You kind of get the feeling...Paul has had enough about hearing about following Jewish law...after receiving Christ...
Gleanings from Galatians 2:11-21
"Now I had a "situation" develop, it happened in Antioch and my good friend Peter happened to be there. Peter had done something I felt was so wrong...I just had to confront him and all those involved with such behavior.
Here is what happened. Peter, when he first got to Antioch, was really "cool". He was sharing and eating with all the brothers from Antioch..who happened to be all Gentiles.
Then, here comes some more brothers who were friends of James, they were Christians as well and were of Jewish origin.
Peter, when he saw the brothers of Jewish origin arrive, he ate with them and would not eat with the brothers of Antioch who were Gentile. The reason Peter did this was he did not want to be criticized from all of James Jewish friends on the necessity of circumcision. All the Gentile Christians were not circumcised...and so this "snubbing" became very apparent....even Barnabas got in the act!
Well, when I witnessed all this, I just couldn't hold back any longer, so I spoke up!(imagine that right?) " May I ask all the Jewish brethren a question? If all of you are Jewish by birth, but have discarded the Jewish laws and now live quite similar a lifestyle like your brothers who are Gentile, then why are you trying to force them to follow a Jewish tradition?"
I went on...just "warmin' up' if you know what I mean; "Although we who are Jewish by birth and not of any Gentile origin, what gain do we have in knowing God that a Gentile does not? Haven't we both come short of knowing and trying to please God?
The only way either of us, whether we be Jew or Gentile are to know this great God is by accepting into each of our hearts the Lord Jesus Christ....with only one stipulation!...to receive Him by faith!
So, the result of all this is: it really doesn't matter what our origin might be, what really does matter is all of us are able to have a restored relationship with God Himself through Christ Jesus who is our only bridge and mediator able to cause the restoration to happen.
Following Jewish law is "old school"...and it fell way short of enabling any of the Jewish brethren to have a relationship with the One True God; until it was announced to you there was a way to find a place in God's heart...that being through His Beloved Son, our Lord and Savior...Jesus Christ! For let this be made clear to all men: no one will ever be made right with God by obeying any set of Laws, no matter how noble they may appear...and this includes Jewish law!
Look at it this way: suppose we all have been reconciled to God through our Lord Jesus...but then God "back doors" us by saying..."Hey!...You guys abandoned My Law...Depart from Me!"
Tell me, what would all this then mean? You mean to say Christ Jesus got us to where we needed to be, only to discover we are still short of gaining access to the Father? That is crazy! There is no way that is the Message we are to preach!
Tell me. why would I, a sinner saved by the Blood of Christ Jesus, now try and build a set of Laws to follow when I have already tore down a set of Laws by accepting Christ into my heart? If I failed in the past "trying to be good" by doing my best following the Law, then why would I want to go back to the Law when through Jesus Christ we are all free men...and free to know and serve God.
All the Law ever did in my life was condemn me...and compound my frustration in life because I continually failed in trying to keep the law.
In fact, isn't that the very reason we all gave our hearts and lives to the Lord Jesus...surrendering a life trying to follow a set of laws that failed to give us entrance into God's own heart?
My friends, may I say to you today it is no longer I who live, trying to master my own way to God's heart and depending on my virtues to be acceptable to God...rather, it is Christ who lives inside me!
The life that I live today I live by a simple trust in God's Only Son, who gave His life for me!...and for all of you! We no longer have to depend on ourselves to muster up some human righteousness, having a religious form in what we did, in order to try and impress God.
Instead, Christ Jesus lives in me and He is my sole source of strength and life. I depend on Him for my relationship with God and for all things in my life.
Here then is my final thought: If keeping ANY part of the Law could make us right with God, then why did Jesus, God's Only Son, come and die a horrible death at the Cross for each one of us?"
Gleanings from Galatians 2:11-21
"Now I had a "situation" develop, it happened in Antioch and my good friend Peter happened to be there. Peter had done something I felt was so wrong...I just had to confront him and all those involved with such behavior.
Here is what happened. Peter, when he first got to Antioch, was really "cool". He was sharing and eating with all the brothers from Antioch..who happened to be all Gentiles.
Then, here comes some more brothers who were friends of James, they were Christians as well and were of Jewish origin.
Peter, when he saw the brothers of Jewish origin arrive, he ate with them and would not eat with the brothers of Antioch who were Gentile. The reason Peter did this was he did not want to be criticized from all of James Jewish friends on the necessity of circumcision. All the Gentile Christians were not circumcised...and so this "snubbing" became very apparent....even Barnabas got in the act!
Well, when I witnessed all this, I just couldn't hold back any longer, so I spoke up!(imagine that right?) " May I ask all the Jewish brethren a question? If all of you are Jewish by birth, but have discarded the Jewish laws and now live quite similar a lifestyle like your brothers who are Gentile, then why are you trying to force them to follow a Jewish tradition?"
I went on...just "warmin' up' if you know what I mean; "Although we who are Jewish by birth and not of any Gentile origin, what gain do we have in knowing God that a Gentile does not? Haven't we both come short of knowing and trying to please God?
The only way either of us, whether we be Jew or Gentile are to know this great God is by accepting into each of our hearts the Lord Jesus Christ....with only one stipulation!...to receive Him by faith!
So, the result of all this is: it really doesn't matter what our origin might be, what really does matter is all of us are able to have a restored relationship with God Himself through Christ Jesus who is our only bridge and mediator able to cause the restoration to happen.
Following Jewish law is "old school"...and it fell way short of enabling any of the Jewish brethren to have a relationship with the One True God; until it was announced to you there was a way to find a place in God's heart...that being through His Beloved Son, our Lord and Savior...Jesus Christ! For let this be made clear to all men: no one will ever be made right with God by obeying any set of Laws, no matter how noble they may appear...and this includes Jewish law!
Look at it this way: suppose we all have been reconciled to God through our Lord Jesus...but then God "back doors" us by saying..."Hey!...You guys abandoned My Law...Depart from Me!"
Tell me, what would all this then mean? You mean to say Christ Jesus got us to where we needed to be, only to discover we are still short of gaining access to the Father? That is crazy! There is no way that is the Message we are to preach!
Tell me. why would I, a sinner saved by the Blood of Christ Jesus, now try and build a set of Laws to follow when I have already tore down a set of Laws by accepting Christ into my heart? If I failed in the past "trying to be good" by doing my best following the Law, then why would I want to go back to the Law when through Jesus Christ we are all free men...and free to know and serve God.
All the Law ever did in my life was condemn me...and compound my frustration in life because I continually failed in trying to keep the law.
In fact, isn't that the very reason we all gave our hearts and lives to the Lord Jesus...surrendering a life trying to follow a set of laws that failed to give us entrance into God's own heart?
My friends, may I say to you today it is no longer I who live, trying to master my own way to God's heart and depending on my virtues to be acceptable to God...rather, it is Christ who lives inside me!
The life that I live today I live by a simple trust in God's Only Son, who gave His life for me!...and for all of you! We no longer have to depend on ourselves to muster up some human righteousness, having a religious form in what we did, in order to try and impress God.
Instead, Christ Jesus lives in me and He is my sole source of strength and life. I depend on Him for my relationship with God and for all things in my life.
Here then is my final thought: If keeping ANY part of the Law could make us right with God, then why did Jesus, God's Only Son, come and die a horrible death at the Cross for each one of us?"
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