SEV Biblia, Chapter 2:19
Porque yo por la ley soy muerto a la ley, para vivir a Dios.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Galatians 2:19
Verse 19. For I through the law am dead to the law] In consequence of properly considering the nature and requisitions of the law, I am dead to all hope and expectation of help or salvation from the law, and have been obliged to take refuge in the Gospel of Christ. Or, probably the word nomov, LAW, is here put for a system of doctrine; as if he had said, I through the Gospel am dead to the law. The law itself is consigned to death, and another, the Gospel of Christ, is substituted in its stead. The law condemns to death, and I have embraced the Gospel that I might be saved from death, and live unto God.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 19. For I through the law am dead to the law , etc..] The apostle further replies to the objection against the doctrine of justification, being a licentious one, from the end of his, and other believers, being dead to the law: he owns he was dead unto it, not in such sense as not to regard it as a rule of walk and conversation, but so as not to seek for life and righteousness by it, nor to fear its accusations, charges, menaces, curses, and condemnation: he was dead to the moral law as in the hands of Moses, but not as in the hands of Christ; and he was dead to it as a covenant of works, though not as a rule of action, and to the ceremonial law, even as to the observance of it, and much more as necessary to justification and salvation: and so he became through the law; that is, either through the law or doctrine of Christ; for the Hebrew word hrwt , to which nomov answers, signifies properly doctrine, and sometimes evangelical doctrine, the Gospel of Christ; (see Isaiah 2:3 42:4 Romans 3:27) and then the sense is, that the apostle by the doctrine of grace was taught not to seek for pardon, righteousness, acceptance, life, and salvation, by the works of the law, but in Christ; by the doctrine of the Gospel, which says, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shall be saved; he became dead to the law, which says, do this and live: or through the books of the law, and the prophets, the writings of the Old Testament, which are sometimes called the law, he learnt that righteousness and forgiveness of sins were only to be expected from Christ, and not the works of the law; things, though manifested without the law, yet are witnessed to by the law and prophets: or through the law of his mind, the principle of grace formed in his soul, he became dead to the power and influence of the law of works, he being no longer under the bondage of that, but under grace, as a governing principle in his soul: or the word law, here twice used, may signify one and the same law of works; and the meaning be, either that through Christ's fulfilling the law in his room and stead, assuming an holy human nature the law required, and yielding perfect obedience to it, and submitting to the penalty of it, he became dead to it; that is, through the body of Christ, (see Romans 7:4) and through what he did and suffered in his body to fulfil it; or through the use, experience, and knowledge of the law, when being convinced of sin by it, and seeing the spirituality of it, all his hopes of life were struck dead, and he entirely despaired of ever being justified by it. Now the end of his being dead unto it, delivered from it, and being directed to Christ for righteousness, was, says he, that I might live unto God ; not in sin, in the violation of the law, in neglect and defiance of it, or to himself, or to the lusts of men, but to the will of God revealed in his word, and to his honour and glory; whence it most clearly follows, that though believers are dead to the law, and seek to be justified by Christ alone, yet they do not continue, nor do they desire to continue in sin, or indulge themselves in a vicious course of living, but look upon themselves as under the greater obligation to live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 15-19 - Paul, having thus shown he was not inferior to any apostle, not to Peter himself, speaks of the great foundation doctrine of the gospel For what did we believe in Christ? Was it not that we might be justified by the faith of Christ? If so, is it not foolish to go bac to the law, and to expect to be justified by the merit of moral works or sacrifices, or ceremonies? The occasion of this declaratio doubtless arose from the ceremonial law; but the argument is quite a strong against all dependence upon the works of the moral law, a respects justification. To give the greater weight to this, it is added, But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselve also are found sinners, is Christ the minister of sin? This would be very dishonourable to Christ, and also very hurtful to them. By considering the law itself, he saw that justification was not to be expected by the works of it, and that there was now no further need of the sacrifices and cleansings of it, since they were done away in Christ, by his offering up himself a sacrifice for us. He did not hop or fear any thing from it; any more than a dead man from enemies. But the effect was not a careless, lawless life. It was necessary, that he might live to God, and be devoted to him through the motives and grac of the gospel. It is no new prejudice, though a most unjust one, tha the doctrine of justification by faith alone, tends to encourage people in sin. Not so, for to take occasion from free grace, or the doctrin of it, to live in sin, is to try to make Christ the minister of sin, a any thought of which all Christian hearts would shudder.
Greek Textus Receptus
εγω 1473 γαρ 1063 δια 1223 νομου 3551 νομω 3551 απεθανον 599 5627 ινα 2443 θεω 2316 ζησω 2198 5661
Vincent's NT Word Studies
19. For (gar). Justifying the previous thought that the reerection of the law as a standard of Christian life and a means of justification is a condemnation of the faith which relies on Christ alone for righteousness. I, through the law, am dead to the law (egw dia nomou nomw apeqanon). For am dead, render died. Faith in Christ created a complete and irreparable break with the law which is described as death to the law. Comp. Rom. vii. 4, 6. The law itself was the instrument of this break, see next verse Egw is emphatic. Paul appeals to his personal experience, his decided break with the law in contrast with Peter's vacillation.
Might live unto God (qew zhsw). With death to the law a new principle of life entered. For the phrase, see Rom. vi. 10, 11.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
2:19 {I through the law died to the law} (egw dia nomou nomwi apeqanon). Paradoxical, but true. See #Rom 7:4,6 for picture of how the law waked Paul up to his real death to the law through Christ.
