According to Les Feldick, Judaism changed from the pure Law God gave at Sinai into a watered-down legalistic religion by Paul's day.
Les points to the Holy Spirit inspiring Paul to call Judaism 'the Jews’ religion' because it had become watered down over the 1,500 years from Mount Sinai. What was originally pure became a religious burden — the kind of legalistic system that Paul refused to impose on Gentiles.
Galatians 1:13 — This is the verse where Paul uses the exact phrase 'the Jews’ religion,' which Les cites as evidence that Judaism had changed.
Galatians 5:1 — This verse contrasts the liberty of the Gospel with the yoke of bondage, which Les connects to the burden of Judaism.
Galatians 1:13 says, 'For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews’ religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it.' Paul himself uses the specific phrase 'the Jews’ religion' when describing his past life. In the same epistle, Galatians 5:1 says, 'Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.' The Bible draws a clear contrast between the liberty that Christ gives and the yoke of bondage associated with a religious system.
Les teaches that the Holy Spirit deliberately inspired Paul to describe Judaism as 'the Jews’ religion' because that is exactly what it had become. At Mount Sinai, the Law, the priesthood, and the sacrificial worship were pure, but over the next 1,500 years the system became watered down [Clip 1]. He describes legalistic religion as a burden that keeps people under its thumb, which is why Paul refused to let Gentile believers be weighed down with law-keeping [Clip 0]. Les also stresses that even under the degenerated system, the basic requirement for salvation was still personal faith, though many Jews mistakenly relied on being Abraham's seed [Clip 5]. Paul himself, having been a Hebrew of the Hebrews and a Pharisee, was so saturated with Judaism that it took time to get it out of his system [Clip 3].
Les says that at the giving of the Law on Mount Sinai, along with the establishing of the priesthood and the sacrificial worship, the system was pure — 'It was pure, that was Law.' The degeneration came as Israel progressed through the following 1,500 years, not at the beginning.
Les explains that Paul's purpose in resisting the pressure to subject Gentiles to Judaism was 'that the truth of the Gospel may continue with you.' Paul did not want Gentiles weighed down with the burdens of law keeping. Any kind of legalistic religion, Les says, keeps people under its thumb instead of giving freedom.
Les teaches that even under the system of Judaism, the basic premise of salvation was faith. The problem was that many Jews thought being the seed of Abraham meant they had nothing to worry about. They could not comprehend that genuine salvation had to be personal faith, even though they were under the covenant promises.
Les makes a distinction between the religious system and the people. God gave Israel the Mosaic system, but a Jew can turn his back on Judaism or embrace another religion and still be a Jew. After almost 3,000 years among non-Jews, 'a Jew is still a Jew.' Race and religion are not the same thing.
Legalistic Religion as a Burden
Les says any legalistic religion keeps people under its thumb, and Paul's purpose was to keep Gentiles free from the burdens of law keeping.
Judaism Watered Down Over 1,500 Years
Les explains that the Holy Spirit inspired Paul to call Judaism 'the Jews’ religion' because it had become watered down from the pure Law, priesthood, and sacrificial worship given at Sinai.
The Jew Remains the Same
After almost 3,000 years, a Jew is still a Jew; the people have not changed even though the religious system changed.
Paul Saturated With Judaism
Saul of Tarsus was a Hebrew of the Hebrews and a Pharisee, saturated with Judaism — showing how deeply the religious system could be ingrained.
Judaism Separable From Jewish Identity
Les notes that a Jew can turn from Judaism or embrace another religion and still be a Jew, showing the distinction between the system and the people.
Personal Faith Still Required
Even under Judaism, salvation required personal faith, but many Jews mistakenly thought being Abraham's seed was enough.
Why God Commanded Israel to Destroy Entire Nations — Deuteronomy 7
Because I was talking to somebody the other day who had just read an editorial in one of the major newspapers out in the Northwest, where this secular paper was literally decrying Christianity and its influence, that it was actually an enemy of our nation. Because after all, we're living in different times than Bible times.
Why God Commanded Israel to Destroy Entire Nations — Deuteronomy 7
Do you know that every one of these things has happened to the Jew? Every one of them has happened to the Jew. I remember reading again, I think it was from the Jerusalem Post, that's where I usually get most of these things taking place over there, where one of their most popular talk show hosts had a rabbi, a rather elderly rabbi on his talk show program.
Galatians 1:13: For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it:
Paul uses this phrase to describe his former life in the Jewish religious system.
Galatians 5:1: Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
This verse shows the biblical contrast between Christian liberty and the bondage of the law system.
Les teaches that the Holy Spirit inspired Paul to use that term because Judaism had become watered down over the 1,500 years since the Law was given at Mount Sinai. It was no longer the pure system it once was.
Yes. At the giving of the Law, the priesthood, and the sacrificial worship, Les says the system was pure. The degeneration into a burdensome legalistic religion came later.
No, according to Les. Even under the Jewish system, the basic premise of salvation was personal faith. The problem was that many Jews thought being Abraham's physical descendants was sufficient, and they missed the need for personal faith.
Watch the Teaching: What the Bible Really Says About Grace vs. Law — Galatians Chapter 2