Why we must read the Book of Acts before we read any of Paul’s writings.
Countless gentile Christians use Paul’s writings—specifically his writings in the Book of Galatians—to claim Christians do not have to obey and keep the Torah/Law. But yet we find in Paul’s writings contradictions to that claim.
For instance:
Romans Ch 3: 31 Does it follow that we abolish Torah by this trusting? Heaven forbid! On the contrary, we confirm Torah.
Here Paul is clearly teaching to confirm Torah/Law. So did Paul tell the Galatians one thing and the Romans another? No. Of course not. Paul words were guided by the HOLY SPIRIT.
This is why Peter wrote:
2 Peter Ch 3: 15 And think of our Lord's patience as deliverance, just as our dear brother Sha'ul also wrote you, following the wisdom God gave him.
We see Peter telling us G-D gave Paul the wisdom to write the words he did. Then Peter goes onto warn:
2 Peter Ch 3: 16 Indeed, he speaks about these things in all his letters. They contain some things that are hard to understand, things which the uninstructed and unstable distort, to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures.
Now why did Peter add the warning in verse 16? Because he knew people—the uninstructed and unstable—would distort to their own destruction as they do the other Scriptures.
What other Scriptures? The New Testament had no been completed yet when Peter wrote this. Peter was referring to the Law/Torah, Prophets and Writings.
Peter tells us Paul’s writings contain things that are hard to understand. This is why we must always compared Paul’s writings to the Law/Torah, Prophets and Writings and if Paul’s writings go against the Law/Torah, Prophets and Writings we are not interpreting them the right way.
So why must we read the Book of Acts first before we read Paul’s writings? Because the Book of Acts destroy any arguments that Paul taught the gentiles not to obey the Law/Torah.
Let’s look at Acts Ch 21:
Acts Ch 21: 20 On hearing it, they praised God; but they also said to him, "You see, brother, how many tens of thousands of believers there are among the Judeans, and they are all zealots for the Torah.
21 Now what they have been told about you is that you are teaching all the Jews living among the Goyim to apostatize from Moshe, telling them not to have a b'rit-milah for their sons and not to follow the traditions.
We’ll stop here for a second. The Judeans are told that Paul seems to be teaching the Jews living among the gentiles to apostatize from Moshe, tell them not to have b’rit-mila (circumcision). In some of Paul’s writings it certainly seems that way, but that is not the truth. Remember Peter’s warning.
So there is a problem. The Elders are about to resolve that problem.
22 "What, then, is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come.
23 So do what we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow.
24 Take them with you, be purified with them, and pay the expenses connected with having their heads shaved. Then everyone will know that there is nothing to these rumors which they have heard about you; but that, on the contrary, you yourself stay in line and keep the Torah.
Here we clearly see the Elders ordering Paul to obey the Law/Torah. Not only that they themselves keep the Law/Torah. If YESHUA/JESUS had done away with the Law/Torah at HIS death then why are the Elders still keeping the Law/Torah and ordering Paul to do the same?
What does Paul do?
26 The next day Sha'ul took the men, purified himself along with them and entered the Temple to give notice of when the period of purification would be finished and the offering would have to be made for each of them.
Paul obeys.
But what about the gentles?
Look at verse 25
25 "However, in regard to the Goyim who have come to trust in Yeshua, we all joined in writing them a letter with our decision that they should abstain from what had been sacrificed to idols, from blood, from what is strangled and from fornication."
Is this all the gentiles have to do? No. Absolutely not.
What did Peter teach in Acts Ch 15
Acts 15:21 For from the earliest times, Moshe has had in every city those who proclaim him, with his words being read in the synagogues every Shabbat."
If the gentiles obeyed and kept away from things sacrificed to idols, from blood, from what is strangled and from fornication, then they could enter the Synagogues on Shabbat and start learning the Torah/Law instead of having the entire Law/Torah told to them at once and expected to obey in complete perfection. Children have to learn to crawl before they walk and take milk before they eat milk. Paul knew this. But his teachings were hard and even a little confusing, to the point that the Judeans thought he was teachings the Jews among the gentiles to apostatize from Moshe. If they had that problem with Paul’s writings then what about in today’s age where gentiles have divided by countless denominations and refuse to learn the Torah/Law of G-D?
So why does Acts Ch 21 prove about Paul? It proves Paul kept the Torah/Law and would have never taught the Jews or gentiles to go against the Torah/Law. With that sound teaching and fact in mind you can read Paul’s writings and when you get to any part that seems that Paul is teaching not to obey the Torah/Law then you can know you’re not interpreting Paul’s writings the correct way.
I’ll end here.
What did Scriptures did Paul teach YESHUA/JESUS to the Jews and gentiles from?
Acts Ch 28:23 So they arranged a day with him and came to his quarters in large numbers. From morning until evening he explained the matter to them, giving a thorough witness about the Kingdom of God and making use of both the Torah of Moshe and the Prophets to persuade them about Yeshua.
Paul’s writings will never go against the Torah/Law, Prophets and Writings and if you find yourself think his writings do then you are in error, not Paul. Read the Books of Acts and study it before you read Paul’s writings and then you will understand his writings. If you don’t you will find error.
Shalom and Blessings.
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