Aspects of the Law and Galatians
Someone asked me in the comments section: what were the aspects of the Law of Moses that were being taught by the troublemakers (Judaizers) that Paul was teaching does not make one complete in Christ, according to the letter to the Galatians. So I thought I would share these texts with everyone. I think that the ceremonial laws from Moses were being taught as the way to be perfected before God. The troublemakers seems to be telling Gentiles Christians that they may have forgiveness of sins, but they were not the children of Abraham, the children of promise, or in a relationship with God as true Israel. These Judaizers told the Gentile Christians that they needed to be “perfected in the flesh” (Galatians 3:3). Notice that these are the points Paul is dealing with throughout the letter to the Galatians:
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Joe
March 10, 2009 at 8:37 am
Looks spot on to me. We sometimes forget that this was a huge problem back then. Acts 15 also comes to mind.
Act 15:1Â Some men came down from Judea and began to teach the brothers: “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom prescribed by Moses, you cannot be saved!”
Act 15:5Â But some of the believers from the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to command them to keep the law of Moses!”
Bradley
March 10, 2009 at 10:51 am
And the Judaizers could point to proof texts to prove their case.
And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant. Gen. 17:14
A covenant made with Abraham first, not Moses.
 So you see how difficult it would have been for a young Gentile Chrisitan to stand up to the professional religionists.
Brent Kercheville
March 10, 2009 at 2:17 pm
Exactly, Bradley. It sounds like the Jewish Christians were telling the Gentile Christians that they had to do the things that were part of the covenant promise to Abraham, like circumcision. Hence, Paul’s argument in Galatians 2:14 that Jewish Christians are living like Gentiles, so how can we ask Gentile Christians to live like Jews!