The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 186

Vers. 13, 14...::..'Fifth argument-our salvation is by Christ ffl'Lde curse for us. Two thoughts are here brought into contr.ast-the Law condemned us; Christ redeemed Uij: "Christ redeemed' us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us." i. THE NATURE OF THE REDEMPTIOK, He "redeemed us." 1. This language does not counteruznce the theory that there was nothing in Christ's work but a mere deliver- ance from the power of sin. That is certainly involved in his death; for he came to "redeem us. froµi this present evil world" (eh. i. 4), and "to redeem us from all iniquity'' (Titus ii. 14). 2. Neither does it countenance. the idea that Christ redeemed us by entering into union with man and living a sinless human l_ife, which is repro- duced in us by means of feHowship with him. Neither of these theories makes any provision for the rectification of man's relation with God, which is only effected through Christ being made a curse for us. II. How CHRIST ACHIEVED THE REDEMPTION. He "became a curse for us." This is an unfathomable thought. Yet let us try to interpret it in the light of Seri pture. We ar!l not redeemed by Christ's Divine doctrine, nor by his marvellous holiness of character, but by his entering into our very position before God, becoming" a curse for us." The Lord visited upon him what the Law awarded to us, and by that substitution our redemption was secured. We are not to suppose that the Son of God was less the object of Divine love n.t the very time that he was, in an official aspect as his righteous Servant, an object of Divine wrath. His Father always loved him. The assertion is made, first, that the curse of the Law rests upon transgressors; then, that we are liberated from .that curse; then, that this result was achieved by Christ becoming a curse for us. 'l'he passage shows what Christ was in God's account, not what he was in ,the eyes of men who despised him. III. How ms DEATH TOOK UPON IT THIS CIIARACTER OF CURSE. "For it is written, Cursed is every one that hangetb on a tree" (Deut. xxi. 22, 23). The allusion here is not specially to Christ, but to a command that those executed by Jewish law should not remain hanging on the tree all night. It does not refer to de.-ith by crucifixion, which was not a Jewish punishment, but to the exposure of the body after death, on crosses or stakes. But how was such a person accursed? Not because he was banged ution a tree, but he was hanged upon a tree because he was accursed. The apostle does not mean to attach the idea of shame to the mode of Christ's death; for he was not made a curse by his mere hanging on a tree, but he hung there because he was made II, curse for us. IV. 'l'HE ULTIMATE DESIGN OF THE REDEMPTION, "That'the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles in Christ." That is, the curse-bearing prepared the way for the blessin~, which was henceforth to stream forth upon the whole world. 1. The blessing wasJ°ustification of life, not mere temporal blessings, which were restricted to the Jews. 2. It was to reach the Gentiles" in Christ," who was made the curse for "us "-both "J,;ws and Gontiles"-not through the Law, whieh dcmaw.1~ e. perrect 1sa THE KPISTLE '1'0 THE GALATIANS. (t1D, lti. 1-29,