It is very common to hear interpretations of Pauline epistles that suggest a false dichotomy between an Old Covenant system based on works and a New Covenant system based on faith. One of the most common passages used to draw this conclusion is Galatians 3:12, where Paul seems to compare law and faith. Now it is right to conclude from this verse that righteousness comes through faith and not on the basis of deeds. However is it right to say that the Old Testament, at least partially was a legalistic covenant between God and his people. Is it right to say that Paul in Galatians 3:11-12 is pitting the theology of Leviticus to that of Habakkuk.
In the 2005 edition of The Gospel Witness, James M. Hamilton Jr., Associate Professor of Biblical Theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, wrote an article investigating on this issue of Leviticus 18:5 in Galatians 3:12. According to Hamilton, to view Old Covenant as a partial legalistic covenant “fails to appreciate the gracious character of the Levitical system”. Hamilton recognizes the central problem with the Galatians as a failure to “understand the law’s role in salvation history”. With an aim to demonstrate the salvation-historical nature of Paul’s argument, Hamilton in the first section of his article, attempts “to summarize the Levitical system of the Old Testament with the hope of gaining a better understanding of the nature of the Old Covenant.” With that foundation laid, he then “considers the context of Galatians 3”.
In trying to make sense of the Levitical system, Hamilton contends that sincere trust from one’s heart is very much an inevitable element even in keeping the law and in the offering of sacrifices in penitence. Hamilton says “The Mosaic Covenant requires perfect obedience to the law, but the law provides sacrifice for the reparation of relationship when laws are broken. In order for these sacrifices to repair the relationship with Yahweh, however, they must be offered from a trusting heart that is repenting of the sin and seeking Yahweh’s pleasure”. If done without a right heart, then it does not bring any pleasure to Yahweh. Thus the covenant of Moses is to be, in that sense, kept by faith and if thus kept, then Leviticus 18:5 promises escape from being slain by the holiness of Yahweh. Though this faith is not an explicit faith in the Messiah and His sacrifice, it is still a sincere trust in God and the sacrifices He has instituted for the covering of our sins. Thus to view Old Covenant as a legalistic covenant is a failure “to appreciate the gracious character of the Levitical system”
In understanding the salvation-historical context of Galatians 3, Hamilton points out that the issue is not “that the Old Testament presented a legalistic way of gaining salvation but that the period in salvation history in which the Levitical system was operative has ended.” Hamilton therefore concludes that, “anyone who seeks to approach God by means of the Old Covenant in this new period in salvation history must keep the Old Covenant law perfectly (Galatians 5:3).” Since the Old testament sacrifices for sins are no longer in effect, the Law Covenant if kept should be kept flawlessly. Thus Hamilton concludes his article as follows: “Thus, the statement in Leviticus 18:5 as it is used in Galatians 3:12 is equivalent to Galatians 5:3—the one who submits to the Mosaic covenant in this new period of salvation history “is obligated to do the whole law.” Paul does not impute legalism to Moses.”
This short article is worth reading for its many valuable insights into the nature of the two testaments, how faith is an inevitable element in both of them and that neither of them, particularly the Old is legalistic in its nature. A proper understanding of this will yield much fruit in faithful interpretation of Paul.
