Saul has said nothing of the sort as a standalone. Just as he counted everything "dung" doesn't mean literally everything was "dung" to him but only in making a comparison and for purposes of priority. By continuing to be an observant Jew after meeting Christ and becoming born-again he did not mean the Mosaic commands upon him were "dung."
I'm reading this and saying, what this is fruit cake talking about? Your words reminds me of the debate last week between President Biden and President Trump, when President Biden begin to talk about a subject that wasn't even asked him and stumbled through what he was trying to say. He did not know what he was talking about and neither did anyone else, it was a total mess, and so is your first respond to me! He was out of his league debating President Trump...he truly embarrassed himself~I think you are out of your league, you need to step down!
Paul forsook Judaism totally in the false rellgion of the Jews where he prospered above many his equal (
Galatians 1:15; etc.) ~ so
I have no clue what you are attempting to prove by saying~"
By continuing to be an observant Jew after meeting Christ and becoming born-again he did not mean the Mosaic commands upon him were "dung." And, btw, neither do you.
God's purposes were to maintain the purity of the Hebrew race. However, just as knowing Adam and the woman would sin because they were sinners, so too, was it God's purpose to command Hebrew people marry Hebrew spouses and still He provides contingencies for when these unions would occur - even through slavery, concubinage, rape, etc.
You do know that there are Gentiles in the genealogy of Jesus Christ, or have you just conveniently forgotten? Ever heard of a woman named Ruth? Well, now. let me introduce her to you. She was the great-grandmother of king David through whom Christ came! Ruth was
She was a Moabite woman who married an Israelite, Mahlon. There more, but enough to show your ignorance on this point.
God does not consider
blood as a choice of
who are his children~
for all came from one man's blood and all are sinners on equal grounds as such before God.... there's nothing special about being a Jew, except the burden of crucifying the Lord of glory, the heavy burden they are still carrying until this day and will until Jesus return, with
a few exceptions of those who are the children of God promises only. When we are commanded to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, it is speaking of the
New Jerusalem, the
royal seed of Jesus Christ~ the elect of God made of
both Jews and Gentiles, mostly Gentiles in our days, mostly Jews before Christ came.
Saul doesn't divide anything. There was already distinction existing between the one that was Israel (Isaac) and the one not of Israel (Ishmael), and special care should be made in understanding what Saul is saying because there was no Israel (Jacob) when Abe and Sarah dealt with the Isaac and Ishmael issue.
What do you think of any unbeliever or born-again Christian taking an Old Testament passage and changing a word to make the OT passage say something else? Didn't C.T. Russell and Joseph Smith do this alteration? Do you think anyone that changes the OT to make it say something else in the NT is right? Can we do it?
The word of God call him Paul, and so shall I, even though his Hebrew name was Saul, yet known among us elect Gentiles as Paul~the name PAul used among the Gentiles who were the True Israel of God, where God was vising post Christ's death, which visitation is almost over~and then the end will come. Time will be no more.
Concerning dividing the word Israel~it is very clear that the Holy Ghost does and so shall we. First, God makes this distinction clear in Romans 2:28,29.
A. For he is not a Jew.
The Jews were confident that their external lineage and/or circumcision would save them. Jesus condemned merely nominal Jews as devil worshippers (
John 8:44;
Rev 2:9;
3:9). True Jewishness in the sight of God had always been an internal matter of the heart, whether Jew or Gentile (
Lev 26:40-42;
Deut 10:12-16;
Jer 4:4;
John 8:39;
Gal 3:9). The topic of this chapter is condemnation, not salvation or regeneration; and Paul’s argument is simply to destroy all Jewish confidence in being a Jews in the flesh, and following Moses.(2:25-29).
B. Which is one outwardly.
1.The mere outward trappings of a Jew, involving the lineage, citizenship, and worship, are not the proper identifying marks of a true Jew, or elect child of God, in the sight of God.
C. Neither is that circumcision.
1.The minor surgery of removing the foreskin is not the circumcision that counts with God.
2.The only circumcision God valued was internal circumcision of the heart (
De 10:12-16).
D. Which is outward in the flesh.
External religion, or doing things outwardly with your body, is not what counts with God. Though God had commanded and required outward circumcision, He had also required many other ceremonies and sacrifices that He considered inferior to a broken heart and obedient life (
Ps 50:7-15,
23;
51:16-17;
Isaiah 1:10-20;
58:1-14;
Micah 6:6-8). The Jews were so deceived by their literal, legalistic, and letter approach to the law that they missed the spiritual, significant, and saving aspect of godly character and conduct.
v29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.
A. But he is a Jew.
The true Jew, in this sense, was always an elect, regenerate, and faithful child of God, Jews and Gentiles, as Abel, Enoch, Noah, Melchisedec, Rahab, Ruth, Cornelius, etc. Since Jews loved being Jews, Paul defined a true Jew according to God’s opinion.
B. Which is one inwardly.
There is an inward love of God and righteousness totally different than outward religion. The only Jews God ever truly approved of were those with inner love of Him (
Deut 6:5).
C. And circumcision is that of the heart.
The intent and priority of inward religion and circumcision was clearly taught in the O.T. to the Jews, but most had missed it (
Deut 6:5;
10:12-16;
I Sam 15:22-23;
Psalm 51:16-17;
Isaiah 1:11-20;
Jeremiah 4:4;
Hosea 6:6;
Micah 6:6-8; etc.). Stephen addressed this very point to the law-adoring Jews that stoned him (
Acts 7:51-53).
D. In the spirit.
Jesus had earlier identified the true worshippers of God as those who worship internally by involving their spirits as opposed to strictly literal or external worship (
John 4:20-24).
E. And not in the letter.
Jesus knew the spirit of Moses’ law trumped the letter (
Matthew 12:1-8;
Mark 2:23-28). Enough said on this point.
F. Whose praise is not of men of of God~Being a Jew inwardly gives all praise to God, who alone creates a new man within his elect that allows them to worship God in the spirit and in truth, and not after the commandments of men.
Secondly, God even divides Israel's elect among themselves as we mentioned above when we said:
Paul further divides elect Israel by identifying a blinded portion of it (Rom 11:25-29).
In Paul's days, there where elect Jews, that had been converted to the truth (Paul, thousands of others) and some elect Jews yet fighting the truth. This is seen clearly from Romans 10:1-Romans 11:29.
Just as there are today, many different sects in which are some of God's people, yet unconverted to the truth as it is in Jesus Christ,
partially converted, but not to the degree they could be, if they would let go of the works of the flesh in relation to the truth that Salvation is of Lord, not of man in in sense whatsoever.
Coming back and to finish keep from this being too long to be profitable to our readers.
