The Reformation heavily relied on the letters by Paul. The Covenant Theology also relies on what Paul wrote. And the question is: Did Paul really think that the Law is the way to get eternal life?

Could Adam achieve the enhanced status of mankind by not eating the fruit for a probation period? Did Christ have to keep the Law to gain righteousness as a man? Does Christ’s righteousness from the Law give saints the eternal life? Is the eternal covenant of God work-based? What is the function and the meaning of Christ’s obedience?

It is believed that the Book of Galatians was written before Paul wrote the Book of Romans. Galatians will give us insight what was in Paul’s mind when he wrote and preached to Christians at that time.

When Christianity started after Christ’s resurrection and ascension in Acts 1, the visible church had similar issues that the Reformers had in the 16^th and the 17^th century. One is that the church had people who followed legalism or antinomianism. Another is that people struggled to understand the Trinity, the two natures of Christ, and the divine election (total grace). The word, Trinity, came much later, but the doctrine is already there in the writings of the apostles in the NT.

I understand that those issues were the main focus of most of the writings of the NT. It may appear that Paul and James had different ideas about works. But they wrote what they wrote because of the issues that presented in churches at that time.

I think the NT was written in a different way compared to the OT. God chose some to write the NT and they wrote as witnesses to the works of God. And their writings have the equal authority as God’s own words. Most importantly, God gave them the authority to interpret His words by the power of the Holy Spirit following what Christ did when He taught on the earth. Each has a different level of understanding. Although they were given the same task of preaching the gospel, their circumstances and tasks were slightly different. For example, Paul was given the task of building churches in Asia whereas Peter was sent to the circumcised (See Galatians 2:7). Each saint is given the same and yet different tasks in this world.

As I write here, I also learn. I am no theologian. But I know God is not pleased with the Covenant Theology along with the Active Obedience of Christ. I do not doubt that God wants us to re-examine the meaning(s) of Christ’s death, which all apostles emphasized.