Created: Tue 01-July-2025 - 13:15

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How Christianity managed to misinterpret Paul and demonise God's Law (Torah)

For 2,000 years, Christianity has managed to move further and further away from the teachings of Yeshua Messiah: from His Way, from the Truth. In what seems to be an attempt to demonise those who follow Messiah, Christianity has rebuilt the Wall of Separation ^[1] between Jews and Gentiles:
The very thing that the Jews did in Yeshua's day—to outcast Gentiles and even Proselytes to an extend.

Paul's letters—and especially his letter to the Galatians—has become the poster boys of anti-nomionism. Note that Paul is not to blame here. Peter tells us that his writings are hard to understand and will be twisted.

Christian doctrine has managed to put overwhelming fear of Torah and keeping God's commandments into believers by proclaiming that obeying God's law and commandments means to nullify the Cross. Torah-affirming and -seeking Christians have been labeled as Judaizers, Legalists, Pharisees.

This brings us to an impasse:

1. Yeshua Messiah affirmed the enduring validity of Torah and God's Commandments beyond heaven and earth
2. Yeshua taught Torah and brought His people back to Torah with a deeper spiritual application (not an antithesis, but an intensification) 👉 Matthew 5.13 - Light and Salt.
3. Christianity refusing the Torah in an attempt to safeguard sola fide ^[2]
4. Christianity condemning believers wanting to obey God's commandments ^[3]

Who's right? If in doubt, we do well to listen to the sound doctrines of the Messiah himself.

More than one 'law'

In the letter to the Galatians, Paul seems to addresses more than one law. This idea is highlighted in various translations by writing the word "Law" in capital letters, and at other times in small caps, as in "law" ^[4].

Various meanings can be attached to the word "Law" in the biblical context:

• Torah
• Tanakh
• Oral Laws
• Traditions & Ordinances
• Ceremonial Laws, Sacrificial Laws, Levitical Laws

When reading the word LAW in Galatians, we might fall into the trap to interpret it as to affirm our own perception. However, to get the clearest understanding we must read it not only from Paul's perspective, but also from the perspective of his readers.

For the sake of Truth, we must make an effort to try to distinguish what exactly Paul means in any instance of the word LAW occurring in Galatians.

The Law and the law in the NASB

The NASB is one of the few translations that distinguishes between Law and law. The word "Law" is capitalized when it refers to the Mosaic Law or the Law of Moses, especially when it is used as a title or a proper noun. Conversely, it is generally not capitalized when used in a more general sense, such as referring to a principle or a rule ^[5].

This helps the reader make a crucial decision: To understand what Paul is referring to. It is not only important to understand that Paul, throughout his letters, refers to law / Law in different ways and meaning. We also must address a very important issue which caused Christians to misinterpret Paul: the literal interpretation, and the subtext in Jewish context.

Midrash: Don't take Galatians at face value

When reading Galatians—or for that matter the Brit Chadashah (New Testament) in its totality—in the literal interpretation, we come to a very different understanding and conclusion as to what Paul actually is trying to convey. Taking Galatians at face value, it is of no wonder that Christianity has misinterpreted as a letter against God's Law (Torah). However, upon reading it in the context of the Midrash and other Rabbinic and Jewish commentaries, we are about to discover a very different meaning.

What was the main issue in Galatia?

Paul felt compelled to write this letter to the Galatians for various reasons. In Acts 15:1-2 we read that the letter was addressed to Non-Jewish Messianic believers in Galatia. Why can we be fairly certain? Because Acts 15 tells about Paul's fellow Jews who disagree with his sola fide gospel and require believers to be circumcised and converted to Judaism. Jews would have already been circumcised by the 8th day after birth. Therefore, it is conclusive to assume that Galatians was addressed to Gentile believers.

The main issue can be summarised as follows:

1. Do Gentiles have to become Jewish by full conversion including circumcision for salvation?
2. Or by faith in Yeshua alone?

Notice that this issue is not about the Torah. It is not about that which Yeshua spoke about in Matthew 5:17-19 ^[6]. In fact, God's doctrine through Yeshua must be our default. As He says, Heaven and Earth shall pass away but the Torah does not pass away.

Not the Torah is the Main Issue...

Christianity takes Galatians as the supreme evidence that Paul abolished the Torah for Gentiles. But what this really the main issue he was addressing? No. The Torah was not the main issue. In Romans, Paul says that he delights in the Torah, and that the Torah would be established, not nullified. This sentiment is in agreement with Yeshua Messiah.

...legal conversion to Judaism is

In Galatians 4:21 ^[7], we see the real issue emerging: Conversion to Judaism. This is what Paul's fellow Jews in Galatia expected from the Gentiles. Full conversion to Judaism first ^[8], then faith in Messiah Yeshua.

👉 See footnote ^[9]

Midrash: Abraham, Hagar, and Sara

Paul draws up a Midrash in Galatians 4:21-31. It is vital to understand this passage in its original midrashic context. Possibly, Paul chose this example because Isaac and Ishmael were 'Sons of Abraham'. In Judaism, those Non-Jews who converted to Judaism were called 'Sons of Abraham'. It's a Talmudic expression.

Paul uses this story to illustrate two different types of Gentiles. He was not contrast Jew and Gentiles. Christianity did not even exist for another century at least at the time Paul wrote this letter to the Galatians.

Ishamel born according to the flesh

Abraham went into Hagar, Sara's slave, and had Ishmael. Paul seems to draw a parallel between Ishmael and the Jews. Isaac on the other hand was born through the promise of God, just like the Gentiles received the promise to be grafted in. What was this promise? In Galatians 3:8 Paul gives the answer: the promises spoken to Abraham that in him (Abraham) all nations will be blessed.

Paul continues to compare these women to be two covenants. Christianity takes this at face value and proclaiming that this is about the original covenant and the new covenant. Paul, however, seems to be giving the answer to this in Galatians 3:16-18.

Paul plays on words here. The Hebrew word for seed is זֶרַע (zeraʿ)

Hagar represents Mt Sinai, meaning Torah.

Remember: Paul is making a midrash addressed to gentiles. A midrash is similar to a parable. The goal of a parable is to bring to light the spiritual meaning of context. The Hebrew word for parable means allegory, example or clarification, mashal (מָשָׁל).

Covenants don’t erase each other

When reading Christian church doctrine, it seems as though many Christians are of the opinion that the new covenant nullifies the original covenant. This is not the case. In Galatians, Paul makes the point to the gentiles that they already partake in the promise given to Abraham. The new covenant builds on the original covenants with Abraham and Moses.

God made the covenant with Abraham when he was uncircumcised so that he could be the father to the nations, Jews and Gentiles. Therefore the Gentiles already have their promise through the covenant of Abraham.

Doctrines trying to nullify this covenant run into an obvious problem:
How then would gentiles participate in the new covenant when it builds on the covenant with Abraham?

Faith in Yeshua messiah naturally builds on the covenantal structures that are already in place. Gentiles enter the covenant through faith, meaning the new covenant is in existence when Gentiles enter. They don’t create the new covenant. Messiah is the sustenance and substance, not Gentiles or Jews. Believers are the bride, Messiah the bridegroom.

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Resources

title: "Book of Galatians. Midrash with Rav Gavriel Lumbroso"
image: "https://i.ytimg.com/vi/4t--pUKQF7o/hqdefault.jpg"
description: "Rabbi Lumbroso explains difficult places of Letter to Galations. Clarification for Christianity from Biblical, Jewish perspective."
url: "https://youtu.be/4t--pUKQF7o?si=XF543bISl12IPGDd"

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Footnotes