2:19

through law I died toward law: Paul’s words form part of an argument showing that he could not attain a righteous standing before God through “works of law.” (Ga 2:16) The Mosaic Law condemned Paul as a sinner deserving of death, since he could not keep the Law perfectly. (Ro 7:7-11) However, Paul says that he “died toward law” in the sense that he had been freed from the Law. That Law covenant was legally terminated on the basis of Jesus’ death on the torture stake. (Col 2:13, 14) That is why Paul could write to the Christians in Rome that they were “made dead to the Law through the body of the Christ.” (Ro 7:4) When Christians exercised faith in Christ’s sacrifice, they “died toward law.” Because the Law was what led Paul to Christ, Paul could say that it was “through law” that he “died toward law.”​—See study notes on Ga 3:24 and 3:25.