Galatians 2:18,19 - I died to the Law

2:18

Suppose Paul did rebuild the Law, ie if he did devote himself to keeping the Law, what would that prove? All it would prove is that he was indeed a transgressor. The fundamental error in Judaism, indeed in all religious systems and all non-religious systems is that somehow we are good enough. If we only have the right system, whether that be the Law in the case of Judaism, or some set of values, we can become “good”. But whatever system we adopt we will fail. It will only prove that we cannot reach the set standard.

2:19

The big mistake the Jews made was to think that the Law was it. Now, as Paul makes clear elsewhere, the Law is good, and it is still good for teaching. But the Law cannot make us righteous. Indeed a proper understanding of the Law led Paul to die to the Law, to give up on observing the Law as a means of being righteous with God. Indeed, as a means of living for God. Now that he had died to the Law he could, somewhat paradoxically, truly live for God. Giving up on the Law does not mean getting away with stuff, it means living for God.