Gal 4:4 But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law,
Gal 4:5 so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.
[Note: These two verses mean exactly what they say. Yeshua was born under the guidelines of Torah, so He might redeem us under Torah, that we might receive adoption. Here, Paul is stating that true "sons" of God are under Torah and in the following verse, a little later, Paul speaks of the Galatians doing what they should be doing;
Gal 4:10 You observe days and months and seasons and years. (the Mo'edim)
And he laments that all this effort they are doing will be to no avail if they turn to teachings that say Salvation is earned. Remember the circumcision party? This is the context of the letter to the Galatians and continues with Ch. 4. Please remember, following Torah is by no means establishing Salvation, but is simply an expression of love and obedience; a result of Salvation!]
In the next few verses Paul does an extraordinary thing. He compares and contrasts the Spirit, which wants you to follow Torah out of love and obedience, to the Flesh, which wants to follow the idea that works produces Salvation. He does this by using Sarah and Hagar!
Gal 4:21 Tell me, you who want to be under law, do you not listen to the law?
Gal 4:22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the bondwoman and one by the free woman.
Gal 4:23 But the son by the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and the son by the free woman through the promise.
Gal 4:24 This is allegorically speaking, for these women are two covenants: one proceeding from Mount Sinai bearing children who are to be slaves; she is Hagar.
[Note: These are only allegorical covenants; one, a covenant of slavery and another, a covenant of freedom. Paul will use this to make a point!]
Gal 4:25 Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. (fleshly Jerusalem, Hagar)
Gal 4:26 But the Jerusalem above is free; she is our mother. (Jerusalem above, spiritual, Sarah)
Gal 4:27 For it is written, "REJOICE, BARREN WOMAN WHO DOES NOT BEAR; BREAK FORTH AND SHOUT, YOU WHO ARE NOT IN LABOR; FOR MORE NUMEROUS ARE THE CHILDREN OF THE DESOLATE THAN OF THE ONE WHO HAS A HUSBAND."
Gal 4:28 And you brethren, like Isaac, are children of promise. (spiritual children)
Gal 4:29 But as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so it is now also.
Gal 4:30 But what does the Scripture say? "CAST OUT THE BONDWOMAN AND HER SON, FOR THE SON OF THE BONDWOMAN SHALL NOT BE AN HEIR WITH THE SON OF THE FREE WOMAN."
Gal 4:31 So then, brethren, we are not children of a bondwoman, but of the free woman.
[Note: Do not turn to earning your Salvation, metaphorically becoming a slave to fleshy pursuits, but stay under the Spirit and be free!]
... staying in context, remember, this is one letter, ignore the chapter breaks!
Gal 5:1 It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.
Gal 5:2 Behold I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision (for the sake of your Salvation), Christ will be of no benefit to you.
Gal 5:3 And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision (for the sake of your Salvation), that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law.
(Remember, if you break one point of the Torah you are guilty of breaking the whole Torah! This is the very reason we need Salvation!)
Gal 5:4 You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.
[Note: It's so easy to understand why people get confused with Paul's writings. In the context of this letter, Paul is referring to the use of works to establish Salvation. Verse 5:4 reaffirms this truth. You have fallen from grace if you, "are seeking to be justified by law". No one is justified by Torah, but by Faith, as we have already covered in this study. Churchy folk will tell you that if you attempt to follow Torah you have fallen from grace! But Sha'ul is not saying this. He is saying, if you seek to be justified by Torah, you have fallen from grace.
Then what is Torah for, you may ask? Torah is there to show us what sin is, so we may not sin (break Torah). If we are in the Spirit we will NOT want to sin (break Torah), and are free (free from sin and death); but if we are in the Flesh (allegorically, like Hagar/Ishmael), then we are still under the "law" of sin and death and are slaves to sin!]
Gal 5:14 For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF."
...
Gal 5:16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. (to be circumcised for Salvation's sake)
Gal 5:17 For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.
Gal 5:18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. (that is; if one is not sinning the "curse" of Torah does not come into play)
Gal 5:19 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality,
Gal 5:20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions,
Gal 5:21 envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. (All of these things are breaking Torah!)
Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
Gal 5:23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (Indeed!)
Gal 5:24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Gal 5:25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. (what is "walk"? Our actions - how we conduct our lives according to Torah)
[Note: You see, folks! If you read carefully, these verses compare walking with Torah in the Spirit to walking in the Flesh against Torah. Paul is NOT destroying Torah! He is destroying the concept that one can earn their way by following Torah without Faith. It's impossible to follow Torah without Faith. Abraham had great Faith, then followed Torah and received circumcision.
Pharisees (modern Judaism and 1st Century "Jews") don't follow Torah, they follow man's tradition that claims to follow Torah. They are trying to earn Salvation like the Circumcision Party! Churchy folk use grace to keep on sinning and don't necessarily try to follow Torah (to not sin). A Church person does not even understand that attending church on Sunday, and celebrating Christmas and Easter means you're worshipping another god, thereby breaking Torah (sinning)! Why! Because they are NOT in the Spirit. They DO NOT have Torah written on their hearts! Frightening isn't it? Incredibly frightening!]
...
Gal 6:1 Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted. Gal 6:2 Bear one another's burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.
[Note: The "law of Christ" is simply the law of God - Torah. If you think it is some other "law" then you worship a different God, a different Jesus! We must "fill full" the Torah of Yeshua by living it as best we can, out of love!]
Next, Paul sums up Galatians and it's entire context ...
...
Gal 6:11 See with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand.
Gal 6:12 Those who desire to make a good showing in the flesh try to compel you to be circumcised, simply so that they will not be persecuted for the cross of Christ.
Gal 6:13 For those who are circumcised do not even keep the Law themselves, but they desire to have you circumcised so that they may boast in your flesh. (Paul is referring to the Circumcision Party)
Gal 6:14 But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
Gal 6:15 For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.
Gal 6:16 And those who will walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.
Gal 6:17 From now on let no one cause trouble for me, for I bear on my body the brand-marks of Jesus.
Gal 6:18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brethren. Amen.
The Letter to the Galatians is all about NOT trying to earn your way to Salvation. Men were requiring the Galatians to be circumcised as a means to Salvation, not as an act of obedience. They were doing this to please man, not God. Yes, Paul is easily misunderstood. But Yehovah's perfect Law, Torah, cannot be made void by Yeshua. This would actually make Yeshua the Antichrist!
Please see the vid below! ...
The Observer
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