"헛됨"의 두려움

"In Vain"? -A Reading of Paul's Argument in Galatians

Paul uses the phrase "in vain" quite a few times in his writings, including Galatians, a phenomenon which indicates that this is more than a mere rhetoric, expressing genuine fear on Paul's part. This study traces Paul's expression of such anxiety in Galatians, thereby trying to understand Paul's argument from that particular perspective. Following the way in which Paul utilizes the idea of "in vain", this study traces Paul's pastoral anxiety from three different angles: 1) the Galatians converts' faith becoming "in vain", 2) Paul's apostolic ministry becoming "in vain", and finally, 3) Christ's death becoming in vain. Responding to the recent, incredible, development in Galatia, Paul castigates his Galatian converts for their backsliding, warning them that their enthusiasm for circumcision at the cost of the truth of the gospel is an act that will render their faith, which they have been maintaining so well, completely "in vain". Furthermore, Paul also argues that such a behavior will also make his own apostolic ministry "in vain", in that the intended result of his apostolic mission, i. e., forming Christ among the Galatians community, is brought to naught. In an effort to show the foolishness of the Galatians' current move, Paul goes even further to say that the deplorable development in Galatia is one that also makes the death of Christ "in vain", since it practically amounts to denying the grace of God revealed through the self-giving death of Christ. In the process of explicating such fear of Paul, the study will show the intrinsically moral nature of the Galatian crisis and emphasize Paul's consistent concern for "walking according to the Spirit" as the indispensable way of maintaining the Galatians' faith, Paul's ministry, and the death of Christ meaningful, enabling them to attain to the intended goal of "hope of righteousness"(5:5), "Kingdom of God"(5:21), or the eagerly awaited harvest of "eternal life"(6:7-9).