“You should read Galatians! The law is done away with! Don’t be a legalist!”
Those are phrases I have been told when trying to explain the eternal nature of Yahuah’s law (Torah), which include his Sabbath, Appointed Times, dietary instructions, and other commandments. And to be honest, Galatians was an epistle that I struggled with before understanding its relationship to the entirety of the other Scriptures.
One can read just about any other part of the Scriptures and understand the importance of guarding the commandments and obeying the instructions of Yahuah. But then you get to a few Scriptures where it can get confusing if you don’t keep things in context. And personally, I believe that Galatians may be the most misunderstood book in all of Scripture.
“Man is not declared right by works of Torah, but through belief in Yahusha Messiah…” – Galatians 2:16
Most people read verses like this and think they have Paul figured out. He did away with the Torah and now we just “follow Jesus,” whatever that means. But what is Paul saying in the letter to the Galatians and why does he say certain phrases that appear to contradict much of the rest of Scripture?
Although we think we know him, we should remember that Paul is not easy to understand. Peter reminds us of this fact in his letter…
“And reckon the patience of our Master as deliverance, as also our beloved brother Paul wrote to you, according to the wisdom given to him, as also in all his letters, speaking in them concerning these matters, in which SOME ARE HARD TO UNDERSTAND, which those who are untaught and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do also the other Scriptures.” – 2 Peter 3:15-16
Peter is saying that Paul is hard to understand, and that some who are not familiar with the Scriptures, twist his words to their own destruction.
“You, then, beloved ones, being forewarned, watch, lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the DELUSION OF THE LAWLESS.” – 2 Peter 3:17
What is happening here? Peter is warning the believers not to be led away into lawlessness. Don’t twist the words of Paul. Make sure his words align with the rest of the Scriptures. If you think Paul is lawless (or without Torah), then you are probably reading him wrong. But who is Peter talking to in his letter?
Well, among others, the Galatians. And he wrote this letter to them over a decade after Paul had written his letter, as many had fallen into lawlessness.
“Peter, an emissary of Yahusha Messiah, to the chosen, strangers of the dispersion in Pontos, GALATIA, Kappadokia, Asia, and Bithunia,” – 1 Peter 1:1
I was once like the people of Galatia, twisting the words of Paul towards my own destruction and falling into lawlessness. I used to believe that Yahuah created His Torah only for the people of Israel. Then Yahusha came and reinforced commandment-keeping and obedience. But Paul shows up and does away with all that. But is this correct? Why does most of the New Testament appear to promote obedience to the commandments and then Galatians does otherwise?
Here are a few things we need to remember when we read Galatians:
- Galatians is not stand-alone theology. It must be read in conjunction with the rest of the Scriptures. One cannot isolate Galatians to glean doctrine that goes against the other writings. And this includes the Old Testament.
- Paul is not condemning the Torah. Rather, he is condemning man-made dogmas suggesting that circumcision or animal sacrifice is necessary for salvation.
- Torah observance does not redeem you. Paul says that the Torah is righteous, set-apart, and good (Romans 7), but it also cannot do the work of the High Priest Yahusha. He will resurrect us on the last day, but the Torah provides the instructions of our Father!
If we read the entirety of Scripture concerning Paul, we see his views concerning the Torah…
“For I delight in the Torah of Elohim, according to the inward man” – Romans 7:22
“Do we then nullify the Torah through the belief? Let it not be! On the contrary, we establish the Torah.” – Romans 3:31
“I must by all means keep this coming feast in Jerusalem…” – Acts 18:21
James even encourages Paul to take a vow, showing all the people that he “…walks orderly, keeping the Torah.” – Acts 21:24
So why is the letter to the Galatians so confusing for many? In this letter, Paul is rebuking Pharisaic (now Rabbinic) ideas such as circumcision and animal sacrifice. He is telling us that these “works of the law” are not necessary for salvation. The “Sect of the Circumcision” was a specific group of Pharisees who believed that you needed to perform the outward gesture of cutting the flesh before you could even think about being part of the “club.” But circumcision was always just a sign of the covenant. Abraham came to faith decades before he was circumcised.
In the letter to the Galatians, Paul is teaching us that belief comes through faith in Yahusha Messiah. He is not suggesting that we ignore the Torah (instructions of Yahuah). Rather, he is rebuking the additional manmade traditions that were placed on the Torah. You see, the members of this “Sect of the Circumcision” were replacing the redeeming work of Yahusha with fleshly activities like circumcision and animal sacrifice and Paul is emphasizing otherwise!
Unfortunately, most of today’s believers have thrown the baby out with the bathwater. Most don’t realize that the Torah is the background and foundation of the ministry and teaching of Yahusha and His early disciples. And you need to have a working definition of the Torah to understand this.
“Bind up the witness, seal the Torah among my disciples.” – Isaiah 8:16
This is the first time that “disciple” is used in the Scriptures, and it is in reference to having the Torah sealed as a witness. The letter to the Galatians is not doing away with the Torah but teaching us the proper application of it! Paul is faithful and obedient to the instructions of Yahuah, but like Yahusha, he is telling you to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees. Which is this case, is circumcision and animal sacrifice, as an entryway into the covenant.
The next time you read Galatians, keep in mind that circumcision and animal sacrifice are not necessary for entry into the faith. But don’t throw out the instructions of Yahuah (Torah) or you, too, may “…fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the DELUSION OF THE LAWLESS.” – 2 Peter 3:17
FAITH IN MOTION 