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Galatians 2:19-21

King James Version (KJV)

“In our prayers we talk to God, in our Bible study God talks to us, and we had better let God do most of the talking.”
— D.L. Moody

Scripture focus

19. For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. 20. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. 21. I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness [come] by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

Galatians 2:19-21 — KJV

Commentary

Commentary on Galatians 2:19

Theological / Devotional

For I. In the Greek the pronoun “I” is emphatic. Whereas in v. 18 Paul speaks as if he were one of the Judaizers, he now refers to personal experience (vs. 19-21).

Through the law. By personal experience in seeking salvation through compliance with the requirements of the legal system Paul had proved to his own satisfaction the inefficacy of that system. Furthermore, he now saw that the law pointed the sinner to Christ.

Dead to the law. That is, have nothing more to do with it. Formerly Paul had expected to be justified by careful compliance with all the law’s requirements. This had been the objective of his life. Now that the law’s true purpose had become clear to him he realized that he could expect no help from that source. Accordingly, he had abandoned the legal system altogether as a means of salvation.

Live unto God. His life was now oriented toward God, as it had formerly been toward the law. His purpose in life was now to appropriate the means of salvation God had graciously provided (see Phil. 3:13).

By SdaBc