaning to down payment. Once again the “now” and “not yet” aspect

of Paul‟s eschatology is in view.

Finally, “seal” () carries less eschatological overtones than the previous

metaphors, but still refers to something that God has done now, and for a future purpose.

Fee comments again on the outcome of these metaphors in Paul‟s understanding of the

Spirit by stating, “The Spirit is the evidence that the eschatological promises of Paul’s Jewish heritage

have been fulfilled.”16 (emphasis his)

Fee argues that Jewish eschatology has in fact influenced Paul in his understanding of the

Spirit. Moreover, Fee contends that this is why the Spirit has such an important place in

Paul‟s writings,17 stating:

From [Paul‟s] Jewish heritage he well understood that the Spirit was part of the promise for the future. The promises of the new covenant had been put into an eschatological frame by Jeremiah and Ezekiel and had become thoroughgoing in later Jewish expectations on the basis of Joel 2:28-30. This is why the Spirit is so crucial to Paul‟s understanding of Christian existence. The gift of the out-poured Spirit meant that the messianic age had already arrived. It is thus the central element in this altered perspective, the key to which is Paul‟s firm conviction that the Spirit was both the certain evidence that the future had dawned, and the absolute guarantee of its final consummation.18

15

Fee, 806. 16

Fee, 808.

17

However, Fee, 471, acknowledges that for Paul, “the Spirit is not the central matter; that place is taken by Christ

alone.”

18

Fee, 806.


It is with this framework in mind that we will begin to view more specifically Pauline

understanding of the Spirit. That is, the presence of the Spirit as evidence of the dawning of

the messianic age, and as guarantee of the culmination of this age.

With this general understanding of the Spirit in the Pauline writings, we can now move to the

letter of Galatians for analysis.

3. The Spirit in Galatians.

The focus of this study is not to deal with other themes in the letter or with the rhetorical

structure and argument Paul uses. Suffice to say, I am sure whatever classical rhetorical

arguments Paul may have used he did so unconsciously as a member of a culture that

reasoned in such a manner automatically. To be overly concerned with this is to interpret

Galatians as something that it is not, rather than viewing it as that which it is: a letter.19

Be that though it may, a brief sketch of the form of the letter will be helpful.

3.1 Form of Galatians

Following Matera‟s20 outline, the structure of Galatians is as follows:

Greeting 1:1-5 Statement of astonishment 1:6-10 1. The truth of the gospel 1:11-2:21 2. The children of promise 3:1-5:12

19

Longenecker, ci-ciii, cites the work of Deissmann who highlighted a position similar to the one I have stated

above. That is, Paul‟s letters are not the work of a systematic theologian or a literary classicist. However,

Longenecker, while not denying the general thrust of Deissmann‟s thesis, grafts some other shoots onto his work.

Firstly, Paul‟s letters are not to be classified as “private” but rather as “public” in that they were most likely for

multiple communities and also to be read openly in those assemblies. Secondly, Paul‟s letters are not as loose and

chaotic as Deissmann first thought. More recent study has highlighted the many forms and styles of contemporaneous

Hellenistic letters that hold common features with Paul‟s structure and form in his letters. Thirdly, the distinction

between letter and epistle need not be so sharp. Paul‟s letter‟s also exhibit similar genre and styles to other types of

Hellenistic letters, although do not match any of them exactly. Finally, Paul also drew on other literary traditions such

as his own Jewish midrashic tradition, Christian hymns and confessions, chiastic structures etc. in the writing of his

letters.

Hans Dieter Betz, places Galatians under the “apologetic letter” genre and goes in to detail in analysing the letter of

Galatians on pp. 14-28, Galatians (Philadelphia: Fortress Press1978). Objections, however, have been raised by

others concerning Betz‟s assumptions. Ronald Y. K. Fung provides a summary of these objections which can be

found in pp. 28-32, The Epistle to the Galatians (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmanns, 1988).

Understanding these issues will hopefully aid in interpreting Paul‟s letters, rather than creating smokescreens.

20

Frank J. Matera, Galatians. Sacra Pagina (Minnesota: The Liturgical Press 1992).


a. Abraham‟s true descendants 3:1-29 b. Rebuke and appeal 4:1-5:12 3. Living by the Spirit 5:13-6:10 Conclusion 6:11-18. We will now go on to look at the two major “Spirit” passages in the Galatians letter: 3:1-5

and 5:13-6:10, highlighting other issues, such as context and purpose, as they converge with

the theme of this essay.

4. Exegesis Galatians 3:1-5

4.1 Preliminary Comment

The swing in mood from the letter preceding 3:1 has been described as, “The flow of lava

across a field of fresh flowers!” The sudden and shocking pronouncement of “O foolish

Galatians!” perhaps portrays more clearly the passionate St. Paul, rather than the lack of

intellectual coherence on the part of the Galatians. Nevertheless, such is Paul‟s astonishment

that they are so quickly turning to a different gospel (1:6) he cannot contain his dismay.

A very general overview of the context of Galatians seems to suggest that some “agitators”

had come to the Galatians exhorting them to be circumcised and give allegiance to Jewish

customs and observances21 (2:15-19; 3:2-10; 4:9-10; 5:2-7). Paul‟s argument is not as much

“justification by faith” as the reformers informed us, but as “The New Perspective on Paul”

has informed us, it is centred on Gentile inclusion into the covenant people of God.22

Whereas the post-reformation view of Galatians was a “works-faith” (“works” traditionally

meaning gaining favour with God through “good-deeds”) antithesis, the context of the letter

seems much less concerned with an individual‟s personal salvation as it is with how Gentiles

are accepted as the people of God. In agreement with Fee, “The Spirit alone distinguishes

21

Charles H. Cosgrove highlights the uncertainty we have in determining the purpose of the “agitator‟s” reason for

advocating circumcision and other practices. That this was happening in the Galatian churches is axiomatic from the

letter. But how was circumcision defined, that is, what was its purpose in the minds of the “agitators?” Was it “an

entrance requirement, a matter of obedience toward God expected of those regarded as already members of his

people, a necessary step toward “full membership,” or an initiation rite, as some have suggested, into a higher plane

of Christian spirituality.”? The Cross and the Spirit: A Study in the Argument and Theology of Galatians (Mercer:

Georgia, 1988), 7.

22

So Fee, 368. Fee(p.384) expands this by stating the question of the letter is not, “How does one gain right

standing with God? How are people saved?” but, “Once given right standing with God, how is such a relationship

sustained or maintained?”


God‟s people in the new covenant.”23 Furthermore, Paul‟s response to the problem of the

“flesh” is not Torah observance, but a continued reliance upon, and walking in, the Spirit.

Thus, we turn to Paul‟s appeal in 3:1-5.

4.2 Context and Form

3:1-5 is the pivotal point in the letter. Here, for the first time, the term “Spirit” is employed

by Paul.24 Having established his divine credentials in the preaching of his gospel (1:1, 10-12,

15-17), as well as re-establish, at least in the minds of the Galatians, his open relationship

with the Jerusalem leaders (2:1-14), Paul provides a platform for himself to launch into his

discourse beginning a new major section in 3:1- 5:12. The force of rhetoric in 3:1-5 serves as

a hermeneutical key to understanding the purpose of 5:13-6:10, a section that we shall see has

baffled some commentators.

There are six25 rhetorical questions26 in 3:1-5 in which one could assume the Galatians were

expected to be aware of the answers.

4.3 Commentary

3:1. The sudden turn of this section may have been the reason for a later textual tradition

which inserted so that you do not obey the truth cf. 5:7) after

“who has bewitched27 you?”28 The reference to Jesus Christ being portrayed publicly as

crucified, no doubt refers to the Kerugma of Paul in his previous ministry to the Galatians.

Betz (131) sees in this the ability of Paul as an orator to speak in such a way as to have his

listeners imagine “the matter to have happened right before their eyes.” However, as the text

23

Fee, 383.

24

However, Fee, 372-377, maintains that the Spirit is implied previously in the letter. He argues, for instance, that

“revelation” in 2:2, is a working of the Spirit in Paul‟s understanding. Furthermore, in 2: 19b-20, he states that for

Paul, the statement “Christ lives in me,” is a “kind of shorthand for „Christ by his Spirit lives in me.‟” (374)

25

Matera notes only five questions (p.114). Fee (p. 381) notes that the NA26

the two clauses in v. 3 are punctuated

as one question, thus giving only five questions in total. The NRSV and NIV translate six questions. Either way, the

flow or meaning of the section is not impeded.

26

See Betz (128-136), who deals in detail, once more, with the rhetorical structure and form of Paul‟s questioning.

27

This is the only time in the New Testament the verb appears. It had common usage in the Greek

world and meant to bewitch or “fascinate by casting an evil eye.” (See Longenecker, WBC, 100)

28

Fee, 380n38.


unfolds, it is not his proclamation that Paul appeals to as evidence, but the reception of the

Spirit as a result of the proclamation.29

3:2. The use of (“this only/alone”) places an emphatic weight on the

proceeding statement, as though the answer to which will clarify the debate.30 Paul‟s question

here is crucial in understanding the role of the Spirit in Galatians: “Did you receive the

Spirit by doing the works of the law or by believing what you heard?”

Matera sheds some light on (“works of law”) by citing the research of

E.P. Sanders and J.D.G Dunn, stating, “…the expression primarily envisions circumcision,

dietary laws, and the observance of Jewish feast days, all of which were viewed as identity

markers that distinguished Jews from Gentiles.”31 Matera highlights this meaning over and

against the more traditional understanding of “works” as ethical works to gain merit with

God through obeying the Torah.

Observance of the law as a means to favour with God (which historically =legalism),

however, cannot be completely ruled out. This highlights the critical question posed by

Longenecker (not originally, however), “Is Paul‟s polemic directed against the law itself or

29

Paul‟s greatness as a preacher has more to do with Reformed Protestant theology, rather than a reading of the

texts themselves. In 1 Corinthians, for example, Paul is obviously at odds with 'eloquent' orators who are charming

the people by their knowledge and natural giftedness. Paul claims: "...I did not come with eloquence or superior

wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God" (2:1); "My message and my preaching () were

not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit‟s power…" (2:4); "...the kingdom of God

is not a matter of talk but of power" (4:20) Moreover, in 2 Corinthians a similar theme is present: "...his (Paul's)

speaking amounts to nothing." (2 Cor 10:10); "I may not be a trained speaker..." (2 Cor 11:6).

Paul places the emphasis on the work of the Spirit through his proclamation again in 1 Rom 15:18-19, “For I will not

venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to win obedience from the Gentiles,

by word and deed, by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God…” & 1 Thes 1:5,

“…because our message of the gospel came to you not in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and

with full conviction…” See also Cosgrove, 42-43.

30

Matera, 112, states, “[this alone] suggests that the point of dispute…will be settled if the Galatians honestly

answer a single question.” Longenecker, 101, too, sees the importance of this verse in Paul‟s argument stating, “In v2

we have Paul‟s central argument of this section…He is convinced that if they would but recall their own experience

of having received God‟s Spirit at the time when the accepted Paul‟s proclamation of the gospel, then no further

argument from him would be necessary and no enticement from the Judaizers would be possible.”

31

Matera, 93.


against a particular attitude toward the law that sees the law as a means of winning favour

with God…?32

I am willing at this juncture to accept the position of J.D.G. Dunn who states, “Paul is not

arguing…for a concept of faith which is totally passive because it fears to become a „work‟. It

is the demand for a particular work as the necessary expression of faith which he denies.”33

It appears, at least from the information in Galatians, that Paul does not have as much a

problem with Jewish Christians being „Jewish‟, but with the requirements they are apparently

placing on Gentiles. Paul‟s response here is to highlight the one “identity marker” that will

confirm the acceptance of the Gentiles into the covenant community: the reception of the

Spirit through believing the message of faith.34

Whether Paul is opposing a “merit-amassing observance of Torah,” or, “the badges of

Jewish covenantal nomism,”35 or both, cannot be extensively debated here. However, it

seems highly plausible that Paul would refute both on the grounds of the same argument: the

Galatians received the Spirit apart from, or before they accepted, either of the two possible

understandings of As Fee states, “[Paul] knows he has them on this one;

their experience of the Spirit absolutely belies their willingness to submit to circumcision.”36

However, C.H. Cosgrove has by and large rejected the thesis that Paul is concerned with

Gentile status in the Galatians correspondence. Rather, he sees it as being concerned with

ongoing life in the Spirit, which Paul is arguing is not maintained by “works of law.”37

According to Cosgrove, the “New Perspective” on Galatians, that Paul is concerned with the

32

Longenecker, 85

33

Dunn, 198.

34

There are translation difficulties with Matera, 112, raises four possible renditions: “from

hearing with faith”; “from hearing the faith”; “from the message that results in believing”; ”from the message of

faith.” He favors the last of these. Betz, 128, accepts, “by [the] proclamation of [the] faith”; Longenecker, 102-3, “on

the basis of believing what you heard”; and Fung, 128, “by believing the gospel message”; NIV and NRSV, “by

believing what you heard.” I am content at this point to follow Matera.

35

As in Longenecker, 86. Longenecker, 95, describes “legalism” as “…the attempt to gain favour with God by

means of Torah observance.” No doubt indebted to the work of E.P. Sanders, who has drawn a radically different

picture of first century Judaism from the legalistic one so long accepted, Longenecker describes “nomism” as “…the

response of faith to a God who has acted on one‟s behalf by living a life governed by Torah” (95).

36

Fee, 382n49. See also John Barclay, Obeying the Truth: A Study in Paul’s Ethics in Galatians (Edinburgh: T. &

T. Clark, 1988) 83-86. 37

Cosgrove, 43-44.


universality of the gospel, apart from cultural hegemony, is an assumption that Paul shares

with the Galatians, but it is not the issue at stake.38 According to Cosgrove, “The aim is to

show that life in the Spirit does not depend upon works of the law…”39

3:3. Paul juxtaposes “flesh” and “Spirit” in this verse, hinting that in his mind, to observe

Torah is a work of the „flesh.” He now not only enforces his argument of their beginning the

life of faith in the Spirit, he also portrays this as being foundational, and continual. Their

experience of the Spirit through the message of faith cannot be supplanted, or “perfected,”

by another gospel. Paul‟s employing of opposites gives power to his rhetoric.40 For Fee,

Paul‟s use of “” (flesh) refers not only to circumcision, but also “to live according to

the values and desires of life in the present aeon that stands in absolute contradiction to God

and his ways.”41 In the words of Longenecker, “What Paul wants his converts to see is that

the Christian life is one that starts, is maintained, and comes to culmination only through

dependence on the activity of God‟s Spirit…”42

3:4,5. Paul‟s question, “Did you experience ()43 so much for nothing?- if it really was

for nothing”, is anticipatory. He has not capitulated to believing that it was all „for nothing‟,

38

ibid., 170. 39

ibid., 170.

40

Fee, 384n61, notes the chiasmic structure of the argument: having begun (A) by the Spirit (B) now (C) by the

flesh (B) do you come to completion (A). The same line of thought occurs in Phil 1:6: “I am confident of this, that the

one who began a good work () among you will bring it to completion () by the day of Jesus

Christ.” 41

Fee, 385. Fee then goes on to note the surprising way Paul equates “in the flesh” with “works of law”. J.D.G.

Dunn, 199, highlights this precise point in commenting on Paul‟s use of Ps 143:2 by stating, “‟Works of the law‟,

because they put such an emphasis on such marks of racial identity, are, ironically, no different from „works of the

flesh‟…because these works of law in effect imprison God‟s righteousness within a racial and national, that is, fleshly

framework.” Matera, 206, in general agreement with Fee, describes flesh as referring to “unredeemed humanity:

humanity turned in and upon itself.” And again, 209, “concern for one‟s self at the expense of one‟s neighbor.”

42

Longenecker, 103-4.

43

There are various positions on the translation of which are detailed by Fee, 387n70. The two options

are to translate the verb as “suffering” and do so in consistency with its New Testament usage - or, translate it in its

traditional sense to denote more generally, “experience”. Matera, 113, chooses the latter on the basis that Paul is

talking of their experiences of the Spirit and the possibility of those experiences being in vain. Fee, 386-7, likewise, is

certain that Paul is referring to their experience of the Spirit noting the lack of any information within the letter that

hints at “suffering”. He also points out that “experience” fits well in the context of the questions in v.3 & 4.

Cosgrove, 185, however, argues quite convincingly for “suffered” rather than “experienced” as the authentic

translation. (185-194). Moreover, Cosgrove, 186, believes that such a reading makes sense of 4:29, “the one born of

flesh persecuted the one born of the Spirit, so it is now.” (emphasis mine) I tend to lean towards Cosgrove‟s position

because I think suffering is a prominent theme in Paul‟s writings and consistent with his Christology (cf. 1 Cor 4:9-


but that continuing in their present course, the Galatian‟s experience of the Spirit will have

been in vain.

In v.5, Paul expands his argument to the Galatians but is not simply summarising what has

gone before in vv. 2-4.44 This verse seems to be implying that just as the initial reception of

the Spirit (v. 2) was not from “works of law” but from “the message of faith”, so too their

ongoing experience of the Spirit is predicated on the same assumption: God continues to

supply45 the Spirit on the basis of faith alone, not by works of law.

Betz speculates that it was possible that Paul‟s opponents viewed Paul‟s efforts as a “first

step”46. Paul‟s argument, then, is that the “first step” is the one legitimate basis on which to

proceed in faithfulness to God. Torah observance, as some have viewed it, or the badges of

covenantal nomism, as others, are neither complementary or supplementary to the initial

gospel message proclaimed by Paul.

But why are the Galatians apparently turning to observe Torah in the first place? This is the

question that we will now turn to in analysing 5:13-6:10.

5. Exegesis: Gal 5:13-6:10

This section of Galatians has been diversely interpreted and understood by commentators. It

is important to conclude what function 5:13-6:10 has within the arguments of the whole

letter, so as to gain better understanding of the role of the Spirit in Galatians. Is Paul here

13; 2 Cor 6:3-10; 11:16-29; Gal 6:17). Also, Paul‟s question, “Did you suffer so much for nothing…” is actually

more forceful than translating “experience.”

44

Fung, 130 incorrectly places vv. 2 and 5 together for consideration claiming, “both employ the same antithesis:

“by keeping the law” or “by believing the gospel message.” While they do in fact, do this, Paul is raising two separate

arguments: v. 2 concerns their reception of the Spirit, while v. 5, deals with their ongoing experience of the Spirit.

45

Although “God” is not in the text in v.5, it is he who supplies the Spirit (cf. Betz, 135, Fee, 388, Longenecker,

105-6, Matera, 113). But see Fung, 130n18.

46

Betz, 136.


stating ethical guidelines for those who are „libertine‟ in practice?47 Is this section related to

the themes in 3:1-5?

John Barclay (Obeying the Truth) notes that scholars have generally propounded two

interpretations concerning section 5:13-6:10 of Galatians. It has been viewed either as

unrelated to the main thrust of Paul‟s argument, or as integral to understanding the entire

letter.48 The first of these two arguments has followed four major themes which Barclay

outlines.49

(1) J.C. O‟Neill (The Recovery of Paul’s Letter to the Galatians) is the most radical position,

suggesting the work of a later redactor, thus rejecting Pauline authorship. (2) M.

Dibelius (concedes that Paul is author) views the material as unrelated to, and not

conditioned by, the rest of Paul‟s arguments in the letter. (3) Others50 have seen the

material as a defence against possible misunderstandings and objections that may be

raised in response to the rest of the letter (cf. Rom 3:8; 1 Cor 6:12). (4) W. Lütgert

and J.H. Ropes proposed a „two-front‟ theory claiming Paul was dealing with nomists

and „spirituals‟.

Furthermore, Barclay notes several positions of those who accept 5:13-6:10 as essentially

connected to the letter as a whole. W. Schmithals (Die Häretiker in Galatien) raised the

possibility of Gal 5-6 being directed against „Jewish Christian Gnostics who practiced

circumcision but had libertine morals,51 thus conflating the „two-front‟ theory into one

distinct group.

47

Longenecker, 238, views 5:13-6:10 as “intimately connected with circumstances in Galatia.” Fee, 421n186,

maintains that problems in Galatia were not „libertine‟ but community conflict. He adds, 423-424, that eight of the

fifteen „works of flesh‟ are indicative of “discord in the Christian community.”

48

Barclay, 9.

49

See pp. 9-26 for a more detailed discussion of these positions. 50

Barclay provides a detailed list of scholars who support this view, pp. 12-13. 51

Barclay, 16.


W. Marxsen (Introduction to the New Testament) basically followed Schmithals in his analysis of

Gal 5-6, however, he maintained that in previous chapters Paul was attacking „Pharisaic

Judaists‟.52

R.J Jewett and H.D. Betz, in differing ways, suggest that, “the Galatians were confused in

their moral standards and that Paul was therefore obliged to issue a set of specific

instructions.”53 Betz‟s approach asserts that after an initial time of enthusiasm the Galatians

were having problems with the flesh that seemed unsolvable by their understanding of Paul‟s

teaching on freedom and Spirit. Thus, they were attracted to the Sinai covenant and Torah

obedience as a panacea to ethical failure.54

Finally, more recent scholarship (G. Howard, D. Lull, B. Brinsmead) has viewed 5:13-6:10 as

a continuation of Paul‟s polemic against the law.55

In response to the debate on 5:13-6:10, Barclay rejects much of the above claims, although

combines the strong points into his conclusions. His own response, which, for the most part,

I am accepting, is summarised in four parts (all emphasis his):

i) Paul‟s exhortation „develops out of and concludes his earlier arguments’, and, cannot be understood

properly if treated as a unrelated section.

ii) Concerning the context of the section, Barclay maintains that it is „best understood as having

been framed specifically for the current crisis in the Galatian churches.’

iii) In regards to whom Paul is addressing, Barclay states „Paul fights on only one front throughout

the epistle and that throughout he is concerned with the status and the obedience of Gentile believers.’

Furthermore, „the problem…is not libertinism but moral confusion together with a loss of confidence in

Paul’s prescription for ethics.’

iv) To answer Paul‟s purpose in this section, Barclay concludes that it is „an appeal to the

Galatians to let their lives be directed by the Spirit „. Furthermore, it functions also as „an assurance

that the Spirit can provide adequate moral constraints and directions’.56

52

Barclay, 18-19. 53

Barclay, 19. 54

Barclay, 21.


I will now proceed to formulate conclusions from the points raised so far in this study by

way of a synthesis.

6. Synthesis

So what can we conclude about the role of the Spirit in the Galatians letter? I will make four

observations drawing from the scholarship I have alluded to n this essay.

1. Paul‟s Jewish eschatological heritage is foundational in the formation of his understanding

of the Spirit. Paul‟s understanding of the Spirit is highlighted in terms of the „now‟ and the

„not yet‟. The Spirit is seen as a down payment, pledge, and firstfruit. The eschatological

gift of the Spirit is evidence of the beginning of the messianic age, and the promise of its

final culmination and fulfilment.

2. In Galatians, Paul takes for granted the ongoing experience of the presence of the Spirit as

a corporate reality in the gathered community (3:5) This presence of the Spirit manifests

itself through „works of power‟ or „miracles‟ (NRSV). But the supply of the Spirit is for the

building up of the whole community. As Fee states, “enthusiasm vis-a-vis ethics, or signs

and wonders vis-a-vis weakness and suffering…are false dichotomies as far as Pauline

pneumatology is concerned.”57 Therefore, the Galatians‟ possession of the Spirit is not in

question by Paul, or the “agitators.” What is in question, however, is how to continue in

the Spirit. Paul employs a negative argument stating that continuing in the Spirit is not

achieved by „works of law.‟

3. Two possibilities have been raised concerning why Paul refers to their experience of the

Spirit so emphatically. Firstly, some have viewed the focus to be the status of the Gentiles

as full members of God‟s people („sons‟, 4:6-7). Consequently, the Spirit is the new

„marker‟ for God‟s people. Secondly, others have argued Paul is concerned with how they

continue to „live by the Spirit‟ (5:16), not the universality of the gospel. It must be noted

that for Paul, either of these two possibilities, which I think are both present in the

Galatians letter, are not achieved by accepting the requirements of Torah observance.

55

Barclay, 22.

56

Barclay, 216-220. For the most part, both Matera, 193-198, and Fee, 420-425 follow Barclay‟s conclusions

concerning section 5:13-6:10 of the Galatians letter.


4. Those who live and walk by the Spirit, will not gratify the flesh, but will produce the fruit

of the Spirit and thus please God. Though we know Paul rejects the law as a requirement

for life in the Spirit, Paul is concerned with a new law- the law of Christ (6:2; cf. 1 Cor

9:21). Living by this law however, happens in an altogether different realm than that of

Torah observance. It is through the eschatological gift of the Spirit that believers are

empowered to live lives in obedience to God. As Fee claims, “Ethical life…does not

consist of rules to live by…Rather, empowered by the Spirit, we now live the life of the

future in the present age, the life that characterizes (sic) God himself.”58 Therefore, 5:1-

6:10 is intrinsically and contextually connected to the letter as a whole. Also, the

crucifixion of Jesus is vital in understanding how one lives in the Spirit. There is no hint

of „triumphalism‟ in Paul‟s theology of the Spirit. In Galatians, the death of Christ has

repeated emphasis, while his resurrection is only mentioned once (1:1) The death of Jesus

as God‟s redemptive act is pivotal in the outpouring of the Spirit. Believers enter into

suffering with Chris, fulfilling 59 the whole law by loving neighbour (5:14), just as Jesus has

loved us and given himself for us (2:20).60

7. Conclusion

I have endeavoured to highlight the importance of the Spirit in understanding the letter to

the Galatians. This I have attempted by looking at Hebrew/Jewish understandings of ruach in

the Hebrew Bible, showing that Paul was influenced by some of these latter developments.

Secondly, I gave a brief overview of the Spirit in the Pauline corpus by noting three

metaphors for the Spirit Paul uniquely uses: down payment, pledge, and firstfruits. Thirdly, I

analysed the role of the Spirit in Galatians by referring to current scholarship on dominant

57

Fee, 800. 58

Fee, 804.

59

The word (complete, fulfil) has been incorrectly translated (NIV, NRSV) „summed up‟ by some

translators in Gal 5:14. Matera, 192, Longenecker, 237, and Fee, 425, translate the perfect passive verb as „fulfilled‟.

Fee, 426n204, argues against a reading that sees 5:14 as meaning all of the law is “summed up” in this one

commandment, as though it in itself was the very tip of the iceberg. Rather, Torah is fulfilled in the practice of loving

one another, which, as Paul goes on to demonstrate in vv.16-26, is achieved through the Spirit‟s empowering. 60

See Cosgrove, 169-194, for a thorough synthesis of the relation between the death of Jesus and the Spirit in

Galatians.


themes of exegesis and hermeneutics. I achieved this by giving exegetical focus to the two

major „Spirit‟ passages in Galatians: 3:1-5, and 5:13-:6:10. Finally, I drew conclusions from

my study by way of a synthesis of the major points that related to Paul‟s understanding of the

role of the Spirit in the letter to the Galatians.

Bibliography

Barclay, John. Obeying the Truth: A Study in Paul’s Ethics in Galatians (Edinburgh: T.

& T. Clark, 1988).

Cosgrove, Charles H. The Cross and the Spirit: A Study in the Argument and Theology of

Galatians (Mercer: Georgia, 1988).

Dieter Betz, Hans. Galatians (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1978).

Dunn, James. Jesus, Paul, and the Law. (London: SPCK, 1990).

Fee, Gordon. God’s Empowering Presence: The Holy Spirit in the Letters of Paul.

(Massachusetts: Hendrickson, 1994).


Fung, Ronald Y. K. The Epistle to the Galatians (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmanns,

1988).

Longenecker, Richard N. Galatians. WBC. (Dallas: Word Books, 1990).

Matera, Frank J. Galatians. Sacra Pagina (Minnesota: The Liturgical Press 1992).

Moltmann, Jürgen. The Spirit of Life: A Universal Affirmation (Fortress Press:

Minneapolis, 1992).

Paige, T. “Holy Spirit,” Dictionary of Paul and His letters (Intervarsity Press: Illinios),

404-413.

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The Holy Spirit in Galatians