Legalism by Design or Default?

Thinking and reading on the NPP again, I came across a interesting article by Tim Gallant on the Judaizers of Galatia. What opened up bright new shining streets for me though, with a little thought about tying in salvation-history as well, was just one phrase: That for the Judaizers 'Judaism becomes a merit religion, not by design but by default'. On a first re-reading of Galatians this afternoon, that could well explain both the clear focus on the Jew-Gentile relationship and the less prominent passages clearly combating legalism.

Re-reading an article by Bruce Longenecker (in this book) I found the same idea...

I think I read too fast, and with too little thought, because this happens to me time and again! Piper would be ashamed of me.

[update: and now I learn Richard Baxter would be as well:

"It is not the reading of many books which is necessary to make one wise, but the well reading of a few, could they be sure to have the best."]

...Still learning...