When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas/Peter in front of them all, “You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs... “We who are Jews by birth and not sinful Gentiles know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.
(Galatians 2:14-16)
Now tell me, by reading what's written above...What are the "Works of the Law", Paul is talking about?
The Ten Commandments or the Jewish customs Paul is accusing Peter of?
And if these Works of the Law, were a problem with the other churches Paul wrote letters to, why didn't Paul address it with them?
(Galatians 2:14-16)
Now tell me, by reading what's written above...What are the "Works of the Law", Paul is talking about?
The Ten Commandments or the Jewish customs Paul is accusing Peter of?
And if these Works of the Law, were a problem with the other churches Paul wrote letters to, why didn't Paul address it with them?
so have a look at the law:
if a person touches any unclean thing, whether it is the carcass of an unclean beast, or the carcass of unclean livestock, or the carcass of unclean creeping things, and he is unaware of it, he also shall be unclean and guilty. Or if he touches human uncleanness — whatever uncleanness with which a man may be defiled, and he is unaware of it — when he realizes it, then he shall be guilty.
(Leviticus 5:2-3)
and have a look at the prophets:
On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the Word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying, “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Now, ask the priests concerning the law, saying, “If one carries holy meat in the fold of his garment, and with the edge he touches bread or stew, wine or oil, or any food, will it become holy?” ’ ”
Then the priests answered and said, “No.”
And Haggai said, “If one who is unclean because of a dead body touches any of these, will it be unclean?”
So the priests answered and said, “It shall be unclean.”
Then Haggai answered and said, “‘So is this people, and so is this nation before Me,’ says the Lord, ‘and so is every work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean."
(Haggai 2:10-14)
Talmudic customs, even if misguided, did not appear out of thin air.
they are always based in the scripture.
people who touch and eat unclean things are unclean -- Leviticus says so. it is the commandment of the LORD.
clean things and clean people who touch unclean things or people become unclean by them. the LORD says so, through Haggai.
the Jews did not eat with the Gentiles because the Gentiles were generally unclean, eating unclean meats, doing other things that made them unclean, and taking part in none of the commandments of the law for unclean people to become cleansed.
both the Law and the Prophets testify that they would become unclean by coming into contact with them.
before anyone just says 'Jewish customs' and dismiss everything without contemplation, 'because Jewish' -- i strongly suggest they study the scripture, and study Jewish thought & writings, asking, where did this originate, what scripture, and why?