Responding to a counter-missionary Rabbi

Our response to counter-missionary Rabbi Federov's comment is this:

Paul can only be understood from a Hebrew viewpoint. Surprisingly, most counter-missionaries insist on using a "Greek" mindset in their interpretations of Paul's writings.

Here's the pertinent passage explained using the HEBREW mindset:

Galatians 3:11. But that no man is made righteous by Torah before Elohim is evident, for it is written, “the righteous will live by faith”.[1] 12. Thus Torah is not made by faith, but whosoever will do the things that are written in it, will live in it [2]

13. But Mashiyach has redeemed us from the “curse of Torah,”[3] by becoming accursed[4] for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”.[5] 14. That the blessing of Awraham might come to the Gentiles through Y’shua the Mashiyach; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. (AENT)

FOOTNOTES:

[1] Habakkuk 2:4

[2] Leviticus 18:5

[3] There are 12 specific curses mentioned in Deut. 27:15-26; however, one can also apply this to the entire Torah simply because if anyone knowingly or unknowingly sins but does not seek forgiveness and restitution, they are under a curse, certainly not a blessing. There is a “Y” in the road of every choice we make; one road leads to blessing, the other to a curse.

[4] Y’shua was “accursed” by his accusers, but Christians teach that YHWH and Torah accused Y’shua. However, Y’shua was the Perfect Lamb. He never broke Torah; therefore, he could never come under any curse of Torah. We come under the curse when we sin and refuse to turn to YHWH!

{5] See Deuteronomy 21:22-23. Y’shua committed no capital crime. Pharisees were warning Jews off Y’shua by saying that he had become a curse because he hung on the torture stake.

The Pharisees tried to vilify Y’shua before the Jewish people. Paul is repeating this accusation of the Pharisees for the benefit of “Messianic Pharisees” (see Tosefta Sanhedrin IX.7). “Messianic Pharisees” (Galatians 2:4) were likely weary of being shunned by their people (see Matthew 10:39) and wanted back into the synagogues, so they were posturing themselves as Ebionites (see footnote Titus 3:9).

Today “Messianic Pharisees” or Ebionites, attend Orthodox synagogues and are enamored with traditional Rabbinical Judaism; they believe Y’shua is Mashiyach, but not the Arm of YHWH or YHWH Tsidkenu revealed. Paul is using the strongest words possible to affirm the Truth by reminding certain Galatians that they are trying to dilute the Netzarim Faith with traditional Pharisaism.

In 2,000 years little has changed; many Orthodox Rabbis still call Y’shua a bastard and a curse of the Jewish people because he “hung on the stake.” Some Rabbis will even provide a mock funeral for Jews who follow Y’shua, and teach that the family member is as though they never existed; so if one can understand the duress that certain “Messianic Pharisees” were under, then one can understand why Paul chose such severity of words!