(part 2)
In a recent
discussion I had with some people in comments on a YouTube video (not mine), I
was asked my understanding of several verses of the New Testament. This would have been a huge amount of time and
writing to fully discuss how I understand these passages. There was no good way
to do that in the comment section of someone else’s video. I decided to write out some of my thoughts
and put them on a blog post. I will then
respond the questioner with a link to the post so they can read it. This is by
no means an exhaustive explanation of the passage, but I wanted to present an
answer.
For this post, we
will refer to Galatians 2:11-21
Galatians 2:11 Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I
withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed; 12 for before certain
men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he
withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision. 13
And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even
Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy.
14 But when I saw that they were not
straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before them all,
"If you, being a Jew, live in the manner of Gentiles and not as the Jews,
why do you compel Gentiles to live as Jews? 15 "We who are Jews by nature,
and not sinners of the Gentiles, 16 "knowing that a man is not justified
by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in
Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the
works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified. 17 "But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ,
we ourselves also are found sinners, is Christ therefore a minister of sin?
Certainly not!
18 "For if I build again those things
which I destroyed; I make myself a transgressor. 19
"For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God. 20
"I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ
lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the
Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. 21 "I do not set aside
the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died
in vain."
Peter and the others were raised to think they should not be near Gentiles. Mainly they should not go in their homes or eat their food. This started with the idea that Gentiles might be ‘ritually’ unclean for various reasons (all mentioned in the Torah). If you touched something unclean you were not able to go to the Temple until you became clean again.
For example, touching a dead body, or eating unclean foods by accident. Of course, you could become clean again - also explained in the Law.
Remember Peter’s
vision of the sheet and his going to Cornelius’ house?
Acts 9b - “Peter went up on the housetop to
pray, about the sixth hour. 10 Then he became very hungry and wanted to eat; but
while they made ready, he fell into a trance 11 and saw heaven opened and an
object like a great sheet bound at the four corners, descending to him and let
down to the earth. 12 In it were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth,
wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. 13 And a voice came to him,
"Rise, Peter; kill and eat." 14 But Peter said, "Not so, Lord!
For I have never eaten anything common or unclean."
With that
background, Peter still had to consider unclean aspects. He learned from the
experience with Cornelius, but still had more to understand.
Paul recognized
this error and corrected Peter.
No doubt he remembered some of Yeshua’s words from years before. In the story
of the Good Samaritan, some religious men refused to help the injured man on
the road. It can be argued that they were heartless, but it could also be they
did not want to become ‘ceremonially’ unclean. One was a priest and the other a
Levite. They might have had duties to
perform in the Temple. This might have
been a time of one of the Feasts. These were real concerns, but the right thing
to do is always to help your fellow man first.
In other words, “Love your neighbor as yourself”.
Then Paul makes
a big point:
Galatians 2:16
“knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in
Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified
by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law
no flesh shall be justified.”
This I agree with
100%. We are saved (or justified) by faith in Yeshua our Messiah. Doing the
works of the Law does not save us.
It will bring
blessing if we keep it, or curses if we fail to. It will NOT bring
Salvation.
Even before
Yeshua, the people had to have faith. Some did the works of the Law as
religious practices but had no love for Yehovah.
Some loved Yehovah
like Samuel and David. Some disobeyed Him like king Saul.
Some were good
like Josiah. Others were wicked like Ahab and Jezebel.
Zechariah and
Elizabeth, the parents of John the Baptist, were righteous before God and
‘blameless’ regarding the Law.
Luke
1:5 “There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named
Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron,
and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking
in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.”
When Yeshua walked
the earth, the priests and religious leaders had become corrupt. They loved their
positions of authority and the attention they received. They did not teach the
people correctly so many fell away from the true faith and keeping the
commandments correctly.
Then came John
telling them to Repent. Yeshua came also saying, “Repent”.
Both were calling
the people to Return to the correct way of keeping the Law.
That is why they
both spoke against the scribes and Pharisees as hypocrites.
The people were
not keeping the commandments and John and Yeshua were bringing them back.
Getting back to
verse 17.
Galatians
2:17 "But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also
are found sinners, is Christ therefore a minister of sin? Certainly not!
Remember what the
Bible defines as a sinner. Someone who transgresses the Law.
1John 3:4 “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth
also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law”. (KJV)
1John 3:4 “Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness”. (NKJV)
Paul is basically saying. If you have been saved by Messiah (justified) don’t go back to breaking the Law thereby becoming a sinner.
He did NOT say
that the Law was done away.
An example might
be this. What if a person was an adulterer? Then they learn that is against
God’s Law and they want mercy. They confess their sin to God, accept Yeshua and
are forgiven. Now they need to go forward keeping the commandments. But if this
person went again to commit adultery they are again sinning. If Paul were truly
saying the Law was done, the adulterer would be okay.
Instead we know
that cannot be the case. Yes, adultery was an extreme example, but you see the point,
I hope.
Another example
might be a person is a believer and goes to church every Sunday. But one day they learn that the Sabbath is Saturday
and was changed by the catholic church.
This doesn’t make Sunday bad, but calling it the Sabbath is wrong. If this person starts keeping the real
Sabbath as described in the Bible (not working, not buying or selling, etc.)
they are doing right in God’s eyes.
However, if they learn this but then go back to doing what they want to
on God’s Sabbath and refuse to keep it holy, they are now sinning.
To this Paul says,
Galatians
2:18 "For if I build again those things which I destroyed; I make myself a
transgressor.”
The bottom line is
we are Saved through Faith in the shed blood of Yeshua as covering our sins.
Keeping the Law
does NOT save you. Breaking the Law
willfully is Sin. Do we want to be obedient to God or rebellious?
I know many of
Paul’s teachings are confusing and seem to contradict other parts of scripture.
Even Peter thought Paul could be hard to understand…
2Peter 3:14 “Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; 15 and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation--as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you,16 “as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures. 17 You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; 18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.”
Yehovah bless all
who have ears to hear.
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