The Fullness Of Time
Chapter Ten
The Significance Of The Spirit's Present Work The Word "Pneuma" in Galatians
The Greek work pneuma (spirit) occurs 18 times in Paul's Epistle to the Galatians. In Galatians five, as is often the case when the word pneuma is used, there is disagreement among commentators concerning its referent. John Brown understands it throughout this context as a reference, not to the Holy Spirit, but to "the new way of thinking and feeling to which a man is formed by the faith of the truth" (Brown n.d.,134). Others understand it as a reference to the Holy Spirit. We would do well to remember, as we consider this question, that Paul's theological purpose in this epistle is to articulate the blessings and privileges of the new covenant, in contrast to the old. One of the more prominent themes of the new covenant promise is that God would put His Spirit in His people to cause them to walk in His statutes (Ezek 36:27). He promised to put His law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts (Jer 31:33). Even if we should take Brown's view that Paul refers in these verses to "the new way of thinking and feeling . . ." we would still have to inquire concerning the origin of this new "spirit." If, as Brown has told us, the answer lies in "the faith of the truth" which forms this new "spirit" in man, would we not be compelled to ask about the origin of this faith? If we answered, in line with biblical revelation, that it is the Holy Spirit who produces faith, would we not be drawn to the conclusion that Paul is, here, explaining the work of the Holy Spirit as administrator of the new covenant? Although dogmatism is unwarranted here, it seems better, in the light of the theme and theological teaching of Galatians, to understand pneuma, throughout the Epistle to the Galatians, as a reference to the Holy Spirit who has been sent forth in fulfillment of God's promise of a new covenant (Ezek.36:25-27) and as a dispenser of the blessings of that covenant.
There are only two verses in the Epistle to the Galatians in which it is clear that Paul is using pneuma to refer to something other than the Holy Spirit. They are Gal 6:1, where the word refers to a meek or gentle disposition and Gal 6:18, where it refers to the human spirits of the brothers to whom he is writing.
The Significance of the Spirit's
Presence and Ministry
The question that we need to address in this chapter concerns the significance of Paul's references, in his Epistle to the Galatians, to the present ministry of the Holy Spirit.
The Spirit's Ministry, a New Covenant Blessing
Which Covenant Grants the Spirit?
His first mention of the Holy Spirit in this epistle occurs in 3:2 where he inquires concerning the manner in which the Galatians had received the Holy Spirit--"Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law or by the message of (or hearing that is inspired/characterized by) faith."28 What Paul is doing in this chapter is drawing a contrast, not merely between faith and works as the ground of the sinner's acceptance before God (as shown above, the issue is broader than that), but between the two covenants, i.e., "Did you receive the Holy Spirit as a blessing of the old covenant which requires works of obedience or as a blessing of the new covenant which is characterized by the message of faith?"
This contrast is brought out even more clearly in Gal 3:3. As we have already shown, when Paul writes, "Are you so foolish, having begun by (instrumental dative) the Spirit, are you now seeking to be made perfect by the flesh?" he is not to be understood to mean "are you now seeking to be made perfect by that which is ethically improper," but "are you (although belonging to the new creation, as evidenced by your reception of the Spirit, 3:2, cf.4:6) seeking to be made perfect according to principles belonging to the old order (an order characterized by weakness) of things?" (see footnote 24, p. xxx). He is saying, "The old order has ceased; the new has been inaugurated. Why are you still clinging to the old?"
It is the same contrast that continues in 3:5 where Paul, questioning the Galatians concerning the source of the Spirit who is working powerfully among/within them, writes,
"Does He who abundantly supplies you with the Spirit and works powerfully within [or works miracles among] you, do it by the works of the law, i.e., as a blessing of the old covenant, or by the hearing of faith, i.e., as a blessing of the new covenant?"
Remember that Paul's primary objective in this passage (indeed, in this epistle) is not a defense of the doctrine of justification by faith, per se. His primary objective is to answer the question, "How do the blessings of God flow to the Gentiles?" His answer is, "It is not by the works of the law, i.e., as a provision of the old covenant, but `of faith,' i.e., it is a provision of the covenants of promise, all of which find their fulfillment in the new covenant."
One of the plain implications of Paul's argument is that the new covenant era must have begun, since the Gentiles are now enjoying one of the principle blessings promised in that covenant, namely, the promised Spirit (Gal 3:14). If, as the writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews (8:13) argues, God has inaugurated a new covenant, then He has made the first covenant old (obsolete). How foolish it is, then, for the Galatians to seek to subject themselves to a covenant that, even in its full vigor, was incapable of granting blessings to sinful rebels. Is it any more able to grant blessings now that it has become obsolete and "is ready to be abolished altogether" (Heb 8:13)?
The Spirit and the "Fullness of the Time."
It is clear that Paul sees an inseparable connection between the redemptive accomplishments of Christ and the sending forth of the Holy Spirit. In Gal 4:4-5, He writes,
"But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order that He might redeem them that were under the law, in order that we might receive the son-placing [adoption]. Now because you are sons, He has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying Abba, Father."
Look at the way he connects the advent of Christ with the advent of the Spirit. In order for any believer (Jew or Gentile) to be placed, as a mature son and full-fledged heir, into God's family, it became necessary for God's Son to redeem those who were under the law. "God sent forth His Son. . .to redeem those under the law, in order that we might receive the son-placing. Thus, "son-placing" in the true, New Testament sense of the word was impossible until Christ had completed His redemptive work. The Spirit of God's Son has been sent into the hearts of believers because they are sons. The Spirit would not have been sent if they had not been adopted. They would not have been adopted if Jesus had not redeemed Israel from the law. Jesus could not have redeemed Israel from the law apart from having been born of woman and born under the law. Jesus would not have been born of woman and born under the law if the fullness of the time had not come. Thus, there is an unbreakable chain that connects the coming of the fullness of the time (which, in keeping with Paul's illustration in 3:1-2, signals the end of Israel's tutelage under the Mosaic law) and the advent of the Holy Spirit. If, therefore, the Spirit has been sent forth, then the period of Israel's tutelage under the law must have come to an end.
Led by the Spirit--Not Under the Law
In Gal 5:18 Paul writes, "Now if you (pl.) are being led by the Spirit, you (pl.) are not under the law." The usual way of interpreting these words is based on the presupposition that sinners are under the dominion of the law until, in their experience, that dominion is broken by the Holy Spirit's application of the redemptive work of Christ. For example Ellicott writes,
When the Spirit becomes truly the leading and guiding principle, then, indeed, the doubtful struggle has ceased; there would be no fulfilling of the works of the flesh, and by consequence no longer any bondage to the law (Ellicott 1890,131).
Later he asserts that this is the case because "it [the law] finds nothing in you to forbid or condemn" (Ibid,132). According to this view, being "under the law" or "not under the law" is totally an individual and experiential matter.
There are several factors that lead to the conclusion that Paul is instead thinking about the new covenant order that has been inaugurated by Christ and over which He rules by His Spirit. To demonstrate this, we turn now to an examination of Paul's words in Galatians 5:16-18 where he writes,
16This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh. 17For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that you cannot do the things that ye would. 18But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law (A.V.).
Paul's Use of Hupo Nomon
In the first place, Paul consistently uses the phrase hupo nomon (under the law) to refer to Israel's relationship to the Mosaic covenant. He continually draws a clear distinction between the condition of Israel under the law and the condition of the Church under grace, enjoying liberty under the gracious leading of the Holy Spirit. In Paul's system of thought, these terms denote two distinct epochs, ruled by two different covenants, characterized by two distinct principles,and managed in decidedly different ways (Old covenant believers were under the discipline of the paidagogos. New covenant believers are under the discipline of the Holy Spirit). If his readers are being led by the Spirit, they must be living in the new covenant era, enjoying new covenant blessings. In such a case, they are not under the law. It is not possible to be under both the old covenant and the new covenant at the same time. In the sense that Paul uses the term hupo nomon (under law), it is not possible to be both "under law" and "under grace" at the same time. F.F. Bruce writes,
. . .there is no reason why those who were born under the law should continue in this state any longer, wven more emphatically there is no reason why those who have been delivered from spiritual bondage should gratuitously place themselves under the law. With the coming of Christ and the completion of his redeeming work, the age of law has been superseded by the age of the Spirit [italics mine]. For the Galatians to retreat from grace to law would be to exchange the freedom of the Spirit for the bondage of the stoicheia. (Bruce 1982,245).
Every Believer is "Led by the Spirit."
A second reason for this interpretation is that "being led by the Spirit" is not an experience that only some believers have that results in their freedom from conflict and from bondage to the law. It needs to be understood that "walking by the Spirit" and being "led by the Spirit" are not identical.29 "Walking by (instrumental dative) the Spirit"30 denotes that consistent, dependent, activity to which all believers are called (Gal 5:16). The believer's responsibility is to walk in line with and in humble dependence on the Spirit. Since the new covenant believer is "not under the law but under grace" (Rom 6:14), walking by the Spirit will be the prevailing characteristic of his life. Yet, there are times in the life of the holiest child of God when he fails to walk in dependence on the Spirit. There is never a time, however, when the believer is not "being led by the Spirit." He is being led even when he fails to follow the Spirit's leading. He is being led, not only in those times when he is keenly aware of the Spirit's prompting, but also when he is completely oblivious to that divine activity that is being carried on beneath the level of his consciousness. To be "led by the Spirit" is to be under the authority and management of the Spirit. "Walking by the Spirit" is an activity that the believer is responsible to practice continually (Gal 5:16). Being "led by the Spirit" focuses not on the activity of the believer, but on the activity of the Spirit. If a person is a son of God, then he is being led continually by the Spirit of God (Rom 8:14). This is not to say that he will never act in disobedience to the Spirit. Even the believer commits acts that the law "forbids or condemns." If, therefore, his being "not under the law" depends on his being "led by the Spirit" as Ellicott defines it, i.e., "not fulfilling the works of the flesh" and on the law finding "nothing in him [as far as his own obedience is concerned] to forbid or condemn" (Ibid.,131-2), then he is still under the law.
Paul is not saying, "If you allow yourself to be led by the Spirit, you will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh and will, therefore, experience freedom from the condemning sentence of the law." He is saying that "If, indeed, you are under the Spirit's management (even when you are disobedient), then it is obvious that you are under the new covenant, not the old (Mosaic) covenant."31
The Real Thrust of Paul's Argument
A third factor that affects the interpretation of the phrase "not under the law" in Gal 5:18 is that Paul's purpose for writing these words has been misunderstood. One reason for this misunderstanding is that the English translation is misleading--"But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law" (Gal 5:18). The Greek word translated "but" in verse 18, is not intended to indicate a strong contrast.32 Paul's purpose was not to contrast the believer's inability to be as obedient as he would like to be (v.17) with "being led by the Spirit" (v.18). Instead, he was supporting the assertion that he had made in 5:17, that because the Spirit sets Himself in conflict against the flesh, the believer cannot do what he might wish to do apart from the Spirit's activity, i.e., live according to the flesh. The impression given by the commonly accepted view of this passage is that some believers struggle in conflict with the flesh but others are led by the Spirit. This is not what Paul was saying at all. All believers are led by the Spirit, and all believers struggle in conflict with sin.
Another reason, then, that Gal 5:18 has often been misunderstood is that the real thrust of Paul's argument in Gal 5:17--"For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that you cannot do the things that ye would"--has been missed. It is not his primary intention in that verse to say that even though the believer desires to be obedient to the Spirit, he is not able to do so because of the opposition of the flesh. It is quite true that the believer is not all that he would be if he were not living in the old creation, in a body that still manifests the effects of sin, i.e., in the flesh. This, however, is not the primary thrust of Paul's argument in Gal 5:17.
If Gal 5:17 is to be understood properly, it must be interpreted in relation to Paul's assertion in the preceding verse (5:16)--"This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh." These verses are connected by the word "for." Thus, Paul, in Gal 5:17, is giving a reason for the statement that he has just made. He has boldly maintained that believers will under no circumstances fulfill the desires of the flesh as long as they continue to walk in dependence on the Spirit. The believer, left to himself would continue to fulfill the desires of the flesh, but, Paul argues, the believer is not left to himself. The flesh is not allowed to go unchecked. The presence of the Spirit in the believer causes conflict. There is a continual warfare between the force of the old creation (of which the law was a part) which is characterized by the flesh (this is a concept in Paul's writings that speaks of human weakness and frailty), and the Holy Spirit who is the dynamic force of the new creation.33 It is this conflict that insures the obedient believer's victory over sin. The Spirit sets Himself in conflict with the flesh, "so that34 you are not able to do the things that you might wish to do," i.e., fulfill the desires of the flesh.
Thus, being "led by the Spirit" (5:18) is not set in contrast to being "unable to do the things that you might wish to do" (5:17). It is, rather, intended to assure the believer who is in conflict with sin that the victory is certain. Taken in this sense, the teaching of this verse is parallel to Rom 6:14. You are not under the law which could neither justify nor sanctify. You are under the management of the sanctifying Spirit who has been sent forth by the risen, exalted Christ. He who is the glorified head of the new creation, now rules over all, for the good of His Church, to guarantee that sin shall not reign. "Sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under the law but under grace" (Rom 6:14).
Conclusion
What is the significance of the Spirit's present ministry? The answer to this question is two-fold.
It is significant, first of all, because it indicates that the new covenant has been inaugurated; the fullness of the time has come. Otherwise, the Spirit would not be carrying on His present ministry. It is the new covenant, not the old, that promises and grants the blessing of the Holy Spirit (Gal 3:14). If, then, the new covenant has been established, the old must have been displaced.
Second, the Spirit's ministry is significant because it guarantees that sin will not have dominion over believers (cf. Rom 6:14). It makes provision for the righteousness required by the law to be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit (Rom 8:4). The new covenant believer is no longer under the management of the paidagogos, the law covenant that was characterized by weakness. He is under new management (Gal.5:18). If he walks according to the Spirit's rule and in dependence on Him, he will not by any means fulfill the desires of the flesh.
28 Commentators do not agree on the precise force of the phrase "hearing of faith." Ellicott has raised two objections to the view that "hearing" is to be taken in the active sense rather than in the passive sense (message) in this verse. He first calls attention to the fact that when akoa is used elsewhere in the New Testament, it is always used in a passive sense. For support, he cites Rom 10:17 and 1 Thess 2:13. The second objection that he raises is contextual in nature. He argues that the contrast in verse two is not between the doing and the hearing, but between two principles--faith and the law (Ellicott 1890,66).
Lightfoot takes the word akoa in the active sense, as a reference to an activity (hearing which comes from faith) on the part of the Galatians, which he contrasts with ergon (Lightfoot 1981,135).
29 F.F. Bruce confused these ideas when he wrote, "To be `led by the Spirit' is to walk by the Spirit. . . ." (Bruce 1982, 245).
30 Lightfoot calls this the "dative of the rule or direction" and translates it, "Walk by the rule of the Spirit" (Lightfoot 1981,209).
31 Douglas Moo writes, "All who belong to Christ are, in fact, being led by the Spirit (cf. also Rom 8:14)--Though this does not, of course, mean that all are `walking' by the Spirit--and this means at the same time that those so led are not under the law. Once more we see that `under law' designates the status antithetical to the status of the believer. To be `under grace,' free children of God, `led by the Spirit' means to be living in the new age of redemption and no longer in the old age that was characterized by and dominated by the law" (Moo 1988,215).
32 The Greek particle de is a mild adversative. It may be translated by the words "and", "now," (see verse 19) and "indeed," as well as "but."
33 The believer is a man caught between two worlds. In Christ, he is a part of the new creation that Christ inaugurated at His resurrection. He is a new man in Christ. But, he is a new man who is not yet made perfect (he is being renewed after the image of Him that created him). He still lives in the old creation which awaits redemption and renewal at the second advent. As John Murray has observed, "Though the believer no longer lives in sin, sin still lives in him." Thus, conflict is inescapable in the believer.