Objection: Lawbreakers Are Under “A” Curse (Damnation), Not “THE” Curse in Deuteronomy 28

The issue is the understanding of the whole passage Galatians 3:10-14, which the objector says is “clear” that those who sin are under “a” curse, which he holds to mean damnation, as opposed to being under “the” curse for breaking the Law specified in Deuteronomy 28.  After all, the Law was never given to the Gentiles anyway, so “the” curse supposedly could not refer to a curse that never belonged to the Gentiles.  (This last point is dealt with separately elsewhere.)

Let’s look at the passage in question.

Galatians 3:10-13:
For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.
But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.
And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.
Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:

First, this is a phantom objection because the Greek only says “under curse” (hypo katara) without an article at all!  So some translations say “the” curse (including the King James Version and NKJV) and more say “a” curse.  There is certainly no special grammatical point being made in the original Greek about “a” curse or “the” curse.

Second, the curse in Deuteronomy 28 has nothing to do with anyone’s eternal destiny.  Read Deuteronomy 28:15-68 for yourself and see!  The curses listed are ALL temporal curses having to do with this lifetime.  It is notable that absolutely NOTHING is said about the transgressors’ eternal destiny!  The Law threatened sickness and poverty, but not spiritual death, and with good reason – the hearers were already spiritually dead and nothing in the Law could remedy that.  So the idea that this curse could have anything to do with eternal damnation is laughable.

Third, the curse that those “under the Law” are under must be the one in Deuteronomy 28:15-68, which the text makes absolutely clear, as it says that those under the Law are under the curse FOR (because) the Law says cursed are those who don’t continue in it – Paul quotes the verse immediately before Deuteronomy 28!  So this whole passage must refer to the same curse.

Fourth, the context contrasts those who walk by faith (as believers should do) and those who, like the Galatians, were trying to justify themselves under the Law.  Let’s look at the verse BEFORE this passage.  Galatians 3:9 says, “So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.”  THEN Paul talks about those who are of the works of the Law in verse 10.  Now let’s look at the verse AFTER this passage.  Galatians 3:14 says, “That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.”  So the passage in question is sandwiched between statements that the believer is blessed with Abraham.  Was the blessing of Abraham eternal life?  NO, that was not available back then!  The blessing of Abraham was all about temporal things in this lifetime!  So this whole section is talking about temporal blessings and curses that we have in this lifetime, not eternal salvation or damnation!

Thank God, Jesus redeemed us from the curse by being cursed in our place for our sins.  Therefore, we are redeemed for everything included in this curse in this lifetime, which includes “every sickness and every plague” (Deuteronomy 28:61)!