Romans 3:10-20 involves an argument by the Apostle that everyone is under sin with no exception, since they are not righteous, do not seek God or lives a righteous life as required by the law. He also says that “whatever the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced, and the whole world may be held accountable to God” Romans 3:20. It is inherently impossible for a human to achieve a perfect obedience of neither Law, which means that the Law does not lead to righteousness nor Justification[11]. Righteousness can only be acquired through faith vs. 21-35. The paradox in this case is why the apostle would highlight the need for obeying the Law in Romans 2, but discards the idea in 3:21-35.  Yet, it’s clear that the doctrine of Justification by Faith is relevant to every sinner who is unable to meet the requirements of the Law through their actions[12]. Hence, the notion that a person can be justified through the obedience of the Law is still true for Paul, but human’s depravity prevents them from achieving it. In addition, being justified by faith is not an emergency measure that God introduced to deal with the unrighteous nature of human. The apostle also relates the nature of human to himself. An attempt to do what is good is frustrated by the evil that is within[13]. This represents a law that is battling the law of the mind, which imprisons him to the sin law within-Romans 7:21-23.

The Galatians 3 acts as a very important text in Paul’s preaching to the Galatians. Verses 3:1-14 specifically provide a basis for Paul to develop his arguments to the Galatians and have also been a major passage in scholarly discussion about the theology by the Apostle. It has an important role in exploring the perception of Paul on the Law and his view seems to take a central role in the discussion about the apostle’s continuing or discontinuing with Judaism and his comprehension of the covenant and its significance[14]. It also forms a basis of discussion about the doctrine of justification. The difficulty of Paul’s theology on the Law is matched by its significance and deserves the kind of attention it has been allocated[15]. Many scholars have followed Luther’s lead to understand the apostle argument as an evidence of the law being a false way to salvation since obedience as a means of salvation means depending on works. In this discussion, it is either impossible to satisfy the law since nobody can perfectly observe it or rely on one’s effort to achieve salvation unavoidably results to self-righteousness instead of depending on God[16]. Other scholars have traced Paul’s argument to the historical experience of Israel, where they had seriously failed in matters of Law and their encounter with resulting curse. However, the most significance involves his understanding of the process of salvation, that it could only be attained to all humanity but only through Christ.   

The lack of consensus in regard to the Paul’s theology calls for a better understanding especially of Galatians 3. Luther’s perception of Paul’s problem with the Law can basically be summed up as “works”. Paul uses the word “works” repeatedly to signify the Law. His major point is that Justification can only be achieved through faith alone but never through the “works of the law”[17]. Luther’s view is that there is no dispute on where focus is placed, and the Law is not a problem as such since it will continue occupying the right place in believers’ lives. The problem lies with works, including the “the works of Law”. Therefore, Paul is not opposed to the Law itself but the attempt to obtain self-righteousness through person efforts instead of being imparted with righteousness of faith. Righteousness by personal efforts or works involves doing but righteousness by faith is obtained through God’s grace with no merit on the part of a believer. It does involve doing but simply a belief. Passive righteousness (by faith) is better that active righteousness due to various reasons. To begin with, the righteousness of works is hopeless since it involves doing but the requirements of the Law cannot be met by a fallen human being[18]. Nobody keeps the law since it demands perfect obedience. In addition, active righteousness can only be attained through trying to secure righteousness by way of works, and thus tantamount to despising God’s grace and assuming his glory through replacing His offer for righteousness by way of faith with human efforts[19]. In fact, a perfect observance of the Law would useless since it would be a righteousness of human flesh instead of God’s righteousness.  Luther’s perception or exegesis of the Apostle could be attributed with his association with “works of Law” with what he had experienced in Church works. He seems to have read through the eyes of Paul, in terms of past troubled conscience that is not relieved. Luther’s conscience seems to have been guilt under law, but he now feels free due God’s grace[20]. Humans were never intended to gain salvation through their obedience to the Law since such efforts results in inauthentic existence. Their effort to acquire salvation by works of law only makes them sin and in fact, the effort to do so eventually becomes sin. This is because by doing so; they do not realize they are creatures who are replacing dependence on God with self-reliance[21].   Attempting to acquire salvation through personal strengths is boasting in flesh.

 Thus, those who were advocating the significance of the law in salvation were false teachers, and with specific focus on Moses’ Law. However, the Apostle urges that only faith is the only thing needed in salvation. The people who strive to be saved are cursed since everybody who does not abide by everything required by the law is under a curse, Deuteronomy 27:26, Gal 3:10. A person cannot gain justification through the Law since the law is not based on faith. In addition, that Christ had to die is an indication that the law could not bring justification to humans; otherwise, Christ’s death was in vain. As a believer, Paul could see that he died to the law, so that he might live to God.  He further says to the Galatians that they are redeemed from the Law by becoming “a curse for us”[22].  The apostle also contrasts a law through which no salvation could be obtained with promises that God gave to Abraham and Christ (his offspring). The inheritance was given by promise and not by means of Law. This inheritance is equated to salvation. The Law was, on the other hand, added due to transgressions until Christ to whom the promise was made could come. The law acted as just a custodian until faith came and the coming of faith brought justification and freedom[23]. The Galatians had been set free and if they were to prescribe to the requirements of the law, they would be going back to bondage. They were to ensure that they do not return “to a yoke of slavery” 5:1. Continuing being under the law would mean that Christ was no longer of use to them but would be required to observe it in entirety. However, that they had been set free did not permit the believers to misuse their freedom to serve the flesh, but were required to show love in serving one another. The law was epitomized by the command to “love your neighbor as yourself”, which would only be made possible through the spirit but not the flesh (Galatians 5:16-25).  

Paul’s view went further to explore the purpose of introducing the Law at Sinai through Moses. His entire argument about the Law was that it was meant to provoke sins, which sounded blasphemous to the Jews[24]. It must have been shocking to the Jews and especially the Pharisaic aspect within them. The view of the Pharisee involved making a hedge around the Moses’ Law, and this seemed to further point out its specification so as to ensure that there should be no transgression of it. In Galatians, the Law (Torah) accomplished its purpose the moment the Messiah came, which meant its period had expired and could not last to all eternity as had been believed by the Jews[25]. Humans existed in a state of enslavement (Under the Law) and continuing depending on the law was to embrace the imprisonment which shows that one is living in unbelief[26]. Therefore, a person who does not believe is no different from than the one who is enslaved by the powers of the Law. Without the scope of faith, there is only found the sphere of oppression, and Paul is trying to make the Galatians aware of such reliance to which they want to attach themselves. In Galatians 3:22, the Apostle concludes that all human kind has been has been brought under the power of sin and in verse 23, the notion of the confinement and restraints applies not only to the Jews but also to the Gentiles. The enslavement in which Gentiles and the Jews were was basically the same, and there cannot be found any differentiation between the two people that the Jews would claim[27]. Therefore, Paul does not assert that the promises and the issuing of the Law belonged exclusively to his brethren the Israelites. In the same sense, the coming of faith placed all believers, whether Jew or Gentile as sons of God (Galatians 4:2). When Paul says “so we also were enslaved under the elements of the world when we were still minors” (Galatians 4:3), he includes himself together with believers who were previously Gentile Galatians. Thus, Paul’s conversion to A Christian was a shift away from the Torah to Christ and for the Galatian believers turned away from the facets of the world. With the knowledge of where the Galatians were coming from, Paul appeals to their self-understanding so that they would achieve their freedom from the past powers that had enslaved them[28]. Then, attempting again to return to the works of the Law would be a return to their own ways. What they need is faith, which involved trusting in the works of God in Christ and not replacing such with an outward performance.

The argument of Paul about the Law can also be compared with how Jesus related with the Law. Jesus interacted with the Jews including his family, the needy, leaders, crowds and his followers. The interaction comprised of a complicated and even contested array of expectations or interests[29]. With the unfolding of his mission came the revelation of the dire situation of the Israelites. The situation was a representation of the entire humanity and this clearly comes into view.  Even though they had the law, the Jewish people were still ailing, plagued by demons and unclean spirit, poor leadership and they needed to be cared and provided for[30]. Their situation was worsened by the fact that they could not see, hear and even have right understanding and they were vainly seeking some signs which clearly showed lack of faith. Even though they had the law, they had an obstinate condition showed the “hardness of heart” and could not understand the Messiah’s identity and thus his mission[31]. This is what Paul was referring to as the inability of human to attain perfect obedience of the Law’s requirement and thus attain its level of righteousness.  Paul’s attributed his righteousness to believing in the Works accomplished by Christ, and his dying to the law (works or sin) and rising again after receiving baptism. Christians do not have to look to their acts of obeying the Law so that they can be saved. They have to be reborn after which they are adopted to the family of God as sons and daughters[32].