Paul’s Messages
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1 (a)
In the text Galatians 2:14, Paul tells Peter off for being a hypocrite. Peter was disobeying the Jewish dietary laws by eating with the Gentiles, but at the same time, forcing the Gentiles to adopt Jewish customs such as the ‘Law’ that the Jews follow. The diagram shows all the animals allowed to be eaten according to the Jewish laws. Paul wanted to change these laws and apply them differently to the Gentiles, which were different because they focused on believing in God.
Paul’s main message is that you should practice the same thing that you preach and don’t be a hypocrite. If you are a Jew, but act like a Gentile, how then can you tell Gentiles to act like Jews. In order to teach someone something, you first must abide by it yourself. For example, you can’t tell a child that ice cream is bad while eating one in front of them.
The Jews idea of the ‘Law’ is that one is put right with God if one follows the Law. This is in fact not true as one is only put right if they believe in God, rather than just following the Law. Paul’s view of the Law is one that does not make the law so important. Rather, Paul puts much more emphasis on truly believing and trusting in God. To him, the Jews perception of how God wanted them to lead their lives was incorrect as it was one that concentrated on the ‘Law’. Instead, God wants you to believe in him and follow his teachings of kindness and generosity.
3 (a)
Some men who came to Antioch from Judea were preaching you would only be saved from sin by God if you were circumcised. This was wrong and not what God wanted and Paul, along with Barnabas conducted a fierce argument with these men. This argument provoked a decision that Paul made, which was to travel to Jerusalem and meet with the elders and apostles to address the issue.
The two reasons Gentiles were put off becoming Jews are the circumcision and the dietary laws. As Leviticus states, “You may not eat any land animal that has divided hooves and that also chews the cud. But you must not eat camels, rock badgers or rabbits either.” Jewish people can not eat pigs, fish without scales or fins, and several types of birds, moles, rats, mice and lizards.
James decided not to trouble Gentiles who have already turned towards God and have taken the Jewish path. Instead of that, he decided that most laws could