How are Paul's earlier epistles separated from legalism and Judaism?
Paul's earlier epistles are separated from legalism and Judaism by containing tremendous doctrines that stand apart from legalistic demands, yet they still fit with the rest of Scripture. They are not a thorn in Scripture but harmonize with it, showing freedom from religious pressure while remaining consistent with God's Word.
Les teaches that Paul had been weighed down with Judaism and its demands as a religious leader, but now he had been set free. Paul had three years to shed himself of all that and absorb the things he brings out in his prison epistles—Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon. Les explains that back in Paul's earlier epistles, these tremendous doctrines are separated from legalism and Judaism, yet everything fits. It isn't like a thorn in the rest of Scripture; it all fits together.