What Scripture shows you that legalism is defined in the way that you define it
Slade wrote:
Acts 15:1 Some men came down from Judea teaching the brethren, "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved." Galatians 5:4 You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. To me, Galatians 5:4 is the cornerstone to understand Galatians. To assume anything else from Galatians is to cause Paul to talk out of both sides of his mouth.
There is another way besides invoking the concept of legalism to understand Paul without making him talk out of both sides of his mouth. Besides "legalism" there is the concept of two covenants.
David Miller wrote:
Where does Scripture teach that legalism is the yoke being talked about?
Slade wrote:
Acts 15:10 "Now therefore why do you put God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?
I hope this answers your questions, Dave Miller.
Well, it seems a little weak, Slade. Don't you think the letter to the Galatians better defines the yoke of bondage?
Galatians 5:1
(1) Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
Notice the theme of "liberty," being made free in Christ, and not being entangled with the yoke of bondage. I use context to derive an understanding of this yoke of bondage. So what was Paul just talking about, that used these same terms?
Galatians 4:22-31, 5:1-4
(22) For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.
(23) But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.
(24) Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.
(25) For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.
(26) But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.
(27) For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband.
(28) Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.
(29) But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.
(30) Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.
(31) So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.
(1) Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
(2) Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.
(3) For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.
(4) Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.
So the yoke of bondage is the covenant that comes from mount Sinai and continued in Jerusalem at this time. It is represented by the slave woman Hagar and her child. Paul sees TWO COVENANTS. Do you agree?
I can certainly see how legalism is a part of this, just as we might say the letter of the law was part of this, but there is this bigger picture that must be dealt with, and that is the idea of covenant as a basis of relationship with God. One either derives his family relationship with God from Hagar / Sinai / Torah / Jerusalem or he derives his relationship from Sarah / Heavenly Mount Zion / Jesus Christ / Heavenly Jerusalem. Maybe we are saying the same thing with different words. Let me know your thoughts, specifically about the question of two covenants. I'm still waiting to hear your answer about Romans 7 also.
Peace be with you.
David Miller.
---------- "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man." (Colossians 4:6) http://www.InnGlory.org
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