Galatians

[Brother Adam]

Hi all. I'm reading through the NT a book at a time. While reading Galatians I noticed that everytime Paul mentions faith he mentions we are justified [b]by[/b] faith instead of [b]through[/b] faith and by grace, which he talks about in Romans.

See: 3:2, 3:8, 3:24, and 5:5

Also, what's up with 4:10? Why is he condemning these observations? Don't Catholics do this?

[frozencell]

Dear Bro,

3:2 - This is in reference to how you can do all the greatest things in the world and still not get to heaven. Humanists are a great example of this. We must ALSO believe in Christ.

3:8 - Same context as above.

3:24 - I think this whole section has to be read in context. This is only talking about before and after Christ's coming. Before his death, people weren't cleansed by His blood, so they were redeemed by the law that God had set up.

5:5 - Same thing as the first one.

All these verses are talking about the law before Christ's death and resurrection. They are all simply stating that doing good stuff, even in abundance, isn't going to get you anywhere without Christ, too.

[frozencell]

[quote name='Brother Adam' date='Mar 9 2004, 12:29 PM'] Also, what's up with 4:10? Why is he condemning these observations? Don't Catholics do this? [/quote]
everyone does this, not just Catholics. I don't think it's prudent or fair to just zoom in on Catholics.

Also, he's talking about "elemental forces". This brings to mind rain dances and fire dances, etc. I think that this maybe what he's talking about, not the traditional observations of the Catholic Church, or any other Christian church for that matter.

[Brother Adam]

I would venture to guess he is more talking about Jewish celebrations. (firstfruits, passover, feast days)

[frozencell]

[quote name='Brother Adam' date='Mar 9 2004, 01:24 PM'] I would venture to guess he is more talking about Jewish celebrations. (firstfruits, passover, feast days) [/quote]
So be it. But I think we should still observe the Passover, don't you?

[Theoketos]

Think more circumcision of the Hearst verses circumcision in the physical sense. Also consider the Hindu prayer will verses the Catholic Rosary. One is mindless babble the other is mediation with a focus on the interior.

N.T. Wright makes a good point on this subject in his book, “What St. Paul Rely said.”

[Lil Red]

in my Bible for 4:10 it says: This is likely a reference to ritual observances from the OT, promoted by opponents: sabbaths or Yom Kippur, new moon, Passover or Pentecost, sabbatical years.

[the lumberjack]

so by this you're saying that Paul was writing to part of the early church that was made up of Jews and gentiles?

[cmotherofpirl]

Each letter of Paul was written to a different community with different problems.
A good writer explains the same teaching to different people in different ways.
Thats why comparing one letter of Pauls to another can be difficult. Sometimes he uses words differently depending on his audience. Do you use every word the same way with the exactly same meaning over a period of years? Does the word faith mean the same to you today that it meant 10 years ago? Do you give it the exact same definition every time you use it?

Edited March 10, 2004 by cmotherofpirl

[Theoketos]

The biggest deal with external works was circumcission. Jews who converted insisted that Christians in the the early Church should be Jewish first. The biggest sign of this is circumcission. St. Paul, over and over, had to prove that one could get into heaven with or with out a foreskin. What it really takes is Faith.

If you have faith you will believe. If you Believe you will be Baptized. IF you hold true to your Baptism then you are assured of Heaven.