Questioning Paul
Chapter 10
part 2
Pharmakeia – Poisoned
Most all religions, but most especially Christianity and Islam, seek submission among their adherents by threatening eternal suffering and fiery tortures in hell for all of those who don’t acquiesce to their edicts. But not a person among such believers pauses to think that if their god actually said, "love me and agree with me or I’ll see to it that you suffer forever," such a spirit would not be lovable. In fact, a god who would make such statements would be sadistic. And that is why there is an alternative fate awaiting souls which is neither heaven nor hell, neither a reward nor a punishment. And yet, since such an outcome is neither something to be coveted nor feared, since ceasing to exist cannot be used effectively to threaten masses of people into submission, religious leaders almost universally deny the fact that God has such a provision.
That is not to say that there isn’t a place of eternal separation—there is. But there are no fires blazing or physical tortures perpetrated therein. She’owl is lightless places which exist only in the dimension of time. And it is only for Satan, fellow demonic spirits, and for those who lead others astray by associating with them. This is the place of separation, filled with the most outspoken and notorious religious, political, economic, and military advocates. It is for those who victimize others, oppressing them, and leading them away from the Towrah and its Covenant.
While eternal separation from God is a penalty, having one’s soul perish is not. Each individual is given the gift of life and freewill. Everyone can do with them as they please. If a person chooses to avail themselves of Yahowah’s Covenant, to walk away from Babylon and to walk to Him along the path He has provided, God has promised eternal life, merciful forgiveness of sins, adoption into His family, empowerment, and enrichment.
But those who choose instead to ignore Yahowah’s provision, to rely on a different scheme, to alter the deal He has cut with us, or simply reject it, they will be ignored by God and remain unaltered by His Covenant promises. It’s ashes to ashes and dust to dust. Such souls don’t know God and God does not know them. For them, death will be the end of life.
The sixth lesson we can learn from this Towrah presentation brings us back to Sha’uwl. Circumcision is the fulcrum upon which those who rely on Yahowah’s Word move in a different direction than those who believe the self-proclaimed "Thirteenth Apostle." In Acts, the moment we are introduced to Paul, we learn that he was preaching against circumcision. As a result, he was called to Yaruwshalaim by the actual Apostles to explain his departure from Yahowah’s Covenant instructions. They told Paul that he was wrong, so in his initial letter, the one he wrote to the Galatians, Paul demeaned Yahowsha’s Disciples, especially Shim’own, Yahowchanan, and Ya’aqob (Yahowsha’s brother, who was renamed "James" to flatter an English king). In Galatians, Paul ruthlessly attacks the Towrah, demeans the Covenant, and then denounces circumcision, inferring that God’s plan "enslaves" and is a "curse," "incapable of saving anyone."
Therefore, Christians have a choice. They can trust Yahowah, or they can believe Paul. Their claims are diametrically opposed and irreconcilable.
It is also instructive to know that we can’t blame this conflict between Yahowah and Paul on scribal error. These specific passages from Bare’syth / Genesis on circumcision are not only extant among the Qumran scrolls, they are unchanged. There isn’t a single discrepancy between the Dead Sea Scrolls, dating to the second century BCE, and the Masoretic Text from Bare’syth 17:12 through the end of the chapter. And on the other end, we have a complete copy of Paul’s letter to the Galatians dating to the late first century CE.
Moreover, the preposterous notion that Paul didn’t write Galatians, a book he claims to have written, a book which is universally attributed to him, a book which provides the most sweeping panorama of his life, and a book which serves as the most direct rebuttal to the Disciples regarding his animosity toward circumcision, the Covenant, and the Torah, does not exonerate Paul. He is equally opposed to circumcision, the Covenant, and the Torah in Acts and in Romans.
And that means that the conflict between Yahowah and Paul cannot be resolved. If you side with Paul, you will invalidate the benefits of the Covenant. You will be excluded from God’s family. And your soul will cease to exist. And that is why the choices we make in the flesh, while we retain our physical and animal nature, are so important.
The seventh lesson we can learn from God’s definitive statement is not to trust English bible translations. Yahowah actually said: "And (wa) the uncircumcised and unresponsive (‘arel) male who fails to remember this (zakar), who relationally and beneficially (‘asher) is not (lo’) circumcised and changed (muwl) with regard to (‘eth) the flesh (basar) of their foreskin (‘aralah), those souls (nepesh) shall be cut off, be excluded, and be banished, ceasing to exist (karat) from (min) Her (huw’) family (‘am). By way of association (‘eth) they violated and broke, disassociating themselves from (parar) My Family-Oriented Covenant Relationship (beryth-y)." (Bare’syth 17:14)
While not as revealing or complete, the Roman Catholic Vulgate was accurate up to the point of identifying whose family a soul would be excluded from. "The male whose flesh of his foreskin shall not be circumcised, that soul shall be destroyed out of his people: because he hath broken my covenant." Not only is the pronoun "Her" scribed independently in the Hebrew text via hy’, "‘am – family" was suffixed in the third person feminine singular, reinforcing the fact that it is "Her family." Also, the reference to "his people," suggests banishment from the villages and land of Yisra’el, rather than from the "beryth – Covenant," yet another feminine noun.
The King James Version reads identically, and thus promotes the same myth. It is one which would reinforce the ability of the church to excommunicate those whom they opposed.
Recognizing that the translators had both made a mistake, the New Living Translation, not knowing how to deal with "Her," added a second "covenant" and substituted it for "Her." "Any male who fails to be circumcised will be cut off from the covenant family for breaking the covenant." Since it is God’s Word, and since accuracy is therefore important, you should know that there is no basis for "any" in the Hebrew text. They combined "‘arel – uncircumcised and unresponsive" with "lo’ muwl – is not circumcised or changed," as if only one of these words were spoken by God. Then they completely ignored "‘eth basar ‘aralah – with regard to the flesh of their foreskin"—ostensibly to avoid destroying Pauline Doctrine. But in their conclusion, reversing course, they not only repeated "beryth – covenant" twice even though it was written once, they neglected to convey that beryth was scribed inclusive of the first person singular suffix, making it "My Covenant."
Simply stated, as a sign of our desire to participate in Yahowah’s Covenant we are to be circumcised. The covering of the male genitalia responsible for consummating a marriage and producing children is to be "cut off and separated"—set apart. Our Heavenly Father’s Covenant is about bearing children and building a family set apart from the world of corrupt institutions by way of a monogamous marriage relationship. Yahowah does not want anyone to miss these points.
In that seven long chapters have come and gone since we reviewed Yahowah’s prophetic pronouncements regarding circumcision, and since Christian apologists errantly protest that Genesis only pertains to Yisra’el (which incidentally is based upon Sarah’s name and means "individuals who engage and endure with God"), let’s reconsider Yahowah’s position on Gentile circumcision as it was articulated through the prophet Yachezq’el / Ezekiel. That discussion begins by acknowledging the role the Towrah plays in our lives...
"And (wa) Yahowah (efei) said to me (‘amar ‘el – shared with me), ‘Son of man (ben ‘adam – child of Adam), place upon your heart (sym leb), look with your eyes (ra’ah ba ‘ayn), and listen with your ears (wa shama’ ba ‘ozen), accordingly, to (‘eth) everything (kol) which, relationally and beneficially (‘asher – as a blessing) I (‘any) have spoken (dabar – have communicated orally and in writing using words) with regard to (‘eth la) all of (kol) the clearly communicated and inscribed prescriptions for living (wa chuwqah – the written arrangements regarding life and abiding; from choq – the shared and nourishing thoughts associated with an allocation of something from one who is set apart which is designed to cut us into a relationship) in Yahowah’s Family Home (beyth efei – the household, temple, and tabernacle of Yahowah).’
And so with all of (wa la kol) His Towrah teachings (Towrah towrah – His Towrah instructions, His Towrah guidance, and His Towrah directions (scribed in the singular as a specific and unique title and then in the plural as a word to indicate that the Towrah is comprised of many teachings, directions, and instructions)), therefore indeed (wa), you should choose to place them on your heart (sym leb – you should decide to set and examine them in your core (qal stem indicating a literal reading is preferred, perfect conjugation telling us that this should be done without reservation, and consecutive form indicating volition)) in order to approach the entrance (la mabow’ – so that you gain entrance into) the Family and Home (ha beyth – the house and household, the temple and tabernacle) with regard to (ba) every (kol) stage of the journey (mowtsa’ – step along the way) to this set-apart place (ha miqdash – the separated and dedicated sanctuary)." (Yachezq’el / God Grows / Ezekiel 44:5)
By stating that He wants us look at and listen to everything He has communicated to us regarding His inscribed prescriptions for living in His home and being part of His family, in addition to placing everything God wrote in His Towrah on our hearts, Yahowah is encouraging us to go beyond looking at and listening to what He has said and written. He wants us to accept His instructions, to embrace His guidance, and to incorporate His directions into the fabric of our lives. He wants us to love and cherish what He has promised as much as we love Him for who He is and what He has done. Those who do these things, who go beyond listening to God and reading His Word, and who embrace the terms and conditions of the Covenant, will be invited to live in Yahowah’s Family Home forever. This is God’s relational plan which leads to our salvation. It is the journey which leads us home.
Recognizing that most would ignore, or worse, reject, these instructions, is what caused Yachezq’el to pen the following words on behalf of Yahowah...
"And you shall say to (wa ‘amar ‘el) the rebellious and contentious (mary – the revolting and embittered who resist My position and guidance, and those displaying animosity who are insubordinate and opposed), regarding (‘el – to and about) the House of Yisra’el (beyth yisra’el – the home of those individuals who strive, engage, and endure with God), this is what (koh) My Foundation, the Upright Pillar, Yahowah (‘edon efei), says (‘amar): ‘The greatest of all of your (rab la min kol) detestable abominations (tow’ebah – your repulsive, loathsome, immoral, and abhorrent practices) in the House of Yisra’el (ba beyth yisra’el – home of those individuals who strive, engage, and endure with God) (44:6) is your inclusion (bow’ – bringing in) the male offspring (ben – sons) of foreigners (nekar – strangers) who are uncircumcised (‘arel – stubborn and forbidden, unobservant and unresponsive) of heart (leb) and uncircumcised (wa ‘arel – unobservant, unresponsive, and forbidden) of flesh (basar – body) to exist (hayah) in My Sanctuary (ba miqdash – in My Home, from qadash – purifying place which is set apart) to defile and profane it (la halal huw’ – to desecrate and pollute it, treating Him with contempt (written with the third person masculine singular suffix this refers to "Him," serving to unify Yahowsha’ and the Temple)) along with (‘eth) My Home and Family (beyth – House and Household), in your coming near and approaching (ba qarab) My finest oil, bread, and My chosen blood (cheleb lechem wa dam – symbolic of His fulfillment of Pesach and Matsah).
And also (wa) they broke (parar – they severed, violated, and nullified, you revoked, frustrated, and thwarted) My Familial Covenant Relationship (beryth) by way of all your detestable abominations (‘el kol tow’ebah – all of your repulsive, loathsome, and abhorrent acts of idolatry), (44:7) and (wa) by not observing, closely examining and carefully considering (lo’ shamar – by not focusing upon being aware of, paying especially close attention to and contemplating) the requirement and responsibility (mishmereth – function and purpose, the expression, condition, and accountability) of My Set-Apart Ones (qodesh – set apart ones includes God’s Home, His Temple, the Children of the Covenant, Yahowsha’, and the Set-Apart Spirit in addition to Yisra’el, the Shabat, and the Miqra’ey).
And you were appointed (wa sym – and you were put in place and established) to (la – to approach, to come near, and to) observe (shamar – to closely examine and carefully consider) My conditions and requirements (mishmereth – My purpose, expression, and terms) in (ba) My Set-Apart Home (miqdash – My Set-Apart Sanctuary and Place) for you to draw near (la – on your behalf for you to approach).’ (44:8) Thus says (koh ‘amar – this is what is communicated by) My Foundation, the Upright Pillar (‘edon – the Upright One of the Tabernacle), Yahowah (efei): ‘Every (kol – completely all) foreign male (nekar ben – non-native son) who is uncircumcised (‘arel – stubborn, unhearing, and forbidden) of heart (leb) and uncircumcised (‘arel – stubborn and forbidden) in the flesh (basar), he shall not come to or be included inside (lo’ bow’ ‘el – he shall not arrive at or be brought to) My Set-Apart Home (miqdash – My Set-Apart Sanctuary and Place) – this concerns the approach of (la) every non-native son (nekar ben – foreign male) who is in the midst (‘asher ba tawek) of the Children of Yisra’el (beny Yisra’el – sons who engage and endure with God).’" (Yachezq’el / God Grows / Ezekiel 44:6-9)
That was unequivocal. If a man is not circumcised he is expressly excluded from God’s home and thus from heaven. And therefore, when Sha’uwl wrote that being circumcised nullified the work of Yahowsha’, he lied. The opposite is true. Circumcision, as this statement affirms, is one of the requirements of the Covenant, one of the five conditions, as is being observant, that we must embrace if we want to participate in this relationship with God. But circumcision is the only one which is also a responsibility in that Yahowah asked parents to perform this on behalf of their sons. And make no mistake, this instruction was expressly written for Gowym – Gentiles, and thus to Paul’s audience. And that leaves no doubt that Yahowah’s anger is directed toward a Jew who personally invited uncircumcised Gentiles to heaven. And no one in human history is more infamous for doing this very thing than Sha’uwl.
Therefore, considering Yahowah’s position on this particular topic, and Paul’s, it would be inappropriate to spin Galatians to infer anything other than Paul is overtly opposed to God and to His Covenant. Satan’s Apostle is not only assailing God’s instructions regarding circumcision, Paul’s position states that if you rely on God’s Word you cannot be saved.
efei
Continuing to assail Yahowah’s Covenant, whose sign remains circumcision, and God’s Torah, whose living embodiment is Yahowsha’, the man who considered his testimony more vital than the Almighty’s, according to the NAMI ineloquently opined: "I testify but again to all man being circumcised that debtor he is whole the law to do." Let’s be perfectly clear so that no one is misled: this is Paul’s testimony, not God’s.
"So then (de) once again (palin – furthermore, repeating myself) I testify (martyromai – I solemnly declare as a witness, I affirm, insist, and protest) to every (pas) man (anthropos) being circumcised (peritemno), that (hoti) he actually is (eimi) obligated (opheiletes – in debt and required) to do and perform (poieomai – to work, toil, and carry out the assigned tasks of) the entire (holos – all of, the whole, total and complete) Towrah (ton nomon – the nourishing allotment which leads to an inheritance; used throughout the Septuagint to convey Towrah – the Source of Teaching, Guidance, Instruction, and Direction)." (Galatians 5:3)
There are only five requirements in the whole of the Towrah, and they all pertain to participation in the Covenant. Everyone is free to accept these conditions, reject them, or ignore them. But for those who act upon them, the rest of the Towrah exists to liberate, enlighten, and empower these Children of God. The best example of this is Dowd (errantly known as David). He responded to the terms of the Covenant as they were presented in the Towrah, and God responded by vindicating the man who violated much of His Towrah’s guidance on how we should live our lives among men. So the very fact that Yahowah calls Dowd "righteous," a "man after His heart," demonstrates that Paul premise is wrong.
In that this is an important distinction, since Yahowah called Sha’uwl the "plague of death," since God affirmed that Dowd was "righteous," let’s contrast what we have been reading to Dowd’s testimony to determine why one flawed individual was despised and the other was loved.
The following lyrics represent the initial sixteen verses of the one-hundred-seventy-six which comprise Dowd’s ode to the Towrah...
"Enjoyable, favorable, and blessed (‘ashry) is the Way (derek) to becoming innocent, perfect, and entirely blameless (tamym) by walking (halak) in (ba) the Towrah (Towrah) of Yahowah (Yahowah).
Properly guided (‘ashery) are those who are saved and preserved (natsar) by His enduring and restoring testimony (‘edah). They genuinely seek to have a relationship with Him and His witness (darash) for all (la kol) time (dowr).
Therefore (‘ap), they do not carry out (lo’ pa’al) that which is harmful or wrong (‘eowlah) by walking in His ways (ba derek halak).
You (‘atah), Yourself, provided and ordained (sawah) Your precepts, these instructions which You have entrusted to us, encouraging us to respond appropriately to You (piquwdym) so that they would be diligently examined and carefully considered (la ma’od shamar).
So that (‘achalay) my path through life (derek) would be properly prepared and firmly established (kuwn), approaching by (la) observing (shamar) Your truth, Your consistent, never changing, enduring, and reliable testimony (‘emeth).
Then (‘az), I will not be ashamed (bowsh) by (ba) looking at (nabat) all of (kol) God’s (‘el) terms and conditions as they relate to Your binding covenant contract (mitswah).
You, I will publicly acknowledge and thank, expressing my gratitude while professing Your attributes (yadah) directly in an upright attitude (ba yashar leb) when (ba) I learn and properly respond to (lamad) Your righteous and vindicating (tsadaq) means to resolve disputes (mishpat).
According to (‘eth) Your clearly communicated and inscribed prescriptions of what we should do in life to live (choq), by being observant (shamar), I will not be forsaken by You. I will never be neglected or disassociated from You (‘azab), not for one hundred (me’ah) eternities (‘ad).
In what way (ba mah) can a young man (na’ar) keep his path pure so as to be acquitted (zakah ‘eth ‘orah)? By being observant, closely examining and carefully considering the associations in (ka) Your Word (dabar).
In all my heart and with all my being (ba kol leb), I seek to form a relationship with You, seeking to learn more about You (darash). You do not want me to be misled or stray (shagah) from (min) the terms and conditions of Your relationship agreement (mitswah).
In my heart (ba leb), I have genuinely treasured (tsaphan) Your instructions and promises (‘emrah) so that (ma’an) I will not fail to reach You as a result of going astray and missing the way, nor by my wrongdoing or guilt (lo’ chata’ la).
Yahowah (Yahowah), You (‘atah) have knelt down in love to bless and provide divine favor (barak). Teach me so that I respond properly to (lamad) Your clearly communicated prescriptions of what I should do to live (choq).
With my lips and in my spoken words (ba saphah), I consider and proclaim from the written text (caphar / cepher) all of (kol) the means used to achieve justice, resolve disputes, and exercise sound judgment (mishpat) which come from Your mouth (peh).
In the Way (ba derek) of Your Witness regarding our restoration (‘eduwth), I am pleased and delighted, enjoying the ensuing relationship (suws), as if (ka) before all of the Almighty’s abundance, God’s sufficiency and substance (‘al kol hown).
Concerning Your precepts and directions (ba piquwdym), I will choose to meditate on them and speak of them (syach). And (wa) I will choose to consistently observe so that I understand (nabat) Your ways and Your path through life (‘orah).
Concerning Your clearly communicated and inscribed prescriptions of what I should do to live (ba choq), I find them fun, even enjoyable (sha’a’). I will never overlook or ignore (lo’ shakah) Your Word (dabar)." (Mizmowr / Song / Psalm 119:1-16)
Dowd loved the Word of God, especially His Towrah, and wrote songs to extol its virtues. Yahowah loves Dowd, calling him "righteous." Sha’uwl hated the Word of God, especially His Towrah, and wrote letters to demean and discard it. Yahowah despises Paul, calling him the "plague of death." And that leaves us with only one question: why is this comparison to difficult for Christians to understand?
In order to control his audience, Paul wants the faithful to believe that he is the foremost authority on the Torah as well as the world’s leading expert regarding salvation. And in the case with his most recent proclamation, the myth he is promoting is that if someone does anything Yahowah asks, they have to do everything He asks, or they are dead men walking. But as we just noted with Dowd, that clearly is not the case.
In this regard, the third condition for those desirous of participating in the Covenant relationship with God is that we walk to Him along the path He has provided to make us perfect. This path comprised of seven invitations to meet with God is presented in the heart of the Towrah, in the book aptly named "Qara – Invitation to be Called Out and Meet. Yahowah offers His remedy for our inadequacies immediately after formalizing the Covenant with Abraham. And along His Way, Yahowah does all of the work so that nothing other than attendance is required of us. This was the very purpose of Yahowsha’.
But that is not to say that Paul’s myth, one born out of a hatred for God, isn’t persuasive. Christians the world over and throughout time have been deceived by Sha’uwl’s arrogance into believing that "the problem with the Torah is that its restrictive and antiquated rules require perfection." But let’s say for the sake of argument that Paul was right: how can disobeying everything God request endear a person to the One making those recommendations? And that is precisely what Paul is insisting upon. The self-proclaimed messenger of god wants Christians to reject God’s entire Towrah – all of it from beginning to end. Now, I ask you: who do you suppose inspired him to say such a thing?
Paul is wrong and he knows it. He was aware that the Ark of the Covenant was unavailable, and that according to Yahowsha’ the Temple itself would soon be destroyed. He also recognized that the people were under the yoke of Roman law. So, Paul knew that there were many things which were prescribed in the Torah which could not be done. Therefore, salvation could not have been a matter of doing everything the Torah prescribed, but instead understanding its prescriptions sufficiently to trust Yahowah’s remedy.
Seeing religion among the rubbish, the NLT again interpreted Paul correctly, which of course put them in opposition to God. "I’ll say it again. If you are trying to find favor with God by being circumcised, you must obey every regulation in the whole law of Moses." Nowhere does God state that men "find favor" with Him as a result of being circumcised. Circumcision is prescribed as "the sign of the Covenant," not the symbol of salvation or reconciliation. Moreover, for the vast preponderance of people, circumcision isn’t a choice, but instead something done to them when they are eight or fewer days old. Not a single newborn in human history has said or thought: "I want to have someone cut off the end of my external plumbing so that I can earn favor with God?" And as a result, Paul’s animosity against circumcision is misplaced.
For consistency sake, here are the Roman Catholic and Protestant versions of Paul’s poison. The LV reads: "And I testify again to every man circumcising himself that he is a debtor to do the whole law." And the KJV says: "For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law."
The operative term in this next statement from Satan’s Apostle is apo. It "describes the separation of something from an object which it was previously united but is now disjoined." In this case, Sha’uwl is speaking of the purported separation of "Christou from the Towrah." So now, addressing those who had chosen to follow Yahowah’s Torah instructions regarding circumcision, the Devil’s advocate testified:
"You have invalidated and rendered inoperative (katargeo – you have put an end to, made inactive and useless, and abolished the purpose and function of) the separation of (apo – the movement away and disassociation of) Christou (ΧΥ – a Divine Placeholder for the Ma’aseyah (but without the definite article, the errant misnomer, Christou, is a better grammatical fit than the correct title meaning "the Implement Doing the Work of Yah") whosoever (hostis) is in unison with (en) the Towrah (nomo – the nourishing allotment with enables an inheritance).
You all having been declared righteous (dikaioo – you having been acquitted, put right, and vindicated) with the (tes) Charis / Gratia / Graces (Charis – a transliteration of the name of the Greek goddesses known as the Gratia or Graces in Roman mythology), you all have fallen away and have been forsaken (ekpipto – you have become inadequate and have descended from a higher place to a lower one, you have bowed down and prostrated yourselves)." (Galatians 5:4)
Sha’uwl was a man on a mission. Too bad it involved promoting pagan deities and demeaning the only actual Deity on behalf of the Adversary.
The Nestle-Aland McReynolds Interlinear renders the Greek text somewhat differently, albeit the resulting message is no less inaccurate: "You have been abolished from Christ who in law are made right the favor you fell out." This is perhaps more incomprehensible than the more literal and exacting presentation of the same words.
But as you probably anticipated, this poorly expressed thought has been interpreted by Christendom to say: "For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God’s grace." To the contrary, it is only by observing the Torah that we come to know the Implement Doing the Work of Yahowah, and that we come to understand the work He performed. This in turn enables us to rely upon His merciful gift. Those who disassociate the Torah from Yahowsha’, separate themselves from Yahowah. Therefore, the New Living Translation has become an agent leading the faithful away from God.
But they were not the first to commit this heinous crime. There was a long line of false witnesses before them, starting with Paul. The Latin Vulgate reads: "You are made void of Christo, you who are justified in the law: you are fallen from Gratia." The King James Version parroted this thought by publishing: "Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace." It is interesting, however, that not one of these variations has properly translated "katargeo – you have invalidated and rendered inoperative" in the initial sentence, and most either ignored or misstated the meaning of "apo – the separation of." But it’s Paul’s grammar that is to blame for the variant renderings of the second sentence.
Considering the onslaught of lies that preceded it, in context, Paul is now saying that since the Towrah cannot save anyone, only those who accept his Faith have hope. Even if his premise was true, and it is not, accepting it would not lead to this conclusion. Proving one thing wrong does not demonstrate that another thing is right, even if there were only two options available to humankind. Therefore, Paul has compounded the problem, moving from deceitful statements to logical fallacy.
"Because (gar – for then, because, and indeed) we (emeis) in spirit (ΠΝΙ – a Divine Placeholder used to convey ruwach – spirit) out of (ek) faith (pistis – originally conveyed "trust and reliance" but migrated as a result of Sha’uwl’s epistles to mean "belief") hope (apekdechomai). Righteousness (dikaiosyne – being acceptable, virtuous, and innocent) we hope for (elpis – we expect and await patiently)." (Galatians 5:5)
If nothing else, Sha’uwl has defined his use of pistis for us. With "faith" there is never anything beyond "hope." The faithful are left to hope that their religion is right. They never know.
The NAMI suggests that Paul said: "We for in spirit from trust hope of rightness we await." LV: "For we in spirit, by faith, wait for the hope of justice." And the KJV edits the "Apostle’s" words this way: "For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith."
While faith is counterproductive, the Spirit indwells those who come to know, trust, and rely upon Yahowah. But the instant the Set-Apart Spirit takes up residence in us; we are purified, and thus instantly become right with God. This isn’t something that we "hope for," or "eagerly anticipate," but instead enjoy.
Even more confused than Paul, and completely missing the purpose of the Spirit, the NLT conveys: "But we who live by the Spirit eagerly wait to receive by faith the righteousness God has promised to us."
Since this is literally life and death, it is worth repeating. We not only obtain the cleansing benefits of the Spirit immediately upon being born anew from above, but nothing comes to us by way of "faith." Yahowah’s "promises" are knowable because they are all memorialized in the Torah, Prophets, and Psalms. And we know that we can trust them because they are all enveloped in prophetic predictions which have proven to be accurate. As such, those who know the Torah are in a position to trust Yahowah and rely upon His provision. Those who don’t understand God’s Word are relegated to faith, while those who understand God’s Word recognize that faith is irrelevant.
Using the Nestle-Aland McReynolds Interlinear as a handrail in this upside down, backwards, and twisted realm of Paul’s mind, we find: "In for Christ Jesus neither circumcision some is strong nor uncircumcision but trust through love operating."
Or, more precisely: "[For (gar – indeed because then) omitted from P46] In (en) Christo Iesou (ΧΡΩ ΙΗY – Divine Placeholders for the Ma’aseyah (the Implement Doing the Work of Yahowah) and Yahowsha’ (Yahowah Saves); but since this epistle has disassociated Yahowsha’ from Yahowah and the Ma’aseyah from the work of the Towrah, it’s misleading in this context to connect that which Paul has severed) neither (oute) circumcision (peritome) is someone (ti) is capable, powerful, and mighty (tis ischuo – is able, competent, strong, or healthy) nor (oute – neither) un-circumcision (akrobystia – a word Paul made up comprised of "akron – the uttermost part of" and "posthe – penis"), on the contrary (alla) through (dia) faith (pistis – belief) love (agape) operating (energeo – functioning and working)." (Galatians 5:6) (Papyrus 46 renders "energeo – working" in the genitive participle rather than the nominative, and therefore, it modifies the noun "agape – love," not "pistis – trust.")