“Legalism, Gender Inclusive Language,
Women Pastors, Jesus and You”
Galatians 3:23-4:7
26 June 2013 – Redeemer
One thing you may have noticed is that my sermon titles are never in the bulletin. That is because the bulletin is printed before my sermon is written and the title is the last thing I put on a sermon. This week I had the title before the bulletin was complete, but it still isn’t in the bulletin – it was too long. The title of today’s sermon is Legalism, Gender Inclusive Language, Women Preachers, Jesus and You. With such a long title you might hope the sermon will be shorter – well, you can always hope.
Legalism. Legalism was plaguing the congregation at Galatia. Legalism is the simple, but false teaching that in order to please God you must do something, obey some law, observe some activity. A legalist might say, “A real Christian won’t drink alcohol.” “A real Christian doesn’t dance. A real Christian should not work on Sunday.” In Galatia the legalism being preached was this – in addition to faith in Christ Greek men in the congregation must be circumcised, following God’s OT Law. Legalism teaches that Jesus plus something equals salvation. Jesus plus circumcision. Jesus plus refraining from alcohol. Jesus plus this or that.
The danger of legalism is that it teaches Jesus isn’t enough. If your salvation needs something more than Jesus, then Jesus came up short, then salvation is not found in Christ alone. In order to combat legalism Saint Paul taught the Galatians about the proper use of the Law by using a cultural illustration of a guardian. So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. In the Roman and Greek culture of Paul’s day young men between the ages of 6 and 25 were put under guardians. Think chaperone. Think 24/7 someone watching your every move. Can we build a ramp to jump our bikes? No. Can we try cigarettes? No. Can I take the chariot to the drive in movies with my girlfriend? Only if I come with. The guardian served as the Law in the life of that young boy, forcing obedience, threatening punishment, keeping all of his wild and wicked ways in check. Think of a highway patrol officer following you when you’re late. He’s right there. You’re hoping and praying he pulls off so you are free to speed, even though you know it is illegal.
That’s how the Law of God works. The Law takes all the fun out of sin. It points out sin we are not even aware of. Did you hear the Guardian of the Law hounding you with the questions in today’s bulletin? When faced with temptation do you ask for God’s help to overcome it or do you just give in? Do you avoid those places where you know you will face temptation? When the devil speaks his lies are you an eager listener or do you seek God’s Word to resist those lies? What do you do when tempted? Fight, repent, confess, or surrender, enjoy, and cover it up?
The Law as guardian serves a good purpose. We need the fun taken out of sin. We need to know our guilt and willful wickedness. But as guardians only served a limited time so the Law is also limited in our lives. The Law cannot save you. You can have all the commandments memorized, but that doesn’t mean you will keep them. God has made it exactly clear what his children must do and the Law says you haven’t done it. You need something more than a guardian and God delivers it – But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.
The end of the guardian’s time is when you grow up, when you reach the age of maturity. That time was around 25 years old in the Roman and Greek world. The time when you are set free from the Law is when you come to faith in Jesus Christ, for Jesus came to live under the Law and keep it to perfection. The Law could never correct Jesus, never discipline Jesus, for He had no sin. Jesus silenced the Law and then He died the punishment the Law demands. The Bible says if you sin then you die (and you do so you will), but God sent His Son to die for you. Once Jesus has lived, died, and rose again the guardian of the Law can say nothing – the Law is fulfilled and it’s demand for justice is paid in full.
When you are brought to faith, when you are baptized into the name of Jesus, you are a son of God with all the rights and privileges of God’s Son. The full inheritance is yours – your sins are forgiven, your life is eternal, your resurrection from the grave is certain. Whenever the Law accuses you now you run to Christ. When it calls you a sinner you repent and receive forgiveness anew. The Law has nothing on you because Christ Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law. Faith in Him is the way in which we are declared right, justified to be sons of God.
Now perhaps you see the problem in Galatia. Legalism says, “No” to Jesus by saying He didn’t do enough. There’s one more little thing you need to do. But to that Paul says, “No.” He begins his letter to the Galatians with a harsh rebuke, “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.” (1:8) “Damn the preacher,” Saint Paul says, “who preaches something or someone or some deed in addition to Christ.” Your salvation is in Christ alone.
That’s legalism. Only two more parts to go. St. Paul preaches against legalism by saying, “for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. (3:26) Some Bible translations say, “for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God, through faith.” That’s gender inclusive language. While that may seem more soothing to feminine ears it actually misses some incredible Gospel that Paul is preaching. In Biblical times women had very few rights. Women could not inherit property. They could not work for money. A widow had to beg for food unless she had a son to care for her. But Jesus changed all that and that change is reflected in this letter to the Galatians. When the women of Galatia heard St. Paul’s words read during the Divine Service they rejoiced. They said “Amen.” They wanted to hear these words again and again because God’s Word just said that before God they were sons, that women could fully inherit the same treasures of Christ that men could. They had the same share, the full forgiveness of sins. They were written into the will. They had a place at the table, a room in the mansion, and an eternity of being in God’s household. They were completely equal to men before God in heaven. You are all sons of God through faith is the best Gospel they could hear. If they would have been called the daughters of God they wouldn’t have thought much of God, for then He would have been just like everyone else, putting them in second place.
It is ironic that this very verse which causes offense now (calling women sons) caused the women of Galatia to rejoice. It is also ironic that this Word of God to the Galatians “you are all sons of God” is one reason we have become more sensitive to the use of gender in language and treating women with more respect. Do you know that the Christian church has the best track record of any religion in how women are treated? It flows from Jesus and the Gospel. The reason women can vote – Christianity. The reason women are free to work in careers and classrooms – Christianity. Where are there laws which give women the same freedoms and privileges as men – in Western nations influenced by Christianity. If you don’t believe me go to China or Saudi Arabia or India and observe the treatment of women by non-Christian religions.
That brings me to final part of the sermon – women pastors. The number one verse used to defend ordaining women into the pastoral office is found in the text. “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (3:28) The greatest problem with using this verse for to speak for women being ordained as pastors is that it has nothing to do with pastors. This verse is about our standing in heaven. This verse is the Gospel. This whole section of Galatians is about the equal standing of all sinners before God solely by the work of Christ. Being a circumcised Jew won’t get you to heaven and being a Gentile won’t keep you out. Being a man grants you no favors and neither does being a woman exclude you. You may be a slave or a master, but Christ alone saves you both.
Your salvation in Christ does not however take away the fact that you are a man or a woman or a parent or a child or a boss or a worker. If salvation delivered you from the responsibilities of being a man or a woman Saint Paul wouldn’t tell husbands to love their wives as Christ loved the church nor would he write, “Wives submit to your husbands as to the Lord.” Parents are given orders over their children and children are placed under parents and Jesus doesn’t relieve you of that. And in the New Testament slaves were commanded to be obedient to their masters and masters were told to be fair and kind to their slaves. The orders are not given for salvation and they aren’t undone by salvation. They are given for service and they are still God’s orders and His gifts. And we follow them – men are husbands and fathers and women are wives and mothers and men are preachers and women are teachers and deaconesses. We follow His orders not for salvation but because of salvation, because we are all baptized sons of God the Father and we delight in His Word in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Pr. Bruce Timm
23 June 2013 anno Domini