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**EDWARD D. ANDREWS** (AS in Criminal Justice, BS in Religion, MA in Biblical Studies, and MDiv in Theology) is CEO and President of Christian Publishing House. He has authored over 200+ books. In addition, Andrews is the Chief Translator of the Updated American Standard Version (UASV).

Galatians 2:19 was written by the Apostle Paul. The verse states: “For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God.”

This verse is part of a larger argument that Paul is making in the letter to the Galatians. The Galatians were a group of Gentile converts to Christianity who was being influenced by Jewish Christians to follow certain aspects of the Mosaic Law, such as circumcision. Paul, however, argues that faith in Jesus Christ is all that is necessary for salvation and that adherence to the Mosaic Law is not necessary.

In Galatians 2:19, Paul is stating that through his faith in Jesus Christ, he has “died” to the Mosaic Law, meaning that it no longer has any power over him. He can now “live for God” through his faith in Christ rather than trying to earn salvation by following the Law.

This verse can be understood as a reflection of the doctrine of justification by faith alone, which is a central tenet of Christianity. Justification by faith alone means that an individual is made right with God through faith in Jesus Christ rather than through their own efforts or works. This is in contrast to the teachings of some Jewish sects who say that salvation could be achieved by following the law of Moses.

This verse also highlights the importance of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Paul, here, is saying that through the death of Jesus on the cross, the law has been fulfilled and we can now live a new life in Christ, free from the condemnation of the law.

In summary, Galatians 2:19 is a verse that emphasizes the importance of faith in Jesus Christ for salvation and the doctrine of justification by faith alone. It also highlights the idea that the crucifixion of Jesus Christ has fulfilled the law and has made it possible for us to live a new life in Christ.

In Galatians 2:19, Paul is explaining how his understanding of his relationship with God changed “through the law.” He had previously believed that by keeping the Mosaic Law perfectly, he could earn salvation and be declared righteous by God. However, he came to realize that this was not possible, as humans are inherently sinful and cannot keep the Law perfectly. The law was given to reveal the transgression that existed, as he explains in Galatians 3:19.

Through this realization, Paul came to understand that salvation could only be achieved through faith in Jesus Christ, as stated in Galatians 2:16. The law, in this sense, served as a guide that led him to the realization that a perfect sacrifice, in the form of Jesus, was needed for salvation.

By exercising faith in Jesus, Paul was able to be declared righteous by God, and the law no longer held power over him. Instead, he now had a new relationship with God, in which he was “alive toward God.” The Law’s purpose was to reveal the need for a savior and lead people to Jesus, not to be a means of salvation itself.

In summary, Paul’s understanding of his relationship with God changed “through the law” as he came to realize that salvation could not be achieved through keeping the law perfectly, but only through faith in Jesus Christ, as the law had served its purpose as a guide to reveal the need for a savior. The law led him to Jesus, and through faith in Jesus, he was able to be declared righteous by God and have a new life in God.

Paul expresses a similar thought in his letter to the Romans in Romans 7:4, 6 where he states “⁴Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God….⁶But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.” This passage, along with Galatians 2:19, emphasizes that Paul is not talking about dying as a sinner under the law, but rather being liberated from the law’s hold on him and other believers.

The law, as Paul explains in both Galatians and Romans, was a temporary measure given by God to reveal the sins of humanity and point them to the need for a savior. Through faith in Jesus Christ and his sacrifice, believers are set free from the law’s condemnation and are no longer bound by its requirements. They are liberated and able to have a new relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ.

In summary, Paul’s statements in Galatians 2:19 and Romans 7:4,6 reveal that through faith in Jesus Christ, believers are liberated from the law’s hold on them and are no longer bound by its requirements. They are set free from the law’s condemnation and able to have a new relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ.