Context Is Everything: “The Israel of God” in Galatians 6:16 Christopher W. Cowan IntroductIon In Gal 6:16, Paul writes, “And as many as walk by s Paul brings to a close his letter to the this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon Achurches in Galatia, his final words include a the Israel of God” (ESV). The verb translated “walk profound benediction. Even as the apostle declares by” (stoich,sousin) means to be in conformity at the beginning of his letter a curse upon those— with or to follow that which is considered a stan- whether human or angelic—who dard for one’s conduct.2 Paul uses it earlier when he Christopher W. Cowan serves as Executive Assistant to the would preach a false gospel (1:8-9), exhorts the Galatians, “If we live by the Spirit, let us Senior Vice President for Academic so now at the conclusion he pro- also walk by (“conform to,” “keep in step with”) the Administration at The Southern nounces a blessing upon certain Spirit” (5:25). Paul’s blessing in 6:16 is thus upon Baptist Theological Seminary. individuals (6:16).1 The question is those whose lives are in conformity to the “this rule” He is also Associate Editor of “To whom is this blessing directed?” he has just proclaimed. But what is this “rule/stan- The Southern Baptist Journal of More specifically, who is “the Israel dard” (kano,ni)? In the previous verse, Paul writes, Theology and Adjunct Instructor of God” in v. 16? Answering this “For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor of New Testament Interpretation at Southern Seminary. He has question is clearly the exegetical uncircumcision, but a new creation.” Most likely, contributed articles and book issue in Paul’s postscript that has the “rule” or “standard” is the “new creation” itself. reviews for several theological generated the most discussion and All who have experienced the new creation in journals and is a Ph.D. candidate in disagreement among interpreters Christ will have lives that manifest conformity to it.3 New Testament. of the letter. Most in the history of The remainder of v. 16 contains Paul’s blessing. The interpretation have argued that Paul uses this phrase ambiguous syntax contributes to the differences in with reference to the church, the “true Israel” or interpretation. The Greek text (eivrh,nh evp v auvtou.j “spiritual Israel.” Yet a number of scholars believe kai. e;leoj kai. evpi. to.n vIsrah.l tou/ qeou/) could this view is very questionable, if not highly unlikely. be rendered, “peace and mercy be upon them, that 78 SBJT 14.3 (2010): 78-85. is (or “namely”), upon the Israel of God,” taking the Israel of God. Burton views the kai after “mercy” second kai in an explicative or epexegetical sense. as slightly ascensive, thus expressing his true feel- In this way, the “Israel of God” would be further ings toward his own people in light of his strong describing the “them” who “walk by this rule.” In anti-judaistic argument. “It can scarcely be trans- other words, Paul would have in mind one group: lated into English without overtranslating,” he the church. A similar view sees the kai as slightly contends.6 Against seeing both groups as referring ascensive ("even")4 but still denoting equivalence to the Christian community, he finds the order of of the two groups.5 Others, however, argue that the words “peace” (eivrh,nh) and “mercy” (e;leoj) the kai after “mercy” is used in an ascensive sense to be illogical, placing cause after effect. In other (“even”) or copulative sense (“and”), indicating that NT benedictions “mercy” always precedes “peace” Paul has in mind two groups: “peace be upon them, (1 Tim 1:2; 2 Tim 1:2; 2 John 3; Jude 2). Though and mercy even (or “also”) upon the Israel of God,” he acknowledges that Paul elsewhere distinguishes or “peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the between Israel according to the flesh and Israel Israel of God.” For most interpreters who translate according to election (Rom 9:6; 1 Cor 10:18) and the verse in one of these latter ways, “the Israel of that Paul’s expressions in Rom 2:29 and Phil 3:3 God” is understood to be either believing ethnic could lend support to the alternative view, Burton Jews or the remnant of ethnic Jews chosen by grace emphasizes that there is no other instance in which who, according to Paul, will be saved in the future Paul uses the term “Israel” except to refer to the (see Rom 11:5, 26). Jewish nation.7 The following brief essay will consider the issues Probably the most influential scholar to oppose that have contributed to the competing understand- viewing “the Israel of God” as applying to the ings of the verse, looking first to the arguments of church is Peter Richardson. He contends that, those who believe Paul uses “the Israel of God” to from an historical perspective, the term “Israel” is speak of ethnic Jews in some sense. I will then offer explicitly applied to the church for the first time in several reasons to justify the traditional interpre- Christian literature in A.D. 160 by Justin Martyr.8 tation and argue that Paul instead uses the phrase Like Burton, Richardson also observes the illogi- to refer to the church. In the context of Galatians cal order of “peace” and “mercy.” If one considers (and the New Testament) it is best to see “the Israel the word “grace” as well, one finds further evidence of God” in Gal 6:16 as a reference to the unified that Paul arranges the terms logically in prayers, people of God consisting of both Jews and Gentiles blessings, and liturgical formula. When used, the who have faith in Jesus Christ. formula “grace and peace” is never varied in Paul— the order being based on “the logic of God’s activ- VIew #1: “the Israel of God” ity among men: source then benefits.”9 So, rather refers to ethnIc Jews than one group in 6:16, Richardson sees two. When Ernest de Witt Burton is an important com- Paul adds his conclusion to the letter, he wants to mentator who advocates seeing “the Israel of God” prevent the Galatians from moving toward “a new in Gal 6:16 as a reference to ethnic Jews. Burton Christian exclusiveness and sectarianism,” so he believes Paul is speaking not of the whole Jewish writes, “May God give peace to all who will walk nation but of pious Israel—“the remnant according according to this criterion, and mercy also to his to the election of grace (Rom 11:5).” The apostle faithful people Israel.10 has two groups in mind. He invokes peace on those S. Lewis Johnson also argues against equating who walk according to the principle of 6:15, and the “Israel of God” with the church. It is “very rel- he proclaims mercy on those within Israel who are evant,” he emphasizes, that in Scripture “the term as yet unenlightened but who constitute the true Israel is never found in the sense of the church.”11 79 Furthermore, Johnson objects to taking the kai (“mutilation,” Phil 3:2), Paul tells the Philippians, that follows “mercy” in an explicative or epexegetic “We are the (true) circumcision” (3:3). In Romans, sense (“namely,” “that is”). “In the absence of com- Paul clearly makes a distinction between ethnic and pelling exegetical and theological considerations,” spiritual Israel. Being a Jew is not outward, nor is he insists, “we should avoid the rarer grammatical circumcision outward. A true Jew is one inwardly, usages when the common ones make good sense.”12 whose heart has been circumcised by the Spirit Since the explicative or epexegetical usage of kai is (Rom 2:28-29). If being a (true) Jew is not about “proportionately very infrequent” in the literature externals but the circumcision of the heart, then and “the common and frequent usage of and makes this would apply in a spiritual sense to Gentiles. perfectly good sense in Galatians 6:16,” Johnson Therefore, the objection that the term “Israel” is believes the former should be rejected.13 He further never used to refer to the church (except for Gal argues that if Paul had wanted to identify the two 6:16!) is not very weighty in light of the clear evi- groups in 6:16, “why not simply eliminate the kai dence for the concept. after ‘mercy?’” One could then make a solid case (2) The context of Galatians justifies under- for “Israel of God” being in apposition to “them.” standing “the Israel of God” as designating all According to Johnson, interpreting the kai in an believers, Jew and Gentile. While questions of syn- explicative or appositional sense indicates that tax and grammar in Gal 6:16 must be addressed, “dogmatic concern overcame grammatical usage.”14 Thomas Schreiner is right: “It is unlikely that the dispute can be resolved on the basis of grammar VIew #2: “the Israel of God” alone.”15 The most decisive factor is the context of refers to the church the epistle in which the phrase is found. Through- In spite of these arguments and objections, it out the letter, Paul has argued that Gentiles need seems best to understand Paul as speaking of one not be circumcised and practice “works of the law” group in 6:16 and applying the phrase “the Israel of to be justified, receive the Spirit, and be incorpo- God” to all believers, Jew and Gentile.