Minister's Moment
Rev. Colby Smith
Senior Minister
Galatians 2:15-21 introduces the language of justification by faith and represents one of the texts highly prized by the Protestant reformers in the 16th century. Paul's statements on justification arise out of his reflections on, and defense of, Gentiles' entrance into the church. Protestant reformers lifted "justification" out of its original context in the missionary struggles, and made it answer the question of how personal guilt is alleviated.
We are well advised, however, to note that the context of Paul's teaching is a social context. The Gentiles are included in the church on no different level or no different terms than the Jews. Both are first-c1ass citizens in the community of faith.
Acceptance of God's "not guilty" verdict means acceptance of people with a different history and totally disregards human merit. The gospel breaks down barriers and walls erected by arrogance and prejudice, and draws radically disparate folks into the realm of grace. Such solidarity is not always easy to take. The elder son refuses to join the celebration when his prodigal brother returns; and the Pharisee thanks God that he is not like the wretched tax collector.
Protestant understanding of justification typically is shaped by the effort to deal with the inner tensions of individual consciences. Paul's understanding is shaped by his concern for the inclusion of the Gentiles on an equal footing with Jews.
The corporate and social nature of the Christian faith - as in the Pauline letters and Patristic writings - is attenuated in contemporary Protestantism through the alliance of Reformation theology and the basic American myth of individualism and self-reliance, the image of the Lone Ranger on the frontier.
Galatians 2:15-21 certainly insists that personal integration is crucial, but it never happens as a solo performance. Christ is the representative person who incorporates in himself the people of God, thus drawing various individuals from their isolation, their self-reliance, their solo performances into a community of faith. At the heart of the church is the judgment of grace, which puts all the "Lone Rangers" on the same level, all dependent on one another under the lordship of Christ.
Justification is basically a relationship term that describes the divine activity putting human creatures in a right relationship with God through faith/trust. By taking the leap, rejecting all false offers of security, risking the confession that life can be found in death, individuals are drawn into the structures of grace in the community of faith. The Christian life remains the daily experience of the community, justified and ordered by the grace of God.
Paul's understanding of justification involves participation in a community of people who risk their own security by being for others whose histories may be radically different, who culturally, ethnically, economically, politically, and sexually live on the other side of the tracks. The new life of grace draws people together in the strange life of the church where previously significant divisions no longer matter. To cling to the old barriers and exclusions is to reject the demand which the gift of God's righteousness brings and puts a damper on grace's radical newness.
