Posted: Tue Feb 14, 2006 10:28 am
I believe that Paul did uphold ALL of the torah/law. He states in 1 Corinthians 11:1, "Follow my example as I follow the example of Messiah." From this scripture we know that Paul, like Jesus, honored the torah and upheld it. Jesus told us the it is easier for Heaven and earth to pass away than for the least stroke of pen to drop from the law in Matthew 5:18Jbuza wrote:No I do not think that he did. His teachings are not full of warnings to keep the law, his teachings are full of warnings to put the law in it's correct place and to enjoy the liberty that Jesus offers.
Paul even says in Romans 7:22, "I delight in the Law of God."
In Acts 21 Paul faces a dilemma. When he was returning to Jerusalem, he was shown "how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the Torah." But among these believing Jews, a false accusation has surfaced against Paul. What was the false accusation?
"They have been informed that you teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn away from Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or live according to our customs."
This is the very charge that the christian church has said today, but it was first done here in Jerusalem. So how does Paul respond to this accusation? Did Paul indeed teach against the torah and against the costums?
"22 What shall we do? They will certainly hear that you have come"
The men ask Paul to answer this false accusation with a public action. They offer a solution by saying, "23 so do what we tell you. There are four men with us who have made a vow. 24 Take these men, join in their purification rites and pay their expenses, so that they can have their heads shaved. Then everyone will know there is no truth in these reports about you, but that you yourself are living in obedience to the law."
They not only ask Paul to take the Nazarite vow, but to help four others do the same, as a public statement that Paul was NOT teaching the Jews to forsake Torah.
Throughout the rest of the book of Acts Paul continues to state that the accusation leveled against him is false.
In Acts 24:13 he says, "3 And they cannot prove to you the charges they are now making against me." No one had any evidence that Paul had ever taught against the Torah, much less that he even stopped practicing the Torah.
So one has to wonder what Paul is talking about in Galatians or Romans. But these books show how Paul is against WORKS or LEGALISM, not against the law.
In this passage of scripture Paul is talking to the Pharisees or anyone else that thought that they could save themself by follow the law. They want to be under the law and try to save themself, but they don't even understand it, because if they did understand it, they would know that they CAN'T SAVE THEMSELVES!Jbuza wrote:Since I have tried to address your questions perhaps you could address this one from Galatians.
4:21 Tell me, you who want to be under the law, do you not understand the law?