Galatians 4 is a key text in discussing the transitional period of time between the cross and the fall of Jerusalem. It gives us insight into the eschatology of Paul, and it assists us in interpreting texts which utilize the terms flesh and spirit in a covenant context.
http://www.labornotinvain.com
via IFTTT
You said: “There were those in the 1st century that attempted to mold the gentiles to the law”
This is an incorrect reading of Galatians 2, where in the law does it say Jews should not eat with gentiles? It doesn’t.
You should have said: “There were those in the 1st century that attempted to mold the gentiles to Pharisee traditions, but Paul was teaching them to obey the Mosaic Law instead”
Ezekiel 36:27 And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.
That is what it means to be in the spirit, to obey the mosaic law carefully.
You assume incorrectly that I was referring to Galatians 2, but I was actually referring to Acts 15 and Acts 21 where it is made plain that the Gentiles were not to circumcise their children. We are not to keep the Law in any way today.
Paul circumcised Timothy who was a gentile in response to the Acts 15 council resolution. Timothy was certainly a gentile because women did not carry the inheritance of Israel unless they had no brothers (Numbers 27:7) and in that situation they were required to marry an immediate relative (Numbers 36:8), which Timothy’s greek father wouldn’t have been.
That of course redefines the meaning of the Acts 15 council, the Pharisees thought the gentiles needed to be circumcised to receive miracle healing [sozo] (See Matthew 9:22), which contradicted the accounts that Jesus healed the uncircumcised.
So when we look at Galatians 2:3 “Yet not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek.
What does this mean “even though he was a greek”? Obviously Titus was supposed to be circumcised just like Timothy and Paul was trying to convince him to be, but was having a difficult time due to the presence of heretical sects.
Good little lesson Daniel, thanks, buddy!!