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Galatians 2:11-21 Justification By Faith or By Works of the Law? Table of Contents
Galatians 2:11-21 And when Kepha had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was at fault. For before some came from Ya'aqob, he was eating with the gentiles, but when they came, he began to withdraw and separate himself, in fear of those of the circumcision. And the rest of the Yehudim joined him in hypocrisy, so that even Barnabah was led away by their hypocrisy. But when I saw that they are not walking straight according to the truth of the Good News, I said to Kepha before them all, “If you, being a Yehudi, live as a gentile and not as the Yehudim, why do you compel gentiles to live as Yehudim? “We, Yehudim by nature, and not of the gentiles, sinners, know that a man is not declared right by works of Torah(!), but through fidelity (faithfulness) in Yahusha’ Messiah. And we have believed in Messiah Yahusha’, in order to be declared right by fidelity in Messiah and not by works of Torah, because by works of Torah no flesh shall be declared right. “And if, while seeking to be declared right by Messiah, we ourselves also are found sinners, is Messiah then a servant of sin? Let it not be! “For if I rebuild what I once overthrew, I establish myself a transgressor. “For through (written) Torah I died to (oral) Torah, in order to live to Elohim. “I have been impaled with Messiah, and I no longer live, but Messiah lives in me. And that which I now live in the flesh I live by fidelity in the Son of Elohim, who loved me and gave Himself for me. “I do not set aside the favour of Elohim, for if righteousness is through (oral, man-made) Torah, then Messiah died for naught.” Kepha’s Gaffe What was Kepha’s mistake? The Oral Tradition forbids a Yehudi from eating with the unclean dog Gentiles. Kepha felt pressure from the camp of those who followed Oral Torah (the Pharisees), and withdrew from eating with Gentiles. But the conclusion of the Yerushalayim Council was that the Oral Torah (the man-made teachings of the Pharisees) was not binding on those who would be followers of Messiah. This hypocrisy of Kepha and others was caught and rebuked by Sha’ul… 14 But when I saw that they are not walking straight according to the truth of the Good News, I said to Kepha before them all, “If you, being a Yehudi, live as a gentile and not as the Yehudim, why do you compel gentiles to live as Yehudim? 15 “We, Yehudim by nature, and not of the gentiles, sinners, 16 know that a man is not declared right by works of Torah(!), but through fidelity (faithfulness) in Yahusha’ Messiah. And we have believed in Messiah Yahusha’, in order to be declared right by fidelity in Messiah and not by works of Torah, because by works of Torah no flesh shall be declared right. “Works” hv[m or myv[m “ma-aseh” or pl. “ma-asim” Action, deed, work; precedent(!) The action of a Rabbi or sage that justified the practical manner in which a tradition should be observed. A source for Rabbinic law. Thus, laws are made based on the actions or “works” of a rabbi
Example of a Work of the Torah: The Reciting of the Shma’ Once it happened (ma-aseh) those of R. Gamaliel came home (late) from a wedding feast and they said to him: We have not yet recited the (evening) sh’ma. He said to them: If the dawn has not yet come up you are still bound to recite. And not in respect to this alone did they so decide, but whenever the sages say until midnight, the precept may be performed until the dawn comes up. (Berachot 2a)
“Works of Torah” The “works of Torah” are those precedents set by rabbis and sages which convert an action, work or practice into Law. When the Oral Torah is unclear about a matter, one may default to the precedent laid down by a rabbi, to guide you in your experience. The term "works of Torah" is not a reference to obedience to the written Torah. On the contrary, it is a phrase that refers to obedience to the man-made commandments, such as the Pharisees Oral Torah (oral teachings and tradition), as a means of earning one's salvation!
Works of the Torah – NOT! 16 knowing that a man is not declared right by works of Torah, but through fidelity in Yahusha’ Messiah. And we have believed in Messiah Yahusha’, in order to be declared right by fidelity in Messiah and not by works of Torah, because by works of Torah no flesh shall be declared right. Human effort and human example (works of Torah) cannot gain favor with Yahuwah. Only by faithfully following and obeying Messiah can one be righteous (because the written Torah is right)
17 “And if, while seeking to be declared right by Messiah, we ourselves also are found sinners, is Messiah then a servant of sin? Let it not be! 18 “For if I rebuild what I once overthrew, I establish myself a transgressor. 19 “For through (written) Torah I died to (oral) Torah, in order to live to Elohim. Sha’ul cannot return to the Pharisaic practice of Oral tradition because it establishes one as a transgressor of Scripture. Through written Torah, Sha’ul died to Oral Torah. Interpret “Law” in its Context! 20 “I have been impaled with Messiah, and I no longer live, but Messiah lives in me. And that which I now live in the flesh I live by fidelity in the Son of Elohim, who loved me and gave Himself for me. 21 “I do not set aside the favour of Elohim, for if righteousness is through (oral, man-made) Torah, then Messiah died for naught.” Shaul is declared loudly that his fidelity is with Messiah and the written Torah – it is no longer fidelity in Oral Tradition of Pharisaic teaching!
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