Paul’s discussion in Galatians 3: 10 – 12 draws upon his quotation of four Old Testament passages; three from the Law (Deuteronomy 27: 26; 21: 23 & Leviticus 18: 5) and one from the minor prophets (Habakkuk 2: 4). Interestingly, Paul’s quotation of the Law is used in a negative sense in that he demonstrates that no one is able to keep all the Law and that the way of life, according to the Law, is perfect obedience to the Law which no one can do. In short, Paul’s use of two of the Law passages (Deuteronomy 27: 26 and Leviticus 18: 5) summarily concludes that to attempt salvation by keeping the Law or even claiming to keep the Law through altered measures is futile and leads only to wrathful judgment. Paul then shifts his use of the Old Testament to explain to the Judaizers that even their beloved Law pointed to the perfect righteousness of the coming Messiah. In verse 11 Paul summarizes his first premise, no one can live in perfect obedience to the Law, and offers the ground for his second premise; however, the one who is righteous by faith shall live. The rest of this passage goes on to demonstrate how one who cannot keep the Law perfectly may obtain the necessary righteousness. Christ became the curse or rather took on the full weight of the curse on behalf of those who by faith trust in this substitution. By necessity Paul started his argument about the curse of the Law here. To fail to do so would have certainly given his opponents ample opportunity to still claim righteousness through legal rites and observances. However, since Paul starts where he does, all claims of justification through legal observance are removed by the argumentation offered just above. One point must be highlighted however. It was not just that the Law could not bring righteousness to those who did not obey perfectly; they are actually under a divine curse for their transgression. Paul’s argument here is in sharp contrast to the Judaizers in that the Law rightly applied curses any who do not obey perfectly. Paul argues that it is not sufficient to claim righteousness through one’s attempts at obedience as if God really did grave on the proverbial curve. Rather, Paul points out that the requirement for righteousness through Law is perfect obedience; an obedience that Christ maintained for the entirety of His earthly life. By extension, Paul then argues that it is precisely this perfect obedience to the Law of God that qualifies Christ to take on the curse that is to be handed down to those who cannot obey perfectly the Law’s demands. In this way, Paul seamlessly knits these four Old Testament passages into one tapestry that proves that the only way for the transgressor to find right standing before God is through the substitutionary atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ. To attempt to find this righteousness through any other means, even the Law, is insufficient.
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