I think it necessary at this point after reading numerous charges of "Judaizer" directed toward Christian sisters and brothers here to clear something up.
If you are accused of being a so called Judaizer do not take offense. I suggest you pray for that one that labels you such because you study differently than they do and understand what Jesus said about the law. Not one jot nor tittle shall be removed from the law until all is accomplished. The law was divided into four parts as we learn from reading the Old Testament.
The Rabbinic Law was written by the Rabbis as their interpretation of the ten commandments, and the punishments for violating those as well. They also incorporated into Rabbinic law the civic law that governed the community of the Jews, and the Ceremonial law , which pertained to sin sacrifice and the like. This is how what is referred to as the Mitzvoh came about. It is a total of 613 laws in all.
The ceremonial law was nailed to the cross as we know. The civic law pertained to the community of the Jews and is not particular to Gentiles. The moral law, the ten commands, preceded mount Sinai and as we learned in our reading of the New Testament are still applicable. Because Jesus said so. As did Paul. As did the Apostles in their teachings.
Especially I should note the Sabbath remains holy because as Jesus tells us, the Sabbath was made for us. We were not created for the Sabbath. Ask yourself if you encounter opposition, especially opposition that seeks to offend with name calling toward you, why would anyone become so enraged at the idea of one day set aside to rest from the labors of this world and spend time in The Word?
Consider there is Sunday worship many of us participate in by going to church. That is spending time in The Word. Why would anyone then be opposed to a full day of rest that God established in the beginning? And that has not been abolished by Christ himself. Even the Disciples honored Sabbath. Are we better now than they?
I may be new to this community however, it is not necessary to be long lived here to notice a level of hostility that erupts from time to time in the accusation made toward some of us as that of , Judaizer. We could even say it is racist since the Jews are both a race of peoples and a faith in God.
In the event you encounter such hatred, some expressed with greater animus than from others, consider reading this information so as to shield yourself in the truth and from the assault that is intended. Consider also if you will the last part of the definition article below.
As you read a characteristic of the Judaizer's in Paul's time as bearing the attribute and profering the teaching concerning circumcision. And wonder perhaps if that one levying the charge of Judaizer in any forum you may be a member of is a circumcised Christian male charging someone on a forum like this with the name, Judaizer.
Why would anyone think hate is a characteristic of the path of righteousness in Christ? A good question, would you agree?
Stay in the peace of Christ, always. Even when those around you are flailing in their rage and imbalance. All things are according to plan. God is the master. May God bless and keep you all , all of your days.
Judaizers Baker's Evangelical Dictionary
Those who adopted Jewish religious practices or sought to influence others to do so. The Greek verb
ioudaizo [
Ioudai?zw] ("to judaize") appears only once in the Septuagint (
Esther8:17 ) and once in the New Testament (
Gal 2:14 ). In the Septuagint this verb is used in relation to the Gentiles in Persia who adopted Jewish practices in order to avoid the consequences of Esther's decree (
Esther 8:13 ), which permitted Jews to avenge the wrongs committed against them. The Septuagint not only uses
ioudaizo[
Ioudai?zw]to translate the Hebrew
mityahadim ("to become a Jew"), but adds that these Gentiles were circumcised.
In Galatians 2:14 it means to "live like Jews" (RSV, neb, NASB, Phillips),"follow Jewish customs" (
NIV), or "live by the Jewish law"(Barclay). The context for this reference is the episode in Antioch when Paul condemns Peter's withdrawal from table fellowship with Gentile Christians. Peter's actions a reviewed by Paul as a serious compromise of the gospel of salvation by grace through faith alone, lending support to the position that sought to impose Jewish ceremonial law on the Gentiles. Thus, Paul interprets Peter's withdrawal in terms of its effect in compelling Gentile Christians to live like Jews.
The term "Judaizer" has come to be used in theological parlance to describe the opponents of Paul and Barnabas at the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15) and those who sought to preach "another gospel" in the churches of Galatia (
Galatians 2:4 Galatians 2:12 ;
6:12 ; cf.
Php 3:2 ). In this sense, "Judaizers" refers to Jewish Christians who sought to induce Gentiles to observe Jewish religious customs: to "judaize." It appears that these individuals agreed with much of the apostolic kerygma but sought to regulate the admission of Gentiles into the covenant people of God through circumcision and the keeping of the ceremonial law. Insisting that "Unless you are circumcised … you cannot be saved" (
Acts15:1 ), these "believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees" (
Acts 15:5 ) posed a serious threat to the gospel of grace and the uNIVersality of the Christian mission.
Paul's Galatian epistle portrays the Judaizers as having come from the Jerusalem church to his churches in Galatia, stressing the need for Gentiles to be circumcised and keep the law, both for full acceptance by God (legalism) and as the basis for Christian living (
nomism[
novmisma]).They understood keeping the law not only as the means by which the blessings of the Abrahamic covenant could be appropriated, but also as the regulative guide for Christian life within that covenant relationship. Although the Judaizers appear to be concerned with bringing the Galatian Christians to perfection through the observance of the law, Paul charges them with being motivated by a desire to avoid persecution (
Gal 6:12-13 ).Amidst the rising pressures of Jewish nationalism in Palestine during the mid-first century, and increased Zealot animosity against any Jew who had Gentile sympathies, it would appear that these Jewish Christians embarked on a judaizing mission among Paul's converts in order to prevent Zealot persecution of the Palestinian church.
R. David Rightmire
See also Galatians, Theology of;
James, Theology of;
Paul the Apostle;
Pharisees
Bibliography. F. F. Bruce,
Galatians; J. Dunn,
Unity and Diversity in the New Testament; R. Fung,
Galatians; W. Gutbrod,
TDNT, 3:383; R. Jewett,
New Testament Studies; R. Longenecker,
Galatians.
Were the Ten Commandments in Effect Before Mount Sinai?