Is "The Law" a Curse?

[Bawb]

What is the curse of the law in Galatians 3:10-13?

“The law is a curse!” You probably have heard that a lot of times from teachers and preachers who argue that the law of God has already been done away with — that we are no longer under the law and thus, we are free from doing whatever we want to do.

The primary verse people use to support their argument is Galatians 3:10 through 13 - 10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.” 11 But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for “the just shall live by faith.” 12 Yet the law is not of faith, but “the man who does them shall live by them.” 13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”).

From these verses, people draw misguided conclusions such as:

    1. Anyone who follows the law would be under a curse.
    2. The law of God is a curse.
    3. We are justified by faith and there’s no need to perform the works of the law.

Are these conclusions accurate? Let’s see...

The first thing we must take note of is what Galatians 3:10-13 really says and not what it doesn’t say.

Undoubtedly, Paul mentioned the “curse of the law” in verse 13. However, what Paul didn’t say is that the law is the curse. What He was saying is that there’s a curse pronounced by the law, but the law was NEVER a curse itself!

Now, since there’s a curse of the law, who are those people who receive this curse?

The Apostle Paul gave us the answer in verse 10: “Cursed is everyone who does NOT continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.”

Did you get that? Paul was saying that there’s a curse of the law and this curse is cast on those people who DOES NOT follow the law of God!

What popular Christianity teaches today completely missed the point of Paul. They are saying that those who keep the law will be under a curse. Yet, the Bible tells us something that is contrary to this popular belief! Instead those people who keep the law will be under curse, Paul was saying that those who do not keep the law are the ones who are under a curse!

What a great difference!

So, what was the main point of Paul in Galatians 3:10-13?

His main point is that anyone who breaks the commandment and law of God is under a curse. Those who sin would be guilty and will incur the penalty of the law, which is death: Romans 6:23 - “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord”

Death is the curse of the law. Galatians 3:10 is actually quoted from Deuteronomy 27:26: Cursed is the one who does not confirm all the words of this law by observing them.’ “And all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’ ”

Galatians 3:13 is reminiscent to Deuteronomy 21:22-23: “If a man has committed a sin deserving of death, and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, his body shall not remain overnight on the tree, but you shall surely bury him that day, so that you do not defile the land which the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance; for he who is hanged is accursed of God.”

Everyone of us is like the man who has “committed a sin deserving of death” referred to these verses. Because of this, all of us deserve to be hung on a tree, suffer the death penalty, and become a “cursed” sinner.

Since we all sinned, we deserve the penalty or curse of the law, which is death. However, Jesus Christ or Yeshua perfectly kept the law and thus, He is not under the curse of the law. He didn’t deserve any death penalty.

Just like what Paul said in Galatians 3:13, “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law.”

Instead of us, dying for our sins, Christ died for us. Yeshua “bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness” (1 Peter 2:24).

That’s the meaning of Galatians 3:10-13. As a summary, Paul was saying here that those people who don’t keep the law and transgress it will be under the curse of the law, which is DEATH.

However, because of the great love of God for us, Yeshua came to die on our behalf. He bore the full penalty and curse of the law and died for us so that we might live for righteousness.

Galatians 3:10-13 DOES NOT AND NEVER DID SAY that we are not to keep the law of God anymore!

Furthermore, those who falsely state the "Old Testament" was done away with and is no longer valid or applies to "Christians" really need to look at this! VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

https://www.bible.ca/manuscripts/List-of-300-Old-Testament-passage-quotes-in-New-Testament-Septuagint-Codex-Vaticanus-LXX-Masoretic-MT-Jewish-Tanakh-Bible.htm

Edited December 29, 2021 by Bawb

[MrBear]

Matthew 5:18

For truly, I say to you, suntil heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, willpass from the Law until all is accomplished.📖

 Some People often skip the first part UNTIL HEAVEN AND EARTH PASS AWAY

Jesus’s murder didn’t do away with the law not one word will be changed from the law

its a curse to those that live in sin, he redeemed us from the condemnation of the law as believers he is our high priest, we are still under the law we are no longer under its condemnation if we ask for forgiveness he is now in a position to mediate for us through his sacrifice 🥰

SHALOM❤️

[Who me]

9 hours ago, Bawb said:

What is the curse of the law in Galatians 3:10-13?

Alternative translations often help one understand.

the NIV says:- ⁰ For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.”^[e] 11 Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because “the righteous will live by faith.

It is those who are trying to earn their salvation by obeying the law who are cursed.

 

For the Christian it is as David repeatedly say in the psalms. Your word and your law are a delight and a light to my feet.

 

 

[other one]

One should define what "The Law" is to discuss this clearly. What is meant by "The Law" in the verses mentioned.

[Jayne]

2 hours ago, other one said:

One should define what "The Law" is to discuss this clearly. What is meant by "The Law" in the verses mentioned.

Thank you!!!

I do believe that the Levitical law does not apply to Christians.  But I do NOT believe that I am "free to do what I want." [As the OP states]

[MrBear]

17 minutes ago, Jayne said:

Thank you!!!

I do believe that the Levitical law does not apply to Christians.  But I do NOT believe that I am "free to do what I want." [As the OP states]

No I know you jest 

but yes Paul was stating that Jesus was the  cursebreaker the laws it’s self are eternal , but you also had the Pharisees who put fences around the law as well, like when they confronted the disciples about washing thier hands…. There is no law about washing hands, there ARE  purification laws if you touch something unclean, but the Pharisees invented a ‘ better safe than sorry law’ mabey you touched something unclean without knowing so they put that fence around the law, another was if you were a tailor and you had a pin attached to your clothes on sabbath you were breaking sabbath or a scribe carrying a quill 🪶  because you are carrying an instrument of your profession 

they put up many fences around the law, but as teachers of the law isn’t them chastising Jesus  on sabbath breaking the law themselves?

these fences worked both ways and Jesus called them out on it every time , they had no idea who they were talking about the law too did they 🤣 , they were way out of thier league

one Of my favorite Jesus rebuttal was

Matthew 15:4-6

God said: Honor your father and your mother; and, The one who speaks evil of father or mother must be put to death
But you say, Whoever tells his father or mother, “Whatever benefit you might have received from me is a gift committed to the temple”

this happened after the washing of hands incident

The Pharisees wouldn’t put money aside to take care of thier mothers and fathers instead would say

” sorry I dedicated that money to the temple”

Then after the mom and father would die they would undedicate it and use it for themselves - And Jesus knew they did this

it would be like me walking into court and telling the judge I know the law better than him, they were explaining the law to the judge and Jesus saw everything

Those fences they put up were not the law of God they were just their own laws they tried to enforce and in a way they could also be considered a curse , and force people to find ways to break a funny example is on sabbath you couldn’t walk more than 1 mile outside the city… so people would walk 1 mile then remove their sandals and keep walking 🚶‍♂️ 

Jesus took it on the chin and laughed at their own ignorance of the Law until they did the ultimate sin and accused him of casting demons out in the name of the devil, they didn’t know it but they had just committed blasphemy  

Matthew 12:31

Because of this, I tell you, people will be forgiven every sin and blasphemy, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 
 

then we all know the WOE TO YOU sermon he didn’t hold back, I love Jesus for what he did for us, this Jesus with a backbone no longer would he turn the other cheek

Their own fences trapped them and Jesus always saw through their deceit 

the spirit took me and I got off topic a bit 🥰

but don’t be like the Israelites at the end of Judges, we can’t just do what is right in our own eyes 👀 , as David says in the psalms the law is eternal and Jesus confirms this as he said 

Don’t assume that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.

no destruction of the law and fulfilling of the prophets sayings, He was the key to the Old Testament prophets and not here to destroy the law, people misinterpret this to not know he is saying 2 things - they assume when he says fulfill it he means fulfill the law

break it in 2

I did not come to destroy the law

or the prophets

these are 2 statements, the law stands and he is fulfilling prophecy 

SHALOM❤️

 

[Bawb]

4 hours ago, other one said:

One should define what "The Law" is to discuss this clearly. What is meant by "The Law" in the verses mentioned.

https://www.worthychristianforums.com/topic/272584-what-is-the-law/

 

[Bawb]

7 hours ago, Jayne said:

Thank you!!!

I do believe that the Levitical law does not apply to Christians.  But I do NOT believe that I am "free to do what I want." [As the OP states]

Have you read Matthew 5:17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish The Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill (pleroo) them. ¹⁸ For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. ¹⁹ Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. ²⁰ For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

But understand that all 613 laws can not be done. Certain laws are for women, certain laws for men and certain laws are for priests (Yeshua fulfills them no as our High Priest) and certain laws are for the temple (which we clearly do not have anymore, so we are not expected to do them)

Edited December 29, 2021 by Bawb

[JohnR7]

18 hours ago, Bawb said:

“The law is a curse!”

We are to follow the law of God. Read the 119 Psalm. David does a very good job of explaining the law of God. Paul clearly studied David because Paul quotes him. If there is anything Paul would tell us today it is that we need to live right before God. Peter tells us that ignorant and unstable people distort the teachings of Paul. 

2Peter3:16 Some parts of his letters are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction".

 

[JohnR7]

1 hour ago, Bawb said:

certain laws are for the temple (which we clearly do not have anymore, so we are not expected to do them)

The Bible is literal first and then symbolic. There is no literal temple. We are the temple of God. Everything in the temple represents something. I know of pastors with only an associate degree that do a very good job of teaching about the temple and what everything in the temple represents.