There is a movement going on in some Christian circles, known under various labels, such as "Torah Observant," "Messianic Christian," and "students of the Torah" - those who attend "Torah Class," etc. An accurate name for people who believe/teach that people should be Christians, but also keep the Torah, are Judaizers.

The King James Version doesn't use the word "Judaizers," but Young's Literal Translation does, as does some non-English Bibles. The KJV keeps it simple, and just refers to these type of people as those who say they are Christians, but also think they are supposed to keep the law. However, if someone wanted to say all of that in one word, they could use the word "Judaizers:"

"But when I saw that they are not walking uprightly to the truth of the good news, I said to Peter before all, `If thou, being a Jew, in the manner of the nations dost live, and not in the manner of the Jews, how the nations dost thou compel to Judaize?" Galatians 2:14 - Young's Literal Translation

To those who call themselves Christians, but believe they must keep the Torah as well - did you know there is a WHOLE book in the Bible in which its main topic is about how Christians are no longer under the law? There is. Amazing, isn't it? :-)

It's the book of Galatians - let us take a tour of this book that warns against Judaizers and those who set out to Judaize. We'll jump into this meaty, juicy steak in a minute.

"Torah Observant Christians," though a big movement right now, is not new. It was occurring even just after Jesus' ascension. This movement seems to come and go in waves, and right now one of those waves is again rolling in.

Side Note: If you'd like to read more details about Judaizers, and what that term means, this Wikipedia article is very interesting.

Let's look at one of the times when Judaizers set out to Judaize, from the book of Acts:

"Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment: It seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, Men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who shall also tell you the same things by mouth. For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things; That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well. So when they were dismissed, they came to Antioch: and when they had gathered the multitude together, they delivered the epistle: Which when they had read, they rejoiced for the consolation." -Acts 15:24-31

Did you see that? New Christians were falling prey to Judiazers, thinking that maybe they have to keep the law, in addition to being followers of Christ. Judas and Silas were sent out to teach the people that that is NOT the case. Christians are not under the law.

The above was the appetizer. Now let us get into the main dish:

Galatians chapter 1:1-10 - greetings and warnings against false gospels. "Another Gospel" cannot save us, we are only saved via this:

"Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father" -Galatians 1:3-4

Even if this other "Gospel" is given via a supposed angel of light, we are not to believe it. Certain cults were started from this - "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed." -Galatians 1:8

Galatians 1:11-24 - Paul here gives his background - he used to be a staunch Jew that persecuted Christians, before he got saved. He knew the Scriptures and the law WELL. Who better to author Galatians - the book in the Bible whose main topic is to dispel the false gospel of the Judaizers? Paul knows the law, and he knows the freedom and grace of Christ. Jesus spoke to Paul personally (Acts 9).

Galatians 2:3 - The Judaizers wanted Titus, Paul's fellow helper and missionary, to be circumcised. Titus refused, for the "liberty we have in Christ Jesus," (in vs. 4) and that "For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love." -Galatians 5:6

You may recall reading earlier in the Bible that Timotheus was circumcised. He didn't do so to keep the law. He did so, because the Jews wouldn't listen to him unless he was circumcised, because he had a Jewish parent, and a Gentile parent. It was his choice. Timotheus chose to get circumcised and Titus chose not to. Either choice doesn't matter, for we are no longer under that law.

Galatians 2:3-5:

"But neither Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised: And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage. To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you."

Being put back under the law, after we have been freed from the law in Christ, puts us back into bondage! The Judaizers here are called "false brethren." Sisters, we need to KNOW what the Bible says, or "false brethren" will try to feed us "another gospel." Heed this warning, and take it very seriously, for we are in the end times, and the Falling Away (2 Thessalonians 2:3) is occurring! Whoops, I'm getting a little fired up, LOL. Okay, where were we...

The Apostle Peter, and the missionary Barnabas almost fell for the untruths of the Judaizers. Those who teach that Christians must keep the Torah are very convincing. That's why "Torah Class" is so popular. We are a nation where anyone can get a Bible, yet most Christians have never read the Bible. What a way to open yourself up to "another gospel" by "false brethren." Even then, we need to be careful. Barnabas knew the Scriptures of the time, and Peter was a disciple of Jesus Himself, yet both of them almost fell for the Judaizer's wind of false doctrine:

"But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed. For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision {the Jews}. And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation." -Galatians 2:11-13

Paul to the rescue:

"Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified." -Galatians 2:16

After reading the above, some of you are wondering Then what happens when a Christian sins? Can a Christian be a lying, cheating, thief, or some other type of sinner, and still go to heaven? The people then were thinking the same thing, and Paul gives the answer to this:

"But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid. For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain." - Galatians 2:17-21

"For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor." - When we receive Christ as our Lord and Saviour, we become new creatures in Christ, and are born again (see 2 Cor. 5:17 and John chapter 3). The above says "For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me." We are not to live the life of our old (dead) man, we are to live as a one of God's children.

We discussed this in an earlier article in this "Christians and the Torah" series. When someone gets saved/born again, they die to their old self, and they also die to the Old Covenant/Torah/Law. As we learned in Romans, a person is only bound by the law as long as they live. When that person dies, they are freed from the law. An example was given of marriage. You are only bound in marriage to your spouse until one of you dies, and then the marriage covenant is dissolved. When we receive Christ as our Lord and Saviour, we die to our old sinful selves, and to the law. (2 Cor. 5:17; John 3:16; Gal. 2:19-20, etc.) We are spiritually risen anew, as new creatures in Christ - no longer under the law, but FREE. We become adopted sons and daughters of the King. Children of the King are never in bondage.

"if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain" - If you call yourself a Christian, but you are also "Torah Observant," then you have made Christ's sacrifice on the cross amount to nothing. WHY did Jesus die on the cross? To FULFILL the law, and remove us from the bondage of the law, so that we receive grace and freedom through Christ, and are adopted as sons and daughters of the King. Do you get it? Do you see the big picture? PRAISE GOD!

"O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?" - Galatians 3:1-3

The Truth is Jesus Christ (John 14:6). We are saved and justified via his spilled blood on the cross, which paid for our sins, and fulfilled the law.

When we get saved, we receive the Holy Spirit of God. Paul here is reminding us that we received the Holy Spirit through faith in Christ, not through the law or any works of ours.

Notice "spirit" and "flesh." Keeping the law is considered part of the works of the flesh. Christians are not to be in the flesh, but the spirit. When we walk in the spirit, we walk as new creatures in Christ; as children of God. Love is the fulfillment of the law. I have a section that gives a lot of Scripture on this in a previous article in this series.

"He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham." -Galatians 3:5-7

Just as we saw in chapter two that we are dead to the law, which parallels with Romans 7, we also now see a parallel with Romans 11, where we are shown that we too are the seed (children) of Abraham. We may not be physical seed, but we are counted as seed, because of our faith; by the Gospel - NOT because of works, which Paul explains below:

"And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them." -Galatians 3:8-12

"whatsoever is not of faith is sin." -Romans 14:23b Therefore, if one is under the law, they are not under faith, and they are sinning by being under the law.
It is impossible to keep the whole law. This is told to us in MANY Scriptures throughout both Old and New Testaments. The above Scripture tells us that if you choose to keep the law, you have to keep ALL of the law. When was the last time you stoned a homosexual to death? That's part of the law, you know.

"Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree" -Galatians 3:13

Christ is our Saviour. He SAVED us from the law, by redeeming us from the CURSE of the law. Jesus became a curse for us - "being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree."

"It is written" in the law. Take a look:

"And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree: His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God;) that thy land be not defiled, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance." -Deuteronomy 21:22-23

Now look at Romans 6:23:

"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Jesus took on OUR sin, and died in OUR place, hanging on the tree, being "accursed of God" in OUR place:

"For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." -2 Corinthians 5:21

Thank you Lord, for this free gift of salvation. The Lord took our sins upon Himself. If anyone truly believes on this, and accepts this gift, then they too will be saved. Praise God!

"And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect. For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise." -Galatians 3:17-18

Abraham was saved by faith in the Gospel, the promise (Gal. 3:8-12). As we've already seen, anyone who is saved is counted as the seed of Abraham, regardless of physical descent. This makes all Christians seed of the promise as well. The law never removed that promise, and the seed of Abraham are under that promise, and therefore NOT under the law. - "the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect."

WHY do we have the Law? What's its purpose? Perhaps you are wondering this. Here's the answer, straight from the Word of God:

"Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator. Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one. Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster {no longer under the law}. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." -Galatians 3:19-29

There we have it - the law is our "schoolmaster" to bring us to Christ. The law is what shows us we're sinners, because we've ALL broken the law and are guilty, and deserving of a cursed death of hanging on a tree. Once we see this, then we see that we need saved. Jesus took on the curse for us, and hung on the tree/cross for us. We accept Jesus as that needed Saviour. Therefore the law brought us to Christ. Now that we are under Christ, we are no longer under the law.

This is the end of the first part of the "Tour of Galatians." In the next part of this series, we'll go through the "Tour of Galatians, Part Two."