Galatians 4:10-11 You observe days and months and seasons and years. I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored over you in vain.
What is Paul’s big fuss about? So they are observing the ordinances of the Law. They were submitting themselves to Sabbath days, monthly cycles, religious holidays (such as Booths, Passover, etc), and ordinances such as the Jubilee. There is clearly nothing wrong with celebrating these festivals, is there?
The answer to that is ‘yes’ and ‘no’. There is nothing wrong with the holidays in themselves. Anybody who desires to celebrate Passover or Sabbath days is welcomed to do so. You are not rejected Christ by celebrating these things. Let us not become legalistic in the manner that we reject completely the liberty in Christ to celebrate whatever holidays we desire (as long as they are not against God, such as sacrificing to pagan deities). We should be a celebrating people—after all, Christ is risen and we are free to worship God however we desire, as long as we do so in obedience to His written Word. Let no one tell you, brothers and sisters, that you cannot celebrate Jewish holidays. That is not the case. That is legalism.
However, if we are celebrating these festivals and occurrences out of obligation—because we are seeking to obey the Law—that is submitting again to slavery. Those who celebrate such things are under the Law. If you desire to be legalistic in this manner, then you must obey the whole Law. It is all or nothing. Paul views observing such traditions as equal to those of the pagan rituals. “No one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day.” Those things are mere shadows of true worship of God (Colossians 2:16-17). This is because Christ has disarmed the authorities which hold such laws over you. You are free in Christ (Colossians 2:13-15).
Those who desire to be again bound to the Law are not free in Christ. One cannot take part in Lawful observances and ordinances and still live by faith. Paul realizes this, and so he fears for the Galatians. They have seemingly turned from Christ to the Law—proving that their faith was not real and wrought by the Holy Spirit, but was in vain. If this is the case, then Paul’s labor was in vain, as all that he has done has proved to be fruitless. It is the same way with you, brothers and sisters. If you seek to justify yourself before God by legalistic means, you forfeit your place in Christ—you prove that you were a fraudulent convert—even if you prayed prayers, walked aisles, led Bible studies, or whatever. Watch your life carefully (1 Timothy 4:16). If you do not, you may drift in to legalism and away from Christ. If you do not persevere to the end, you will not gain the prize but will prove that it was all in vain.
4 Comments:
Lenny, how does this relate to our past conversations on working on Sundays? This Sunday, the group that meets after church @ a friend's house is planning on meeting @ the beach. I was hesitant to go, because I didn't think it was restful. A friend needs me to cover for him @ work this Sunday, and I told him I'd have to think about it. I just wasn't sure if I should. Should I throw all this to the wind? I'm still not sure I understand the point of the law. I certainly don't want to prove that I never truly believed.
-Danny
Good question.
To say that I have the definitive answer on this would be to submit to legalism once again. Honoring days and outward laws is completely a subject of the conscience. I personally think that it is fine to do recreational activities on a Sabbath day. Now, we must remember that the OT Sabbath has been abolished. That means that we can practice a day of rest any day we would like (I think it is still important to have a day of rest because the human body was created in the beginning to have a day of rest every week). I think that a Sabbath day is supposed to be a day where we break from laborious conduct to take time to honor and draw closer to God. Recreational activities are a good way to have fellowship and to release energy and enjoy life. I think that was honestly the purpose of the Sabbath, to help us enjoy life and to draw closer to God. To work on the Sunday (if that is the day you choose for a day of rest): that is up to your conscience. I'd suggest a steady day of rest (such as always having Sunday, or Monday, or any specific day) for a pattern. However, if you have to work on a Sunday, take a Monday to rest (or Tuesday, etc).
You are smart and zealous, but I ask you to reconsider your understanding of this statement in Galatians. Paul was actually speaking to Gentiles not Jews when he states:
Gal 4:9 But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? Gal 4:10 Ye observe days, and months, and TIMES, and years.
Paul's concern was that they were turning back to the days they worshiped in the past, not that they were turning to the holy days observed by the Jews.
These days that the Galatians were keeping were the ancient pagan holidays that God always condemned. They were observing "TIMES."
Lev 19:26 Ye shall not eat any thing with the blood: neither shall ye use enchantment, nor observe times.
These were seasonal days of sun worship such as later became Mithra's birthday,the Saturnailia, and Ishtar's day. They kept these days in the past and now after being converted to God's way, they were turning back to them.
In the Bible, Paul himself kept the biblical holy days. Here are a few references:
Paul believed in those days written in the law:
Act 24:14 But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets:
He kept the days of unleavned bread.
Act 20:6 And we sailed away from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread, and came unto them to Troas in five days; where we abode seven day
He kept the feast of Tabernacles:
Act 18:21 But bade them farewell, saying, I must by all means keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem:
He taught the gentiles in Corinth to keep the Passover and days of unleavened bread.(also the Passover, and night service, I cor 11)
1Co 5:7 For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast. . . with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth
Give it some thought from the perspective of the perspective of the author of the Bible, and not the views of theologins.
Art
Throughout Galatians, the point that Paul is making, in dealing with the Gentiles, is that they are not to turn to Judaism (this is why he speaks about circumcision and the Law so often). If the Galatians accept circumcision, they must keep the whole Law because there is no sacrifice for them. The Messiah has come, and circumcision was to point to the coming Messiah (He would come through the loins of the Israelites). To accept circumcision is really to deny Christ and to seek to establish one's own righteousness.
You bring up a good point that Paul, being Jewish, continued to submit to the Jewish festivals, etc, mostly for the purpose of winning some to Christ. It is not that Paul believed that someone had to practice these to be a member of the covenant people of God and to receive God's favor, for this has been won in Christ, but that people are to remain in their state of life in which God called them (if you are a Jew, don't try to undo your Jewishness, if a Gentile, don't be circumcized). We see this with Timothy and Titus--Timothy, being a Jew, was circumcised so that he could minister to the Jews. Titus was not, since he was a Gentile. Paul makes clear his theology concerning holy days in Rom. 14. I'm not sure of the point you are emphasizing or what you are asking, but I think you have misunderstood both Paul's opponents and the problems into which this wayward church was dipping.
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