It is noteworthy that Christ also quotes words from the Old Testament (Hosea 6:6), and thus does not abolish it, but insists on rejecting its perverse (Pharisaic-legalistic) understanding and returning to its original meaning.

The demands to live according to faith, according to grace, and not under the yoke of slavish observance of the Law of St. Paul. Paul passionately and earnestly declares in Gal. as the only possible way of life in the New Testament. But these demands turn out to be extremely unusual and difficult, unless, of course, we perceive them as worn-out slogans or in some perverse, shallow, truncated understanding (there is even an expression "to act not according to the Law, but according to grace", which justifies everything). They are eternally new.

In fact, this is the novelty of the New Testament, which for this very reason does not cease to be New (i.e., unaccustomed, difficult to fulfill), but for two thousand years has been set as the only task by God in Christ. There is not a single other thing in the world that, being called new, would correspond in essence to its name for such a long period of time (otherwise it is perceived as an established historical name - for example, Novgorod, one of the oldest Russian cities).

In the New Testament we can live not by virtue of the historical chance of being born after the birth of Christ (A.D.), but only as a result of the striving to live in the spiritual state offered by St. Paul. Paul in Gal.

The New Testament is the unnatural, supernatural religious state of man who is born into the world with a natural pagan religious feeling. The Old Testament is the "zero" level where false gods and false religious and generally false human values (in correlation with the true God) are cut off and prohibited. The New Testament is the creation of a positive, father-son relationship between God and man, which rises above all that is former and natural. (Incidentally, the Old Testament contains many New Testament requirements and meanings in anticipation and anticipation: for example, in fact, the New Testament understanding of the Law is filled with its exposition in Deuteronomy 30:11-14, etc., or the prophecy of Jeremiah Jeremiah 31:31-34[429]).

The New Testament requires constant effort, constant dynamics, constant "leaps upwards," overcoming the "gravity" that pulls man down into the darkness of paganism (both religious and moral). The salvation obstacle in the fall can again be the Old Testament with its simple lawful truth. Creation, creativity, can be fully in the state of sonship, in freedom. But it is more difficult than keeping the Law.

From the Law through Faith to Freedom

Thus, Paul's thought in Gal. logically proceeds to another cornerstone of the New Testament concept – freedom, that heavy gift which is the brightest seal of man's sonship with God.

1 Stand therefore, therefore, in the liberty which Christ has given us, and be not again subjected to the yoke of bondage. 2 Behold, I, Paul, say unto you, If ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. 3 Again I testify to every man who is circumcised, that he must fulfill the whole law. 4 You who justify yourselves by the law have been left without Christ, you have fallen from grace, 5 but we in the Spirit wait and hope for righteousness from faith. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has power, but faith working through love (Gal. 5:1-6).

"Faith working through love" (v. 6) is an extraordinarily accurate expression, meaning by faith not some truncated, internal, intellectual act of acknowledging Christ, but a full-fledged way of life that cannot but manifest itself outwardly. In this way, the question of the opposition of salvation by faith and works is removed. Salvation is not earned by good works, but on the contrary, faith is the cause of good works. The contrast with the famous "faith without works is dead" (James 2:20, 26; see § 49:7) is also removed, since "faith working by love" is essentially the same ("active", e)nergoume/nh, and "works", e)/rga are words of the same root).

"It would be a wrong interpretation of the Apostle's thought to see in 'faith' only its speculative content: to understand 'faith' as a 'symbol of faith'. Faith also presupposes a "symbol of faith," but Paul's understanding of faith is much broader. For Ap. Paul's faith is the fullness of spiritual life. Faith is expressed in the desire of the one who believes for perfect union with the One in whom he believes" [430].

7 Ye have walked well: who has stopped you, that ye should not obey the truth? 8 Such a conviction is not from Him who calls you. 9 A little leaven leavens the whole dough. 10 I am confident of you in the Lord, that you will not think otherwise; but he who troubles you, whoever he may be, will bear condemnation. 11 Why then do they persecute me, brethren, if even now I preach circumcision? Then the temptation of the cross would cease. 12 Oh, that those who troubled you would be removed [Oh, that those who troubled you would cut themselves off]! (Galatians 5:7-12)

"Literally, 'if they had been cut off.' Since a)poko/yontai can mean the cutting off of the members of the body (a rite practiced in Galatia by the worshippers of the goddess Cybele), many commentators suggest that in Paul's mouth this sarcastic expression means: "Let those who trouble you mutilate themselves (cf. Phil. 3:2)."

We are talking about castration. "Paul is ready to equate circumcision with castration. With greater force, Ap. Paul could not express his opposition to circumcision... The eunuchs were denied access to the society of the Lord (Deuteronomy 23:1)"[432].