To understand what Paul meant by this startling statement, we must see the occasion on which it was said.
In the Verses preceding Paul’s statement, he tells how Peter had come to Antioch, and had entered fully into the fellowship of Gentile Christians, by eating with them, having fellowship with them, which was strictly forbidden by the Law for a Jew. But when certain legalistic Law-Teachers from Jerusalem came up, Peter withdrew himself from the Gentile Christians and placed himself back under the Law. This so incensed Paul that he severely rebuked Peter for his double standard, and now he concludes with the statement,”For I through the Law am dead to the Law.”
As far as I am concerned, my relationship to the Law is ended. Now just what is Paul saying?
He says that in the eyes of the Law I am dead, I am nonexistent. An illustration will serve to show what Paul meant.
AN EXAMPLE
Imagine a man who has committed murder. According to the Law, if found guilty he must be put to death. He is arrested, charged with murder, and brought to trial. The Court is in session, and the Judge is on the Bench. The accused man hears the accusation and charge read to him. But before the trial is concluded, the accused man suffers a heart attack and drops dead in the Courtroom.
A Doctor declares him dead, and signs his Death Certificate. Now what does the Judge do?
After the commotion is over, does he call the Court to order, and say, ”Let us proceed with the trial of this dead man”?
Of course not.
You cannot try a dead man, or condemn him to death, for he is already dead. So the Judge dismisses the case. It is closed forever, and he proceeds to the next case.
In the case of the criminal in our illustration, he cheated the Law, he circumvented the Law. It was the prerogative of the Law to execute the man, but he died before the Law could put him to death.
NOT SO WITH PAUL
But, says Paul, it was not thus in my case. I did not cheat or beat the Law, but the Law itself put me to death. Notice, therefore, three important words in our text:
“I through the Law am dead to the Law.”
Through or by the Law I was put to death. The Law itself found me guilty and executed me. The Law slew me. Again allow me to illustrate.
Imagine again the criminal before the Bar of Justice. The witnesses are called and all testify to the guilt of the murderer. The Judge declares him guilty and sets the day for sentencing. When that day comes, the Judge reads from the Law the penalty for murder.
It is death for the criminal, and the Judge orders the man to be hanged by the neck until he is dead, and sets the date for execution. The sentence is carried out, and on the appointed day the man is led to the gallows and hanged.
The Physician declares the man dead, and the case is closed. Now this man is not only dead to the Law, but dead through the Law. The Law put him to death. It can do no more The Law is satisfied. This, says Paul, happened to me—“I through the Law am dead to the Law.”
A SURPRISE
This is not the end of the story, however. Three days later this guilty man was executed, you meet this same man one early morning, walking down the street. At first you can’t believe your eyes. You look more closely, but there is no doubt about it. The criminal is alive.
You rush to the home of the Judge, arouse him from his bed, and excitedly exclaim,”Judge, Judge, remember the man who was executed three days ago. Well, he is alive! I saw him with my own eyes! Call the Police, call the Sheriff, call out the National Guard, and pick up this dangerous criminal! Hurry, Judge!”
WHAT THE RECORD SAYS
The Judge is not impressed at all, and says, ”Now just calm down, and we will look at the record.”
He takes down the record of the trial, the verdict of guilty, the account of the execution, the Doctor’s Death Certificate, and finally the words, ”case closed.”
He looks at you and says, “That man is dead.” But you say to him, ”He is alive! I saw him!” “I’m sorry,” says the Judge, “according to the Law this man died three days ago. According to the Law the man is dead. He has paid the extreme penalty.”
The man is legally dead, and the Law cannot punish a man twice for the same crime. If the man is alive again, it is of no concern to the Law. The Law did not anticipate a resurrection. There is no provision in the Law as to what to do in such a case.
According to the Law the man is dead, and since the Law cannot punish twice for the same crime, he is free-dead to the Law-through the Law and in the eyes of the Law. Now, says Paul; that is what happened to me. I was executed by the Law, but was raised again.
WHERE! WHEN! HOW!
Paul, will you please tell us when this happened to you, where this took place, and how were you put to death? Paul has the answer ready. It is found in this Verse:
“I am (have been) crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me…….”(Gal. 2:20)
You want to know where I died- it was at Calvary. When did I die? - when Christ died. How did I die?- by crucifixion. That is the meaning of Paul’s words, ”Crucified with Christ.”
Now to understand this strange statement of Paul, we must turn to the Word of God concerning the members of the Body of Christ. When Christ hung on the Cross, people saw only a physical, human body, nailed to a Cross by the hands and feet. But when God looked down upon Jesus on the Cross, He saw another body, a spiritual body united to its Head. God saw in Christ the mystical body of Believers, who are members of Christ and called His Body.
God saw the Head, Christ, and He saw the Body of Christ, consisting of individual members, which make up the Church, which is His Body. What happened to the Head of the Church that day on Calvary, God reckons as having happened to all His members, for the Church is a spiritual body.
“For by one Spirit are we baptized into one Body…”(1Cor. 12:13)
God foreknew everyone of His chosen ones from eternity as members of the Body of Christ.
“According as He hath chosen us in Him (Christ) before the foundation of the world…”(Eph. 1:4).
“For we are members of His Body, of His Flesh, and of His Bones”(Eph.5:30)
CRUCIFIED
As the Body of Jesus hung upon the Cross, God looked down from Heaven and saw the Spiritual Body of Christ, the Church, hanging there “in Christ.” This is Paul’s meaning when he says, “I was crucified with Christ.” As a member of the Body of Christ in the Mind of God I was nailed with Jesus to the Tree. But this was not all. When they took Jesus down from the Tree, they buried Him, the Head with the Body, and since we are members of His Body….”we are buried with Him by baptism into death”(Rom. 6:4)
This does not refer to Water Baptism, but rather the Baptism into His Death, which in the Mind of God this is what happened. We obtain its results by Faith.
THE RESURRECTION
But that is not all, for that same Body arose. After three days and nights, the tomb was found empty, and not one member was left behind. Since we are members of His body, we too arose with Him, and Paul says:
“If (since) ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above…”(Col.3:1)
THE ASCENSION
But there is still more. Forty days later Jesus ascended into Heaven, and took that Body along, at least in a spiritual sense. In Christ, therefore, in the Mind of God every Believer is already seated in Heaven. In our physical bodies we are still here on Earth, but positionally and spiritually in Christ, we are already in Heaven seated with Christ. Listen to Paul’s statement:
“But God, Who is rich in Mercy, for His Great Love wherewith He loved us,
Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us (made us alive again) together with Christ, (by Grace ye are saved;)
And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus”(Eph.2:4-6)
Remember then that “we are members of the Spiritual Body of Christ,” and what happened to Him happened to every member of His Body. Yes, with Paul, every Believer can say:
“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live…”(Gal.2:20)
The Law has been satisfied by the Lord Jesus Christ, and, therefore, as members of Him, God reckons it as though we ourselves had paid the penalty. Yes, indeed, “dead to the Law, through the Law!”
ARE WE THEN LAWLESS?
We must again answer the charge of some who say this freedom from the Law is a dangerous Doctrine, and will result in looseness of living and practicing sin without restraint.
Anyone who makes this charge does not understand the Grace of God. In fact, it is the opposite of that contention. If we go back to Law, it will only guarantee sin and failure; whereas, if we depend on the Grace of God, it guarantees victory over sin-and that alone can guarantee victory over sin.
“For I through the Law am dead to the law, that I might live unto god”(Gal.2:19)
Free from the Law- yes, free from the Law of Moses, but now under the “Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus,” an entirely different Law altogether (Rom.8:2). This Law of Christ, makes me “free from the Law of sin and death.”
Deliverance from the Law which could only condemn, gives liberty-not liberty to sin, but liberty to serve Christ without fear.
The Law demanded Holiness – the Grace of god produces it. If one is looking to the Law to improve one, as so many of us have tended to do, it will never do such, but in fact, have the opposite result. Only the Grace of God can give us that which we must have, Righteousness and Holiness in Christ.
(JSM Commentaries)
