A Layman’s Challenge to Galatians

By Peter Bellone

What is the overriding issue within the book of Galatians? It appears that there are three issues going on during this time of Paul being in Galatia.

Is it that the Galatian converts are free from the Law of Moses,

Or is it that Christian converts are not subject to the Abrahamic Covenant and therefore are not required to be circumcised,

Or is it because there are Christian-Jews that want them to become God-fearers or apostolates into the religion of the Jews due to their belief in a Jewish Messiah?

This religion of the Jews has been poorly interpreted as Judaism, and today, Judaism has further been defined as, to include, those nonmainstream Christian who keep the seventh-day Sabbath, as well as the seven annual feasts/sabbaths.

So what is the argument that we see coming out of mainstream Christian teaching in regard to the book of Galatians? It is this: that Paul took all Christian gentile converts and removed them from the odious Law of Moses and in doing so removed all Christians from the Law and, in turn, turning Christianity into a religion of lawless peoples! Mainstream Christian, religious, and scholars have even gone so far as to have done away with the seventh-day Sabbath, as well as the seven annual feasts/sabbaths, proclaiming these days as ceremonial, having no God authorized authority to do so while bringing into Christian doctrine two days of the ceremony called Palm and Easter Sundays! Neither of these days has any meaning to God; otherwise, he would have included them in his pantheon of days of importance (feasts).

Nowhere in all the sixty-six books of the Bible do we read of God the Father, nor God, the Word of God (who became Jesus and then took up his former position upon his return to the Father), doing away with the Sabbath(s)!

Therefore, this book is a challenge to that lack of authority, and while mainstream Christianity might pontificate about what Jesus might have said or what he might have meant, they are in violation of the very scriptures that they claim to be an authority of. This is because Paul never did what mainstream Christianity is accusing him of, which is taking Christians away from the law.

Circumcision was only for Abraham and all his seed, from the time of the covenant even until today. However, no one born outside of the house of Abraham was required to get circumcised. While all Israel saw this covenant as law, this requirement to be circumcised did not fall under the Mosaic Law. And if I am not required by law to do something and you come along and tell me not to do that which I am not required to do, then in essence, you did not take me away from anything! In addition, a secondary issue was that there were those who might have been Christian-Jews saw that if a gentile converted from being a pagan and believed in a Jewish Messiah, then that gentile had to immerse themselves into all the religion of the Jews, which required several rituals that had to be performed and once accomplished made a Gentile into a Jew, not a covert into Christianity but a full member of the house of Israel and in turn the house of Judah!

These then are the arguments that Paul is fighting against! He is not going anti-law, nor is he saying to the gentiles, "Here, since you are a convert, you do not have to do this, but as for us Jews, we have to keep the law." Isn't that a house divided? Paul is not guilty of anything more than keeping his charges from getting circumcise while showing them that the laws of God, the Word of God, are to be obeyed as it is what is necessary for salvation!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Feb 9, 2022
• ISBN: 9781638445456

Book preview

Chapter 1

Introduction

The purpose for this writing is to refute certain misunderstandings among mainstream Christian churches that are being construed as truths and that have been circulating among these churches as doctrine in regard to Paul’s epistle to the Galatians. Why? Consider how traditions get embedded within our belief system and how very few people will challenge a tradition. Why bother when everyone interprets the tradition with the same understanding! So an erroneous assumption is made: since all the churches believe the same interpretation, then that interpretation must be accurate and true, regardless of what some outside source might say in opposition to that interpretation. In that vein, we must understand that mainstream Christian doctrine says that it was Paul, the apostle, that did away with the Law of Moses! In that regard, and as proof, the following was extracted from http://www.godslawtoday.com:

But they (Catholic and Protestant Christianity) claim that when the Apostle Paul came on the scene, he—with God’s guidance and blessing—abolished the law and replaced it with grace, thereby liberating us.

Another website https://hermeneutics.stackexchange.com says this:

The law given to Moses at Sinai was abrogated with the advent of the new covenant. To put it a better way: The entirety of the Mosaic Covenant was fulfilled in Christ. The Law of Moses no longer serves as direct and immediate judge over the lives and conduct of God’s people. God’s children today obey the Law of Christ (Gal 6:2, 1 Cor 9:21).

This website claims that: Biblical *Hermeneutics Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for professors, theologians, and those interested in exegetical analysis of biblical texts’ but they are in fact just repeating the same ‘stylized’ mainstream doctrinal understandings!

Hermeneutics: The discipline of interpretation of the text—of reading words on a page and determining what those words mean.

Exegesis: Critical explanation or interpretation of a text, especially of scripture.

Hermeneutics and exegesis are interchangeable as their intent is the same. That is, to interpret what the scriptures are saying. And in that vein, this is what you are going to be reading throughout this book, true hermeneutics and exegesis of the scriptures.

The following was extracted from Faith in or Faith of by Mr. Gregory Sargent.

We in the churches of God, however, do not believe what the mainstream Christian churches are saying about the removal of the law, and unlike the world, God’s church believes doctrinal understanding is understood using scripture that is here a little and there a little (Isa. 28:10, 13), meaning, we believe in the concept of addition and not subtraction when dealing with scripture!

Romans 4:2–3 is a good example of how mainstream Christian theologians subtract from an established doctrinal premise. How is that? The book of James was arguably the first New Testament book written (circa AD 50), approximately seven years before the writing of the letter (from Paul) to Rome. In James we find the exact phrase used in Romans:

"Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar?… And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. (James 2:21, 23; emphasis mine)

Do we subtract James from Romans or do we add James to Romans? We add; we don’t subtract! Abraham was justified, not when he just believed God, but only by his work of offering Isaac was his faith accounted for righteousness and made perfect (James 2:22).

Romans 4:22, 24–25 make clear by context (Romans 3:22: Even the righteousness of God which is by the faith of Jesus Christ [KJV]) that Abraham was using the faith of Christ to offer Isaac.

Why the need for this discussion?

The purpose of this paper is to seek the truth to statements posed by mainstream Christian writers mentioned above, which are:

Did Paul, with God’s guidance and blessing—abolished the law and replaced it with grace, thereby supposing to liberate Christians?

Does the Law of Moses no longer serve as a direct and immediate judge over the lives and conduct of mainstream Christians?

Was the law given to Moses at Sinai abrogated with the advent of the new covenant? And that the entirety of the Mosaic covenant was fulfilled in Christ?

By the time you get to the last page of this work, the answers and the truth will be obvious and crystal clear!

There are many scriptural passages spoken by Jesus and by Paul which have been taken out of context by mainstream Christian scholars and thought to say something other than what is actually being said. This traditional thinking is rife within the mainstream Christian community, especially in reference to the Epistles of Paul; therefore we should heed the warnings found in 2 Peter about Paul’s writings:

As also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, 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. 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. (2 Pet. 3:15–17)

Therefore, a counter discussion is needed to separate truth from the error of the wicked, which is teaching a false doctrine that "he—with God’s guidance and blessing—abolished the law and replaced it with grace, thereby ‘liberating’ us."

Jesus said:

If you love me keep my commandments… If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. The one who doesn’t love Me, he will not keep My words. The word that you hear is not Mine but is from the Father who sent Me." (John 14:15, 23)

Notice that there is an interaction that is linked to loving Jesus, which is keeping His words (commands)! This relationship of keeping and loving or not keeping and not loving seems to fall away from the conscience of mainstream Christians in their attempt to separate themselves from the law because the law acts as judge over the lives of all peoples, for without law, we have lawlessness and chaos reigns!

Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. (Matt. 23:28)

Mainstream Christian teaching runs toward anti-law and in turn, they want to portray Jesus as anti-law as well! Also, they claim that their love for Jesus supersedes the law while failing to understand that the law is God’s love to and for His creation. Therefore, because of mainstream Christians’ teachings, it is believed that Jesus was against His own laws, which they erroneously define as the spiritual law. But Jesus was God, the Word of God, and it was this God who gave the laws to Israel through Moses who was the spokesperson to the children of Israel.

You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die. (Exod. 20:18; underline mine)

Chapter 2

The Law of Moses?

There is a bit of an honesty problem with calling the Ten Commandments (with its subsequent laws, commands, and statues) the Law of Moses!

Why? Because to do so implies that Moses is the originator of all the law given to the children of Israel while at Mount Sinai, which Moses was not! In fact, Moses was acting as a conduit, passing on the law to those who the laws were intended for and further acting as a liaison between the children of Israel and God, the Word of God, because all Israel was too afraid to hear the law from the mouth of God, Himself, as attested to by Exodus 20:18. Therefore, Moses was merely acting as a pass-through and not an originator of the law, and it is intellectually dishonest to call the law the Law of Moses, especially when trying to prove a supposition!

Now this is the law which Moses set before the children of Israel. These are the testimonies, the statutes, and the judgments which Moses spoke to the children of Israel after they came out of Egypt. (Deut. 4:44–45)

After the death of Moses, Joshua led the people out of the desert and into the promised land. It is here that we see the first application of calling the law the law of Moses: as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the Book of the Law of Moses (Josh. 8:31).

This referring to the book of the law as a book of Moses was just that, a reference, even though the law was in actuality a book of the law of God. The reason for this calling the law the law of Moses is this: the children of Israel were loath to say the name of God; instead they referred to God as Ad-do-nai. If we see that there was a taboo among the children of Israel to speak the name YHVH, then it can readily be understood that they would use a substitution and call the law the Book of the Law of Moses.

Is the law done away with?

In opposition to mainstream Christian teachings, nowhere in Scripture (whether Old or New) do you read about God’s laws being done away with, neither by God, the Father, or by God, The Word of God. Take for instance this erroneous statement by Godslawtoday.com: "he—with God’s guidance and blessing—abolished the law and replaced it with grace, thereby ‘liberating’ us."

The he that is being referred to here is the apostle Paul, and while it is true that Paul did make statements about the law, most of those statements were not about the Torah or the law of Moses but about the traditions that were being recognized by the Jewish religious leaders as having the same authority as the Torah. Paul also spoke about the Abrahamic covenant, which was also law, but not to be included with the Law of Moses as the Abrahamic covenant did not fall under the Law of Moses because it was codified years before the presentation of the Mosaic Law. The Abrahamic covenant is a separate covenant and is not to be applied to the so-called Mosaic Law; however, as we continue to explore the reasons for this work, you will read where mainstream Christian scholars merge both of these separate covenants into one "law"!

It is also intellectually dishonest to make the assumption that Paul had the authority to do away with the Torah as only the originator of the law has that right, and Paul, like Moses, did not originate any law that was given to Israel! Since Paul does not differentiate as to what law he is talking about in Galatians, mainstream Christian religious and scholars jump on the word law knowing that they should not do this, but they incorporate all law into the Law of Moses. In essence, by doing this, they are confusing their laity by disguising the truth as told by Paul when he refers to the law! Therefore, Paul’s words are misinterpreted or contextualized by mainstream church leaders in their rush to do away with the Torah!

One should easily recognize that Paul did not have any authority to do away with the law of Moses, and nowhere do we read that Paul was given God’s blessing or guidance to repeal any law which was given to mankind by God! In fact, Godslawtoday.com uses the afterthought with God’s guidance and blessing. However, mainstream Christian scholars and religious recognize that without that blessing, that that dog won’t hunt!

So where do we see that blessing and guidance within Scripture? We don’t; therefore we must go back and review what Peter said against this rush to subjective judgement: "which…people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures." For Godslawtoday.com to state: he—with God’s guidance and blessing—abolished the law is false and misleading and harmful to those who would believe this lie while causing people to disobey God!

You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you. (Deut. 4:2)

In reference to this mainstream Christian supposition that Jesus was anti-law, you should understand that Jesus was not nor could not be anti-law because the law is God’s grace to mankind, and the law was and is for mankind’s benefit, and not a burden as taught by mainstream Christian scholars to their duped laity.

Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. (Matt. 24:10–12)

An entirely different milieu!

Since this work is about rebutting this anti-law supposition, I have taken another excerpt regarding the Epistles of Paul to the Galatians from Wikipedia. Why? Because Wikipedia is a good example of what mainstream Christians churches are teaching, as writers who contribute to Christian subjects for Wikipedia are predominantly Catholic or Protestants themselves; therefore, their writing usually reflect mainstream Christian doctrine and beliefs.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia titled Epistle to the Galatians:

Paul is principally concerned with the controversy surrounding gentile Christians and the Mosaic Law during the Apostolic Age. Paul argues that the gentile Galatians do not need to adhere to the tenets of the Mosaic Law… This epistle addresses the question of whether the Gentiles in Galatia were obligated to follow Mosaic Law to be part of the Christ community… Paul’s Letter to the Galatians represents a sweeping rejection of Jewish Law (Torah). In so doing, Paul clearly takes his Christ movement out of the orbit of Judaism and into an entirely different milieu. Paul’s stance constitutes a major contrast to the position of James, brother of Jesus, whose group in Jerusalem adhered to the observance of Torah. Many scholars question whether Paul’s view dovetails with Jesus’ own teachings concerning the Law.

There you have mainstream Christian dogma and theology tied up into one great big ball of confusion! This extract then is a thumbnail sketch of how Paul rejected the Torah in favor of a supposedly Christ movement. According to this writer, Paul moved the Christian Gentiles away from what was considered to be Judaism and put them into a totally new milieu! Now milieu is an interesting word since it means: "A general, overarching attribute that gives context to a physical location or set of occurrences. Essentially, it describes the type of environment in which things happen, such as the American Revolution. A milieu is made up of people, emotions, attitudes, and physical objects—really, anything that is significant to a setting." (https://www.wineverygame.com/words/milieu.html)

In other words, according to the Wikipedia writer, Paul had physically taken the Christian Gentiles out from Judaism (religion of the Jews) and transformed them into a new and separate community called Christianity! But is this supposition true, especially in light of the fact that there were Jewish Christians before the time that Paul wrote Galatians, and they are being disregarded when mainstream Christian writers used the slur term Judaism!

Let’s look at something here that disputes what this writer has stated as truth. At some point in biblical history, followers of the risen Savior (which was seen at that time as a sect of the Jews) were being labeled as Christians so as to identify them as followers of this risen Messiah. Therefore, we now have to ask the following questions:

Did Paul move the Christian Gentiles away from Judaism as stated above, and then put them into a new setting called Christianity, and

Are the law of God and Judaism the same thing, or is something else going on that is mudding up the waters of understanding?

To the mainstream Christian mind, the name Jew is synonymous with Judaism, and if that is the case, then the following apply:

Judaism includes all the laws, commands, and statues issued by God.

All Israel must be Jews because of their adherence to Torah!

Torah is Jewish only.

Therefore, Christians, because they are non-Jews, are exempt from the law.

Since Christians are non-Jews, then anyone practicing Sabbath keeping has to do so for reasons that are confusing to the average mainstream Christian way of thinking and understanding.

While most Christian scholars pride themselves on their knowledge and wisdom, when it comes to understanding who is a Jew and what is Judaism, they are blind and all fall onto the ditch together!

So now, we have to ask: Who gave the Torah to Israel? Was it the patriarch Judah or God? Since we know from reading Exodus that it was God that spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai, and that it was God that wrote the Ten Commandments, how then do we get God’s law(s) being referred to as Judaism?

To keep a long story short, Israel had twelve sons with Judah being one of the sons. Owing to bad kings and such, the twelve tribes split into two houses with one house being the kingdom or House of Israel and the other becoming the Kingdom or House of Judah. This happened because Judah was a prince among his brethren, and Messiah was to come out of the house of David, which was a subset of the House of Judah! Eventually the House of Israel