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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