Paul’s Understanding of the Law and Works of the Law in Galatians. The New Perspective on Paul and a New Look at Paul’s Relationship to Judaism

Abstract

The paper presents the key elements of exploring the New Perspective on Paul, which placed Paul and his theology more strongly in the context of the Judaism of his time. A holistic view of Paul also gives new impetus to the relationship between Jews and Christians. In selected passages from the Epistle to the Galatians, we will examine Paul’s understanding of the Law, works of the Law, and of justification by faith, as the foundation of a new life. Paul, like his Jewish opponents in the Galatians, never understood the Law narrowly as a way to achieve justification, but as a fundamental revelation of God that established God’s chosen people. We want to show that a new view of Paul can also give new impetus and new content to the development of Christian-Jewish relations. Paul’s and Jewish theology builds on a common foundation of revelation that stems from God’s call of man to the promised land, i. e. into a new covenant communion with him. This call is also a challenge for modern relations between Jews and Christians.

Keywords

• apostle paul
• new perspective on paul
• the epistle to the galatians
• faith
• law
• torah
• righteousness
• works of the law
• judaism
• dialog
• ecumenism