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March 19th 2011

March 19th 2011. What does the word circumcision mean in Galatians 5:2,3? Does “law” ( nomos ) always mean the written Torah? What problems does a new proselyte face? Is “legal Jewish status ” necessary for salvation? Galatians 4:19 - 5:5. 2. Galatians 5:2.

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March 19th 2011

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  1. http://hodf.org

  2. March 19th 2011 What does the word circumcision mean in Galatians 5:2,3? Does “law” (nomos) always mean the written Torah? What problems does a new proselyte face? Is “legal Jewish status” necessary for salvation? Galatians 4:19 - 5:5 http://hodf.org 2

  3. Galatians 5:2 See, I Paul say to you, that if you become circumcised, Messiah shall be of no use to you. ISR Can one be circumcised and not be cut off from Messiah? http://hodf.org 3

  4. Galatians 5:2 Answer: Acts 16:3 Paul directed Timothy to be circumcised. Therefore, just cutting of the flesh in and of itself does not place one where Messiah is of no use. http://hodf.org 4

  5. Galatians 5:3 Galatians 5:3 And I witness again to every(a;ndrej) man [avnqrw,pw] being circumcised that he is a debtor to do the entire Torah [no,mon]. ISR 1.avnqrw,pw| Generic term for a human being, humanity in general. [Fri] 2. What does“circumcised” mean if it doesn’t mean the literal “cutting of the flesh”? http://hodf.org 5

  6. Galatians 5:3 Galatians 5:3 And I witness again to every man [avnqrw,pw] being circumcised that he is a debtor to do the entire Torah [no,mon]. ISR Answer: Here, circumcision is a “figure of speech” for becoming a proselyte, that is, gaining legal Jewish status. http://hodf.org 6

  7. Galatians 5:3 The issue… The Galatian teachers were attempting to persuade the new Gentile believers that they had to gain legal Jewish status in order to be full-fledged members of God’s household. (Acts 15:1) http://hodf.org 7

  8. Mark D. Nanos, The Irony of Galatians “It cannot be proven, but is generally agreed among interpreters who may disagree about virtually everything else regarding what this letter meant or means, that the context of this language regarding circumcision is that which arises in terms of Jewish proselyte conversion.” p.88 http://hodf.org 8

  9. Galatians 5:2-3 Galatians 5:2-3 [re-translated (part 1)] See, I Paul say to you, that if you become a proselyte, Messiah shall be of no use to you. And I witness again to every person who becomes a proselyte, that they are a debtor to do the entire Torah [no,mon]. http://hodf.org 9

  10. The Entire Torah 3. What is the “entire Torah” [no,mon]? Could be the written Torah interpreted by Yeshua. Gal. 6:2; 1Cor. 9:21 Could be the written Torah interpreted by the elders which would include the oral Torah, which are the traditions. Would understanding “becoming a proselyte” help us? http://hodf.org 10

  11. Becoming a Proselyte Would be a person (male or female) who would become a convert to the Jewish religion. Yeshua speaks about that here… Mat 23:15 Woe unto you… for you encompass land and sea to make one proselyte, and when he converts, you make him two times more a child of hell than yourselves. http://hodf.org 11

  12. Becoming a Proselyte Mat 23:15 What did he mean when he said, “you make him two times more a child of hell than yourselves.” There must be a danger in becoming a proselyte from Yeshua’s perspective. http://hodf.org 12

  13. Becoming a Proselyte Consider Lev 19:34 Lev 19:34 But the stranger that dwells with you shall be unto you as one born among you… In the first century, a proselyte had to do more than just observe the written commandments of Torah. http://hodf.org 13

  14. Becoming a Proselyte In the Sifra 91a, -> Lev. 19:34 “Any candidate should be rejected unless he binds himself to observe not only every commandment of the Torah but all the precepts of the scribes, even to the least of them.” http://hodf.org 14

  15. The Entire Torah 3. What is the “entire Torah”? Within in the context of becoming a proselyte, (which Yeshua frowns on) Having Messiah be of no benefit to them, being severed from Messiah (2-3) Seeking to be justified by obedience to Torah requirements as defined… (4) Through the lens of Rabbinic halakah http://hodf.org 15

  16. The Entire Torah 3. What is the “entire Torah”? The Torah as defined and expanded by rabbinic halakah, also known in the first century as thetraditions of the Elders. http://hodf.org 16

  17. Galatians 5:2-3 Galatians 5:2-3 [re-translated (part 2)] See, I Paul say to you, that if you become a proselyte, Messiah shall be of no use to you. And I witness again to every person who becomes a proselyte, that you undertake an obligation to do the entire Torah as defined and expanded by the traditions of the elders. http://hodf.org 17

  18. Side Bar ISR – What do you mean? Galatians 5:3 And I witness again to every man [avnqrw,pw] being circumcised that he is a debtor to do the entire Torah [no,mon]. 4 You who are declared right by Torah have severed yourselves from Messiah… Does this really make any sense??? http://hodf.org 18

  19. Galatians 4:21 Gal. 4:21 Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law [no,mon], do ye not hear the law [no,mon]? KJV Say to me, you who wish to be under Torah, do you not hear the Torah? ISR http://hodf.org 19

  20. Galatia Problems Brief review The controversy in Galatia is whether “legal Jewish status” is necessary for salvation. (written before Acts 15) Paul sums up his argument beginning at 5:1 so lets review verses 2 and 3. http://hodf.org 20

  21. Galatians 5:2-3 Galatians 5:2-3 [re-translated (part 2)] See, I Paul say to you, that if you become a proselyte, Messiah shall be of no use to you. And I witness again to every person who becomes a proselyte, that you undertake an obligation to do the entire Torah as defined and expanded by the traditions of the elders. http://hodf.org 21

  22. Galatians 5:1 Galatians 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. KJV In the freedom with which Messiah has made us free, stand firm, then, and do not again be held with a yoke of slavery. ISR http://hodf.org 22

  23. Slavery What is slavery [doulei,aj]? This reference to slavery is explained in the previous section, the Sarah/Hagar story, explained allegorically. Let’s explain the Sarah/Hagar story in parts prior to reading the verses in Galatians 4. http://hodf.org 23

  24. Sarah/Hagar 1. We know that the Gentile believers are being influenced by the Galatian teachers to believe that the “ritual of legal conversion”, that is, becoming a proselyte, would assure them right standing with God. 2. To show the error of such thinking, Paul chooses to use the Sarah/Hagar story allegorically. http://hodf.org 24

  25. Sarah/Hagar 3. In this allegory, he likens the person who is trusting in their legal Jewish status to the “Hagar plan”. 4. This is where Abram and Sarai relied upon the flesh (of Hagar) to produce the son of promise, who was the first born. 5. Instead, they produced Ishmael, who was born into slavery. Gen 21:10 http://hodf.org 25

  26. Sarah/Hagar 6. In contrast, Isaac is born as the son of promise and is clearly the result of God’s miraculous intervention. Gen 18:11 7. Paul wraps up the allegorically teaching at verse 31 by saying (paraphrase) “We then, brethren, are not children of a slave woman, but of the free woman.” http://hodf.org 26

  27. Sarah/Hagar 8. In saying this, he is according “slavery” with reliance upon one’s ethnic status (= the flesh) for right standing. 9. The “yoke of slavery” is then further described in 5:2-4 as receiving “circumcision”, which we have already understood to mean becoming a proselyte. http://hodf.org 27

  28. Sarah/Hagar 10. God has never accepted “ethnic status” as a means to be considered in right standing. 11. Therefore, the one who relies on their legal ethnic status for right standing is “working for nothing”, which is the essence of slavery. http://hodf.org 28

  29. Galatians 5:4 12. Gal. 5:4 uses the phrase “who are trying to be justified in the law” [WP]. 13. “You left the sphere of grace in Christ and took your stand in the sphere of law" as your hope of salvation. [WP] http://hodf.org 29

  30. Galatians 4:21 14. What is being referred to in verse 4:21? “Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law”? KJV or “Say to me, you who wish to be under Torah, do you not hear the Torah?” ISR http://hodf.org 30

  31. Galatians 4:21 15. Whatever under the “law or Torah” is referring to, we understand that it is referring to a teaching that expresses that a Gentile can attain right standing before God by gaining legal Jewish status through becoming a proselyte, that is, through a legal conversion. http://hodf.org 31

  32. Galatians 4:21 16. Is that to be found in the written Torah? 17. Is that to be found in the oral Torah? 18. Written Torah never teaches this but oral Torah does. t.Demai 2.5; m.Pesachim 8.8; m.Eduyyot 5.2; b.Yevamot 46b-47b; b.Shabbat 31a. http://hodf.org 32

  33. Galatians 4:21 19. Confirmation: Paul states that “obligated to keep the whole law|Torah” is parallel to “Messiah will be of no benefit to you” and “you have been severed from Messiah.” 20. But in Romans, he teaches that the law|Torah is righteous, holy, and good – and that it is spiritual. http://hodf.org 33

  34. Galatians 4:21 21. Romans 3:31 affirms that by faith the law|Torah is established and in 8:4 he teaches that those who walk by the Spirit actually fulfill the requirements of the law|Torah. 22. There must be something different between that law|Torah and the law|Torah he refers to in Gal 5:3. http://hodf.org 34

  35. Galatians 4:21 24. And this leads us back to what the first occurrence of nomos means in 4:21. 25. Conclusion: When the text is referring to a “law|Torah” that teaches something not found in the written law|Torah, it must be referring to something other than just the written law|Torah. http://hodf.org 35

  36. Galatians 4 (Exp) Gal 4:19 My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Messiah is formed in you, Gal 4:20 I desire to be present with you now, and to change the tone of my voice; for I have doubts about youavporou/mai [I am puzzled how to deal with you; how to find entrance to your hearts [Vincent]. http://hodf.org 36

  37. Galatians 4 (Exp) 4:21 Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? KJV Tell me, you who want to be under the law, are you not aware of what the law says? NIV Tell me, you who want to be under law, do you not listen to the law? NAS Say to me, you who wish to be under Torah, do you not hear the Torah? ISR http://hodf.org 37

  38. Galatians 4 (Exp) “Under the law (Torah)” review – Whatever this is law|Torah is referring to, it teaches that attaining ethnic Jewish status allows one to be a full-fledged member of God’s household, and thereby in right standing before God. http://hodf.org 38

  39. Galatians 4 Gal 4:21 Say to me, you who wish to be under Torah, do you not hear the Torah? ISR Gal 4:21 Say to me, you who wish to be under [the oral] Torah, do you not hear the [written] Torah? ISR Expanded http://hodf.org 39

  40. Galatians 4 (Exp) Gal 4:21 Tell me, you that desire to be bound by the Torah as interpreted by the Elders (this includes the written and the oral), do you not hear what the written Torah says? Gal 4:22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the bond servant and the other by the free woman. http://hodf.org 40

  41. Galatians 4 (Exp) Gal 4:23 He who wasof the bond servant was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was bornas a result of the promise. Gal 4:24 [Paul says] Let me explain this as an allegory: These womenillustrate two covenants, one from Mount Sinai bearing children who are to be slaves; she is Hagar. http://hodf.org 41

  42. Galatians 4 (Exp) Gal 4:25 Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia, and is like the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children. Gal 4:26 But the [heavenly] Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother. http://hodf.org 42

  43. Galatians 4 (Exp) Paul illustrates the allegory by quoting Isa. 54:1, a song of triumph looking for deliverance from a foreign yoke and also refers to Sarah's prolonged barrenness. Gal 4:27 For it is written, “Rejoice, O barren woman, break forth and cry out, you who have no labor pains: because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband.” http://hodf.org 43

  44. Galatians 4 (Exp) Gal 4:28 Now we are like Isaac, and are children of the promise. Gal 4:29 At that time, the son born in the ordinary way mocked and persecuted the son born by the power of the Spirit. So now, it is the same. http://hodf.org 44

  45. Galatians 4 (Exp) Paul gives allegorical warning to the Jews who are requiring the new believers to become proselytes. Gal 4:30 Nevertheless what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the bond woman and her son: for the son of the bond woman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.” Gen. 21:10 http://hodf.org 45

  46. Galatians 4 (Exp) Gal 4:31 So then, brethren, we are not children of the bond woman, but of the free woman. http://hodf.org 46

  47. Galatians 5 (Exp) Gal 5:1 Therefore, stand fast in the liberty wherewith Messiah hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage (which is…) Attempting to perform in the flesh the keeping of the commandments in Torah so as to maintain their legal Jewish status and have right standing. http://hodf.org 47

  48. Galatians 5 (Exp) Gal 5:2 Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if you become a proselyte, the finished work of Yeshua shall profit you nothing. http://hodf.org 48

  49. Galatians 5 (Exp) Gal 5:3 For I testify again to every person (male or female) that becomes a proselyte, you take an oath obligating yourself to obey the written Torah as defined and expanded by the traditions of the elders. http://hodf.org 49

  50. Galatians 5 (Exp) Gal 5:4 That being the case, the finished work of Yeshua cannot benefit you, since you now desire to acquire right-standing before God by attempting to obey in the flesh all the requirements of the Elders. In making this choice, you have fallen off the straight and narrow path. (Hab. 2:4) http://hodf.org 50

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