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Analyzing Pauline Traditions

Paul of Tarsus and the Origins of Syncretism in the Christian Church

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Was The Law To Cease Having Authority Over
Those It Had With The Coming Of The Messiah?

In Galatians 3:19, Paul implies that prior to transgressions there existed no Law. Also, that its existence was envisaged to be for a temporary period, ceasing to exist once the seed to whom the promise had been made had come. Is this the case? Was the Law to cease to exist upon the coming of the seed to whom the promise had been made?

In Galatians 3:23-25 Paul reiterates that with the coming of Messiah the Law has ceased to have authority over those it previously had authority over. In other words, it is of no consequence to them. Is this the case? Did the Law cease to have authority, with the coming of Messiah, over those it had authority over prior to the coming of Messiah?

Yeshua Said The Law Is To Remain In Full Force
Until The Passing Away Of Heaven And Earth

Matthew 5:17-19 reads,

¹⁷ "Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. ¹⁸ For truly I say to you, until Heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. ¹⁹ Whoever, then, annuls one of the least of these Commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called Least in the Kingdom of Heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called Great in the Kingdom of Heaven."

Yeshua, the one of whom Paul speaks of as "the Christ", has a totally different opinion to that presented by Paul in Galatians 3:19-25. For whereas Paul suggests that the Law has ceased to have authority over those it previously had authority over, and has ceased to exist upon the coming of the promised seed, Yeshua, the view Yeshua presents in Matthew 5:17 is that one shouldn't think that he came to do away with the law! Yeshua further reiterates that nothing is to pass away from the Law prior to the passing away of heaven and earth. As heaven and earth still exist, and Yeshua's coming was in a period of time prior to the passing away of heaven and earth, it is evident that Yeshua's view in Matthew 5:18 is contrary to Paul's view in Galatians 3:19-25.

Yeshua Called The Likes Of Paul
"Least In The Kingdom Of Heaven"

Yeshua goes so far as to prophesy, Matthew 5:19, that whoever — including Paul — who teaches the breaking of any of the least Commandments in the Law, shall be called "Least" in the Kingdom of Heaven! Who, therefore, between Yeshua and Paul, should one believe on this matter of the continuing applicability of the Law? And what does HaShem say on this matter?

HaShem's Prophecy By Moses Is Contrary
To Paul's Words In Galatians 3:19-25

Deuteronomy 30:1-10 reads,

¹ When all these things befall you — the Blessing and the Curse that I have set before you — and you take them to heart amidst the various nations to which YHWH your Elohim has banished you, ² and you return to YHWH your Elohim, and you and your children heed his Command with all your heart and soul, just as I enjoin upon you this day, ³ then YHWH your Elohim will restore your fortunes and take you back in love. He will bring you together again from all the peoples where YHWH your Elohim has scattered you. ⁴ Even if your outcasts are at the ends of the world, from there YHWH your Elohim will gather you, from there He will fetch you. ⁵ And YHWH your Elohim will bring you to the land that your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it; and He will make you more prosperous and more numerous than your fathers. ⁶ Then YHWH your Elohim will open up your heart and the hearts of your offspring to love YHWH your Elohim with all your heart and soul, in order that you may live. ⁷ YHWH your Elohim will inflict all those curses upon the enemies and foes who persecuted you. ⁸ You, however, will again heed YHWH and obey all his Commandments that I enjoin upon you this day. ⁹ And YHWH your Elohim will grant you abounding prosperity in all your undertakings, in the issue of your womb, the offspring of your cattle, and the produce of your soil. For YHWH will again delight in your well-being, as He did in that of your fathers, ¹⁰ since you will be heeding YHWH your Elohim and keeping his Commandments and laws that are recorded in this book of the Teaching — once you return to YHWH your Elohim with all your heart and soul.

It is noted that at the time that Israel is gathered from all the places of her scattering, a time yet to occur, as Israel hasn't yet been gathered from all the places of her scattering, HaShem would do good to Israel. This gathering will involve bringing Israelites inhabiting even the uttermost parts of the heavens, as seen in Deuteronomy 30:4, a time that couldn't have taken place prior to humans mounting space expeditions and inhabiting portions of space or the heavens! The time that Moses was here speaking about by the Holy Spirit was a time yet to take place.

In this future time HaShem will circumcise the hearts of the children of Israel, and they will then love HaShem with all their heart and all their soul, by doing all of HaShem's words and commandments. They will then keep HaShem's commandments and statutes which are written in the book of the Law. It is therefore evident that HaShem's prophecy by Moses is contrary to Paul's words in Galatians 3:19-25. For whereas Paul suggests that the Law has already e the seed to whom the promise had been made had come. Is this the case? Was the Law to cease to exist upon the coming of the seed to whom the promise had been made? In Galatians 3:23-25 Paul reiterates that with the coming of Messiah the Law has ceased to have authority over those it previously had authority over. In other words, it is of no consequence to them. Is this the case? Did the Law cease to have authority, with the coming of Messiah, over those it had authority over prior to the coming of him?

HaShem's Prophetic Word By Jeremiah
Confirms His Prophetic Word By Moses

This prophetic word by Moses is surely consistent with Jeremiah's later prophetic word seen in Jeremiah 33:14-22, which reads,

¹⁴ "Behold, days are coming," declares YHWH, "when I will fulfill the Good Word which I have spoken concerning the House of Israel and the House of Judah. ¹⁵ In those days and at that time I will cause a Righteous Branch of David to spring forth; and He shall execute Justice and Righteousness on the earth. ¹⁶ In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will dwell in safety. And this is the name by which she will be called: 'YHWH is our righteousness.' ¹⁷ For thus says YHWH, 'David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the House of Israel; ¹⁸ and the Levitical priests shall never lack a man before Me to offer burnt offerings, to burn grain offerings and to prepare sacrifices continually'."
¹⁹ The Word of YHWH came to Jeremiah, saying, ²⁰ "Thus says YHWH, 'If you can break my Covenant for the day and my Covenant for the night, so that day and night will not be at their appointed time, ²¹ then my Covenant may also be broken with David my servant so that he will not have a son to reign on his throne, and with the Levitical priests, my ministers. ²² As the Host of Heaven cannot be counted and the sand of the sea cannot be measured, so I will multiply the descendants of David my servant and the Levites who minister to Me'."

Speaking of the future, a time yet to come, HaShem emphatically says that he will fulfil that Good Word that He spoke concerning the Houses of Israel and Judah. The Levitical priests, the house of Aaron, shall always offer before Him burnt offerings, burn meal-offerings and do sacrifice continually. And so sure is HaShem that this Covenant is unbreakable that he says that only if his Covenant of the day and his Covenant of the night can be broken, that his Covenant with the house of Aaron, the priests, may be broken. In other words, it is a seemingly unbreakable Covenant, as sure as day and night will arrive in their season. Also, taking into account the possibility that the house of Aaron may be wiped out so that it ceases to exist, HaShem reassures that this house shall not cease to exist. For he will multiply its number into an innumerable multitude, as the host of the sky or the sand of the sea.

The offering of burnt offerings, the burning of meal-offerings and doing sacrifice continually are all aspects of the Law that YHWH gave the children of Israel by Moses. HaShem clearly affirms that these practices commanded by the Law will be in full operation in the future time that he speaks of. Yet Paul suggests in Galatians 3:19-25 that this Law no longer has authority over those it previously had authority over, and that it has ceased to apply. It is therefore very evident that Yeshua's word in Matthew 5:17-19 is the one in harmony with HaShem's Word, and not Paul's words in Galatians 3:19-25.

Paul Suggested That Those Previously Under
The Law's Authority Were No Longer Under It

With regard to Galatians 5:1-10, Paul's words in verse 1 and his preceding words, suggest that Yeshua had "freed" the Galatians from a "yoke of bondage" — thus implying the Law. For it is the Law of Moses that includes Circumcision, which he speaks of in Galatians 5:2-6. Have those who have received Yeshua been "liberated" from being under the Authority of the Law of Moses, especially if they had been under the Authority of the Law of Moses prior to Yeshua's coming and their reception of him?

Paul's Words Are Different From Those Of YHWH And Yeshua

The scriptural evidence we have just examined in Deuteronomy 30:1-10 shows that the children of Israel will do ALL the Law that HaShem delivered to them by Moses and contained in the Book of the Law. This includes the Command on Circumcision. Therefore, those who are children of Israel, despite having received Yeshua, have not been "liberated" from being under the Authority of the Law of Moses. This conclusion is also consistent with Yeshua's words in Matthew 5:17-19, whereby he said that no aspect of the Law will cease to apply prior to the passing away of heaven and earth. And seeing that people were to receive Yeshua prior to the passing away of heaven and earth, it was not Yeshua's conception that they would be liberated from being under the authority of the Law of Moses, if indeed they had been under that authority. Paul's words are therefore seen — AGAIN! — to be contrary to those of HaShem and Yeshua.

How Does Paul Defined "Truth"?

As far as Paul is concerned in Galatians 5:7-8, anyone who receives any provision of the Law of Moses — especially the Circumcision provision — has departed from obeying the "truth". But how does Paul define what he here calls "truth"?

Seeing that the conclusion here arrived at by Paul is contrary to the Words of HaShem and Yeshua, it is evident that what they call Truth is not what Paul calls "truth" at all.

Yeshua's Definition Of Truth

John 17:17 reads,

¹⁷ Set them apart in your Truth. Your Word is Truth.

So, Yeshua defines truth as HaShem's Word.

Seeing that Paul's words are contrary to HaShem's Word — and HaShem's Word is Truth — it is evident that Paul's words are not Truth. And Christians should have into account that whatever it is that he calls "truth" is not the Truth as defined by Yeshua.

Paul Suggested That Those Led By The Spirit
Are Not Under The Authority Of The Law Of Moses

In Galatians 5:13 Paul reiterates to his audience that they were called to something he calls "freedom" — "freedom" from being under the Authority of the Law of Moses, the very Law that contains the Requirement for Circumcision. Nevertheless, he urges them not to abuse their so-called Freedom from the Requirements of the Law of Moses by undertaking fleshly works, but to undertake works as led by the Spirit. He reiterates in Galatians 5:18 that those led by the Spirit are not under the Authority of the Law of Moses, and are therefore "free" from having to abide by its Requirements. Is this true? Does Paul truly have the Authority of HaShem's Word in making these antinomian comments that he hereby does?

HaShem Prophesied Through Jeremiah
To Empower His Children To Abide By His Law

Jeremiah 31:31-37 reads,

¹ "See, a time is coming — declares YHWH — "when I will make a new Covenant with the House of Israel and the House of Judah. ³² It will not be like the Covenant I made with their fathers, when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, a Covenant which they broke, though I espoused them," declares YHWH. ³³ "But such is the Covenant I will make with the House of Israel after these days," declares YHWH. "I will put my Teaching into their inmost being and inscribe it upon their hearts. Then I will be their Elohim, and they shall be my People. ³⁴ No longer will they need to teach one another and say to one another, 'Heed YHWH'; for all of them, from the least of them to the greatest, shall heed Me," declares YHWH. "For I will forgive their iniquities, and remember their sins no more." 35 Thus said YHWH, Who established the sun for light by day, the laws of moon and stars for light by night, Who stirs up the sea into roaring waves, Whose Name is YHWH of Hosts: ³⁶ "If these Laws should ever be annulled by Me," declares YHWH, "only then would the offspring of Israel cease to be a nation before Me for all time." ³⁷ Thus said YHWH: "If the heavens above could be measured, and the foundations of the earth below could be fathomed, only then would I reject all the offspring of Israel for all that they have done," declares YHWH.

In Jeremiah chapter 31 HaShem confirms that Israel will continue to exist before Him, and will not cease to exist. He will therefore surely gather existing Israelites from wherever they are scattered and place them back in their own land and then enter into Covenant with them. The new Covenant which HaShem will enter into with them is different from the one previously entered into, which they broke, in one fundamental respect. As part of this new Covenant HaShem will indeed put his Law in the hearts of the children of Israel. This is what was absent in the Covenant that the children of Israel broke, for HaShem's Law wasn't written in their hearts. And this prophesied action in the new Covenant is what Moses prophesied about in Deuteronomy 30:6, that HaShem was to circumcise the hearts of the children of Israel after their restoration in their own land, thereby facilitating their keeping HaShem's Laws and honouring their Covenants with HaShem.

In other words, in the Covenant that the children of Israel broke, their hearts were not circumcised. HaShem's Law therefore wasn't written in their hearts, and they did not abide by HaShem's Words or keep his Commandments and Law. But in the new Covenant HaShem will indeed circumcise the hearts of the children of Israel, writing his Law in their hearts, thereby facilitating their abiding by his Word, his Law and his Commandments.

In this Word of HaShem he nowhere suggests that his Law will cease to have Authority over the children of Israel, as argued by Paul. It will continue to exist and they will now have power to keep it. Again, Paul's words are seen to be entirely contrary to HaShem's Words.