Sometimes when I tell people that I am allergic to wheat, dairy, and potatoes, I get some interesting responses. "Oh, my god, I am so sorry." "I could never live without cheese!" "That's so sad, I love bread."
I don't really know if these responses are supposed to comfort me. I think, usually, people are putting themselves into my position. Wheat, dairy, and potatoes constitute a large portion of the American diet, especially fast food diets. Those allergies rule a lot out. I'm forced to think out of the box. I have to go to special stores and usually pay more. It's not fun or convenient.
I think it's kind of melodramatic, though, when people say they would never live without those things. Actually, you can. Your body will survive without wheat products. Hard to wrap your mind around, I know.
I was reading Deuteronomy today and came across this verse: "He [God] humbled you, allowing you to become hungry, and then fed you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had ever known, to make you understand that a person does not live on food alone but on everything that comes from the mouth of Adonai" ~8:3.
Jesus used this verse against Satan after forty days of fasting. Satan asked him why he didn't just change the rocks into bread, and Jesus said this.
I think God made food to be pleasurable. He didn't make processed cheese puffs and mountain dew, but he made cows for their meat and milk. He made fruits that are sweet. He wanted us to enjoy his creation. But it's not the only thing we survive on.
Think about it - a large majority of people in this world have never had the chance at as much variety as we do in our society. We have pastas, cheeseburgers, quesadillas, oatmeal - I could go on and on! A lot of people, though, have meat just a few times a year. They could never dream of all the crazy things people cook these days.
Our society loves food, and I think we've come to the point where we think it's one of the centerpieces of our lives. Of course you need it to survive. Of course, God gave us certain things to enjoy. But I need to remember that wheat bread and ice cream and mashed potatoes aren't going to make my life better. I need to survive on every word from the mouth of Adonai.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Galatians 3
The third chapter, the one that brings all the controversy! Links: Bible Gateway - NIV, Blue Letter Bible - KJV, Bible Gateway - ESV. Again, I'll be quoting from David Stern's translation unless otherwise noted.
To recap: during chapter one and two, Paul recognized that there was a gospel being preached that was contrary to the true gospel. This gospel claimed that the Galatians had to undergo the ritual of circumcision and officially convert to Judaism to be saved. At the end of Galatians 2, he says that this is silly: merely following these laws is not sufficient to save someone.
Paul uses the first five verses of chapter 3 to call the Galatians stupid (hehe) and ask if they forgot how the Spirit worked. "Are you that stupid? Having begun with the Spirit's power, do you think you can reach the goal under your own power? . . . What about God, who supplies you with the Spirit and works miracles among you - does he do it because of your legalistic observance of Torah commands or because you trust in what you heard and are faithful to it?"~3:3, 5
Basically: how can you honestly think doing this will save you? Who do you think you are? You think you can EARN salvation? No, no, no, it is God's grace, and nothing else. You must have forgotten who you're dealing with - the Lord of all creation, who makes us holy.
He uses Abraham to drive the point home. He trusted in God, and it was credited to his account as righteousness. Voila! What's interesting is while Paul uses Abraham to drive this point of faith home, James uses Abraham to speak about deeds coupled with faith.
"Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, 'Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness'—and he was called a friend of God. You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone." ~James 2:21-24 (ESV)
James says that works and faith go hand in hand. This isn't contradictory to what Paul says, is it? I don't think so. Romans 3:31 says, "Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law!"
We can't just take bits and pieces of the bible to support certain beliefs - that's called prooftexting. Scripture interprets scripture.
Anyways, continuing in Galatians 3. Verses 10-14 speak of curses. This can be misinterpreted. Many people say that the law itself was a curse. I'm sorry, but that doesn't match up with everything else in the bible.
"So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous, and good." ~Romans 7:12.
ALL of Psalm 119.
"The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple." ~Psalm 19:7 (and also 8-10)
“For this command which I am giving you today is not too hard for you, it is not beyond your reach. It isn’t in the sky, so that you need to ask, ‘Who will go up into the sky for us, bring it to us and make us hear it, so that we can obey it?’ Likewise, it isn’t beyond the sea, so that you need to ask, ‘Who will cross the sea for us, bring it to us and make us hear it, so that we can obey it?’ On the contrary, the word is very close to you - in your mouth, even in your heart; therefore, you can do it!” ~Deuteronomy 30:10-14 (from the big guy himself!)
So, what IS this curse? Well, it's the curse that comes from not keeping the law. Deuteronomy 27:26 says, "Cursed is the man who does not uphold the words of this law by carrying them out." No one can follow every command. That is the reason God sent his Son. Jesus DID carry out every command in the law. He was flawless, but he still took the punishment of death for those of us who couldn't be perfect. And he did this so that we might receive the Spirit! The Spirit does show up in the Old Testament a few times (Genesis 1:2, Proverbs 1:23, 1 Samuel 19:18-24), but Ephesians 1:13-14 says that the Holy Spirit is a seal guaranteeing our inheritance. Paul speaks in Romans 8 how one can live by the Spirit. We have received an awesome gift!
Galatians 3:15-18, Paul speaks of oaths and promises. "When someone swears an oath, no one else can set it aside or add to it. Now the promises were made to Abraham and his seed. It doesn't say, 'and to seeds', as if to many; on the contrary, it speaks of one - 'and to your seed' - and this 'one' is the Messiah. Here is what I am saying: the legal part of the Torah, which came into being 430 years later, does not nullify an oath sworn by God . . . For it the inheritance comes from the legal part of the Torah, it no longer comes from a promise." ~3:15-18
God's promise was not nullified by the legal part of the Torah. He promised blessings for Abraham and his seed, and the commands later given to Moses do not affect the promise. Paul is mentioning this because the Galatians are listening to a gospel that claims that the law has more power than the promise. Sorry, but no.
What is interesting about this passage is a lot of contemporary Christians ignore it. They speak of a 'New Covenant' over an 'Old' one, and say that the Old Testament has been abolished and we no longer need to follow any of the commands. And yet Paul says that one covenant cannot cancel out another! An oath cannot be added to! In Exodus 19, the Israelites made a covenant with God, saying they would follow his law, and, in return, they would be his treasured possession. I'm not sure why people think this oath just vanished with the coming of Christ. YES, the curse of this law is gone - Christ has taken all the punishment for our imperfections and sins. But the covenant is still there, and if we claim to be a part of Isreal (Romans 11), why would we not attempt to follow all of his laws?
Paul speaks of the reason for the legal part of Torah in Gal. 3:19: "It was added in order to create transgressions." He goes on to ask, "Does this mean that the legal part of the Torah stands in opposition to God's promises?" His answer: "Heaven forbid!" They are not in opposition, but instead the legal part shows how things are sinful so that the promise may be carried out.
Gal. 3:23 is interesting. Here is the verse in the King James Version: "But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed." Unfortunately, many versions use words to imply that we were imprisoned to the law until Christ came. The word 'until' is not found in the original Greek, and the word 'shut up' is a tricky word. It's only used four times in all the New Testament:
1) Luke 5:6, "When they had done this, they INCLOSED a great multitude of fishes; and their nets broke."
2) Romans 11:32, "For God hate CONCLUDED them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon them all.
3) Galatians 3:22, "But the scripture hath CONCLUDED all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe."
4) Galatains 2:23, "But before faith came, we were kept under the law, SHUT UP unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed."
If we look at the context of each verse, it seems like this word means something like 'enclose' or 'group together.' So, all who were kept under the law (and its curses) were grouped together (as sinners) and blinded to the faith that should be revealed. Before faith came, we kept trying to achieve righteousness on our own.
"Accordingly, the Torah functioned as a custodian until the Messiah came, so that we might be declared as righteous on the ground of trusting and being faithful. But now that the time for this trusting faithfulness has come, we are no longer under a custodian." ~3:24-25.
Other versions use the words tutor and teacher instead of custodian. In a way, it's like we graduated high school. The Torah was an important thing, and it kept us until Messiah came, but we are no longer under its rule. So, yes, we are no longer subject to the curses of the law. I just wonder where it says that the standard of righteousness had changed. Isn't this still God's measure of right and wrong? Where in the bible does it say differently? Where does he or his apostles say that the law no longer needs to be followed? I agree that we rely on God's grace for salvation, that he alone can save us and make us righteous, but where does it say that the Torah is no longer what God wants for us?
The last few verses of chapter 3 emphasize Paul's disagreement with some men who preach only Jews can be saved and encouraged the new Christians to undergo the formal ritual of conversion. "For in union with this Messiah, you are all children of God through this trusting faithfulness; because as many of you as were immersed into the Messiah have clothed yourselves with the Messiah, in whom there is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor freeman, neither male nore female; for in union with the Messiah Yeshua, you are all one. Also, if you belong to the Messiah, you are seed of Abraham and heirs according to the promise." ~3:26-29.
If Galatians is a book in which Paul tells new believers that they don't have to follow the Torah, these verses seem a little out of place. Sure, they're nice to hear, but what would they have to do with Paul discarding the entire Tanakh (Old Testament)? If, instead, this book is a response to men who are telling the Galatians the only way they can be saved is through a formal conversion, then these verses fit in perfectly. Paul says that, in Messiah, we are all one. We do not have to be Jews, male, or freemen, to becoming heirs. Anyone can belong to Messiah, not just converts to Judaism.
To recap: during chapter one and two, Paul recognized that there was a gospel being preached that was contrary to the true gospel. This gospel claimed that the Galatians had to undergo the ritual of circumcision and officially convert to Judaism to be saved. At the end of Galatians 2, he says that this is silly: merely following these laws is not sufficient to save someone.
Paul uses the first five verses of chapter 3 to call the Galatians stupid (hehe) and ask if they forgot how the Spirit worked. "Are you that stupid? Having begun with the Spirit's power, do you think you can reach the goal under your own power? . . . What about God, who supplies you with the Spirit and works miracles among you - does he do it because of your legalistic observance of Torah commands or because you trust in what you heard and are faithful to it?"~3:3, 5
Basically: how can you honestly think doing this will save you? Who do you think you are? You think you can EARN salvation? No, no, no, it is God's grace, and nothing else. You must have forgotten who you're dealing with - the Lord of all creation, who makes us holy.
He uses Abraham to drive the point home. He trusted in God, and it was credited to his account as righteousness. Voila! What's interesting is while Paul uses Abraham to drive this point of faith home, James uses Abraham to speak about deeds coupled with faith.
"Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, 'Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness'—and he was called a friend of God. You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone." ~James 2:21-24 (ESV)
James says that works and faith go hand in hand. This isn't contradictory to what Paul says, is it? I don't think so. Romans 3:31 says, "Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law!"
We can't just take bits and pieces of the bible to support certain beliefs - that's called prooftexting. Scripture interprets scripture.
Anyways, continuing in Galatians 3. Verses 10-14 speak of curses. This can be misinterpreted. Many people say that the law itself was a curse. I'm sorry, but that doesn't match up with everything else in the bible.
"So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous, and good." ~Romans 7:12.
ALL of Psalm 119.
"The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple." ~Psalm 19:7 (and also 8-10)
“For this command which I am giving you today is not too hard for you, it is not beyond your reach. It isn’t in the sky, so that you need to ask, ‘Who will go up into the sky for us, bring it to us and make us hear it, so that we can obey it?’ Likewise, it isn’t beyond the sea, so that you need to ask, ‘Who will cross the sea for us, bring it to us and make us hear it, so that we can obey it?’ On the contrary, the word is very close to you - in your mouth, even in your heart; therefore, you can do it!” ~Deuteronomy 30:10-14 (from the big guy himself!)
So, what IS this curse? Well, it's the curse that comes from not keeping the law. Deuteronomy 27:26 says, "Cursed is the man who does not uphold the words of this law by carrying them out." No one can follow every command. That is the reason God sent his Son. Jesus DID carry out every command in the law. He was flawless, but he still took the punishment of death for those of us who couldn't be perfect. And he did this so that we might receive the Spirit! The Spirit does show up in the Old Testament a few times (Genesis 1:2, Proverbs 1:23, 1 Samuel 19:18-24), but Ephesians 1:13-14 says that the Holy Spirit is a seal guaranteeing our inheritance. Paul speaks in Romans 8 how one can live by the Spirit. We have received an awesome gift!
Galatians 3:15-18, Paul speaks of oaths and promises. "When someone swears an oath, no one else can set it aside or add to it. Now the promises were made to Abraham and his seed. It doesn't say, 'and to seeds', as if to many; on the contrary, it speaks of one - 'and to your seed' - and this 'one' is the Messiah. Here is what I am saying: the legal part of the Torah, which came into being 430 years later, does not nullify an oath sworn by God . . . For it the inheritance comes from the legal part of the Torah, it no longer comes from a promise." ~3:15-18
God's promise was not nullified by the legal part of the Torah. He promised blessings for Abraham and his seed, and the commands later given to Moses do not affect the promise. Paul is mentioning this because the Galatians are listening to a gospel that claims that the law has more power than the promise. Sorry, but no.
What is interesting about this passage is a lot of contemporary Christians ignore it. They speak of a 'New Covenant' over an 'Old' one, and say that the Old Testament has been abolished and we no longer need to follow any of the commands. And yet Paul says that one covenant cannot cancel out another! An oath cannot be added to! In Exodus 19, the Israelites made a covenant with God, saying they would follow his law, and, in return, they would be his treasured possession. I'm not sure why people think this oath just vanished with the coming of Christ. YES, the curse of this law is gone - Christ has taken all the punishment for our imperfections and sins. But the covenant is still there, and if we claim to be a part of Isreal (Romans 11), why would we not attempt to follow all of his laws?
Paul speaks of the reason for the legal part of Torah in Gal. 3:19: "It was added in order to create transgressions." He goes on to ask, "Does this mean that the legal part of the Torah stands in opposition to God's promises?" His answer: "Heaven forbid!" They are not in opposition, but instead the legal part shows how things are sinful so that the promise may be carried out.
Gal. 3:23 is interesting. Here is the verse in the King James Version: "But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed." Unfortunately, many versions use words to imply that we were imprisoned to the law until Christ came. The word 'until' is not found in the original Greek, and the word 'shut up' is a tricky word. It's only used four times in all the New Testament:
1) Luke 5:6, "When they had done this, they INCLOSED a great multitude of fishes; and their nets broke."
2) Romans 11:32, "For God hate CONCLUDED them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon them all.
3) Galatians 3:22, "But the scripture hath CONCLUDED all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe."
4) Galatains 2:23, "But before faith came, we were kept under the law, SHUT UP unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed."
If we look at the context of each verse, it seems like this word means something like 'enclose' or 'group together.' So, all who were kept under the law (and its curses) were grouped together (as sinners) and blinded to the faith that should be revealed. Before faith came, we kept trying to achieve righteousness on our own.
"Accordingly, the Torah functioned as a custodian until the Messiah came, so that we might be declared as righteous on the ground of trusting and being faithful. But now that the time for this trusting faithfulness has come, we are no longer under a custodian." ~3:24-25.
Other versions use the words tutor and teacher instead of custodian. In a way, it's like we graduated high school. The Torah was an important thing, and it kept us until Messiah came, but we are no longer under its rule. So, yes, we are no longer subject to the curses of the law. I just wonder where it says that the standard of righteousness had changed. Isn't this still God's measure of right and wrong? Where in the bible does it say differently? Where does he or his apostles say that the law no longer needs to be followed? I agree that we rely on God's grace for salvation, that he alone can save us and make us righteous, but where does it say that the Torah is no longer what God wants for us?
The last few verses of chapter 3 emphasize Paul's disagreement with some men who preach only Jews can be saved and encouraged the new Christians to undergo the formal ritual of conversion. "For in union with this Messiah, you are all children of God through this trusting faithfulness; because as many of you as were immersed into the Messiah have clothed yourselves with the Messiah, in whom there is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor freeman, neither male nore female; for in union with the Messiah Yeshua, you are all one. Also, if you belong to the Messiah, you are seed of Abraham and heirs according to the promise." ~3:26-29.
If Galatians is a book in which Paul tells new believers that they don't have to follow the Torah, these verses seem a little out of place. Sure, they're nice to hear, but what would they have to do with Paul discarding the entire Tanakh (Old Testament)? If, instead, this book is a response to men who are telling the Galatians the only way they can be saved is through a formal conversion, then these verses fit in perfectly. Paul says that, in Messiah, we are all one. We do not have to be Jews, male, or freemen, to becoming heirs. Anyone can belong to Messiah, not just converts to Judaism.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Thoughts on Philippians
I won't go through every chapter, because Galatians is taking me months to finish. Just a few passages that stuck out to me...
"I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength." ~Phil. 4:10-13
Man! If I could truly master this - being content in EVERY situation. Not complaining. Not thinking anything is a waste of my time. Not questioning God. Paul was okay with not having tons of money or even food. Chris (my husband) and I want to move to Tacoma, but we know we'll need first month's rent, deposits, jobs, etc. I was recently took off the Salvation Army's insurance because I'm now married, and I keep thinking about how much I'll have to pay if something happens, or if I want a simple doctor's visit. But Paul says we can do all things through God who gives us strength!
Verse 6 of chapter 4 says, "Don't worry about anything; on the contrary, make your requests known to God by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving." Ah, if only it were that easy.
The beginning of chapter 3 confused me a little bit. Paul boasts about his human qualifications: circumcised, from the tribe of Benjamin, a Pharisee, blameless by the law, etc. But verse 7 says, "But the things that used to be advantages for me, I have, because of the Messiah, come to consider a disadvantage." It seems like he's saying that all of those things were disadvantages to him. If we took just Philippians 3, we could make that assumption, but it seems contradictory to other things he says.
For example, Romans 7:12, "So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good." And also 1 Timothy 1:8, "We know that the law is good if one uses it properly."
Also, I don't think he would consider following the law of Moses a human qualification. He believes it comes straight from the word of God (Romans 7:14, "For we know that the law is spiritual."). Perhaps in verse 6 he's referring to the oral Torah, the Torah built up by the sages throughout time. And in verse 5, when he says he was a Pharisee - that wasn't a title found in the Torah itself, but made by men. It was a human title.
But he cast all of this off for the Messiah. Instead of depending on how men said he was worthy, he relied on the Messiah's grace and love. Yikes, we've got all kinds of self-important things today. Titles from men, things that we do so others will consider us righteous (things not found in the bible), relying on what men say about us and our righteousness.
Throughout this whole letter, Paul calls for unity and love. I think he would have really liked some aspects of the hippie movement. Setting aside differences, coming together for a common purpose.
"Therefore, if you have any encouragement for me from your being in union with the Messiah, any comfort flowing from love, any fellowship with me in the Spirit, or any compassion and sympathy, then complete my joy by having a common purpose and a common love, by being one in heart and mind. Do nothing out of rivalry or vanity; but, in humility, regard each other as better than yourselves - look out for each other's interests and not just for your own." ~Phil. 2:1-4
*verses taken from the NIV and David Stern's Complete Jewish Bible.
"I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength." ~Phil. 4:10-13
Man! If I could truly master this - being content in EVERY situation. Not complaining. Not thinking anything is a waste of my time. Not questioning God. Paul was okay with not having tons of money or even food. Chris (my husband) and I want to move to Tacoma, but we know we'll need first month's rent, deposits, jobs, etc. I was recently took off the Salvation Army's insurance because I'm now married, and I keep thinking about how much I'll have to pay if something happens, or if I want a simple doctor's visit. But Paul says we can do all things through God who gives us strength!
Verse 6 of chapter 4 says, "Don't worry about anything; on the contrary, make your requests known to God by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving." Ah, if only it were that easy.
The beginning of chapter 3 confused me a little bit. Paul boasts about his human qualifications: circumcised, from the tribe of Benjamin, a Pharisee, blameless by the law, etc. But verse 7 says, "But the things that used to be advantages for me, I have, because of the Messiah, come to consider a disadvantage." It seems like he's saying that all of those things were disadvantages to him. If we took just Philippians 3, we could make that assumption, but it seems contradictory to other things he says.
For example, Romans 7:12, "So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good." And also 1 Timothy 1:8, "We know that the law is good if one uses it properly."
Also, I don't think he would consider following the law of Moses a human qualification. He believes it comes straight from the word of God (Romans 7:14, "For we know that the law is spiritual."). Perhaps in verse 6 he's referring to the oral Torah, the Torah built up by the sages throughout time. And in verse 5, when he says he was a Pharisee - that wasn't a title found in the Torah itself, but made by men. It was a human title.
But he cast all of this off for the Messiah. Instead of depending on how men said he was worthy, he relied on the Messiah's grace and love. Yikes, we've got all kinds of self-important things today. Titles from men, things that we do so others will consider us righteous (things not found in the bible), relying on what men say about us and our righteousness.
Throughout this whole letter, Paul calls for unity and love. I think he would have really liked some aspects of the hippie movement. Setting aside differences, coming together for a common purpose.
"Therefore, if you have any encouragement for me from your being in union with the Messiah, any comfort flowing from love, any fellowship with me in the Spirit, or any compassion and sympathy, then complete my joy by having a common purpose and a common love, by being one in heart and mind. Do nothing out of rivalry or vanity; but, in humility, regard each other as better than yourselves - look out for each other's interests and not just for your own." ~Phil. 2:1-4
*verses taken from the NIV and David Stern's Complete Jewish Bible.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Galatians 2
Here is the long awaited second chapter! Links to translations: Blue Letter Bible - KJV, Bible Gateway - NIV, Bible Gateway - ESV. Again, I'll be quoting from David Stern's Complete Jewish Bible.
In this chapter, we see what the real problem is. We see the reason for this entire letter and the beginning of Paul's defense for the true gospel.
Paul continues to speak about his interaction with the other apostles. He said he returned to Jerusalem with Barnabas and Titus and spoke to the leaders. It seems like he is making sure that he hasn't been preaching the wrong gospel. I like the ESV translation of verse 2: "I went up because of a revelation and set before them (though privately before those who seemed influential) the gospel that I proclaim among the Gentiles, in order to make sure I was not running or had not run in vain." This confirms his earlier points at the end of chapter one. His message was from God, but he did want to make sure he was preaching the same message as other men of God.
Verses 3-5 says, "But they didn't force my Gentile companion Titus to undergo circumcision. Indeed, the question came up only because some men who pretended to be brothers had been sneaked in - they came in surreptitiously to spy out the freedom we have in the Messiah Yeshua, so that they might enslave us. Not even for a minute did we give in to them, so that the truth of the Good News might be preserved for you."
So, this is where it comes out. Paul is shedding light on the problem that caused him to write the letter of Galatians in the first place. Throughout the rest of the chapter (which we'll get to), he talks about separation between Jews and Gentiles. The 'men who pretended to be brothers' were interested in making Titus undergo circumcision, and Paul claims that it was linked to enslaving them.
Is the circumcision referred to merely the command of circumcision? By the time of Jesus, circumcision had become directly connected to the act of proselytizing, converting to Judaism through a set of rituals deemed by men. This act of conversion through circumcision isn't seen anywhere in the bible itself - the foreigner is to be accepted and welcomed, not cast aside until he does the proper ritual. This is the reason Paul was fighting against such proselytizing, and as a shorthand way, he called it merely circumcision. This makes sense, since later on in the chapter, he calls the Jews 'the Circumcised' and the Gentiles 'the Uncircumcised.'
This understanding of Paul's language also sheds light on why Paul had Timothy circumcised (Acts 16:3). Later on in Galatians in 5:2-3, Paul himself says, "Mark my words - I, Paul, tell you that if you undergo circumcision, the Messiah will be of no advantage to you at all! Again, I warn you: any man who undergoes circumcision is oligated to observe the entire Torah! you who are trying to be declared righteous by God through legalism have severed yourself from the Messiah! You have fallen away from God's grace!" Is Paul contradicting himself? Is he making Messiah of no benefit to Timothy? It would definitely make more sense if in chapter 5, he is talking about seeking salvation through the ritual of proselytizing or converting. He says many times in his letters that a man's righteousness depends on his faith, so why would a Gentile feel compelled to make his conversion to Judaism official? Either he is seeking the approval of the Jewish men who are pushing for such conversion or he is seeking righteousness through the conversion, and both motivations are wrong. If you are still convinced Paul is talking about the mere act of circumcision, why would following one command in the Hebrew Scriptures completely negate the benefit that Christ has for Gentile believers? I believe he is talking about something much more.
For more information on how Paul's language of circumcision refers to the act of proselytization, you can read Tim Hegg's commentary on Genesis 17:1-27.
In Galatians 2:6-10, Paul talks about how the leaders he met with in Jerusalem recognized that he was to be a missionary to the Gentiles just as Peter would be a missionary to the Jews. They had fellowship, and everyone urged Paul to remember the poor.
2:11-16, Paul talks about his confrontation with Peter. "For prior to the arrival of certain people from [the community headed by] Jacob, he had been eating with the Gentile believes; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, because he was afraid of the faction who favored circumcising Gentile believers. And the other Jewish believers became hypocrites along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy" (2:12-13). Here is where Peter was in the wrong. He ate with Gentile believers, but when a certain group of people arrived, he wouldn't eat with them because he was worried about the approval of men. Other people also followed his example - and Paul calls it hypocrisy.
Paul is very clear that there is no distinction between Jew and Gentile in Christ Jesus - Gal. 3:27-28, Eph. 2:11-16, Col. 3:11. All have sinned, and all have the opportunity to be forgiven. Those preaching to the Galatians claimed there were clear divisions between Jews and Gentiles, and the only way to be saved is by becoming a 'real' Jew - being circumcised and converting properly in the eyes of the sages.
This is Paul's response: "But when I saw that they were not walking a straight path, keeping in line with the truth of the Good News, I said to Peter, right in front of everyone, 'If you, who are a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, why are you forcing the Gentiles to live like Jews? We are Jews by birth, not so-called Gentile sinners'" (2:14-15).
Peter was being a hypocrite! He was a Jew, and he wanted Gentiles to be like the Jews, but he was not accepting the 'truth of the Good News' - that all are equal in the name of Jesus Christ.
"Even so, we have come to realize that a person is not declared righteous by God on the ground of his legalistic observance of Torah commands, but through the Messiah Yeshua's trusting faithfulness. Therefore, we too have put our trust in Messiah Yeshua and become faithful to him, in order that we might be declared righteous on the ground of Messiah's trusting faithfulness and not on the ground of our legalistic observance of Torah commands. For on the ground of legalistic observance of Torah commands, no one will be declared righteous" (2:16).
I know that verse is much different than most translations, but it has the same message. The works of the law will not save a person! Relying on the law for salvation is silly; our salvation comes only through the faithfulness from God. Paul says, 'Even us Jews rely on that grace, not only Gentiles. No one can be declared righteous through observance of the law!'
Verse 19 is the one many people use to say 'We don't need the law anymore!' Here it is in the NIV: "For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God." We can't look at this verse alone. Here is 20-21, also in the NIV: "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!"
Paul speaks of a new life. A life not bound to the curses of the law (and there are a lot in the Torah), but a new life as a result of Christ's crucifixion and resurrection. He lives by faith and clings to God's grace. Great, we all agree!
Usually, however, people disagree on the part the 'law' - I prefer Torah - plays in the life of a believer. Paul has made it clear: the works of the law don't make us righteous, and we are now dependent on God's grace as opposed to the curses of the law. Does that mean the law is completely irrelevant now?
If it does, than was the purpose of the law before Christ to make one righteous? Was the purpose of the law before Christ to bring judgment on anyone who couldn't follow all the laws? God knew his people wouldn't be able to follow every single law. Was he being harsh? Cynical? Was he giving the people a law they couldn't follow? Why would a loving, merciful, compassionate God do such a thing?
Well, in Galatians 3, Paul talks more about the role of the Torah. I will post about that chapter soon, I promise.
In this chapter, we see what the real problem is. We see the reason for this entire letter and the beginning of Paul's defense for the true gospel.
Paul continues to speak about his interaction with the other apostles. He said he returned to Jerusalem with Barnabas and Titus and spoke to the leaders. It seems like he is making sure that he hasn't been preaching the wrong gospel. I like the ESV translation of verse 2: "I went up because of a revelation and set before them (though privately before those who seemed influential) the gospel that I proclaim among the Gentiles, in order to make sure I was not running or had not run in vain." This confirms his earlier points at the end of chapter one. His message was from God, but he did want to make sure he was preaching the same message as other men of God.
Verses 3-5 says, "But they didn't force my Gentile companion Titus to undergo circumcision. Indeed, the question came up only because some men who pretended to be brothers had been sneaked in - they came in surreptitiously to spy out the freedom we have in the Messiah Yeshua, so that they might enslave us. Not even for a minute did we give in to them, so that the truth of the Good News might be preserved for you."
So, this is where it comes out. Paul is shedding light on the problem that caused him to write the letter of Galatians in the first place. Throughout the rest of the chapter (which we'll get to), he talks about separation between Jews and Gentiles. The 'men who pretended to be brothers' were interested in making Titus undergo circumcision, and Paul claims that it was linked to enslaving them.
Is the circumcision referred to merely the command of circumcision? By the time of Jesus, circumcision had become directly connected to the act of proselytizing, converting to Judaism through a set of rituals deemed by men. This act of conversion through circumcision isn't seen anywhere in the bible itself - the foreigner is to be accepted and welcomed, not cast aside until he does the proper ritual. This is the reason Paul was fighting against such proselytizing, and as a shorthand way, he called it merely circumcision. This makes sense, since later on in the chapter, he calls the Jews 'the Circumcised' and the Gentiles 'the Uncircumcised.'
This understanding of Paul's language also sheds light on why Paul had Timothy circumcised (Acts 16:3). Later on in Galatians in 5:2-3, Paul himself says, "Mark my words - I, Paul, tell you that if you undergo circumcision, the Messiah will be of no advantage to you at all! Again, I warn you: any man who undergoes circumcision is oligated to observe the entire Torah! you who are trying to be declared righteous by God through legalism have severed yourself from the Messiah! You have fallen away from God's grace!" Is Paul contradicting himself? Is he making Messiah of no benefit to Timothy? It would definitely make more sense if in chapter 5, he is talking about seeking salvation through the ritual of proselytizing or converting. He says many times in his letters that a man's righteousness depends on his faith, so why would a Gentile feel compelled to make his conversion to Judaism official? Either he is seeking the approval of the Jewish men who are pushing for such conversion or he is seeking righteousness through the conversion, and both motivations are wrong. If you are still convinced Paul is talking about the mere act of circumcision, why would following one command in the Hebrew Scriptures completely negate the benefit that Christ has for Gentile believers? I believe he is talking about something much more.
For more information on how Paul's language of circumcision refers to the act of proselytization, you can read Tim Hegg's commentary on Genesis 17:1-27.
In Galatians 2:6-10, Paul talks about how the leaders he met with in Jerusalem recognized that he was to be a missionary to the Gentiles just as Peter would be a missionary to the Jews. They had fellowship, and everyone urged Paul to remember the poor.
2:11-16, Paul talks about his confrontation with Peter. "For prior to the arrival of certain people from [the community headed by] Jacob, he had been eating with the Gentile believes; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, because he was afraid of the faction who favored circumcising Gentile believers. And the other Jewish believers became hypocrites along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy" (2:12-13). Here is where Peter was in the wrong. He ate with Gentile believers, but when a certain group of people arrived, he wouldn't eat with them because he was worried about the approval of men. Other people also followed his example - and Paul calls it hypocrisy.
Paul is very clear that there is no distinction between Jew and Gentile in Christ Jesus - Gal. 3:27-28, Eph. 2:11-16, Col. 3:11. All have sinned, and all have the opportunity to be forgiven. Those preaching to the Galatians claimed there were clear divisions between Jews and Gentiles, and the only way to be saved is by becoming a 'real' Jew - being circumcised and converting properly in the eyes of the sages.
This is Paul's response: "But when I saw that they were not walking a straight path, keeping in line with the truth of the Good News, I said to Peter, right in front of everyone, 'If you, who are a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, why are you forcing the Gentiles to live like Jews? We are Jews by birth, not so-called Gentile sinners'" (2:14-15).
Peter was being a hypocrite! He was a Jew, and he wanted Gentiles to be like the Jews, but he was not accepting the 'truth of the Good News' - that all are equal in the name of Jesus Christ.
"Even so, we have come to realize that a person is not declared righteous by God on the ground of his legalistic observance of Torah commands, but through the Messiah Yeshua's trusting faithfulness. Therefore, we too have put our trust in Messiah Yeshua and become faithful to him, in order that we might be declared righteous on the ground of Messiah's trusting faithfulness and not on the ground of our legalistic observance of Torah commands. For on the ground of legalistic observance of Torah commands, no one will be declared righteous" (2:16).
I know that verse is much different than most translations, but it has the same message. The works of the law will not save a person! Relying on the law for salvation is silly; our salvation comes only through the faithfulness from God. Paul says, 'Even us Jews rely on that grace, not only Gentiles. No one can be declared righteous through observance of the law!'
Verse 19 is the one many people use to say 'We don't need the law anymore!' Here it is in the NIV: "For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God." We can't look at this verse alone. Here is 20-21, also in the NIV: "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!"
Paul speaks of a new life. A life not bound to the curses of the law (and there are a lot in the Torah), but a new life as a result of Christ's crucifixion and resurrection. He lives by faith and clings to God's grace. Great, we all agree!
Usually, however, people disagree on the part the 'law' - I prefer Torah - plays in the life of a believer. Paul has made it clear: the works of the law don't make us righteous, and we are now dependent on God's grace as opposed to the curses of the law. Does that mean the law is completely irrelevant now?
If it does, than was the purpose of the law before Christ to make one righteous? Was the purpose of the law before Christ to bring judgment on anyone who couldn't follow all the laws? God knew his people wouldn't be able to follow every single law. Was he being harsh? Cynical? Was he giving the people a law they couldn't follow? Why would a loving, merciful, compassionate God do such a thing?
Well, in Galatians 3, Paul talks more about the role of the Torah. I will post about that chapter soon, I promise.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Thoughts on B'ha'alotkha
Yes, I know I haven't finished Galatians...I will get to it! Our bible study has discussed chapters 2 and 3, but we're on a bit of a hiatus right now. I'll still post my thoughts soon.
Today, however, I've just read this week's Torah portion, B'ha'alotkha, Numbers 8:1-12:16. I thought I'd post my thoughts on it.
Complaining
In chapter 11, the Israelites start complaining again. (What's new, right?) They say, "If only we had meat to eat! We remember the fish we used to eat in Egypt - it cost us nothing! - an the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, the garlic! But now we're withering away, we have nothing to look at but this manna" (11:4-6).
The multitude of people who came out of Egypt - Israelites and 'the mixed multitude' - are yearning for their old way of life. It seemed much easier - free, delicious food, solid roofs over their head, safe from the harsh elements of the desert. They seem to have forgotten one tiny thing - THEY WERE SLAVES. How can they be content with going back to a life of slavery just because certain luxuries were present?
Unfortunately, I think this mentality is still around for those of us who have been delivered from slavery. We can still complain about this new life God has given us - because, let's face it, it is harder. It takes more work and more faith than living the way we want to. But did we really live the way we want to when we're not under the freedom of God? No, we were slaves to sin.
Romans 6:17-18 says we were once slaves to sin, but now we're slaves to righteousness! But this 'slavery' is of a different kind. Jesus himself told his disciples in John 15:15 that we were no longer slaves, but his friends because we know what he and God are up to. They're making a way for us to be with them in this life and the next.
God gives the people what they want - meat. There's so much meat that it fills the camp. "But while the meat was still in their mouth, before they had chewed it up, the anger of Adonai flared up against the people, and Adonai struck the people with a terrible plague. Therefore that place was named Kivrot-HaTa'avah [graves of greed], because there they buried the people who were so greedy" (Num. 11:33-34).
Yikes. It seems like we could use the saying "Be careful what you ask for." The people didn't ask, though, just complained. So, be careful what you complain about.
The Lord's Spirit
After the Israelites started complaining, Moses went to God and said, in a nutshell, "I can't handle all these people! I'd rather die than deal with this group of ungrateful people." (His real words are found 11:11-15).
God responds by telling him to bring 70 leaders to him and he will put His Spirit on them. The phrase that caught my eye was, "I will take some of the Spirit which rests on you and put it on them. Then they will carry the burden of the people along with you, so that you won't carry it yourself alone" (11:17).
He does this, giving seventy men His Spirit. Two of the men still at the came receive the Spirit, as well - they were supposed to go to the tent of meeting, but for some reason didn't, and they started prophesying. Moses says, "I wish Adonai would put his Spirit on all of them!" (11:29)
This is really interesting to me. God's Holy Spirit is definitely present in the Hebrew Scriptures. It is present in this chapter, Saul has his Spirit for a while (1 Samuel 10:10-11), David speaks of God's Spirit (Psalm 139:7), he bestows his Spirit on the judges (Judges 3:10). There are more references at this webpage. So, God's Spirit is present, but it seems like he doesn't come into the world with his full power until Pentecost.
Jesus promised his disciples in John 14:16-17 that he will send the Holy Spirit after he leaves them. Acts 2, during the festival of Shavuot, is when the Holy Spirit descends upon the believers gathered together. They begin speaking in different languages, and Peter is given the opportunity to speak about Jesus. In Ephesians 1:13-14, Paul calls him a seal or deposit of our inheritance. He devotes Romans 8 to speaking about how one with the Spirit is distinguished from one who lives according to the flesh. This Spirit is our comforter, counselor, intercessor, helper, leader, and more. He is a great gift from God!
Oh, I just love this book!
Today, however, I've just read this week's Torah portion, B'ha'alotkha, Numbers 8:1-12:16. I thought I'd post my thoughts on it.
Complaining
In chapter 11, the Israelites start complaining again. (What's new, right?) They say, "If only we had meat to eat! We remember the fish we used to eat in Egypt - it cost us nothing! - an the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, the garlic! But now we're withering away, we have nothing to look at but this manna" (11:4-6).
The multitude of people who came out of Egypt - Israelites and 'the mixed multitude' - are yearning for their old way of life. It seemed much easier - free, delicious food, solid roofs over their head, safe from the harsh elements of the desert. They seem to have forgotten one tiny thing - THEY WERE SLAVES. How can they be content with going back to a life of slavery just because certain luxuries were present?
Unfortunately, I think this mentality is still around for those of us who have been delivered from slavery. We can still complain about this new life God has given us - because, let's face it, it is harder. It takes more work and more faith than living the way we want to. But did we really live the way we want to when we're not under the freedom of God? No, we were slaves to sin.
Romans 6:17-18 says we were once slaves to sin, but now we're slaves to righteousness! But this 'slavery' is of a different kind. Jesus himself told his disciples in John 15:15 that we were no longer slaves, but his friends because we know what he and God are up to. They're making a way for us to be with them in this life and the next.
God gives the people what they want - meat. There's so much meat that it fills the camp. "But while the meat was still in their mouth, before they had chewed it up, the anger of Adonai flared up against the people, and Adonai struck the people with a terrible plague. Therefore that place was named Kivrot-HaTa'avah [graves of greed], because there they buried the people who were so greedy" (Num. 11:33-34).
Yikes. It seems like we could use the saying "Be careful what you ask for." The people didn't ask, though, just complained. So, be careful what you complain about.
The Lord's Spirit
After the Israelites started complaining, Moses went to God and said, in a nutshell, "I can't handle all these people! I'd rather die than deal with this group of ungrateful people." (His real words are found 11:11-15).
God responds by telling him to bring 70 leaders to him and he will put His Spirit on them. The phrase that caught my eye was, "I will take some of the Spirit which rests on you and put it on them. Then they will carry the burden of the people along with you, so that you won't carry it yourself alone" (11:17).
He does this, giving seventy men His Spirit. Two of the men still at the came receive the Spirit, as well - they were supposed to go to the tent of meeting, but for some reason didn't, and they started prophesying. Moses says, "I wish Adonai would put his Spirit on all of them!" (11:29)
This is really interesting to me. God's Holy Spirit is definitely present in the Hebrew Scriptures. It is present in this chapter, Saul has his Spirit for a while (1 Samuel 10:10-11), David speaks of God's Spirit (Psalm 139:7), he bestows his Spirit on the judges (Judges 3:10). There are more references at this webpage. So, God's Spirit is present, but it seems like he doesn't come into the world with his full power until Pentecost.
Jesus promised his disciples in John 14:16-17 that he will send the Holy Spirit after he leaves them. Acts 2, during the festival of Shavuot, is when the Holy Spirit descends upon the believers gathered together. They begin speaking in different languages, and Peter is given the opportunity to speak about Jesus. In Ephesians 1:13-14, Paul calls him a seal or deposit of our inheritance. He devotes Romans 8 to speaking about how one with the Spirit is distinguished from one who lives according to the flesh. This Spirit is our comforter, counselor, intercessor, helper, leader, and more. He is a great gift from God!
Oh, I just love this book!
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Galatians 1
During our Sunday night bible study, we've decided to go over Galatians. We've done this for a number of reasons. As a Torah-believing group, a lot of arguments about why we, as believers in Jesus, do no have to follow Torah any longer, come from Galatians. We want to study this book to see if, in fact, they're right, or if there is something else beneath the surface of the supposed Torah-forsaking verses. We have never studied Galatians too deeply, so we thought it would be a great book to go through together.
I have read through the book a few times, and I've decided to post short (heh...maybe) blogs about each chapter. I just can't help it, it is such an intriguing letter.
This letter was written by Paul. There is some debate about when exactly, where it was before or after the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15. May people believe that the First Missionary Journey of Paul's was when the church of Galatia was started, somewhere during Acts 13-14. The date falls somewhere between 48-57 A.D. Galatians for the Practical Messianic by JK McKee goes into a lot of depth about the background of Galatians. It's only the introduction, unfortunately, but you can still learn a lot! (The actual introduction starts on page 7 of the PDF.)
Chapter One
Translations: Blue Letter Bible - KJV, Bible Gateway - NIV, Bible Gateway - ESV. I'll be quoting from David Stern's Complete Jewish Bible, but I'll refer to the original Greek text, since so much gets lost in translation.
In chapter one, Paul writes about two subjects. First, the Galatians are believing a different gospel than the one already presented by Paul and the Apostles. Second, he makes his claim that his gospel is from God, not from men, and his aim is to please God, not men.
"I am astounded that you are so quick to remove yourselves from me, the one who called you by the Messiah's grace, and turn to some other supposedly "Good News," which is not good news at all! What is really happening is that certain people are pestering you and trying to pervert the genuine Good News of the Messiah. But even if we - or, for that matter, an angel from heaven! - were to announce to you some so-called "Good News" contrary to the Good News we did announce to you, let him be under a curse forever!" ~Galatians 1:6-8
Someone - we're not sure yet - but someone other than Paul and the original Apostles are preaching a different gospel and turning the Galatians against Paul. This is the whole basis for the letter. In the next five chapters, Paul will argue in his own defense and against this 'new' gospel.
But what is the real Good News? What is this suspicious party fighting against? I know we have learned 'Jesus dies on the cross and rose from the dead for your sins' for a long time, but I'm going to look at the actual preachings of Paul and the Apostles from Acts. Here are some passages from Acts 13 and 14, Paul's first missionary journey.
After talking about the history of Israel, Paul proclaims that God has fulfilled his promises to Israel by sending his son: "In keeping with his proime, God has brought to Israel from this man's [David's] discendants a deliverer, Yeshua . . . It is to us that the message of this deliverance has been sent! . . . He was taken down from the stake and placed in a tomb. But God raised him from the dead! . . . As for us, we are bringing you the Good News that what God promised to the fathers, he has fulfilled for us the children in raising up Yeshua . . . Therefore, brothers, let is ne known to you that through this man is proclaimed forgiveness of sins! That is, God cleans everyone who puts his trust in this man, even in regard to all the things which you could not be cleared by the Torah of Moshe." ~Acts 13: 23, 26, 29-30, 32, 38-39
The bottom line? Jesus can clean a man from his sins. Following the commands of the Hebrew Scriptures could not save anyone or make him 'white as snow'. Having faith in Jesus would. Paul repeats this in Galatians 1:3-4.
Later, when Paul and Barnabas traveled to Lystra, they healed a crippled man. Amazed by their miracles, the people started calling them Zeus and Hermes and tried to sacrifice to them. In response, they tore their clothes and said, "Men! Why are you doing this? We're just men, human like you! We are announcing Good News to you - turn from these worthless things to the living God who made heaven and earth and the sea and everything in them! In times past, he allowed all peoples to walk in their own ways; yet he did not leave himself without evidence of his nature; because he does good things, giving you rain form heaven and crops in their seasons, filling you with food and your hearts with happiness!" ~Acts 14:15-17
The Good News here is God's sovereignty. He created all the world and he provides for all men. Acknowledging that Jesus is the Son of God requires that you also ackowledge there is a God - and not just any god, but one god who is King of everything.
This is the gospel that Paul preached - and I think the first part is what the 'other gospel' is trying to refute. In later chapters, Paul argues against justification by works. He, and the other Apostles, have preached salvation by faith, nothing else.
Today, I think we have a relativistic society. We have many 'gospels.' Many people say, 'Whatever works for you' or 'My truth may not be true for you.' Even Christians buy into this. If we truly believe the word of God, we can't cling to these thoughts. There's one God, one truth, one way.
I love it when people say, 'Jesus was a really good man' and just leave it at that. Yes, Jesus was a really good man. But they ignore the parts where he claims that he's God (John 18:36-38), where he compares a Gentile woman to a dog (Mark 7:24-30), or where he asks people to drink his blood and eat his flesh (John 6:34-40). Jesus is an amazing person, but someone can't ignore the outrageous things he said! And if someone wants to say that the gospels aren't reliable sources, then how can they know that Jesus was this good person they say he is? There are 'gospels' today who say that Jesus is someone to be admired, but is dead now and doesn't need to be worshiped or served.
In the second subject of the first chapter, Paul talks about how he has gained knowledge of this gospel from God, not men. He met the Son of God personally (Galatians 1:11-12, Acts 9:3-9). He didn't speak with any of the Apostles about it, but immediately started preaching (Acts 9:18-22, Galatians 1:15-17). He waited three years before meeting Peter, but he claims that he did not meet many Messianic congregations or other emissares (Galatians 1:18-24).
Here, Paul is vouching for the integrity of his message. Some people who argue against the authenticity of the gospels use the argument that the disciples collaborated a huge story about Jesus' resurrection and his message. Paul claims he didn't meet any of the other forerunners of The Way movement until three years after his conversion. Whoever is speaking against him to the Galatians has said that he can't be trusted, but Paul argues that his message is straight from God.
He also say in Galatians 1:10 that he is not looking for man's approval, but God's. If he was preaching only to please men, one would think he would have said something to avoid being stoned in Acts 14:19-20. He also talks about the sufferings of the Apostles in 2 Corinthians 6:4-10. He wouldn't go through these things unless he knew they were for something worthwhile.
Unfortunately, many Christians today are seeking men's approval, not God's. They go to church for an hour on Sunday, then live the rest of their lives the way they want.
Many times, people aren't even aware of what God truly wants for them, they rely on pastors to tell them. We need to have a personal experience with God. I don't know how many people see the Son of God personally right before he blinds them, but we do have the bible - the inspired word of God that carries the heart of our Father in heaven. There is great power in community and studying scripture together, but are we gathering our understanding of God from our pastor, mentor, or youth leader, or from the very words of God? We can't rely on people around us to lead us to God. They can guide and help, but we have to be the ones to make that choice. We have to seek him out. And if we seek, we will find! (Matthew 7:7-11)
Oh, my, I love the bible. I'll post about chapter two sometime later.
I have read through the book a few times, and I've decided to post short (heh...maybe) blogs about each chapter. I just can't help it, it is such an intriguing letter.
This letter was written by Paul. There is some debate about when exactly, where it was before or after the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15. May people believe that the First Missionary Journey of Paul's was when the church of Galatia was started, somewhere during Acts 13-14. The date falls somewhere between 48-57 A.D. Galatians for the Practical Messianic by JK McKee goes into a lot of depth about the background of Galatians. It's only the introduction, unfortunately, but you can still learn a lot! (The actual introduction starts on page 7 of the PDF.)
Chapter One
Translations: Blue Letter Bible - KJV, Bible Gateway - NIV, Bible Gateway - ESV. I'll be quoting from David Stern's Complete Jewish Bible, but I'll refer to the original Greek text, since so much gets lost in translation.
In chapter one, Paul writes about two subjects. First, the Galatians are believing a different gospel than the one already presented by Paul and the Apostles. Second, he makes his claim that his gospel is from God, not from men, and his aim is to please God, not men.
"I am astounded that you are so quick to remove yourselves from me, the one who called you by the Messiah's grace, and turn to some other supposedly "Good News," which is not good news at all! What is really happening is that certain people are pestering you and trying to pervert the genuine Good News of the Messiah. But even if we - or, for that matter, an angel from heaven! - were to announce to you some so-called "Good News" contrary to the Good News we did announce to you, let him be under a curse forever!" ~Galatians 1:6-8
Someone - we're not sure yet - but someone other than Paul and the original Apostles are preaching a different gospel and turning the Galatians against Paul. This is the whole basis for the letter. In the next five chapters, Paul will argue in his own defense and against this 'new' gospel.
But what is the real Good News? What is this suspicious party fighting against? I know we have learned 'Jesus dies on the cross and rose from the dead for your sins' for a long time, but I'm going to look at the actual preachings of Paul and the Apostles from Acts. Here are some passages from Acts 13 and 14, Paul's first missionary journey.
After talking about the history of Israel, Paul proclaims that God has fulfilled his promises to Israel by sending his son: "In keeping with his proime, God has brought to Israel from this man's [David's] discendants a deliverer, Yeshua . . . It is to us that the message of this deliverance has been sent! . . . He was taken down from the stake and placed in a tomb. But God raised him from the dead! . . . As for us, we are bringing you the Good News that what God promised to the fathers, he has fulfilled for us the children in raising up Yeshua . . . Therefore, brothers, let is ne known to you that through this man is proclaimed forgiveness of sins! That is, God cleans everyone who puts his trust in this man, even in regard to all the things which you could not be cleared by the Torah of Moshe." ~Acts 13: 23, 26, 29-30, 32, 38-39
The bottom line? Jesus can clean a man from his sins. Following the commands of the Hebrew Scriptures could not save anyone or make him 'white as snow'. Having faith in Jesus would. Paul repeats this in Galatians 1:3-4.
Later, when Paul and Barnabas traveled to Lystra, they healed a crippled man. Amazed by their miracles, the people started calling them Zeus and Hermes and tried to sacrifice to them. In response, they tore their clothes and said, "Men! Why are you doing this? We're just men, human like you! We are announcing Good News to you - turn from these worthless things to the living God who made heaven and earth and the sea and everything in them! In times past, he allowed all peoples to walk in their own ways; yet he did not leave himself without evidence of his nature; because he does good things, giving you rain form heaven and crops in their seasons, filling you with food and your hearts with happiness!" ~Acts 14:15-17
The Good News here is God's sovereignty. He created all the world and he provides for all men. Acknowledging that Jesus is the Son of God requires that you also ackowledge there is a God - and not just any god, but one god who is King of everything.
This is the gospel that Paul preached - and I think the first part is what the 'other gospel' is trying to refute. In later chapters, Paul argues against justification by works. He, and the other Apostles, have preached salvation by faith, nothing else.
Today, I think we have a relativistic society. We have many 'gospels.' Many people say, 'Whatever works for you' or 'My truth may not be true for you.' Even Christians buy into this. If we truly believe the word of God, we can't cling to these thoughts. There's one God, one truth, one way.
I love it when people say, 'Jesus was a really good man' and just leave it at that. Yes, Jesus was a really good man. But they ignore the parts where he claims that he's God (John 18:36-38), where he compares a Gentile woman to a dog (Mark 7:24-30), or where he asks people to drink his blood and eat his flesh (John 6:34-40). Jesus is an amazing person, but someone can't ignore the outrageous things he said! And if someone wants to say that the gospels aren't reliable sources, then how can they know that Jesus was this good person they say he is? There are 'gospels' today who say that Jesus is someone to be admired, but is dead now and doesn't need to be worshiped or served.
In the second subject of the first chapter, Paul talks about how he has gained knowledge of this gospel from God, not men. He met the Son of God personally (Galatians 1:11-12, Acts 9:3-9). He didn't speak with any of the Apostles about it, but immediately started preaching (Acts 9:18-22, Galatians 1:15-17). He waited three years before meeting Peter, but he claims that he did not meet many Messianic congregations or other emissares (Galatians 1:18-24).
Here, Paul is vouching for the integrity of his message. Some people who argue against the authenticity of the gospels use the argument that the disciples collaborated a huge story about Jesus' resurrection and his message. Paul claims he didn't meet any of the other forerunners of The Way movement until three years after his conversion. Whoever is speaking against him to the Galatians has said that he can't be trusted, but Paul argues that his message is straight from God.
He also say in Galatians 1:10 that he is not looking for man's approval, but God's. If he was preaching only to please men, one would think he would have said something to avoid being stoned in Acts 14:19-20. He also talks about the sufferings of the Apostles in 2 Corinthians 6:4-10. He wouldn't go through these things unless he knew they were for something worthwhile.
Unfortunately, many Christians today are seeking men's approval, not God's. They go to church for an hour on Sunday, then live the rest of their lives the way they want.
Many times, people aren't even aware of what God truly wants for them, they rely on pastors to tell them. We need to have a personal experience with God. I don't know how many people see the Son of God personally right before he blinds them, but we do have the bible - the inspired word of God that carries the heart of our Father in heaven. There is great power in community and studying scripture together, but are we gathering our understanding of God from our pastor, mentor, or youth leader, or from the very words of God? We can't rely on people around us to lead us to God. They can guide and help, but we have to be the ones to make that choice. We have to seek him out. And if we seek, we will find! (Matthew 7:7-11)
Oh, my, I love the bible. I'll post about chapter two sometime later.
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