18) Why Study the Bible Through a Jewish Lens? - Part 4: Recognizing the Jewishness of Paul

Introduction

Paul, a central figure in the Bible, often misunderstood, is critical in the Christian church. His teachings are foundational, yet the perception of who he was and what he stood for is frequently skewed. Examining Paul through a Jewish lens reveals a more nuanced understanding of his identity and teachings, challenging common misconceptions about his alleged "conversion," his relationship with Judaism, and his views on the Torah.

Restore the Jewishness of Paul

Paul is arguably one of the most popular characters in the Bible. His teachings have become a cornerstone of the Christian church and, in some examples, could be more quoted and referenced than the Gospels. Do we understand Paul correctly? Is the Paul of the Bible who we think he is? A close study of Paul through a Jewish lens reveals much more about Paul than is often taught in the Christian church.

The Replacement theology view of Paul is that he used to be a Pharisee named Saul who persecuted Christians. Then, he met Jesus on the road to Damascus. Jesus changed his name from Saul to his Christian name, Paul, denounced Judaism, and converted to Christianity. Is that really what happened? Compare that to Paul's own account in Phillippians 3:

If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. (Philippians 3:4-7, ESV Bible)

Paul says he has status, prestige, and the best credentials. He was circumcised on the eighth day, pointing out he is not a convert to Judaism but was instead born into it, a Jew since birth. Paul is of the nation of Israel, meaning his parents are not converts, but he is from a pure lineage. He even knows his tribal heritage from the tribe of Benjamin. He states that he is a Hebrew of Hebrews, meaning culturally Jewish. He is also a Pharisee, not a hypocrite, as often used to describe the Pharisees. In Acts 22:3, we learn that Paul is one of the disciples of Gamaliel, the wise head of the Sanhedrin and grandson of the great Jewish teacher Hillel. This is as if Paul had a degree from a prestigious Jewish school. Paul does not claim to be sinless, but he does say that he is carefully Torah-observant and did not neglect the commandments of Moses.

Paul did not turn his back on Judaism. Still, as he describes in Phillippians 3:7-8, he realized Messiah was more important than his accolades. Paul differed from other faithful Jews of his day in believing Jesus was the Messiah.

For a Jewish person, placing your faith in the Messiah actually made you more zealous for the Torah. We can see this in Acts 21, where Paul makes a pilgrimage to Jerusalem to keep the biblical festival of Shavu'ot:

On the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present. After greeting them, he related one by one the things that God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. And when they heard it, they glorified God. And they said to him, “You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed. They are all zealous for the law, (Acts 21:18-20, ESV Bible)

This is how faith looked in the days of the apostles; we see Torah-observant Jews. But wait, I thought Jesus canceled the Torah and the Old Covenant? Apparently, Paul and the rest of the Jews who followed Jesus did not get the message. Instead, this is what repentance for a Jew looks like and is all about. The natural result of faith in Jesus is that people would be more zealous for following the commandments of God.

Paul felt very strongly about his calling as the apostle to the Gentiles. He also felt strongly that the Gentiles did not have to convert to Judaism or keep the law of Moses. This is the topic of much of his writings in Galatians, and we also see evidence of this in Romans and Acts 15. Some of the Jewish people interpreted this as Paul being anti-Jewish and anti-Torah. This led to many allegations against Paul, and he, unfortunately, was put on trial many times. One such accusation was brought up in Acts 21:21:

And they have been told about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or walk according to our customs. (Acts 21:21, ESV Bible)

If the allegation was true, then Paul really did become an apostate from Judaism and, by the standards of Deuteronomy 13, was a false teacher and heretic. James and the apostles were worried that these allegations would gain widespread acceptance, so they recommended that Paul demonstrate to everyone that these allegations were false:

Do therefore what we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow; take these men and purify yourself along with them and pay their expenses, so that they may shave their heads. Thus all will know that there is nothing in what they have been told about you, but that you yourself also live in observance of the law. (Acts 21:23-24, ESV Bible)

Paul was under a Nazirite vow (Numbers 6:13-21). This is a vow not to consume wine, not to cut one's hair, and not to become ritually defiled by contact with a dead body. When the vow ended, a Nazarite had to go to the Temple, offer sacrifices, and get a haircut. James asked Paul to pay for his and four other Jewish believers who were also completing their Nazirite vows. When all the Jewish disciples saw that Paul was keeping a Nazirite vow and paying the expenses of the Nazirites, they would know that the rumors about Paul were false.

If Paul wanted to make a theological statement about grace versus the law, this would have been a good time to do it. Instead, he consented, as a devout Jewish man would. More shockingly, to most Christians, Paul sacrificed in the Temple. This is estimated to be over 25 years after the death and resurrection of Jesus. How can this be? Did the Jewish people really continue sacrificing in the Temple? Not only does Acts 21 demonstrate this to be the case, but logic would prevail that if the Torah and the Sinai covenant are not canceled in this age, the sacrifices will continue as long as the Temple stands.

Unfortunately, Paul would be placed on trial at least six different times, as recorded in Acts 22-28. Each time would be because he is accused of teaching against Jewishness, the Torah, the Temple, or similar false allegations. Paul's defense would include statements like:

“I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated at the feet of Gamaliel according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God as all of you are this day. (Acts 22:3, ESV Bible)

Now when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. It is with respect to the hope and the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial.” (Acts 23:6, ESV Bible)

You can verify that it is not more than twelve days since I went up to worship in Jerusalem, and they did not find me disputing with anyone or stirring up a crowd, either in the temple or in the synagogues or in the city. Neither can they prove to you what they now bring up against me. But this I confess to you, that according to the Way, which they call a sect, I worship the God of our fathers, believing everything laid down by the Law and written in the Prophets, having a hope in God, which these men themselves accept, that there will be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust. (Acts 24:11-15, ESV Bible)

Now after several years I came to bring alms to my nation and to present offerings. While I was doing this, they found me purified in the temple, without any crowd or tumult. (Acts 24:17-18, ESV Bible)

Paul argued in his defense, “Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I committed any offense.” (Acts 25:8, ESV Bible)

So, what do we make of this evidence concerning Paul? If Paul was no longer Jewish, was he lying about his Jewishness to avoid harsh punishment? If so, what does that say about Paul's character? Perhaps Paul is speaking the truth, the situation's actual reality. The overwhelming evidence shows that Paul was a Torah-observant Jew from day one and continued to do so even after accepting Jesus as the Messiah. Further, the offerings mentioned in Acts 24 are sacrifices within the Temple. As Christians, we have to understand that this is normal behavior for a Jewish believer during the first century. We must acknowledge that just because Gentiles are not required to keep the law of Moses does not mean a Jewish believer should not. They view keeping the Torah as a covenant obligation. And just because Gentiles are not required to observe the law of Moses, does not mean the law is canceled.

Much of Galatians and Romans speaks about the Gentile's relationship to the Torah. These verses are often incorrectly interpreted as Paul speaking against the law of Moses. For example, let's look at Romans 7:6:

But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code. (Romans 7:6, ESV Bible)

I think anyone would admit that if you only had that verse in the New Testament, it would seem to say that the law is gone, and we have something else to replace it. So, is Paul speaking as a Jewish heretic? We have seen evidence that he continued to live as a Torah-observant Jew. What is he talking about?

Romans 7 is complex and challenging because Paul plays with this idea of two aspects of the Torah. He talks about the law of sin and death; sometimes, he refers to this concept as the law. And he bases the law of sin and death upon the law of God, which is holy, righteous, and good:

So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good. (Romans 7:12, ESV Bible)

When we see Paul dropping the term "law" in Romans, at times, he almost seems bipolar. He speaks negatively about the law in one verse and positively about the law in another. This is due to the two aspects of the law he is referencing. The law of sin and death is like the other side of the coin of this same law. On the one side, you have the holy, righteous, and good law. On the other side, you have the law of sin and death. So, what is the law of sin and death? Paul discusses the "law of sin and death" in several letters, particularly in Romans. One key passage where he discusses this concept is in Romans 8:1-2:

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:1-2, ESV Bible)

In this passage, Paul contrasts two "laws": the "law of sin and death" and the "law of the Spirit of life." The "law of sin and death" refers to the power of sin to bring about spiritual death and condemnation under the law, highlighting humanity's inability to achieve righteousness through the law alone. Paul argues that through faith in Christ, believers are freed from the condemnation of sin and death and are given new life through the Holy Spirit. The law of sin and death is the law that says the wages of sin are death.

The apostles understand that breaking the Torah is a sin. And sin incurs the punishment of death, both the first death and the second death. From the apostles' perspective, death is physical, mortal death and forfeiture of life in the world to come. So when Paul speaks about this, he is talking about the redemption. He's talking about faith in Jesus for the forgiveness of sins and the righteousness attained through the favor God has bestowed upon his son, Jesus when we cling to him in the allegiance of faith. And if you keep reading in Romans, Paul teaches several commandments from the Torah and states that if you break these, you are not part of the kingdom. Paul very clearly, unambiguously, begins to point people not to some made-up law but back to the foundation, the Torah, and the mitzvot (commandments) as standards of righteousness for the Gentiles and the Jews.

The way Paul uses phrases like "works of the law" is frequently misunderstood by most readers. The term "works of the law" is commonly interpreted as referring to the law of Moses. The word "law" does not always imply the law of Moses. One of the reasons why Paul is so difficult to read is because, as Christians, we want to be clear that salvation does not come through works but by grace. The grace we receive from God comes from Jesus' merited favor. Legalism does not earn salvation.

There is an idea held by some that grace is opposed to the law. The idea is that God's grace and Torah oppose one another. Based on this idea, some fear falling into legalism. Forfeiting grace by stumbling over the law. From a biblical perspective, grace versus law is a false dichotomy. They are two concepts that should not be pitted against each other. For example, in the King James Version:

The [Torah] was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. (John 1:17 KJV)

This verse makes it look like grace and law are opposites. However, the word "but" is italicized. When a word is italicized, the translator supplies the word. It's not part of the original Greek text. By adding the word "but," it seems like the Torah and grace oppose each other. In the Greek form of John, there is no disconnect between grace and Torah. It simply says that the Torah came by Moses and grace and truth by Messiah. Grace and law are not opposed to one another. It would be better to contrast grace and legalism.

Legalism is the attempt to earn salvation. Despite what some may believe, the Bible does not teach legalism, and it was never even an idea in Jewish teaching. There are no Bible verses that discuss or warn you about legalism. The common assumption that Jewish people had to earn their salvation in Old Testament times is based on a severe misunderstanding of Judaism and a misunderstanding of Paul's epistles. It is not what the Bible teaches. Paul did not introduce any new ideas that did not already exist within Judaism.

It is not a Jewish idea that you need to keep God's law flawlessly to earn salvation and a place in the world to come. Instead, the Jewish people knew that God was gracious and forgiving, showing favor to His people. However, there was a common idea that to receive God's gracious favor, you needed to be Jewish.

Many disciples of Jesus thought that if people from other nations wanted to inherit eternal life along with the Jewish people, they would first need to become Jewish. This would entail circumcision and directing them to observe the law of Moses. Others argued that God made no distinction between Jews and Gentiles regarding salvation. God has cleansed the Gentile's hearts by faith. This is an argument of faith versus works. It sounds similar to grace versus law, but it is different. Faith versus works is not a question of working to earn eternal life by keeping the law but rather a question of whether or not you need to become Jewish to be eligible for eternal life. Paul often used the word "works" or "works of the law" to illustrate this concept. This is not legalism. "Works of the law" does not mean obeying God's commandments. They are not the same thing.

When Paul told his readers not to rely on works of the law, he used the term to refer to specific ceremonies that a non-Jewish person could undergo to become a member of the Jewish nation. These are conversion rituals to become Jewish and include things like circumcision, immersion, and sacrifices. In those days, anyone who wanted to become Jewish could do so. Still, it meant they needed to undergo these specific ceremonies to do so. One popular misinterpretation of this concept is found in Ephesians when Paul is speaking to the Gentiles:

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9, ESV Bible)

Keeping in mind Paul's use of “works of the law” referring to becoming Jewish, here's how this verse should be understood:

"For by the favor Jesus found in God's eyes, you have been saved from the fate of the nations on account of your allegiance to Jesus. And this favor is not something that you obtained; it is the gift of God, not something you can obtain by becoming Jewish so that no one can boast that they deserve it based on having become Jewish."

Even within the past few decades, we have found substantial evidence to shed more light on the Greek manuscripts of Paul and properly position him where he belongs, within Judaism. The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls shed light on how Paul's words, such as "works of the law," were used in the first century. A document called Miksat Ma'asei HaTorah, translated as "Selection of the Works of the Law," confirmed that "works of the law" do not refer to keeping God's commandments. Dead Sea scholar Martin Abegg suggested that "works of the law" should be understood as a specific subset of the Torah's commandments, ceremonial matters, or what James Dunn (The New Perspectives on Paul) describes as marks of Jewish identity or conversion rituals. The ritual conversion to become Jewish consisted of circumcision (males only), immersion, and sacrificing at the Temple.

We will spend a lot more time in future modules looking at Paul's relationship to Judaism and give particular emphasis to the teachings of Paul that were novelties for his writings (the cross, the Holy Spirit, and the Gentile believers).

Summary

As we delve deeper into Paul's Jewish identity and teachings, it becomes clear that he remained deeply rooted in his Jewish heritage even as he preached to the Gentiles. His understanding of grace, law, and salvation was shaped by his Jewish upbringing and beliefs, challenging us to reevaluate our understanding of his letters in light of his Jewish context. In future discussions, we will continue to explore Paul's teachings, recognizing the rich interplay between his Jewish roots and his message to the early Christian communities. In the last portion of this study on "Why Study the Bible Through a Jewish Lens?" we will explore Readopting the Jewish Apocalyptic Gospel and the Full Gospel Message.