DrummaBoy:

Paul and the Judaizers

Paul the apostle can only be described as a remarkable man when we realize that he confronted Judaism both in the world and in the church. Jesus had given a brief remark on the kind of suffering this man’s ministry was going to encounter when he was speaking to Ananias at Paul’s conversion (Acts 9:15-16).

From Paul’s own testimony, Paul was born a jew. He grew up and was discipled under the strictest form of Judaism – he was a Pharisee. He was taught by Gamaliel; a man of such profound knowledge of the Torah and who was held at the highest esteem by the Jewish leaders that a word from him got the release of Peter and John from the murderous grip of the Jews in Acts 4. So Paul was well taught.

Paul, however, had an encounter with Jesus on his way to Damascus, as he was persecuting Christians with authority from the Jewish leaders. He was born-again, and scripture records that immediately he began to preach Jesus whom he had been persecuting. Paul’s account in Galatian 2 shows that sometimes between the period of his conversion and the time he visited Peter and James, Paul was on a retreat in the wilderness and their God revealed the gospel of grace to him. Jesus himself had preached bits and pieces of this gospel in his earthly ministry but because he was born under the law and had to be subject to the law so as to fulfill the righteous requirement of the law for those of us who will subsequently come to have faith in Him, Jesus could not preach the gospel of grace (completely) as he would later reveal to Paul (this is the only way to explain why Paul’s message differed from Jesus’ without discussing the doctrine of dispensation). Jesus had however told the disciples that he could not teach them everything now but will reveal things to them bit by bit (John 14:26).

The gospel of grace was part of the revelation that Peter got when he had the encounter with God on the top of a house subsequent to his meeting Cornelius in Acts 10. Though what Peter understood was that the gospel had been sent to the gentiles also and was not to be confined to Jews, alone. The fact that Peter’s ministry was limited to the Jews shows that he did not completely grasp the gospel of grace like Paul did and even if he did, he could not pay the price to preach it.

But Paul paid that price. Why? Because God had given him the grace to do so (1 Corinthians 15:10).

The gospel of grace as revealed to Paul was revolutionary. The core point of it was Justification by grace through faith (alone), Ephesians 2:8-9. The implication of this gospel meant that everything Moses gave as law was defunct and obsolete Galatians 3, 2Corinthians 3. There has been a change of law from the law of sin and death to the law of Spirit of Life, Hebrew 7:12; Romans 8:2. Rather than be led by law written of tablets of stones, the believer was now to be led by the Spirit of God, Romans 8:14.

This gospel preached by Paul was against the Judaizers both in the Church and in the world. The latter part of the book of Acts gives an account of what Paul experienced in the hands of worldly Judaizers. But if his contention was with those in the world alone, it would have been a small matter. But Paul also had to contend with Judaizers in the church.

The main object of contention with the Judaizers of Paul’s time was the question of whether gentile believers were to be circumcised or not. In Acts 15:2 it is recorded that Paul and Barnabas had no small dissention with these group of people. The matter was taken to the Jerusalem church and the verdict read:

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The case seem to have closed there, not until again we see Paul in Galatians 2 saying that he had to withstand Peter to the face because he was acting hypocritical. What was the matter? Some Judaistic Christians had come from James, and Peter was now beginning to withdraw from the gentiles Christians who prior to those people’s coming, he had been eating with them. Following this rebuke, Paul laid down the eternal foundations upon which the gospel of grace is founded on in the book of Galatians:

[b]1. There is only one gospel: the Gospel of Grace, any other is an accursed thing. And anyone who preaches such is accursed. Galatian 1:8,9
2. Justification is by faith(Galatians 3:6-7) and the subsequent life that the believer lives must be lived by faith, Galatians 2:20. Nothing in the law could secure a man’s salvation, v.21.
3. To start in faith and then to think you can secure your salvation by doing anything else in addition to it is foolishness. Galatians 3:1-3
4. Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law. Galatians 3:13 (including the curse of not tithing in Malachi 3) and the blessing of Abraham comes to the believer by faith and not works, v.14
5. The purpose of the law was to reveal what sin is and the utter sinfulness of man that tries to keep it, and thus our need of a savior. Galatians 3:19-24
6. The law is weak and beggarly. Galatians 4: 8-9
7. God calls the believer to stand in liberty and not bondage to the law. Galatians 5:1
8. Those who seek to be justified by the law have fallen from grace. Galatians 5:4
9. Christ fulfilled the law and those of us who obey the law of love, have fulfilled the law also; for all the law is fulfilled in the law of love. Galatians 5:14
10. The call on all believers is not to keep any aspect of the law but to be led by the Spirit and bear the fruit of the Spirit; for when we do this we are obliged to keep the law. Galatians 5:22-23
An in depth study of Galatians will reveal much more than these things enumerated above.[/b]

DrummaBoy: Nice one OP.

But just wait long enough here and you would find modern day Nigerian Jews who will tell you:

"God did not abolish all the laws... he cancelled some and left a few others... especially that one in Malachi 3..."

"Grace came to help us fulfill the laws of Moses"

"Christ didn't come to abolish Moses Laws..." forgetting he fulfilled them.

The Jesusislord85, Alwaystrue, Image123, Gombs, Joagbaje, etc, of nairaland. I hope they find their monickers in the mentions and come here and defend their doctrines. If there is anything to defend sef...

Gombs:

Haba DB, Happy Sunday o...but...
Why do you think I have time for debates long thrashed on NL?

Anyways, I noticed your absence, and all u 'true' gospel preachers on Jo's thread that made fp, not even to glorify God for his wonderful works, the reason is not far fetched though, u would rather side with atheists and ridicule the gospel or your fellow believers, rather than admit God still wrought miracles in believers today. Secondly, Jo is a tither and as u put it 'a fraud' 'scammer' and other adjectives you lot has used over time. Ok, maybe u all were so busy that you missed the thread!

How did I get to that? From your stance on Jo's crusade, your gallivanting with atheists on the doctrinal matters, now u had the effrontery to call me up here to debate tithing? Don't you ever get tired?

Why not draw up thread we could all talk about edification? Must it be 'grace' 'law' 'tithe' ? Why never miracles? Faith? Holy Spirit? Love? Eh Deji?

Let me summon Kunle and shedemidemi to come feast...food don done!

mployer: Nice one op.
And pls DrummaBoy stop calling out people to come and derail this beautiful thread.

DrummaBoy:

It's part of the liberty the gospel enjoin on us. Sorry I cannot oblige your request. My post is not derailing anything; its right at the heart of the OP discussion.

DrummaBoy:

Gombs, my boy, you always get me to laugh sha...

I only saw Jo thread this evening. I have seen the story around, I didn't need the info so didn't open the thread. Congrats on making front page.

As for the atheists, etc, you vilify, can you remember that scripture that says they will enter heaven before your self righteous lot? The very words of Jesus.

1 Cor 5:

1 Corinthians 5:9 I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators: 5:10 Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world. 5:11 But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.

What do you think Paul was saying here:

There is a certain kind of "believer" that is more dangerous than "ordinary" sinners. These are "Christians" who have no qualms fornictating, lying, cheating, defrauding sometimes in the name of the Lord, etc. Paul would rather we company with such than those so called believers.

The problem is not siding with Atheists, my friend, the problem is so called believers behaving worse than atheist!

As to the subject of grace and law, sure you can bring up any other topic and ignore mine, if you wish. I have no trouble with it. There is freedom.

mployer:
Op is the teacher on this thread and we are here to learn and comment strictly on his posts.

He has never being part of this tithe argument, don't know why you are dragging him to it.

Gombs:

Why not draw up thread we could all talk about edification? Must it be 'grace' 'law' 'tithe' ? Why never miracles? Faith? Holy Spirit? Love? Eh Deji?

Goshen360:

What are you talking about? Do you not know that IN THIS GOSPEL OF GRACE OF GOD is the love, Holy Spirit, faith, miracles, etc REVEALED? One gospel, all wrapped in it.

DrummaBoy: Nice one OP.

But just wait long enough here and you would find modern day Nigerian Jews who will tell you:

"God did not abolish all the laws... he cancelled some and left a few others... especially that one in Malachi 3..."

"Grace came to help us fulfill the laws of Moses"

"Christ didn't come to abolish Moses Laws..." forgetting he fulfilled them.

The Jesusislord85, Alwaystrue, Image123, Gombs, Joagbaje, etc, of nairaland. I hope they find their monickers in the mentions and come here and defend their doctrines. If there is anything to defend sef...

Goshen360: @ mployer and D'boy,

We know we can't teach complete and absolute grace without tearing down and separating it from the mosaic. Both of them don't mix. You tear down one and build the other. The Apostle of Grace said, he BECOMES a sinner if he rebuild what he already tear down? What's he talking about? The context has the answer.

mployer:

The apostle of Grace also talked about speaking the TRUTH IN LOVE. Love is tolerant, patient and longsuffering. These are no virtues you find in the midst of vehement argument.

If a particular brethren is not understanding a particular aspect of grace, leave that and teach the one he understands pending when his understanding is opened in that area.

I've always loved damilarelr posts simply for SPEAKING THE TRUTH IN LOVE, though he is not too regular here.

Tanx anyway for the grace convection, it was a huge success

mployer:

The apostle of Grace also talked about speaking the TRUTH IN LOVE. Love is tolerant, patient and longsuffering. These are no virtues you find in the midst of vehement argument.

If a particular brethren is not understanding a particular aspect of grace, leave that and teach the one he understands pending when his understanding is opened in that area.

I've always loved damilarelr posts simply for SPEAKING THE TRUTH IN LOVE, though he is not too regular here.

Tanx anyway for the grace convection, it was a huge success

DrummaBoy:

I understand your position.

Thanks for the advice.

mployer:

The apostle of Grace also talked about speaking the TRUTH IN LOVE. Love is tolerant, patient and longsuffering. These are no virtues you find in the midst of vehement argument.

If a particular brethren is not understanding a particular aspect of grace, leave that and teach the one he understands pending when his understanding is opened in that area.

I've always loved damilarelr posts simply for SPEAKING THE TRUTH IN LOVE, though he is not too regular here.

Tanx anyway for the grace convection, it was a huge success

DrummaBoy: Nice one OP.

But just wait long enough here and you would find modern day Nigerian Jews who will tell you:

"God did not abolish all the laws... he cancelled some and left a few others... especially that one in Malachi 3..."

"Grace came to help us fulfill the laws of Moses"

"Christ didn't come to abolish Moses Laws..." forgetting he fulfilled them.

The Jesusislord85, Alwaystrue, Image123, Gombs, Joagbaje, etc, of nairaland. I hope they find their monickers in the mentions and come here and defend their doctrines. If there is anything to defend sef...