Torah

DOING THE WHOLE LAW

/ David R Maas / Leave a comment

OVERVIEW – Anyone who is under the Law of Moses is obligated to keep all its required deeds and rituals – Galatians 3:10. 

In his Letter to the Galatians, the Apostle Paul responded to teachings from certain Jewish Christians that were disrupting the churches of Galatia. A key point of contention was the claim that male Gentiles must be circumcised to “complete” their faith. Additionally, they may have pressured believers to keep the calendrical observances of the Mosaic legislation and conform to Jewish dietary regulations.

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CIRCUMCISION – A CUTTING ISSUE

/ David R Maas / 1 Comment

SYNOPSIS – If circumcision is no longer required, there has been a fundamental change in how membership in the covenant community is determined. 

Circumcision is an obstacle to any claim that followers of Jesus must conform to the requirements of the Torah, a rite that was fundamental in the Abrahamic covenant for the identity of the covenant community, and mandatory in the Mosaic legislation for all male members. Thus, if circumcision is no longer required, then the jurisdiction of the Law has changed.

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NEITHER JEW NOR GENTILE

/ David R Maas / 2 Comments

SYNOPSIS – To return to the custodianship of the Law is to rebuild the wall of separation between Jew and Gentile – Galatians 3:26-29. 

In his letter to the Galatians, the Apostle Paul portrays the Law or Torah as a “custodian” or paidagōgos – (Strong’s – #G3807). The English term “pedagogue” is derived from it. Unlike English, the Greek term does not refer to an educator but to someone with supervisory responsibilities. In Greco-Roman society, a “pedagogue” was a servant with custodial and disciplinary authority over a child until it reached maturity.

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