杏MAP导航

By Devin Watkins

鈥淲hy the law?鈥� 杏MAP导航 Francis chose to focus his catechesis at the weekly General Audience on that question from St. Paul鈥檚 Letter to the Galatians (3:19.21-22).

The 杏MAP导航 said the aim of his reflections would be to 鈥渞ecognize the newness of the Christian life enlivened by the Holy Spirit.鈥�

Writing to the Galatians, St. Paul was seeking to refute his detractors鈥� argument that Gentile (non-Jewish) Christians had to follow all the precepts of the Mosaic Law, something the Apostles had already decided against at the 鈥渇irst council鈥� of Jerusalem (Acts 15:28-29).

God鈥檚 Covenant and Law

杏MAP导航 Francis explained that the Mosaic Law was related to the Covenant that God had established with His People.

Contained in the Torah鈥攖he first five books of the Old Testament鈥攖he Law was the means by which the Jewish people maintained their bond with God and respected the Covenant.

鈥淪everal times, especially in the prophetic books,鈥� said the 杏MAP导航, 鈥渋t is noted that not observing the precepts of the Law constituted a real betrayal of the Covenant, provoking God鈥檚 wrath as a consequence.鈥�

This close connection meant the Covenant and the Law were often understood as two inseparable realities.

Covenant based on faith in the promise

However, St. Paul consistently argued that this was not the case for the disciples of Christ.

鈥淭he Apostle explains to the Galatians that, in reality, the Covenant and the Law are not linked indissolubly,鈥� said 杏MAP导航 Francis.

He based his argument on the fact that God鈥檚 Covenant with Abraham came 鈥�430 years before鈥� God gave the Law to Moses.

St. Paul noted that the Covenant is grounded 鈥渙n faith in the fulfillment of the promise.鈥�

Law fulfilled in Christ

杏MAP导航 Francis said St. Paul was not opposed to the Mosaic Law, often defending its divine origin and 鈥渨ell-defined role in the history of salvation鈥� in several of his letters.

鈥淭he Law, however, does not give life. It does not offer the fulfillment of the promise because it is not capable of being able to fulfill it,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hose who seek life need to look to the promise and to its fulfillment in Christ.鈥�

Radical newness of Christian life

In conclusion, the 杏MAP导航 urged those present at the General Audience to welcome the 鈥渞adical newness of the Christian life.鈥�

鈥淎ll those who have faith in Jesus Christ are called to live in the Holy Spirit,鈥� he said, 鈥渨ho liberates from the Law and, at the same time, brings it to fulfillment according to the commandment of love.鈥�

杏MAP导航 Francis added that the commandments and the Law direct us toward Christ.

鈥淢ay the Lord help us journey along the path of the commandments, while looking to the love of Christ and knowing that the encounter with Jesus is more important than all the commandments."