Paul and the Law

As we've discussed before, we will view Paul within his Jewish context, rather than through the lens of Christian Replacement Theology, which assumes Paul abandoned Judaism to become a Christian. Both the book of Acts and Paul's own writings provide ample evidence that Paul remained a faithful Jew, even after his revelation of Jesus.

As a Jewish person, finding Messiah actually made Paul, and other Jewish believers, even more zealous for the law and the Jewish covenant obligations to God. We have already seen an example of 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. 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.

The greatest source of confusion when reading the Bible regarding Paul lies in understanding him as both a Jew and as someone who passionately embraced his calling as the apostle to the Gentiles. Central to his message was the conviction that Gentiles did not need to convert to Judaism or observe the law of Moses. This theme runs through much of his writing, particularly in Galatians, and is also evident in Romans and Acts 15. Some Jewish people at the time (and even modern Christians) misinterpreted this stance as Paul being anti-Jewish and opposed to the 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.

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, how should we interpret this evidence about Paul? As previously stated, we affirm that Paul remained faithfully Jewish. He wasn't merely paying lip service to his fellow Jews or concealing his true beliefs. The overwhelming evidence demonstrates that Paul was a Torah-observant Jew from the beginning and continued to uphold the Torah even after recognizing Jesus as the Messiah.

Did Paul Leave Judaism and the law to Become Christian?

We have already established that Paul remained both Jewish and Torah observant even after his revelation of Jesus. However, if you're still uncertain, we will delve deeper into the discussion by examining key biblical examples that may have led some to believe he abandoned Judaism or set aside his observance of the law.

In the nineteenth verse of the second chapter of his epistle to the Galatians, the holy Apostle Paul writes the cryptic words "For through the Torah I died to the Torah, so that I might live to God." How did he die to the Torah, and what does it mean to be dead to the Torah? What does it mean to live to God? These kinds of Dr. Seuss riddles are the type of thing that makes reading Paul frustrating:

For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. (Galatians 2:19).

How Christian’s Interpret Galatians 2:19

For much of Christendom, this passage poses little challenge; its meaning seems straightforward. The common interpretation is that Paul is contrasting his former life as a Jew with his new life as a Christian. In his previous life, he sought to live according to the Torah, striving to keep its commandments to earn salvation. But eventually, he realized that salvation couldn't be achieved by works of the law, as sin made it impossible to meet the Torah's high standards. In this sense, he "died to the Torah," became a Christian, and no longer tried to observe it, instead living for God by grace through faith, free from the "dead and lifeless" practices of Judaism.

This is the traditional Christian interpretation of what Paul meant by "dying to the law through the law and living to God." In simpler terms, it's often understood as Paul saying, "I was a Jew, but now I'm a Christian," or "I used to be under the law, but now I live under grace."

While this interpretation has resonated with most of Christianity for nearly two thousand years, it doesn't align with the Messianic Jewish perspective. For Messianic Judaism, this explanation falls short because the Jewish perspective is that Messiah did not abolish the Torah, and Paul, in fact, continued to live faithfully according to it throughout his life.

The Jewish Interpretation of Galatians 2:19

By his own testimony, "Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I committed any offense" (Acts 25:8). He went so far as to claim to have "done nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers" (Acts 28:17). Paul did not reject Torah or Judaism. According to the book of Acts, the testimony of James, the elders at Jerusalem, and according to Paul himself, he remained Torah-observant all his life: a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee, a Hebrew of Hebrews, a Jew, under the full obligation of the law, despite the fact that he considered himself an apostle to the Gentiles. It's not Christianity that struggles with this verse or much of the epistle to the Galatians; rather, it's the Messianic Jewish movement, which interprets the Bible through a Jewish lens. From a Messianic perspective, the question arises: what did Paul truly mean when he said, "For through the law, I died to the law, so that I might live to God"?

As previously mentioned, much of the confusion surrounding Paul comes from not recognizing the distinction he makes between Jewish and Gentile believers and their respective relationships to the Torah. For instance, when Paul refers to the Law or Torah, we often think of it in terms of the entire Mosaic Law, encompassing commandments like the prohibitions against adultery or eating pork.

However, that’s not how Paul viewed it. He didn’t see the Torah as a monolithic, one-size-fits-all system. When Paul spoke of being "under the law," he referred specifically to being halachically (legally) Jewish. Similarly, when he mentioned the "works of the law," he was referring to the commandments that define and identify someone as Jewish. It’s in this context that Paul spoke of "dying to the law through the law" in this passage.

The challenging verse arises from the context of the Antioch Incident, which centers around Peter, the men from James, and their decision to withdraw from eating with Gentile believers in Antioch. At that time, Paul rebuked Peter, saying, "If we rebuild the separation between Jew and Gentile that we initially tore down—something you yourself helped dismantle—then we prove ourselves to be transgressors."

I often appreciate Daniel Lancaster's interpretations of Paul, as he frequently offers amplifications and substitutions in square brackets [like this] for Galatians 2:15-16. We will follow his approach to help unpack the meaning by assigning specific values to the text. This is not an attempt to manipulate the text or twist its meaning. Instead, we aim to bring clarity to an ancient document, helping to illuminate its original intent:

But if, in our endeavor [as Jewish believers] to be [legally exonerated on the day of judgement] in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! For if I rebuild what I tore down [i.e., if I rebuild the exclusivity of Jewish segregation from Gentiles], I prove myself to be a transgressor [because I, as a Jew, have already received and accepted Gentile believers and eaten and fellowshiped with them for years]. For through the law [that is to say, by virtue of relying on my Jewish status] I died to the law [which is to say, I realized that being Jewish is not sufficient for legal exoneration], so that I might live to God [by relying on the faithfulness of Messiah rather than on my Jewish status]. I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by [the faithfulness of] the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for [if legal exoneration on the day of judgement and salvation were the result of being Jewish], then Christ died for no purpose. (Galatians 2:17-21)

When Paul said that through the law he died to the law, he was expressing that by relying on his Jewish identity and Torah observance for salvation on the day of judgment, he came to recognize his own inadequacy before God, even as a Torah-observant Jew. He realized that his status alone could not save him. However, this does not mean he ceased to be Jewish or stopped keeping the Torah. This distinction is crucial. It's important that when we encounter evidence in the Bible suggesting a Jewish Paul and a Jewish context, we interpret statements like Galatians 2:16 in a way that maintains proper continuity with the rest of scripture.

Instead, Paul understood his experience as dying with the Messiah and being raised with Him. He learned to rely on the Messiah for salvation, justification, and his ultimate acquittal in the court of heaven on the day of judgment. That’s why he said, "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. The life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me" (Galatians 2:20).

Paul expresses a nearly identical sentiment in his letter to the Philippians. Philippi, a Roman colony, was where Paul encountered Lydia and other God-fearing women observing the Sabbath, as there were no Jews or synagogue in the city (Acts 16). These women met for Sabbath worship by the river outside of town. During this visit, Paul and Silas were imprisoned, yet they sang hymns through the night until their miraculous release.

Paul’s Advice to Gentile Believers in Phillipi

Paul addressed his epistle to the Philippians in that community:

Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you. Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. (Philippians 3:1-2)

Notice that Paul warned the God-fearing Gentiles in Philippi to be on guard against three distinct groups: dogs, evildoers, and mutilators of the flesh. These aren’t three descriptions of the same group, but rather three different types of people.

In Jewish terminology, "dogs" referred to the heathen—the pagan, unbelieving Gentile world. As Jesus Himself said, "Do not cast pearls before swine or give what is sacred to dogs." However, since Paul was writing to Gentiles in Philippi, he redefined "dogs" to mean idolaters, contrasting them with the God-fearing believers of Philippi.

Evildoers, on the other hand, are simply those who commit evil. Philippi had its share of such people, like the men who exploited the girl with a spirit of divination and had Paul and Silas imprisoned for the crime of being Jews (Acts 16: 16-19).

"Those who mutilate the flesh" is Paul's sharp and cutting reference to his opponents among Jewish believers who insisted that Gentile believers must convert to Judaism. After Paul’s visit to Philippi, the God-fearing Gentile community he left behind encountered the broader Jewish world, including Jewish believers who pressured them to undergo conversion, much like the Galatians had experienced. Paul wasn’t condemning circumcision itself as mutilation, but he was strongly opposed to its being imposed on Gentiles as a requirement for salvation. In this context, he refers to those insisting on circumcision for Gentiles as "those who mutilate the flesh." And yes, Paul wasn’t above using strong language against his opponents.

He continued by saying, "For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh" (Philippians 3:3). Here, Paul is referring to himself, Timothy, and likely Silas and Luke, who were with him. He also had in mind other Jewish believers, including the apostles in Jerusalem, who supported his gospel message to the Gentiles. When he said they "put no confidence in the flesh," he meant that they did not rely on their Jewish identity or physical circumcision for justification before God.

Paul told the Philippians that if anyone had reason to be confident in their Jewish identity, it was him. He proudly noted that he was circumcised on the eighth day, signifying that he was not a convert but born into the covenant. He was of the people of Israel and from the tribe of Benjamin, meaning he was not descended from converts but from a lineage deeply rooted in Israel’s heritage. He called himself a "Hebrew of Hebrews" and a member of the Pharisees, a sect known for strict Torah observance. Regarding his zeal for God, he demonstrated it by persecuting other believers, and when it came to righteousness under the law, he described himself as "blameless" (Philippians 3:6).

However, after becoming a follower of the Messiah, Paul said, "Whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ" (Philippians 3:7-8). This does not mean that after encountering the Messiah, Paul ceased being circumcised on the eighth day, stopped being an Israelite, or was no longer from the tribe of Benjamin. It doesn’t even mean he abandoned his identity as a Pharisee (as he affirmed in Acts 23:6). Nor does it mean he stopped living in accordance with the Torah.

What it does mean is that Paul no longer relied on his Jewish identity or the status that came with it for his salvation or justification. He no longer sought legal exoneration "that comes from the law"—that is, from being Jewish—but rather sought the righteousness that comes through the faithfulness of Christ, a righteousness from God that is rooted in faith. His goal was "to know [Christ] and the power of his resurrection, and share in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible, I may attain the resurrection from the dead" (Philippians 3:9-11).

This echoes his statement in Galatians: "Through the law, I died to the law, that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me" (Galatians 2:19-20).

When understood through the lens of the distinction between Jews and Gentiles, Paul's letters become much clearer to Messianic believers. His message is straightforward: Gentiles can be saved too, and the faithfulness of Jesus is sufficient for them.

Paul was not criticizing the Torah or advocating for its dismissal. He wasn’t starting a new religion or promoting lawlessness. He wasn’t arguing against Judaism or forsaking his own Jewish identity. Rather, he was advancing the Jewish understanding of his day regarding Gentiles, countering other Jewish believers who argued that Gentiles must be bound by the law.