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From: "Daniel Rendelman" <danielr@innova.net>
To: <heb_roots_chr@hebroots.org>
Subject: The Key To Galatians by Dani'el Rendelman

Keys To the Kingdom Series
#1 The Key To Galatians

by Dani'el Rendelman ~ danielr@innova.net

Keys are extraordinary tools. Though they may look similar and may even go to the same lock, each key is uniquely designed to perform a certain task. Whether its unlocking the front door to your house, starting the ignition of your car, or opening a filing cabinet full of important papers, keys can get you places. Have the right key at the right time and the doors of opportunity can swing open before you. But, forget or loose your keys and find yourself locked out without much hope.

Such is the Kingdom of Heaven. For Yahshua (Hebrew name of the Messiah) said in Matthew 16:19, "And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven."

When we have the Kingdom's keys, doors are opened and our life is blessed. But, when we loose the Kingdom's keys or fail to you use the right key, we are locked out of the abundant life. This is the first in a series of writings that will unlock insight into how believers may return to walk in the faith of the early apostles.

Today you are being handed a key to understanding the book of Galatians.

This key is very basic, yet extraordinarily profound. It will aid you in correctly interpreting this often quoted and often-misunderstood writing by the Apostle Paul (Hebrew is Rav Shaul). Together we will go back in time to visit the people of Galatia and recognize why this letter was written and what it means today.

Time Travel

First, picture yourself as a member of this young congregation in Turkey. Rav Shaul has brought the salvation message to your group. Lately a band of teachers have come in suggesting that to be born again a person must be circumcised as an outer sign of conversion to Judaism. Then one day, a letter in Shaul's own handwriting is delivered. In this correspondence Rav Shaul is encouraging you to deal with these false teachers and not allow your life to be controlled by an obedience of the Law for salvation.

Back to the future

Now, fast-forward to today. Pick up your Bible and read the book of Galatians with the knowledge that Rav Shaul's main subject was salvation. In fact, you might even like to insert the words "for salvation" every time you read "the Law." Go ahead, try this and you'll see that a huge contrast is given between how the letter was originally intended and how it is taken to mean today.

In most Christian circles Galatians is quoted and taught to suggest that believers should not keep the Torah (Hebrew word for "instruction," often translated as "Law" in English Bibles). Pastors preach that the Law has passed away and that people of faith are not accountable for following the Old Testament because they are "not under Law but under grace." According to many teachers it would be better to burn the books of Moses than to fall into the routine of following them.

The Truth Be Told

Friends, this is not the message of the book of Galatians or for that matter any other book in the Bible. On the contrary, Rav Shaul is instructing with this Epistle, and others, that the Law is to be kept as a way of living in redemption. The main topic of Galatians is that salvation does not come by following the Law and that believers should be cautious of ministries that teach that it does. According to the King James Study Bible, "the central theme of this letter is justification by grace through faith."

Rav Shaul uses Galatians chapters 1 and 2 to defend the good news. Chapters 3 and 4 are written to define the good news and in chapters 5 and 6 Shaul shows followers how to display the Gospel. Paul begins the letter detailing his own conversion through the power and message of the Moshiach (Hebrew for Messiah).

Apparently, these false teachers brought a different message than Rav Shaul so he wanted to write and expose their impure motives (6:12 & 13). These false teachers espoused the doctrine that one must be circumcised and follow the Torah to be born again. But, Shaul told the Messianic Community "do not frustrate the grace of Elohim: for if righteousness comes by the law, then Messiah is dead in vain." The Law/Torah is not to be followed for salvation through performance. Follow the Torah for sanctification yes, but for salvation no.

Though salvation is not earned by our earnest following of Yahweh's commandments the Torah is still to be obeyed. Yahshua said in Matthew 5:17 &18 "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no way pass from the law." Romans says the Torah is "holy, righteous, and good."

And Isaiah 40:8 says, "The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the Torah of our Elohim shall stand forever."

The Torah was given by Yahweh as a way of life. Even in Galatians we are called to follow it in this manner. Galatians 5:13 & 14, "For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love to serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." Here love is esteemed as the way to follow the Torah.

Galatians 6:2 goes even farther to prove this point, "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." By walking in love, through bearing the burdens of our neighbor we are walking out Torah. For it is in the Torah, in Leviticus 18:18,"thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself" is first found.

The freedom spoken of throughout the book of Galatians is in reference to the freedom mankind has been given to walk out the Torah without the bondage of man's traditions and the fear of evading ones eternity. "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 hangeth on a tree," Galatians 3:13. This verse shows that Yahshua freed us from the curse quoted in Galatians 3:10, "For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them." The curse that Yahshua took upon Himself enables believers to walk out the commands of the whole Bible without the fear of being cursed for not fulfilling the instructions completely. Through His life and sacrifice He did not bring the Torah to an end, rather He modeled how we as followers should live the Torah.

Abide in Him

In conclusion, the key to understanding the book of Galatians rests in the knowledge of the letter's purpose. The purpose of this epistle was to show that justification or right standing in Yahweh's eyes comes through faith and not through perverting the Torah into legalism. Galatians 3:11, "But no man is justified by the law in the sight of Yahweh, it is evident: for, the just shall live by faith." Though understanding our heritage as Isra'el is of the utmost importance, we do not have to connect ourselves to the Jewish people by circumcision to be saved (I Corinthians 7 and Acts 15 speak vividly on this subject). Keep in mind that Rav Shaul had Timothy circumcised. This was done not to ensure salvation but to obey the commands found in the Torah and to silence those who taught that believers had no obligation to keep Torah (Acts 16:1-3).

"Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called," 1 Corinthians 7:19-20. The important aspect to this verse is knowing the calling or heritage that you were called in. As an Israelite you have a deep heritage and culture to explore and experience. In I Corinthians 7:24 Rav Shaul says you must "abide with Yahweh." This is done through following His Torah; celebrating His feasts, keeping His Shabbat, and walking in His Spirit.

The Next Time

The next time you read Galatians, remember that Rav Shaul was writing to the believers for the purpose of exposing a false gospel - one that required keeping the Torah for salvation. The Torah is given to point to the only way of salvation - Yahshua the Messiah. It explains how a believer lives, how a believer should act, walk, dress, eat, pray, worship, and talk.

The Torah or "Law" should be the way of life for every person that accepts the Messiah.

This is because He kept the Torah completely and if we are to follow Him then we should follow the Torah. Walking in the Torah produces love not legalism, it brings joy not bondage, and it produces the fruit of the Spirit not the fruit of the flesh. Galatians 5:22-23, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law."

Torah is the playbook our team should compete by, the rulebook our lives should be governed by, and the cookbook that explains how our lives should mix truth and grace with mercy and justice. "And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of Elohim," Galatians 5:16.

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