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The Book of Galatians is frequently regarded as a pivotal book in Christianity's rejection of the Law and the Torah for non-Jewish believers today. Christians will tell you that the Book of Galatians describes the believer's freedom in Yeshua the Messiah, God's grace in providing atonement, and life under the direction of the Holy Spirit.
Answer for yourself: But is this really the truth that Paul was trying to convey to his audience in the first century or have we today possibly terribly misunderstood the real message of Paul in this letter?
Sadly, the Book of Galatians
is also often portrayed as the death knell of Messianic Judaism and of any
Jewish observance among believers; both Jews and
Christians.
Answer for yourself: What is the real message of the book of Galatians?
Answer for yourself: Is it possible that you have been completely misled in understanding Paul's point in Galatians because you have failed to understand the unique circumstances that prompted its writing in the first place?
Answer for yourself: Is it possible that when Paul was saying to the Gentile believers of Galatia that "your not under the Law" that he only meant "ONE LAW;" the commandment of circumcision as it was being applied by the Jews toward Gentile believers for their inclusion into the Israel of God and that he never intended the Gentile believers to believe that the commandments of the Sabbath, the Biblical Festivals, Kosher, proper observance of the Tithe, etc., did not any longer apply to them, let alone all non-Jewish believers as we have construed today?
We will have to investigate it closely to be sure, and you will be wonderfully surprised once finishing your study considering what you have heard preached by the majority of Pastors and teachers in the contemporary Christian churches of today.
Answer for yourself: Is the book of Galatians teaching the cessation and abolition of all Jewish observances among Jews as well as Gentile believers in Yeshua?
Some say yes, some say no. Only one group can be correct. We must investigate to be certain we don't fall into the group that erroneously teaches doctrines opposite of what Yeshua and Paul intended for us to both "know" and "do."
Answer for yourself: Does the book of Galatians teach the abolition of obedience to ordinances, statutes, and commandments taught both by Moses and Yeshua and intended to be taught likewise to the Gentiles in the Great Commission?
You must be the judge for yourself as you study.
Other than the book of Revelation, the book of Galatians is the most misunderstood book in the whole of the Bible!
Answer for yourself: Does the book of Galatians teach that grace has replaced the need for obedience to God's Laws that were given to provide examples and patterns for Godly conduct if obeyed?
You must be the judge for yourself as you study.
These are just a few of the difficult questions we will address in the
following articles.
Unfortunately, the "cessation of the Law" perspective has surfaced more regularly since the modern rise of the Messianic Jewish movement which is a movement among today's Jewish followers of Yeshua as well as Gentile followers which stresses the return to the Hebraic Roots of early Christianity. It is their intent to express themselves and their faith using the Jewish traditions and help establish Messianic synagogues and churches. Bet Emet Ministries and ministries like it are the fruit of Teshuvah (returning to God). The cause for such a return among multitudes of Christians to "THE FAITH ONCE GIVEN TO THE SAINTS" is the many Biblical truths that have come to light and which have been illuminated through in-depth study of the first century faith of Yeshua by those within the Messianic movement. We are indebted to the discovery of the Deal Sea Scrolls for new illumination that makes suspect much of what we inherited as "church tradition". It is these Biblical truths which have remained hidden for centuries by traditional Christianity, which only now, in our day and time, especially since the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, and the Nag Hammadi library are being revealed to all serious seekers of truth. Because of the surfacing of new Biblical truths in our day, as stated above we benefit today by being assured of the correct interpretation of the Book of Galatians (historically, linguistically, culturally) which must be used and presented as the antidote to the errors being preached from the pulpits of our land which mistakenly lead good people away from the righteousness of God and into sin, much of which they are not aware.
The cause for such a return among multitudes of Christians to "the faith once given to the saints" is the many Biblical truths that have come to light and illumination through in-depth study of the faith of the first century...especially since the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Nag Hammadi Library of Egypt
Answer for yourself: We must come to terms with the biggest question facing the Christian in his walk with God; namely, does the Book of Galatians indeed teach that maintaining the Jewish traditions and heritage is wrong for the followers of Yeshua, both Jew and Gentile? I am totally convinced that once you study you can confidently say "no."
Answer for yourself: Surprisingly, contrary to what you have been erroneously taught, does the book of Galatians in fact, rightly interpreted, teach that Gentile believers ARE TO OBSERVE JEWISH ordinances such as Sabbath, New Moon, Holy Days and Sabbaths?
To your surprise, that is exactly what Paul is telling them as you can
quickly see from Galatians chapter 4:8:
8 Howbeit <235> then <5119> <3303>, when ye knew <1492> (5761) not <3756> God <2316>, ye did service <1398> (5656) unto them which by nature <5449> are <5607> (5752) no <3361> gods <2316>. 9 But <1161> now <3568>, after that ye have known <1097> (5631) God <2316>, or <1161> rather <3123> are known <1097> (5685) of <5259> God <2316>, how <4459> turn ye <1994> (5719) again <3825> to <1909> the weak <772> and <2532> beggarly <4434> elements <4747>, whereunto <3739> ye desire <2309> (5719) again <3825> <509> to be in bondage <1398> (5721)? {turn ye again: or, turn ye back} {elements: or, rudiments} 10 Ye observe <3906> (5731) days <2250>, and <2532> months <3376>, and <2532> times <2540>, and <2532> years <1763>. 11 I am afraid <5399> (5736) of you <5209>, lest <3381> <4458> I have bestowed <2872> <0> upon <1519> you <5209> labour <2872> (5758) in vain <1500>.
Before we begin...some more questions to set the stage....
Answer for yourself: Have you been taught by
your church that "those old Jewish rites and ceremonies" have been
done away with by the death of Yeshua? Most likely you have.
Answer for yourself: In this book of
Galatians, do we find Paul writing before or after the Yeshua's death to
Gentile believers in Galatia, Asia Minor? Definitely after Yeshua's death.
Answer for yourself: Does Paul tell them
that at one time
they did not know God, His ways, and were ignorant of His
precepts, ordinances, statutes, and commandments; therefore their religious
worship was service unto "non-gods?" Yes.
Answer for yourself: Does Paul remind them
that they are no
longer in ignorance of God or His ways, in fact, does
Paul stress the point that "NOW" they have come to the
knowledge of the True and Living God? Yes on both counts.
Answer for yourself: Do you see Paul's
emotional consternation at the fact that NOW, these Gentile believers, having
since come to know God, His ways, His statutes, and His commandments, were
TURNING BACK AGAIN (quote from Gal. 4:9) to
those things which they had previously practiced while yet ignorant Gentiles? I
hope so.
Answer for yourself: Can you now see that these believing Gentiles who had come to know God's ways, rites, ordinances, commandments, Sabbaths, Festivals, etc., WERE TURNING BACK AGAIN UNTO those months and pagan days, and holidays which they had previously repented of and ceased to observe and practice since coming to faith and knowledge in the God of Israel? You should be able to see that now.
In other words these
formerly pagan believers who observed pagan holy days had repented of such
false worship once coming to the knowledge of God and His ways, but were now,
falling away from Messianic Judaism and returning to pagan worship which they
had before...much of which the Christian Church still observes today in their
rejection of Biblical Judaism
Answer for yourself: How can we be sure that those "months, days, and years" are not Jewish Festivals and Sabbaths and that Paul is rebuking Gentile believers for observing?
That's easy, for pagans did not of their own course celebrate Jewish Holy
Days for they had their own pagan holidays which they observed (like Lent,
Easter, Sol Invictus as Sunday, Christmas as the Saturnalia, etc.). It would be physically impossible for these
Galatian believers to have been practicing paganism and "return
again" to paganism. Such an idea does grave injustice to the
thoughts of Paul. If one turns again he received a new direction.
Most definitely we find here that
Gentile believers, having turned from prior pagan days and their perverted
worship, were observing Jewish and Biblical days once that they have come to
"know God and His ways." It is from these Biblical
days, months, and years from which they were turning since coming to faith and
knowledge in the God of Israel and going back to their previous pagan ways; and
under the influence of emotionalism and false teaching found themselves
returning back to the pagan holidays of
their previous religious lives. To such we have Paul's admonition
and rebuke. Thus we find that nowhere
does the grace we receive from God absolve us of our responsibility to obey the
teachings of the Apostles as we find Paul teaching Gentiles in
Galatia.
Answer for yourself: Do you now see that Paul was teaching Gentiles to observe the Jewish Festivals, Holy Days, and Sabbaths, and it was from these Biblical injunctions that they "were turning back away from" to return AGAIN to the pagan life-style from which they had been delivered since coming to God and His ways?
You should.
Answer for yourself: Is this what is done in
your church as well? When was the last time your Pastor let you in the Passover
Haggadah, or Shavout, or Sukkoth, or Rosh HaShannah, or taught correctly the
Sabbath? Has you church rejected the Biblical Festivals in favor of their own
"traditional" church calendar inherited from Rome?
Answer for yourself: Having seen that
manifestations of the Law (such as adherence and observance of Festivals and
Sabbath-Saturday) were being taught to Gentiles following the cross of Yeshua,
then was Paul teaching Gentiles to obey these laws TO
BE SAVED or BECAUSE THEY WERE SAVED
THEY OWED THEIR OBEDIENCE TO THE ONE WHO SAVED THEM? Obedience is
always our loving response to God's grace is saving us.
Answer for yourself: So then, if Gentiles who had faith in God thorough the ministry of Yeshua after his death were taught by Paul after the cross to observe and keep Holy Days and Jewish Days (which just so happen to be Biblical days), then dear Christian, what right do we have to attend churches which do not teach us these things, but rather substitute Roman and Greek pagan holidays which look religious because 1700 years ago early Catholic church fathers attached Yeshua's name to them?
We have no right and should repent immediately and learn how to observe
those special appointed times with God which He gave us, and no longer observe
those church holidays given to us by man. Once you see this the shame should be
the greatest motivator for your repentance and return to "The Faith Once Given To The
Saints".
Knowing that we are saved by grace, such knowledge should not give us a license to sin by not observing the commandments of God. We, as thankful believers should desire to obey the God who gives us the free gift of eternal life and salvation. If, when reading the Bible, and especially Paul, let us never forget that the only part of the Law that was written in ordinances which was against us was the "death penalty" for our breaking of the Laws of God. It is this part of the Law, the judicial part of the Law that revealed our need for salvation, that has served its purpose to motivate us and lead us to God and His salvation. That part of the Law is finished in the life of a believer as the Law has drawn him God and His Torah; for within the Torah is the blue-print for Eternal Life.
However, the instructive and
teaching aspect of the Law still remains for non-Jewish
believers today (Christians) as it did for the Galatians and Paul. To such
Gentiles Paul took the Law (regarding Biblical days, months, and years) and to
us he would do the same. It is a shame that Paul could say that he was
"not guilty of failing to preach the whole counsel of God" when so
many are guilty today. Paul taught the
Law as a consequence of "being saved," thus strengthening our
relationship with the God who saves us, and not as a prerequisite to being
saved.
So for anyone that teaches or preaches that Gentile believers are NOT to observe the Law because it brings bondage and legalism (ie., the commandments, statutes, and ordinances concerning such things as Festivals, Sabbaths, Holy Days, etc.) have totally misunderstood Paul and his message in Galatians. Such views espoused by many churches conflict with the message of Paul by 180 degrees!
Answer for yourself: Does our
misunderstanding of the message of Paul cause us to sin by producing in us
multitudes of conflicting denominational and non-denominational belief systems
and their resulting conducts and behaviors which, more often than not, oppose
the real words and message of which God commanded us to both believe and do? It
sure does.
...to be sure we to be right with God we must interpret His word correctly... we must study from a Jewish viewpoint (REMEMBER YESHUA IS JEWISH AND WE ARE TO HAVE THE MIND OF CHRIST ...THIS IS A JEWISH MIND)...
Answer for yourself: Have you ever thought that you could go to church and be taught to sin by being told "not to do what God has said," "by being told what God said passed away", "by being told that much of the Bible was pertinent only till the death of Yeshua and the death of Yeshua changed everything (I just showed you it didn't as Paul still was teaching much of the Law to the Gentiles AFTER Yeshua's death)," and by being told "to do, observe or practice" what God never said; in fact He said "Don't do it"?
Well you have if you belong to one of the 2,000 different Protestant and
Catholic denominations in the world today which reject the Hebrew Roots of the
early church.
To help the Christian answer these questions correctly, and to be sure we
are right with God, we must interpret His word correctly; we must study from a
Jewish viewpoint (REMEMBER JESUS IS
JEWISH AND WE ARE TO HAVE THE MIND OF CHRIST ON THIS ISSUE WHICH IS A JEWISH
MIND). Thus we have presented these series of articles for
there is more misunderstanding concerning the Book of Galatians than any other
of Paul's writing. In order for us to correctly understand this material, a
brief survey of the context of the book is necessary. An important part of this
context includes the Law and its relationship to grace, the Judaism of the
Second Temple period, and some of the possible historical circumstances
surrounding Galatians.
The relationship of "covenant" to the Law is an important foundation for approaching the Law's relationship to grace. Tremendous similarities exist between the biblical covenant passages of the Law (e.g., Exodus 20ff. and Deuteronomy) and the ancient Hittite treaties appearing in the 13th and l4th centuries B.C. They exhibit a nearly identical structure and sequence of elements. We must examine this structure of covenants if we are to correctly arrive at an understanding of Law that reinforces the concept that the LAW IS GRACE as manifested by God through commandments that reflect our responsibility to the ONE to whom we are in covenant. Let us examine the concept that Law is really grace by examining the structure of Biblical covenants as seen below:
Treaties such as these were called "suzerainty treaties"
whereby the subject entered into an oath of
loyalty and trust to a great king OUT OF GRATITUDE FOR BENEFITS ALREADY RECEIVED. Thus, the treaty (COVENANT) served as a declaration of the
lordship of the king over his servant people. The PAST GENEROSITY of the king
(in our case the king is God) formed the basis for gratitude and future
obedience by his subjects (the people of God).
Answer for yourself: Do you love God (the
King) because He first loves you? I hope so. That is all we are saying here,
and since you do, and since God first loved us, then we have the responsibility
to obey our King!
The historical prologue served as an encouragement and reminder of this.
This "historical chronicle" and listing of the king's blessings
toward his people was designed to inspire confidence and gratitude in his
people and to encourage the people
to keep their covenant obligations through obedience.
Answer for yourself: Does the Bible and its
many precious promises inspire your obedience to your King and God? I hope so.
Thus we can see why God preserved the Bible, especially the Hebrew
Scriptures (the old testament) in order to remind us of His love and protection
of His people in times past, thus reinforcing our expectation that he would do
the same with us. The result of such thinking on our part is culminated in our
desire to obey the covenant stipulations and obligations. Let us never forget
that "we love Him for He first loved us!"
As love initiated the relationship between God and man, so it was to permeate the whole of its continuation. Love (in response to God's goodness as seen in man's obedience to the King's commands) and gratitude (for His love and blessings when we were yet sinners) is to infect all of life and thought under the covenant with God.
While grace is the motivation for covenant obedience, love stands as the key to the covenant relationship. The historical prologue shows this quite clearly. It points to the gracious actions of the king prior to the covenant and in initiating it, and specifies this as the foundation of the relationship. The Bible records for us the powerful demonstration of God's love to Israel as seen in both the Exodus and the Book of Deuteronomy chapter 1:1 through Deuteronomy 8:40. This had been preceded by his love to their ancestors (Dt. 4:37; 7:7-11; 10:15). As love initiated the relationship between God and man, so it was to permeate the whole of its continuation. Love (in response to God's goodness seen in man's obedience to the King's commands) and gratitude (for His love and blessings when we were yet sinners) is to infect all of life and thought under the covenant with God. In fact, Deuteronomy 5-11 (the giving and receiving of the Covenant at Sinai with its stipulations and commandments) can be seen as an emphasis on whole-hearted love to God as we respond to Him in obedience which is the better than any sacrifice, with Deuteronomy 6:4-6 providing its classic expression of love and commitment to God...the Shema. This latter passage calls for exclusive devotion and commitment to God alone, a love expressed through the entire person. It is through this Covenant that we find a total pattern for life given by the Creator of all life, with Deuteronomy 12-25 providing the guidelines for this pattern of living (the many commandments) as we live out our relationship with God through obedience to those things He requires of us His people. These chapters of commandments provide concrete expressions of love and devotion to God and its natural consequence, love for others.
So, love, not
law, forms the core of our relationship with God.
The historical pattern of the Near Eastern treaty reinforces this
perception. It was not obedience to the Law which resulted in the covenant and
a relationship with God. The historical pattern begins with a miraculous
deliverance, the Exodus, an example of God's grace.
Answer for yourself: What came
first...obedience on our part or the grace and love of God for His people?
Grace and love initiated a covenant
by which we are required to respond to this love and grace in
obedience.
Following grace and love from God comes the "cutting" of a covenant between God and His people and a relationship is formalized, again at God's initiative. In essence, then, the covenant legally formalized an already existing relationship rather than actually establishing one.
So...we don't obey to be "saved"...we obey "because we already have received" salvation...this is of paramount importance in understanding Paul and his writings on the Law.....Paul was not against the Law....in context referring only to the law of circumcision as you will come to see shortly....
It is the commandments that provided the guidelines in maintaining the relationship and indicated what was expected of one in covenant relationship with God.
This is nowhere better seen than in the historical prologue of such treaties. Let us examine such a historical prologue from the Covenant as seen in Ex. 6:6-8:
Exod 6:6-8 6 Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments: 7 And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. 8 And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for an heritage: I am the LORD. (KJV)
Only after all this--the Exodus and the formalizing of the covenant
relationship--did the ordinances, commandments, and stipulations follow. It is the commandments that provided the
guidelines in maintaining the relationship and indicated what was expected of
one in covenant relationship with God.
Answer for yourself: Are we, the people of
God, because of God's love for us, expected to respond to the love of God
through obedience to commandments contained in our covenant? Yes.
Answer for yourself: Is it the commandments
that provide the guidelines in maintaining the relationship which we have with
God through Covenant? Yes.
Answer for yourself: Is our obedience to commandments contained in our covenant expected of us in order to maintain the proper relationship with God? Yes.
Our obedience to God's commandments contained in our Covenant is expected of us in order to maintain a proper relationship with God.
Answer for yourself: In essence, then, is it correct to view the concept of covenant as a legal formalization of an already existing relationship with God rather than actually establishing one? Yes.
God's Law should be viewed as a "law code" or a manifestation on God's part whereby we, as God's people, may choose and exercise a loving response to the grace of God by obedience to those things that please Him as required by our King
Answer for yourself: Therefore, should the Torah (Law) be viewed as a law code or a manifestation on God's part whereby we, as God's people, may choose and exercise a loving response to the grace of God by obedience to those things required by our King? Without a doubt, the Torah, 613 commandments or Law, as it is negatively called, is nothing more than a gracious opportunity given to us to show our love for God by doing the things He requires of us.
Some of you may not be familiar or remember this, but in fact, the Hebrew word used for the negative term "Law" means "instruction" and "teaching." Law codes existed in Moses' time and could have served as a pattern for the biblical texts. The explicit covenant formulation of Exodus and Deuteronomy stands as strong, direct evidence that this is a treaty or covenant, and not a code of law. It is a declaration of God's kingship and his gracious choice of a people for Himself.
A people related to God the King through Covenant were naturally to live a sovereignly designated order of life as required by the King, for which they received instructions, the Torah, the Law...benefits bestowed, or a relationship entered, logically implies consequent responsibilities on the part of man toward God.
A people related to God the king
through covenant were naturally to live a sovereignly designated order of life
as required by the king, for which they received instructions, the Torah.
The designated order of life was important for good
communications and an orderly relationship. When a people entered into such a covenant relationship, they
gratefully took on certain obligations, the instructions which served as a
guide for the covenant order of life. There is a basic
underlying principle here; benefits
bestowed, or a relationship entered, logically implies consequent
responsibilities on the part of man toward God. In other words, the Torah was
not given in answer to the question, "What must I do to enter into a
relationship with God (or receive salvation)?"
Understanding this, let us never forget that the Torah (Hebrew Scriptures
contained in commandments and ordinances) was given ONLY in answer to the
question, "Now that I have this wonderful relationship with God, how can I
express my gratitude and demonstrate my love to the ONE who loved me in the
first place?" If only the Christian Church could understand this concept,
their perspective on the Law would be totally revolutionized!
Answer for yourself: Does not the Hebrew
word used for the negative term "Law" in all actuality mean
"instruction" and "teaching" which is not negative but
positive? Yes.
Answer for yourself: As a people related to God our King through "covenant," are we expected by God to live our lives as ordered by the King? Yes.
When a people entered into such a covenant relationship, they gratefully took on certain obligations; the instructions which served as a guide for the covenant order of life.
Answer for yourself:
Does it not stand to reason that if we are required to live a life as ordered
by the King that he would give us the required instructions? Yes.
Answer for yourself: Are you coming to
better understand that such "required instructions" are contained in
the Torah in spite of the "brainwashing" from gross misinterpretation
of the Pauline literature by the anti-Semitic Gentile Church over the
centuries? I hope so.
The Near Eastern treaty pattern thus bears directly on one's
understanding of the essence of Torah. Essentially, the great king granting the
treaty says: "These are all the things I've done for you. You didn't
deserve them, but I did them nevertheless. Now, because of your gratitude and
love, I expect you to be faithful to me and my government. Here's how you can
be faithful and demonstrate your love and loyalty; these are my
guidelines." So the concept of covenant shows that all of the Torah
material must be understood as the grace of God. He established the nation and
the covenant relationship by grace, and he graciously provided guidelines for
expressing that relationship through love and loyalty.
Consistent with this, there are throughout the Old Testament repeated references to God's graciousness. The very first words of "the Law" (Ex. 20:2) are a recounting of grace: "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, who brought you out of slavery." As Moses chisels out the two replacement tablets of the commandments, God passes before Moses and proclaims His character, "The Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and abounding in love and faithfulness, demonstrating love to thousands and forgiving evil and sin." (Ex. 34:6-7) The Psalms speak beautifully of God's love, mercy and compassion, not man's efforts, as the basis for his forgiving sin (51:1; 25:7; 103:10-13).
Psalm 51:1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.
Psalm 25:7 Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness' sake, O LORD.
Psalm 103:10 (KJS) He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. 11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, [so] great is his mercy toward them that fear him. {as...: Heb. according to the height of the heaven} 12 As far as the east is from the west, [so] far hath he removed our transgressions from us. 13 Like as a father pitieth [his] children, [so] the LORD pitieth them that fear him.
When Paul wants to provide evidence that righteousness before God is based on a faith response to God's grace (Rom. 10:6-8), he cites Deuteronomy 30:12-14.
Roma 10:6 (KJS) But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down [from above]:) 7 Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) 8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, [even] in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
Deut 30:12 (KJS) It [is] not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? 13 Neither [is] it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? 14 But the word [is] very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.
Answer for yourself: Had you noticed before now that Paul in Romans 10:6 is quoting
an Old Testament Scripture and not giving us any NEW information? I
don't think that the majority of Christians were aware that much of what we
have heard preached in our churches, much of which we interpreted as new and
different from the Old Testament, is in actuality the same message that God has
been giving mankind since the beginning!
At other times (Rom. 1:17; 4:3) Paul points to the Old Testament (Hab. 2:4; Gen. 15:6) as teaching that salvation and relationship with God come as a result of faith and not law-keeping alone. The Torah and the Old Testament are full of grace.
Roma 1:17 (KJS) For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
Roma 4:3 (KJS) For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
Haba 2:4 (KJS) Behold, his soul [which] is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.
Gen. 15:6 And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.
if we have faith, we will respond in faith to the Words of God accurately by obeying properly the commandments of God
As you can
see for yourself, the Scriptures that you have heard your whole life quoted in
the Christian church, that has reinforced the erroneous idea that we are no
longer under Law, but under grace come from the Old Testament which teaches we
are "under" the Law. Those Scriptures in the New
Testament that has led you to mistakenly believe that since Yeshua we are under
grace through faith, where as before Yeshua there was no grace, is in reality
Old Testament Scriptures which were never used in such a manner by "holy
men of old moved by the Holy Spirit".
Answer for yourself: Can you now see that
grace was always given to man, even in the Old Testament? I hope so.
Answer for yourself: Can you now see that
imputed righteousness has ALWAYS BEEN GIVEN TO MAN FROM GOD in response to his
faith? I hope so.
Answer for yourself: Can you now begin to see for yourself that if we have faith, we will respond in faith to the Words of God accurately by obeying properly the commandments of God?
That means we will follow and observe the picture in the New Testament which teaches us that non-Jewish believers in God through the ministry of Yeshua kept and observed the Law and Commandments of God as they were their Covenant stipulations which determined one's relationship and standing with God
Let us continue with the second teaching from Galatians. Shalom.