G.K. Beale, «Peace and Mercy Upon the Israel of God. The Old Testament Background of Galatians 6,16b», Vol. 80 (1999) 204-223

This essay has contended that Paul’s reference to "new creation" and the pronouncement of "peace and mercy" on the readers in Gal 6,15-16 is best understood against the background of Isa 54,10 and the surrounding context of similar new creation themes elsewhere in Isa 32–66, which are echoed also earlier in Galatians, especially in 5,22-26. The analysis confirms those prior studies which have concluded that "the Israel of God" refers to all Christians in Galatia, whether Jewish or Christian. Lastly, the demonstration of an Isaianic background for the concept of new creation in Gal 6,15-16 falls in line with Paul’s other reference to "new creation" in 2 Cor 5,17 and John’s allusion to new creation in Rev 3,14, where Isa 43 and 65–66 stand behind both passages. Isa 54,10 was likely not the sole influence on Gal 6,16, but such texts as Psalm 84 (LXX), the Qumran Hymn Scroll (1QH 13,5), and Jub 22,9 may have formed a collective impression on Paul, with the Isaiah text most in focus; alternatively, the texts in Qumran and Jubilees may be mere examples of a similar use of Isaiah 54 on a parallel trajectory with that of Paul’s in Galatians 6.

differs the most; its uniqueness among all the others can be observed by the following differences: (1) it has no introductory clause "and the God of peace"; (2) ei)rh/nh, ("peace") is expressed by the nominative instead of the genitive; (3) e!leoj ("mercy") is added to "peace"; (4) the divine source (God) of the peace is omitted; (5) the identification of the recipients is also different: instead of the usual "with you", Gal 6,16 reads "as many as line up with this rule" and "upon them ... and upon the Israel of God"; (6) finally, it is a conditional benediction, whereas the others are in the indicative⁴⁶.

        What explains these differences between Galatians and the other benedictions? Weima contends that the differences in 1 Thessalo-nians and Galatians are due to Paul’s attempt to summarize the major themes of those two epistles, and that the other benedictions likely also betray the same purpose⁴⁷. This explanation is plausible, especially in Galatians, as we have seen above. Such an intention is further evident from noticing that stoixe/w is a development of 4,25 and 5,25. Sustoixe/w in 4,25 occurs as an introduction to the longest formal Old Testament quotation found in the epistle - from Isaiah 54, which we have just contended above is also being alluded to in the benediction; stoixe/w in 5,25 appears in one of the most highly charged new-creation texts anywhere else in the letter outside of 6,15-16. Also, "Israel" occurs here only in the epistle and may well be a development of the "Jerusalem above" in 4,26, where it is the only reference to "Jerusalem" in a positive redemptive sense in the entire letter (the other occurrences are neutral geographical references [1,17-18; 2,1] or have negative spiritual overtones [4,25]). Such a positive reference to Jerusalem in Gal 4,26 may have helped pave the way for the unique positive reference to "Israel" in 6,16.

        The combination of e!leoj and ei)rh/nh occurs only four other places in the NT, each time as part of the introduction to letters and each time as part of a threefold salutation: xa/rij e!leoj ei)rh/nh (1