Galatians, The Torah & Legalism
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Galatians 1
Galatians 2
Galatians 3
Galatians 4
Galatians 5
Galatians 6
1. Background to Paul & Galatians
2. Introduction to Paul & Galatians
3. What Was The Galatian Heresy ?
4. Circumcision or Non-Circumcision
5. Paul's Uncircumcised Brethren
6. First Century Jewish Torah-Law
7. Written Torah-Law - A Blessing
8. Paul and The Oral Torah-Law
9. Jesus Christ & The Oral Torah-Law
10. Was the Oral Torah-Law All Bad ?
11. Legalism: The Works of The Law"
12. "Under The Law"
13. "The Curse of the Law"
14. Paul's Criticism of Peter
15. "Days & Months & Times & Years"
16. Conclusion: Galatians, Paul etc.
17. Related Sites
      Judianity
      Gentile Circumcision Acts 15
      Paul's Temple Sacrifices
      The Tithe Debate

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Related Sites

Related Sites

Judianity

Some say Judianity is a "third way" between Christianity and Judaism, because of its core belief that the religions of the Hebrew and Apostolic scriptures are one and the same. But its really only a small group of websites and some good intentions.

Gentiles & Circumcision

In the context of the everlasting circumcision covenant between God and Abraham's descendents in Genesis 17, the most controversial subject in the New Testament was the conversion of Cornelius in Acts 10. That is; the first baptisms of devout gentile proselytes without the formal naturalisation process required in accordance with Exodus 12:48 which required gentiles to be circumcised to observe Passover. This controversy was the crux of the Galatian Heresy resulting in Paul's letter to the Galatians, large parts of his epistle to the Romans and the Jerusalem Conference of Acts 15. Noticeable by its absence though, is any further debate (to anything like the same extent) about any further (so called) changes in the written Torah-law. As such, Gentiles & Circumcision argues that no other changes to the written Torah-law were made. Had any other aspect of the written Torah-law been changed e.g. sacrificial law, food laws, Sabbath observance, Holy Day observance, then if it had survived, the degree of contention in the predominantly Jewish New Testament Church would have made the New Testament twice as thick as it is now with the debating, conferences and epistle writing.

Paul's Post Crucifixion Temple Sacrifices

Furthermore despite objections to the Oral Torah-Law since his conversion, Paul says that he believed all aspects of the written Torah-law. For this reason, Paul's Post Crucifixion Temple Sacrifices explores the arguments made by most protestant theologians that in Acts 21 Paul sponsored the Nazirite vows of four men and that earlier Paul kept a Nazirite vow himself in Acts 18:18. For Paul to have kept a Nazirite Vow means that he would have made animal sacrifices as Numbers 6 clearly shows, which most traditional Christian commentators argue is unnecessary following Christ's crucifixion. Acts also shows that Paul was ritually purified in the Temple. Commentators suggest one of two explanations: either Paul hypocritically deceived the Sanhedrin or was trying to be "All Things to All Men". Paul went on to die for his beliefs, so he wasn't a hypocritical deceiver, and as far as being "all things to all men"; when he revealed their "Unknown God" to the Greeks in Athens Paul certainly didn't offer a sacrifice in those circumstances. This website suggests a third explanation therefore: that since God didn't shut the Temple down after Christ's crucifixion as Hebrews 8:4 shows, animal sacrifices continued legitimately and although temporarily there are no sacrifices today it's true to say that sacrifices are prophesied to be re-instated following Christ's return.

United Church of God

The United Church of God holds a number of aspects of the written Torah-law valid. It endorses the keeping of the Saturday Sabbath, the Holy Days of Leviticus 23:, and dietary laws.

The Journal of the Churches of God

The Journal is an independent newspaper about the Churches of God.

The Tithe Debate

The Tithe-Debate is designed to help individuals to come to their own conclusions about whether the giving of ten percent of one's income to a church. The site presents ten articles in favour of tithing and three articles not in favour of tithing and encourages an objective evaluation of the scriptures.

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