We must look to Christ not the Law for our freedom. Paul considered it all garbage (all of his law keeping and pedigrees) compared to knowing Christ. In my opinion, what Paul is saying is that we live this life by growing in knowing a Person not by trying to do a bunch of stuff to make ourselves righteous.
while the Law does not save, you are missinga KEY point of Paul saying that:
Philippians 3:5-8,5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews;
as to the law, a Pharisee;"6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless."7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ."8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake
I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ"
The Pharisees had their own man made law:
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Mat 15:3-9, “But He answering, said to them, “Why do you also transgress the command of YHWH because of your tradition? For YHWH has commanded, saying, ‘Respect your father and your mother,’ ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’ But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me has been dedicated, is certainly released from respecting his father or mother.’ So you have nullified the command of YHWH by your tradition."Hypocrites! Well did Isayah (29:13-14*) prophesy of you, saying: These people draw near to Me with their mouth and honor Me with their lips, but have removed their hearts far from Me. But in vain they do worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men."
SO when Paul says "Philippians 3:5-8,5; as to the law, a Pharisee"
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This cant be ignored what it means if we are seeking truth.
As Paul taught and kept Yah's Law post MEssiah's Scrifice:
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Romans 3:28, "For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the Law."[/FONT]
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Romans 3:31, "Are we then doing away with the Law through the faith? By no means! Rather, we establish the Law!"[/FONT]
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Acts 24:14, "But I confess this to you, that after the way which they call heresy, so I (Paul) worship the Father of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the Law and in the Prophets."[/FONT]
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Romans 7:25, "Thanks be to YHWH, I have deliverance through Yahshua Messiah our King! So then, with this same mind, I myself serve the Law of YHWH, while in the flesh that is yet subject to the law of sin."[/FONT]
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Acts 21:24, "Take them, and be purified with them, and pay their expenses so that they may shave their heads. Then everyone will know that those things they were informed about you (forsaking the Law), were lies, and that you (Paul), yourself, walk orderly, and keep the Law."[/FONT]
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1 Corinthians 7:19, "For neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but keeping the commandments of Yah?"[/FONT]
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Romans 8:5-8, "For those who live according to the flesh, set their minds on the things of the flesh; but those who live according to the Spirit, set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against; (bitterly opposed to), YHWH; for it is not subject to the Law of YHWH, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are of the flesh cannot please YHWH."[/FONT]
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Romans 6:1-2, "What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?"[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]1 John 3:4, "Whoever commits sin, transgresses also the Law; for sin is the transgression of the Law."[/FONT]
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Romans 7:7, Shall we therefore say that the Law is sin? No! By no means! But to the contrary, I did not know sin; transgression of the Law, except through the Law, for I did not know lust, unless the Law had said: Do not covet."[/FONT]
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Romans 7:12, "Therefore the Law is holy, and the commandments are holy, and just, and righteous."[/FONT]
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Ephesians 6:2-3, "Honor your father and mother; which is the first commandment with a promise: That it may be well with you, and you may live long on the earth."
Thing is people dont really know the word, they isolate and twist Paul's word, focusing on the parts that suppotrt their doctrine while ignoring what Yahshua/Jesus said. 2 Peter warns of not taking Paul's writings to teach Lawlessness
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2 Peter/Kepha 3:15-17, "and reckon the patience of our Master as deliverance, as also our beloved brother Paul/Sha’ul wrote to you, according to the wisdom given to him, as also in all his letters, speaking in them concerning these matters, in which some are hard to understand, which those who are untaught and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do also the other Scriptures. You, then, beloved ones, being forewarned, watch, lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the delusion of the lawless, but grow in the favor and knowledge of our Master and Savior [/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]
יהושע [/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]
Messiah. To Him be the esteem both now and to a day that abides. Amĕn.”[/FONT]