ガラテヤの信徒への手紙3:1-3 Galatians 3:1-3,

あなたがたは、それほど物分かりが悪く、“霊”によって始めたのに、肉によって仕上げようとするのですか。（ガラテヤ3:3）

「肉によって仕上げようとするのですか」とは、割礼という肉体に傷をつける儀式によってキリストの救いを仕上げようとするのですか、という意味です。本日の聖書の箇所は、割礼という儀式を受けるかどうかという問題に限って考えれば、現代の私たちにはあまり関係のないことのように聞こえます。しかし、パウロはこの手紙の5章3節で「割礼を受ける人すべてに、もう一度はっきり言います。そういう人は律法全体を行う義務があるのです」と述べています。「律法全体を行う」とは、当然、モーセの十戒のような倫理的な規定を守ることをも含みます。つまり、律法の規定を行うことによって完全な救いを得ようとすれば、十戒をも完全に守らなければならなくなります。そして、それは私たち罪ある人間にはできないことですから、私たちは完全な救いを受けることはできないという結論になります。そうすると、この地上の人生においてはもちろん、終わりの日にも完全な救いを受けることはできず、むしろ最後の審判によって裁かれ滅びるしかない、ということになってしまうのです。これが「“霊”によって始めたのに、肉によって仕上げようとする」ことの悲惨な結果です。

ですから、パウロの言葉を借りるならば、「“霊”によって始めたのだから、“霊”によって仕上げようとする」のがクリスチャンの正しい信仰生活のあり方だということになります。パウロはこの手紙の5章22節で、聖霊が人間の心や生活の中に働いて生み出すものが「愛であり、喜び、平和、寛容、親切、善意、誠実、柔和、節制です」と記しています。このような善い心や行いは、人間の古い自我の働きによってではなく、聖霊の働きによって可能になります。ですから、クリスチャンの生活の中で聖霊を受け続けることは、とても大切なことなのです。そして、聖霊を受け続けるために必要なことは、イエス・キリストと常に新しく出会っていくことです。毎週の教会の礼拝において、また日々の家庭での祈りにおいて、私たちの救いのために十字架について死んで復活してくださったキリストと常に新しく出会い、キリストの救いを受け続けることが大切なのです。この後で歌う讃美歌21の449番の3節の歌詞にありますように、「十字架の他に　頼むかげなき　わびしき我を　憐れみたまえ、 み救いなくば　生くる術（すべ）なし」という気持ちをいつももって、キリストの救いを受け続けて歩んでまいりましょう。

（9月24日の説教より）

Hymn No. 449 of Hymnal 21, which we sang together, is a powerful hymn about salvation through the cross of Christ. It is one of the most widely known hymns, but its lyrics can be rather confusing. For example, the Japanese lyrics of verse 1 are “Chitose-no Iwa-yo Wagami-wo Kakome / Sakareshi Waki-no Chishio-to Mizu-ni / Tsumi-mo Kegare-mo Araikiyomeyo” (Surround me, O rock of a thousand years. / With the blood and the water of the broken side, / wash and cleanse sin and uncleanness from me.) These words may be completely incomprehensible to those who do not know what the Bible says. The phrase “Chitoseno Iwa” (rock of a thousand years) is a reference to the salvation of Christ through the cross, which is likened to a solid rock that remains unbroken even after a thousand years. In the Old Testament, God’s salvation is sometimes compared to a rock. For example, in Psalm 94:22, the psalmist recited: “But the LORD has become my stronghold, and my God the rock of my refuge.” Before David became king, he hid himself in a cave of rocks in the wilderness when his life was threatened by King Saul (1 Samuel 23:25; 24:4), and so rock became a term for the place of salvation. Even more anciently, when the Israelites were on their wilderness journey after departing from Egypt, by a miracle of God, water sprang from a rock and quenched the people’s thirst (Exodus 17:6; Numbers 20:8). This may be another reason why the rock became an image representing salvation.

The phrase “Sakareshi Waki-no Chishio-to Mizu-ni” (With the blood and the water of the broken side) is based on John 19:34, which states that when a soldier pierced Christ’s side with a spear, “at once there came out blood and water.” This account testifies to the fact that Christ’s body did indeed die on the cross. But also, the “blood and water” recalls the Old Testament sin offering (i.e., purification-offering) in which the blood of sacrificial animals was used for the cleansing of sin and uncleanness, and the New Testament baptism of John the Baptist in the waters of the Jordan River as a sign of the forgiveness of sins. The “blood and water” is therefore a symbolic representation of the efficacy of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross to wash away human sin and uncleanness. Therefore, John, the writer of the Gospel, wrote in the passage following “at once there came out blood and water,” that “he who saw it has borne witness—his testimony is true” and the fact that blood and water came out from the body of the dead Christ is an important truth that shows that the cross of Christ has the power to wash away sin and uncleanness. The hymn is therefore written, “Sakareshi Waki-no Chishio-to Mizu-ni / Tsumi-mo Kegare-mo Araikiyomeyo.” (With the blood and the water of the broken side, / wash and cleanse sin and uncleanness from me.)

This hymn was one of the first English hymns to be translated into Japanese. It was included in a hymnal called “Oshie-no Uta” (Songs of Teaching), edited in 1874 at Yokohama Kaigan Church, which is the root of our denomination, Church of Christ in Japan. The lyrics were translated slightly differently from the current version: “Waretaru Iwa-ya Ware-wo Kakome-na / Sakitaru Waki-no Mizu-mata Chishio / Tsumi-mo Kegare-mo Kiyoku Arae-yo,” (O Cleft Rock, surround me. / With the blood and the water of the broken side, / wash cleanly sin and uncleanness from me.). The original English lyrics is: “Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee,” so this old Japanese translation was also a painstaking attempt to convey the meaning of the English lyrics. Then, in the 1903 edition of the Hymnal, published 120 years ago, the lyrics were almost identical to the current translation, which was carried on in the 1938, 1954 editions and 1997 edition of Hymnal 21. In Hymnal 21, many of the hymns have been changed from their original classical style to colloquial style, but this hymn, “Chitose-no Iwa-yo,” remains in its original classical style. As I mentioned earlier, this hymn was one of the first English hymns to be translated into Japanese, so there is probably a reason why it is sung with the old translation as a monumental hymn.

However, it may also be because the lyrics “Chitose-no Iwa-yo,” about the salvation of the cross of Christ, which has not changed over time, have penetrated deeply into the hearts of the churchgoers. The English pastor who wrote the lyrics of this hymn, Augustus Toplady, died in 1778 at the age of 37. We do not know under what circumstances the author wrote the lyrics of this hymn, but the lyrics in verse 4, “While I draw this fleeting breath, when mine eyes shall close in death, / when I soar to worlds unknown, see thee on thy judgment throne, / Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee,” are powerful words that assure the salvation of the cross of Christ for those who realise that the end of their life on earth is near.

The salvation of the cross of Christ is indeed a mysterious teaching. Some people, when they hear about the cross of Christ, feel that it has nothing to do with them at all. But others, when they hear the story of the cross of Christ, feel that this is the teaching that will save them. We humans do not know where the difference comes from. Wonderfully enough, in every age there are those who believe that Christ’s death on the cross was to atone for our sins and to give us salvation. Some people believe this immediately, while others come to believe it gradually over time. It is impossible to say which is better. This is because some people believe immediately but eventually become upset in their belief.

The believers of Galatian churches seem to have believed immediately after hearing the gospel of the cross of Christ. However, their faith was shaken and unstable. This was because the evangelists who came to the Galatian churches after Paul, taught that full salvation could not be obtained without not only believing in Christ but also undergoing the ritual of circumcision as prescribed by the Old Testament law. Circumcision is a ritual in which the skin surrounding the male penis is cut off as a sign that the Jewish people are God’s people. It was usually performed on the eighth day after birth, according to the Old Testament provisions of Genesis 17:12 and Leviticus 12:3. It was also performed for non-Jews converting to Judaism, even if they were adults. If someone were to teach us today that we could not attain full salvation without undergoing the ritual of circumcision, we would not accept it because we would think it was absurd. But in New Testament times, Christianity was seen by people as a sect within Judaism. Therefore, there were probably quite a few members of the Christian believers who did not realise how their faith differed from the Jewish faith. Some believers heard the teaching that “you cannot attain full salvation without the ritual of circumcision” and, without thinking deeply about it, thought, “Oh, yes!”

Paul’s exhortation to such upset believers is expressed in the first verse of today’s Scripture passage: “O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you?” Concernig the Greek word anoetos (ἀνόητος), translated “foolish,” I prefer the translation by one American biblical scholar as “unthinking,” which means “not thinking deeply.” This is because Paul is not concerned with the intellectual level of the Galatian believers, but with the thoughtlessness of those who, when they hear false teaching, do not think deeply about it and fall for it.

The Greek word bascaino (βασκαίνω), translated as “to bewitch” can also be translated as “to exert an evil influence through the eye” according to a Greek Lexicon. Perhaps the Jewish evangelists who taught differently from Paul, seeing the Galatian believers saved by faith in Christ, were maliciously trying to disturb them, and cast the spell by saying, “That’s not enough, you can’t attain full salvation unless you undergo the lawful ritual of circumcision……” And the believers, who did not fully understand what the gospel of Christ was, were influenced by the false teaching that was infused into them.

Latter haif of verse 1, Paul tells the congregation, “It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified.” Taken literally, this sounds like the believers had a mystical vision and saw Christ crucified in that vision. However, that is probably not what Paul is referring to. Rather, it may be that Paul so vividly proclaimed the salvation of the cross of Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit that people were clearly shown Christ crucified for their salvation by Paul’s preaching. When Paul preached the cross of Christ in Corinth, he also spoke not in human wisdom but in the power of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:4). The crucified Christ is clearly presented to the hearers by the preaching that is delivered in the power of the Holy Spirit. And the salvation of Christ crucified is also communicated to the hearers by the work of the Holy Spirit.

In verse 2, Paul says: “Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith?” “Received the Spirit” means that they have received the Holy Spirit and experienced Christ’s salvation. It is not clear what specific experience this refers to. When Paul says they received the Holy Spirit, one gets the impression that there were dramatic conversion experiences. However, this may not necessarily be what Paul is referring to here. In Acts 13:48, when Paul preached in Antioch in Pisidia, one of the Galatian provinces, “the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed.” This statement gives the impression that there were those who heard Paul’s sermons who were meekly willing to believe in Christ, rather than that there was a dramatic conversion. Therefore, when Paul says that they “received the Spirit,” he does not mean that they were dramatically converted, but that they received the Holy Spirit, i.e., the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ, through sincere believing.

Paul then asks whether the Galatian believers received the Holy Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith.” To be more precise, “by works of the law” means observing the law and underwent the ritual of circumcision. “By hearing with faith” means that hearing the gospel has awakened the faith in Christ. Paul writes in Romans 10:17: “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” Without hearing the gospel of Christ, belief in Christ does not begin. It seems obvious, but hearing is very important. And with this question, Paul expects the answer that of course they received the Holy Spirit not “by works of the law” but “by hearing with faith.”

If it was “by hearing with faith” that they received the Holy Spirit, it would be ludicrous to try to gain full salvation now by undergoing the ritual of circumcision. So Paul asks in verse 3, “Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?” In other words, Paul asks, “Are you trying to perfect Christ’s salvation by circumcision, a fleshly wounding ritual?

Today’s biblical passages sound like they have little relevance to us today if they are confined to the question of whether or not to undergo the ritual of circumcision. However, in 5:3 of this letter, Paul says: “I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law.” “To keep the whole law” naturally includes keeping ethical rules such as the Ten Commandments. In other words, if we want to attain full salvation by works of the law, we must also keep the Ten Commandments perfectly. And since this is something we sinful human beings cannot do, the conclusion is that we cannot receive full salvation. This means that we will not be able to receive full salvation in our earthly life, nor in the last days, but rather we will be judged and destroyed at the Last Judgment. This is the tragic consequence of “having begun by the Spirit” and “being perfected by the flesh.”

Therefore, in Paul’s words, the proper way for the Christian life is “having begun by the Spirit” and “being perfected by the Spirit.” In 5:22 of this letter, Paul says that what the Holy Spirit produces in the human heart and life is “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” Such good hearts and deeds are not made possible by the works of man’s old self, but by the works of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, it is very important to continue to receive the Holy Spirit in the Christian life. And what is needed to continue to receive the Holy Spirit is a constant renewal of our encounter with Jesus Christ. In our weekly worship services and in our daily prayers at home, it is important to have a constant new encounter with Christ, who died on the cross and rose again for our salvation, and to continue to receive his salvation. As the lyrics of the third verse of Hymn No. 449 of Hymnal 21, which we will sing later, “Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to the cross I cling; / naked, come to thee for dress; helpless, look to thee for grace; / foul, I to the fountain fly; wash me, Savior, or I die,” let us always keep receiving Christ’s salvation and keep walking.