Questioning Paul
Chapter 6
part 4
These things known, let’s see if we can decode Sha’uwl’s riddle. Reduced to its essentials, over the past five "verses," Paul wrote:
"We Yahuwdym by nature and not from the social outcasts of sinful and heathen races (2:15) having come to realize without investigation or evidence that by no means whatsoever is made right, is vindicated, or made righteous man by means of tasks and activities associated with the Towrah if not by belief and faith in Iesou Christou, and we on Christon Iesoun, ourselves believed in order for us to have become righteous, to have been acquitted and vindicated out of faith in Christou, and not by means of acting upon or engaging in the Towrah, because by means of engaging in and acting upon the Towrah not any flesh will be acquitted, vindicated, nor made righteous. (2:16)
But if seeking to be made righteous and innocent in Christo, we were found also ourselves social outcasts and sinners, shouldn’t we be anxious that Christos becomes a guilty, errant, and misled, servant of sin? Not may it exist, (2:17) because if that which I have actually torn down, dissolved, and dismantled, invalidated and abolished, subverted, abrogated, and discarded, this on the other hand I restore or reconstruct, promoting this edifice, I myself bring into existence and recommend transgression and disobedience. (2:18) I then, because of, and by the Towrah’s allotment / law, myself, actually died and was separated in order that to God I might currently live. In Christo I have actually been crucified together with." (Galatians 2:19)
While it is possible to "die and be separated from" Yahowah, this is the fate of those who dismantle and demean the Torah, and not of those who observe it. And speaking of dying, Paul was not "actually crucified with the Ma’aseyah." He wasn’t even a witness to the fulfillment of Passover or Unleavened Bread, much less a beneficiary. For had he observed Passover, he would not have died. And if he had benefited from Unleavened Bread, he would not have been separated. That is the purpose of the first two Miqra’ey.
Instead of availing himself of the Ma’aseyah’s fulfillment of Yahowah’s promises and plan, Sha’uwl presented himself as god. So he imagined that his work was even more important than Yahowsha’s had been, because he completed what was lacking in His work. Rather than accepting Yahowah’s gift, Sha’uwl wanted believers to see him as the one who provided it.
But based upon his god’s credibility problem, even Sha’uwl was uncertain of his destiny. To which I have good and bad news. Based upon his own admission of his spiritual affiliation, Sha’uwl lives and will never die. But he is separated from God, spending his eternity with Satan in She’owl. With his ego, Sha’uwl is probably claiming that She’owl was named in his honor.
According to Yahowah, He fulfilled His Torah’s promises so that we could live with Him. While the Torah delineates the Way, that Way had to be facilitated for us to be acquitted. Yahowah provided the path and Yahowsha’ paid the toll. Therefore, these aren’t separate things, one which kills and the other which provides life, but instead God’s depiction of the path to life which He, Himself, enabled.
Recognizing what the Greek actually reveals, let’s consider whether the King James and Vulgate are, in the strict sense, translations. The KJV reads: "For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God." Now for the Latin Vulgate (at least as it has been revised): "For through the legem/law, I have become dead to the legi/law, so that I may live for God. I have been confixus/nailed to the cruci/cross with Christo." The NLT was similar, but then its authors couldn’t restrain themselves and conspired to create a point of their own with: "For when I tried to keep the law, it condemned me. So I died to the law—I stopped trying to meet all its requirements—so that I might live for God." But to be fair, if one excludes what we can learn from the tenses, voices, and moods ascribed to these verbs, these are all reasonably close to: "I then by and because of the Towrah’s allotment /law actually died and was separated, I actually endured physical death, killing myself, in order that to God I might currently live. In Christo I alone in unison with him was actually crucified."
As you may know, there were no numerical verse designations in manuscripts prior to the Geneva Bible, which was published in the late 16th century. However, the spacing on Papyrus 46 suggests that the sentence "I was crucified with the Christo" belongs with the placeholder for God, ΘΩ, and thus exists as part of the previous statement. However, most modern revisions remove the ΧΡ and Ω placeholders from the previous sentence and attach them to the next one. Also, while the Textus Receptus, the Novum Testamentum Graece, and the Nestle Aland Greek New Testament, as well as most all English translations read "the Son of God," the oldest witness to Sha’uwl’s letter does not. With this in mind, the preceding vain and vile rant was followed by...
"I live (zao – I am alive (present tense, active voice, indicative mood, first person singular)), but (de) no longer (ouketi – not any more) I (ego). He lives (zao – he is alive (present, active, indicative, third person singular)) then (de – but) in (en – within) me (ego) Christos (ΧΣ – Ma’aseyah (errantly presented without the definite article)).
This (os – which) because (de – but) now (nym – at the present) I live (zao – I am alive (present, active, indicative, first person)) in (en) flesh (sarx – physical body, corporeally), in (en) faith (pistis – believing (originally meant trusting and relying but migrated in concert with Sha’uwl’s usage)) I live (zao – I am alive (present, active, indicative, first person singular)), the of the (te tov – perhaps he meant to say "that the") God (ΘΥ) and (kai) Christou (ΧΡΥ – Ma’aseyah (once again without the definite article required before a title)) the one (tov) having loved (agapao – having tangibly demonstrated devotion for (aorist, active, participle, singular, and genitive which collectively convey that this condition once existed in the past as a snapshot in time without any consideration for the process which made it possible and it was done especially and exclusively for)) me (ego), and (kai) surrendered and entrusted authority (paradidomi – handed over the power to control, influence and instruct, to teach and to betray exclusively and especially of (aorist, active, participle (happened in the past but was not part of a process), singular, genitive (restricting this characterization to a single individual)) Himself (heautou – of Him (reflexive pronouns denote mutual participation in the act)) for the sake of (hyper – on behalf of and because of) me (ego)." (Galatians 2:20)
I recognize that this passage doesn’t flow well in English, but I double-checked the oldest manuscript, and this is exactly how it reads. Also, on the pages of codex known as Papyrus 46, we find "ΘΥ kai ΧΡΥ – God and Christou," so that is why it was conveyed this way instead of "the Son of the God" as reported in the Nestle-Aland, whose Interlinear published: "Live, but no longer I lives but in me Christ what but now I live in flesh in trust I live the of the son of the God the one having loved me and having given over himself on behalf of me."
Sha’uwl’s line, "I am alive, but not I, he lives in me, Christos," affirms what I’ve long suspected. Sha’uwl wanted his audience to view him as Christos incarnate. Frankly, there is no other rational way to interpret these words. Paul was alive, which means that he could not have been dead.
By way of clarification, it is the Set-Apart Spirit who lives within those of us who are adopted into Yahowah’s Covenant family, not the Ma’aseyah. In this way, Yahowah enriches and empowers His Covenant children with some of His Spiritual energy, but it would be senseless to place a corporeal manifestation inside of a physical body. So this means that Sha’uwl wants people to believe that he has become the embodiment of Christou – which incidentally, he continues to deploy as a name rather than a title.
The problem with this for Paul, besides being wrong, is that he consistently condemns the flesh, which he claims is bad, because he wants to infer that his spirit is good. But now that he is touting his flesh as the embodiment of Christou, he spins the result, telling his audience to accept this hypocritical conflict by faith.
Furthermore, this arrogant perspective in the midst of a deplorable boast to have not only negated the Torah but to have made up for Yahowsha’s deficiencies, is further underscored by the grammatical tenses, voices, and cases Sha’uwl ascribed to the verbs agapao and paradidomi, in addition to the meaning of the concluding verb.
By using the aorist "snapshot" tense with both verbs, "love and surrender," Sha’uwl is deliberately isolating Yahowsha’s actions, disassociating them from Yahowah’s promise and purpose. Without consideration for the process which made these things possible, there is no longer an association between Yahowsha’s sacrifice and the Towrah in the minds of those beguiled by this myth. This negates everything Yahowah accomplished through Yahowsha’.
To believe Sha’uwl, Yahowsha’ decided to allow mortal men to kill immortal God, nailing Him to a pagan cross. The fact that it happened on Pesach, the doorway to life was irrelevant. Yahowsha’ would have to have squandered the Shabat too, accomplishing nothing of value on the Miqra’ of Matsah. And in the isolated madness of Pauline myths, especially with regard to his religion’s Easter Sunday, rather than observing the Torah, the god man killed would have to have been physically resurrected. Too bad for Sha’uwl’s devotees the eyewitness accounts all say that no one recognized the most important individual in their lives upon the fulfillment of Bikuwrym.
In reality, Yahowah established the doorway to life, the means to be perfected, and the adoption process into His Covenant family to honor the promise of Pesach, Matsah, and Bikuwrym, presenting and explaining these Invitations to Meet with Him for a reason. He wants us to respond to these Invitations, to observe the Guidance He has provided, and to capitalize upon what He has done so that we might accept His merciful offer. But that is seldom done when people are fooled into disassociating these promises from their fulfillments.
And it gets worse. Rather than presenting God’s love and sacrifice as something done for all of us, Paul scribed both verbs as singular and then in the genitive suggesting that his Christou exclusively and especially loved him and therefore decided to surrender and entrust His authority to Sha’uwl alone.
This concern is highlighted by the realization that up to this point Paul has been conveying his message using the royal we, as was the case with Muhammad, thereby inferring that he and his god were speaking with the same voice. In the Qur’an, this is because Allah is Muhammad’s alter ego, making the man and his god one and the same. But here, we’ve now transitioned from "we" used similarly, suggesting that Sha’uwl wanted to be perceived as the voice of God, to "ego – me, myself, and I" when Paul is positioning himself as the exclusive object of his god’s adoration and as the sole recipient of his authority. (Should you be curious, the transition from "we" to "I" occurred when we left the 15th, 16th and 17th verses and transitioned into the world of make believe in verses 18, 19, and 20.)
Regarding the personalization of these arrogant claims, we find the use of "‘paradidomi – surrendered and entrusted authority individually, especially, and exclusively’, Himself mutually participating in the act with me for my sake and because of me." Paradidomi speaks of "handing over authority, turning it over and delivering it up to another, entrusting them with it, yielding to them." Secondarily, it means "to be betrayed." And its tertiary meaning speaks of "granting the authority to instruct and to teach." It is from para, which conveys "from, of, by, or with," and "didomi – to give, granting, bestowing, and entrusting something for mutual advantage." Therefore, written in the singular genitive, Paul wants us to believe that his Christou surrendered, handing over His authority exclusively to him. Once again: a-Paul-ing.
Rather than Yahowsha’ being in charge, it was Paul who was lord and master – man’s savior and the voice of god. Rather than the Towrah being the authorized source of teaching and instruction, its authority was surrendered, yielded to Sha’uwl. For those who know Yahowah, it is more than enough to make one want to scream.
If Paul had wanted to say that Yahowsha’ "offered Himself sacrificially for our benefit," he would have written zabach (Strong’s 2076) or dabach (Strong’s 1685) in the first person plural. But deliberately, egotistically, and deceptively, he selected paradidomi, and then he scribed it in the singular genitive.
Yahowsha’ is translated using this same word in the context of "on the way to court with an adversary, settle differences expeditiously so that your accuser doesn’t hand you over (paradidomi) to the judge, who will throw you into prison." (Mattanyah / Matthew 5:25) It is used again in Mark’s account, to say in 15:1: "The leading priests and the rabbis of the religious law bound Yahowsha’, and handed Him over (paradidomi) to Pilate, the Roman governor."
In Luke 20:20, by searching for the meaning of paradidomai, we find a dissertation on Sha’uwl’s duplicitous nature and intent: "And having observed Him closely (paratereo), they prepared and dispatched (apostello) spies (egkathetos – people who secretly lie in wait, and who cleverly bribe and entrap), themselves pretending (hypokrinomai – themselves duplicitous insincere hypocrites, using the statements of another to feign and separate under false pretenses) to be upright and justified (dikaios – Torah observant) in order to seize control of (epilambanomai – to take Him into their custody against His will along with) His word (logos – [Torah pronouncements]) so that they could betray Him, cause Him to surrender, and hand Him over to the control of (paradidomi) the supreme ruling authority (arche): the governor with the freedom to judge (exousia)."
Substitute Sha’uwl for "the duplicitous men separating people from God under false pretences," and Satan for "the supreme ruling authority," and you will understand the hideous intent of Galatians 2:20. And while I realize that this would be a stretch if reliant only on this isolated passage, this is perhaps the only reasonable interpretation of his use of paradidomi in this context.
Paradidomi, written in the aorist active participle masculine singular genitive, as paradontos, becomes a verbal adjective which is restricted to a singular individual. It thus conveys that the Ma’aseyah was betrayed, that He surrendered, yielding Himself and His authority to Sha’uwl. And therefore, Sha’uwl no longer lived. He was now "Christou" in the flesh. Telling you that I’m the man in the moon, would be more credible.
There is an interesting "catch 22" evident here in our diagnosis of Pauline Doctrine. It’s obvious that this letter was poorly written, perhaps making the specificity and frequency of these criticisms seem a bit unfair. And if Paul were an average fellow, admitting to be unskilled in the art of written communication as opposed to bragging about his prowess, and if he openly stated that these letters contained his opinions as opposed to God’s message, then the strident nature of this evaluation might be insufferable for Pauline aficionados. But that is not the case. Paul has repeatedly protested that he is the Ma’aseyah’s appointed apostle, if not the living embodiment of his god. He not only claims that his message was from God, but that his god yielded his authority to him. So from that perspective, considering the consequence, every misstatement and every errant nuance must be exposed and condemned.
All of this brings us face to face with something else Paul got wrong, and which has subsequently influenced Christianity. In this verse, and in many others like it, the Ma’aseyah and His alleged agent have become the focus, when our eyes should be on the Father. Yahowsha’ is Yahowah’s implement, a tool. He is a substantially diminished manifestation, or corporeal representation, of God, set apart from Yahowah. The Christian perspective is like being captivated by a toenail clipping while ignoring the person from whom it was attached. Yahowsha’ is important, but immeasurably less so than Yahowah.
Additionally, this verse says: "God (ΘΥ) and (kai) Cristou (ΧΡΥ)." The conjunction separates them as if they were different individuals, which while consistent with Christian mythology, isn’t true. It would be more accurate, and more instructive, to say, "Yahowsha’ was set apart from Yahowah to demonstrate His love for us."
Had Sha’uwl written: "the moment we come to trust and rely upon Yahowah and His Towrah, and act upon the terms and conditions of the Covenant, we cease to be mortal, our souls are restored, and we become God’s children, immortal and perfect," he would have had a valid point. This condition is possible because Yahowah tangibly demonstrated His love for us, fulfilling His Passover, Unleavened Bread, FirstFruits, and Seven Sabbaths promises, thereby enabling all five of the Covenant’s benefits. But Sha’uwl didn’t convey any of these things.
Instead he lied: "I live, but no longer I. He lives then in me, Christos. This because now I live in flesh in faith I live the of the God and Christou, the one having loved me and surrendered, entrusting authority, yielding and handing over the power to control, influence and instruct, and to betray exclusively and especially of Himself for the sake of and because of me."
The KJV’s rendering has become so familiar to us, it’s a shame that it isn’t accurate: "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." Jerome’s Latin Vulgate reads: "I live; yet now, it is not I, but truly Christus, who lives in me. And though I live now in the flesh, I live in the faith of the Son of God (in fide vivo Filii Dei), who loved me and who delivered himself for me." In the NLT we find: "My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." While much of this is wrong, to their credit, at least on this occasion, team Tyndale actually translated pistis correctly.
The first portion of what follows would have been sage advice if not for the name of the always-naked Greek and Roman goddesses of licentiousness. Apart from the invalid association, and violation of the First, Second, and Third Statements Yah etched on the First Tablet, and the Sixth Instruction He wrote on the Second Tablet, it would otherwise underscore the life and death decision we are all given the opportunity to evaluate. Bur alas, since Sha’uwl has rejected Yahowah’s source of mercy by denouncing His Torah, this is just another lie...
"I do not reject or disregard (ou atheteo – I do not regard as invalid, I do not refuse nor set aside, or literally: not, I do not actually at present rely on (present tense, active voice, indicative mood, first person singular)) the (o) Charity / Grace (charis – attractiveness, charm, and frivolity; the name of the Greek goddesses of Charity, known to the Romans as the Gratia, which was transliterated "Grace") of the (tov) God (ΘΥ)...."
The reason that this is so sinister is because Paul is claiming that by rejecting the Torah, he did not reject God’s mercy. Yahowah’s position, however, is the antithesis of this, and we know that because after denouncing religion, and most especially religious corruptions like this at the conclusion of the Second of Three Statements on the First of Two Tablets, He wrote: "My mercy is for the thousands who approach Me in love and who closely and carefully observe the terms of the relationship." (Shemowth / Names / Exodus 20:6) The conditions associated with our participation in the Covenant are found in the first book of the Towrah and nowhere else on earth. The same is true of the lone path which has been provided to save us. Therefore, according to Yahowah, the God who in the first of those statements introduces Himself as our Savior, the relatively few individuals (thousands represents one in a million people) who receive His mercy do so by studying the Towrah’s Guidance so that they can walk to Yah along the path He has provided as part of His Covenant family. So by claiming that the Torah can be discarded without invalidating its benefits, Paul has contradicted God while confusing Christians. As a result, the billions who have been beguiled by Paul’s rhetoric, by disregarding the Towrah have rejected God’s mercy. That is what makes him so deadly.
The second half of Paul’s statement is more challenging to interpret, because of its hypothetical nature, and because of the lack of specificity regarding the identity of the nomou Sha’uwl was addressing because it is only distinguished by the genitive nature of the Greek noun. And yet in this particular context, there can be little doubt to Sha’uwl’s intent. He appears to be saying: "If the Torah could save, then there was no reason for Christos to die." Listen and see if you don’t agree (with that explanation, not with that message).
"...if because (ei – presenting a real or hypothetical condition) then (gar – as a transition suggesting a continuation, translation, reason, or cause and effect) by or through (dia – on account of) the Torah (nomou – the allotment which is parceled out for the purpose of nurturing those with an inheritance (restricted to a singular and specific characterization in the genitive)) righteousness (dikaiosyne – becoming acceptable and upright, being virtuous and correct) consequently as a result (ara – then, therefore, and accordingly, based upon the prior thought the conclusion is drawn) Christos (ΧΡΣ – Ma’aseyah (but without the definite article)) undeservedly, for no reason (dorean – for no purpose or cause, without benefit, for naught, and in vain) he died (apothnesko – he suffered death in the past; from apo – separation and thnesko – to die)." (Galatians 2:21)
By comparison, the NA published: "if for through law rightness, then Christ as a gift died." Setting aside their errant translation of nomou and unjustified transliteration of Christos, the message is similar with the exception of dorean, an adverb which the Nestle-Aland’s Interlinear rendered as "gift" instead of "undeservedly, for no reason." But to be fair, had dorean been scribed as a noun, its root does speak of a gift, albeit one given without reason or benefit.
Focusing on the words themselves, this assertion inverts Yahowah’s Towrah teaching, upending the relationship between the Towrah and Ma’aseyah. According to God, it is because of the Towrah’s promises that Yahowsha’ endured Passover and Unleavened Bread, so that He and we could enjoy FirstFruits. Had there been no Towrah, there would have been nothing to observe on these days and no benefits associated with them – therefore, no reason to fulfill them. So Paul’s statement isn’t just misleading, it is a boldfaced lie, totally deceptive, destructive, deadly, and damning.
These four days – Pesach, Matsah, Bikuwrym, Shabuw’ah – provide those who answer God’s Invitations with all five of the Covenant’s blessings: eternal life, perfection (righteousness and acceptability), adoption, enrichment, and empowerment. So according to God, we become righteous and acceptable as a result of responding to His willingness to honor the promises He made regarding His Covenant in His Towrah.
It is only by negating this association between Yahowah’s Word (Towrah) and Yahowah’s Work (Ma’aseyah) that either would be in vain. But that only happens under the specific scenario Sha’uwl has laid before us – which is what makes his letters so devastating.
There are three utterly and inexplicitly absurd aspects to Paul’s, and thus the Christian, position on the "death" of God. It is impossible. God, by His own definition, is immortal. It is irrational. Death is the absence of life, neither a remedy nor solution to our mortality. And it is inconsistent with God’s testimony as well as with the eyewitness accounts.
Therefore, the big picture is devastating to Christianity. God cannot die. Man cannot kill God. And God’s death, should it even be possible, would not make us righteous or acceptable.
On Pesach, Yahowsha’s physical body representing the Passover Lamb, was sacrificed, but only after Yahowah’s presence, by way of the Set-Apart Spirit, departed. By fulfilling this specific aspect of His promise, in harmony with the Exodus, the lives of the Covenant’s children are spared, making us immortal. In Yah’s parlance, "we avoid the plague of death and destruction."
The next day, which began at sundown, Yahowsha’s soul, representing His life and consciousness, now separated from God, went to She’owl, fulfilling Matsah, known as Un-Yeasted Bread, on a Shabat. His soul. Thereby, paid the price to ransom us, making us acceptable by removing our corruption, represented by the yeast which had now been removed from the bread. The remains of Yahowsha’s body was incinerated following Passover in keeping with the Towrah’s instructions. (Shemowth / Exodus 12:10 reads: "Do not leave of it (the lamb) until morning, and what remains of it you are to burn with fire.")
So then on Bikuwrym, meaning "firstborn child and foremost child," Yahowsha’s soul, now released from She’owl, was reunited with the Set-Apart Spirit, making Yahowsha’ the first born unto our Heavenly Father’s family. In this way, we too are adopted into the Covenant by being reborn Spiritually.
Next, just as He had done when He initially revealed His Towrah Teaching to us, God enriched His children with His Guidance on Seven Sabbaths, empowering us through the Set-Apart Spirit on Shabuw’ah. Therefore, Yahowsha’s observation of the Towrah mattered because the promises of the Towrah matter.
The Ma’aseyah Yahowsha’, the Qodesh Qodesh or Most Set Apart, as the diminished corporeal manifestation of Yahowah, in concert with the Set-Apart Spirit, honored and enabled all four of these Towrah promises in 33 CE (Year 4000 Yah). They are essential and necessary individually but also collectively. One without the others can be counterproductive. For example, if a person were to observe Passover but not Unleavened Bread, they become immortal, but still unacceptable to God, so they would be eternally separated from Him in She’owl. So by over emphasizing one aspect of Yahowsha’s life, and by mischaracterizing it, the result can be worse than severing the overall connection between Yahowsha’ and the Towrah.
Therefore, it bears repeating: the opposite of what Sha’uwl has just written is true. If Christians believe Him and focus on God’s alleged "death," they will die. And should they make the connection between Yahowsha’ and the Passover Lamb, but nothing more, their soul is destined for She’owl. That is why Yahowah warned us about this particular man in the second chapter of Chabaquwq / Embrace This / Habakkuk.
If Sha’uwl had wanted to say that fundamentalists who adhere to the Oral Law cannot save themselves, because Rabbinic teaching is in conflict with the Torah, then he should have said so—and provided examples, just as Yahowsha’ had done. And if Sha’uwl had wanted to say that we need a savior because we aren’t perfect, he could easily have phrased this in a way that everyone would have understood. But he didn’t. Instead he postured what could best be spun as an ill-defined and beguiling hypothetical, one which pits the "Torah" against the Ma’aseyah’s fulfillment of it. A proposition which ignores both the Covenant and the conflict between human nature and Godly perfection which can only be resolved on Matsah.
Because they don’t know or understand the Towrah’s presentation of Passover, Unleavened Bread, FirstFruits, and Seven Sabbaths, most Christians now believe that Paul was authorized to undermine the value of the Torah and thereby replace it with the "death" of "Christ" on a "cross." In their mind, it is as if these things provided a solution that was afforded by faith. But unless Yahowah had a plan to reconcile sinful man, one which Yahowsha’ enabled, then "the cross" was nothing more than a gruesome spectacle.
Since this is literally life and death, let’s be as clear and unequivocal as possible. Yahowsha’s existence, His words, His deeds, and His sacrifice, are irrelevant without the Torah. Apart from the Torah, Yahowsha’s life was a lie and His sacrifice was a complete waste of time. If not for the Torah, no one would have been saved by Yahowsha’s actions. Therefore, as a standalone concept, "believing in Jesus Christ" is as meaningless as the name and title are erroneous.
Yahowsha’s life matters expressly because He was Torah observant, providing us with the path we should follow to live in harmony with God’s Word. And, by honoring the Torah’s promises, Yahowsha’ paid the penalty for our noncompliance, making it possible for a just God to accept otherwise flawed children into His presence. So it is by viewing Yahowsha’s life from the perspective of Yahowah’s Word, from the viewpoint of the Torah, that we can come to appreciate who He is and understand what He did. Then, based upon this understanding, we have the opportunity to trust and rely upon Yahowah’s provision as it is written in the Torah and lived by Yahowsha’, or we can reject it as Sha’uwl has done. But be aware, Paul lied, so by rejecting the Towrah, you forego Yahowah’s mercy.
Yahowah has conceived, articulated, and facilitated a seven-step path for us to follow to achieve His ultimate objective, the Covenant, which enables us to campout with our Heavenly Father as His children. Yahowah calls His Way the Miqra’ey—the Invitations to be Called Out and Meet with God. Yahowsha’ and the Set-Apart Spirit fulfilled the first four, Passover, Unleavened Bread, FirstFruits, and Seven Sabbaths, which is the reason He and She were sent.
Worse even than the senseless carnage which would otherwise be the legacy of Yahowsha’s sacrifice, by devaluing the Torah relative to its fulfillment, this line of reasoning pits Sha’uwl against the Ma’aseyah. Yahowsha’ explained His sacrifices from the perspective of the Torah, and Paul is attempting to sever that association. As such, there is no way for Sha’uwl to be right or to be trustworthy. It is irrational to claim that Yahowsha’ is God, to claim to be Yahowsha’s apostle, and then contradict Yahowsha’ on the very purpose of His life.
While it is now a gnat on a camel, those who rely on the King James Version should know that it is impossible for anyone to "frustrate the mercy of God." So why does the KJV say: "I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness comes by the law, then Christ is dead in vain." The source of the King James translation is obvious. The Latin Vulgate reads: "I do not reject the grace of God (gratiam Dei). For if justice is through the legem/law, then Christus died in vain."
If the NLT’s rendering is accurate, then Paul’s intent was as I have stated: to devalue the Torah and to sever the connection between the path to salvation delineated in God’s Word from the toll Yahowsha’ paid along the Way. "I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die." The exact opposite is true. The Torah is the reason for the Ma’aseyah’s sacrifice.
Gathering this portion of Paul’s thesis together, and adjusting the text to more accurately reflect his intended message based upon the whole cloth of this epistle, the ultimate abomination of desolation reads:
"We Yahuwdym by nature and not from the social outcasts of sinful and heathen races (2:15) having come to realize without investigation or evidence that by no means whatsoever is made right, is vindicated, or made righteous man by means of tasks and activities associated with the Towrah if not by belief and faith in Iesou Christou, and we on Christon Iesoun, ourselves believed in order for us to have become righteous, to have been acquitted and vindicated out of faith in Christou, and not by means of acting upon or engaging in the Towrah, because by means of engaging in and acting upon the Towrah not any flesh will be acquitted, vindicated, nor made righteous. (2:16)
But if seeking to be made righteous and innocent in Christo, we were found also ourselves social outcasts and sinners, shouldn’t we be anxious that Christos becomes a guilty, errant, and misled, servant of sin? Not may it exist, (2:17) because if that which I have actually torn down, dissolved, and dismantled, invalidated and abolished, subverted, abrogated, and discarded, this on the other hand I restore or reconstruct, promoting this edifice, I myself bring into existence and recommend transgression and disobedience. (2:18) I then, because of, and by the Towrah’s allotment / law, myself, actually died and was separated in order that to God I might currently live. In Christo I have actually been crucified together with. (2:19)
I live, but no longer I. He lives then in me, Christos. This because now I live in the flesh, in faith I live of the God and Christou, the one having loved me and surrendered, entrusting authority, yielding and handing over the power to control, influence and instruct, and to betray exclusively and especially of Himself for the sake of and because of me. (2:20) I do not reject or disregard the Charity / Grace of the God if because then by or through the Torah righteousness consequently as a result, Christos undeservedly, for no reason or cause, without benefit, for naught, and in vain, he died." (Galatians 2:21)
After enduring this breathtakingly toxic display of Sha’uwl’s error and arrogance in invalidating, dismissing, and disassociating Yahowah’s Torah, here is a breath of fresh air from Yahowsha’s Rock, Shim’own Kephas. Speaking of Paulos, it’s now apparent that Peter was right:
"Paulos, through the human wisdom that had been given to him, wrote to you. And even as in all [Paulos’] epistles, inside they use circular reasoning to speak around and about this. Within them, that is to say, there are some things difficult to understand, hard to comprehend, and detrimental to understanding, which the uneducated and ignorant, as well as those who are malleable, misinterpret and distort, also like the remaining inferior writings, to the consequence of their own individual destruction and annihilation. You, therefore, beloved, knowing this in advance, be on your guard, keep away from this and be especially observant, in order that you are not led astray, associating with the deception and delusion of Torahlessness, forsaking and falling away from one’s individual guarantee of salvation and perseverance." (2 Shim’own / He Listens / Peter 3:15-17)