James Chapter 1 Breakdown

1 James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad: Greetings.

James addresses his letter to the twelve tribes of Israel who have been scattered across the nations. It is quite interesting to make note of this fact, especially considering this is one book that is rarely quoted within churches today.

2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,

James considers these scattered tribes as brothers and says they should be joyful when tribulations fall upon them.

3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.

When the tribulations fall upon them, it is testing their faith, and creates patience.

4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

Let patience have perfect deeds, in order you can be perfect, not wanting anything that can be found in man. This looks a bit different from what is written because the Greek seems to indicate a few things different than the English.

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

YHWH will grant wisdom for anyone who asks. If you truly desire wisdom, all you have to do is ask and then put in the work within the Bible and it is given to you.

6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.

Asking with the faith it will be given to you, but not doubting YHWH’s Word that if you ask He will overflow you with wisdom, is what you should do. Doubting YHWH’s Word to you will not result in your receiving wisdom. Remember, this is written to those who had once been a part of Israel, but were scattered to the surrounding nations. They had lost their faith in YHWH because they were divorced and the Southern Kingdom excluded them.

7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;

If a man doubts YHWH, he should not expect to receive any gift from YHWH.

8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

The doubter of YHWH is insecure in his ways, believing both YHWH and man. These men are unstable considering YHWH’s law contradicts men’s traditions, ways, and desires. This is why those who doubt YHWH’s Word are double-minded.

9 Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation,

The poor brother should be joyful in the fact he will be exalted unto YHWH.

10 but the rich in his humiliation, because as a flower of the field he will pass away.

The rich should stay humble, be made low because otherwise he will pass away. James is simply restating all the simple rules the twelve tribes used to abide by.

11 For no sooner has the sun risen with a burning heat than it withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beautiful appearance perishes. So the rich man also will fade away in his pursuits.

James simply states if a rich man does not make himself low, he will perish. Just as soon as his pursuits overtake his faith in YHWH. The rich man is more easily tempted by sin due to the rich man placing themselves above other men.

12 Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

Bearing temptation and not falling to it will result in gaining the crown of life, which has been promised by YHWH. We must remember giving in to temptation is giving in to sin. Temptation comes from desires of the flesh, and desires of the flesh are sinful desires.  

13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.

YHWH does not cause anyone to desire to sin. Therefore, when a man is surrounded by temptation, it is not the doing of YHWH, but of man or Satan.

14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.

Here James reiterates it is man who tempts men, sometimes it is the individual man himself falling for his own desires of the flesh.

15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.

Once a man’s desire is produced, it brings forth sin and sin brings death.

16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.

Do not allow anyone to deceive you, my brothers from the twelve tribes of Israel.

17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

18 Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.

YHWH brought us out with His Truth as the firstfruits.

19 So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath;

We should be fast listening, slow speaking and slow to get angry.

20 for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

Man’s anger does not result in the righteousness of YHWH.

21 Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

Get rid of your sin and humbly receive YHWH’s Word which is rotted in truth, and can save your soul.

22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

Now, something which is very important, James says outright, all these members of the twelve tribes should be doers of the Word and not only hearers, because this would cause you to deceive yourself. Basically, just hearing the Word is not enough to prove you have faith in it. Keeping the Word out of love for YHWH is how we show faith. This Word is Yeshua, and Yeshua is the Torah made flesh.

John 1:1, 14

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

Yeshua is the Word who became flesh. The Word is the Torah, we know this due to this being the Word from the beginning. Therefore we can conclude, Yeshua is the living, breathing embodiment of the Torah. If this is the case, then to be doers of the Word means to be doers of the Torah.

23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror;  24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.

If you only hear the Word, but do not follow what it says is like learning who you are through the Word, then setting the book down and immediately losing sight of that person.

25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.

Here James says it is the man who keeps and follows the perfect law of liberty who will be blessed in what he does. We know the perfect law of liberty is the Torah. Couple the fact that Yeshua is the Torah with what the book of Psalm has to say about YHWH’s law.

Psalm 19:7; 119:45

The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;

And I will walk at liberty, For I seek Your laws.

26 If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless.

Religion is useless if you say one thing but practice another.

27 Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

To be considered pure to YHWH, one must visit orphans and widows to help them, and to keep yourself set apart from the world. Be separate from the world. In order to be separate from the world one must avoid sin, and live in the Spirit. Living in the Spirit is contrary to living in the flesh. Living in the flesh is to partake in the sins of the world. The only way to be set apart is by having faith in YHWH’s Word, and His commands for us. Those commands define sin for us, which indicates how to avoid sin. James is on the side of keeping YHWH’s law and is telling the scattered sheep from the twelves tribes of Israel to turn back to the ways YHWH had given to their fathers.  

Galatians 6 Breakdown

1 Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.

If a man falls to any sin, those who are following the law of God through the Spirit, and not committing sin, should help bring the sinful man out of his worldly ways. Those helping should do so in a gentle manner, but also taking into consideration the temptation could cause those helping to fall victim to the sin.

2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

Use each other in order to avoid sin, this is how we fulfill the law of love, which is the very same law as Torah.

3 For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.

Anyone being conceited, from the end of chapter 5, remember this is one continuous letter, considering himself greater than another is deceiving himself.

4 But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.

Judge yourself on the things you do alone, do not compare yourself to others. This will keep you from placing yourself above others, but will also keep you from placing other above yourself. Find joy in the things you do that fulfil YHWH’s law.

5 For each one shall bear his own load.

Every man will be judged according to his own deeds. Paul is referring to Torah again here.

Deuteronomy 24:16

“Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor shall children be put to death for their fathers; a person shall be put to death for his own sin

Psalm 62:12

Also to You, O Lord, belongs mercy; For You render to each one according to his work.

Proverbs 24:12

If you say, “Surely we did not know this,” Does not He who weighs the hearts consider it? He who keeps your soul, does He not know it? And will He not render to each man according to his deeds?

Paul based everything he taught on Torah. This idea should become more and more apparent as you break down chapters he wrote, verse by verse.

6 Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches.

The man who is being taught should share in all the good things with the teacher.

7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.

Paul says do not let anyone deceive you about anything, YHWH will not be mocked. Then he quotes Torah again.

Job 4:8

Even as I have seen, Those who plow iniquity And sow trouble reap the same.

Proverbs 22:8

He who sows iniquity will reap sorrow, And the rod of his anger will fail.

Both of these instances in which we see Paul quoting from you can see they are referring to sowing iniquity. Paul chose this language for a reason, it is because he is brilliant. He knew the Torah better than just about anyone in the world. Considering he says men will reap what they sow, one can only conclude if a man chooses to live in sin, and sin is defined by the law according to Paul, he we only gain death and not life. Living in sin is sowing iniquity, and therefore the reward is grief.

Romans 7:7

What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.

Paul says he would have known sin if it weren’t for the law, meaning the law is what distinguishes sin from non-sinful actions. Sin and iniquity are one and the same, therefore to sow iniquity is to live is sin. To live in sin is to disobey YHWH’s law. Again, I stress, we do not keep this law as a requirement, but we keep this law out of love for the Father.

8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.

Here Paul goes a bit deeper and justifies the point I just made. If a man sows to his flesh, this simply means he is satisfying the desires of the flesh which are contrary to the law of YHWH, the man will only gain corruption.  But, he who sows in the Spirit, meaning following the laws of YHWH out of love and faith, will gain everlasting life. Again, Ezekiel 36 points us to the prophecy of the Holy Spirit and its purpose in our time, and that is to cause men to keep the law of YHWH. So, to argue against this is to argue against Torah, prophecy, and YHWH.

9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

Do not get tired of keeping these laws, many of which are directly related to helping our neighbor. If we continue to keep His law out of faith, and do not fall back to the desires of the flesh, and do not consider His law a burden, everlasting life awaits. I would also like to submit, one of the biggest distinctions between keeping the law on a requirement basis and a faith basis is through requirement there is no love involved and therefore our heart is not being circumcised, whereas doing it out of faith means we are trusting YHWH and His ways above our own. If we do this, we are less likely to grow tired of helping others because we do it out of love. We all know when something is required of us, it is no longer something we look forward to doing.

10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.

Complete the deeds of YHWH’s law at every opportunity. Help others, especially other believers. All of YHWH’s law is good and involves showing love and compassion toward others, so it is not wrong to desire to keep these laws.

11 See with what large letters I have written to you with my own hand!

Paul is just ensuring everyone reading that he is the one writing this letter.

12 As many as desire to make a good showing in the flesh, these would compel you to be circumcised, only that they may not suffer persecution for the cross of Christ.

The sect of the Circumcision want people to see their good deeds, even though those deeds may not come from the heart, but instead from the flesh. An example of this would be to do a good deed in order to receive praise from other men for that deed. These Pharisees are trying to talk people into being circumcised in order to avoid persecution.

Here is what John had to say about this issue, which confirms what I am claiming.

John 5: 41, 44

I do not receive honor from men

How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?

John 12:42-43

Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God

13 For not even those who are circumcised keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh.

Paul comes right out and says, this group of Jews don’t even keep the whole law as intended by YHWH. But they want more people in their group to boast about their numbers.

14 But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

Paul does not want to brag about how many people he has converted, but wants to give all glory to YHWH. He wants to renounce the world of sin in favor of the Spirit of YHWH.

15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation.

He is pointing directly to the Sect of the Circumcision here and saying the requirement for circumcision is nothing, you gain nothing from it. It is becoming a new creation that is profitable. This means you no longer desire the sins of the flesh, although you may still sin, you desire to follow the ways YHWH has commanded of you.

16 And as many as walk according to this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.

Peace and mercy from YHWH to those walking according to YHWH’s law, these are the Israel of YHWH.

17 From now on let no one trouble me, for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.

Do not allow anyone to trouble you, because Yeshua is with you.

18 Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.

Believers, the grace of Yeshua be with your spirit.

Galatians 5 Breakdown

1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.

Be persistent with the authority Yeshua has given to us when freeing us from the marriage law of the old covenant. Do not allow yourself to go back to the pagan bondage you had partaken in before you knew Him.

2 Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing.

To be circumcised with the intent of salvation, you will gain nothing. The reason this is the case is because by doing the deeds for salvation, salvation is then expected and owed, but that is not the way YHWH intended it. We follow laws out of love for YHWH, not because we expect to be saved by them.

3 And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law.

Those who follow the law with the purpose of salvation, and not out of love, must keep the whole law given. To do this, you are not keeping the law out of faith YHWH’s Word is better than man’s word. These people are teaching and following the keeping of the law as a burden to bear to receive salvation.

4 You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.

Paul tells these people by keeping the laws as a burden, they are now separate from Yeshua. See, he specifically states they are trying to be justified or saved because they are keeping the law. They are not doing this out of love, just as many of the sect of the circumcision Jews taught, it was required for salvation. This is the point I am trying to show. Keeping the law is not bad when it is done out of love. Keeping the law is bad when it is done to earn salvation.

5 For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.

With the Spirit, which causes us to desire to follow the law out of love according the prophecy found in Ezekiel, we can hope for salvation by our faith.

6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.

Paul here again points out it is not circumcision which causes us to be saved, as the certain sect of Jews were teaching, but it is the deeds done through love out of faith that we use to hope for righteousness.

7 You ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?

He says the Galatians were doing well for a time, but then asks, who changed their minds from obeying the law out of love? Paul did not teach them all the laws of Torah from the beginning because they would be taught them over time each Sabbath.

Acts 15:21

For Moses of old time has in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath day.

It seems it is because of this reason they were persuaded to lean toward deeds based salvation.

8 This persuasion does not come from Him who calls you.

He outrights states deeds based salvation does not come from YHWH.

9 A little leaven leavens the whole lump.

Leaven is comparable to sin, and is symbolic in the Feasts of YHWH as sin. It is to be removed from the house, which is symbolic of the body. What Paul is saying is a little sin causes sin throughout. It is sinful to keep His law out of necessity or for a reward. That is what the pagans do. One of YHWH’s commands is to not worship Him as the pagans worship their gods.

10 I have confidence in you, in the Lord, that you will have no other mind; but he who troubles you shall bear his judgment, whoever he is.

Paul says he has the confidence in these men, along with YHWH, that they will turn back to YHWH and the men who taught them differently will be judged by YHWH for this problem they causes.

11 And I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why do I still suffer persecution? Then the offense of the cross has ceased.

Here you can see, Paul does in fact still preach circumcision, he does it though not as a requirement for salvation, but out of love for YHWH.

12 I could wish that those who trouble you would even cut themselves off!

Paul is extremely upset at this point and comes out to say he wishes the teachers of the requirement of circumcision would emasculate themselves. I believe he does this in reference to Deuteronomy.

Deuteronomy 23:1

"No one who is emasculated or has his male organ cut off shall enter the assembly of the LORD.

13 For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

These believers should take the freedom they were called to and use it to serve others through love. They should not use this freedom to teach against keeping the law, which is to sin. It is sin the flesh wants to partake in. Basically, he is saying do not sin because keeping God’s law is not required, but rather continue loving your neighbors, as well as YHWH because you are saved.

14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Paul quotes from the Old Testament law here when he says the whole law is fulfilled in one word.

Leviticus 19:18

You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.

This should stand out to all of us, in that because this is quoted from the “old law”, but it is said that it is all about loving our neighbor. Think about that for a bit.

15 But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!

Fighting against each other is not profitable for us. As believers, we should not be bitter toward one another, especially over small disagreements.

16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

This is huge, walking in the Spirit keeps us from going after lusts of the flesh. Now, consider the prophecy of Ezekiel 36, which states the Spirit will cause us to keep YHWH’s laws. Now couple that with the idea that the lusts of the flesh directly contradict what YHWH tells us to do. Therefore, keeping the law of God is the best way to avoid following the lusts of the flesh.

17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.

He is reiterating that point here. The flesh goes against the Spirit, we know the Spirit of YHWH causes us to desire to follow His law. Because we are living in the flesh we desire sinful things. But living in the Spirit will cause us to desire YHWH’s lawful things ultimately avoiding partaking in sinful activities.

18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

Being led by the Spirit, we are not under the law? This is a bit confusing now after what Paul has just said. So either Paul is arguing in favor of both keeping and not keeping God’s law, or there is a different law he is referring to. I lean toward the idea of a different law because he specifically names multiple laws throughout his letters. In this case, it is the law of sin he is referring to. An example of Paul referring to this law can be found in Romans 7.

Romans 7:23

But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

The law in his members is the law within his flesh, and that is the law of sin. The law in his mind is the law of YHWH, which is what he wants to keep.

19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Paul is naming many sins in relation to not following YHWH’s law. Each of these are mentioned within the Old Testament law. He then goes on to say by partaking in any of these sins there is no inheritance. This can only mean keeping the commands of YHWH in order to avoid these things. How can one not keep the commands of God meaning partaking in these desires of the flesh, and still inherit God’s kingdom? It does not make sense, and according to Paul, it is impossible.  

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

The Spirit of YHWH which again causes us to desire to keep YHWH’s law, brings these things with it. This means God’s law is made up of these things and it is not bad or sinful to keep His law.

24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

If you believe in Christ, you have given up the desires of the flesh, and replaced them with the desires of YHWH’s law. It is really a simple argument that has been twisted for centuries.

25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

If we live in the Spirit, meaning we have the desire to follow the law of YHWH, Paul says we should also walk in the Spirit, meaning keeping YHWH’s law. But again, this is not out of necessity, but out of love for YHWH.

26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

We should not become conceited, thinking we are better than other believers, causing them to envy us.

Galatians 4 Breakdown (Updated)

1 Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, does not differ at all from a slave, though he is master of all,

While the child is waiting for his inheritance, he is really no different than a slave in terms of how he is looked upon from the master. It doesn’t matter that he is the master of all, it only matters that he does not have authority as of yet. This is a distinction between Yeshua and the Law of YHWH.

2 but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father.

It wasn’t until YHWH gives the word of appointment that Yeshua was granted authority above the Law.

3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world.

Before we knew our Creator and Savior, we were in bondage to sin, which is an element of the world.

 

4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law,

When YHWH determined the time was right, He sent Yeshua the Savior into the world, under the law of sin, just as the rest of us are born. This would ensure He faced every temptation we face, in the same manner as we do.

5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.

He was sent to redeem those still under the law of sin and death. This law is that which came from Adam. When he chose to sin it brought about death.

6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!”

Now, because we can be grafted into Israel, we can receive the Spirit of YHWH, sent by YHWH.

 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of[b] God through Christ.

Because of this grafting in, we are no longer a slave to sin, but a son to YHWH making us an heir to His promises.

8 But then, indeed, when you did not know God, you served those which by nature are not gods.

Before you knew YHWH, you served things which were not gods. Basically Paul is saying you worshiped as the pagans do. We must remember Paul is speaking to the Galatians here. Galatia is in modern day Turkey. The Galatians were previously all pagan with descendants from the scattered House of Israel living within the city. They had all but abandoned their belief in YHWH and turned to the worship of idols, similarly to the reason their fathers were scattered in the first place.

9 But now after you have known God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage?

Paul is asking what’s going on now they know who YHWH is and can return to Him. There were some Jews who were following Paul around telling all the newly converted Believers they must keep all the Torah laws in order to be saved. If they did not do these deeds, they could not receive salvation. This idea is similar to what they had been doing in the pagan religions. That is why Paul says they seem to desire to be in bondage. If the Galatians did not know YHWH before Paul came, then how could they turn back to the ways of keeping Torah? It seems the argument for many Christians today is keeping Torah is bondage. This is in direct opposition to what is taught in the Bible. Keeping Torah is freedom, brings liberty, and is a light for our lives. How can something God calls freedom be called bondage? There is something else going on here and as I stated, it was the false believers, a sect of the Jews who were claiming a requirement for salvation was to keep all the commandments, as well as their own oral law.

10 You observe days and months and seasons and years.

Paul is calling them out here. We must remember, again, these are the Galatians, formerly pagan people. They had never before observed YHWH’s Holy Days, and feasts. Due to this fact, we cannot assume these people are now practicing the Holy feast days, but rather they were being influenced by other pagans, probably friends and family who had not converted to Christianity, who were continuing in pagan holidays and seasons.

11 I am afraid for you, lest I have labored for you in vain.

Paul is concerned they are turning their back on everything he had taught them. What he teaches is very difficult to comprehend and he feels he did all of it for nothing. We know Paul is difficult to understand and comprehend because Peter tells us so.

2 Peter 3:14-16

Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.

We must entertain the idea of Paul being difficult to understand, and doing so we cannot simply take what he says word for word without understanding the entire context in which he is quoting or discussing. That being said, know this, Paul talks about being saved through faith because of Grace. It is after being saved we desire to keep the commands of YHWH. He goes on to say keeping those very same laws is not what saves us. This seems to be the most difficult thing for people to understand.

12 Brethren, I urge you to become like me, for I became like you. You have not injured me at all.

Paul tells the Galatians to be as he is, following the things he taught.

13 You know that because of physical infirmity I preached the gospel to you at the first.

Paul originally went to them and taught while he was ill.

14 And my trial which was in my flesh you did not despise or reject, but you received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.

During that time they did not reject him but received him as a messenger of YHWH.

15 What then was the blessing you enjoyed? For I bear you witness that, if possible, you would have plucked out your own eyes and given them to me.

He asks them why they were blessed by what he preached. He even says they believed him to the point they would have given their eyes for him. So he is completely lost as to why they are turning from what he taught them. Turning from the message they believed so strongly.

16 Have I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth?

Paul wonders what the deal is, do they believe the Jews so much now that Paul is considered an enemy because he preaches against what they now believe, which is a lie. The Galatians allowed the Jews to come in and pervert their belief system in such a way they think salvation requires works, not just that found in the Bible, but also the oral law.

17 They zealously court you, but for no good; yes, they want to exclude you, that you may be zealous for them.

The Circumcision sect of Jews are causing you to believe them, even though nothing good can come from it. They want to remove you and your zeal for us, and desire them.

18 But it is good to be zealous in a good thing always, and not only when I am present with you.

Being zealous is not bad, so long as you’re zealous about good things, and you don’t have to be zealous only when Paul is present.

19 My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you,

Paul will continue to fight for these Galatians.

20 I would like to be present with you now and to change my tone; for I have doubts about you.

Paul desires to be with them again to teach them, and he would be a bit harsher this time because he is not fully convinced the Galatians will keep their faith.

21 Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law?

He wants answers from those who currently believe what the Circumcision sect of the Jews have taught.

22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, the other by a freewoman.

Paul again goes into the Torah to explain his point of view.

23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and he of the freewoman through promise,

Ishmael was not the promised son for Abraham. He was the son born not to Sarah, but to Hagar, and this went against what YHWH wanted Abraham to do. Therefore, Ishmael was born according to the flesh, Abraham and Sarah thought their way would be better in ensuring Abraham had children. Isaac was born to Sarah and was the promised child to Abraham of YHWH.

24 which things are symbolic. For these are the two covenants: the one from Mount Sinai which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar—

Paul states these two children are symbolic for future events. These are the two covenants we see now, one of the flesh, wish is rooted in sin and keeping man’s ways above YHWH’s ways, as Abraham did to conceive Ishmael.

25 for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children—

Keeping man’s ways will always lead men into bondage. When YHWH tells us to do a thing, we must trust Him and do that thing. Abraham did not do this and tried to rush YHWH’s promise which ultimately resulted in YHWH’s people living in bondage.

26 but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all.

Jerusalem which is in heaven is free, and this is where we desire to end. Keeping the Law of YHWH is freedom.

Psalm 119:45

And I will walk at liberty, For I seek Your precepts.

The English word liberty literally means to be free within a society. A synonym for the word precepts is laws. So, King David literally said, “I will walk in freedom, because I keep your law”. 

27 For it is written: “Rejoice, O barren, You who do not bear! Break forth and shout, You who are not in labor! For the desolate has many more children Than she who has a husband.”

Paul quotes Isaiah 54:1 here. Sarah was barren, but Hagar was not. Sarah’s descendants became not only the Jews, but parts of every nation on earth. Hagar’s descendants make up what we know as Islam today.

28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise.

We, believers, can become grafted into the promise YHWH gave to Abraham.

29 But, as he who was born according to the flesh then persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, even so it is now.

Ishmael and his descendants persecuted Isaac and his descendants, and this still continues to this day. We will be persecuted, by all non-believers, but it seems the major persecutor of Believers is Islam, in our world today.

30 Nevertheless what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.”

Paul quotes the Torah again, Genesis 21:10. Ishmael and what we know as Islam will never be heir with Isaac and the believers of YHWH. This goes hand in hand with my theory on the end times. Abraham was commanded to cast out Hagar and Ishmael. To take this a step further, Islam follows a set of deeds which must be done in order to receive salvation, those deeds may not be the same as those from the Judaism, but nevertheless, it is still a deeds based salvation. Just something to consider.

31 So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman but of the free.

Paul simply states, we as believers, are heirs to Abraham based on our faith in YHWH. It was Christ’s death which nullified the first covenant allowing a New Covenant to come into play. By nullifying the first covenant we are now all starting over with no sin against YHWH. In choosing to believe His ways are better than ours and having faith in this idea, we are granted salvation as a gift. By keeping the commands found in the Torah, we show our love for YHWH the way He wants us to show our love. In this faith in YHWH, we become children of the free woman, Jerusalem from above, and heirs to Abrahams promise.

Galatians 3 Breakdown

1 O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified?

Paul is claiming the Galatians have now been bewitched, and someone has lied to them about the crucifixion of Christ. Meaning, these men are teaching salvation through the works of the law and not through Grace from YHWH.

2 This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

Paul comes right out and asks, if the Spirit had come to them because of their works, or before those works through the faith they already had to begin doing the works.

3 Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?

Again, Paul is calling them out telling them they already had the Spirit which would guide them to perfection. It is not the law which makes them perfect, because in the flesh, they will fail to keep the law as required.

4 Have you suffered so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain?

These people had been persecuted for their beliefs. Persecuted by friends, family, and possibly others because they were no longer in alignment with their customs and traditions. Paul is saying, did you go through all that for nothing? If you now believe salvation is acquired through works, which it is not, it was for nothing because you will fail.

5 Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?—

YHWH supplies His Spirit to you and works miracles in and among you, but not because you keep His law, but because you have faith in His Word. Keeping this law is not what makes you righteous, but because you are righteous, you keep the law. You do not gain faith by keeping the law, but rather you keep the law because you have faith. One must come before the other or it doesn’t make sense. Paul goes on to give examples next.

6 just as Abraham “believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”

First up is Abraham. It was not because he did all of YHWH’s law that he became righteous, although he did keep His law. It was because he believed and had faith in the Word of YHWH that he kept those commands, such as sacrificing Isaac.

Genesis 15:6                          

And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.

If Abraham did not have faith in the Word of YHWH, he would have never taken his child up on that mountain. To claim keeping the commands brings faith and salvation would be saying Abraham took Isaac up the mountain, even though he did not trust YHWH’s command, and once he did this he found his faith in YHWH. This is completely ridiculous.

7 Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham.

It is those of us who have faith His Word is better than ours, His commands are in our best interest and that’s why we keep them, these are the sons of Abraham.

8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, “In you all the nations shall be blessed.”

This is a verse in which Paul claims Abraham was preached the Gospel. That’s right, the Gospel. This should really make the reader think, because I, like most other Christians, had always believed the Gospel was about Christ dying for everyone in the world’s sin. But, that does not seem to be what is indicated by Paul in this verse which specifically mentions the Gospel. So, let’s take a look at Abraham and what Paul believed was the forthcoming Gospel given to Abraham.

Genesis 12:3; 18:18; 22:18; 26:4; 28:14

I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?

In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”

And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands; and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed;

Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.

Based on these verses, we can see that somehow, all the nations of the earth will be blessed because of Abraham. How could this possibly be the case? How does Yeshua make this a possibility? How does the whole earth, as in every nation, come to accept YHWH’s Word as truth?

I submit, and believe the Bible confirms this, the Northern Kingdom of Israel being spread across the world into each nation and assimilating into their respective cultures is the main way this takes place. This is how Yeshua’s death can impact the whole world. If Yeshua is YHWH in the flesh, it would mean His death would annul the marriage covenant between Him and all of Israel. Once annulled, they can all return to Him with a fresh slate, as in sinless, to start over choosing Him. The Northern Kingdom knew at least part of their history and where they were from after they had been scattered. How else can we explain why so many gentile across the Middle East would openly accept a Jewish Messiah? Most of these nations did not even like the Jews, and they all had their own gods, why would they need or want another one? Especially a Jewish one? There is a reason, and that reason is they knew the prophecies.

9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.

Paul goes on to say those who have faith are blessed like the believing Abraham was blessed.

10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.”

Paul says here that those who are trying to keep the law in order to obtain salvation will run into a problem. When Christ died on the law, He nailed the curse of the law to the cross. Therefore, by accepting Him as our Messiah we no longer need to worry about the curse that comes from breaking the law. Paul was quoting Deuteronomy in this statement.

Deuteronomy 27:26

‘Cursed is the one who does not confirm all the words of this law by observing them.’ “And all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’

Colossians 2:14

having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.

The only part of the law in which was contrary to men was the curse which came upon men when they broke the commandments. That’s it. All other portions of the law were not contrary to us but benefitted us. Christ’s death does not eliminate the law itself, nor does it suggest we no longer keep it. It simply nullifies the curse against those who broke it, meaning the New Covenant comes with better promises, as suggested in Hebrews.

Hebrews 8:6

But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises.

11 But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for “the just shall live by faith.”

Again, Paul reiterates no one is justified by keeping the law. Keeping the law comes after having faith. Keeping the law is to show our love for the father, not to be saved. Paul quotes Habukkuk here.

Habakkuk 2:4

Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by his faith.

12 Yet the law is not of faith, but “the man who does them shall live by them.”

This verse I have a bit of an issue with. The word “of” here can also be translated as “away from”. That being the case, it would change the meaning of the entire sentence. I believe it absolutely should be translated as away from. Considering everything Paul is saying previous to this, and what the meaning is, he is now saying “but” or “yet” as in even though im saying all this, the law is not separate from faith. Again, you just have to have faith first. He quotes Leviticus here.

Leviticus 18:5

You shall therefore keep My statutes and My judgments, which if a man does, he shall live by them: I am the Lord.

Considering the amount of Torah Paul is quoting in this verse, one cannot plausibly believe Paul is teaching against the Torah laws.

13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”),

Here is Paul stating outright, Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law. That is not to say the law in itself, but the curse which we read already that comes from not keeping the law. Then he again quotes from Torah.

Deuteronomy 21:23

his body shall not remain overnight on the tree, but you shall surely bury him that day, so that you do not defile the land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance; for he who is hanged is accused of God.

14 that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Christ became the curse, and hung on a tree for all to be released from the curse of the law. This allows us to obtain the prophesied promise of the Spirit of YHWH, because we have faith. With that faith, the Spirit will cause men to desire to keep His commands.

Ezekiel 36:27

I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.

15 Brethren, I speak in the manner of men: Though it is only a man’s covenant, yet if it is confirmed, no one annuls or adds to it.

Now Paul goes on to try to explain the situation by using an example the men might be able to understand. He says even a man’s covenant or contract is not added to or ended until its designated time has run its course. Basically, once the contract is agreed upon by both sides, it cannot be changed.

16 Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as of many, but as of one, “And to your Seed,” who is Christ.

Paul specifically states outright it is to Abraham’s seed, not seeds, the promise is given, but specifically Yeshua. He is quoting from Genesis again.

Genesis 12:7; 13:15; 24:7

Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” And there he built an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him.

for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants (seed) forever.

The Lord God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and from the land of my family, and who spoke to me and swore to me, saying, ‘To your descendants (seed) I give this land,’ He will send His angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there.

17 And this I say, that the law, which was four hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by God in Christ, that it should make the promise of no effect.

Now we can see Paul claims the law given after the promise made to Abraham, does not take away that promise. So we can understand once YHWH says something is forever, it stays forever. Meaning, when YHWH says His law is forever, that means the New Covenant does not remove the law, just the curses which had come along with that law.

18 For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise.

To receive Abrahams inheritance does not require keeping the law because that would nullify His given promise. That would mean you would be entitled to that inheritance.

19 What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator.

Paul asks the purpose of the law. He then states it was because of sin the law came about. YHWH was instructing His people by giving them best practices to stay healthy, and live Holy. But once the Seed (Yeshau) came the law no longer had the authority. This does not mean it no longer has a purpose. There definitely still is a purpose for the law, that is to define sin and to bring blessings through YHWH.

20 Now a mediator does not mediate for one only, but God is one.

The law was the mediator between YHWH and man.

21 Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law.

Here we go, the law is absolutely not against the promises YHWH gave. The only way righteousness could have been gained through the law was if the law could give life, and it doesn’t and never could. Therefore, if the law never could give life, it was never meant for salvation. If it was never meant for salvation, it cannot be meant for salvation now, as some Jews were teaching.

22 But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

The Torah limited all men under sin, so faith in Yeshau can bring the promise to all who believe.

23 But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed.

The law was also given to help keep men in the ways of YHWH until Yeshua was revealed and showed how to keep the faith.

24 Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

Added thought: What is the purpose of a tutor, or school master? It is to guide and teach a thing. What does a man need a tutor or teacher/schoolmaster for? It is to pass the test. A man will no longer need a tutor once he knows the material. The same goes for the Law of God. The reason we no longer need a tutor is because the Law will be written on our hearts. This means we will already know it. We do not need to refer to the written Laws, because those Laws are now on our hearts. All who are called will go out and desire to keep these Laws. 

The law was a tool used to keep man walking in YHWH’s ways until Christ came along helping bring back some of those who needed the chance to be justified by faith. That is the scattered sheep of the Northern kingdom of Israel.

25 But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.

The law is no longer the main tool used to keep us in YHWH’s way. Yeshua is our example, and he undoubtedly followed all the Torah. Knowing that, He showed love, kept the commands, and did exactly what should be done to please YHWH, we should strive to do the same. 

Galatians 2 Breakdown

1 Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and also took Titus with me.

Paul waited fourteen years to go back to Jerusalem.

2 And I went up by revelation, and communicated to them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to those who were of reputation, lest by any means I might run, or had run, in vain.

When he went back to Jerusalem, he preached the same Gospel to the common Jew as he had been preaching to the gentile. However, those who were high up in Judaism, he taught the Gospel of Christ in private. He did this for the purposes of having to get away from a mob of people who would have been incited by the Jewish leadership. Speaking with them in private helped to ensure this would not happen.

3 Yet not even Titus who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised.

The Jews were not able to force or cause Titus, who was of Greek descent, to become circumcised out of necessity of salvation.

4 And this occurred because of false brethren secretly brought in (who came in by stealth to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage),

Paul was referring to the false preachers who were continuing to preach salvation through the works of the law. Trying to keep the law for salvific purposes, as well as stepping into the Judaic oral law, a.k.a. the Talmudic law is placing ourselves directly into bondage.

5 to whom we did not yield submission even for an hour, that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.

No authority was ever given over to these men who were preaching this way of thinking.

6 But from those who seemed to be something—whatever they were, it makes no difference to me; God shows personal favoritism to no man—for those who seemed to be something added nothing to me.

These leaders thought of themselves as being favored by YHWH, but again, Paul and the rest of his group did not show them any partiality due to YHWH not giving favoritism to any man. Paul then says, these higher ups could do nothing for him because they taught something contrary to what YHWH wanted to be taught.

7 But on the contrary, when they saw that the gospel for the uncircumcised had been committed to me, as the gospel for the circumcised was to Peter

Paul had something to offer them, and these leaders began to see what he was talking about.

8 (for He who worked effectively in Peter for the apostleship to the circumcised also worked effectively in me toward the Gentiles),

YHWH worked in both Peter and Paul to bring the Gospel to both the Jews and the gentiles, and they noticed this to be true.

9 and when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that had been given to me, they gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.

Paul and Barnabas were accepted into the fellowship and given permission to speak to both the gentiles and the Jews.

10 They desired only that we should remember the poor, the very thing which I also was eager to do.

The only rule Paul was given to follow was remembering the poor in their teaching.

11 Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed;

Paul is upset with Peter and was at fault of creating an issue between both the Jews and the Gentiles.

12 for before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision.

Peter would regularly hang out with the gentiles, associating and eating with them. But when “certain men” who were part of the circumcision group, a group of Jews who held circumcision as a requirement for salvation, showed up, Peter no longer would associate with the gentiles. Paul, according to what Yeshua taught, found an issue with this. Peter was afraid of what these men would say about him, being a born Jew, eating with the gentiles.  

13 And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy.

Because Peter was separating himself from the gentiles in the presence of the high Jews, the other Jews began following suit and doing the same thing.

14 But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before them all, “If you, being a Jew, live in the manner of Gentiles and not as the Jews, why do you compel Gentiles to live as Jews?

Paul calls out all the Jews who are doing this. See, the problem was the Torah, as in the Law of God, did not require a separation between the Jews and gentiles. This was a man-made law, part of the Talmud. This is the very thing Paul, as well as Yeshua wanted to put an end to. Laws that were added to God’s law, were a problem.

15 We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, 16 knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.

Here Paul is coming right out and challenging the Circumcision group. He states outright no one is saved by doing the works of any law, but through faith. Basically he is saying, you are not to force men to follow the Talmudic law gain salvation. No one can be saved by doing the things the law says, but we do the things the law says because we are showing our love back to YHWH.

17 “But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is Christ therefore a minister of sin? Certainly not!

We know the Law, or Torah, defines sin. This means it tells us what sin is. We keep the law in order not to sin.

1 John 3:4

Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.

Knowing this, Paul is not saying we should not keep the law, because to not keep the law means we are breaking the law, and to break the law is to be in a state of lawlessness. Therefore, we would have to associate trying to be justified by faith with lawlessness making Christ a minister of sin. Paul says this is not what he is preaching. But rather we keep the law, which is we do not sin, out of our love for YHWH, because we trust what He says is right. We do not keep the law to be saved, because the law does not save, and never has.

18 For if I build again those things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.

Paul used to follow the oral law of the Jews. He was the most passionate of all his peers concerning the traditions of the elders. This is exactly what we read in the first chapter.

Galatians 1:14

And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers.

One thing that seems to get mixed up often is the idea Judaism and following Torah are one and the same. This is not the case. Jews do keep Torah, however, they also have added much to it, and those things can now be found in the Talmud. So, Paul is saying if he goes back to these things which he destroyed to get away from, he is making himself a sinner again because according to Judaism, the laws are required for salvation and this is adding to the Torah.

Deuteronomy 4:2

You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you

This is why Paul is saying this. It has nothing to do with Paul previously keeping Torah, then because of Christ, no longer keeping Torah. That is ludicrous. Paul taught salvation through works, and that is not a biblical viewpoint. Now, he says keeping Torah is still to be done in order to not sin as well as to show our love for the Father, but it is not to be done to earn salvation.

19 For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God.

By using God’s law, and keeping it, Paul died to the law of sin and death, so that he could be alive in YHWH.  

20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

Paul states he too has been crucified, referring to his former self who taught and lived Judaism. He now follows and lives out what Yeshua taught making Yeshua live within Paul. He goes on to say he lives by faith, faith that what God says is better than what man says. Because God loved Paul, He gave Himself up to death.

21 I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.”

Righteousness does not come from keeping the law, nor has it ever. Righteousness come from having the faith God’s Word is better than man’s word. Yes, keeping the law keeps us from sin, making us set apart and righteous in the eyes of YHWH. But, it is not because we keep the law but rather because we submit to the ways of YHWH. If it were only keeping the law that made us righteous, then Christ died for nothing. Christ’s death, allowed the divorced lost sheep of the Northern kingdom of Israel to return to YHWH. His death nullified the marriage the Jews had with YHWH in which they had done worse deeds and more shameful adulterous acts of sin than the House of Israel. Now, with His death, all can come to YHWH and have a fresh start, a new covenant in which to keep holy.