Thoughts on Galatians 3, 1-14

As I read a few weeks ago what Paul in Galatians 3, 1 - 14 wrote, I got big problems; such these words could fit together with the words of Jesus Christ.

Here the words of Paul in Galatians 3, 1 - 14: "O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? Have ye suffered so many things in vain? If it be yet in vain. He therefore that ministered to you the Spirit, and worked miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, in thee shall all nations be blessed. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continued not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, the just shall live by faith. And the law is not of faith: but, the man that doeth them shall live in them. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hanged on a tree: That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith."

But now the words of our Lord Jesus Christ: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father." (John 14, 12) 

"If ye love me, keep my commandments."(John 14, 15)

 "Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him." (John 14, 23)

"If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love." (John 15, 10)

For my understanding, of Paul's words were in contradiction, to what Jesus Christ taught. But I know that this is impossible, since the word of God does not contradict themselves in the Bible. I had the problem, such I can recognize now where I think wrong. Lasting for days I prayed to God on my knees, that he would give me understanding for my question, as I have to understand Paul's words.

One evening, my prayers were answered and I understood the words of Paul. To better understand my realization, I show them the meaning of the word faith: "The English word Faith, is in the here discussed sense used as a translation of the Greek noun pistis with the basic meaning „loyalty, trust." The associated verb is pisteuein ("be faithful, trust"). The primary meaning was: "I put trust in ... I tie my existence at ... I'm true to ...". The word therefore aims confidence, obedience (compare: vow, betrothal), faithfulness.“  (http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glaube)

Abraham was it reckoned as righteousness from God, that he trust on God's Word, that he tie ​​his existence on God's Word, he remained to the Word of God and that he was obedient to God.

Now, I am aware that Paul with these words taught the Galatians, exactly what Jesus Christ also taught the people.

The Israelites parted very soon the law from the legislature, and gave much to the law, that God has never said. Then they wanted to keep its own initiative, so that to obtain salvation from to their own merits. So that they destroyed the faith and confidence to the donor of the covenant. So they should fall, in a deadly self-confidence.

What Paul the Galatians asks is, whether they really want to make the same mistake, such as the Israelites did; or whether they prefer, to believe in Jesus, trust him, be him obedient, and wanted to be him faithful.

The words of Leviticus, 18, 5: "Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them" are just only positive, if one like Abraham, trust on God's word, to tie the one existence on God's Word and is faithful and obedient to the God's Word. Only, that into God's faithfulness covenant pasted, comply with the law, will give eternal life; comply the law out of itself, leads to damnation.

Jesus Christ sanctified the Sabbath, and did that day however things; that been for the Israelites blasphemy. Why? Because the Israelites had separate the law from the legislator, and by human interpretation of the Torah; they added many regulations, which God has never commanded.

As I have already mentioned, I had many days great difficulty with the text of Paul. But I have purposely avoided, to read human interpretations of this passage of Scripture. I prayed prefer to God, in whom I believe, whom I trust, at whose word I tie my existence and I am faithful and obedient. He has answered my prayer.

Both God and also his son Jesus Christ, become be merciful only to those, who seek them from the heart; and will with faith in their words, the bids, Sabbath and the feasts of the Lord be obey. But not, just as the Israelites, separate from God; but by the will of God and how it Jesus had lived.

I pray, that all people may finally realize, how wrong all the mundane religions of today are.

Today, a psalm that reveals to us, that David has also trust, on the belief in God:

A Song of degrees

Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O LORD. Lord, hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications. If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared. I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope. My soul waited for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning. Let Israel hope in the LORD: for with the LORD there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption. And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities. Amen (Psalm 130, 1-8)

Thoughts on Galatians 5, 1-6

The Apostle Paul wrote in Galatians 5, 1-6: "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availed anything, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worked by love."

Since these verses are often used, to prove, that by Jesus Christ, were removed Sabbath, the feasts of the Lord, the commandments and ordinances of God, I would myself more intensively deal with these verses.

What exactly does freedom mean? In Wikipedia I found a very good explanation: "Freedom (Latin libertas) is usually understood as the ability to choose without coercion between different options and decide. The term generally designates a state of autonomy of a subject. "

"The young Christianity has indeed taken the ideas of Judaism about freedom, but eschatologized, in a category of" made ​​world to come. "The concept of freedom (Eleutheria) describes mainly a religious quality in the New Testament. Faced with the imminent parousia (return) of their risen Lord Jesus Christ every political change in the world at first seemed pointless. Now it was more about being "inside" the stoic -Hellenistic sense to be free of the constraints of the perishing world. The Apostle Paul Picking up on the Stoic understanding of freedom taught and formulated Christian, the Christian is in the religious sense of free from the law, sin and death (Romans chapters 6-8). In this "inner" sense, is Paul's phrase from the Letter to the Galatians to understand; that all people in Christ are equal and therefore free (Gal 3, 26-28): "For freedom has Christ set us free, therefore ... let you not bring back under a yoke of bondage. "(Gal 5:1)" (http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freiheit)

The Galatians was taught by Jewish false teachers, that they must be circumcised, in order to fulfil the whole law. Paul knew that circumcision has nothing to do with the commandments and ordinances of God, since it merely is used, as a sign of the covenant, which God made with Israel. But anyone who is in this covenant, must abide the law of the Lord. Such a person cannot be free, namely in the sense, that he could decide without coercion. So Paul explains in these lines, that just the one who has Jesus Christ, is free to choose for themselves without coercion his spiritual journey. That Paul speaks of spiritual freedom, we understand in reading the next few lines, where Paul writes in Galatians 5, 13-15: "For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another."

Paul knows full well, that no one who lives under the law, which means nothing else, than the laws and commandments of God need to comply, to be saved thereby, may do so, on its own initiative. But who accepts Jesus Christ as Lord, those will guide from the Holy Spirit, so that those comply sooner or later through the lived charity, the commandments and statutes of God. Therefore will truly save people, if they love God, keep His Sabbath and its feasts. Not because they are under the law, but because they love God. Everyone who loves his neighbor will not just steal, lie, covet, murder, cheat, etc., and thereby thus has fulfilled the law and the commandments. Paul knows, that spiritual life is absolutely necessary, to be able to do these, he writes in Galatians 5, 16-18: "This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusted against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.  But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law."

Anyone, who has truly accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord, will be led by the Holy Spirit. Since we know, that the Holy Spirit will teach us the truth, we can understand now, what Jesus Christ has caused for us, by his sacrifice. He has fulfilled, what God through the prophets has told. Jesus Christ has written the commandments and ordinances of God in the hearts of true believers, and as a result they redeemed!

Paul, who has that also recognized, therefore writes in Galatians 5, 19-26: "Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envying’s, murders, drunkenness, revelling’s, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another."

Thus, we see that these verses on closer studying are not suitable, to prove that Jesus Christ would have repealed the law and the commandments. On the contrary, these verses prove, the entire word of God has eternal validity; and that Jesus Christ has actually changed no letters of the alphabet or point of it. Therefore no one should be deceived, those who continue to live according to the preference of the world, will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Jesus Christ gave us the freedom to choose without coercion, whether we want to redeem ourselves, by keeping the law and but so thus be lost; or by his grace be able to comply the law, and to be saved by him.

Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith. Amen (Galatians 6, 7-10)