How does Galatians 3:10 connect with Deuteronomy 27:26 regarding the law's curse? The Core Connection • Galatians 3:10: “For all who rely on works of the Law are under a curse, as it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.’” • Deuteronomy 27:26: “Cursed is he who does not put the words of this Law into practice.” Paul quotes Moses verbatim, showing that the curse attached to the Law was woven into Israel’s covenant from the start. The moment anyone fails to “do everything,” the curse is triggered—not because the Law is flawed, but because sinners are. What the Curse Entails • “Cursed” means placed under divine judgment (cf. Deuteronomy 28:15–68). • It is comprehensive—“everyone… everything.” • It is immediate: breaking one statute indicts the whole person (James 2:10). Why Paul Cites Deuteronomy • To prove from Scripture itself that human effort cannot secure righteousness. • To remind Jewish and Gentile believers alike that the Law never offered a “graded scale”; it demanded flawless obedience (Leviticus 18:5). • To prepare the way for the gospel in Galatians 3:13—Christ becoming a curse for us. The Logical Flow 1. All who rely on the Law place themselves on the footing of perfect performance. 2. Deuteronomy declares that failure to maintain perfection calls down a curse. 3. Therefore, everyone who trusts personal obedience stands condemned already. Related Passages That Echo the Same Truth • Romans 3:19–20—The Law silences every mouth and makes the whole world accountable. • Habakkuk 2:4—“The righteous will live by faith,” quoted in Galatians 3:11 as the alternative to Law-reliance. • 2 Corinthians 3:6—The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. Christ’s Resolution of the Curse • Galatians 3:13—“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law by becoming a curse for us.” • Colossians 2:14—He canceled the record of debt that stood against us. • Romans 8:3–4—God sent His Son “in the likeness of sinful flesh” so that the righteous requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us who walk according to the Spirit. Takeaway for Today Because Deuteronomy 27:26 pronounces a universal curse and Galatians 3:10 applies it to all Law-keepers, the only safe refuge is faith in Christ, who bore the curse and grants His perfect righteousness to everyone who believes. |
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