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Buy now Study Guide Chapter 2 Chapter 2 Sha’ul's looks back at the Circumcision controversy Rav Sha’ul’s Commentary: The way this Chapter is translated in our English Bibles makes it read as through Sha’ul is teaching against circumcision. When in fact, that is not what is being said at all. When properly rendered, Sha’ul is contending for physical circumcision, not as a requirement of Salvation, but, as motivated by the Spirit AFTER our hearts are Circumcised. And then that decision to be physically circumcised is a personal decision between the new believer and Yahuah alone. Sha’ul was constantly having to defend himself against Pharisees who were bearing false witness against him saying that he taught against circumcision. We also see gross mistranslation in verse 1 in English, implying Sha’ul never stepped foot in Jerusalem for 14 years and abandoned the Feasts of Yahuah. When properly rendered from Greek to English, we learn this is not the case. He actually went up to the Feasts every year as Commanded in Torah. He even took his Greek convert with him, Titus, to teach Titus to keep The Feasts of Yahuah! He would teach these Feasts to all the assemblies he established as I will show in the study guides for his other letters.   Colossians 2 16 Therefore do not let anyone (the pagans in Colossae all around you) judge you by what you eat or drink (as you keep the Dietary Laws for good health), or with regard to (your keeping) the Festivals of Yahuah, a New Moon celebration (as you keep Yahuah’s lunar calendar not the pagan solar calendar) or a Sabbath day (as you rest on The Sabbath and not on Dias Solis the pagan day of worship). 17 (You do) These (things as they) are a shadow (cast by Spiritual Truth) of the (good) things that were to come; the reality (in Spirit), however, is found in The Yahushaic Covenant (they teach us through physical to Spiritual rehearsals of the work of Salvation).  We see that Sha’ul was a devout Nazarene following The Way set by Yahusha, and continued as a Pharisee to Obey The Law and the Prophets of Yahuah: Acts 24:14 – Paul declaring his belief in The Law and Prophets “But this I admit to you: I worship the God of our fathers in accordance with the Way (which they call a sect). I continue to believe everything that accords with the Torah and everything written in the Prophets.”   Acts 28:17 – Paul declaring he is a Torah Observant Jew Brothers, (speaking to the local Jewish leaders) although I have done nothing against either our people or the traditions of our fathers (The Torah and Prophets)…   Acts 20:16 – Paul going out of his way to celebrate the giving of The Torah For Sha’ul had decided to bypass Ephesus on his voyage, in order to avoid losing time in the province of Asia, because he was hurrying to get to Jerusalem, if possible in time to celebrate Shav’uot. (Celebrate WHAT? Paul went out of his way to celebrate Shav’uot which is THE CELEBRATION OF THE GIVING OF THE TORAH!)   We see above, Sha’ul actually went out of his way to celebrate Shav’uot which is the celebration of the giving of The Law! It is this context of Sha’ul that we must understand his teachings. This is the “Sha’ul” that the Christian Church has twisted into the Roman “Paul” and ignored the overwhelming evidence that he was a Nazarene. In fact, the leader of the Nazarenes! Galatians 2:1-5 ‘Intent’ trumps the Letter of the Law 1 Then, during (Greek word ‘dia’. Traditionally translated ‘after’. Thayer's Greek Lexicon, Page 132, shows this word is correctly translated ‘during’) fourteen years, I repeatedly (Greek palin. Traditionally translated ‘again’. Thayer's Greek Lexicon, Page 475, shows this word is correctly translated ‘repeatedly’ ) went up to Yerusalem to keep the Feasts (Greek ‘anabaino’. Traditionally translated ‘went up’. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament by Gingrich and Danker, Page 50, shows this word is correctly translated ‘went up to the Feasts’) with Barnabas, and also took Titus with me. 2 And I went up by revelation; facts and truths were uncovered and unveiled, and I put before them that message (to keep the Law with a loving Intent) which I preach among the Gentiles. However, I presented the matter (of physical circumcision of the Lost Sheep coming out of the nations) privately to those of repute, to make sure the course I was running, or had already run (to circumcise their hearts, foremost, through The Law), would be allowed. 3 Yet, did not (Greek ‘oude’. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament by Gingrich and Danker, Page 590, shows this word means not, but indicates that the sentence in which it is placed is a question) even Titus who was with me, although he is a Greek, feel compelled to be was circumcised? Circumcision Controversy: Acts Chapter 15. b. Greek ‘enagkasthe’. Traditionally translated was compelled. The Greek-English Lexicon (1948) by Liddell and Scott, Page 100, shows this word is correctly translated ‘to contend that a thing is necessary’ or ‘feel compelled to be’). Sha’ul is saying here that Titus WAS compelled, having a heart for The Law, to be physically circumcised. Sha’ul was making the point that Yahuah had written The Law on Titus’s heart (Circumcising it) and Titus was saved through Faith, not circumcision. But having a Loving heart for The Law, Titus then felt compelled by his conscience to be physically circumcised. Demonstrating that Titus’s desire to be Circumcised came from a Loving heart, not out of fear or obligation! BUT Titus was not yet circumcised, so false brothers intervened and apposed Titus and began to claim Titus was not saved. This is what we see going on in the Book of Acts that launched a heated debate among the Disciples: Acts 15:1 And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, [and said], Except you be circumcised after the manner of Moses, you cannot be saved. This is what Sha’ul is talking about below: 4 In (our) opposition to (the Pharisees) intervention (Greek ‘de’. Thayer's Greek Lexicon, Page 125, shows this word means and denotes ‘one person being or acting in opposition to another’… Greek ‘dia’. Traditionally translated ‘because of’. Thayer's Greek Lexicon, Page 133, shows this word is correctly translated ‘intervention of anyone’) by false brothers (who claimed Titus was not saved because he had yet to be circumcised), who secretly smuggled in to spy on our Liberty, (Sha’ul explains in Romans Chapter 14, that Spiritual Intent sometime appears as breaking the Law in the eyes of the less mature, example Yahusha and his disciples picking food on The Sabbath. So these false brothers saw Sha’ul teaching Circumcision of heart as to not put a stumbling block in the way of the Gentiles, Acts 15:19), which we have in The Yahushaic Covenant (Yahusha transposed the “letter of the Law” to ‘intent’, Yahuah now extends Liberty to the Spiritually mature, and physical circumcision was a shadow of true Circumcision of heart, so Sha’ul rightfully was teaching Spiritual Circumcision and then letting the Ruach convict them as to being circumcised in the flesh which is what happened to Titus), so that they might bring us back into bondage (to the ritualistic obedience to the letter. Teaching circumcision is Salvation, not Faith. Then trying to get the Gentiles to obey out of fear of DEATH, without love, Hebrews 2:14-15). Hebrews 2:14-15 14 Since the children (of Yahuah) have flesh and blood (came in the flesh), he too shared in their humanity (came in the flesh) so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. 5 To whom (the hypocritical Pharisees) we did not yield in submission even for a moment, in order that the truth of the message (that in The Yahushaic Covenant Obedience to the Law is defined by “intent” not “the letter”) might remain the same with you (Sha’ul was not backing down to those who bear false witness against him and his message). Galatians 2:6-10 Called Out Ones' Acceptance of Gentiles 6 Now from those who seemed to be in authority (whoever they were, it made no difference to me; Yahuah is no respecter of the person of any man), in conference they did not lay anything additional to me (the Disciples did not require the Gentiles to be physically circumcised to obtain Salvation); 7 But on the contrary, they then realized that the message to the uncircumcised (Gentiles) was committed to me, just as the message to the circumcised (Yahdiam) was committed to Kepha 8 For He Who was at work in Kepha to the ministry of the circumcision; Yahdaim, was also at work in me to the Gentiles. 9 And understanding the blessing given to me, Yaaqob, Kepha, and Yahchanan, who seemed to be the pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship; in order that we should go to the Gentiles, but they to the circumcision (Yahdaim). 10 Only they stipulated that we should remember the poor, the same which I also was eager to do. Galatians 2:11-17 The Believers Must Be Examples for Converts 11 However, when Kepha came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face because he was in the wrong (acting hypocritical). 12 For before certain men came to Yaaqob, he would eat with the Gentile converts (this is why they were accused of eating meat sacrificed to idols. To reach out to the Lost Sheep scattered among the Gentiles, they were invited into pagan homes for dinner. The meal would be prepared in that home in honor of (prayed over) their pagan god. Sha’ul was wise, and given “Liberty” by Yahuah to have dinner with them, because Sha’ul did not pray over that meat and dedicate it to an idol, it was just ‘meat’ to him, and eating it did not offend his conscience. See 1 Corinthians 8 and 9.); but when they (the Yahdiam) came, he drew back and separated himself (from the Gentiles), being afraid of those of the circumcision (Yahdiam). 13 And the other called out Yahdaim, also behaved like hypocrites in the same way; with the result that Barnabas was also carried away with their hypocrisy. 14 But when I saw that they did not walk uprightly according to the truth of the message (that they had Liberty in The Yahushaic Covenant and could eat with Gentiles), I said to Kepha in front of all of them: If you, a Yahdai, start to live after the manner of the Gentiles and not after the manner of the Yahdaim, how can you compel the Gentiles to live as do the Yahdaim (practice what you preach)? 15 We who are Yahdaim by nature, and not sinners among the Gentiles (we should be setting the example, not acting like hypocrites. Whatever you want to believe about Sha’ul, he walked his talk and stood his ground with the Jews of his day. Much like Yahusha, who gathered food on the Sabbath because he obeyed at the level of INTENT not the Letter), 16 Know that a man is not justified from among the works of the Law alone; if there is no Faith through Yahusha Messiah (Faith establishes The Law, Romans 3:31)! Romans 3:31 Do we then nullify the Law through Faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law. For we in The Yahushaic Covenant have this trust: That we will be justified through the Faith in Yahusha, and not through only works of the Law, because through only works of the Law, all flesh will not be justified (Faith without works of the Law, or works of the Law without Faith… are dead, James 2:14-26). James 2:14-26 – Faith establishes The Law 14 What does it profit, my brothers, if a man says he has Faith (Word #4102, Greek Dictionary, Strong's Exhaustive Concordance, “meaning of religious truth -- the system of religious truth itself”) but does not have works of the Law? The Faith is not able to save him. 15 If a brother or sister is naked, and destitute of daily food, 16 And one of you says to them: Depart in peace, be warmed and filled; but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body; what does it profit? 17 In the same way, the Faith, if it does not have works, is dead, being alone. 18 Yes, a man may say: You have Faith, and I have works. Show me your Faith without your works, and I will show you my Faith by my works! 19 You believe that there is done Father? You do well; the demons (elohim) also believe, and tremble. 20 But are you willing to know, O vain man, that the Faith without works is dead? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? 22 Do you see that the Faith worked together with his works, and by works the faith makes perfect? 23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says: 4 Abraham was Faithful in all The House of Yahuah, and it was accounted to him for Righteousness; and he was called the friend of Yahuah. 24 You see then that a man is also justified by works, and not by the Faith alone. 25 In the same way also, was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had welcomed the messengers, and sent them out another way? 26 For just as the body without the Spirit is dead, so the Faith without works is dead also. 17 But if, while we seek to be justified in (Covenant with The) Messiah, we ourselves are discovered (The Law reveals sin, that is why we keep it) to be sinners (A Sinner is one who breaks The Law of Yahuah, I John 3: 4) does that mean that Messiah promotes sin (because we still keep The Law)? By no means (we are made whole in keeping The Law by our Faith in The Yahushaic Covenant, Titus 2:14, Hebrews 1:9, Hebrews 8:12, Romans 8:1-8)! Galatians 2:18-21 The Faith Through Yahusha Messiah-- With Works of Yahuah's Law 18 For if with the things I have destroyed, with these things I again build The House of Yahuah, I have placed myself with the transgressors. 19 For through (the Promise of the Passover Lamb in) the Law, I avoided the death penalty of The Law (being in Covenant with Yahusha, the certificate of debt consisting of Death Decrees has been paid, Colossians 2:14), Colossians 2:14 - New American Standard Bible having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of (Death) Decrees against us (in The Law), which was hostile to us (demanded out death for disobedience); and He has taken it (the certificate of debt, not The Law) out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. in order that I might live (a new life) for Yahuah (after following The Way of Mikveh, Circumcision, and Offering Romans 10:22). Hebrews 10:22 Let us draw near to (the Altar of) Yahuah (properly presenting ourselves) with a sincere heart (true Circumcision) and with the full assurance that Faith (in the example set by Yahusha) brings (… that we can offer our own lives as living sacrifices because Yahusha has torn the veil in two, giving us access to the Mercy Seat of Yahuah), having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience (the Spiritual equivalent of the Red Heifer) and having our bodies washed with pure (living) water (Mikveh). 20 Like Messiah (who set the example of Mikveh, Circumcision, and Offering on Passover), I have been sacrificed (too as a Passover Lamb); Romans 12:1 1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of Yahuah’s Mercy (who accepted His First Born Son Yahusha as a sacrifice on Passover, which tore the veil open to the Mercy Seat), to offer your (own) bodies (not just Yahusha, we too, must follow in his footsteps) as a living sacrifice (living sacrificial lamb on the Altar of Yahuah each Passover as Commanded), Holy (set apart and prepared through Mikveh) and pleasing to Yahuah (as Passover Lambs without spot or blemish, 2 Peter 3:14)—this is your true and proper Worship (on Passover as Commanded by Yahuah that each man should bring his own Passover Lamb to the Altar, Exodus 12:3). and it is no longer I who lives, but Messiah lives in (Covenant with) me (we are one through Marriage, John 17:19-21). John 17:19-25 19“For their sakes I sanctify Myself (through your Word), that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth. 20 “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in me through their word (enter into The Yahushaic Covenant); 21 that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in (Covenant with) me and I in (Covenant with) You, that they also may be in (Covenant with) Us, so that the world may believe that You sent me. 22 “The Glory which You have given me I have given to them, that they may be one (family), just as We are one (family i.e. Father/son); 23 I in (Covenant with) them and You in (Covenant with) me, that they may be perfected in unity. And what I now live in the flesh (in Obedience to The Law), I live by the Faith in (Covenant with) the Son of Yahuah, Who loved me and gave Himself for me (as The Passover Lamb, demonstrating the ‘greatest Love’ by dying for his brothers to show them The Way, John 15:13 and John 13:15). John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends.   John 13:15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 21 I do not reject the merciful pardon of Yahuah (by abolishing His Law, where all His Promises are made); though no doubt through (Obedience to) The Law comes Righteousness (Romans 2:13) Romans 2 12 For as many as have sinned without The Law, will also perish without The Law, and as many as have sinned in The Law, will be judged by The Law-- 13 For not the hearers of The Law are the Righteous in the sight of Yahuah, but the doers of The Law are the Righteous. 14 Indeed, when Gentiles who do not have The Law, do by nature things required by The Law, they are a Law for themselves (demonstrating that Yahuah has written The Law on their hearts as Promised, Jeremiah 31), even though they do not have The (written) Law; 15 Since they show that the requirements of The Law are written in their hearts, their conscience also bears witness, and their thoughts now accuse or else try to defend them-- truly Messiah was sacrificed to reconcile all men to Yahuah (Hebrew root chan. Traditionally translated in ‘vain’. The Analytical Hebrew and Chaldee Lexicon by Benjamin Davidson, Page 267, shows this word is correctly translated ‘to reconcile all men to Yahuah’). Rav Sha’ul’s Commentary: In Colossians 2, Sha’ul explains what he means by “through the Law, I have avoided the death penalty” in verse 19 above. We see in Colossians 2 below, after Sha’ul issues the stern warning not to let the Greeks lead them astray by twisting his words (which is what happened with all his writing as I am demonstrating in this study guide), Sha’ul goes on to describe, in great detail, the work of Yahusha as Passover Lamb to cover the Decrees in The Law (that are against all of us for transgressing it). Then Sha’ul goes on to encourages the assembly in Colossae to keep The Law and not to let anyone “judge them” for doing so.   Colossians 2 – I have avoided the death penalty in the Law 8 See to it that no one (Greek Christian) takes you captive through philosophy (pagan ‘Logos’ for example) and empty deception (sound bite implied doctrine), according to the (pagan) tradition of men, according to the elementary principles (false spirits i.e. The Spirit of Error) of the world, rather than according to The Yahushaic Covenant. 9 For in Yahusha all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form (he was full of the Holy Spirit of Yahuah), 10 and in The Yahushaic Covenant you too have been made complete (in fullness of Deity, Ephesians 3:19), and Yahusha is the head over all rule and authority (as the First Born Son of Yahuah through inheritance); 11 and in The Yahushaic Covenant you were also Circumcised (in your heart) with a Circumcision made without hands (Sha’ul is teaching the transposition of The Law into the Spirit), in the removal of the body of the flesh by the Circumcision of the same Spirit of Holiness (Righteous keeping of The Law) that is in The Yahushaic Covenant; 12 having been buried with Yahusha in Mikveh, in which you were also raised up with Yahusha through Faith in the working of Yahuah, who raised Yahusha from the dead (Sha’ul is saying we have been given as a guarantee of future resurrection, the Spirit of Holiness, which is the Power of Yahuah that raised Yahusha). 13 When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh (he is speaking to former pagans in Colossae), Yahuah made you alive together with Yahusha, (and Yahuah) having forgiven us all our transgressions (through Mikveh), 14 (and Yahuah) having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of (His judicial) Decrees against us (found in The Law), which was hostile to us (because we transgressed His Commands and Ordinances); and Yahuah has taken the Decrees in The Law out of the way, having nailed those Death Decrees to the stake (through the blood of The Passover Lamb, Yahusha, the Righteous requirements of The Law are fulfilled in us, Romans 8:4). 15 When Yahusha had disarmed the rulers and authorities (by dying innocent), Yahusha made a public display of them (defeating The Law of Sin and Death), having triumphed over them through (the Power of) Yahuah (who raised Yahusha from the grave).   16 Therefore no pagan Christian (that you live among in Colossae) is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink (as you keep the Dietary Laws as I taught you) or in respect to a Festival (of Yahuah as you keep His Ordained Times) or a new months (as you keep Yahuah Calendar and celebrate the turn of the seasons) or a Sabbath day (as you set yourself apart from the pagan day of the sunday and keep Yahuah’s Sabbath Holy) — 17 (physical) Things which are a shadow (cast by true Spiritual Reality) (that teach us through physical to Spiritual parallels) of what is to come (in the future Kingdom of Yahuah); but the substance (meaning) belongs to Yahusha (as he is the Messiah these rehearsals and Festivals point to). 18 Let no one (pagan Christians in Colossae) keep defrauding you of your prize (Eternal Life, the Promise for Obedience in The Torah) by delighting in self-abasement (wallowing in insignificance) and the worship of the (fallen) angels (dating back to Babylon), taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind (the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward The Law of Yahuah and cannot please Yahuah ), 19 and not holding fast to the head (example set by Yahusha in keep The Law of Yahuah), from whom the entire body (follows the head by example in keeping The Law of Yahuah), being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments (The Law of Yahuah which is the light unto our path to Yahuah), grows with a growth which is from Yahuah (because He has written His Law on our hearts and given us the Spirit of Holiness that teaches us to Lovingly Obey His Law, Ezekiel 36:25-26).   20 If you have died in The Yahushaic Covenant to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to human commands, such as, 21 “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!” 22 (which all refer to things destined to perish with use) — in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men (the 6,200 page Talmud, Yahuah’s Law is not ‘teachings of men’)? 23 These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom (these teachings come from Jewish Rabbis) in self-made religion (these aren’t commandments of Yahuah) and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence. “Context” is a wonderful thing, it will keep us out of idolatry, it will keep us from false doctrine, and it puts the entire Word of Yahuah into agreement; even the writings of the Apostle Sha’ul.

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