Questioning Paul - Galatians - 07 - Towrah - Prescriptions for Living

7/29/2019 Questioning Paul - Galatians - 07 - Towrah - Prescriptions for Living

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Questioning Paul

Volume 1: The Great Galatians Debate

Is Christianity Right or Wrong?

7

TowrahTeaching and Guidance

Are We Saved or Enslaved by Observing the Towrah

At long last we have arrived at the brace of verses cited by a New Zealand

Christian radio program which ultimately prompted this review of Galatians. Theclerics message, one predicated upon Pauls epistle, stressed that we are not

required to pay attention to the Torah because it had been replaced by faith in the

Gospel of Grace. And while that is consistent with Shauwls message, it is

stunning in a way. The verses he, and thus they, cited were set into the context of

the story of Abraham, a relationship between God and man that would not have

been known to us apart from the Torah.

But before we consider Pauls assault on Yahs Torah, since most readers

may be somewhat unfamiliar with Yahowahs Teaching, a quick review of Gods

perspective on His Torah is in order. However, for those of you who would prefera more complete presentation of Torahs role in our lives, this would be a

wonderful time to take a break from Questioning Paul to systematically consider

what God has to say about His foundational text. In An Introduction to God

(www.IntroToGod.org), Volume Three, you will find a comprehensive evaluation

of Yahowahs Towrah Teaching. Part One presents what the Towrah says

about itself. Part Two delves into what can be gleaned from comments made

about the Towrah in the Proverbs and Psalms. Part Three is my favorite, because

it is devoted to greatest song ever written to Dowd / Davids lyrics on how to

properly observe, actually understand, and intelligently respond to the Towrah.

And then in Part Four, most everything Yahowah revealed about His Towrahthrough His prophets is presented for your consideration.

Now, for those of you who would prefer a quick review, please consider the

following Scripture citations...

Listen (shama receive and acknowledge this message) children (ben

sons) to the correct instruction (muwsar to the correcting teaching) of the

Father (ab) and pay attention (qasab accept this information as true and
http://www.introtogod.org/http://www.introtogod.org/http://www.introtogod.org/http://www.introtogod.org/


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respond appropriately to it) so as (la) to knowand acknowledge (yadato find,

become aware of, to become familiar with, to care about, to respect, and to

choose) understanding and discernment (bynah to gain knowledge through

observation and insight and wisdom through consideration, so as to be intelligent

and distinguish between right and wrong, fact and fiction).

For indeed (kythis is important, trustworthy, and reliable),suchteaching

and learning (leqah receiving instruction and coming to possess

comprehension) is good, beneficial, and helpful (towb is proper, prosperous,

favorable, beautiful, pleasing, enjoyable, valuable, and healing).

For this reason I have given you (la natan therefore, for this purpose, I

have actually provided and bestowed you with the completed gift of) My Towrah

(Towrah: from towMy signed, written, and enduring, towrahway of treating

people, tuwrgiving you the means to explore, to seek, to find, and to choose,

yarahthe source from which My instruction, teaching, guidance, and directionflow, which tuwbprovides answers that facilitate your restoration and return,

even your response and reply to that which is towb good, pleasing, joyful,

beneficial, favorable, healing, and right, and that which causes you to be loved, to

become acceptable, and to endure, tahowr / tohorah purifying and cleansing

you, towr so as to provide you with an opportunity to change your thinking,

attitude, and direction).

You should not forsake, neglect, or reject it (al azabwithout it you will

be forsaken, neglected, rejected, abandoned, separated, and left behind).

Indeed (ky this is important, reliable, and true),I have and will actuallycome to exist as (hayahI was, am, and will be as) a Son (ben) to approach the

kind and merciful Father (la rakabon behalf of My compassionate, gentle,

and tenderhearted Father),the only begotten and unique Son (yahydas the one

and only child) by way of(la) the Mothers (em) presence (paneh).

AndHe has and will teach Me (yarahHe has and will become the source

of My instruction, guidance, and direction). AndHe said to Me (amar laHe

told Me),Accept, uphold, fulfill, and keep (tamakreceive, grasp hold of, and

retain) My Words (dabarMy message) upon Your heart (leb).

Focus upon and closely observe (shamarcarefully examine, thoughtfullycontemplate, thoroughly evaluate and consider) My terms and conditions

(mitswah My authorized directions and instructions regarding the covenant

contract) and live, being restored to life (chayah embracing the source of

continuous and sustained life, healthy and beneficial nourishment, and abundant

growth, accepting the promise of renewal, restoration, favor, and blessings).

(Masal / Word Pictures / Proverbs 4:1-4)


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The Towrah (Towrah the signed, written, and enduring means to search

for, find, and choose the instruction, teaching, guidance, and direction, which

provides answers which facilitate our restoration and return that are good,

pleasing, joyful, beneficial, purifying, and cleansing) is Light (owr) and (wa)

the Way (derekthe Path) of Life (chaythe source of continuous and sustainedexistence, abundant growth, of revival, renewal, and restoration, the promise of

the most favorable of circumstances, prosperity, and blessings). (Masal / Word

Pictures / Proverbs 6:23)

My son (benyMy child), choose to actually observe (shamarelect to

focus upon, carefully examine, diligently consider, and thoughtfully evaluate,

agree to pay close attention to and genuinely care about (qal imperative indicating

that an actual relationship will be established between Father and son should the

child choose of their own volition to pay attention to this exhortation to revere and

regard)) My Words (emerMy answers, explanations, and promises).And (wa) My Terms and Conditions (mitswahMy authorized directions

and binding instructions regarding My covenant contract) you should habitually

treasure and store (tsaphan you should value and keep (qal imperfect

affirming the relationship between us and Yahs terms and conditions ought to be

genuine because by properly valuing them, their influence will be ongoing,

producing everlasting results)) with you (eth).

Choose to keep focused upon, closely examine, and carefully consider (shamar elect to actually observe, pay close attention to, and genuinely care

about (qal imperative)) My Terms and Conditions (mitswah My authorizedinstructions and binding directions regarding the covenant agreement) and (wa)

live (chayahbe restored and renewed, be nourished and grow, electing to exist

forever as a result of Gods promise and favor) (qal imperative affirming that

our decision to observe the Terms and Condition of Yahs binding Covenant is

equivalent to choosing to be restored to life and living forever)) .

My Towrah Teaching (Towrah My Torah Instruction, Guidance, and

Direction: from towMy signed, written, and enduring, towrahway of treating

people, tuwrgiving you the means to explore, to seek, to find, and to choose,

yarahthe source from which My instruction, teaching, guidance, and direction

flow, which tuwbprovides answers that facilitate your restoration and return,

even your response and reply to that which is towb good, pleasing, joyful,

beneficial, favorable, healing, and right, and that which causes you to be loved, to

become acceptable, and to endure, tahowr / tohorah purifying and cleansing

you, towr so as to provide you with an opportunity to change your thinking,

attitude, and direction) should be as (ka should be considered as and akin to)

the pupil, the center, and the focus (iyshown the extant essence and

individual nature) of your eyes and understanding (ayin your sight and


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perceptions, your perspective and thoughts). (Masal / Word Pictures / Proverbs

7:1-2)

The wicked (rasa the guilty and condemned who deserved to be

punished, those in violation of the standard) arrogantly boast and make fools of

themselves (halal they are flashy, and while pretending to be bright and

enlightened they display an improper attitude of haughtiness, glorifying

themselves, praising themselves they mock and slander) by abandoning and

rejecting (azab by forsaking and separating from, by neglecting and

disassociating from, by departing from and ignoring) the Towrah (Towrahthe

signed, written, and enduring means to search for, find, and choose the

instruction, teaching, guidance, and direction which provides answers which

facilitate our restoration and return that are good, pleasing, joyful, beneficial,

favorable, healing, and right, purifying and cleansing, thereby giving us the

opportunity and means to change our thinking, attitude, and direction to the waywhich is more fortuitous and beneficial).

And (wa) those who observe, focusing upon (shamarthose who closely

examine and carefully consider) the Towrah (Towrah Instruction, Teaching,

Guidance, and Direction), they take the initiative to oppose and resist them

(garah bathey are overtly hostile to them and they provoke them, they actively

engage against them and irritate them by not conforming to their pressure or

power).

Evil (rawicked and violent, mischievous and malignant) individuals (ysh

men) do not (lo) apprehend or teach (byn consider, realize, perceive,understand, instruct, or implement) good judgment (mishpatthe proper means

to resolve disputes, to be discriminating, to be fair, to obtain justice, and to make

sound decisions). But (wa) those who diligently seek (baqas those whose

search and investigation allows them to procure the information necessary to learn

about) Yahowah () consider and understand (bynapprehend, perceive,

and realize) everything (kol). (Masal / Word Pictures / Proverbs 28:4-5)

The one who turns away his ear from hearing (suwr ozen min shama

the one who avoids listening and paying attention to) the Towrah (Towrahthe

source of instruction and direction, guidance and teaching), his prayers and

requests (taphilahhis pleas and petitions for intervention) also (gam) will be

considered detestable (towebahwill be seen as a disgusting abomination).

The one who misleads (sagahthe one who deceives and leads astray) the

upright (yasharthe straightforward) in the way (ba derek) of evil (rain that

which is harmful, malignant, afflicting, and adversarial, severing the relationship),

into the pit (ba shachuwth the place where one is brought down, prostrating

themselves in worship before false gods and reduced to despair) he will fall and


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be cast down (huw naphalhe will descend from a higher position to a lower

one, wasting away), but the innocent (tamymthose who have been perfected,

who are genuine and unblemished) will enjoy a good, generous, festive, and

beneficial inheritance (towb nachal will inherit and acquire that which is

agreeable, moral, joyous, and valuable). (Masal / Word Pictures / Proverbs 28:9-10)

Without revelation (ba lo chazownwith no communication from God,

without prophecy; from chazah without seeing and perceiving, without

understanding) people (am) take charge and run wild (para they are

ignorant and unkept, they take their own initiative and behave like an

uncontrolled and unrestrained mob). But (wa) he is happy and blessed, he walks

upright on the correct path (esher / ashur he finds good fortune and

experiences great joy along the restrictive but valid, straight way to stand safe and

secure) who observes and focuses upon (shamarwho closely examines andcarefully considers) the Towrah (TowrahTeaching, Instruction, Direction, and

Guidance). (Masal / Word Pictures / Proverbs 29:18)

Blessed and happy is (asryby walking the straight path the enjoyment of

a favorable outcome awaits) the individual (ha iysh) who (asher) does not

walk (lo halak) in (ba) theplans and schemes (esahthe strategy, advice, and

counsel) of the wicked who violate the standard (rasaof those who are evil

and unrighteous). And in (wa ba) the way (derekpath) of sinners (hataof

the offensive who have missed the way),he does not stand (lo amadhe does

not appear and is not even present). In the assembly (wa ba mowshab in the

dwelling places and settlements, the communities and households) of those whoarrogantly mock (lys of those who boast and interpret which showing no

respect),he does not stay (lo yasabdwell, live, settle down, sit, or remain).

To the contrary (im) instead (ky),in (ba) the Towrah of Yahowah () the Teaching, Instruction, Guidance, and Direction of Yahowah), he

finds enjoyment and pleasure (chephetshe prefers, refers, and desires). And

regarding (wa ba) the Towrah (Towrah teaching, instruction, guidance, and

direction), he speaks thoughtfully and purposefully (hagah he reviews the

material, meditates upon the information, considers its implications, and then

makes the decision to roar, declaring these conclusions forcefully, emotionally,and powerfully (qal imperfect telling us that these informed declarations on

behalf of Yahs Instructions are genuine and ongoing)) in the daytime (yowmam

in the heat of the day) and at night (wa laylahin the darkness and shadows).

(Mizmowr/ Song / Psalm 1:1-2)

Yahowahs () Towrah (TowrahSource of Teaching and Instruction

and the Place from which Direction and Guidance Flow) is wholly complete and

entirely perfect (tamymwithout defect, lacking nothing, totally correct, sound,


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genuine, right, helpful, healing, beneficial, and true), returning, restoring, and

transforming (suwb turning around, bringing back, changing, and renewing)

the soul (nepeshour consciousness).

Yahowahs () restoring testimony (eduwth enduring witness) is

trustworthy and reliable (aman is instructive, informative, verifiable,

confirming, supportive, and establishing), making understanding and obtaining

wisdom (hakammaking education, learning, and enlightenment to the point of

comprehension) simple for the open-minded (pethy easy for those who are

receptive).

Yahowahs () directions (piquwdym instructions and prescriptions,

precepts and guidance; from paqadthat which we should pay especially close

attention to, care about, look at, and examine so that we respond appropriately)

are right (yashar are straight (and thus neither crooked or circuitous) and

upright (and thus are disassociated from bowing down), they are approved,esteemed, correct, proper, and pleasing),causing the heart to rejoice (leb samah

facilitating an attitude of elation).

Yahowahs () terms and conditions (mitswah His authorized

instructions regarding the codicils of His covenant contract) are morally pure

and are purifying (barpaving the way to inheritance, to enlightenment, and to

understanding) shining a light toward understanding (owr aynilluminating

the proper perspective, shedding a brilliant light on the path to enlightenment).

Revering and respecting (yirah) Yahowah () is cleansing and

restoring (tahowr purifying and perfecting) sustaining and establishing(amadcausing one to be established, standing upright) forever (ad).

The just means to resolve disputes of(mishpatthe means used to achieve

justice and exercise good judgment of) Yahowah () are trustworthy and

reliable (emethare enduring, dependable, honest, and true). They are wholly

(yahdawall together and completely) vindicating (tsadaqjustifying, causing

the recipient to be righteous and innocent). (Mizmowr/ Song / Psalm 19:7-9)

With that introduction from God, here is what the man who claimed to speak

for God, wrote: For (gar) as long as (hososas much as) theyexist (eisim) by

means of(ek) doingthe assigned tasks and activities of(ergonby works and

by observing in the sense of doing what is says in) the Torah (nomou Law(singular genitive, and thus a specific characterization)), they are (eisin) under


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(hupoinfluenced by the auspices of) a curse (katarathey are denounced and

detested, and will not have their burdens lifted or their souls raised) , because

(gar) it is written (grapho inscribed in Scripture) that (hoti): All (pas) [are]

accursed (epikataratos exposed and subject to judgment, and bereaved of

salvation) who (hos) do not (ou) remain alive in and who do not perseverewith (emmeno continue to be faithful to, hold fast to, carefully obey,

recognizing the trustworthiness of, and continually abide with, keep, endure, and

survive by way of) all (pas) that (tois) is written (grapho) in (en) the scroll

(biblion documented record) of the Torah (nomou Law (singular genitive,

and thus a specific characterization)), doing (poieomai) it (autos). (Galatians

3:10)

Pauls opening salvo is in opposition to his justification. And since his

justification is the Torah, it means that Pauls message is contrary to Yahowahs

Word. As such, Galatians 3:10 is suicidal logically and spiritually.On my first pass through this material I translated ergon nomou legalistic

works, in hopes of reconciling Pauls opening statement with the Torah citation.

In that way, the passage could be construed to say: For as long as they are trying

to save themselves by way of legalistic works they are cursed, because all are

cursed who dont remain alive in all that is written in the Torah, doing what it

says. But the problem with that is legalistic is the most generic, nonspecific

translation of nomos law conceivable, while the singular genitive nature of

nomou is restrictive and dictates one unique specific characterization. In the

singular genitive case, even Rabbinical Law wont work because it is a non-

specific amalgamation of sources including the Oral Law, Rabbinical edicts, theJerusalem and Babylonian Talmud, Halakah, and religious tradition.

Further, the Torah asks us to ergonaccomplish specific assigned tasks and

activities like those associated with the Sabbath, Miqraey, and Yowbel years,

the very things which Paul will specifically denounce. And due to Pauls

animosity for the Torah, he would have readily promoted the misconception that

being Torah observant is to perform rituals as opposed to closely scrutinize

all of the words.

And that leaves us with very strange bedfellows. Paul has said: The Torah

cant save because all who are saved are saved by the Torah.

Having thought about this passage now for several months, having come to

understand Pauls strategy relative to dissolving and dismantling the Torah, and

now viewing it within the context of Pauls overall thesis as it is presented in

Galatians 3:6 to 4:31, I am convinced that Paul was trying to use the Torah to

demonstrate that the Torah was a curse. This is the most reasonable interpretation,


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because there isnt another rational explanation for why Paul would juxtapose

otherwise conflicting statements.

There are two proclamations delineated here. The first is false: Foras long

astheyexistby means ofdoingthe assigned tasks and activities ofthe Torah,they are under a curse. The second is true: Allare accursed who do not

remain alive in and who do notpersevere withallthatis writteninthe scrollof the Torah, doingit. The first statement is from Paul. The second statement is

from Yahowah. Since they are mutually exclusive, who do you think is

trustworthy?

Its true: we cannot work for our salvation. And the Torah is the source of

life. But this context, and considering Pauls word choices, we are precludedfrom

thinking that this is what he intended to say in his proposition or justification. The

only point of connection between his declaration and the Scriptural quotation is

the word curse. So his argument hinges upon it.

By citing a passage that includes curse and Torah,Shauwl was hoping

that his audience would believe that he was right in stating that the Torah is a

curse. Beyond the fact that his proof statement contains the same verb and noun

of his proposition, it would otherwise have been counterproductive to cite

Deuteronomy 27:26 in this context. After all, this verse says nothing about

working for our salvation, and many other Torah passages do, especially those

pertaining to the Sabbath and the special Sabbaths associated with the Miqraey.

So, if Pauls purpose had been to reinforce the idea that we cannot work for our

salvation, he would have used a completely different proof text.But if Paul was intending to say that observing the Torah cannot save us

because we have to do everything that is written in the scroll of the Torah or be

accursed by it, then the verse fitsat least in a twisted sort of way. Therefore,

the most reasonable interpretation of Pauls point is: since you cant do everything

the Torah says, the curse of the Torah is inevitable. (But be careful. The Torah has

a specific solution for that problem.)

Translated curse, in Shauwls proposition, it is fair to say that katara is a

difficult term to nail down. It is an adjective, comprised of a compound of kata,

meaning according to, down from, or against, and ara, meaning a prayeror supplication, which is an earnest request. Ara is based upon airo, which

conveys the ideas of raising up, elevating, and lifting up, bearing someones

burdens, taking them by the hand, and carrying them away. So, with the

exception of down from and against all of this sounds pretty good. Therefore

the curse connotation of this word is derived from kata negating the benefits of

ara. And that means that the curse is not being lifted up, and not having

ones burdens carried away. It isnt that the accursed are being punished, but


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instead, as a result of a just evaluation, they wont receive any help. And, so that

you know, epikataratos, appearing later in this same verse, is a derivative of

katara.

In this light, the second half of this passage, which is a flawed Greek

rendering of Deuteronomy 27:26, actually says: Everyone (pas) is exposed and

subject to judgment and bereaved of salvation (epikataratos) who does not remain

alive in and who does not persevere with all that is written in the scroll of the

Torah, doing it. They kataraare not going to have their prayers answered,

burdens removed, or souls lifted. Clearly then, even in the Greek rendition, the

Torah passage does not infer that a person has to do everything the Torah says,

nor does it suggest that the Torah is a curse.

Before we contemplate the full intent of Shauwls message, and say for

certain that we understand it, lets consider the Scriptural verse he cited. The

conversation begins with the first verse of the 27 th chapter, where a long list ofblessings are delineated, all of which flow from observing the Torah. Then

starting with the 9th

verse, we find that those who live with God are asked to

be silent and listen, because this day you have become a family unto

Yahowah (), your God. Listen to the voice of Yahowah (), your

God,act upon and engage (asahcelebrate and profit) with (eth) His terms

and conditions (mitswahcodicils of His Covenant), andwith (eth) His (huw)

inscribed prescriptions for living (choqwritten instructions which cut us into

the relationship), which relationally (asherand beneficially) Iinstruct (sawah

guide and teach) you today. (Dabarym / Words / Deuteronomy 27:9-10) In

other words, our Heavenly Father is telling His children to listen to Him and toobserve His Torah instructions.

From this point, Yahowah delineates a series of behaviors which He promises

will engender an unfavorable response. Cursed (arar invoking harm upon

oneself by making oneself unlikable) is the man who makes idols, and

detestable crafted images with their hands, who lightly esteems his Father

and Mother, who steals his neighbors property, who misleads a blind

person, who denies justice to a stranger or foreigner, an orphan, or a

widow, who commitsany form of incest, who commits bestiality, who

strikes and beats his neighbor, and who accepts a bribe and thereby harmsan innocent person.(Dabarym / Words / Deuteronomy 27:15-25)

We should not be surprised, therefore, that those who perpetrate these

unsavory behaviors will be shunned by God. This list is then followed by a

summary conclusion: Invoking harm upon oneself (arar making oneself

unlikable) is whoever (asher) is not (lo) established (quwm restored,

supported, caused to stand, lifted up, confirmed, and enabled to endure) by (eth)

the words (dabar the message) of this (zoth) Towrah (towrah guidance,


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directions, teachings, and instructions), engaging (asahgaining by acting upon

and doing useful and productive things, and working) with (eth) them (hem).

And (wa) the entire (kol) family (am nation) said (amar answered,

promised, and declared), This is true, acceptable, and reliable (aman

affirming, supportive, and verifiable).(Dabarym / Words / Deuteronomy 27:26)

Therefore, we can now say for certain, that according to Yahowah: Cursed

are those who are not established and renewed by the message of the Torah, who

do not celebrate and benefit from it. This is true and reliable, aman! And

that means that any attack on the Torah, any belittlement of it, any attempt to

negate or annul it, any statement which suggests that it is a curse, would be

directly opposed to Yahowahs position and Word.

Reinforcing this essential instruction, the very next verse says: It shall exist

(hayahit was, is, and will be) that if you really listento (shama shamapay

extremely close attention to and actually hear) the voice of Yahowah (),your God, and you closely examine and carefully consider (shamarobserve

and scrutinize, care about, cling to, become secure in, and benefit from) act upon

(asah accomplish and celebrate, engaging in) all My terms and conditions

(mitswahcodicils of the covenant) that I instruct (sawahand direct, teaching

and guiding) you this day, Yahowah (), your God will place and appoint

you (natangrant you the opportunity to be) as the most high (elyon) among

and above (al) all (kol) the nations (Gowympeople from different races and

places) of the earth (erets).And flowing over you will be all of the blessings

(barakahbeneficial promises and valuable gifts), continuing to overtake and

inundate (nasag) you, if you listen to the voice of Yahowah (), yourGod. (Dabarym / Words / Deuteronomy 28:1-2) The Torahs message is as

wonderful as it is consistent, as rewarding as it is enlightening. God just said that

the Torahs instructions exist to bless us.

Paul not only removed the cited Deuteronomy passage from the context

which illuminated its meaning, he misquoted it. Please compare Pauls:Allare

accursedwhodo notcontinually obey all that is written in the scrollof theLaw, doing it (Galatians 3:10), with Yahowahs: Cursed is whoever is not

established (quwm restored, supported, caused to stand, lifted up, confirmed,

and caused to endure) by the words (dabar the message) of this Towrah(towrah), engaging (asah acting upon and gaining by doing useful and

productive things) with them. (Dabarym / Words / Deuteronomy 27:26) This

will not be the last time Shauwl will misquote the Torah. In fact, he will make a

practice of it.

Along these lines, please make a note of Yahowahs instruction in

Deuteronomy 28:1-2, where He has asked us to really listen to the voice of

Yahowah our God, repeating the request twice. Shauwl will twist Yahowahs


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listen to Me into the Torah cannot hear you before we are through with

Galatians.

By not bothering to examine the passage Shauwl cited in the Torah, as it was

written in Hebrew, by not bothering to accurately translate emmeno, meaning to

remain alive in and persevere with the Torah, Bacons King James, and Jeromes

Vulgate, misquoted Shauwl and Yahowah. And by doing so, they demeaned the

source of life. KJV: 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.LV:For as many as are of the

works of the law (operibus legis) are under a curse. For it has been written

(Scriptum): Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all the things that have

been written in the book of the Law (Libro legis), so as to do them.

After considerable study and thought, Im convinced that while the New

Living Translation is inconsistent with the Greek text, they have accuratelyconveyed Pauls intended message:But those who depend on the law to make

them right with God are under his curse, for the Scriptures say, Cursed is

everyone who does not observe and obey all the commands that are written in

Gods Book of the Law.Youll notice of course, that the NLT had to corrupt the

Deuteronomy quotation to keep it from refuting Paulsthesis. But that is precisely

what Paul wanted them to do, what he expected them to do, which is why he

thought he could get away with citing a passage in support of his declaration

when he knew that it was actually in direct opposition to it.

Pauls strategy here, as it will be in each of the four passages which comprisethe foundation of his thesis, will be to play off word pairs and patterns. In

Galatians 3:10 the operative words associating Pauls premise with the

inaccurately cited verse are cursed lawdoing. Each of these words appear in

both statements, albeit to communicate different thoughts.

Unaware of Pauls tactic, of his willingness to twist Scripture to serve his

agenda, Christians have been cursed by the legacy of Galatians because they have

now been led to believe that the Torah is not just irrelevant and pass, but is

actually a curse to be avoided. And yet, Gods instruction is clear. It is neither

hidden nor obscure. This is hard to misinterpret: Invoking harm upon oneself

by making oneself unlikableis whoever is notestablished (restored, supported,

lifted up, and caused to endure) by the words of this Towrah (guidance,

direction, teaching, and instruction), engaging withthem. Andthe entirefamily

said, This is true, acceptable, and reliable (affirming, supportive, verifiable,

and established).(Dabarym / Words / Deuteronomy 27:26)

In light of this statement, and the ones which precede and follow it in

Deuteronomy, Pauls thesis is torn asunder. According to God, the Torah isnt just


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the means to eternal life, it is the only way. And yet Christians the world over

have managed to justify the juxtaposition of two mutually exclusive thoughts, one

from man, the other from God, to infer that the Torah is a curse, rather than the

source of salvation.

Continuing to play off word patterns, Shauwl said: But (de moreover)

with (enor in) that (oti) Law (nomoTorah (dative tense use for an indirect

object with which something is done)),no one (oudeis) is vindicated or justified

(dikaioomade or shown to be right, acquitted or set free) alongside (para) God

(), because (oti) [it is] clearly evident (delos): The upright and just

(dikaiosthose in accord with the standard) live (zaoare alive) out of(ek) faith

(pistisoriginally trust and reliance but now faith and belief). (Galatians 3:11)

Its not every day that we come across a quotation from Habakkuk. But we

have one here. So, at the very least, we know that Shauwl knew the Tanakh.

Opening the Covenant Scriptures to Habakkuk 2:4, we discover that there are

two aspects to this verse: the dark and the bright side. It begins: Behold (hineh)

the puffed up (apal): his soul (nepesh) is not (lo) considered to be upright

(yasar is not right, straightforward, on the straight and narrow path, in

compliance with the law or approved) in (ba) him (huw).

Apal, literally means puffed up, and thus it conveys the idea of arrogance

and pridethe self-admitted hallmark of Shauwls nature. Curiously, however,

it is also the Hebrew word for hemorrhoid. And that may be because, from

Gods perspective, such people are a royal pain in the behind.Those who are self-

assured and self-reliant, seldom avail themselves of Yahowahs help, and withoutHis assistance, there is no salvation. And that is why souls of prideful people are

considered lost.

On the bright side: The upright and vindicated (tsadyq the innocent,

just, and guiltless, those who are in accord with the standard, the acquitted who

are declared not guilty) live, are restored to life, and are kept alive

(hayah/chayah are revived, renewed, healed, nurtured, and preserved, having

their lives sustained) by (ba) trusting that which is trustworthy and reliable

(emunah by finding security and safety in that which is firmly established,

consistently faithful, always steadfast, helpful, healthy, beneficial, dependable,honest, and true). (Habakkuk 2:4)

There are three things which are consistently trustworthy and reliable,

dependable, honest and true, and they are the same thing: Yahowah, the Torah,

and Yahowsha (the Word made flesh). So, if you think that living, being

restored to life, being kept alive, being renewed, being healed, nurtured,

preserved, and sustained is something you might be interested in, you now know

who to trust and what to rely upon.


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In many ways, faith is the antithesis of trust, just as belief is the inverse of

reliance. This dichotomy exists because trust is predicated upon knowing, and

upon understanding, while faith fills the voids associated with not knowing and

understanding. From this perspective, the King James, a revision five times over

of a translation of the Latin Vulgate, itself a blended translation three times overof the Hebrew text, is worse than misleading with regard to the Torahs message.

They are wrong. KJV: But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God,

it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. The King James position is

illogical, albeit since its a translation it is not their fault. Even if no one was

justified by the Torah, that does not infer that the just shall live by faith. Rather

than cause and effect, these are mutually exclusive ideas. It is like saying: Islam

does not work so it is evident we should all be atheists.

The Roman Catholic text reads: And, since in the law no one is justified

with God, this is manifest: For the just man lives by faith. That is not whatMoseh or Habakkuk wrote, and it is not true. Nor is this: NLT: So it is clear that

no one can be made right with God by trying to keep the law. For the Scriptures

say, It is through faith that a righteous person has life.And yet, Paul has not

been clear, because the passages he has quoted have contradicted his

statements. Moreover, the Scriptures dont say anything about faith, much less

that belief leads to being righteous.

Here is something you may want to consider: if Gods Word cant save us,

then whose words can? Should faith actually be the key to salvation, who and

what should we believe? Said another way: who would be so foolish as to believe

a man who said that he spoke for a god who could not be trusted?

A very thoughtful friend sent a note in which he wrote: When I was agnostic

I would ask Christians why I should place my faith in their religion, and not

believe the Islamic god, Buddha, or even the Hindu gods. Not one of them was

ever able to give me a rational answer. All they could say was that they felt the

presence of god in control of their lives. And yet I realized that most all good

Muslims would say the same thing, with many of them willing to kill and die for

their faith. So I came to realize that faith was this fuzzy nebulous concept which

required no thought, no actual evidence, and no proof. With faith a person does

not have to learn anything or ever think, which is obviously very appealing topeople.

Sidestepping the religious interpretations and this conundrum for a moment,

the instant we come to understand the nature of trust and reliance, and how trust

differs from faith, some, but not all of what Shauwl was saying can be

resolvedat least if we step back in time. At issue here is whether or not Paul

intended for pistis to convey its primary meaning in the first-century CE, or

whether he was hoping that most people would place their faith in him, and


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believe what he said, as the religious community has done. As a direct result of

Pauls letters, Christians refer to themselves as believers, and use faith as if it

were synonymous with their religion.

So while Ive done all of the etymological archeology necessary to prove that

pistismeant trust and reliance to Greeks circa 50 CE, it would also be accurate

to say that Pauls letters caused its meaning to migrate to faith and belief. As

evidence, the Latin Vulgate, and every English bible translatespistis as such.

But if we dig just a bit deeper, we quickly discover why this has universally

occurred. Paul never provides the basis of trust, which is evidence, or the basis of

reliance, which is understanding. Pauls letters are focused upon articulating his

contrarian opinions, his unique conclusions, and his peculiar status. And he does

this by way of rhetoric, not proof. Not once in the entirety of this epistle has Paul,

or will Paul, provide appropriate evidence in the context of his use ofpistis to

properly exercise the original meaning. Even here where he has cited a portion oftwo verses, neither validates his point. Instead, both mirror his rhetoric. So, based

upon the way that Paul has usedpistis, a reader would be incapable of trusting his

position, limiting believers to putting their faith in him.

Therefore, on my first and second edits of this material, I correctly translated

pistis, reflecting its actual meaning circa 50CE: trust and rely. But once I

discovered that this meaning could not be achieved in the context of Galatians, I

acquiesced to the modern interpretation: faith and belief. After all, it would be

absurd to ask someone to trust or rely without giving them sufficient evidence

or reason to do so. But it would be perfectly appropriate to ask them to believethat which they do not know, that which was neither explained nor verified, much

less rational.

Therefore, the most logical and informed conclusion based upon the corpus

of evidence available to us is that Paul established his faith, his religion, with

these words, rendered as he intended them:

In as much as Abrahambelieved God, Hewas thought to beupright.

(3:6) Come to know and recognizeas a result of faith, we can come to exist as

Abrahams children. (3:7) And then the Written Scripture, foreseeing that

out of faith,people from different races and placeswould be put right andbecome upright with God, the good news was announced ahead of time to Abraham,sayingthatinyouallraceswill be blessed. (3:8) As a result, out of

faith and belief we are blessed together with the faithful and believing

Abraham. (3:9)

For as long as they exist by means of doing the assigned tasks andactivities ofthe Torah, they areundera curse, becauseit is writtenthat: All

areaccursedwhodo notremain alive in and who do notpersevere withall


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thatis writteninthe scrollof the Torah, doingit. (3:10) But withthatLaw,

no oneis vindicated or justifiedalongsideGod,becauseit isclearly evident:

The justified live byfaith. (3:11)

Based upon that which has come before, and that which follows, this is what

Paul meant to say. It is the basis of Pauline Doctrine. It is what Christians believe.

It is wrong.

The Torah on the other hand says that Yahowah will shower us with

blessings, and He will lead us to salvation, so long as we heed the advice He has

shared in His Torah. And based upon the fulfilled prophecies He has articulated

therein, we can trust Him, and rely upon Him.

That does not mean that we have to do everything God recommends. While

heeding His Fatherly advice is always a good thing, our salvation is predicated

upon understanding what He has said in His Torah sufficiently to trust and rely

upon His message and plan. No one has ever been saved because they performed

Passover perfectly. And yet, all who are saved trust in and rely upon Yahowsha

having performed Passover perfectly.

The reason Yahowah consistently uses the Hebrew word samar, meaning

observe, in connection with His Torah prescriptions, is because He wants us to

examine the Torah closely, to look at it intently, to investigate it thoroughly, to

not only move in close and scrutinize its jots and tittles, but to step back and

visualize how its threads are woven into a comprehensive and cohesive tapestry.

In this regard, samarandsamaare related concepts. Samameans listen to and

samar means observe. By combining our senses of hearing and sight ourunderstanding grows.

By inspecting the Torah as if our life depended upon it, by listening to what

Yahowah had to say, by understanding the message, and coming to know its

Author, we are in a position to trust Him, and rely upon His Word. And that is the

sum and substance of our salvation.

Yahowah told us what to eat and what to avoid consuming, not only because

His advice, if heeded, would keep us healthy, and enable us to live longer, more

enjoyable lives, but because He wants us to look at words as if they too were

food. Consume too many unhealthy and poisonous words, and eventually theywill kill you. Dine on the feast of trustworthy words in the Torah, and you will

live. No one has ever been saved because they never ate pork, but if you roll

around in the mud with pigs, you are going to die. There is a reason that Chawah,

Esau, and Yahowsha were tempted with things which were not good to eat.

There are things which will kill us if we consume them. And nothing is more

deadly than a deceitful and destructive message.


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God wants us to know Him and understand His message, so that we can

objectively and rationally choose to trust and rely upon Him. He doesnt want us

to jump into the darkness with our eyes closed, in a giant leap of faith, because

that will get us killed. He wants us to walk with Him into the light, with our eyes,

ears, hearts, and minds open and receptive to His message.

* * *

Thankfully, this next passage also includes a Covenant citation (albeit

another truncated misquote) from the Torah (Leviticus 18:5), or we would be

helpless to make sense of these words: The Law (nomos Torah (singular

nominative or subject)) exists (eimi) not (ou) out of(ek) faith or belief(pistis

originally trust and reliance but now faith and belief),but to the contrary(alla), The (o) one whoperforms (poieomaidoes) them (autos) lives (zao) in

(enwith and by) them (autos). (Galatians 3:12)

To satisfy our quest for understanding, the Leviticus 18:5 passage is set into

the context of: You shall not do what is done (ka maasehanything similar to

the works, customs, and traditions practiced) in the land of Egypt where you

lived, nor are you to do anything similar to the works, customs, andtraditions practiced (ka maaseh) in the land of Canaan where I am bringing

you. You shall not walk (halak follow) in their laws, regulations, statutes,

customs, or traditions (chaqah) against (eth) My stipulations, judgments,decisions, and prescriptions (misphat plans and regulations, authoritative

pronouncements). You shall celebrate and profit from (asahdo) My laws,

statutes, regulations, and prescriptions (chaqah), observing (samarclosely

and carefully examining) and walking (halak) in them. I am Yahowah, your

God. (Leviticus 18:2-4)

This Fatherly advice serves as an open indictment against religion and

politics. It is a call to expose and condemn most all of the rituals and festivals of

Christendom.

Then, the cited verse reads: Observe (shamar closely examine andcarefully consider) My prescriptions for living (chuqah My engraved

instructions which cut you into a relationship with Me) and My means to resolve

disputes (mishpatMy means to exercise good judgment). Whoever (asher

relationally) acts upon and engages (asahendeavors to celebrate and profit,

preparing themselves and accomplishing things of value) with (eth) them, that

man (adamperson) is restored to life and lives (hayahis revived, renewed,

nurtured, spared, kept alive, raised, preserved, and allowed to flourish) in (ba)


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them (hemah). I am (any) Yahowah (). (Qara / Called Out / Leviticus

18:5) So, rather than saying that the law is dead, as Christians protest,Yahowah

is telling us that restoration and life eternal are a direct derivative of observing His

means to resolve disputes which serve as prescriptions for living.

Paul has once again abbreviated, misquoted, and misapplied a passage which

is inconsistent with his own message, perhaps hoping that the use of a common

word, this time perform, inconjunction with the Law would be sufficient to

convince the impressionable and ignorant, that God agrees with his position.

Paul said: Theones whoperform them live in them in Galatians 3:12.

Yahowah had Moseh write: Whoever acts upon and engages (asah

endeavors to celebrate and profit, preparing themselves and accomplishing things

of value) withthem, that manis restored to life and lives (hayahis revived,

renewed, nurtured, spared, kept alive, raised, preserved, and allowed to flourish)

in them. I am Yahowah, in Qara / Leviticus 18:5. A horrible pattern isimmerging.

And while Yahowahs message is clear, Shauwls was not. What on earth

does the law exists not out offaith and belief or trust and reliance mean? What

is the connection or contrast between this clause and Yahowahs statement in

Leviticus? Why did Paul only misquote the end of the verse when its meaning is

derived from its introduction?

Since Pauls castrated citation of this passage was as inappropriate as his

statement was undecipherable, lets turn to those hypnotized by his spell for the

Christian interpretation. The King James reads: And the law is not of faith: but,the man that doeth them shall live in them.At least its clear that it was derived

from the Latin Vulgate which says: But the law is not of faith; instead, he who

does these things shall live by them.

The fervent Pauline apologists at the New Living Translation wrote: This

way of faith is very different from the way of law, which says, It is through

obeying the law that a person has life. Apart from changing observe to

obey, what the NLT has said is true, but not in the way they meant it. The way

of faith is indeed so different from the way of the Torah, that one is the

opposite of the other, telling us that the way of faith actually leads in the oppositedirection.

If nothing else we know that Peter was right in saying that Pauls letters

would be twisted, such that they would deceive the ignorant and malleable,

robbing them of their salvation. But like so many prophecies, just because its

true, doesnt mean that anyone would want to be associated with its fulfillment.


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In that Paul was fanning the flames he was using to burn Yahowahs Torah, I

am convinced that he meant to say: The Torah is not like the way of faith,but

to the contrary, it requires you to do what it says in order to live. (Galatians

3:12 reflecting Pauls intended message.)

At this point we must ask ourselves: can Pauls faith, his religion, be unlike

the Torah and still facilitate a relationship with God? Is it possible that God

could have endorsed a plan which is counter to the one He authored?

Irrespective of the answer (which is obvious), at least the battle lines have

been drawn. According to Pauls verses, it is now the Torah versus Christianity.

We are now immersed in the Great Galatians Debate: Are we to trust Yahowahs

Torah or believe Pauls Gospel of Grace?

Before we press on, since the context of the Leviticus passage was

particularly germane to Pauls Galatians epistle, a letter which serves as the

foundation of Christendom, Id like to reinforce Yahowahs advice. God told His

people not to follow the laws, customs, and traditions of the Egyptians and

Canaanites. That means we are to avoid doing things which were done in

Babylon, Greece, and Rome whose civilizations either inspired or copied them.

And that means we should not celebrate New Years Day, Saint Valentines Day,

Lent, Easter, Halloween, or Christmas, nor gather in churches on Sundays.

The key to understanding this next verse is katara. As we discovered at the

beginning of this discussion, kata is being used as a negation ofara, and its root,

airo, and thus the curse is not having ones prayer answered, not having ones

burdens lifted, and not having ones soul lifted up and carried away to heaven.

Christos (placeholder for Maaseyah [it is unlikely in this context

that Shauwl would have associated the Maaseyah with Yahowah]) redeemed

(exagorazomai worked effectively and advantageously to make use of the

opportunity to pay the ransom to buy us back for Himself; from ek, out of, and

agarazo, doing business in the marketplace where (agora) people assemble for a

public debate, to buy, sell, and vote) us (ego) from (ek) the curse (katarafrom

not having our burdens lifted or our souls raised)[of] the (tov) Torah (nomou

the Law (singular genitive and thus specific)), coming to exist as (ginomai) a

curse (katara one who did not have our burdens lifted or His soul raised) forour sake (hyper ego), because (hoti) [it is] written (grapho inscribed in

Scripture, speaking of the Torah, Prophets, and Psalms): Accursed

(epikataratos) [is] everyone (pas) [who] is hanging (kremamai) upon (epi) wood

(xylon). (Galatians 3:13)

While an amplified definition of katara salvages Shauwls message, to be

honest with ourselves, we must acknowledge that even if Paul understood the

words etymological composition (which is highly unlikely), he would have


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known that not one in a million people would read it that way. So, Paul is

reaffirming his diagnosis: the Torah is a curse.

As all good spellbinding liars have done throughout history, Paul has woven

good thread and bad together in his tapestry. The Maaseyahredeemed us, but

notfrom the curse of the Torah. Our redemption was based upon the Torah.

Yahowshas sacrifice apart from the Torah was useless, because there would have

been no reason for it, nor any benefit from it. Unless the Maaseyah fulfilled

Passover and Unleavened Bread in perfect harmony with the Torahs promises,

His sacrifices were irrelevant. In fact, if the Torah didnt depict Yahowahs

enduring plan of salvation, then Yahowsha was a liar who should not be trusted.

Seeking the light through the fog of rhetoric, and as a result of extensive

lexicon gymnastics, I choose to see this passage as Yahowshas prayer, hoping

that the pain of being the Passover Lamb could be avoided. But the Maaseyahs

earnest plea for Yahowahs Spirit to remain with Him while He hung onGolgothas wooden pole was not heeded. So just as Yahowah had planned and

promised, our burdens were placed on Yahowshaliterally associated with Him

in accordance with His Second Samuel 11 prophecy. Yahowah could not absolve

the Maaseyah of punishment without reneging on His promises and violating His

plan. As a result, Yahowshas soul, rather than being lifted up, was sent down to

Sheowl. And because of what He did, the kata ofara was removed from us. Our

prayers were answered, our souls were unburdened, and thus we are destined to

rise.

The Scripture reference Shauwl quoted also comes from the Torah. It isDeuteronomy 21:23. And Shauwl was right in recognizing that it is Messianic. It

tells us that Yahowsha would be judged to be guilty of a sin worthy of death, that

He would be suspended from a wooden timber, that His body would be removed

from the upright pole before the sun set, that his lifeless body would be prepared

and placed in a sepulcher, as opposed to being buried in the ground, and that as a

result of having our sins associated with Him, the Maaseyah would be the

scorned and despised of God. But while the passage is powerful in the sweeping

nature of its predictions, it was not even remotely appropriate within the context

Paul used it.

The passage reads: When (kyindeed) it comes to pass (hayah) that (ba

in) an Individual (ysha Man) is judged (mispatand sentenced) guilty of a

sin (chata) worthy of death (mawet), and He is put to death (muwth), and you

suspend (talahhang) Him on a wooden timber (eshor tree), do not allow

His dead body (nebelahlifeless corpse) to stay overnight (lynremain after

sunset) on the timber (esh wood). Rather instead (ky) you shall surely

prepare His dead body for a tomb and place it inside (qabar qabar it is

essential that you bury him in a sepulcher) on that same (huw) day (yowm).


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Indeed because (ky) He who is hanged (talahsuspended and displayed) isthe

disparaged and degraded (qalalahis the maligned, abused, vilified, scorned,

cursed, and despised; from qalal, the one viewed and treated as if he were

worthless and insignificant) of God (elohym). Do not cut into (eth) your soil

(adamah) which relationally (asher) Yahowah, your God (elohym) gave(natan) to you as an inheritance (nahalah), makingitunclean (tameimpure

and defiled). (Deuteronomy 21:22-23) This is a prophetic picture of the

Messiahs fulfillment of the Torahs presentation of Passover and Unleavened

Bread. It confirms that the source of our salvation is based upon the very book

Christians have been led to believe Paul is demeaning and annulling.

Recognizing that Shauwl quoted a snippet from the Deuteronomy passage,

and recognizing that his Greek was a woefully inaccurate rendering of it, we are

compelled once again to question the veracity of Pauls letter and the nature of his

intentions. There is a very significant difference between Accursedeveryoneishanging upon wood, and: Indeed because He who is hanged (talah

suspended and displayed), is the disparaged and degraded (qalalah is the

maligned, abused, vilified, scorned, and despised; from qalal, the one viewed and

treated as if he were worthless and insignificant) of God.

That means that either Shauwl misquoted the past three verses out of

ignorance, something I doubt, or he purposefully changed them to suit his thesis,

something I suspect. The only other option requires us to view most every Greek

manuscript of the Christian New Testament as being unreliable, including the

highly professional Papyrus 46 codex dated to the vicinity of 85 CE.

In the referenced Hebrewpassage, both qalalahdisparaged and talah

hanged, are singular. And in the singular, it is Messianic, and appropriately cited,

but not as everyone, as it appears in Galatians. Moreover, the one who was

scorned, was of God in the Hebrew, explaining the process, but not in the

Greek.

Paul is stuck in a rut. Each Scriptural quotation has been chosen, not because

it affirmed his position, but because of word linkage. He has gone from cursed

lawdoing, to law versus faithjustified, to law versus faithperforming,

and then to curse comparing crucifixion to hanging on wood. In all four

couplets, he has abridged the Scripture passage and then twisted it to make it

appear as if his preaching was consistent with Gods teaching. To excuse this

pattern of malfeasance as being an honest mistake, being Gods will, being

inspired by the Spirit, or being a product of scribal error is to be played for a

fool.

Paul is a false prophet. He is purposefully misquoting and twisting

Yahowahs Word in order to establish his doctrine. This is evil in the worst sense


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of the word. And the consequence has been catastrophic. Billions of souls have

been ensnared in this hideous trap.

Unwilling to consider the Greek or Hebrew text, and relying instead on the

Latin Vulgate, the Christian theologians who created the revision known as the

King James Bible missed the fact that the Torah predicted what Yahowsha

fulfilled: 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.If the King

James has accurately reflected Pauls thought, then the Torah is a curse. Rather

than fulfilling the Torah, Yahowsha ransomed us from it. And rather than being

the prefect Lamb of God, Yahowsha embodied all the negativity a curse

implies.

Had Jerome created hisLatin Vulgate from Greek manuscripts, as opposed to

blending his preferred readings from Old Latin variations, he would have seen the

light as well. But alas, he didnt.Christus has redeemed us from the curse of thelaw, since he became a curse for us. For it is scriptum/written: Cursed is anyone

who hangs from a tree.

The only curse pronounced by the Torah is upon those who disregard it, and

Christians are wont to do just that. NLT: But Christ has rescued us from the

curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon

himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, Cursed is

everyone who is hung on a tree.When they added hewas hung on the cross, it

became obvious that they noted the very same pattern Ive been warning you

about. The NLT translation team, like their patriarch, arent oblivious, they aremischievous.

At least Paul is consistent. This is also untrue. Abrahams words do not

comprise the healing and beneficial message, Yahowahs do. And there is no

connection between Abrahams statements and the Maaseyah, but instead

between Yahowahs Word and the Maaseyah. As a result (hina), with

reference to (eis) the people from different races and places (ethnos the

nations), the beneficial and healing word (eulogia the favorable gift of the

message; from eu and logos, beneficial and healing Word) of (toe) Abraham

(Abraam the Merciful, Forgiving, and Compassionate Father), came to exist

(ginomai) in (en) Christo Iesou ( divine placeholders for Maaseyah

(Implement of Yah), Yahowsha, (Yah Saves) However, since this epistle has

disassociated Yahowsha from Yahowah and the Maaseyahfrom the Towrah, its

misleading to connect that which he has severed.) in order to (hina) experience

(lambano select, receive, grasp hold of, acquire, and adorn ourselves in) the

beneficial and healing word (eulogiathe favorable gift of the message) ofthe

Ruwach/Spirit() through (dia) faith (pistos). (Galatians 3:14) Papyrus 46


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includes a second eulogia, beneficial and healing word before the placeholder

forRuwach, so it has been included in the verse.

The story of Abraham, and his relationship with Yahowah is detailed for us

in the Torah so that we might choose to avail ourselves of the same personal and

familial relationship with God he didand the same way Abraham achieved it

by trusting and relying upon Yahowah. But, its Yahowahs message, Yahowahs

plan, Yahowahs prediction, Yahowahs promise, Yahowahs Word, Yahowahs

Maaseyah, and Yahowahs Ruwach/Spirit, not Abrahams. And yet Shauwl

would have you believe that all of this occurred because of Abraham, because that

way he could bypass the Torah and separate Yahowsha from Yahowah. The

result is Christianity.

While the promises made by Yahowah to Abraham were showcased to reveal

the Covenant relationship he developed with God, this isnt Scriptures most

adroit connection between the Maaseyah and the Covenant. Had Paul wanted tomake an irrefutable case from which his audience could build a solid foundation

of understanding, he would have referenced what happened on Mount Mowriyah

where the Maaseyahs sacrifice was foreshadowed. But he didnt.

The reason that we are indirectly blessed by way of Abraham is because he

trusted and relied upon Yahowah at the second most pivotal moment in all of

human historyduring the dress rehearsal for Passover. It was then forty Yowbel

later that Yahowsha completed what Yahowah had predicted, fulfilling the

promises He made to Abraham and to the rest of us. Yahowahs message does not

change from beginning to end. It is one story. Everything points to the samesolution.

Returning to the conclusion of Pauls preamble, ethnosspeaks of people of

all races, living in all places, not specifically of Gentiles. But more troubling,

eulogia, which literally means the beneficial and healing word, was rendered

promise in English and Latinand thats despite epaggelia, the Greek word for

promise, appearing just two verses later. KJV:That the blessing of Abraham

might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the

promise of the Spirit through faith. LV: This was so that the blessing of

Abraham might reach the Gentibus through Christo Iesu, in order that we might

receive the promise of the Spiritus/Spirit through faith.

The first fifteen words of the NLT are wrong, either mistranslated or simply

not represented in the Greek text: Through Christ Jesus, God has blessed the

Gentiles with the same blessing he promised to Abraham, so that we who are

believers might receive the promised Holy Spirit through faith. Following

Abraham, the next seven words are unjustified, as are four of the six following


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receive. In total, 26 of the 30 found in the New Living Translation were not

translated, but instead authored. Its little wonder Christians are deceived.

Pauls comments are out of sync with his preposition whenpistis is translated

trust or reliance in the 11th

, 12th

, or 14th

verses. It is only by rendering pistis

faith or belief, in these passages that the distinction he is making fits his thesis.

So, he has not only defined the fulcrum of his argument, but has also presented

the opening salvo of Pauline Doctrine. He proposed:

In as much as Abrahambelieved God, Hewas thought to beupright.

(3:6) Come to know and recognizeas a result of faith, we can come to exist as

Abrahams children. (3:7) And then the Written Scripture, foreseeing that

out of faith,people from different races and placeswould be put right and

become upright with God, the good news was announced ahead of time to Abraham,sayingthatinyouallraceswill be blessed. (3:8) As a result, out of

faith and belief we are blessed together with the faithful and believingAbraham. (3:9)

For as long as they exist by means of doing the assigned tasks andactivities ofthe Torah, they areundera curse, becauseit is writtenthat: All

areaccursedwhodo notremain alive in and who do notpersevere withall

thatis writteninthe scrollof the Torah, doingit. (3:10) But withthatLaw,

no oneis vindicated or justifiedalongsideGod,becauseit isclearly evident:

The upright and justliveout offaith. (3:11)

The Lawexistsnotout offaith or belief,but to the contrary, Theone

who performs them lives by them. (3:12) Christos redeemed us from thecurseof the Torah, coming to exist as a curse for our sake, because it is

written: Accursediseveryonewhois hanginguponwood. (3:13) As a result,

with reference to the people from different races and places, the beneficial

wordofAbraham, came to existinChristoIesouin order toexperience thebeneficial wordofthe Spiritthroughfaith. (3:14)

In this way, Pauls message came full circle in the manner of great

spellbinders. The the good word came from Abraham, not Yahowah, making a

man responsible for the Maaseyah, not God. So as with the other mistakes, was

this the product of carelessness or intent?While Im not yet ready to disclose Pauls motivation or inspiration, it is long

past time that we acknowledge that his words demonstrate that he was a liar, and

thus a false prophet.

* * *


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In the midst of rebuking and nullifying Yahowahs Torah, Shauwl writes

that men know how to honor covenants, and that they neither invalidate nor

disregard them. So he is either oblivious to what he, himself, is doing, or he no

longer thinks he is human.

The strategy which Paul is deploying is to distinguish between the

conversational promises God made to Abraham and the Covenant memorialized

in the Torah. The fact that there are none was apparently irrelevant to his

argument. He simply wants Christians to believe that they can bypass the Torah

and still have a relationship with God.

He accomplishes this in part by suggesting that adding to and rearranging

the promises, which is something the Torah does relative to the Covenant, would

somehow invalidate the oral agreement. Therefore, the argument is: to capitalize

upon the promises made to Abraham, Christians ought not consider Yahowahs

stipulations, but instead ignore them. That is because as a man Moshe was not in a

position to delineate conditions for participation. The fact that Shauwl does this

very thing, of course, is something he wants Christians to overlook. Just because

Paul is deceitful, doesnt mean that he isnt clever. After all, Yahowah warned us

way back in Eden that Shauwls guiding spirit was cunning and beguiling.

With these words, Paul positioned the second plank in his thesis. Brothers

(adelphos), according to (kata) mans (anthropos) way of (homos) speaking

(lego spoken or written affirmations), man (anthropos) validates (kyroo

ratifies and affirms) a solemn agreement between parties (diathekea bindingbusiness relationship);no one (oudeis) rejects [it] (atheteoregards it as invalid,

disregards, sets aside, voids, nullifies, abrogates, or refuses to recognize the

validity of it) or (e) adds to that which is arranged and prescribed

(epidiatassomai). (Galatians 3:15) As is the case with so many of Pauls

statements, this example only works if you dont think about it. But it is laughably

absurd. Man has elevated the violation of agreements to an art form. Legions of

attorneys attest to this sorry state of affairs. Not to mention that Paul is himself in

the process of rejecting and invalidating the Torah, where Yahowahs Covenant

agreement is memorialized.

It should be noted here, that in the Sermon on the Mount, Yahowsha said

that the Heavenly Fathers gift is the Torah and Prophets, and that the Torah

and Prophets represent the narrow gate to life. This occurs in the same discussion

where Yahowshaobliterated the Christian theological position that the Law was

annulled by Grace, by affirming that He came to fulfill the Torah, not annul it,

saying that every jot and tittle of the Torah would remain in effect as long as the

universe lasts, and until its every promise is fulfilled. So, the only way Christians


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can be right, is for Yahowsha to be wrong. And if Yahowsha was wrong,

Christians cant be right. And therein lies the rational conundrum the religious are

unwilling to confront. For the religion of Christianity, properly understood, this

passage is its death nail.

The Christian interpretations of this passage are as errant as Pauls statement.

KJV: Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a mans

covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto. LV:

Brothers (I speak according to man), if a mans testament has been confirmed

(confirmatum testamentum), no one would reject it or add to it.Men and women

have disavowed vastly more covenants than they have upheld. And this

Covenant is Gods, not mans.

Politically correct and charming, the NLT presents: Dear brothers and

sisters, heres an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or

amend an irrevocable agreement, so it is in this case.

The inspiration for Shauwls next point is Genesis 17:8, which says: Based

upon the everlasting Covenant, your Godgives to you and to your seed (zeradescendant, posterity, and offspring (singular/masculine)) after you, this

land where you are living as an alien, and all of the land of Canaan, as aneverlasting possession So, recognizing a minor nuance in this Torah passage,

Shauwl nurtured a seed into a full born theory.

But (de) to (to) Abraham (Abraama transliteration of the Hebrew, ab

and raham, meaning Merciful, Compassionate, and Forgiving Father) were said

(erreoesan were spoken and verbally communicated) these (ai) announcedpromises (epaggeliathe heralding of the consent approval and agreement, from

epaggello, meaning to announce and promise that you are going to do something

and furnish it voluntarily by your own accord, and that you have the ability and

authority to do as you have sworn, from epi, to be in position, and aggelos, to be a

messenger) and (kai) [to] his (autos) seed (spermadescendant (singular)). And

(kai) [it does] not (ou) say (lego) seeds (spermasindescendants (plural)), as in

the manner of(hos) upon (epi) many (polys), but to the contrary (alla) upon

(epi) one (heis), and (kai) your (sy) seed (spermadescendant and offspring

(singular)), who (hos) exists as (eimi) Christos ( Maaseyah (while the

placeholder represents the Implement of Yah, Shauwl avoids associating Him

with Yahowah)). (Galatians 3:16)

It is widely known that the promise to bless all humankind through Abraham

was fulfilled through Yahowsha. So Paul is acknowledging the obvious

although, his methods are not altruistic. Somewhere along the line, Shauwl

turned on his own people and became anti-Semitic. What he is attempting here is

to sidestep the lineage of the Covenant through Yitschaq and Yaaqob, who


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became Yisrael. By writing them out of the story, he can jump directly from

Abraham to the Maaseyah and bypass the Torah, the Promised Land, and the

Chosen People. The legacy of this ploy is Christianity.

But credit to where credit is due. In the whole of the Greek language, it

would be difficult to find a more appropriate term in this context than epaggello.

It embodies the essence of the healing and beneficial message Yahowsha brought

to the world. It says that Yahowah made a promise to voluntarily, on His own

accord, furnish the Maaseyah, the Messenger who was in a position, and had the

ability and authority, to do what He had announced in the Torah. I love it when

the words come alive in our presence.

But I would be remiss if I didnt point out that Shauwls specificity here

with regard to zerabeing seed singular, not plural, suggests that I was right

when I said that it was unlikely that he accidentally quoted the four Scriptural

passages which served to convince his readers that his message was supported byGod. How is it that this man could have missed the fact that the Messianic

prophecy related to Passover was singular, not plural, and yet isolate one aspect of

zera?

Missing the magnificence of the word which served to unify the Torahs

promises with their fulfillments, the inadequate KJV writes: Now to Abraham

and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but

as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.

The Catholic Churchs Latin Vulgate reads: The promises were made to

Abrah and to his offspring. He did not say, and to descendents, as if to many,but instead, as if to one, he said, and to your offspring, who is Christus.To this

Jerome added: ~ The Promise was certainly made to many descendents ofAbraham, since God used the figure of the stars in the sky and the sand on the

shore. But Paul is saying that the word used for offspring can be taken in the

singular sense, because the promise is primarily about Christ, (the one offspring

who redeems all other offspring), and only secondarily about the physical and

spiritual descendents of Abraham. The Roman theologian is saying that Paul

made a big deal out of nothing, and I concur.

Speaking of making something out of nothing, the New Living Translationwould have us believe that zeraand spermaboth mean child. God gave the

promises to Abraham and his child. And notice that the Scripture doesn't say to

his children, as if it meant many descendants. Rather, it says to his childand

that, of course, means Christ. Therein we see one of the problems of Pauls

writing and reasoning exposed. His words and thoughts are far too easily

misconstrued and misrepresented.


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The less evident, but more intriguing, message related to the use of zera

seed, is found by connecting this promise to the one made in the Garden of Eden.

There Yahowah predicted that the zeraseed of woman would bruise Satan

on his head, which is precisely what the Maaseyah did.

Apart from the connection between Yahowahs blessing by way of Abraham

and the Maaseyah, this is all much ado about nothing. Seed in English, and

indeed its counterpart in most languages, implies the plural even in the singular

form. A bag of seed contains many seeds, just as we seed a field using more than

one. So Abrahams seed would be both the Maaseyah, singular, and Abes

descendants, plural. God obviously meant to convey both the plural and the

singular aspect ofzera, and spoke vociferously of both the Children of Yisrael

and the Maaseyah. And indeed, as the children of the Covenant God made with

Abraham, those who are born into Yahowahs family are the Merciful Fathers

seed.Again, citing the book Christians are wont to claim Galatians was nullifying,

Shauwls next sentence is based upon Genesis 15:13. The Torah reads: He said

to Abraham (Abraham Merciful and Gracious Father), know for certain

(yada yadabe completely aware and totally recognize and accept) that your

descendants will exist as strangers in a land which isnt theirs, and they will

work for them for four hundred years.

The duration of time between the Covenant being announced through

Abraham, and it being affirmed through Moseh, was 430 years. While Yisraelites

lived in bondage for 400 years, Abraham didnt leave the Promised Landimmediately after the agreement was reached, and the Yisraelites were welcomed

guests initially in Egypt. Therefore, the Torah is right with 400 years of bondage

and Shauwl is right with regard to the overall duration of time, because the Torah

itself uses both numbers.

But (de) this (houtos) Isay (legocommunicate and affirm), A covenant

agreement between parties (diatheke a binding relationship arrangement to

award heirs) was established and validated in advance (prokyroo was

sanctioned and ratified beforehand; from kuroo, to promise and confirm publicly

that something is valid, and thus truthful and reliable, and pro, ahead of time) by

(hupobecause of, under the auspices of, by the means of, and for the reasons

that) God (). After (meta with) four-hundred and thirty (tetrakosioi kai

triakonta) years (etos), having become (ginomaihaving appeared on the scene

and arrived upon the stage of history as) theTorah (nomosLaw) doesnot (ou)

revoke it (akyroo invalidate, nullify, contradict, or void it, or deprive it of

authority) so as to (eis) invalidate (katargeo abolish, idle, or inactivate,

diminish, delay, remove the force of) the (o) announced promise (epaggelia

the heralding of the consent approval and agreement). (Galatians 3:17)


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It is inappropriate, although not out of character, for Paul to begin this

statement with But this I say. It is as if he thinks his opinions and ideas are

superior to Gods. Yet, Pauls insights are only valuable when and if they

illuminate something Yahowah has written, so that we might understand it better.

But here he is trying to get us to ignore Yahowahs testimony. Rather than affirmthat the Covenant established with Abraham was validated and memorialized in

the Torah 430 years later, Shauwl is saying that the Torah did not revoke or

invalidate it. In that way, rather than the Torah being essential to the Covenant, it

is irrelevant to it. His strategy was ingenious and insidious.

To understand why Shauwl used such twisted logic, we have to consider this

statement within the context of the point he has been trying to advance. Paul is

linking the promise made to Abraham with the Maaseyah and then to

believing the message he has been preaching, while at the same time bypassing

the Torah. Therefore, he is telling the Galatians that since the Torah cannotrevoke or invalidate the promise, the Torah is extraneous to the promise.

The reason this clever, albeit ridiculous, line of reasoning prevailed, is that

the natural tendency of people ensnared in a religious system is to give their

Apostles the benefit of the doubt. I am embarrassed to say, that I missed the

purpose of these last three verses during my initial pass through this material. And

that is why I shared my preconceived thoughts regarding Galatians at the outset of

this evaluation. I was predisposed to solve the discrepancies between the Christian

interpretation of this epistle and Yahowahs testimony by correcting the text to

reflect the oldest manuscripts, to more accurately translate the words Paul

selected, to appropriately identify whether Mosaic or Rabbinic Law was beingassailed or affirmed, and then clarify Pauls message by associating it with

Yahowahs witness.

Had Shauwl stopped after saying that the Covenant was validated by God

after 430 years, becoming the Torah, he would have been correct. But he had an

entirely different agenda. And not recognizing it initially, I saw Paul affirming

that the Torah didnt invalidate the promise. But that is like saying Moby Dick

didnt invalidate Ahabs vow to get the whale. Every last detail associated with

the promise would be completely unknown without the Torah. In this light, please

ponder:

Brothers, according to mans way of speaking, man validates an

agreement between parties; no one rejects it or adds to that which is

prescribed. (3:15) ButtoAbraham were saidthese announced promisesand

tohisseed. And itdoesnotsayseeds, as in the manner ofuponmany, but tothe contrary upon one, and your seed, who exists as Christos. (3:16) But

this I say, a covenant agreement between parties was established and

validated in advance by God. After four-hundred and thirty years, having


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become the Torah does not revoke it so as to invalidate the announcedpromise. (3:17)

The twist here is invalidate as opposed to validate. In reality, the

Covenant promise which was discussed between Yahowah and Abraham was

affirmed,that is to say validated, 430 years after it was initially established with

the rescue of the Children of Yisrael from bondage in the crucible of Egyptthe

central story of the Torah. And it is this same promise memorialized in the

Towrah between Abraham and Yahowah, which Yahowah augmented and

Yahowsha ultimately fulfilled (at least in part). (The reason He is returning is to

fulfill the final three Called-Out Assemblies.) Therefore, rather than the Torah

being bypassed, or even brought to an end, the Covenant is the basis of the

promise made between God and man, and it is enduring.

To demonstrate how horribly I was fooled, here is what I said about this verse

as I was initially compiling this chapter. Speaking of the relationship between theCovenant and the Torah, and especially of prokyroovalidated in advance (in

the initial clause), I wrote: And this realization would make this message

accurate and pertinent. In fact, the deeper we peer into the words Shauwl

selected, the more magnificent the passage becomes. There are bright, shining

moments in Pauls epistles, and this is one of them. I swallowed the hook, the

line, and the bait.

It is ironic in a way. I will be vilified for having turned over and exposed the

rocks Paul has hurled at the Torah, but I will actually be guilty of letting my

desire to validate Pauls message taint my judgment.But at least I had the good sense at the time to buffer my unwarranted praise

for this passage, initially adding: And yet, this realization stands in stark contrast

to Pauls positioning of the Torah before and after this verse. While this verse was

sound, this approach is nonetheless out of character with Pauls depiction of the

Torah throughout this epistle.

Turning to the translations, we find the KJV inferring that since the Law

cannot invalidate the promise, the Law must be wrong, which is worse than, albeit

a natural extension of, what Shauwl was trying to say.And this I say, that the

covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was fourhundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of

none effect.

The Latin Vulgate isnt wrong; its just inadequate: But I say this: the

testament confirmed by God (testamentum confirmatum a Deo), which, after four

hundred and thirty years became the Law (Lex), does not nullify, so as to make

the promise empty.


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The New Living Translation published: This is what I am trying to say: The

agreement God made with Abraham could not be canceled 430 years later when

God gave the law to Moses. God would be breaking his promise.After all, Paul

was composing the lyrics for their hymnals.

At this point the writing quality suddenly deteriorates. This next verse

requires a complete reordering of the words, the addition of two verbs, a

preposition, and three articles

Because (garfor) if(ei) inheritance (kleronomaipossession of a gift or

patrimony, becoming an heir) [comes] out of (ek) the Torah (nomou Law

(singular genitive, and thus a specific characterization)), [it is] no longer (ouketi)

from (ekby means of) [a] promise (epangelia), but (de) God ()providedCharis-Charity/Gratia-Grace (charizomaiCharis in action) [to] Abraham by

(dia) an announced messenger and by way of [a] promise (epaggelia).

(Galatians 3:18) Yahowah most assuredly did not offer, provide, or even discussthe pagan Charities with Abraham. And what He did offer him, He presented in

personnot by way of a messenger.

Kleronomai is a compound ofkleroswhich is a means of selecting someone

by random chance, and specific

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Questioning Paul - Galatians - 07 - Towrah - Prescriptions for Living

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