Posted by Ray Kidder on 9/10/2009, 9:44 pm, in reply to "Re: Christian Sanctification"
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Searcher,
I doubt if James or any of the epistles of St. John were written more than 5 years earlier than Galatians. My Bible with years given for each Epistle (which is not necessarily correct, but is based on historical research) dates James at AD 60, and the 3 epistles of St. John at AD 90. It also shows Acts 20-25 to be AD 60.
It appears that you believe that the confession of sin (to God, pastors, and those whom one has wronged), baptism, and the eating and drinking of Holy Communion were examples of works of the law that brought the Galatians back into bondage, as mentioned here in Galatians 5 (NKJV):
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.
2 Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing.
3 And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law.
4 You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.
5 For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.
6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.
From looking over the rest of Galatians, it appears that the works of the law that promoted the bondage were (1) kosher dietary rules, as alluded to in chapter 2:11-14 (2) observance of certain days, as mentioned in 4:10, and (3) circumcision of the flesh, as mentioned in 6:12-13. If you include all attempts to overcome all transgressions of the law, then how do you explain these verses from 6 (NKJV)?:
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.
2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
3 For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
4 But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.
5 For each one shall bear his own load.
If people are to be criticized for their sins, how can there not be an involvement in the sacramental of confession of sin?
If baptism promotes this bondage, then why would St. Paul praise the usefulness of baptism here in chapter 3 (NKJV):
26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
The other sacrament in Anglicanism is the Holy Eucharist. According to this passage in I Corinthians 10 (NKJV), the bread and wine cause a communion with the body and blood of Christ:
16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?
17 For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread.
Wasn't St. Paul promoting the service of Holy Eucharist as the way in which we feed on Christ, to fulfill these words of Christ from John 6 (NKJV)?:
51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.”
52 The Jews therefore quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?”
53 Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.
54 Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.
55 For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed.
56 He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.
You may be wondering why the Church has historically promoted the sacraments and Christian holidays and seasons (e.g. Lent, Pentecost, Christmas, and Easter), while rejecting the need for circumcision of the flesh, Saturday sabbath observance, kosher dietary laws, Passover and other Jewish Holidays, and priestly sacrifice of animals.
My suspicions are that the Church has created new holidays and religious observances to supersede many of the old Jewish rituals and observances. The most interesting example to me is the change of the religious holy days of the week from Saturday to Sunday. It is my suspician that the reason the holy day was moved to Sunday was to commemorate the change of heart associated with Christianity. This is because before Christ, people were slaves of sin. The best way to promote holy living was to not work; sort of how a criminal stops sinning by being incarcerated. When a Christian has a circumcised heart, he can then live a holy life by working rather than resting. The first day of the week is therefore associated with the beginning of the new ability to serve God in our works. I suspect the new religious observances of baptism and holy communion similarly reflect this change of emphasis of moving from death to life, rather than just the holiness that comes from resting.
Consider how kosher dietary laws are mostly prohibitions on the eating of certain tasty foods. Compare this to the eating and drinking of bread and wine. The old is a prohibition, and the new is an affirmation.
Also compare circumcision to baptism. Circumcision and baptism are normally once in a lifetime events. Circumcision is physically painful, while baptism has little pain. Circumcision leaves a physical scar, while baptism does not. It makes sense to me that baptism promotes faith more than circumcision, since it does not leave this physical reminder. Baptism involves washing of the flesh, rather than removal of the flesh. The flesh is preserved in baptism, which signifies to me the saving of a person's self through baptism, even though it involves a spiritual death and resurrection. With circumcision, the flesh is removed with nothing to replace it.
If you think baptism and Holy Communion do not promote a death and resurrection through Christ, why does the New Testament promote these two religious observances?
Ray Kidder
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