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-----Original Message----- Shalom friends, The actual canon of the New Testament was not decided until the fifth century. As I have state before, the New Testament text was extensively revised between the second and fifth centuries of the common era to conform with church doctrine (based largely on Greek dualism and Platonism). When we discard some of the obvious additions to the text some amazing things appear. Galatians 5:2-4a Look here, I Paul say to you: If you are circumcised, Messiah is of no benefit to you. I testify again to every man that is circumcised, he is required to do the whole law. Messiah does not affect you who are justified by the law. [Note: There are many short comments in Paul's writings that were added by the church to try to clarify Paul's apparently confusing message. This is why Paul appears to contradict himself in many places. It is obvious that the phrase "you have fallen from grace" at the end of verse four is a later scribal addition because it makes absolutely no sense once you understand what Paul is saying here.] The above passage in Galatians is supported by the following passage in Romans. Romans 2:12-13 All those who have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and all those who have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law. For it is not the hearers of the law who just before God, but it is the doers of the law who shall be justified. Paul clearly states that justification (which is to say "righteousness") is a result of DOING the law -- and that those who are doing the law do not need to be saved. Indeed, they are saved already because salvation is salvation from sin; and "...sin is the transgression of the Torah" [1 John 3:4]. Once you are observing the Torah you are no longer a sinner. In the first century the term "sinner" referred only to Hellenized Jews (those who had forsaken the Torah for Greek philosophy). The term "sinner" does not refer to gentiles who do not keep the Torah, but only to Israelites and Jews who do not keep the Torah. Paul is saying that it is not the Jews (the circumcised) who need Messiah (Messiah does not affect you who are justified by the law [Gal 2:5a] ), but rather it is the (uncircumcised) lost of Israel who need Messiah ben Joseph. Remember Rabbi Joshua ben Joseph's own words, "I have been sent only to the lost sheep of the House of Israel." [Matthew 15:24] Obviously "the lost sheep of the House of Israel" do not include observant Jews. It is only from the Jews that one can learn about Torah. This is why Rabbi Joshua ben Joseph said, "...Salvation is from the Jews" [John 4:22]. Kol tov, |