The Pauline Paradox: What Did Paul Teach About the Law of Elohim?

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CONTENTS

Introduction

Is the Majority Ever Wrong?

The Paul You Never Knew

Why is Paul So Difficult to Understand?

Which Law, Paul?

Romans

Galatians

1 & 2 Corinthians

Ephesians & Colossians

1 Timothy 4:1-5

Conclusion

About 119 Ministries

CHAPTER 1

Is the Majority Ever Wrong?

Fact: every pastor, theologian, and Bible teacher on the planet holds on t o doctrinal error to some degree. An honest teacher will readily admit the possibility they are in error on some things. It’s foolish to think that we, or anyone else, has everything figured out or has all of the answers.

Should we be okay with error? When the Messiah returns, he will teach us all things, but does that mean we should refrain from trying to understand Elohim’s Word now? The obvious answer is no! As believers, we cannot remain stagnant in our pursuit of knowing Elohim—the Holy Spirit won’t let us! The Spirit stirs us to dig into the Word, learn it, and then practice it in our lives.

When the Bible says that something is true, the Holy Spirit moves us to do it. For instance, the Bible states that murder and theft are sins. Thus, those who believe that the Word of Elohim is right about those things will choose not to do those things. Likewise, every Christian believes that caring for the poor and being honest are true instructions found in the Bible. Thus, we practice those things because they are true. They are part of the Bible that we claim to believe in. We believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of Elohim and that it is true, so why would we not do what is true?

Salvation is received by faith in Yeshua (Ephesians 2:8). We are not saved by anything we do. Our works cannot and never will have any causal relationship with our status as saved sons and daughters of Elohim. However, though no causal relationship exists, works and salvation do correlate. The Bible is very clear on this (James 2:14-26). Works do not save us, but a true saving faith will produce works.

We strive to be honest, give to the poor, etc., because of our salvation, not for our salvation. The same holds true for every commandment of Elohim. Keeping Elohim’s commandments is evidence that we have faith in Elohim—that we believe his Word and follow it. Again, obedience to Elohim’s commandments is the evidence of our saving faith, not the cause of it. It is correlational, not causal.

In other words, if we commit to and trust in something, we will by default end up doing what we commit to and trust in. What you believe inwardly will be observable outwardly. This is one of the stated purposes of the Holy Spirit—to inspire us to learn the truth and empower us to walk in it:

When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. (John 16:13)

Many Christians today have an unsettling feeling in their spirit. They see some things established in the Word of Elohim as truth but hear Christian pastors and teachers say that believers no longer have to practice them. For instance, the Bible commands us to do things like rest on the Sabbath (Exodus 20:8-11). Despite this, many present day Christians say that we do not have to keep the Law anymore—that the Law is part of the Old Testament and no longer relevant—or worse, a form of legalistic bondage that the Messiah freed us from. But how can something that the Bible calls “freedom” (Psalm 119:44-45) be something that the Messiah must free us from later? Did Yeshua free us from freedom? It seems absurd, but that’s the logical implication of saying that the Messiah freed us from Elohim’s Law. Some may not be concerned about these contradictions. However, for those who are, this book is all about reconciling these issues.

Everyone that has the Holy Spirit dwelling within them should always be in the process of learning. Everyone is both a teacher and a student in some capacity. The only thing we can do—and certainly should do—is to test others and ourselves to the Word of Elohim. We should love being corrected. Correction humbles us and helps us to know our Father in greater depth. Those are both wonderful things. Elohim says that he will correct those whom he loves (Proverbs 3:12). So, if the Lord uses this book to correct any error you might have, consider yourself loved by Elohim.

Are You in Error?

Is it possible that one or more of our beliefs could be wrong? How would we even know? Do we go by the longest-held beliefs? Do we go by what the majority believes? Do we go by what the “smartest” people believe—our pastors, teachers, and theologians? Are the long-held beliefs of large groups of smart people always right?

While much of Christian tradition has value, we use Scripture to determine truth versus falsehood. The Bible is the final authority. Every Christian knows that, but how many times have we neglected to consult the Word of Elohim as the ultimate source of truth and instead relied on men? When we put our trust in anyone other than Elohim and his Word, we will inevitably come to believe some things that aren’t true.

In fact, our flesh—that is, our carnal nature—is bent toward seeking truth in places other than Elohim’s Word. This nature makes us prone to misplace our faith and inadvertently fall into error. We trust in tradition, historical standards, popular doctrine, etc., even when it may be contrary to the Word of Elohim.

Does this mean we should avoid Bible teachers altogether, and that tradition has no value? No, of course not. Elohim has established teachers in the body to edify, exhort, and correct according to the Word of Elohim. The point is that a man’s word is not the final authority. Tradition is not the final authority. Popular teachings are not the final authority. We are to test everything against the Word of Elohim. The Bible is the standard, and we are accountable to what it teaches, not what someone says it teaches.

Having said that, this book is not exempt from the test. Be a “Berean.” We see in Acts that the Bereans were commended for being eager to receive the word from the apostles and testing those words against the Scriptures (Acts 17:10-11). Be open to exploring different interpretations, but don’t take our word for anything. Test the interpretations offered in this book to the Scriptures.

The Situation of Yeshua’s Day

In the first century, Judaism had many distinct denominations— “Judaisms,” if you will. The dominant Judaisms were the Sadducees and the Pharisees, and the Pharisees even had several denominations under their umbrella. The Pharisaic religious leaders were the educated theologians of the day. They were the men with the answers—the teachers, the leaders, the esteemed academics, and the scholars. The first-century Pharisaic leaders were essentially the Bible commentators and experts of their time.

According to today’s established theological standards, we would expect the Pharisees to have sound theology. In a culture that greatly valued education, the Pharisees were beyond intelligent. As children, they would have studied and memorized the Torah. They also learned and taught historical traditions and doctrines that were passed down from generation to generation from all of the smart teachers in the past. So while the Pharisees did believe and teach many true and biblical things—the resurrection of the dead, for example—many of their accepted religious traditions actually deviated from Elohim’s standard of truth. Yeshua, the Word-of-Elohim-made-flesh, draws a sharp contrast between certain accepted traditions of the Pharisees and the Word of Elohim:

“You leave the commandment of Elohim and hold to the tradition of men.” And he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of Elohim in order to establish your tradition! For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, “Whatever you would have gained from me is Corban”’ (that is, given to Elohim)—then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, thus making void the word of Elohim by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do.” (Mark 7:8-13)

Here Yeshua quotes Moses and says that the Pharisees nullified the truth of Elohim as expressed in his Law by their doctrine and traditions. Their educational system, well-established theology, and esteemed religious leadership were in serious error. They had the Word of Elohim, yet with their traditions, doctrines, and practices, they nullified the Word of Elohim.

A couple of things worth noting here:

1. The mainstream Pharisees were very wrong in their doctrine.

2. According to Yeshua, nullifying what Moses wrote is a very bad thing.

Yeshua was constantly rebuking the Pharisees for not practicing the Word of Elohim they claimed to have faith in. The Pharisees said with their mouths that what Moses wrote was true, but in their practices and religious traditions, they nullified Moses’ writings. Yeshua called out this hypocrisy:

And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’” (Mark 7:6-7)

Sadly, many of the Pharisees failed to understand Yeshua’s rebuke. They had the very Word-of-Elohim-made-flesh walking around and teaching them, yet they refused to do what Moses wrote. Their faith was misplaced. They did not believe and practice the Word of Elohim but, instead, focused on their man-made traditions.

Yeshua said that what Moses wrote in our Bible—the Law—is true, and he rebuked the Pharisees for not keeping it. Currently, a multitude of Christians teach that we don’t have to keep the Law anymore, at least certain parts of it. If Yeshua came back today, he could rebuke many Christians in the same way he rebuked the Pharisees: “Has not Moses given you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law” (John 7:19).

Having faith in the Messiah is the only thing that affords us the gift of grace. But living as “saved” people means following the Word of Elohim as expressed in the scriptures. It’s a package deal: “So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead” (James 2:17).

We cannot forget that the Messiah fully embodied the Word of Elohim. His life, deeds, and teachings all expressed the value of the written Word of Elohim for the lives of his followers. Accepting the Word-of-Elohim-made-flesh necessarily includes accepting the written Word of Elohim. One of the worst things we can do is claim that we have faith in the Word of Elohim yet affirm and practice doctrines that nullify the Word of Elohim. Do we have any religious doctrines or traditions today that nullify Moses’ writings? Are we any better than the Pharisees who lived and breathed the scriptures and theology? What makes us think that we are immune to error?

CHAPTER 2

The Paul You Never Knew

In this book’s introduction, we made the point that Yeshua, during His famous Sermon on the Mount, fully affirmed every “iota” and “dot” of the Law of Elohim (Matthew 5:17-19). He said that members of the kingdom of heaven will do and teach even the least of the commandments in the Law of Elohim. Right before his ascension, he told his disciples to teach the nations all that he commanded, which included his teaching about the Law’s ongoing relevance to believers (Matthew 28:19-20). The question before us is, did Paul agree with Yeshua concerning the Law of Elohim? We believe that he did!

In the remaining chapters, we will argue that Paul wholeheartedly affirmed the Law of Elohim’s ongoing relevance to Christians. We will begin by going through the timeline of Paul’s life and ministry in the book of Acts.

Who was Paul?

We first meet Paul in Acts 7:58, at the stoning of Stephen: “Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul [Paul]” (Acts 7:58). Later, Paul confirms his presence at this event: “And when the blood of Stephen your witness was being shed, I myself was standing by and approving and watching over the garments of those who killed him” (Acts 22:20). Let’s back up a little bit and see why exactly it was that Stephen was being stoned:

Then they secretly instigated men who said, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and Elohim.” And they stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes, and they came upon him and seized him and brought him before the council, and they set up false witnesses who said, “This man never ceases to speak words against this holy place and the law, for we have heard him say that this Yeshua of Nazareth will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses delivered to us.” (Acts 6:11-14)

In Deuteronomy 13, Elohim’s people are commanded to measure teachers and prophets against the Word of Elohim, according to the commandments Moses wrote down at Sinai. If a prophet or teacher attempted to lead Elohim’s people into disobedience to the commandments of Elohim, then they would be brought before the judges. This is the situation Stephen found himself in. He was accused of speaking against the commandments of Elohim.

Paul watched all of this transpire right before him. Ironically, many Christians today accuse Paul of the same thing that Stephen was accused of—that is, teaching that the Law of Elohim had been abolished. But did Stephen actually teach against the Law of Moses? The passage quoted earlier gives us the answer—these were false accusations: “…and they came upon him and seized him and brought him before the council, and they set up false witnesses who said…” (Acts 6:12-13, emphasis added). A false prophet, by definition, is someone who teaches against Elohim’s commandments (Deuteronomy 13:5). Stephen was falsely accused of being a false prophet. This means he did not teach against Elohim’s commandments; he did not teach that Yeshua changed the customs of Moses. The accusations against Stephen were utterly fabricated.

In the eighth chapter of Acts, Paul agreed with the unlawful killing of Stephen at that time (Acts 8:1). For Paul to approve of Stephen’s stoning, he must have been deceived by the false testimony that Yeshua abolished the Law of Elohim. Because of this false testimony, a war immediately ensued against followers of Yeshua:

And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him. But Saul [Paul] was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison. (Acts 8:1-3)

Since this persecution against followers of Yeshua was unjust and based on false accusations, Yeshua decided to put a stop to it. How did he put a stop to it? By manifesting himself to Paul in Acts 9. Through this encounter, Paul understood the truth. He understood that Yeshua is truly Israel’s Messiah. This led to the beginning of Paul’s teaching ministry to both Jews and Gentiles.

How did many of the Jews who were against this Messianic movement react to Paul’s change of heart? According to Scripture, they were dismayed and astonished that Paul now followed Yeshua (Acts 9:21). Because of the false testimonies and rumors that led to Stephen’s unjust conviction, many Jews were still under the impression that followers of Yeshua believed the Law of Elohim had changed. Yeshua corrected Paul and set him straight, yet many others that once followed Paul in persecuting followers of Yeshua were still deceived about Yeshua’s teachings. Therefore, many desired to kill Paul because they viewed him as a traitor (Acts 9:23, 29).

From Paul’s encounter with Yeshua in Acts 9 onward, he was on a mission to spread the Gospel and testify that Yeshua is the prophesied Messiah of Israel. Paul taught about Yeshua to both Jews and Gentiles every Sabbath in the Synagogues (Acts 13:14-42). He faced tremendous persecution because of his newfound faith in Yeshua—he was even stoned (Acts 14:19-20)—yet, he continued on this mission.

As the Gospel spread, an increasing number of Gentiles came to faith in Yeshua in the first century. This caused a debate among the first-century believers. Therefore, a council was called to sort things out.

Acts 15: The Jerusalem Council

Many Christians teach that the Jerusalem Council concluded, in a groundbreaking decision, that Gentile Christians are exempt from obeying Elohim’s Law as written by Moses. But is that really what Acts 15 says? First, it’s important to understand what the debate was actually about. The debate concerned two different models of salvation: a false “works-based” model, which demanded circumcision as a prerequisite, versus the apostolic model, which is by faith in the Messiah. We see the works-based model expressed in the first verse: “But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, ‘Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved’” (Acts 15:1).

This is the issue that prompted the Jerusalem Council. A group of men from Judea had been teaching that Gentile believers could not receive salvation without first undergoing physical circumcision. They believed that Gentile believers must essentially “become Jewish” via ritual conversion (which involved circumcision) before being considered saved. Additionally, some Pharisees, while they recognized that Elohim revealed himself to the Gentiles, still insisted that the Gentiles must get circumcised and keep the law of Moses before being fully accepted into the believing community (Acts 15:5). The apostles argued against placing such a yoke upon the Gentile believers (Acts 15:10). As scholar J.K. McKee explains:

The yoke being placed upon these non-Jewish Believers in the Messiah was a legalistic perversion of the Torah which demanded that if you do not observe it and convert to Judaism (perhaps according to the particular sect represented) you cannot be saved. It is a yoke that keeps people out of Elohim’s intention, rather than one that welcomes them in . 1

The apostles taught that Gentile believers are saved no differently than Jews are saved: by grace through faith in Messiah (Acts 15:11). Salvation is not something that can be gained by ritual conversion or human effort. In support of this position, Paul and Barnabas testified to the amazing work that Elohim had been doing among the Gentiles (Acts 15:12). James then spoke up and said that Gentile inclusion into the believing community was prophesied in Scripture, and that “we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to Elohim” (Acts 15:19). Thus, they decided that Gentiles didn’t need to ritually convert to Judaism before being received as full members of Elohim’s people. They shouldn’t be pressured into getting circumcised and taking on the weight of the entire Torah all at once. Instead, any Gentile who came to know Messiah should be received into the community provided that they follow four Torah-based instructions dealing specifically with pagan temple worship (Acts 15:20). This was to reassure the Jewish believers that the Gentile Christians had fully renounced idolatry.

Finally, the Gentiles’ obligations as believers didn’t stop at the starting point. They weren’t to follow only these four instructions dealing with idolatry for the rest of their lives. No, according to James, the Gentile believers were to be welcomed every Sabbath at the synagogue, where they would learn the rest of the commandments (Acts 15:21). So, rather than abolishing the Law for Gentiles, the Jerusalem council actually reinforced Yeshua’s teaching that the Law is perpetually relevant and is to be taught to “all nations”—just not as a means to salvation.

After the Jerusalem council, we see that Paul continued to teach in the synagogues on the Sabbath (Acts 16:13). In fact, Scripture says this was his “custom” (Acts 17:2). He did it “every Sabbath” (Acts 18:4).

Nothing we’ve seen so far indicates that Paul taught against the Law of Elohim. In fact, Paul defended himself when he was accused of such a thing. Just as Stephen was falsely accused of teaching against Elohim’s Law in Acts 6, Paul faced these same false accusations (Acts 18:12-13). After one such allegation, the first thing Paul did was take a vow (Acts 18:18). This was likely a Nazarite vow (Numbers 6:1-21), which is a public declaration of a complete desire to follow the way of Elohim. This vow would have served as a public confirmation that Paul had not forsaken what Moses wrote, which would mean that he did not teach that Yeshua abolished the Law of Elohim. We will see such a vow play the same role again when they accuse Paul once more when he arrives in Jerusalem. But first, why Paul sailed off to Jerusalem in the first place is worth noting:

When they asked him to stay a longer time with them, he did not consent, but took leave of them, saying, “I must by all means keep this coming feast in Jerusalem; but I will return again to you, Elohim willing.” And he sailed from Ephesus. (Acts 18:20-21, NKJV)

According to this passage, Paul still kept the feast days (in addition to the Sabbath, as noted earlier) of the Lord (see Leviticus 23). If the traditional Christian view is correct and Paul did in fact teach that Elohim’s feast days are irrelevant, what are we supposed to do about this? Do we think that Paul would teach against Elohim’s feast days while keeping them himself? No, that would make him a hypocrite.

Amidst these false accusations, Paul responded in some interesting ways. We already saw him take a vow and hurry back to Jerusalem for a feast of the Lord. That would be unusual behavior for someone who taught the Law of Elohim had been abolished. Paul’s position on this matter becomes clearer once Paul arrives in Jerusalem. In Acts 21, he was confronted with this same false accusation:

On the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present. After greeting them, he related one by one the things that Elohim had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. And when they heard it, they glorified Elohim. And they said to him, “You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed. They are all zealous for the law, and they have been told about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or walk according to our customs. What then is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come. Do therefore what we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow; take these men and purify yourself along with them and pay their expenses, so that they may shave their heads. Thus all will know that there is nothing in what they have been told about you, but that you yourself also live in observance of the law. (Acts 21:18-24)

Here is what we learn from the passage above: First, Paul was accused of forsaking Moses again. Second, James considers this accusation a concern. Third, James offers a solution—that is, Paul should help others with their vow. (Again, this is likely a Nazarite vow.) Last, and perhaps most significant, James states that these accusations against Paul—that he teaches differently than Moses—are in fact not true . So unless James—an elder in the Jerusalem council and Yeshua’s brother—was mistaken, then this passage is conclusive proof that Paul practiced and taught what was written by Moses. James said of Paul, “You yourself also live in observance of the law.”

Some people might suggest, by pointing to the next verse, that much of the Law doesn’t apply to Gentile believers:

But as for the Gentiles who have believed, we have sent a letter with our judgment that they should abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. (Acts 21:25)

This verse is a reference to the decree found in Acts 15. On the surface, James appears to say that the Gentiles need to observe only those four commandments mentioned. Obviously, that wouldn’t make sense because every Christian agrees that lying, murder, adultery, etc., are still considered sins that all followers of Yeshua—Jew and Gentile—ought to avoid. In short, the four instructions are not the only commandments Gentiles must follow, but they serve a specific purpose, as we mentioned earlier. Since most of the Gentiles coming to know Yeshua were coming out of pagan idolatry, these commandments were the most relevant starting point for new Gentile believers.

The four commandments decreed in Acts 15:20 and restated in Acts 21:25 were a call for the Gentiles to leave behind their pagan idolatry. Since these four commandments were connected with pagan temple worship, they were a necessary starting point for Gentiles to be able to attend synagogue services with the Jewish believers. By their observance of these four commandments, the Gentile believers demonstrated that they had renounced idolatry and now worship only the Elohim of Israel. And then, at the synagogue services every Sabbath, the Gentiles would learn the rest of the commandments of the Torah (Acts 15:21).

After Paul completed the vow per James’ recommendation, he ran into trouble. Some Jews saw Paul at the Temple and continued to falsely accuse him of teaching against the Law of Elohim:

When the seven days were almost completed, the Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowed and laid hands on him, crying out, “Men of Israel, help! This is the man who is teaching everyone everywhere against the people and the law and this place. Moreover, he even brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.” (Acts 21:27-28)

The rest of the chapter goes on to say that Paul was attacked and beaten as a result of these false accusations against him. Eventually the tribune came and arrested him. A mob of people followed as they brought him to the barracks. He asked the tribune permission to speak to the people in his defense, and they allowed him to address the mob. He shared his testimony, in the Hebrew language, of coming to know Yeshua. After sharing, the mob grew louder and the tribune ordered Paul to be taken to the barracks and flogged. However, when they discovered Paul was a Roman citizen, they spared him the flogging.

The next day, they brought Paul before the chief priests. The high priest, Ananias, ordered Paul to be struck on the mouth. Paul reacted by calling out Ananias as a hypocrite: Then Paul said to him, “Elohim is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! Are you sitting to judge me according to the law, and yet contrary to the law you order me to be struck?” (Acts 23:3) Interestingly, Paul appeals to the Law of Elohim, which says only someone found guilty can be beaten (Deuteronomy 25:1-2), as his basis for calling Ananias a hypocrite. If the accusations that Paul taught against the Law were true, why would he appeal to the Law? What’s especially fascinating is the next verse where, once again, Paul is accused of breaking what Moses wrote. But this time Paul agrees that he was wrong for saying what he said:

Those who stood by said, “Would you revile Elohim’s high priest?” And Paul said, “I did not know, brothers, that he was the high priest, for it is written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’” (Acts 23:4-5)

Notice that Paul did not try to justify his evil speech against Ananias, the high priest. Rather, he agreed with the Law of Elohim and acknowledged his mistake. It wouldn’t make sense for him to appeal to the Law of Elohim in his acknowledgment of his error if he believed the Law had been done away with.

The mob would still not relent. Certain men made a vow not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul. As a result, the rulers took Paul to Caesarea, where he stood trial for the false accusations against him. What did Paul say in his defense?

Neither can they prove to you what they now bring up against me. But this I confess to you, that according to the Way, which they call a sect, I worship the Elohim of our fathers, believing everything laid down by the Law and written in the Prophets. (Acts 24:13-14)

If Paul taught something other than Moses, then you would think they would have been able to prove it. Since Paul supposedly wrote about how Messiah changed the Law, his accusers should just be able to read one of his letters before the court, right? But they couldn’t prove their case. Their accusations were baseless. Not only that, but Paul’s testimony makes his perspective all the more clear: “I worship the Elohim of our fathers, believing everything laid down by the Law and written in the Prophets.” Unless Paul was lying (he wasn’t), this is conclusive proof that Paul did not teach against the Law of Elohim.

To conclude this examination of Paul in the Book of Acts, here is one more instance where Paul affirms the Law of Elohim. To the very end of Paul’s life and ministry, there is no indication that he ever taught against the Law of Elohim. All of the evidence points in the opposite direction:

When they had appointed a day for him, they came to him at his lodging in greater numbers. From morning till evening he expounded to them, testifying to the kingdom of Elohim and trying to convince them about Yeshua both from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets. (Acts 28:23)

The record of Paul’s life in the Book of Acts shows that he could not have been teaching against the Law of Elohim. His own actions and testimony demonstrate the oppsite: he affirmed the Law’s ongoing relevance.

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CHAPTER 3

Why is Paul So Difficult to Understand?

Many read Paul through the lens of the mainstream Christian doctrine they grew up with. Thus, based on a few snippets of Paul’s letters, they have come to believe that he taught against the Law of Elohim. However, if you have read this far, perhaps you’ve realized that this belief needs revisiting. Once we comprehend why Paul is so difficult to understand, we can begin to clarify and resolve some apparent contradictions in the Bible.

As we’ve seen, the Book of Acts presents an entirely different version of Paul than is taught in mainstream Christian doctrine regarding the Law of Elohim. Therefore, only two paths are available. The first path is that you can ignore what you’ve learned about Paul in the Book of Acts. The second path is to move forward and discover the truth, whatever that might be, and reconcile all of these apparent conflicts within the text of the Bible.

This book will reconcile the apparent contradictions between “the Paul you never knew” and “the Paul you thought you knew.” But first we need to understand the root cause of the problem—that is, why Paul is so difficult to understand. Some might say, “Paul is not hard to understand at all! When it came to the Law of Elohim, he clearly said that we are no longer under the Law but under grace. It doesn’t get any clearer than that!” However, to claim that Paul is easy to understand is to contradict the very words of someone who knew Paul better than anyone today. That person is Peter. Here is what Peter had to say about Paul’s letters:

And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand , which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures. You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. (2 Peter 3:15-17, emphasis added)

Peter’s warning is pretty clear. Furthermore, it’s in the context of preparing us for the coming Day of the Lord. We should all want to be ready for that day. Peter said that some things in Paul’s letters are hard to understand, and some people even “twist” Paul’s words to make them say something different than what he intended. We have no reason to doubt that Peter’s firsthand testimony about Paul’s letters could apply today as well. Paul certainly didn’t become easier to understand. Many of Paul’s statements about the Law of Elohim are perhaps the most difficult parts of his letters, as they are seemingly contradictory! Therefore, we must read Paul’s letters carefully and make sure we are not “carried away with the error of lawless people.”

Let’s examine some of the reasons Paul is so difficult to understand.

#1: Ignoring the “Front of the Book”

Peter mentioned that the “error of lawless people” came from two root causes—being ignorant and being unstable. Being ignorant simply means being “unlearned.” Regardless of whether someone’s ignorance is intentional or not, Peter’s point is quite simple: ignoring a lot of Scripture is the cause of misunderstanding Paul’s letters. This is clear when he says, “The ignorant and unstable twist [Paul’s letters] to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures ” (2 Peter 3:16, emphasis added).

What are the “Scriptures” that Peter says people ignore and twist? Given that Peter wrote this letter in the first century before the New Testament writings were officially assembled, it’s clear that Peter was primarily referring to the Tanakh 1 —that is, the Old Testament. As believers, this is crucial for us to understand. Peter says that if you fall into the error of lawless people, you are ignoring and twisting the Scriptures, primarily the Old Testament. That means the opposite is also true: If you understand what the Old Testament says, you will not fall into the error of lawless people.

So the first reason Paul is so difficult to understand is that many Christians do not realize what the “front of the book”—the Old Testament—says. The only way to understand the “back of the book”—The New Testament—though, is to read it in light of the Old Testament. That would clear up a lot of apparent contradictions.

For instance, many Christians believe Paul taught that Elohim’s Law has changed. However, it is impossible to come to that conclusion if you’ve read what the Old Testament says about the Law: “I will not violate my covenant or alter the word that went forth from my lips” (Psalm 89:34). Surely Elohim himself cannot be wrong, so that means the traditional understanding of Paul must be revisited.

Many also believe that Paul called the Law of Elohim bondage (Galatians 5:1). But the front of the book says that the Law of Elohim brings liberty (Psalm 119:44-45). How can something that brings liberty be bondage? As we’ll unpack in our chapter on Galatians, the answer is that Paul is not calling the Law of Elohim bondage! If we read Paul’s letters in light of what the Old Testament already established, we won’t be so quick to assume Paul spoke against the Law. Again, it all comes back to knowing the Scriptures—and specifically the Old Testament.

Let’s look at one more example: in Paul’s first letter to Timothy, he appears to speak against Elohim’s dietary instructions found in Leviticus 11:

Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that Elohim created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by Elohim is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of Elohim and prayer. (1 Timothy 4:1-5)

If we believe Leviticus 11 is Elohim’s Word, how can we accept the common understanding of Paul in 1 Timothy 4:1-5? Is Leviticus 11 a doctrine of demons? Is following Elohim’s commandments contained in Leviticus 11 departing from the faith? Of course not. Again, we will thoroughly explain this and other passages in later chapters, but the point is that some major theological dilemmas arise when we test the traditional understanding of Paul against the rest of Scripture. This is just a small sample of the problems Peter informs us about regarding Paul’s letters. If we do not understand the front of the book, we are going to run into issues when reading the back of the book.

#2: Ignoring Context

The second reason Paul can be difficult to understand is that he is often taken out of context. People will cite random verses from Paul’s letters without regard to the context in which those verses were written. For example, many will quote, “You are not under law but under grace” (Romans 6:14) or “Messiah is the end of the Law for righteousness to everyone who believes” (Romans 10:4). If we read these verses in isolation, it is understandable to conclude that the Law doesn’t apply to believers in Yeshua. But when we examine the traditional interpretations of those verses in light of other verses, we run into issues. For instance, in Romans, Paul taught against the idea that our faith in Messiah makes void the Law (Romans 3:31). That directly contradicts the common interpretations of Romans 6:14 and 10:4.

Are you feeling the tension between the traditional interpretation of Paul and what he actually lived and taught? There’s more: Paul says that he serves the Law of Elohim (Romans 7:25). Why serve a Law that is supposedly ended or made void? Paul called the Law “holy and righteous and good” (Romans 7:12). He said he “delights” in the law of Elohim (Romans 7:22). He taught that the Holy Spirit leads to obedience to Elohim’s Law while the carnal nature of man is opposed to Elohim’s Law (Romans 8:3-8). And this is only in Romans!

As we can see, cherry-picking verses gets us nowhere. We need to examine Scripture in context in order to truly understand what Paul is saying. All of Paul’s alleged anti-Law statements can be reconciled when read in the context of his full letters. The problem is that many Christians aren’t willing to invest the time to read Paul’s letters in context. They are already convinced, via Church tradition, that Paul taught against the Law of Elohim. This leads to the third reason Paul is difficult to understand.

#3: Misplaced Trust in Man

In addition to the previous reasons, Paul may be difficult to understand because of Church tradition. Religion perpetuates and solidifies misunderstandings of Paul under timeless layers of doctrine. For instance, famous evangelical pastor and theologian, John MacArthur, says this about the Sabbath:

We believe the Old Testament regulations governing Sabbath observances are ceremonial, not moral, aspects of the law. As such, they are no longer in force, but have passed away along with the sacrificial system, the Levitical priesthood, and all other aspects of Moses’ law that prefigured Messiah. 2

Notice how MacArthur begins to categorize Elohim’s Law based on his interpretive paradigm. He invents unbiblical terms like “moral law” to give a religious justification for removing certain parts of the Law of Elohim that he believes no longer apply. However, the Bible makes no such distinction. Elohim defines morality; we do not. And to Elohim, the Sabbath is a very important commandment.

Another example is this quote from Equip.org, the popular Christian organization that retains the self-proclaimed “Bible Answer Man.” This is what they say concerning the Law:

The New Testament records various struggles the new Christian church had in order to break the shackles of an old system of law keeping that bound many in their former religion—Judaism. 3

Notice the language of the Law being like a prison—“the shackles of an old system of law keeping.” The author of this article is clearly calling the Law of Elohim bondage. This is directly contrary to Scripture, which calls Moses’ writings “liberty” (Psalm 119:44-45).

This isn’t to bash John MacArthur or Equip.org. Their teachings merely reflect the traditional view of Elohim’s Law. But as we’ve already explained in previous chapters, we need to place our trust in the Word of Elohim, not men’s tradition.

#4: Not Understanding Historical Context

Many people will cite verses like 1 Corinthians 7:19, in which Paul says, “Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing,” as proof that Elohim’s laws about circumcision have been abolished. However, in the very same verse, Paul says that “keeping the commandments of Elohim” is what matters. What makes this verse complicated is the fact that circumcision is a commandment of Elohim! So how can Paul say that circumcision is nothing while in the same breath affirm the importance of keeping Elohim’s commandments?

It helps to understand the first-century historical context when reading passages like this. In the first century, certain sects of Judaism taught that Gentiles could not be “saved” and made part of Elohim’s people unless they “became Jewish” through ritual conversion, which was a long process that included getting circumcised. Thus, “circumcision” referred not only to the surgical removal of the foreskin but also to having a “Jewish status” in the minds of many first-century Jews. Likewise, “uncircumcision” refers to having a “Gentile status.” With that in mind, we can understand Paul’s statement as such:

Was anyone at the time of his call already circumcised [Jewish]? Let him not seek to remove the marks of circumcision [become a Gentile]. Was anyone at the time of his call uncircumcised [a Gentile]? Let him not seek circumcision [to become Jewish]. For neither circumcision [being Jewish] counts for anything nor uncircumcision [being a Gentile], but keeping the commandments of Elohim. (1 Corinthians 7:18-19)

Paul was not speaking against the actual act of circumcision but rather against Gentiles being pressured to convert to Judaism. In Paul’s mind, having a “Jewish status” (as defined by the first-century rabbis) didn’t matter. They weren’t to focus on that. Whether Jew or Gentile, keeping Elohim’s commandments is the important thing.

We’ll explore this passage and others more in the chapter on First and Second Corinthians, but now you can see how important it is to have a grasp of the historical context of Paul’s writings.

#5: Doctrinal Programming

Religious indoctrination existed in the first century, and it still exists today. For instance, you have likely heard these three common, knee-jerk expressions before, and perhaps you’ve even said versions of them yourself:

1. “Those under the Law of Moses were ‘under bondage,’ which ended with Yeshua, who has set us free!”

2. “No one could ever do everything the law requires! That’s why we needed Yeshua!”

3. “The law was ‘a curse’ that Yeshua came to do away with!”

Each of these traditional expressions completely exposes our misunderstanding of Paul. The first statement is derived from a misinterpretation of a verse in Galatians, which we will address in a later chapter. For right now, it’s enough to say that Scripture says keeping Elohim’s Law brings freedom. You can’t be freed from freedom.

The second statement is a red herring—that is, a figurative expression referring to a logical fallacy in which a clue or piece of information is misleading or distracting from the actual topic at hand. Nobody believes that keeping Elohim’s Law replaces what Yeshua did on the cross. That would be absurd. We need to be forgiven of our past and future sin—that is, our breaking of Elohim’s Law. But as followers of Yeshua, we have valid, biblical reasons to keep the Law of Elohim. Keeping Elohim’s Law is the way to love Elohim (1 John 5:2-3); it keeps us out of sin (Romans 7:7; 1 John 3:4); it is truth (Psalm 119:142); it is what our Messiah did as our example (1 John 2:6). We are not to keep the law of Elohim for our salvation but because of our salvation.

The third statement—that Elohim’s Law is a “curse”—is derived from another verse in Galatians, which we will also address later. For now, it’s enough to point out that Elohim’s Law is called truth and freedom throughout Scripture, as we’ve demonstrated. Truth and freedom cannot be a curse. In fact, curses come from breaking Elohim’s Law (Deuteronomy 11:26-28). Therefore, this third statement just isn’t true.

#6: Not Understanding Paul’s Usage of the Word “Law”

The last reason Paul is so difficult to understand is that many people don’t always know what he means when he talks about the law. Paul speaks of multiple laws in addition to the Law of Elohim—that is, the Torah. For instance, there is the Law of Sin (Romans 7:23-25), the Law of Sin and Death (Romans 8:2), the Law of Faith (Romans 3:27), the Law of Righteousness (Romans 9:31), the Law of Elohim (Romans 3:31; 7:22-25; 8:7), and the Law of Messiah (Galatians 6:2; 1 Corinthians 9:21).

You’ll notice that some of these laws are good (e.g., Law of Elohim), and some are not so good (e.g., Law of Sin). Where it gets complicated is that Paul does not always expressly state which law he is referring to. He does make specific mention of all of these different laws, but not every single time. Thus, we are often required to read the context in order to ascertain which law he is referring to. In the next chapter, we will examine these different laws in depth.

We need to carefully interpret Paul’s statements regarding the Law so that we don’t misunderstand him. As we’ve seen, the topic is a lot more complicated than how it’s often presented in Christianity. We ought to take Peter’s warning into consideration. Understanding these six common reasons we often misinterpret Paul will help.

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CHAPTER 4

Which Law, Paul?

When the idea that we as Christians ought to follow Elohim’s Law is proposed, this is the common rebuttal: “But we are not under the law! We are under grace!” This objection, based on Romans 6:14, suggests that Elohim’s Law given through Moses is no longer applicable to followers of Messiah. But is Elohim’s Law incompatible with Elohim’s grace? Not at all. For instance, every Christian agrees that the Israelites’ deliverance from Egypt was an act of Elohim’s grace; they weren’t delivered because of anything the Israelites had done. Only after the Israelites had been “saved by grace” did Elohim give them his Law to follow. The fact that the Israelites were saved by grace and not by the Law does not invalidate the Law (Romans 3:31).

Furthermore, as we’ve demonstrated in previous chapters, Paul, like Yeshua, continued to practice and teach the Law of Elohim as written by Moses. Thus, the fact that we are not “under the law” cannot be understood to mean that we are not to follow the Law of Elohim. So, what exactly did Paul mean by this statement?

Let’s look at the verse in question: “For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace” (Romans 6:14). Note the first part of the verse: “For sin will have no dominion over you.” As believers, we are no longer enslaved to our sin. However, at one time, sin did have dominion over us. That’s Paul’s entire point throughout chapter six of Romans. We are exhorted not to continue living in sin (vv. 1-2) because our old self was crucified with Messiah that we might die to sin and be raised to newness of life (vv. 8-11). We were once slaves to sin, but because of Yeshua’s death and resurrection, we are set free from sin so that it no longer has dominion over us (vv. 16-18). Context is everything. Not being “under the law” means that we are no longer under the Law of Sin and Death.

What does it mean to be under the Law of Sin and Death? According to the Bible, the Law of Elohim defines sin (Romans 7:7; 1 John 3:4). That is to say, breaking the Law of Elohim is sin. And sin—breaking the Law of Elohim—leads to death. This fact was established in the very beginning:

And the Lord Elohim commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die. (Genesis 2:16-17)

Paul echoes this same principle in Romans:

Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death to all men because all sinned. (Romans 5:12)

Through Genesis, Paul’s letters, and other places of Scripture, our Creator teaches us that following the “Law of Sin” leads to death. This is what Paul is talking about when he says that we are not under the law. Paul is teaching that, when we come into the faith, our Messiah’s death and resurrection enables us to be free from the bondage of sin and to overcome death. So now, we are no longer under the law of sin and death , but under grace. This becomes even clearer when we read the verse in the context of Paul’s whole argument. He even explicitly states it a little later in the letter: “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Messiah Yeshua. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Messiah Yeshua from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:1-2).

This makes sense in light of the Gospel. Sin leads to death. But Elohim gives us grace and forgives us our sin when we receive the Messiah. Therefore, being under grace means that we are free from the bondage of sin and the death that results from it. Consequently, we are freed not from the Law of Elohim but from the Law of Sin and Death.

To say that grace causes us to be free from obedience to the Law of Elohim wouldn’t make sense. As we mentioned before, the Law of Elohim defines sin. Without the Law of Elohim, there would be no sin. If there is no sin, then there is no need for grace. So if the context tells us anything, it should be that Paul never said we are not to keep the Law of Elohim.

If you still have questions, don’t worry—we will examine the Book of Romans in depth in the following chapter. However, the fact that Paul’s mention of the word law does not always refer to the Law of Elohim should be clear by now. Again, here is the list of all the different laws Paul spoke of:

• The Law of Sin (Romans 7:23-25)

• The Law of Sin and Death (Romans 8:2)

• The Law of the Spirit of Life (Romans 8:2)

• The Law of Faith (Romans 3:27)

• The Law of Righteousness (Romans 9:31)

• The Law of Elohim (Romans 3:31; 7:22-25; 8:7)

• The Law of Messiah (Galatians 6:2; 1 Corinthians 9:21)

When we understand how Paul speaks of these various laws, we are better equipped to understand the difficult words of Paul in other passages. We need to enter the mind of Paul. Otherwise, we will be carried away with the error of lawless people, as Peter said (2 Peter 3:17). So before we examine each letter of Paul in detail, and focus on the verses that have traditionally been used to teach that Elohim’s Law is done way with, we will need to review these different laws and learn about their relationships with each other.

The Law of Elohim

The Law of Elohim is the Torah—that is, Elohim’s commandments and instructions contained in Genesis through Deuteronomy. The Law of Elohim defines sin (Romans 7:7; 1 John 3:4). To follow the Law of Elohim is to obey and love him (1 John 5:3). Yeshua refers to this Law, which was written by Moses, as the “Word of Elohim” (Mark 7:9-10, 13). Thus, the Law of Elohim is part of the Word of Elohim. And according to Scripture, the Word of Elohim is forever and unchanging (Isaiah 40:8; 1 Peter 1:23-25).

Paul taught that everyone in the world is accountable to Elohim according to the Law of Elohim (Romans 3:19). That is to say, the Law of Elohim defines sin for a reason. This has an impact on our condition before Elohim. Nobody will be able to defend themselves in their sin—their breaking of Elohim’s Law. We are all guilty, and in this we become knowledgeable of our sin:

Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to Elohim. For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. (Romans 3:19-20)

When we break the Law of Elohim—that is, disobey any commandment contained therein—we sin. This leads to the second law: the Law of Sin.

The Law of Sin

The Law of Sin is something we all followed before we came to know Messiah Yeshua. This Law comes from us or, more specifically, our flesh. Our flesh nature is the desire to do things our way instead of Elohim’s way:

But I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? (Romans 7:23-24)

Our flesh desires sin. It hates the Law of Elohim. As a result, we all have sinned by breaking the Law of Elohim:

What then? Are Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for Elohim. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” (Romans 3:9-12)

This passage is referring to those under the Law of Sin. After we come to know the Messiah, a battle rages inside of us between the Law of Elohim and the Law of Sin (Romans 7:7-25). The Spirit in us directs us toward the Law of Elohim (Romans 8:3-4). The flesh directs us toward the Law of Sin (Romans 8:7-8). At the resurrection, after Yeshua’s Second Coming, the Law of Elohim will finally prevail, and the battle between our flesh and the Spirit within us will be over, as the Law of Elohim will be fully written on the hearts of Elohim’s people (Jeremiah 31:33). However, before that happens, we still struggle with sin, and sin leads to death. This leads to the next law: the Law of Sin and Death.

The Law of Sin and Death

We were all under the Law of Sin and Death before we came to know the Messiah, even if we did not realize it at the time (Romans 5:12; Genesis 2:16-17). Since man ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, which was against the Law of Elohim, we all deserve death. Our sin leads to death, which means we live under the Law of Sin and Death until we receive the Messiah, who sets us free: “For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Messiah Yeshua from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:2).

The Law of the Spirit of Life

The law of the Spirit of life helps us to obey the Law of Elohim. It leads us toward the Law of Elohim and away from the Law of Sin (Romans 8:2-4). The Spirit exposes the flesh and its natural inclination for sin (Romans 8:7-8), as foretold by the prophets:

And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. (Ezekiel 36:26-27)

Thus, the moment the Spirit enters into us, we recognize that we are under the Law of Sin and Death. We understand we are in bondage to our sin. We see that we are in a hopeless state. Once we realize that we are in bondage, we desire a way out. We then look to our Creator for the way out. The Spirit, which gives us a desire for truth and freedom, causes us to establish faith in our Creator and his eternal and authoritative, unchanging Word. As scholar Tim Hegg puts it, the Law of the Spirit of Life “enables the word of Elohim to become active in the life of the believer, changing him and conforming him to the image of Yeshua Himself. This work of the Spirit in connection with Torah (‘so that we serve in the newness of the Spirit,’ cf. 7:6) in the life of the believer is evidence that a true saving work has been done, and that condemnation is no longer to be feared.” 1 This leads us to the Law of Faith.

The Law of Faith

The law of faith is best understood as the Law of Elohim beckoning men to faith, by which they receive justification. Paul contrasts this law with the “law of works,” which boasts in one’s own futile efforts to try to earn justification (Romans 3:27). The Law of Elohim, properly understood, leads to justification by faith: “For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law” (Romans 3:28). Saving faith then inevitably leads to faithful obedience to the Law of Elohim: “Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law” (Romans 3:31). In obedience to the law of faith, we see the Law of Elohim as the way to live and express our love toward Elohim as a grateful response to his grace, not as a tool for boasting in our works.

The Law of Righteousness

The Law of Righteousness is the Law of Elohim lived out by faith, leading to righteousness. Paul said Israel did not succeed in reaching this law (Romans 9:31). Why? Because, “they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works” (Romans 9:32). That is, they did not achieve righteousness because their pursuit of it was not based on faith. Paul says, “the righteous shall live by faith” (Romans 1:17). Pursuing righteousness by works without faith misses the mark. But faith without works also misses the mark. As Paul says elsewhere, “For we are his workmanship, created in Messiah Yeshua for good works , which Elohim prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them ” (Ephesians 2:10, emphasis added).

Works flow out of genuine faith. For instance, if someone told you that your house was going to explode tomorrow, and you verified this claim, you wouldn’t stay in your house. You’d take action so that you wouldn’t blow up! Likewise, if you really believed the Word of Elohim to be true, you would act on it.

Since we believe the Word of Elohim to be true and an expression of the right way to live, our lives should resemble living righteously (1 John 2:29; 3:7, 10). Our Creator’s ways are righteous, and the righteousness we practice is based on our faith. This righteousness has been evidenced in the lives of many throughout the ages—the most popular being Yeshua the Messiah. This leads us to the Law of Messiah.

The Law of Messiah

The Law of Messiah is best understood as the Law of Elohim as Yeshua taught and practiced it: “To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of Elohim but under the law of Messiah) that I might win those outside the law” (1 Corinthians 9:21). In this passage, Paul is talking about how he puts himself in the shoes of others in an attempt to relate to them and help them understand the Gospel. You’ll notice that he says he is not outside the Law of Elohim but under the Law of Messiah. In other words, he is in the Law of Elohim and the Law of Messiah at the same time. By Paul’s definition, the Law of Messiah is not outside the Law of Elohim.

Our Messiah didn’t make up new Torah commandments. He repeated and practiced the valid interpretation of the eternal, unchanging Word of Elohim. Yeshua taught us the Law of Elohim as the truth. He pointed out our sin, teaching us that our sin leads to death. He told us that we need to be saved from the Law of Sin and Death. For that to happen, we need to listen to the Spirit. Our Messiah lived his life according to the Word of Elohim perfectly. That enabled two things: first, he serves as our perfect example on how to walk out the Torah. Second, since he never sinned—he was never under the Law of Sin and Death but took on death anyway—the death we deserve is removed from us by Elohim’s grace. We can practice righteousness in faith and live out the Word of Elohim, dying to our flesh daily. And when Yeshua returns and establishes his Kingdom on earth, we will be resurrected into a new body, permanently removing our desire to sin.

Paul’s letters deal with these seven laws in some way. He uses these laws to teach us Elohim’s plan of salvation, the meaning of true faith, and the process of being conformed into the image of Messiah. He offers this process as a means to deal with some of the misunderstandings in the first century, such as a dependency on the laws of men, the works-based model of salvation, the proto-gnostic or mystical influences and doctrines, etc. Keep these laws in mind as we proceed to the following chapters in which we examine Paul’s letters in depth.

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CHAPTER 5

Romans

According to scholars, Paul wrote his letter to believers in Rome sometime between 55-58 CE. 1 Paul wrote to a group made up of both Jewish and Gentile followers of Yeshua. The main emphasis throughout Paul’s letter is that Jews and Gentiles are both saved by the same Gospel. There’s no double standard. Jews aren’t automatically saved based on their Jewishness, and Gentiles do not need to convert to Judaism to be saved. Both are equally lost and in need of deliverance from their sins, and they can both be saved by grace through faith in Messiah. Moreover, Elohim’s Law for the believer is valid and applicable to both Jews and Gentiles when it is properly applied on the basis of faith.

Paul begins his letter to the believers in Rome by stating that grace and apostleship are designed to bring about the obedience of faith (1:5). He focuses on how Elohim’s plan to provide the means of grace, as taught in the Scriptures, was always through the Messiah. Furthermore, the Scriptures teach that the Messiah was to instruct us in the Word of Elohim and inspire us toward obedience. Why are we obedient to the faith? To bring glory to Elohim’s name among all of the nations (1:5-6).

In the first few verses of Romans, Paul stresses the mission of calling all nations into obedience to the Word of Elohim through faith in the Messiah. In other words, he starts off his letter emphasizing the very command that Yeshua gave His disciples just before His ascension—that is, we are to teach all nations to obey everything Yeshua commanded:

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. (Matthew 28:19-20)

As we’ve demonstrated in previous chapters, Yeshua practiced and taught the Law of Elohim—that is, the Torah. He said his followers would also practice and teach the Law of Elohim (Matthew 5:19). This means the Great Commission includes teaching all nations the Torah. This is our calling as followers of Yeshua.

In Romans 1:8-17, Paul defines what “obedience to the faith” (1:5) looks like. He uses the word righteousness related to faith (1:17) and then quotes the prophet Habakkuk: “The righteous shall live by faith” (Habakkuk 2:4). That is to say, our faith reveals the righteousness of Elohim, which brings others to the faith. So, according to Paul and the prophet Habakkuk, faith is a way of life for the believer in Yeshua. It is not merely a philosophy or intellectual belief, but a way of being and doing.

After discussing righteousness, Paul describes the opposite—that is, unrighteousness. He says that the unrighteousness of men “suppresses the truth” (1:18). So, in the first chapter of Romans, Paul shows a contrast between those in the faith who are called to obedience to Elohim’s Law and those not in the faith who practice unrighteousness, or lawlessness.

From verse 19 onward in Chapter 1, Paul goes on to offer a plethora of examples defining unrighteousness. To summarize, Paul’s definition of unrighteousness is breaking the Torah—that is, living contrary to the Word of Elohim. In Chapter 2, he goes on to talk about Elohim’s coming wrath upon the unrighteous (2:1-11), but then he says something especially interesting:

For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before Elohim, but the doers of the law who will be justified. (Romans 2:12-13)

Paul is saying here that, although we are saved by grace, the doers of Elohim’s Law are considered righteous before Elohim and will be justified. They aren’t justified because of their works, or because they keep the Law of Elohim perfectly, but because they believe the Word of Elohim to be true and thus desire to do the Law of Elohim. How is it fair, then, that the Law of Elohim judges Gentiles—those who do not have the Law? As Paul explains, basic principles of Elohim’s Law have been written on the Gentiles’ hearts:

For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them on that day when, according to my gospel, Elohim judges the secrets of men by Messiah Yeshua. (Romans 2:14-16)

Paul then turns his attention toward those who have the Law but do not obey it. He says that Elohim’s will is for his people to follow his Law and that, through obedience to Elohim’s Law, we can be a guide to the blind and a light to those in darkness. That is because, according to Paul, the Law is the “embodiment of knowledge and truth” (2:17-20).

Paul goes on to say that breaking Elohim’s Law dishonors Elohim (2:23). He says that the name of Elohim was blasphemed among the Gentiles because the Jewish people were breaking Elohim’s Law. This entails that the Law of Elohim was intended as a standard of righteousness for Gentiles. They were to learn obedience through the example of the Jewish people.

Things start to get a little confusing at Romans 2:25 when Paul talks about circumcision. Many have taken this section of Romans to mean that Paul believes that Elohim no longer expects his people to be physically circumcised and that he cares only about circumcision of the heart. However, circumcision was never just about a physical removal of the foreskin. It has always been about the heart and not just the flesh. Paul isn’t teaching anything new (Deuteronomy 10:16; 30:6). Circumcision of the heart has always meant a heart that desires to be obedient to the faith. Physical circumcision is an outward sign of that inward circumcision.

For circumcision indeed is of value if you obey the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision. So, if a man who is uncircumcised keeps the precepts of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? Then he who is physically uncircumcised but keeps the law will condemn you who have the written code and circumcision but break the law. For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from Elohim. (Romans 2:25-29)

Paul clearly says physical circumcision does have value, but only if you are keeping the Torah. Circumcision is an outward sign of your desire to keep the Torah.

One of the big debates in the first century was whether or not a Gentile had to be circumcised in the flesh to be considered a full member of Elohim’s people. As we’ve already discussed in Chapter 2, the apostles taught that Gentiles do not have to get circumcised as a perquisite to being accepted into the believing community—they are saved by grace through faith (Acts 15:11) and to be received on that basis. Then, they would be instructed in Moses’ teaching every Sabbath in the synagogues (Acts 15:21). As the Gentiles listen to the Torah, and as the teachers instruct them, they will eventually want to get circumcised in obedience to the Law of Elohim.

Like Abraham, Gentile believers can have faith while uncircumcised in the flesh. Also like Abraham, because of their faith, they will receive the sign of circumcision. Just as it is for the Jew, if a Gentile is circumcised but does not keep the Torah, then that outward circumcision is meaningless. Circumcision is profitable only if we keep the Law of Elohim.

The point here is that our faith transforms us from the inside out, not the outside in. First, we need the Spirit, which gives us the desire to follow the Law of Elohim. Only after that, through continued learning of the Word of Elohim, do we practice the rest of the Torah. Therefore, it makes no sense to pressure the new believers to get circumcised. Those whose hearts are circumcised will eventually understand that circumcision of the flesh is part of our obedience to the faith. It will happen when a person’s faith is ready for it to happen.

As we continue to Chapter 3, Paul reiterates the value of circumcision for those who might have been confused about his comments in Chapter 2:

Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? Much in every way. To begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of Elohim. (Romans 3:1-2)

To quell any confusion, Paul again says that circumcision has value. The Jews during that time, like others today, may have perceived Paul’s earlier statements about focusing on circumcision of the heart first to mean that circumcision of the flesh has no value. To correct for this possible misunderstanding, Paul immediately clarifies that not only does circumcision of the flesh still have value, as it is part of the Torah, but the whole Torah—the “oracles of Elohim”—is also still of value. Furthermore, the Jews have an advantage since they were able to grow up with the Torah, both learning and practicing it.

Since the Jews followed the Torah, they were circumcised on the eighth day after their birth. This is unlike the Gentiles who, like Abraham, were circumcised during adulthood. This emphasizes Paul’s earlier point that the Jews cannot expect the Gentiles to catch up to full understanding of and obedience to the Word of Elohim right away. It takes time to study and learn the Law of Elohim. The Jews have been raised with the Torah their entire life; the Gentile believers have not. That difference needs to be respected and appreciated.

In Chapter 3, Paul makes a case that humankind is inherently sinful and inclined toward evil. However, our Creator is perfect and faithful. Our sin does not take away from the faithfulness of our Creator. In fact, when we sin, it proves that Elohim is good. Our unrighteousness makes Elohim’s righteous character even more evident (Romans 3:3-8).

In verses 9-20, Paul says that “none is righteous.” In context, he’s referring to those who are “under sin” (3:9). They are “under the Law” (3:19). In other words, they will be accountable to Elohim, and they will have no defense when they are judged. Those who are “under the Law,” according to Paul, are those who have sinned by breaking the Law of Elohim and thus deserve death. They are under the Law of Sin and Death: “For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin” (Romans 3:20).

If you are under the Law of Sin and Death, you cannot be justified before Elohim. We are all guilty. Any “good” thing that we’ve done counts as nothing until we have faith. The reason for this is that the main purpose of following the Law of Elohim is to bring glory to our Creator. If we follow the Law of Elohim before we have faith in our Creator, it was not for him but us. Indeed, how can doing good be for Elohim if we do not have faith in Elohim?

Imagine yourself as an unbeliever. You know nothing about Elohim, but you know in your heart that right and wrong exist. Elohim created every human with a general knowledge of right and wrong. Thus, even atheists understand and know that things like murder and theft are wrong. However, nobody is perfect in following even what they know to be true and good. Thus, we all sin and are held accountable to Elohim’s Law. That’s what Paul meant when he said that “none is righteous” and that both Jews and Greeks are “under sin.” Once we realize that we are in sin and guilty before Elohim (under the law), the next step is receive Elohim’s grace.

Paul continues this train of thought by teaching that we are justified before Elohim through Yeshua’s works (3:21-30). Our good works do not save us. Paul makes it clear that our obedience to Elohim’s Law is merely the result of our salvation in Yeshua (3:31).

Continuing in Chapter 4, Paul points to Abraham to illustrate his point, since Scripture says that Abraham was declared righteous by his faith in Elohim (Genesis 15:6). Based on this, Paul argues that Abraham’s faith made him righteous before he had even obeyed the Law of Elohim (Romans 4:1-5). Then Paul points to David as another example to show how Elohim’s forgiveness is available for everyone who would put their faith in Elohim (Romans 4:6-8). This forgiveness is for not only the Jews but also the Gentiles. Moreover, since Abraham was made righteous by his faith before he was circumcised, Gentiles likewise are made righteous before getting physically circumcised (Romans 4:9-12). The doctrine that some Jews were pushing in the first century—that Gentiles needed to get circumcised as a prerequisite to becoming part of Elohim’s people—is false.

To be clear, just a few verses earlier, Paul said that we still uphold the Law of Elohim by faith, which includes circumcision. Obedience is not what affords us the right to salvation. Rather, our faith affords us the promise of salvation. That’s Paul’s point. But we must not confuse this with the idea that we are not to keep the Law of Elohim at all. Paul is merely saying that keeping the Law of Elohim does not give us salvation. This is clear when we get to verse 15: “For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression.” Thus, we know that the Law of Elohim still stands because humans are still capable of sin, and the Law of Elohim defines sin. Without the Law, we would not have a clear definition of sin.

As we move forward to Chapter 5, Paul makes another interesting statement:

Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. (Romans 5:12-13)

We all recall the event in Genesis, the sin of Adam. We remember his failure to guard and protect the garden as he was instructed. He allowed sin to enter the world through his and Eve’s act of disobedience. Adam was given Torah (instruction). He was given a Law from Elohim, but he transgressed that Law and, as a result, brought sin into the world. And sin, as we’ve been told in the narrative of the fall, leads to death.

Moving forward into Chapter 6, Paul asks and answers a fascinating question: “Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?” (Romans 6:1) To put Paul’s rhetorical question another way, if our sin is necessary for Elohim’s grace, and Elohim’s grace is good, then isn’t it good to sin more often so that there is more grace? (Remember, sin is defined as breaking Elohim’s Law.) Paul’s answer is an emphatic no! And Paul’s saying that we should not continue living in sin is the same as his saying that we should obey Elohim’s Law.

To substantiate his answer to this rhetorical question, Paul says that we were “buried” with Messiah in baptism so that we would be “raised” with him to walk in “newness of life” (Romans 6:4). The newness of life that we are to walk in is the Law of Elohim. Before, in our old life, we walked in sin. Now, in our new life, we are to walk in the Law of Elohim. Walking in sin is how we lived before we came to know Messiah. Now that we have come to know Messiah, we walk according to the Law of Elohim. Paul’s entire argument—that we have died to sin—leads up to his conclusion that we are no longer under the Law of Sin and Death.

In verses 5-11 of Chapter 6, Paul says that our “old self” has died and that we’ve been raised through Messiah to newness of life. Since we have “died” to sin through the Messiah, we ought to no longer be interested in sinning but instead in obeying the Law of Elohim.

Now we get to some controversial and misunderstood verses:

Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to Elohim as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to Elohim as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you , since you are not under law but under grace. (Romans 6:12-14, emphasis added)

Traditionally, Paul’s statement that believers are not “under the law” has been understood to mean that we are free to disregard Elohim’s Law. However, there is a problem with this interpretation—namely, Paul affirms the ongoing authority of the Law throughout Romans. He says we uphold the Law by faith (3:31). The Law is “holy and righteous and good” (7:12), “spiritual” (7:14), and Paul “delights” in it (7:22) and “serves” it (7:25). He says that believers fulfill the Law’s righteous requirements when we walk according to the Spirit (8:4), and that it’s the carnal mind of man, not the spiritual mind, that rebels against the Law (8:7). Therefore, “not under law” simply can’t mean, “freedom to disregard the Law of Elohim.”

So, what does this verse mean? Notice that Paul says, “Sin will have no dominion over you.” As we’ve already discussed in Chapter 4, this statement assumes that, at one time in our lives, sin did have dominion over us. That is to say, at one time, we were “under sin” (3:9). Remember, sin, by definition, is breaking Elohim’s Law (7:7). Sin brings about punishment—death. Since we’ve been given grace through Messiah, we are no longer under the “law” of sin and death . This is clarified in Paul’s concluding remarks a couple of chapters later:

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Messiah Yeshua. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Messiah Yeshua from the law of sin and death . (Romans 8:1-2, emphasis added)

This should make much more sense. Grace is receiving forgiveness for breaking the Law of Elohim. Breaking the Law of Elohim is sin. Sin leads to death. Thus, being under grace means that we are free from the bondage of sin and death. Consequently, we are not freed from the Law of Elohim; we are free to keep the Law of Elohim. Theologian Charles E. B. Cranfield provides and excellent summary:

[This phrase] is widely taken to mean that the authority of the law has been abolished for believers and superseded by a different authority. And this, it must be admitted, would be a plausible interpretation, if this sentence stood by itself. But, since it stands in a document which contains such things as 3:31; 7:12, 14a; 8:4; 13:8-10, and in which the law is referred to more than once as Elohim’s law (7:22, 25; 8:7) and is appealed to again and again as authoritative, such a reading of it is extremely unlikely. The fact that “under law” is contrasted with “under grace” suggests the likelihood that Paul is here thinking not of the law generally but of the law as condemning sinners ; for, since grace denotes Elohim’s undeserved favour, the natural opposite to “under grace” is “under Elohim’s disfavour or condemnation.” And the suggestion that the meaning of this sentence is that believers are not under Elohim’s condemnation pronounced by the law but under His undeserved favour receives strong confirmation from 8:1 (“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Messiah Yeshua”), which, in Paul’s argument, is closely related (through 7:1-6) to this half-verse. Moreover, this interpretation suits the context well; for an assurance that we have been set free from Elohim’s condemnation and are now the objects of His gracious favour is indeed confirmation (“for”) of the promise that henceforth sin shall no more be lord over us, for those who know themselves freed from condemnation are free to resist sin’s usurped power with new strength and boldness. [Emphasis added] 2

In the next verse in Chapter 6, Paul asks another rhetorical question: “What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace?” (Romans 6:15) This question is similar to the question he asks at the beginning of Chapter 6. And, of course, his answer is the same: “By no means!” Again, Paul clearly states that being under grace is no excuse for not following the Law of Elohim.

In verses 16-23, Paul concludes Chapter 6 with an analogy to slavery. There are two types of slaves, according to Paul. We either serve Elohim by obeying His Law, which makes us a slave to righteousness, or we serve sin by breaking Elohim’s Law, which makes us a slave to sin. Those are our only two options. Paul teaches that being a slave to righteousness leads to “eternal life in Messiah Yeshua.” Being a slave to sin leads to death: “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). Again, this is not to say that our obedience earns us eternal life, but if Elohim’s grace has truly given us eternal life, then we will walk in righteousness as defined by Elohim’s Law.

Chapter 7 begins with another question: “Or do you not know, brothers—for I am speaking to those who know the law—that the law is binding on a person only as long as he lives?” (Romans 7:1) What’s interesting to point out here is the fact that Paul directed his question to a particular audience—namely, “those who know the law.” Many read this section of Paul’s letter not knowing the Torah, and therefore they walk away thinking that Paul said something he didn’t. Paul draws an analogy based on the laws in the Torah governing marriage to make his point:

For a married woman is bound by law to her husband while he lives, but if her husband dies she is released from the law of marriage. Accordingly, she will be called an adulteress if she lives with another man while her husband is alive. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law, and if she marries another man she is not an adulteress. (Romans 7:2-3)

How does it make sense for Paul to say that believers are now free from obeying Elohim’s Law when his entire analogy here is predicated on the validity of the Torah’s laws concerning marriage?

Paul’s point is not that the Law of Elohim has died or changed or that we’re free from obeying it. His point is this: since we have died with the Messiah, the penalty of the Law (death) that we deserve for our sin no longer applies to us. The Law didn’t change—our status changed. That’s why the next verse says we “have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that [we] may belong to another.” We have died to sin (our previous spouse) so that we can be free to marry the Messiah.

This is even clearer when we get to verse 6: “But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code” (Romans 7:6). Some might believe that Paul is referring to Elohim’s Law when he talks about being freed from that which “held us captive.” In other words, we are now free from having to obey Elohim’s Law! But Paul reminds us of the context a little later: “For I delight in the law of Elohim, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members” (Romans 7:23). Elohim’s Law exposes the Law of Sin that is at work inside of us. Through Messiah, we have died to that Law of Sin and are no longer held captive by it.

What does Paul mean when he says that we now serve in the new way of the Spirit instead of in the old way of the written code? Does walking in the Spirit mean that we are not to walk according to the Law of Elohim? Not at all! Paul is referring back to a prophecy in the Old Testament related to the Spirit and the Law of Elohim. This was all foretold to happen. We are to walk in the Spirit so that we will keep the Law of Elohim. The idea that walking in the Spirit excludes following Elohim’s Law is the exact opposite of what the Bible says:

And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. (Ezekiel 36:26-27)

As we can see, walking in the Spirit does not exclude living according to Elohim’s Law; the Spirit empowers us to walk in Elohim’s Law. (We’ll see more on this once we get to Romans 8.) We don’t serve in the weakness of our flesh; we serve in the Spirit, which writes Elohim’s Torah on our hearts and enables us to keep it. If you thought that Paul was saying that we’re released from Elohim’s Law, he gives a series of clarifications in the following verses:

What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. For apart from the law, sin lies dead. I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died. The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me. For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good. (Romans 7:7-12)

What is Paul teaching us here? He said that the Law of Elohim defines sin: “For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, ‘You shall not covet.’” So any action that transgresses what the Law of Elohim says is sin. Paul thought he was alive while living a sinful life, but once he read Elohim’s Law, he realized that he was doomed to death. The sin in Paul’s life, revealed by Elohim’s Law, “killed” him. This is because the Law is “holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good” (7:12). The Law reflects the character and will of our Father, who is holy and righteous and good. We see our sin by Elohim’s Law, and it “kills” us. Paul explains further:

Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure. For we know that the law is spiritual. (Romans 7:13)

Here we see again that the sin in our lives, revealed by Elohim’s Law, is what produces death. Elohim’s Law—a “good” thing—doesn’t produce death, a bad thing. It shows us our sin so that we can see our need for a Savior. It reveals to us our weakness and inability to live according to Elohim’s perfect standard on our own. We need help. Paul continues:

But I am of the flesh, sold under sin. For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. (Romans 7:14-17)

Again, the Law of Elohim did not directly kill Paul. It defined sin and therefore revealed the death within him. This can be compared to a person who has a terminal illness and doesn’t know it. One day this person goes to the doctor, and the doctor informs them of this illness. Sin is like that terminal illness, which will lead to death if left untreated. Elohim’s Law is like the doctor who reveals to us that we have this illness. So what’s the treatment? How do we overcome this illness (sin)? Before Paul tells us how to overcome this illness, he asks that same question in conclusion to Chapter 7:

So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of Elohim, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to Elohim through Yeshua Messiah our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of Elohim with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin. (Romans 7:21-25)

Paul is speaking of his struggle between his desire to live in obedience to Elohim and his desire to sin. He describes this struggle as a “war” between his mind, which serves the Law of Elohim, and his flesh, which serves the Law of Sin. He asks who will deliver him from his “body of death”—that is, his flesh. Who will deliver him from his desire to sin? The answer is that Elohim has delivered him through Yeshua the Messiah.

In the next chapter of Romans, Paul unpacks how we walk out that deliverance, but a few points from chapter 7 are worth reviewing before we continue. First, Paul has several positive affirmations of Elohim’s Law. He says that the Law is “spiritual” and that he “delights in the law of Elohim.” He says, “I myself serve the law of Elohim.” Secondly, he contrasts these positive affirmations of Elohim’s Law with the Law of Sin, which is portrayed as holding him in slavery through his flesh. He says he is “of the flesh, sold under sin,” and “captive to the law of sin that dwells in [his] members.” “With my flesh I serve the law of sin,” he says. Paul creates a dichotomy between the Spirit and the flesh. This dichotomy will be important to understand as we dive into Chapter 8 of Romans.

The Spirit vs. The Flesh

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Messiah Yeshua. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Messiah Yeshua from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:1-2). Hopefully, you can now appreciate why it is important that we do not make doctrines out of single verses from Paul. We just had to examine the context of two whole chapters with some very confusing statements if left in isolation. Everything was leading up to Paul’s conclusion in Chapter 8, which is that we are no longer under the law of sin and death. As believers, we have been delivered from sin and death through the work of the Messiah. Now Paul is going to give more details on what it means to walk in that deliverance. How do we walk in obedience to Elohim’s Law and overcome the desire to sin?

For Elohim has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. (Romans 8:3-4)

According to Paul, our flesh is naturally against the Law of Elohim. Thus, the Law of Elohim cannot save us, nor are we able to keep the Law of Elohim on our own. The Law only exposes our sin and defines what Elohim’s righteous requirements of us are. This goes back to what Paul talks about in Romans 7. So how do we overcome the terminal illness of sin? How do we win the war within us? The answer lies in walking “according to the Spirit.” Paul recalls the prophecy in Jeremiah 31 and Ezekiel 36—that Elohim would write his Torah on our hearts and empower us to keep it through the work of the Holy Spirit. Walking according to the Spirit and not the flesh is how “the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us.”

Paul continues with his dichotomy between the flesh and the spirit. He says that our flesh is concerned only with things of the flesh. That would exclude Elohim’s Law since Elohim’s Law is spiritual (Romans 7:14). He says that walking according to the flesh leads to death, but walking according to the Spirit leads to life and peace (Romans 8:5-6). He then makes a compelling statement: “For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to Elohim, for it does not submit to Elohim’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please Elohim” (Romans 8:7-8).

You cannot find a much clearer affirmation of obedience to Elohim’s Law than this! Paul says that those who walk according to the flesh and do not submit to Elohim’s Law are hostile to Elohim! According to the dichotomy that Paul established, then, those who walk according to the Spirit do submit to Elohim’s Law. Indeed, to not submit to the Law of Elohim is to be hostile to Elohim. Those who do not submit to Elohim’s Law cannot please Him, according to Paul. Thus, submitting to Elohim’s Law does please Elohim. Doesn’t this sum up what Paul has been teaching for the last two chapters of Romans? Sin is breaking Elohim’s Law. Paul desires not to sin but to please Elohim. The way to overcome sin in our lives is by walking according to the Spirit, which empowers us to obey Elohim’s Law.

You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of Elohim dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Messiah does not belong to him. But if Messiah is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Yeshua from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Messiah Yeshua from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. (Romans 8:9-11)

This, of course, speaks to the promised resurrection. Because we desire the Word of Elohim, through the grace of our Creator, we are given new bodies that will live out the whole Word of Elohim for all of eternity. Nobody will be breaking Elohim’s Law in the eternal Kingdom. There will be only obedience to the Torah. Think about that.

Throughout the rest of Chapter 8, Paul continues to unpack this dichotomy between living according to flesh and living according to the Spirit. He says that living according to the flesh will ultimately kill us, but living according to the Spirit will give us life (8:13). He further says that those who live by the Spirit are called “sons of Elohim” (8:14). Then he spends time speaking of the future glory we will receive as followers of Yeshua, and that the sufferings we endure in this life cannot even be compared to the glory that awaits us (8:18-30). He concludes Chapter 8 by reminding us of Elohim’s great love for us (8:31-38).

In Romans 9:1-29, Paul speaks of his sorrow for the Jewish people who have not yet come to know Yeshua as Messiah. He speaks of how Elohim’s promises are still valid in light of many of the Jews’ rejection of Yeshua and how salvation isn’t through genetics but faith. In Romans 9:30-33, Paul makes the point again that obeying the Law of Elohim doesn’t save us. Much more could be expounded upon from this chapter, but since it isn’t directly related to the validity of Elohim’s Law for believers today, we’ll move on.

As we progress into Chapter 10, we will find several verses that are used to teach an understanding that the Law of Elohim has been made void, beginning with the first few verses:

Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to Elohim for them is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for Elohim, but not according to knowledge. For, being ignorant of the righteousness of Elohim, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to Elohim’s righteousness. (Romans 10:1-3)

Paul begins Chapter 10 by saying that his prayer for the Jewish people is that they will come to know the Messiah and be saved. He says they have a zeal for Elohim, but they’re “ignorant of the righteousness of Elohim.” What does that mean? It means that they are ignorant concerning the message of salvation—that is to say, how Elohim reckons a sinner as righteous. Through their manmade tradition, they’ve come to believe that Elohim’s righteousness is something that can be gained by their ethnic status and observance of the Torah. Paul says that this attempt at gaining their righteousness apart from Messiah is actually a refusal to submit to Elohim’s righteousness. Again, it all goes back to Paul’s basic argument throughout his epistles. Salvation is a gift of Elohim that is received by grace through faith in Messiah. We obey Elohim’s Law as a result of salvation, not to earn it.

“For Messiah is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes” (Romans 10:4). This statement follows Paul’s previous statement of the Jewish peoples’ ignorance and refusal to submit to Elohim’s righteousness—again, meaning how Elohim reckons a sinner righteous in this context. By trying to gain their righteous status before Elohim through the Torah, they have missed the entire focus of the Torah, which is to point us to the Messiah. The Greek word for “end” in this verse is telos. This word does not mean cessation but rather “goal” or “purpose,” such as in the phrase, “The ends don’t justify the means.” We see this word used in this way in another of Paul’s letters: “The aim [ telos ] of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith” (1 Timothy 1:5). In Romans 10:4, telos is best understood as “goal” or “purpose.” In other words, the Torah points to the Messiah for righteousness.

For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them. But the righteousness based on faith says, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Messiah down) “or ‘Who will descend into the abyss’” (that is, to bring Messiah up from the dead). But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because, if you confess with your mouth that Yeshua is Lord and believe in your heart that Elohim raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:5-10)

What does Paul mean when he seems to contrast “righteousness based on the law” with “righteousness based on faith”? Is the Law contrary to faith? Again, we need to understand this in light of Paul’s overall argument. The previous verse made clear that Yeshua is the end—that is, the goal—to which the Torah points. Thus, those who confess and believe in Yeshua will receive a righteous status before Elohim based on their faith, not by earning it through the Law. In verse 5, Paul is quoting Leviticus 18:5, which is in the context of Elohim telling Israel not to do as the pagans do when they enter the land he is giving them as an inheritance. Paul is assuming that his readers understand the context of his reference. Israel didn’t earn their righteous status before Elohim through their obedience to his Law. They were saved by their faith in the blood of the Passover Lamb and delivered from Egypt on the basis of Elohim’s grace. Living according to Elohim’s Law is the inevitable result of their saving faith. The Messiah is central. That’s the message clearly outlined in the Torah.

Paul then continues his discussion on the current state of Israel and how the Gentiles are coming into the faith (Romans 10-11). There aren’t any other verses of contention as it relates to Elohim’s Law until Chapter 14 of Romans. Therefore, we’ll skip ahead and go through Chapter 14 verse by verse.

Romans 14: Disputes Over Days and Foods

There are two issues addressed in this chapter. First, verse 5 is commonly understood to mean that the Sabbath is no longer important to Elohim. Second, verse 11 is commonly understood to mean that Elohim’s dietary laws found in Leviticus 11 are no longer relevant to believers. But is that what Paul is really teaching? Keep in mind that for the last thirteen chapters, Paul has been an advocate for keeping the Law of Elohim. When we’ve looked at the confusing verses where Paul might appear to be against the Law of Elohim, we’ve discovered that he was merely against the misuse of the Law as a means of gaining a righteous status before Elohim. Consistent with everything we’ve learned so far, there must be better interpretation of these passages.

“As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions” (Romans 14:1). Paul begins the chapter by declaring that we are to receive those who are weak in the faith and not dispute over “opinions.” So, the first thing to point out is that the Sabbath and the dietary instructions in Elohim’s Law have always been clear and have never been considered matters of mere opinion. Therefore, the chapter couldn’t be referring to the Sabbath and the dietary instructions. This chapter is regarding things outside of Elohim’s Law that were matters of contention between believers in the first century. Given that this is a letter to a specific group of people about a specific debate, we must extract clues to assist us in piecing together exactly what Paul is addressing. Paul seems to be focusing on two specific debates, and he headlines these points of contention in the next two verses.

The first matter of discussion and correction concerns eating all things or eating only vegetables: “One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables” (Romans 14:2). The second matter is related to which day, or days, believers should fast: “Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for Elohim has welcomed him” (Romans 14:3). Paul answers this first matter in verses 14-23. These verses are often used to suggest that all animals are now “clean” and suitable for food. Paul answers the second matter in verses 5-13. These verses are often used to suggest that Elohim no longer cares whether or not we keep the Sabbath.

Let’s begin with the second matter that’s addressed in this chapter, starting in verse 5: “One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind” (Romans 14:5). Is Paul teaching here that the Sabbath is merely a matter of what we decide in our minds as opposed to what Elohim Himself has established in his Law? Or is it possible that Paul is discussing something else entirely? As we’ll see shortly, according to the context, it seems clear that this passage is referring to traditional days of fasting. In either case, this verse couldn’t be referring to the Sabbath because of some obvious problems. First, Elohim’s Law defines sin (Romans 7:7; 1 John 3:4). If we could decide for ourselves when the Sabbath should be kept, then that means we could define sin for ourselves. But Elohim is the one who defines right and wrong, not us. Second, it’s already been demonstrated throughout this book that Paul kept and taught the Law of Elohim and was not against it. Third, as we’ve already mentioned, this entire chapter is in the context of disputes over “opinions,” and the Sabbath is not a matter of opinion. Speaking of context, the Sabbath is not mentioned anywhere throughout the entire book of Romans.

So what is the matter of opinion believers in Rome were quarreling about? Paul seems to explain himself in the following verses:

The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to Elohim, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to Elohim. For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. (Romans 14:6-7)

The “day” that Paul is referring to is a matter of eating or abstaining. In other words, the opinions outside of Elohim’s Law addressed in this chapter concern fasting. We know that some Pharisees in the first century traditionally fasted twice a week (Luke 18:12). Apparently, early believers disputed over which days during the week one should fast. We see evidence of similar disputes regarding fasting in other early Christian writings, such as the Didache (Chapter 8). Thus, Paul was not saying that the Sabbath is optional, but that believers shouldn’t quarrel over their opinions regarding traditions outside the Law of Elohim.

Now let’s move on to the second misunderstood passage from this chapter:

I know and am persuaded in the Lord Yeshua that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Messiah died. So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of Elohim is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Whoever thus serves Messiah is acceptable to Elohim and approved by men. So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of Elohim. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble. The faith that you have, keep between yourself and Elohim. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin. (Romans 14:14-23)

Contrary to Elohim, Yeshua, and even Paul himself, verse 14 is often used as a license to teach that all animals are now clean and suitable for food. However, if we examine the context, we discover that this is not what Paul is talking about at all. Again, this entire chapter is concerning “opinions” (verse 1) dividing the church in Rome. These believers were not quarreling over whether unclean animals as defined by Elohim’s Law should be considered clean. Paul defines the debate for us in verse 2—this was a quarrel between strict vegetarians and those who ate meat.

Why was there a dispute over whether it was okay to eat meat? Some Jewish believers in Rome believed that meat purchased from certain Greek sources was considered “unclean,” even if the meat came from a clean animal permitted by Elohim’s Law. As Paul’s first letter to Corinth reveals, some believers were concerned about the possibility that meat purchased from the marketplace had derived from pagan sacrificial offerings (1 Corinthians 8). But, again, as Paul makes clear in his letters to Corinth and Rome, this belief that such a possibility rendered clean meat unclean was based on nothing more than man’s opinions. According to Paul, man has no authority to declare clean meat unclean: “So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil.” But if a believer is personally convicted about eating meat purchased at the marketplace—perhaps they have a “weak” conscience because of their “former association with idols” (1 Corinthians 8:7)—then to that person it is unclean, but only to them.

Paul’s point is to not let personal opinions that aren’t outlined in Elohim’s Law become matters of division within the body of believers. To add to that point, the word translated as “unclean” is koinos , but this is not the Greek word used elsewhere in the New Testament when speaking of “unclean” animals ( akathartos ). Rather, koinos is used to denote “common” things. For example, in Acts 10:14, Peter says, “I have never eaten anything that is common [ koinos ] or unclean [ akathartos ].” In this verse, Peter uses two independent Greek adjectives when speaking to Elohim, and it’s clear that he made a distinction between the two words—one is merely common, and one is unclean. This further substantiates the fact that Paul was referring to meat from biblically clean animals that may have come from a Roman meat source, rendering the meat koinos (common), according to the “weak” believers (14:2), and thus not suitable for consumption in their opinion . Paul, in Romans 14:14, allows these “weak” believers to hold to their personal convictions in this regard: “it is unclean [ koinos ] for anyone who thinks it unclean [ koinos ].” He says not to allow matters not related to Elohim’s Law to be points of division within the congregation. But he gives no permission to eat meat that is akathartos (biblically unclean).

As we move on to Chapter 15, we see that Paul again affirms the value of the Scriptures, which included Elohim’s Law. He concludes his letter by giving glory to Elohim, who “brings about the obedience of faith” in us (Romans 16:25-27). Our faith should be in the Word of Elohim, which is who Yeshua was and is in the flesh. Thus, we ought to obey what the Written Word of Elohim says—not for our salvation, but because of our salvation.

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CHAPTER 6

Galatians

The Book of Galatians is perhaps the most misunderstood book in the Bible concerning the Law of Elohim. For those who object to keeping the Law of Elohim, a distorted interpretation of Galatians is their “crown jewel.” Unfortunately, such an interpretation is quite popular within the Church. For instance, if you suggest to a regular Christian the “crazy” idea that we ought to obey Elohim regarding the Sabbath (Exodus 20:8-11) and what to eat (Leviticus 11), as the Messiah and apostles did, you can reasonably expect them to respond by saying, “Read Galatians! It’s clear that Elohim’s Law is done away with!” However, reading Galatians as saying the Law is done away with would put it in disharmony with the rest of the Bible, including Paul’s other letters and the testimony of how Paul himself lived.

In this chapter, we will explore an alternative interpretation of several passages from Galatians, which will reconcile this letter with the rest of the Bible concerning the important topic of the Law/Torah. First, we will establish the context Paul offers to us in the first and second chapters. Having a grasp of the context of this letter will give us a clearer understanding of the difficult passages. After that, we’ll go through each of the difficult passages and examine them in light of the context.

Introduction to Galatians

The letter begins with Paul establishing his credibility, thus placing the necessary weight and value on what he needs to communicate to the Galatians (Galatians 1:1). He accuses the Galatians of committing a devastating heresy—going after a different gospel. He goes so far as to say that anyone who preaches a different gospel ought to be accursed (Galatians 1:2-9). We will discover what this “different gospel” is and how it plays into Paul’s correction throughout Galatians later.

Paul says that he is interested in Elohim’s approval, not man’s approval (Galatians 1:10). This statement highlights the honorable intent related to his correction of the Galatians. In addition, it suggests that the errors of the Galatians might be rooted in the social and religious pressure of appeasing others. Paul said earlier, “There are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Messiah” (Galatians 1:7) and, “If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed” (Galatians 1:9). From this, we can see that the Galatians were being influenced by a doctrine stemming from a certain group of people.

Paul explains that he, too, was once influenced by the doctrines of others in his former life. He mentions that he was zealous for the traditions of his fathers and did many things in error. However, once the truth was revealed to him, he did not consult with anyone, nor let himself be influenced in the wrong direction again (Galatians 1:11-17). Paul is essentially saying, “I have been there and done that. That makes me the best person to show you some of the errors you are falling into.” Paul’s point in reviewing all of this is to establish his credibility and trust with the Galatians so they know that the Gospel he preaches is the correct Gospel. Moreover, he wants to make it clear that he has made the same mistakes in his past that the Galatians are currently making. Paul explains that he connected with Cephas (Peter) and James in Jerusalem and that the churches of Judea glorified Elohim because he is now a believer (Galatians 1:18-24).

In Galatians 2, Paul continues his story. This second chapter introduces some of the difficult passages in which Paul appears to be telling the Galatians that they are not to observe Elohim’s Law regarding circumcision.

Galatians 2:1-5 — Is Paul Against Circumcision?

The issue of circumcision may be the most complicated subject to study in the New Testament because many are not aware of the differing views and debates surrounding this topic in the first century. For instance, some Jewish sects made circumcision a prerequisite for salvation (Acts 15:1) and a mark that was required to join their sectarian community. One such sect mentioned in Scripture is referred to as the “Circumcision Party” (Acts 11:2; Galatians 2:12; Titus 1:10). This sect believed that you were only “saved” if you were a member of their group. The apostles obviously did not share this view.

Galatians 2:1-5 is often cited to try to prove that converted Gentiles are no longer to be circumcised according to the Law of Elohim:

Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me. I went up because of a revelation and set before them (though privately before those who seemed influential) the gospel that I proclaim among the Gentiles, in order to make sure I was not running or had not run in vain. But even Titus, who was with me, was not forced to be circumcised, though he was a Greek. Yet because of false brothers secretly brought in—who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Messiah Yeshua, so that they might bring us into slavery—to them we did not yield in submission even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you. (Galatians 2:1-5)

Often it’s taught that the “false brothers” mentioned in verse 4 were observing the Law of Elohim and that they were attempting to compel the Galatians also to observe Elohim’s Law, bringing the Galatians into “bondage.” It’s taught that this doctrine of keeping Elohim’s Law is contrary to the freedom that we have in Messiah. Paul and Titus did not yield to those compelling them to keep Elohim’s Law. Thus, many Christians conclude that observing Elohim’s Law is bondage and against the Gospel.

However, this is a flawed interpretation. Remember, Paul said that the Galatians were abandoning the heart of the Gospel message (Galatians 1:6-9). He warned against seeking the approval of man, and that the Gospel he preaches is not from man but from Elohim (Galatians 1:10-12). Thus, the “different gospel” being preached to the Galatians by these false teachers was not from Elohim but from men. This is a crucial point! Obviously, the Law of Elohim didn’t come from men; it came from Elohim. And if the false doctrine being pushed on the Galatians was a manmade doctrine, then the false doctrine in Galatians was not the doctrine that believers ought to obey Elohim’s Law!

Paul was not preaching against the Law of Elohim—something he calls holy, righteous, and good (Romans 7:12)—but against a misuse of the Law of Elohim. The Circumcision Party had distorted some aspects of Elohim’s Law—namely circumcision—and incorporated it into their different gospel. Like the situation in Acts 15, some were teaching the Gentiles at the Church in Galatia that they needed to formally convert to their sect of Judaism, get circumcised, and take on the entire Torah of Moses before being considered part of Elohim’s covenant people. Also like in Acts 15, Paul fiercely opposed that false doctrine. Why? Among many reasons, it took the emphasis off of the work of Messiah for salvation and placed it on the work of man. This will become clearer as we continue through Galatians.

The issue in Galatians 2:1-5 is not that the “false brothers” were teaching obedience to Elohim’s Law regarding circumcision. They actually weren’t (see Galatians 6:13). Instead, they were attempting to “compel” Gentile believers to get circumcised as a prerequisite to salvation and inclusion into the people of Elohim. This was not obedience to Elohim’s Law; this was an attempt to coerce the Gentiles into submitting to manmade doctrine and systems of ritual conversion, making the work of Messiah superfluous. That’s why Titus wasn’t “compelled” to be circumcised (Galatians 2:3)—he wasn’t compelled to submit to the manmade formulas of these false brothers. Again, the apostles taught that salvation and inclusion into Elohim’s people came through faith in Messiah, which circumcises our hearts and gives us the inward desire to obey Elohim (Deuteronomy 10:16; 30:6). And obedience to Elohim’s Law—including physical circumcision—follows from that basis.

This is the difference between a true and false application of circumcision. The false brothers misused circumcision in their manmade formula for salvation and conversion. When we believe that our obedience to men’s doctrines can save us, we have misplaced our faith. The apostles, on the other hand, taught circumcision correctly as a law of Elohim that we observe out of faith. We keep Elohim’s Law to please Elohim, not men. In a nutshell, that’s Paul’s entire message in his letter to the Galatians. We’ll continue to see this as we explore these difficult passages.

Galatians 2:14 — Living Like a Gentile

As we move forward through Galatians, we see a conflict involving the Circumcision Party (Galatians 2:12). Again, the members of this group were the ones teaching the false doctrine that Gentiles needed to be circumcised to be saved:

But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?” (Galatians 2:11-14)

What’s going on here? Paul is writing about confronting Peter about his hypocrisy. Peter willingly ate with the Gentiles at first, but when the Circumcision Party came to Antioch, he withdrew from table fellowship with them. Why? Because the Circumcision Party would have frowned upon it, and Peter feared their unrighteous judgment. The Circumcision Party held the opinion that table fellowship between Jews and Gentiles was forbidden. We see this sentiment expressed in the book of Acts: “So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcision party criticized him, saying, ‘You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them’” (Acts 11:2-3).

Paul rightly rebukes Peter as a hypocrite for fearing man more than Elohim. Peter’s actions were in direct conflict with not only the Gospel message but also the Torah (e.g., Leviticus 19:34). If Elohim is willing to receive the Gentiles on the basis of their faith, Peter should have too.

Nothing in this passage suggests Peter was breaking Elohim’s dietary laws—that would be reading something into the text that isn’t there. Furthermore, it doesn’t make sense for Paul to rebuke Peter if all he was doing was attempting to get the Gentiles to take on obedience to Elohim’s Law since, again, Paul himself taught observance of Elohim’s Law to his Gentile readers. When Paul accuses Peter of forcing the Gentiles to live like Jews, he wasn’t accusing Peter of forcing them to keep Elohim’s Law; he was rebuking Peter for appearing to side with the Circumcision Party in his refusal of table fellowship with the Gentiles. Peter’s actions gave the impression that he agreed with the Circumcision Party that the Gentiles could not be included as part of Elohim’s people unless they ritually converted.

As we continue through Galatians 2, it becomes increasingly clear that Paul was not teaching against Elohim’s Law but against the false doctrine of the Circumcision Party—that is, their works-based salvation paradigm. Paul clarifies this when he said, “A person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Yeshua Messiah” (Galatians 2:16, emphasis added). The word justified in this verse entails “salvation.” Many scholars acknowledge that the phrase “works of the law” actually refers specifically to the membership demands of sectarian communities. This phrase is found in other early Jewish literature, such as the Dead Sea Scrolls. In his book, Justification: Elohim’s Plan and Paul’s Vision , New Testament scholar N.T. Wright explains how the Dead Sea Scroll community understood this phrase:

The particular and very specific codes in MMT include various aspects of ritual performance—the calendar, regulations about water, marriage laws and so on—some of which were markers against Gentiles, but most of which were markers designed to demonstrate membership of the particular sect. 1

According to scholars, it appears that we’re dealing with a similar situation in Galatians. When Paul says that no one is justified by “works of the law,” he’s referring to the membership demands of the Circumcision Party. Paul’s point is that no one is justified by works of the law but only by faith in Messiah. Gentiles cannot be justified by undergoing circumcision via the Circumcision Party’s method of ritual conversion. So again, “works of the law” is not referring to faithful obedience to Elohim’s commandments but instead to the manmade formulas of conversion required by the Circumcision Party. The “works of the law” involved Elohim’s commandments like circumcision, but it was an abuse of those commandments.

As we continue through Galatians, we encounter another difficult verse: “For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to Elohim” (Galatians 2:19). What does Paul mean here? Quite simply, the Law helps us realize we are sinners—the law declares us guilty and requires death. But in Messiah, we die to the Law’s penalty so we can live a new life to the Lord, empowered by the Holy Spirit to keep Elohim’s Law (Jeremiah 31:33; Ezekiel 36:25-27).

Paul’s teaches that Elohim’s Law is designed to convict us by defining and exposing our sin. Thus, it cannot be a means of salvation. Elohim’s Law points us to the means of salvation, which is Messiah. When we receive the Messiah by faith, we put on the mind of Messiah (Romans 7:25; 1 Corinthians 2:16) and keep the Law of Elohim because of our salvation, not for our salvation.

Paul concludes that attempting to keep any part of Elohim’s Law for salvation nullifies the grace afforded to us through faith in Messiah. Righteousness is through Yeshua alone: “I do not nullify the grace of Elohim, for if righteousness were through the law, then Messiah died for no purpose” (Galatians 2:21). However, having faith in Messiah that affords us righteousness does not give us an excuse to neglect obedience to Elohim’s righteous Law. It is because of the righteousness afforded to us by grace that we can obey Elohim’s righteous Law: “Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as he is righteous” (1 John 3:7). A good summary of Paul’s teaching in Galatians is that obedience is the fruit of salvation, not the root of salvation.

As we move forward to Chapter 3, Paul rebukes the Galatians for their foolishness (Galatians 3:1-4). He’s baffled that anyone who had come to understand the death and resurrection of Messiah could then turn from that truth and attempt to gain a righteous standing before Elohim another way. Paul asks them how they received the Spirit—was it through some membership ritual, Torah observance, or by faith? The answer is obvious—they received Elohim’s Spirit through faith in Messiah. The evidence of their salvation and their reception as children of Elohim is the Spirit’s work in their lives. Therefore, for them to even consider submitting to a manmade formula for conversion is foolish.

Paul gives the analogy of Abraham (Galatians 3:5-9). His point here, like in Romans 4, is that Abraham was in the faith before he was circumcised. Circumcision is not what causes your faith; faith is what causes you to want to be circumcised in accordance with Elohim’s Word. Abraham’s faith led to his obedience to Elohim’s laws (Genesis 26:5).

Galatians 3:10-14 — Is Elohim’s Law a Curse?

In this passage of Galatians, we encounter some difficult verses, which, if misinterpreted, could lead one to believe that Elohim’s Law is a curse and that Messiah delivered us from it. Here is what Paul says:

For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” Now it is evident that no one is justified before Elohim by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.” But the law is not of faith, rather “The one who does them shall live by them.” Messiah redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”—so that in Messiah Yeshua the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith. (Galatians 3:10-14)

To properly understand what Paul is saying in this passage, we need to go back to the beginning of the Bible to see what Elohim says his Law is intended to do. One of the purposes of Elohim’s Law is outlined in Deuteronomy:

See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse: the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your Elohim, which I command you today, and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the Lord your Elohim , but turn aside from the way that I am commanding you today, to go after other Elohims that you have not known. (Deuteronomy 11:26-28, emphasis added)

Here we see that Elohim’s Law both blesses and curses. This is where the concept of the “curse of the law” originates. Paul was not inventing something new, nor was he calling the Law of Elohim a curse. After all, the Bible says we are blessed when we follow Elohim’s Law—that’s the opposite of a curse! The Law curses us only when we break it. Elohim’s Law is not the curse; the curse is the result of our transgression of Elohim’s Law.

This is the point that Paul keeps emphasizing throughout his letters—we have all transgressed Elohim’s Law and have therefore been placed under a curse. So what is the solution to the curse? Messiah became “a curse for us” so that we could be redeemed. Yeshua, the spotless lamb, took the punishment that we deserve for our sin. His death paid the price for our sin and therefore took away the curse that was upon us. We could never gain this redemption by our efforts—that’s why Paul says, “No one is justified before Elohim by the law” (Galatians 3:11). Yeshua didn’t remove Elohim’s Law. Think about it—that would undermine the entire message of salvation! The Law defines sin (e.g., 1 John 3:4). If there’s no Law, there’s no sin. If there’s no sin, there’s no need for a redeemer! Elohim’s Law is a necessary component of the Gospel because it tells us that we’ve fallen short and need a redeemer.

So we’ve learned that Elohim’s Law does three things: blesses us when we obey it, curses us when we disobey it, and defines sin. Once we see we have sinned according to the Law, and that we are under a curse, we realize our need for a Savior to remove the curse from us. Our faith in Messiah removes the curse. Once the curse is taken away, where does that leave us concerning the Law of Elohim? Well, the Law of Elohim still defines sin and still blesses us for obedience and curses us for disobedience. The only difference is that the curses for our disobedience do not eternally condemn us since we are in the Messiah (Romans 8:1). But the negative consequences of sin still affect us in our daily lives, which is why we ought to walk in obedience for Elohim’s glory and our good.

As we move forward in Galatians, Paul makes an interesting remark about covenants. He says, “Even with a man-made covenant, no one annuls it or adds to it once it has been ratified” (Galatians 3:15). A lot of people might gloss over this, but this is a significant point as it concerns Elohim’s Law. If no one can add to or take away from manmade covenants, how much more is that the case with Elohim-made covenants? Think about it. If man’s covenants cannot be annulled or changed, then neither can Elohim’s covenants. Thus, this is an emphatic statement from Paul that Elohim’s Law, as part of the Mosaic covenant, cannot be annulled or changed.

Let’s continue:

Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, ‘And to offsprings,’ referring to many, but to one, ‘And to your offspring,’ who is Messiah This is what I mean: the law, which came 430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by Elohim, so as to make the promise void. For if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but Elohim gave it to Abraham by a promise. (Galatians 3:16-18)

Paul is setting up the premise for his next statement regarding the purpose of the Law. He says that since the Law is not a means to salvation—since Abraham was not required to be circumcised to come into the faith—and the Law is the same as it was for Abraham, those at Sinai, and those today, a question arises: why, then, was the Law given? He answers that question in verses 19-29.

Galatians 3:19-29 — Why Then the Law?

“Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was put in place through angels by an intermediary” (Galatians 3:19). According to Paul, the law was “added.” Added to what? It was added to the promise given to Abraham. Why? “Because of transgressions.” Typically this is understood to mean, “to reveal transgressions.” This is usually understood in a negative sense—the law was given to reveal sin and declare people guilty. Others have gone so far as to suggest the law was added as a punishment—that is, because we’ve sinned, we now have rules to follow. Some scholars, however, have suggested a more positive function of the law being expressed in this verse. Here is how New Testament scholar, James Dunn, understands this verse:

Now In the case of 3.19a the issue centres on the meaning of χάριν [charin ]. Here we need to recall that the word is the accusative form of χάρις [charis ], ‘grace, favour’, and that its usual meaning as attested elsewhere in usage of the time is ‘for the sake of, on behalf of, on account of.’ This suggests a much more immediately gracious objective for the law than simply ‘to make conscious of transgressions,’ and certainly than ‘to provoke transgressions.’ It suggests, in fact, the purpose of the law as it was generally recognized within the (OT) scriptures and the Judaism of Paul’s time: that is, as a means of dealing with transgressions . In other words, what was probably in mind here was the whole sacrificial cult at whose centre was the provision of means for covering sin and removing guilt, means of atonement. [Emphasis added] 2

According to Dunn, “because of transgressions” is better understood as “for the sake of transgressions.” In other words, the law is given to reveal the “means of dealing with transgressions.” Tim Hegg echoes this same thought:

The Greek particle χάριν (charin ) indicates “the goal” to which something points or proceeds. The Torah was given with the goal of revealing Elohim’s method of dealing with transgressions. 3

How does the law show the way Elohim would deal with transgressions? As we read earlier from James Dunn, the sacrificial system outlined in the law is likely what Paul is hinting at. The sacrificial system reveals Elohim’s method of dealing with transgressions. This part of the law taught that sin is dealt with through repentance and atoning sacrifices. The curse for breaking Elohim’s law—death—was transferred to the innocent animal. The animal died in the worshipper’s place so that the worshipper could receive forgiveness. This harkens back to a few verses earlier in Galatians where Paul speaks of Messiah redeeming us from the curse of the law “by becoming a curse for us” (Galatians 3:13).

This understanding makes a lot of sense in light of the second part of the verse: “until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made.” The law was given to show how Elohim deals with transgressions—that is, through substitutionary atonement—the innocent paying the price for the guilty. This was “until the offspring should come.” As Hegg writes:

The point is that the revelation of the Torah regarding how Elohim provides redemption in the face of transgressions has its focal point in Yeshua. Once Yeshua had come and offered Himself as Elohim’s eternal sacrifice, the ultimate revelation to which the sacrifices pointed had been given. This is Paul’s consistent perspective: the Torah leads to Yeshua […] The use of “until” in the phrase “until the seed would come” does not mean that once Yeshua has come, the Torah is no longer of any value. What it does mean is that the revelation of Elohim’s redemptive plan, the means of forgiveness given as it was in the Torah, is eclipsed in the brightness of the revelation in His Messiah. Even this does not mean that the revelatory value of the sacrifices has been nullified. But it means that the revelation of Elohim’s salvation finds it greatest expression in Yeshua who is the fulfillment of the Torah’s revelation. 4

So, “why then the law?” It was given to reveal Elohim’s means of dealing with transgressions, until the offspring—Messiah—who would come. The law was added to the Abrahamic promise as additional revelation ultimately pointing toward the Messiah. In other words, the promise and the law work together in revealing Elohim’s plan of redemption. They are not incompatible or contradictory (Galatians 3:21). Again, Paul’s issue is not with the law itself. His issue is with a misuse of the law—the idea that one can earn a righteous standing before Elohim on the basis of his own efforts. As Paul goes on to say, “the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Yeshua Christ might be given to those who believe” (Galatians 3:22). In other words, the Scriptures show that everyone has sinned and the only way to receive forgiveness is according to the promise by faith in the Messiah—a gift of Elohim that cannot be earned by human effort.

Now we get to the second set of difficult verses in this section, which are often interpreted as saying the law is irrelevant in light of Messiah. But since we’ve already unpacked the context of this passage, we can hopefully understand more clearly what Paul is saying:

Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. So then, the law was our guardian until Messiah came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian. (Galatians 3:23-25)

In Elohim’s plan of redemption, the law served to point sinners toward the Messiah. Paul now uses the metaphor of a guardian, or pedagogue , to illustrate this point. The power of this metaphor is missed without an understanding of the historical context. As Hegg explains:

In the Roman culture, the pedagogue (literally “boy leader”) was a hired servant whose duty it was to see that the student was taken to the teacher and brought back home each day, and to superintend the student’s conduct. The Pedagogue was not the teacher! He was a servant to make sure the student was taken to the teacher. 5

Paul’s use of this metaphor is intended to teach us that the law leads us to the teacher—that is, the Messiah. That’s one of the functions of the law—to be a pedagogue, to bring us to the Messiah. This metaphor makes perfect sense in light of what we’ve learned from Galatians 3:19. The law was added to reveal Elohim’s means of dealing with transgressions. The law points to the Messiah and justification by faith.

But what do we make of verse 25: “But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.” Does this mean that the law is useless once a person receives the Messiah by faith? Not at all. Keep in mind the context. Paul is saying that one of the functions of Elohim’s law is to keep charge over us until it leads us to the Messiah in whom we find salvation by faith. Once one has put their faith in the Messiah—once one has been brought to the teacher—the law’s role as a pedagogue has ended. One who has already come to faith in Messiah no longer needs the law to lead them to faith in Messiah. But this does not mean that the law ceases to function in other roles, such as defining sin and bringing blessing to those who obey it. Paul is clear elsewhere that the law of Elohim still applies to our lives as believers when it comes to living in accordance with Elohim’s will.

Here is how Paul concludes Chapter 3:

For in Messiah Yeshua you are all sons of Elohim, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Messiah have put on Messiah. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Messiah Yeshua. And if you are Messiah’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise. (Galatians 3:23-25)

We are justified and included among Elohim’s people by grace through faith in the Messiah. It’s through faith, not ritual conversion, that we become included among Abraham’s offspring. It is through faith in Messiah’s work, not our own work, that we become sons of Elohim.

Paul’s issue was not with the law but with a misuse of the law. The false teachers in Galatians were putting the proverbial cart before the horse. They said that one could earn their place in the world to come through human effort in accordance with their application of the law. Paul taught that true obedience to the law is on the basis of faith.

As we continue through Galatians, Paul states that, before we came to faith, we were slaves to the elementary principles of the world (Galatians 4:1-7). These false ideas, philosophies, and values of the world enslaved us and put us into bondage. Yeshua came to redeem us from that bondage. Yeshua was born of a woman who was in the same circumstances as all of us, being born under the law of sin and death. Through Yeshua, we are adopted into the family of Elohim and brought out of the world. This sets up the context for the next difficult passage in Galatians concerning Elohim’s Law.

Galatians 4:8-11 — Is Elohim’s Law “Weak” and “Worthless”?

This passage is often used as evidence that believers are no longer to keep certain of Elohim’s commandments, particularly the Sabbath and feast days. However, when we examine the context, that interpretation is impossible:

Formerly, when you did not know Elohim, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not Elohims. But now that you have come to know Elohim, or rather to be known by Elohim, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more? You observe days and months and seasons and years! I am afraid I may have labored over you in vain. (Galatians 4:8-11)

Let’s think through this. Are Elohim’s Sabbath and feast days, which he gave us in his own Word, “weak and worthless”? Are they “elementary principles of the world” that we were “slaves” to? Of course not. Paul says elsewhere that Elohim’s Law, which includes the Sabbath and feast days, is “spiritual” (Romans 7:14), so it cannot be a product of this world. Moreover, he calls the Law “holy” and “righteous” and “good” (Romans 7:12), so it cannot be “weak and worthless.” That alone should tell us that Paul is not referring to Elohim’s Sabbath and feast days in this passage. What, then, is he referring to?

A lot of Christians might be surprised to discover that the Jewish people were not the only ones who celebrated “days and months and seasons.” Pagans and idol worshipers had their own sabbaths and feast days. Paul’s readers were former pagans: “Formerly, when you did not know Elohim , you were enslaved to those that by nature are not Elohims” (Galatians 4:8, emphasis added). That’s why Paul tells them not to “turn back again” to the things they celebrated when they “did not know Elohim.”

Galatians 4:21-31 — Do We Trust Elohim or Man?

In this passage, Paul makes another analogy that is often misunderstood as his speaking against the Law of Elohim. Many people think that Paul is saying that the Mosaic covenant, which includes Elohim’s Law, has enslaved those who practice it. But believers in Yeshua are sons of the free woman—we are not enslaved to the Law! But that is an overly simplistic interpretation that completely misses Paul’s point. Note in verse 25 that Hagar in this analogy “corresponds to the present Jerusalem.” Paul is not speaking against the Law of Elohim but against the misuse of the Law of Elohim by those in the Jerusalem of Paul’s day who taught that Gentiles needed to ritually convert and circumcise themselves to be initiated into Elohim’s covenant people. Paul’s point is that anyone who tries to gain salvation through their own effort is like Abraham trying to gain Elohim’s promise through his effort with Hagar.

Galatians 5:1-5 — Elohim’s Law: Bondage or Freedom?

Some people attempt to use this passage to suggest that Paul compared following Elohim’s Law to being in slavery. Some even suggest that a person has fallen away from grace if they continue to follow Elohim’s Law after coming to know Messiah. But that interpretation is impossible in light of everything we’ve learned about what Paul thought about the Law. If Elohim’s Law was indeed slavery, why did Paul continue to follow it and teach it? If circumcision itself caused someone to fall away from Messiah, why did Paul circumcise Timothy in Acts 16:3? The traditional interpretation just doesn’t fit when considering all the evidence.

The issue here, once again, is regarding ritual conversion to Judaism and circumcision as a prerequisite to salvation. That’s what Paul taught against. That works-based salvation paradigm is what puts people into bondage and causes people to fall away from grace. The fact that Paul is speaking of works-based salvation is clear in verse 4: “You are severed from Messiah, you who would be justified by the law ; you have fallen away from grace” (Galatians 5:4, emphasis added). The problem was that false teachers were saying that one could be “justified by the law.” They were teaching that Elohim’s grace could be earned and maintained through human effort. Again, the problem was a misuse of Elohim’s Law, not Elohim’s Law itself.

Galatians 5:18 — Is the Law Against the Spirit?

When Paul says, “But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law” (Galatians 5:18), some take this to mean that the Spirit and Elohim’s Law conflict with one another. However, as we discovered in our chapter in Romans, the opposite is the case. The Holy Spirit leads us into obedience to Elohim’s Law (Romans 8). So what does Paul mean here? Since walking according to the Spirit is contrasted with walking according to the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21), we can understand walking according to the Spirit to mean doing that which pleases Elohim—producing good fruit (Galatians 5:22-23). Walking according to the flesh is characteristic of those who are “under the law”—that is, under the Law’s penalty. Those who haven’t received the Messiah, and therefore don’t walk according to the Spirit, walk according to their carnal desires without regard to Elohim’s commandments. That’s why Paul says in Romans 8:7, “For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to Elohim, for it does not submit to Elohim’s law; indeed it cannot.” The law, after all, is “spiritual” (Romans 7:14). Our flesh is in conflict with spiritual things, which includes Elohim’s Law. Thus, Galatians 5:18 is not speaking against Elohim’s Law but against the carnal mindset that is against Elohim’s Law.

Now that we’ve reviewed all the difficult passages in Galatians, it’s clear to see that Paul was not speaking against obeying the Law of Elohim. The false doctrine that Paul was speaking against was the idea that we can be justified by our own efforts—specifically through ritual conversion. Obeying the Law of Elohim is what our Father wants, and it is what our Messiah did as our example. But obeying the Law of Elohim is not a means to salvation, only the evidence of it. Elohim’s grace that we receive through faith is the means to salvation, and nothing can ever replace that.

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CHAPTER 7

1 & 2 Corinthians

The books of First and Second Corinthians contain several passages that we will need to examine in light of everything we’ve already established in this book. If believers in Messiah are to keep commandments from the Law of Elohim (Sabbath, feast days, dietary instructions, etc.), then how do we understand some passages in these two letters that appear, on the surface, to contradict that idea? In this chapter, we’ll go through each of those passages and demonstrate that they are consistent with Paul’s teachings concerning the ongoing applicability of Elohim’s Law.

The first passage we’ll look at is 1 Corinthians 7:19, in which Paul says, “Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing.” As we covered in Chapter 3, Paul cannot mean circumcision itself has no value. Why? Because in the very same verse, Paul also says that “keeping the commandments of Elohim” is what matters. Paul cannot say that circumcision is nothing and, in the same breath, affirm the importance of keeping Elohim’s commandments, which include circumcision.

We’ve already gone over the first-century background of the circumcision controversy, but here is scholar and theologian, Tim Hegg, reiterating the point:

From the perspective of the Rabbis, a Gentile could secure a place in the world-to-come only by becoming a Jew. This, the Rabbis taught, was possible through becoming a proselyte, a ritual based entirely upon their rules but without any foundation in the Torah itself. 1

Remember, in the first century, certain sects of Judaism taught that Gentiles could not be “saved” and made part of Elohim’s people unless they “became Jewish” through ritual conversion, which was a long process that included circumcision. In the first century, “circumcision” referred not only to the surgical removal of the foreskin but also a “Jewish status” in the minds of many first-century Jews. Likewise, “uncircumcision” referred to having a “Gentile status.” With that in mind, here is a paraphrase of Paul’s statement in 1 Corinthians 7:18-19:

Was anyone at the time of his call already Jewish? Let him not seek to become a Gentile. Was anyone at the time of his call a Gentile? Let him not seek to become Jewish. For neither being Jewish counts for anything nor being a Gentile, but keeping the commandments of Elohim.

Paul was not speaking against the actual act of circumcision but rather against Gentiles being pressured to convert to Judaism. In Paul’s mind, having a “Jewish status” (as defined by the first-century rabbis) didn’t matter. They weren’t to focus on that. Whether Jew or Gentile, keeping Elohim’s commandments is what matters.

Some additional clues in the text demonstrate that this interpretation should be preferred. Just like in the letter to the Galatians, Paul is speaking against getting circumcised for the wrong reasons. The Circumcision Party would indoctrinate and compel others to follow unbiblical traditions and beliefs. They taught that Elohim would accept Gentiles only if they were circumcised, converted to their sect, and then took on the full yoke of their manmade doctrine. In essence, Gentile believers who went through ritual conversion became slaves to men.

Paul goes on to show that the ritual conversion process of the Circumcision Party was indoctrination into bondage because of their false doctrine regarding salvation and inclusion into Elohim’s covenant community: “You were bought with a price; do not become bondservants of men” (1 Corinthians 7:23). Paul essentially said the same thing in Galatians when dealing with this exact issue: “For freedom Messiah has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1).

Paul’s point is that Elohim accepts us all based on our faith in Messiah, not through ritual conversion or any other form of human effort. We don’t have to become a Jew or Gentile to please Elohim. Keeping the commandments of Elohim is what matters. That includes circumcision, but for the right reasons. It must not be done as a way of submitting to some manmade conversion formula, which is bondage. If you weren’t already circumcised on the eighth day of birth, Elohim should call you to circumcision because you read it in the Word and are compelled by the Holy Spirit, not because someone tells you that you are not saved unless you do it.

Let’s move on to another passage that is often misunderstood to say that keeping the Law is not required of believers:

For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of Elohim but under the law of Messiah) that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings. (1 Corinthians 9:19-23)

Here are some common interpretations of these verses:

• Paul became as a Jew, which is interpreted to mean “following Torah,” to win Jews, but rightly abandoned Torah when with the Gentiles.
• The Jews were “under the law” (that is, the Jews believed the Torah to be authoritative), so once again, Paul acted as though he followed Torah when around Jews but did not follow the Torah around Gentiles.
• Instead of following Torah, Paul follows the “Law of Messiah,” which is a new law for Christians.

Do you see any issues with these interpretations? In an effort to explain Paul’s Torah observance throughout his life and ministry (as we’ve demonstrated in Chapter 2), many Christians might suggest that Paul kept Elohim’s Law merely to appeal to Jews, not because the Torah holds validity as our faith-based instructions. And they interpret this passage as a basis for that argument. But wouldn’t it be deceitful and hypocritical of Paul to hold to and exemplify the validity of the Torah to Jews but teach the opposite to Gentiles? Indeed, it would. And if we’re going to take Paul’s teachings seriously, then the common interpretation of this passage is an unacceptable option.

Paul was often accused of teaching against the Torah in the book of Acts. Each time, Paul proved such accusations to be false. So in light of what we’ve established about Paul’s continued endorsement of Torah observance, here is a brief alternative interpretation of this set of verses in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23.

For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. (1 Corinthians 9:19)

Paul serves others by placing himself in their shoes. He employs Gospel-sharing tactics that take into account the place at which a person is in their faith. Just as Yeshua spent His ministry fellowshipping with people of every social and religious status—common people, sinners, as well as Pharisees—Paul did the same. He became a “servant to all” in order to minister to everyone. His ministry was not only to Gentiles but also to regular Jews and Jews who might be stricter in their observance of various traditions. Perhaps a good example of Paul becoming “all things to all people” is in Acts 17:22-34, where he preaches the Gospel based on Greek poetry and concepts that were relevant to his Athenian audience. Paul did not cease being Jewish or Torah observant when he preached the Gospel to the Athenians in terms they understood.

To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. (1 Corinthians 9:20)

Being “as a Jew,” in this context, means that Paul understood Jewish culture and traditions and was able to leverage that knowledge in a presentation of the Gospel. The same is true of those “under the law” (which, as we covered in Chapter 4, refers to those currently under the penalty of the Law—those who stand guilty before Elohim for their sin). As we can see with the parenthetical statement in this verse, Paul wasn’t placing himself under the penalty of the Law but was meeting people on their level in order to minister to them, just like Yeshua did. Neither Paul nor Yeshua ever compromised their beliefs and convictions to reach people, but they did place themselves in the shoes of different people in different situations in order to effectively convey the truth.

To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of Elohim but under the law of Messiah) that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. (1 Corinthians 9:21-22)

Those “outside the law” refers to Gentiles who grew up never even hearing about Israel’s Elohim or his Law. Again, a good example of how Paul would reach people in this situation can be found in Acts 17:22-34. Paul taught about the Messiah using philosophical arguments that were relevant to the Athenians who, unlike Jews, had no theological framework for the truths that he was sharing.

What does Paul mean when he says that he is “under the law of Messiah”? The Law of Messiah is the Law of Elohim as Yeshua taught and practiced it. You’ll notice that he says he is not outside the Law of Elohim but is under the Law of Messiah. That is, he is in the Law of Elohim and the Law of Messiah at the same time. By Paul’s definition, the Law of Messiah is not outside the Law of Elohim. They are not two separate things, and this is all the more clear in the Greek, as scholar and theologian, J.K. McKee, explains:

This terminology is rendered by the YLT as “within law to Messiah,” the TLV as “in Messiah’s Torah,” and with the CJB expressing a value judgment with, “within the framework of Torah as upheld by the Messiah.” The rendering “under the law of Messiah” is not correct, otherwise the Greek source text would read something like hupo nomon Christou . But this is not what appears. 2

Again, the “Law of Messiah” is best understood as the Law of Elohim rightly interpreted and practiced in light of the Messiah’s teachings. Yeshua didn’t bring an entirely new law to obey, separate from the Law of Elohim. Yeshua’s teachings were based on the Law of Elohim. Even in this very passage, Paul defines the “Law of Messiah” as not outside the Law of Elohim.

In conclusion, nothing in this passage indicates that Paul rejected Elohim’s Law or kept it only when Jews were around. To suggest that he did would mean that he was an unprincipled hypocrite who tried to convert people under pretenses. Obviously, we know that isn’t the case. Paul was explaining his evangelistic strategy to meet people where they were.

Let’s move on to another passage that is often misunderstood as teaching against Elohim’s Law. This passage is found in the second letter to the Corinthians:

Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses’ face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory? For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory. Indeed, in this case, what once had glory has come to have no glory at all, because of the glory that surpasses it. For if what was being brought to an end came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory. (2 Corinthians 3:7-11)

What does Paul mean by the phrase “ministry of death”? If we go back to verse 6, we get a little more insight. Paul says that Elohim has made the apostles of Messiah “ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life” (2 Corinthians 3:6). As we covered when we went through Romans 7, the “letter”—that is, the written code (Romans 7:6)—cannot give life on its own. All it does is expose the law of sin that is at work inside of us, thus killing us (Romans 7:5, 10). But when the Spirit writes the Law on our hearts, we are given life and empowered to keep Elohim’s Law (Romans 8:2-11). This is the greater glory of the New Covenant promise—it transforms us from within (Jeremiah 31:33; Ezekiel 36:26-27; 2 Corinthians 3:3).

When Paul speaks about the glory of the Law, he is referencing the story of Moses beholding Elohim’s glory when he received the commandments on the tablets of stone. Elohim’s glory was said to reflect from his face (Exodus 34:29-30), but this glory faded over time (2 Corinthians 3:13). In contrast, the glory of the New Covenant is permanent and results in full obedience to Elohim’s Law from the heart. Scholar Dr. Colin Kruse sums it up nicely:

It is important to recognize that Paul does not imply that the law itself was fading away. The law as the expression of the will of Elohim for human conduct is still valid. In fact, Paul says the purpose of Elohim in bringing in the New Covenant of the Spirit was precisely that the righteous demands of the law might be fulfilled in those who walk by the Spirit (Rom 8:4). 3

In light of the New Covenant, which results in the Law being written on the hearts of believers, Paul says, “Since we have such a hope, we are very bold” (1 Corinthians 3:12). That is, as a minister of the new covenant, Paul has the boldness to speak bluntly. He then proceeds to contrast the glory of the new covenant with the glory of Moses:

... not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end. But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Messiah is it taken away. Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. (2 Corinthians 3:13-16)

Moses wore a veil over his face to prevent those around him from being blinded by Elohim’s glory (Exodus 34:29-35), a glory that began fading away as soon as Moses left the Lord’s presence. To this day, those who do not know Messiah have a veil covering their hearts; they are prevented from encountering the greater glory of the new covenant, which would write Elohim’s Law on their hearts (2 Corinthians 3:3). Only through Messiah can one have the veil from their heart removed and walk in freedom (2 Corinthians 3:17). This veil is not Elohim’s Law but the barrier between Elohim and man as a result of sin. The Gospel removes the veil so we can behold Elohim’s glory and be transformed into the image of Messiah through the work of the Spirit in accordance with the new covenant promise (2 Corinthians 3:18).

Now that we’ve reviewed all the difficult passages in First and Second Corinthians, it’s clear to see that Paul was not denigrating the Law of Elohim or teaching that it is no longer relevant—quite the contrary! Paul’s teaching is based on the promise of the New Covenant, affirming the ongoing validity of the Torah, which the Spirit writes on the hearts of believers. In Messiah, we can behold the glory of Elohim and be truly transformed .

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CHAPTER 8

Ephesians & Colossians

The book in our Bible we know as Ephesians is a letter that Paul wrote “to the saints who are in Ephesus” (Ephesians 1:1). The book of Colossians is a letter that Paul wrote “to the saints and faithful brothers in Messiah at Colossae” (Colossians 1:1). Both of these letters contain controversial passages in which it might appear that Paul teaches Yeshua abolished Elohim’s Law. However, when we examine these passages in context, we discover that Paul teaches no such thing.

Ephesians 2:14-15

The first passage we will look at is in the second chapter of Ephesians. Before this passage, Paul makes the point that Gentiles, through Messiah’s work, have become full members of Elohim’s people, Israel. They were “at one time separated from Messiah, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise” (Ephesians 2:12). But now they have been “brought near by the blood of Messiah” (Ephesians 2:13). Then Paul states that what divided Jewish and Gentile believers has been removed; this is where we encounter our misunderstood passage:

For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace. (Ephesians 2:14-15, emphasis added)

Some argue that Paul is saying that Elohim’s Law was a dividing wall between Jews and Gentiles. That is, since some of the commandments contained in Elohim’s Law set believers apart from the world, Yeshua abolished them so that Jews and Gentiles can be united. But does that interpretation make any sense? Three points demonstrate that it doesn’t.

First, aren’t Christians—both Jews and Gentiles— supposed to be set apart (holy) and different from the world? Doesn’t Peter instruct believers to “be holy in all your conduct,” appealing to the Torah as the basis for this command (1 Peter 1:15-16)? Doesn’t Paul say that Elohim “chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless” in Ephesians 1:4? Elohim’s Law is the standard for these calls to holiness throughout the New Testament. This isn’t a division between Jewish and Gentile believers; it’s division between believers and the world. Nevertheless, Elohim’s standard of holiness cannot be abolished if believers are to be holy.

Second, if Ephesians 2:14-15 is saying that Yeshua abolished Elohim’s Law, then it contradicts Yeshua’s own words: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them” (Matthew 5:17). So, if we accept the traditional interpretation, then we have Paul directly contradicting Yeshua. Everything we have covered in this book shows that Paul agreed with the Messiah’s teachings, so any interpretation that causes Paul to contradict Yeshua is unacceptable.

Third, Elohim’s Law contains nothing that creates a dividing wall between Jewish and Gentile believers. The promise of Abraham always contained the inclusion of Gentiles (Genesis 12:3). Israel’s obedience to Elohim’s Laws was to show the Gentiles how good and wise the commandments are (Deuteronomy 4:6-8). Throughout all the Torah, the strangers who choose to follow the Elohim of Israel are specifically called to obey the same commandments given to native Israelites (Exodus 12:19; 20:10; Leviticus 16:29; Numbers 9:14; 15:15; Deuteronomy 16:11, 14). With the same law for all, there can be no cause for division between the Jewish and Gentile believers.

With that in mind, what was abolished in Ephesians 2:14-15 cannot be referring to Elohim’s Law. What, then, was the “law of commandments expressed in ordinances” that presented a barrier between Jews and Gentiles? What exactly needed to be abolished?

To find the answer, we need to dig deeper into the original language. Scholar Tim Hegg explains:

What is most important for us to recognize is how Paul describes the realm or place in which “the law of commandments” existed. It is “in ordinances.” But what is important to recognize is the Greek word Paul uses here. It is the Greek word dogma , and here, in the plural. What is significant about this word is that it is never used in the Septuagint to describe any of Elohim’s commandments, judgments, statutes, or laws as revealed in the written Torah . Rather, in the Lxx, dogma is always used to describe man-made laws, such as the edicts of a king or court (e.g. Esther 4:8; 9:1; Daniel 6:12) [Emphasis added]. 1

In the New Testament, the word dogma is used twice to refer to Caesar’s decrees (Luke 2:1, Acts 17:7) and once to refer to the apostolic decree established at the Jerusalem council (Acts 16:4). In Colossians 2:14, which we will cover later, dogmasin (decrees) is used to refer to the punishment of the Law decreed upon sinners. Throughout both the Septuagint and New Testament, the word dogma is used almost every time “to denote man-made decrees.” The only exception is Colossians 2:14, where Elohim decreed the punishment of the Law upon sinners. Dogma is “never used to describe the commandments of Elohim in the Torah.” 2

Scholar J.K. McKee gives some additional insight:

I would propose that a more correct translation of Ephesians 2:15b, ton nomon tōn entolōn en dogmasin , especially per the context of the dogmas of the dividing wall, would be: “the religious Law of commandments in dogmas.” Nomos is rendered as “law,” but clarified with an italic “religious,” as it would be more akin to man-made religious law than Biblical law […] This law would be more akin to what is described in the opening words of Mishnah tractate Pirkei Avot : “make a fence around the Torah” (m.Avot 1:1). 3

Based on Paul’s usage of the word dogma , we can conclude that the dividing wall was not Elohim’s Law but man-made laws. These man-made laws were established by Jewish religious leaders specifically to exclude Gentiles, like we see in Acts 10. Peter was shown a vision that was intended to teach him that he must not consider it unlawful to associate with Gentiles: “And he said to them, ‘You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or to visit anyone of another nation, but Elohim has shown me that I should not call any person common or unclean’” (Acts 10:28). But nothing in Elohim’s Law forbids Jews from associating with Gentiles. 4 This was a first-century man-made law that divided Jewish and Gentile believers. Man-made laws such as this were against the very intention of the Gospel message and the Torah. These man-made laws that excluded Gentile believers from the covenants of promise are what Yeshua abolished. He broke down this dividing wall “in his flesh,” meaning that it is in his death that the promise made to Abraham to bless all nations is realized and the hostility between Jew and Gentile is overcome, creating one new man.

Messiah brought Jew and Gentile together. This was the promise of the Gospel ever since the call of Abraham. In order to fully accomplish this goal, man-made laws that excluded Gentiles from full fellowship with the covenant community needed to be abolished. Messiah Yeshua did abolish those man-made laws and empowered his disciples to “make disciples of all the nations” (Matthew 28:19-20), welcoming Gentiles as full members of the household of Elohim (Ephesians 2:19). That is the message of Ephesians 2:14-15.

Colossians 2:13-14, 16-17

Many believe that the second chapter of Colossians is a warning against false teachers who were trying to get believers at Colossae to observe commandments like the Sabbath, feasts, and dietary laws. The typical argument is that Paul was telling the believers at Colossae not to allow false teachers to judge them because Messiah had taken away Elohim’s Law and nailed it to the cross. But is that really what Paul was saying? In light of everything we’ve already covered, in addition to some contextual clues in the chapter itself, this cannot be the case.

First, Paul clearly states his focus in the second chapter of his epistle. It was to address false doctrine that he describes as “philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Messiah” (Colossians 2:8). Right away, we see that Paul’s concern was not regarding false teachers imposing Torah observance on believers. Elohim’s Law is not “human tradition.” Furthermore, this false teaching is said to be in opposition to Messiah, but Messiah himself affirmed Elohim’s Law (Matthew 5:17-20).

Later in the chapter, we see that the false teachers Paul is addressing insisted on things like “asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind” (Colossians 2:18). This gives us a clue that the false teaching promoted by these teachers was some form of mystical doctrine that emphasized secret wisdom. So Paul’s issue is clearly not with the Torah itself but with the Torah as interpreted by these false teachers, who were imposing their false religious beliefs and human traditions onto Paul’s readers.

With this background in mind, we can look at our first misunderstood passage in Colossians concerning Elohim’s Law:

And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, Elohim made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. (Colossians 2:13-14)

Many claim that this passage says Messiah took away Elohim’s Law and nailed it to the cross. However, the Greek word used to represent Elohim’s Law ( nomos ) is found nowhere in this passage. It is not Elohim’s Law that is cancelled and nailed to the cross but the “record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands.” Elohim is not dealing with his Law in this passage but with human sin. This “record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands” refers to the record of our sins and the punishment required for them. Elohim’s Law legally demands death as payment from those who break it. Through Messiah, however, our record of debt has been cancelled. Messiah’s work has satisfied the legal demands of Elohim’s Law. Messiah has taken upon himself the punishment of death that we deserve, nailing it to the cross. Therefore, Elohim’s Law is still in force, but the record of our sins for breaking Elohim’s Law has been cancelled and the legal demands paid in full by Messiah’s blood.

From here, Paul goes on to encourage his readers not to be led astray by the judgment of these false teachers:

Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Messiah. (Colossians 2:16-17)

When taken out of context, the common interpretation of this passage is that Paul is instructing the believers at Colossae not to worry about commands like the Sabbath, festivals, and dietary laws. But that conclusion doesn’t work in light of how Paul described this false teaching: “human tradition” (v. 8). So, Paul’s warning must have something to do with human tradition.

An alternative interpretation more consistent with the context of the chapter (and Paul’s teaching elsewhere in Scripture) is that these false teachers were not judging the Colossians for failing to keep the Torah; they were judging the Colossians for failing to keep the Torah according to how they taught it should be kept. This makes more sense in light of the next verse, which describes these commands as “a shadow of the things to come” (v. 17). In other words, these commands not only point toward Messiah’s work on the cross, but ongoing to his future work. That is why they are a shadow of things “to come,” not just things that have already happened.

In conclusion, when read in context, it’s clear that neither Ephesians nor Colossians conflict with Yeshua’s and Paul’s instruction to follow Elohim’s Law. As you’ve seen throughout this book, all of Scripture is consistent. This will be further proven as we turn our attention to a final misunderstood passage in the next chapter.

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Chapter 9

1 Timothy 4:1-5

A passage from Paul’s first letter to Timothy is often misunderstood to say that Elohim’s dietary laws are not intended for believers. In other words, all animals are now acceptable for food, including unclean animals. Additionally, those who teach obedience to such commandments are false teachers who are devoted to “deceitful spirits and teachings of demons” (1 Timothy 4:1). Since you’ve made it this far in this book, you already know that such an interpretation presents a conflict with everything Paul believed and taught concerning Elohim’s Law. Let’s examine the full passage and see how to reconcile it with the rest of Paul’s teaching:

Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that Elohim created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by Elohim is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving , for it is made holy by the word of Elohim and prayer. (1 Timothy 4:1-5, emphasis added)

Is this passage teaching that unclean animals are not to be rejected as food but received with thanksgiving? That is a common interpretation among many Christians. However, some issues arise when we examine the context of the passage. For instance, verse five adds a qualification to that which is made holy and to be received with thanksgiving. Paul says, “for it is made holy by the word of Elohim and prayer” (v. 5). So it appears that Paul’s definition of food that can be received with thanksgiving must be “made holy by the word of Elohim.” With that in mind, what does the word of Elohim make holy (set apart) as food?

This is the law about beast and bird and every living creature that moves through the waters and every creature that swarms on the ground, to make a distinction between the unclean and the clean and between the living creature that may be eaten and the living creature that may not be eaten . (Leviticus 11:46-47, emphasis added)

According to this passage, animals classified in Leviticus 11 as unclean may not be eaten. Only clean animals may be eaten. In other words, only clean animals are made holy by the word of Elohim. Therefore, when Paul says to receive with thanksgiving foods that are “made holy by the word of Elohim,” this, by definition, excludes any unclean animals (pork, shellfish, etc.).

This means that the false teachers whom Paul gives his warning about are not people teaching obedience to Elohim’s dietary laws. Think about it. If they were, then Messiah Yeshua would be a false teacher when he affirmed the validity of the dietary laws as part of the Torah and said that his followers will do and teach the least of the commandments (Matthew 5:17-20). Paul likewise would be a false teacher since he said, “All Scripture is breathed out by Elohim and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). That indicates that Paul believes the dietary laws in Scripture are profitable for “training in righteousness.” So Paul cannot be saying those who teach obedience to Elohim’s dietary laws are false teachers since he would be putting himself into the same category.

So, what was Paul’s warning regarding these false teachers? It was not that they taught obedience to the Torah; it was that they commanded believers to abstain from eating food that Elohim has created to be received with thanksgiving—namely, food that is within the parameters established by Torah. The issue was that they were telling believers that they must abstain from Torah-permitted foods. They also taught that believers must abstain from other good things that Elohim gave for us to enjoy, such as marriage (v. 3). Thus, the doctrine these false teachers taught were not according to Elohim’s Law; they were mere manmade restrictions.

Bible commentator Gordon Tessler concurs that the false teachers to whom Paul refers were imposing manmade restrictions:

Some people in the church of the first century were “departing from the faith” teaching false doctrines. These people were advocating celibacy (forbidding to marry) and vegetarianism (abstaining from certain foods or meats). This teaching or doctrine was forbidding activities that Elohim desires His children to do. The Lord certainly ordained for us to marry and He created certain clean foods “to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.” [Emphasis added] 1

In conclusion, far from teaching that Elohim’s dietary laws are no longer intended for believers, 1 Timothy 4:1-5 reinforces them. Paul says we are to receive with thanksgiving food that is “made holy by the word of Elohim.” By definition, then, unclean animals are not to be received with thanksgiving since they are not made holy by the word of Elohim. In addition, we must be on guard against all who impose manmade restrictions on others, prohibiting things that Elohim did create for us to enjoy. That is the message of 1 Timothy 4:1-5.

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Conclusion

We started this book by asking a series of questions. Is Elohim’s Law in the Old Testament still relevant to Christians? We’ve established that the answer is yes. What does the New Testament teach us about commandments like the Sabbath, feast days, and which animals we shouldn’t eat? We’ve learned that the New Testament is in full agreement with the Old Testament—those commandments are valid instruction for believers today. Should we still rest on the seventh day, say “no” to bacon and shellfish, and remove leaven from our homes during Passover? The evidence suggests we should.

Contrary to the popular opinion within Christianity, these parts of Elohim’s Law are still for us today. While passages from Paul’s letters are often cited to say these laws are irrelevant, a closer examination has revealed that Paul taught no such thing. Our study of Paul showed that he, like the Messiah, fully affirmed the Law’s ongoing relevance and authority in the lives of believers.

Our prayer is that this book helped show that Paul was not against the Law of Elohim. If you have additional questions about Paul or would like to learn more about what it means to follow the Torah, we invite you to connect with us on our website: www.testeverything.net

Thank you for reading!