Modern-Day Judaizers?

Definition of a Judaizer:
One who teaches “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” (see Acts 15)

The entire epistle of Galatians focuses on Paul’s defense of his ministry in the face of accusations from Judaizers who had infiltrated the early church and was deceiving people into thinking that obedience to the Law was necessary for salvation. We often think that the Judaizers were just a problem in the first-century, but in reality we have a very close form of it among us today. Thanks to the spread of higher-life theology, which teaches that Christians are saved in a “carnal Christian” state and then must break through to a “deeper” or “higher” life to truly be among the Christian elite (a view I believe to be false doctrine at best and quite possibly heretical) — many choose forms of strict law-keeping as a means to that deeper, better Christian life.

Most Judaizer teachers today don’t come right out and directly say that one must follow the Law of Moses for salvation. On the strictest technical definition, then, a true Judaizer may be a rare thing in the church. But I still choose to use this definition because of the prevalence of the higher-life law-keeping in some churches and denominations today. And for many, circumcision does end up coming back as something to do out of obedience. Most don’t say that circumcision is necessary for salvation, but they do say that it is necessary for true obedience; for breaking through to that higher life. Consider Bill Gothard, whose Institute in Basic Life Principles is well-respected in many fundamentalist circles. His organization centers around deducing “basic principles” from various verses or passages in Scripture, many taken out of context, and turning them into rules to live by if someone wants to truly be in the “in crowd” with God.

Paul clearly says that “if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you.” (Galatians 5:2) and the New Testament is clear that physical external circumcision was merely a sign which has passed away in significance due to “circumcision” instead being a matter of the heart. Those of us in the Reformed tradition believe that the sign of baptism now corresponds to the sign of circumcision in the Old Testament. However, Gothard takes a near-opposite position by instead having released booklets and brochures emphasizing the need for circumcision today! He even goes beyond just suggesting medical benefits, which are disputable, but to go so far as to instruct parents in the “benefits of circumcision on the 8th day”, and to hold a circumcision ceremony! Furthermore, he says that “because this is one subject which is so strongly commanded and reinforced in Scripture, there is no question what the decision of Christian parents should be on this matter.”

If this were not enough proof of the matter that Bill Gothard and the Institute in Basic Life Principles treads dangerously close to the camp of the Judaizers, it should also be added that this is not the only element of the Mosaic Law which has been reworked by Gothard and his camp to become “non-optional principles” which Christians must follow. Close adherents of Gothard’s program also tend to abstain from eating “unclean” meats such as pork and hold to other similar dietary restrictions. Gothard has also published “sexual rules” for married couples — based on Leviticus — in his “Advanced Seminar Textbook”. Couples who adhere to these regulations believe that in doing so they will be bringing a blessing upon them and their offspring. Gothard refers these points from the law (which go even beyond the Law with additional rules) as “God’s hidden design” and now that Gothard himself has revealed these things, making them no longer hidden, it is the responsibility of Christians to heed and obey.

Another issue at hand is that Gothard, etc. do not simply say that the whole law must be obeyed — the moral, ceremonial, and civic laws — but rather pick and choose certain laws to impose (and even go beyond). But also in Galatians, addressing this same sort of situation, Paul wrote that “I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law.” (Galatians 5:3) Gothard, etc. are not advocating keeping the whole law, but rather have adopted a Pharasaical position, choosing specific laws to keep as well as adding some more (and attaching blessings to them). Scripture does not contain blessings for obeying some of the law; the blessing is for wholeheartedly keeping the Law. We cannot do this, nor are we called to do this, for Christ has done so on our behalf. (See Rom. 10:4) From a Scriptural standpoint, if someone wants to accept circumcision (or parents choose circumcision for their sons for spiritual reasons) they are in effect rejecting the completed work of Christ. Remember again Galatians 5:2-4 — “Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace.”

This is not simply a matter of denominational preference or interpretation of Scripture. This is the Gospel at stake in this matter. This is a case of a leader, author, and mentor to many individuals (whether directly or indirectly) who is teaching another gospel, a gospel that is at best “Christ plus circumcision” or “Christ plus the law”, and in reality is no gospel at all. Any “gospel” that requires Christ plus something else has ceased to be gospel at all. This is a case of placing trust in the flesh rather than in God. It is a case of believing in something other than the completed work of Jesus Christ in order to be blessed by God. Friends, this isn’t even Christianity anymore. Even if central truths of the Gospel are adhered to, by re-introducing Old Covenant signs they effectively reject all of the New Covenant — including the finished work of Christ. In fact, I will go so far as to question whether those who seriously advocate righteousness through lawkeeping rather than righteousness in Christ alone, who teach circumcision as a means of earning blessings, who call unclean what God has declared clean (Acts 10:9-15) — whether they are regenerate in the first place. These may very well be “wolves in sheep’s clothing.” The Holy Spirit will not direct someone to directly violate the very words of Scripture and teach another gospel. If not from God, then where else can this be from?

Galatians 2:21 – 3:3: “I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose. O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?”

I urge the reader to realize that this is no small matter. Anyone who would teach circumcision as a requirement for blessing, or encourage parents to choose to subject their sons to the rite of circumcision rather than the New Covenant sign of baptism, is guilty of rejecting the Gospel and replacing it with a false gospel that is no gospel at all.

Galatians 5:6-9 – “…In Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love. You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? This persuasion is not from him who calls you. A little leaven leavens the whole lump.”

One of the pastors in our area (and within my denomination) tells of a diagram with three circles, with an outer circle, middle circle, and inner circle. The inner circle contains the core issues of salvation. The second circle contains denominational differences, etc. — things that are still important, but are up to interpretation and are open to legitimate disagreement. The third circle contains peripheral items in the preference and individual conviction category. Problems arise when people try to move something to a different circle than it belongs — for example, educational decisions such as homeschooling from the third circle to the second circle, or interpretations such as specific mode of baptism to the first circle. In the case of true legalism (not just various lifestyle choices, but an actual return to the Law, such as the circumcision issue) it’s a serious matter of putting something new inside that first circle — the core matters of the faith. These are the types of things that consist of adding to, or taking away from, the Gospel.

Brothers and sisters who read this, if you are in a position where you are being influenced by such modern-day Judaizing, strongly consider whether this influence can be a positive thing in any way. As a little leaven leavens the whole lump, this false gospel of legalism in all likelihood permeates throughout the theology you are being exposed to and influenced by. Remember that the gospel plus anything else ceases to be the gospel at all. If you are in an environment where in addition to the gospel, other things such as circumcision, dietary laws, marital abstinence laws, etc. are being enforced on a level equal to the gospel, where you must comply in order to be regarded as a fellow believer, or where you must comply in order to be regarded as truly obedient, and you are not in a position to be a bright light in a place of spiritual darkness, then flee. There are many matters of denominational differences, lifestyle preferences, worship style preferences, church cultures, etc. that can be overcome for the sake of Christian unity and are not things worth fighting for. But the Gospel is not one of these things. It is so much at the core that if someone seeks to deny the gospel, or add to it (in effect denying its sufficiency) then one cannot stand by and permit it. Can you teach the true gospel and be used to draw people to Christ? If so then you may be placed there for a purpose. If the greater risk is that you will be influenced by the false gospel so that you begin to doubt the true Gospel, then the wise decision would be to flee the false teaching and any place, institution, church, or other group in which that false teaching is being promoted. “A little leaven leavens the whole lump.”

Galatians 1:6-8 – “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.”