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NASB | 1 John 2:3 ¶ By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | 1 John 2:3 ¶ And this is how we know [daily, by experience] that we have come to know Him [to understand Him and be more deeply acquainted with Him]: if we habitually keep [focused on His precepts and obey] His commandments (teachings). |
Subject: abide |
Bible Note: Tim, In short. Galatians was written to churches that existed in the first century when the predominate belief among Jewish (believers in Jesus and non-believers) was that Gentiles could not enter the covenant or get saved unless they went through certain processes and adhered to a particular set of rules (halacha - how to walk out the commands). This "process" was punctuated by the ritual of circumcision and was often (as can clearly be seen in Paul’s letters among other non-Biblical writings) called "circumcision" for short. "Works of the Law" was what the primary argument centered on. The Qumran Texts confirm the use of this term as a sectarian set of rules required by the group for admittance (all others outside the group were generally referred to as "sinners") Those rules were certainly related to the Law, but were focused on a particular interpretation. None of this changes the words or textual Hermeneutic, it simply enlightens the letter with the issues that were surrounding this community. If Paul allowed this view to stand, the Gospel would be no Gospel. There is no “way” into the presence of God, there is no way of salvation through obedience to The Law or any interpretation of the Law. The Abrahamic story is a perfect narrative to help explain this. Yet, to claim, since “getting into” the covenant family of God is apart from the Law, that this means that God’s Law is void or is cut up (taking out certain laws) is a huge hermeneutic leap. Being “under the law” or better said, “under the condemnation of the law” is wholly different than living within the Righteous decrees of the King and being a member of that Kingdom with its rules. I hesitate to even through my thoughts into this again. I decided to do so because the thread doesn’t appear in the home page anyway. This is a huge discussion and forum posts are generally to short and jumbled to address it well. I personally feel that people approach this issue from a theological perspective and then fit the Texts to meet that understanding. Far too many didactic texts need to be “explained away” to argue that God’s Law is divided into categories and then dismissed. And a final note: if people are offended or feel they are judged by a persons view that the whole of the Law still applies to Christians, then that’s their issue, not the person who holds to that view. I know you didn’t say you felt “judged”, but others have. |