One key word. FORCE.
Lets just say you learned how to drive a car. You've never driven a car before. The "gentiles" would represent those who were "never Jewish" before.
If you notice on the internet, Jewish people in general come in all sorts of shapes, sizes, colors, tones and styles of presentation. There really isn't a "one size fits all" among Jewish people. Whether they believe in Jesus (Yeshua) or not.
In the bible, there exists something called "the law"......call it "the torah"..... call it "the commandments" .... call it "the Pentateuch".....call it "the five books of Moses"..... Well, just name it as it is written in Psalm 119....... learn to love it.
Loving "the law," the way of Psalm 119, seems like an odd thing in our world. But in reality, its NOT a bad thing to love GOD'S LAW!
Why?
Because it carefully describes CREATION. It describes OLD ADAM (and his problems). It describes the orders of NATURE itself.
It doesn't skip a thing, even whom is whom in the FAMILY TREE condition......as we are all related to Noah.....and all of our cousins are too.
So back to the title. What is Judaizing? Surely it doesn't mean eliminating Psalm 119? Or does it? How can one LOVE God's laws and then "pretend" to love Jesus at the same time? That is literally impossible. A person needs to LOVE God's laws AND love Jesus (Yeshua) at the same time.
If a person is NEW to God's laws.....they are NEW to God's ways and perspectives on things. Is it GOOD to train a person to "drive" forcefully or with a GENTLE tone? I would think you would believe in GENTLE guidance and direction!
Psa 119:9 BETH. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. ..... Clearly the DRIVING directions are written right in the Psalms!
What about the book of Galations. Yes, it is DEFINITELY addressing "judaizers." FORCE in action. It is NOT saying to "cut out" Psalm 119 suddenly.
Paul himself once used FORCE.... "Gal 1:13 For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it."
further
"Gal 1:14 And profited in the Jews' religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers. "
He eventually found GRACE..... to preach properly in various regions
"Gal 1:23-24 But they had heard only, That he which persecuted us in times past now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed. (24) And they glorified God in me."
This summarizes the first chapter. Paul was a FORCE driven man.....yes he was using Jewish religion as a WEAPON against "the church," but this doesn't mean ELIMINATION of GOd's LAWS!
Chapter 2, circumcision is addressed "Gal 2:7 But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter;"
"Gal 2:14 But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews? "
Big VERSE.... "Gal 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. " Does this mean ELIMINATION of "the law"? NO! It means that we cannot fulfil the LAW on our own terms! We don't have fleshly ability to do just that and with perfect precision. We are all born into the nature of OLD ADAM. ONLY new ADAM can become justification. We wouldn't KNOW sin of OLD ADAM without knowing "the law." If we know what "sin" happens to be, then we know that we NEED cleansing!
So this is where people get confused. They think that Messianic Judaism is a type of "force" to be reckoned with, as Saul acted BEFORE conversion. In reality it is a CLEANSING principle!
It is following THROUGH with the law.....instead of abolishing or avoiding it!
"Gal 2:17-18 But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid. (18) For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor." In other words, CHRIST does NOT want us to live AGAINST God's laws!
Key verse:
Gal 2:21 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.
Grace should NEVER lead a person to lasciviousness.
"Gal 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: "
"Gal 3:19 Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator. "
"Gal 3:21 Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. "
Gal 3:21 Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. "
Judaizing means a person lives under the curse of the law, Messianic Judaism means that a person trusts in his REDEMPTION promise to be justified.
At the top of the post I stated the "Jewish people" come in various sizes, shapes, conditions.....
but the scripture simply says: "Gal 3:28-29 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. (29) And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."
Onto chapter 4
"Gal 4:5-6 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. (6) And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
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"Gal 4:29-31 But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. (30) Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. (31) So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.
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Basically, we are not to go under the law of "bondage to sin" any longer because we have JESUS to rule in our hearts.
Chapter 5 a key chapter which shows the FRUITS of redemption!
"Gal 5:6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.
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Gal 5:13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. Gal 5:14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Gal 5:19-24 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, (20) Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, (21) Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. (22) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, (23) Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. (24) And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
Galations chapter 6
"Gal 6:2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. " (How do we KNOW the law of Christ......unless we KNOW the LAW of God....and what he fulfilled for us!!!)
"Gal 6:16-17 And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God. (17) From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.
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In summary, Judaizing would require Jewish customs, which have no benefit because Jesus already went to the cross. Messianic Judaism? Well, if it causes a man to "keep the sabbath" "stop eating pork" "stop fornicating" and to "love thy neighbor" then that proves that JESUS came to the earth to FULFILL God's LAWS..... Psalm 119 is still important in Messianic Judaism.
Jewish customs leads people "astray." That means that it is ok to go "against" the laws of God from time to time and just follow custom! All the bad stuff! Yikes! This was Saul before he became Paul!
JESUS BLOOD (his righteousness) causes people to OBEY God's word and to LOVe IT! Basically to Love thy NEIGHBOR.....is to fulfil THE LAW more than circumcision itself. If "keeping Sabbath" helps a man "love thy neighbor" then that is fulfilling the LAW of CHRIST and his redemption! Repeatedly the bible encouraged men to "rest"....and to allow animals and servants to rest! LOVE is fulfilling the law already!
Returning back to the beginning of the post. The key word is FORCE. LOVE is different than FORCE. The love for God's law does NOT go away post Galations. ...... No that wouldn't make sense as even within the law, various scenarios and things illustrate need to love "the weak" "the widow" "the orphan" etc. It is ok to follow "traditions" (ie to be circumsized) if they are done in love, else they are meaningless (Jesus said it is OK to heal on the Sabbath day.....he and Paul continued to preach in Synagogues.....on the Sabbath day).
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