The Apostle Paul's Epistle to the Galatians


Introduction

The Apostle Paul’s letter to the Galatian communities is, in my opinion, the most misunderstood book of the Bible. For centuries, Christians have interpreted Paul’s words as though he were teaching against Gentiles keeping the commandments of God found in the Torah. Since the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, though, Pauline scholars have begun to rethink this premise.

Correct interpretation of this epistle depends on which presuppositions you begin with. In the past, Christian commentators assumed that the Jewish communities of the first century believed that salvation could be earned by keeping the commandments of the Torah. Viewing the Scriptures through this bias, it was also assumed that Paul was battling against Gentile believers in Galatia accepting this idea.

By examining ancient Jewish literature, it has been determined that the Jewish communities of the first century did not believe that one could earn their salvation. It was believed -- and the Galatian believers were being taught -- that God had graciously chosen Israel to be His people, and had not made covenants with any other nation. This is actually true: the covenants of God are only made with the nation of Israel. Where this theology falls apart, though, is the fact that they believed that a Jewish person, by virtue of being born Jewish, was automatically made a part of God’s covenants.

What about a person who is not Jewish? Gentiles, according to this view, were outside of God’s covenants and had no hope. The only way a Gentile could be considered a part of God’s covenants was if they could become a part of Israel. The legal authorities of the first century devised “halachah” (that is, legal rulings) that permitted a Gentile to gain legal Jewish status and thus be reckoned a part of Israel, gaining acceptance into God's covenant in their eyes. This was accomplished by going through a ritual conversion ceremony. This ceremony mainly consisted of three aspects:

Circumcision (for males)
Ritual immersion (baptism)
If possible, making a sacrifice at the Temple in Jerusalem

Upon completion, the Gentile would be granted legal Jewish status and would be reckoned a legitimate part of Israel. The new convert would be expected to submit to not only the written Torah but also all of the prevailing halachah (Oral Torah) of the day. This would mean completely severing from their Gentile past; including their friends and family.

The Apostle Paul, being specifically sent by Yeshua the Messiah to proclaim the Good News among the Gentiles, was completely against this theology. Paul, correctly interpreting the Tanakh, realized that all men, whether Jew or Gentile, were sinners and were outside of God’s covenants. While a Jewish person has the benefit of being raised in an environment where God’s Torah is taught and lived out, they do not automatically have a place among God’s chosen covenant people. Legal Jewish status does not grant you special favour from God. It’s only faith in the Messiah and the life changing work of the Spirit of God that secures a place among the true remnant of Israel. To rely and trust in your legal Jewish status for salvation (whether obtained by birth or by ritual conversion) was an affront to the Messiah; it was saying that Messiah’s death was not enough to secure your place among the remnant of Israel.

Presuppositions

It is with these new presuppositions that we will be studying the letter to the Galatians. Not only that, we will also presuppose that Paul didn't consider the Torah done away with. It is my opinion that the believing communities of the Way kept the Torah as best as they were able; both Jews and Gentiles. Gentiles joined the Jews in the synagogues on the Sabbath, every week, to hear the Torah being read (Acts 15:21). They kept the Appointed Times with the Jewish Believers (1 Corinthians 5:8). At least in the communities that Paul was associated with, the Gentiles were not “without Torah” but were endeavoring to live out the Torah the way the Messiah did (1 Corinthians 9:21; Galatians 6:2). Therefore, when we encounter the word “law,” we will try to ascertain what Paul is referring to by the context. We will not automatically assume that “law” always refers to the written Torah of Moses.


The Apostle Paul - A Short Study

The context of Galatians is often misunderstood and misinterpreted; its author, the Apostle Paul, suffers the same fate. Paul, in both secular and believing circles, is viewed as one who taught Gentiles not to keep the Torah. Today, Believers who desire to keep things like the Sabbath or the dietary laws are almost always directed to read Galatians and various other parts of Paul's letters, in the hopes that doing so will convince them that such things are futile and no longer necessary. It is assumed that, in his letters, Paul was teaching that following the Torah was no longer a valid way for worshippers of the God of Israel to live their lives. The common view of Paul is that of an iconoclast, first persecuting Believers because they didn't keep Torah, until being converted himself and subsequently teaching that the Torah was no longer valid.

Modern scholarship is challenging these deep-seated, long-held assumptions. Is it possible that every time Paul seemed to be disregarding the Torah's authority, he was actually speaking of something completely different, like matters of Jewish and Gentile relations? As we saw earlier, the common view among the Jewish communities of the first century was that legal Jewish status (obtained either through birth or conversion) granted a person a place among God's covenant people and a place in the World to Come. In modern Christian terminology, according to this view, you were saved because you had legal Jewish status – you were "officially" Jewish according to the ruling bodies and thus were a part of God’s covenants. The Jewish communities of the first century did not believe that one had to keep the Torah to be saved -- the Torah was a gracious gift from God to Israel but it was only for the Jewish people. In order to participate in God's covenants and keep the Torah, it was thought that one had to be Jewish. The main crux of this theology is that Jews were separate from Gentiles; Gentiles were outside of the covenants of God.


Philippians 3:2-9

Keeping this context in mind, let's take a look at Paul's own biography of himself. In his letter to the Philippians, Paul was once again warning Gentile Believers against this false teaching: that legal Jewish status granted a person a place among God's covenant people.

2Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision;

Let me introduce you to the Influencers; that is, those who believed that salvation came through legal Jewish status. (I have opted to use the term "Influencers" rather than the misguided term "Judaizers" because that term implies that there is something wrong with wanting Gentiles to follow Jewish customs.) The Influencers were most likely Jewish Believers or believing Gentiles who had already become Jewish proselytes, and both were trying to persuade Gentile Believers to likewise become proselytes. Regardless of who they were, though they believed that Yeshua was the Messiah and His sacrifice on the cross brought atonement for their sins, they nonetheless viewed the Messiah's work as only for Israel; in other words, only those who had legal Jewish status were allowed in (and, to the Influencers, legal Jewish status was only obtained in one of two ways: either by birth, or by becoming a proselyte).

To the Influencers, Gentiles were not a part of Israel and were thus outside of God's covenants (again, in Christian terminology this means they weren't saved). This led to many terms being applied to Gentiles because they were not a part of Israel: "dogs" (Matthew 7:6, Revelation 22:15), "uncircumcised," both literally and figuratively speaking (1 Samuel 17:26, Ezekiel 28:10, Colossians 3:11), "without Torah" (1 Corinthians 9:21), "strangers" (Ephesians 2:12) and many more. Here, in Philippians 3:2, Paul turned the tables and called the Influencers "dogs" and "evil workers," terms that would normally be applied to pagans. Additionally, he called the Influencers "the false circumcision," because even though they believed that their legal Jewish status granted them a place among God's covenant people, they weren't true Believers. They were relying on their legal status for salvation and not solely on the work of the Messiah.

3for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Messiah Yeshua and put no confidence in the flesh,

The only way to receive the eternal blessings of the covenants (and thus participate in the New Covenant) is if God chooses you, the Spirit illuminates and regenerates you and you see the Messiah in the Torah. God's choice does not depend on a legal status or anything else. A person who has truly been born from above will understand that their salvation is in God alone; there is no room to put confidence in your legal Jewish status ("the flesh," since it is a purely natural thing). This is why Paul called the Believers (both Jews and Gentiles) "the true circumcision."

4although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I far more:

If right-standing before God was based upon legal Jewish status, then Paul had every reason to put "confidence in the flesh," or to believe that he was saved by dint of his superior birthright.  If God was partial to Jews then Paul would be at the top of His list. As proof, Paul gave us a short biography of himself. Previous to his encounter with Yeshua, these were things he would have boasted of to show that God favoured him.

5circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Torah, a Pharisee;

First, Paul listed being circumcised on the eighth day. This means that his parents were obedient to the commandment to circumcise male babies on the eighth day (Leviticus 12:3). This alone does not prove that Paul was Jewish by birth because his parents could have been proselytes. It seems as though the second item ("of the nation of Israel”) was meant to specify that he was indeed a native-born Israelite. Not only was Paul a native Israelite, but one of a noble tribe: the tribe of Benjamin. Paul then proclaimed himself as a “Hebrew of Hebrews.” It's very possible that Paul was telling us that he had not been Hellenized into Greek culture like so many of his contemporaries but that he retained a distinctly Hebraic lifestyle.

Additionally, Paul indicated that he observed the Torah as a Pharisee. The word “pharisee” is a transliteration of the Greek word “pharisaios” which comes from the Hebrew word “parush,” meaning “separated.” The Pharisees believed in the authority of God’s Word and held Oral tradition in high regard. They believed in a spiritual realm and the resurrection of the dead (and thus the World to Come). Contrary to what most Believers know about the Pharisees, they weren’t all hypocrites and were more complicated than we think. There were actually two major groups within the Pharisaic movement, one from Judea and one from Galilee. One group stressed a strict observance of the Torah, emphasizing ritual purity and Sabbath observance, while the other emphasized love, compassion and mercy.  A descendant of the latter school was Gamaliel, who is listed in the book of Acts as Paul's teacher.

"I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated under Gamaliel, strictly according to the Torah of our fathers, being zealous for God just as you all are today.” (Acts 22:3)

This means that Paul was most likely schooled in the tradition of emphasizing the “weightier” matters of Torah (a focus on human compassion), a practice followed by Yeshua (Matthew 23:23).

6as to zeal, a persecutor of the Assembly; as to the righteousness which is in the Torah, found blameless.

Acts 9:1-2 indicates that Paul's desire was to bring Believers to Jerusalem as prisoners. What was it about the Believers that caused a Pharisee (Paul) to conspire with a Sadducee (the high priest)? It was the fact that the Believers were proclaiming a message that said that all men, including Jewish people, were in need of salvation. This message did not sit well with those who had the belief that right-standing before God was a result of being born Jewish (of which the Pharisees were the majority).

What is meant by the phrase "righteousness which is in the Torah?" The Torah gives Israel identity and sets her apart from pagans. This is a good thing, but as with anything, it can be distorted into something it was never meant to be. To a Jew who considers Jewish status to be the factor that grants right-standing before God, observance of the Torah can become a source of pride. Rather than being viewed as God's holy standard, the Torah is instead seen as a list of things that makes Jews better than Gentiles. So, when Paul said he was blameless in regard to the righteousness that is in the Torah, it means that in the eyes of men, he kept the Torah perfectly, and could have taken selfish pride in that achievement, had he so chosen.

7But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Messiah.

How were these things advantageous to Paul? If he believed that salvation was based on being Jewish, these things would be his pass to the front of the line for the World to Come. This biography shows that if anyone had the right to boast about being Jewish, it was Paul. He embodied Judaism and Jewish culture. Realizing, though, that salvation is not based upon being Jewish, he would count his legal Jewish status (and all the things associated with that) as loss for the sake of knowing the Messiah. If he had to choose between being Jewish or knowing the Messiah, he would gladly lose his Jewish status and know the Messiah.

8More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing the Messiah Yeshua my Master, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain the Messiah,

Essentially, Paul is saying that none of these characteristics grant a person partiality with God. Paul, illuminated by the Spirit, correctly interpreted the Torah and knew that salvation was not based upon being Jewish; therefore, as far as salvation goes, he "counts them rubbish." Paul, by freely fellowshipping with Gentiles, was ostracized from his Jewish brothers (1 Corinthians 9:21-22). Paul was called a "sinner" for being with Gentiles, and he didn't mind because it meant the Gentiles were hearing about the Good News, and he knew that this was part of his mission.

9and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Torah, but that which is through faith in the Messiah, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith,

Paul is again explaining that right standing before God is not based upon birthright or ethnicity. Notice Paul said "a righteousness of my own," meaning a right-standing before God based upon his legal Jewish status. When he said "derived from the Torah," it's very possible that he was referring to a legal connection to the Torah. If you were born Jewish or became a proselyte and then kept the Torah as an outward sign of your Jewish status, in the eyes of men you would have a "righteousness" based upon a legal connection to the Torah. Paul then proclaimed what true salvation is: faith in the Messiah. Righteousness before God comes through faith in the Messiah.

Let me clarify: Paul did not think that he was no longer Jewish because of his faith in the Messiah, nor did he teach that a Jewish person had to give up their Jewish status to know the Messiah (Romans 3:1-2). On the contrary, Paul taught that while Israel continues to be God's one and only covenant people, their legal Jewish status, in and of itself, does not grant a person right-standing before God. Let's take a look at the book of Acts and Paul's own writings to see if we can learn more about the Apostle to the Gentiles and his views.
 

Paul's View of Israel

Contrary to popular belief, Paul did not see Believers in Yeshua to be a separate entity distinct from Israel. He considered believing Jews to be the elect within Israel. In other words, believing Jews were those Israelites whom God had chosen for salvation and were faithful to the truths of the Bible. While most Israelites were relying on their legal Jewish status for salvation, the believing Jewish remnant joined Abraham, David and the other faithful men of the Tanakh in putting their hope in the Promised One. Paul emphatically declared, in Romans 11, that God has not rejected Israel, because there remains a remnant that is faithful:

I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. (Romans 11:1)

In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God's gracious choice. (Romans 11:5)

What about Gentile Believers? Do Gentile Believers form a separate group of elect, distinct from Israel? No: according to Paul, believing Gentiles become citizens in Israel; he explained in metaphor that they are "grafted in" to the "olive tree" of Israel.

But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you. (Romans 11:17-18)

From Paul's perspective, the coming of Messiah did not change how God views Israel and the covenants He has made with her. While there is only an elect (made up of Jews and Gentiles) within Israel, Paul affirmed that one day all of Israel will be saved (Romans 11:26) thus fulfilling the prophecies of the coming New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-37, Ezekiel 36:24-32).
 

Paul's View of the Torah

If Paul considered Israel to still be the one and only people of God, did Paul expect Gentiles believers to also keep the Torah along with their Jewish brothers? Additionally, did Paul consider following Yeshua to be a new religion, or did he expect both Jews and Gentiles to live out the Torah according to the norms of Judaism?

Now when they had traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. And according to Paul's custom, he went to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, (Acts 17:1-2)

But going on from Perga, they arrived at Pisidian Antioch, and on the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down. After the reading of the Torah and the Prophets the synagogue officials sent to them, saying, "Brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say it." (Acts 13:14-15)

The book of Acts indicates that Paul kept the Sabbath, attended synagogue and participated in the Torah reading services. Whenever Paul and his companions entered a new area, they made sure to connect with their Israelite brothers first. Some have said that Paul went there simply to preach the Good News (to convert Jews to "Christianity") but there is no reason to read this modern opinion into the text. Paul went to synagogue on the Sabbath because that was his custom, what he had always done, and there is no reason to suppose this changed as his life continued (additionally, if he had been going to the synagogues to convert Jews to Christianity, why did he not meet with them on Sunday, in fitting with the new religion?).

Additionally, Paul also kept the Appointed Times and, in his letters, exhorted the Believers to observe them as well:

For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus so that he would not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hurrying to be in Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost. (Acts 20:16)

Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Messiah our Passover also has been sacrificed. Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. (1 Corinthians 5:7-8)

"But this I admit to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect I do serve the God of our fathers, believing everything that is in accordance with the Torah and that is written in the Prophets." (Acts 24:14)

Paul openly admitted that he served the God of Israel and believed everything that accords with the Tanakh. As the rest of the Bible was not yet written or compiled, Paul's Bible was the Tanakh. It is the Tanakh that Paul had in mind when he wrote to Timothy:

All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

Jacob (James), the brother of Yeshua, also provides evidence that Paul observed the Torah. Let's take a quick look at Jacob's words in Acts 21.

And when they heard it they began glorifying God; and they said to him, "You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed, and they are all zealous for the Torah; and they have been told about you, that you are teaching all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs. What, then, is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come. Therefore do this that we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow; take them and purify yourself along with them, and pay their expenses so that they may shave their heads; and all will know that there is nothing to the things which they have been told about you, but that you yourself also walk orderly, keeping the Torah. (Acts 21:20-26)

If there was ever a time for the other Believers to expose Paul for not being Torah-observant, this was the time. Paul was willing to prove his allegiance to the Torah by paying the expenses -- for himself and four other Believers -- that accompanied the sacrifices that were to be offered to complete a vow.

Paul obeyed the Torah and expected the readers and hearers of his letters to be Torah-observant as well. Let’s look at several key verses from his letter to the Romans:

For it is not the hearers of the Torah who are just before God, but the doers of the Torah will be justified. (Romans 2:13)

How does one know if they have been justified by God? They will be “doers” of the Torah, not just “hearers.” Saving faith should produce obedience to the Torah.

Do we then nullify the Torah through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Torah. (Romans 3:31)

For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the Torah of God, for it is not even able to do so, (Romans 8:6-7)

Paul characterized the unbeliever as one who is not able to submit to the Torah of God, as opposed to believers who live out the requirement of the Torah because they walk by the Spirit, not by the flesh.

So that the requirement of the Torah might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. (Romans 8:4)

Paul's desire was to keep God's Torah because he recognized that it is holy, righteous and good, as well as spiritual.

For I joyfully concur with the Torah of God in the inner man, (Romans 7:22)

12So then, the Torah is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good. 14For we know that the Torah is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin. (Romans 7:12, 14)

Conclusion

In our study of Galatians, let us be diligent to remember how Paul is presented in the book of Acts and through his own actions. Paul was a native-born Jew; a Pharisee trained by Rabbi Gamaliel. He kept the Torah and taught others to keep the Torah in imitation of the Messiah. He also firmly held to the truth that both Jews and Gentiles are sinners and have the hope of salvation only in the Messiah, not in any physical birthright.
  Messianic Niagara | The Practice of Messianic Judaism in the Niagara Region Contact Us