Thoughts on Galatians #7

One way in which the analogy of a transformed football team (see previous thoughts) fails is in that it underestimates the extent to which Christ is a game-changer. The manager became a player but he not only captains a transformed team, he has also changed the rules of the game. It is like switching from playing football to playing a game of rugby. Those who want to require the whole team to live under the law are like people insisting that you must handle the ball only in the very specific circumstances allowed in a football match (when the ball is out of play or if you’re the goal-keeper and in your domain). This bondage to football-rules would severely handicap the team’s ability to play rugby…

Paul asks: “Who possesses the Spirit: is it the law-people or the faith-in-Christ people?” This new life in the Spirit has been started by faith in Christ and this is how it is going to play out. You cannot become a better player by reverting to the old rules.