A Torah Verse By Verse Commentary Of Paul's Epistles by Re'tzon Ha'El - HTML preview

Chapter 3

V1 Brethren refers to brothers in Messiah, Jew and Gentile. To repeat the gospel message which is inherently immutable, should never be found tiresome, as it may be fresh manna for the immature Christians within the ecclesia. 

V2 this verse when taken into context of the following verses, refers to pharisaic Judaizers within the ecclesia, who are intent on returning those free in Holy Spirit Torah observance, back to the traditions of men and seeking of justification by carnal works. Katatome is Greek for mutilation, which KJV translates as the concision. Physical circumcision may have been alluded to here as there is mutilation involved of which the Judaizers were insisting was the obligatory means to obtaining salvation cf Acts 15:1.

Circumcision is one of many laws to be observed once the Holy Spirit leads you to such revelation and understanding of scripture. The law observed through coercion does not lead to justification nor salvation. So destructive are the doctrines of the Talmudic teachings that they are described as mutilating the true gospel. Paul describes them as dogs too, being a damning indictment of their opposition to Elohim’s will cf Deut 23:18 and Matt 7:6; Is 56:10-11.

V3 Born-again Christians filled with Holy Spirit power are circumcised in the heart cf Deut 30:6; Eze 36:26-27; Rom 2:28-29. Circumcision of the flesh is observance of Torah, as are the other 612 laws, but must be an act performed as a sign of one’s faith in Yehovah which should be prior to the circumcision. Abraham was only circumcised some 24 years after being justified by faith cf Gen 15:6 and 17:24. The cart of circumcision must not be put before the horse of justification by faith in Messiah Yeshua, lest it be deemed a worthless act.

V4-6 If anything Paul was not preaching hearsay, but was living proof of the folly of trusting in one’s futile carnal form of righteousness as being a means of justification. His identification as being of the tribe of Benjamin, destroys amongst other scriptural NT passages, the notion that there were 10 lost tribes of Israel after the Assyrian captivity of 723 BC cf Lk 2:36. Paul was the real McCoy, having fulfilled the Mosaic law requirements from birth, being a full-bred Israelite, who was neither proselytised nor from the diaspora cf Acts 22v2.

Furthermore, he was a Pharisee, the most orthodox sect of Judaism in his time which sealed up his indelible repertoire. He additionally had been so devout a Pharisee that he persecuted the ecclesia. Note that there is righteousness in the law, of which Paul in his zealous, pharisaic past life was blameless. However, one may follow the Torah to the letter, yet still stumble, as our carnal nature is incapable of living the Torah in love, which only the Holy Spirit renewing our mind may be able to achieve for us. To be blameless does not necessarily mean to be sinless. Paul was blameless in following the Torah to the letter, yet sinful in his persecution of the ecclesia and hatred of Yeshua, prior to his conversion. Religiosity has kept many in danger of losing their hope of salvation. Many denominations major on rule-keeping, yet lack love of one’s neighbour which sums up Torah.

V7-8 What we consider gain through morality achieved by keeping the rules of men, is in fact zemia/damage, loss in KJV for Messiah if His Torah of truth and righteousness in Holy Spirit power is neglected. We cannot win souls for the kingdom if genuine divine love for one’s neighbour is not sought after. So devoid of profit to the kingdom of heaven are the decrees and traditions of man that they are as useless as skubalon/offscourings, excrement or faeces in our modern vernacular. A fleshly approach to Torah-keeping is actually a liability and gives a completely false hope of salvation cf Jer 9:23-24. Gnosis/knowledge of Messiah can only be found by abiding in Him, of which our carnal nature and approach is at enmity with as Rom ch 8 elucidates. In order to be conformed to the glorious image of Yeshua in resurrection life, we must also be conformed to his sufferings in His death. Knowledge of Messiah is the definition of eternal life cf Jn 17:3; 1 Jn 5:20.

V9-11 V9 cf Gal 2:16. It is impossible to follow Torah by our own carnal deeds as already seen in Rom 8:1-9. We absolutely need to be in Messiah by faith in order to be led unto righteousness by His Holy Spirit. This verse does not, as is wrongfully inferred and taught, deem Torah/Law of Moses redundant. Rather it is expressing that our own righteousness is inadequate in observing Torah efficaciously, being tainted by the DNA of fallen Adam whose phenotype is our bestial carnal nature upon which Satan’s emissaries derail us.

V10 Yeshua living in us brings us to that gnosis/knowledge of His will, His power and to be able to appreciate His persecutions all by the workings of His Holy Spirit dwelling in us. Without the Holy Spirit we can never understand why the good suffer and die and why evil prevails in this world we live in. Even Christians blame their heavenly Father for the ills of this world especially when they are directly affected culminating in their wilful refusal to continue in the walk. Conscription into the Christian walk should not be taken lightly, as it is not as pleasant from a worldly perspective as preached.

One is to expect to become a slave without rights to His new sinless Master, Yeshua haMashiach, and to expect great antagonism from the demonic spiritual realm who oppress, depress, suppress and try to possess our souls, their efforts ever increasing proportionately to our growth and maturity in Messiah. Death is the ultimate price to pay for having riled Satan’s kingdom so much, but we must never lose sight of that glorious salvation that awaits the victors and promised eternal life conformed unto the very image of Messiah Rom 8:28-39.

V11-Paul makes it very clear that attainment of resurrection unto eternal life is not guaranteed and must be fought hard for by any means, throughout our torrid Christian walk fraught with persecution and resistance in all forms from the adversary.

V12 Paul was not deceived into a sense of false security. He knew full well that seeking eternal life and salvation. Christians of today believe that we are insulated from demonic attack, foolishly deluded into believing that they are free of sin and recompense for their behaviour. Be under no illusion, Satan sends greater ranks of demons and fallen angels into the lives of mature believers who actively fight the spiritual battle. Spirits of deception, lies, delusion, and the like are multiplied in number and intensity in a desperate effort to win back our souls for damnation promised them. Paul knew that because of this, and his still ever-present corruptible body wrestling day and night with his mind cf Rom 7:22-23, it was impossible for him to be teleioo/perfect, complete. Rather he strived after attaining that goal which Yeshua had apprehended him for. Messiah katalambano/ lays a hold of, apprehends us before we comprehend the truth, of which one must press toward throughout our life.

V13-14 He reiterates that he is not under any illusion that he has already attained eternal life, but was sure of one thing: forgetting his evil past and focusing on seeking righteousness and maturity in Holy Spirit power. Satan attempts to remind us of our vile past in order to arouse guilt and shame. 1 Jn 1:9 reassures us that our sins are forgiven once and for all for us to start on a clean slate. Our Christian walk demands that we grow with each waking moment, and never stagnate lest we slip back to our old man Eph 5:15-16. 

V14 dioko/suffer persecution is translated press in KJV. The verse is better translated I suffer persecution toward the skopos/goal for the prize of the ano/above, heavenly kleisis/invitation of Elohim in Messiah Yeshua. Deliverance is automatically given to those who call upon the name of Yehovah, justification is given to the faithful, and redemption to those who confess their sins.

Sanctification on the other hand is promised to remain in those who persevere in gospel truth, abiding in Messiah through keeping his Torah Jn 14:15; 15:10 allowing the believer to earn his salvation and glorification at the completion of his earthly course. Sanctification, salvation and glorification are not guaranteed, and require living for, and if need be suffering, for Yeshua’s name for that prize that awaits us all, who are invited. Note that we shall all receive different prizes according to our conduct on earth cf 2 Cor 5:10.

V15-16 We are exhorted to be on the same wavelength as Paul in order to achieve teleios/completeness, perfection. He assures those who have not quite reached that milestone to be brought into this light of truth by Elohim, who completes what He has started cf Phil 1:6.

V16 phthano is in the KJV translated we have already attained but is the Greek for to come before or anticipate. The verse makes a lot more sense translated as ‘nevertheless, whereto we have anticipated’. Hence, we are not to meander from the anticipation of the high calling of Elohim, but to press towards that goal as Paul did. This advice would be appropriate for the immature Christian who needed to be reassured that he did not have to be perfect in knowledge before putting it in practice, but should consistently look ahead towards righteousness and never turn back to his old life.

V17-18 We should never feel ashamed to express that we are living in spirit and in truth. It is not arrogance especially when you are suffering persecution for Messiah and are considered as the offscouring by the rest of the world cf 1 Cor 4:9-13. Sanctimony however does bedevil those who preach another gospel such as the Pharisees did cf Matt 6:1-2. These are indeed enemies of the cross of Messiah, who in our epoch are represented by the Nicolaitan clergy, prosperity gospel racketeers, bigoted fake Jews who profess ethnic superiority, and a multitude of false prophets who arrogantly teach against and despise the Torah of Elohim.  We should not be embarrassed to exhibit righteousness to encourage others to follow suit. Besides true righteousness is found in humility and is not readily envied by this material world we live in. Hence one would hardly be deemed sanctimonious nor egocentric, were they to live as Paul did and encouraged others to emulate him. We are ultimately all to walk as Messiah did unashamedly.

V19 Paul quite lucidly differentiates the righteous from the false WITHIN the ecclesia. He is not referring to the worldly sinners who never accepted Yeshua, but rather to believers who still adhere to worldly traits and succumb to worldly selfish carnal lusts. A severe warning is given to such Christians of destined destruction proving that the once saved all saved doctrine is false and dangerous.

V20 Rather we should mind heavenly, spiritual conduct to evade all carnal lusts of the devil. The Holy Spirit cannot cohabitate with unclean spirits within our soul. If we resist the devil in Holy Spirit power, he will indeed flee Jm 4:7. We are pilgrims on this earth awaiting entrance into heaven where our citizenship belongs Gal 4:26; Hb 11:13-16.

V21 Yeshua shall return from heaven at the rapture and in the twinkling of an eye shall turn the corruptible bodies of the righteous into incorruptible cf 1 Jn 3:2; 1 Cor 15:51-54. The Greek word tapeinosis/low estate is translated vile in KJV.