Heresies 10

Overview

The Heresy of the Judaizers

Among the earliest disturbances in the Christian Church was the heresy of the Judaizers—sometimes called "the circumcision party." These were strict interpreters of the Mosaic law who insisted that a Gentile could not become a Christian without first becoming a Jew. In their view, faith in Jesus had to be supplemented with circumcision and the full observance of the Old Testament law. The early Church confronted this question head-on at the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15:1-11, where Peter declared that God cleanses Gentile hearts "by faith" and warned against placing on the disciples' necks "a yoke that neither our ancestors nor we have been able to bear." Salvation, Peter affirmed, comes "through the grace of the Lord Jesus."

To insist on any other requirement for salvation is to destroy the gospel itself. Paul calls such a teaching "a different gospel" and pronounces a curse upon any who proclaim it Galatians 1:6-9. "A person is justified not by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ" Galatians 2:15-16. The Gentiles, Paul writes, attained the righteousness they were not striving for, "that is, righteousness through faith," while Israel, pursuing it by works, stumbled Romans 9:30-32.

Rightly Dividing the Law

A faithful response to the Judaizers requires distinguishing the three categories of Old Testament law:

• Moral law — the enduring will of God (summarized in the Ten Commandments), written on every human heart Romans 2:14-15. It stands for all time.
• Civil law — given to govern Israel as a nation; no longer in force, since the dividing wall between Jew and Gentile has been broken down in Christ.
• Ceremonial law — governing sacrifice, circumcision, festivals, priesthood, and dietary practice. These were "only a shadow of what is to come, but the substance belongs to Christ" Colossians 2:16-17.

Jesus did not abolish the law but fulfilled it perfectly Matthew 5:17-20. This distinction guards us against the popular "shellfish argument," which lumps all Old Testament commands together to dismiss the moral law along with the ceremonial. The ceremonial law is fulfilled in Christ; the moral law remains God's enduring will.

The Three Uses of the Law

The moral law still functions in three ways for us today: as a mirror, exposing our sin and our need for a Savior; as a curb, restraining outward wickedness in society; and as a guide, showing the redeemed what is pleasing to God. But the law never motivates—it can only show sin, restrain, and direct. The motivation for Christian living is always the gospel. As Luther reminded us, faith is "an active and busy thing"; where faith is present, works follow naturally—not as payment, but as the fruit of a salvation already bought and paid for by the blood of Christ.

Pastoral Application

Modern Judaizers rarely speak of circumcision, but their voice is unmistakable whenever someone says, "I think I'll get into heaven because I'm a really good person," or treats faith in Christ as needing to be topped up by personal merit. Whenever the gospel is presented as "Jesus plus…," the heresy of the Judaizers has crept back in. Listen for it this week—in conversations, in sermons, in your own heart—and be ready to bear witness to the sweetness of grace. We never grasp how sweet the gospel is until we feel the full severity of the law that condemns us. And we never need fear that condemnation again, because Christ has fulfilled the law on our behalf. Salvation is by grace, through faith, in Christ alone.

Transcript

Well, we continue along in our study looking at some ancient heresies and how they apply today, 0s

where we see the expression of those. The purpose, of course, is so that when you hear these, 8s

you'll be equipped to be able to say, you know, that's really the roots of it, is a heresy of 14s

old. And so how then can I articulate that? What the truth is, as you witness to people. Last week, 20s

we studied about the Pelagians. Pelagian, you'll recall, or Pelagius was a fifth-century 30s

theologian. And he believed that there was enough goodness left in all of us, that we could 36s

harness that goodness. We could develop that goodness. And then we could therefore save ourselves 44s

before God. Well, that was obviously condemned by the Church, but a form of Pelagianism has continued 52s

what's called semi-Pelagianism, which says that we cooperate with God in our salvation. And so we 60s

took a look at that and we addressed that scripturally. Today, I'd like to talk to you about the 67s

heresy of the Judaizers. Among the earliest Christians, or the earliest Christians were Jewish 75s

Converts. And there was what was called the circumcision party. Later you understand them as the Judaizers. 90s

They were very strict interpreters of the law of God. And they believed that the only way for a 100s

Gentile to become a Christian was if they adhered to all of the law. So in other words, before a 110s

Gentile could become a Christian, they had to become a Jew first. That was a huge problem in the 119s

early Church. And we see the early Church address it. Let's go to Acts the 15th chapter and we'll see 130s

a perfect example of this. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and then Acts, Acts chapter 15, verse 1. 137s

So at the heart of the Judaizers was the belief that for a Gentile to become a Christian, 149s

they had to become a Jew first. They had to adhere to all of the law of God. So Acts chapter 15, verse 1. 155s

Then certain individuals came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers. Unless you are 165s

circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved unless you're circumcised according 173s

to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved. What they were maintaining was that the Old Testament 181s

law in all of its entirety was applicable to the Christian, picking up in verse 2. 189s

And after Paul and Barnivus had no small dissension and debate with them, don't you love that phrase? 198s

I mean, there was more. There's more behind that, isn't there? You know, no small dissension and 204s

debate with them. Paul and Barnivus and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to 211s

discuss this question with the apostles and the elders. So they were sent on their way by the 217s

church and as they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, they reported the conversion of the 224s

Gentiles and brought great joy to all the believers. When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed 229s

by the church and the apostles and the elders and they reported all that God had done with them. 237s

But some believers who belonged to the sect of the Pharisees stood up and said, 245s

it is necessary for them to be circumcised and ordered to keep the law of Moses. 251s

The apostles and the elders met together to consider this matter. So here's the issue, whether 260s

the Gentiles who had come to faith in the Lord Jesus had to accept the law of Moses in its entirety, 269s

whether they had to be circumcised was one example of it and whether they had to fulfill the law 278s

in its entirety. Circumcision, of course, was an important issue. It was a sign of the covenant 284s

that God had established. Let's go to Genesis chapter 17, Genesis chapter 17, verses 3 to 11. 290s

Verse 3 of chapter 17, then Abram fell on his face and God said to him, 315s

as for me, this is my covenant with you, you shall be the ancestor of a multitude of nations. No 322s

longer shall your name be Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the ancestor 328s

of a multitude of nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful and I will make nations of you and 335s

kings shall come from you. I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring 341s

after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant to be God to you and to your 347s

offspring after you. And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land where you 354s

are now in alien all the land of Canaan for perpetual holding and I will be their God. God said to 360s

Abraham, as for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their 368s

generations. This is my covenant which you shall keep between me and you and your offspring after 374s

you. Every male among you shall be circumcised. You shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskins 379s

and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you. So the issue then of this 386s

legalistic understanding is, is there, does there need to be circumcision on the part of the 400s

Christians and do the Gentile Christians need to adhere to all of the Jewish law? It's not just 405s

circumcision. We see it branch out into other areas. Let's go to Acts 11th chapter, back to Acts, 415s

Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and then Acts, Acts chapter 11, verse 3, 421s

Acts 11, verse 3. 429s

Let's start verse 1, get more of a context. Now the apostles and the believers who were in Judea 441s

heard that the Gentiles had also accepted the Word of God. So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, 446s

the circumcised believers criticized him saying, why did you go to uncircumcised men and eat with 452s

them? What's the issue? The Gentile food was not ceremonially clean in accordance with Jewish law. 463s

So there's irritation here. Let's go back now to Acts 15. So the issue has been put forth 474s

and now they need to address it. Do the Gentiles have to become a Jew first in order to be a Christian? 485s

So Genesis, excuse me, Acts 15 will pick up in verse 7. After there had been much debate, 495s

Peter stood up and said to them, my brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice 505s

among you, that I should be the one for whom the Gentiles would hear the message of the good news 511s

and become believers. And God who knows the human heart testified to them by giving them the 517s

Holy Spirit, just as he did to us. And in cleansing their hearts by faith, he has made no distinction 525s

between them and us. Now therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing on the neck 532s

of the disciples a yoke that neither are ancestors nor we have been able to bear on the contrary? 541s

We believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus just as they will. You see 552s

insisting on any other quote unquote, requirement for salvation destroys the gospel of Jesus Christ. 563s

It is not faith plus works equals salvation. It is salvation by grace through faith. 576s

Along, look back at verse 10 again. Now therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing 592s

on the neck of the disciples a yoke that neither are ancestors nor we have been able to bear 601s

on the contrary? We believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus just as they 609s

will. Let's go a little deeper here. The scripture gives us the moral law, 619s

the civil law and the ceremonial law, the moral law, the civil law and the ceremonial law. 634s

The moral law is that which is for all time. So when God comes and gives the 10 commandments, 646s

God did not say the 10 commandments are for a period of time and hey, great news for you, 654s

it's no longer applicable. No, the moral law is that law which endures for all time and people 663s

naturally have the knowledge of the moral law written on their hearts. It's fascinating to look at 672s

cultures across the world and across history. And there is written in the heart in cultures and 680s

understanding that if you murder someone, that's wrong. That's wrong. That if you steal something from 690s

someone, that's wrong. Why? Because that law is written into the heart. Now, can the conscience 699s

become seared? Absolutely. Can the conscience be formed by input? That is therefore given to it? 711s

Absolutely. But by nature, God has wired us with an understanding that there are those things which 719s

are simply wrong. Let's go to Romans, the second chapter, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, 727s

Acts, and then Romans. And we see in Romans the second chapter, this expression. So Romans chapter 736s

2, it will pick up in verse 14. When Gentiles who do not possess the law do instinctively what the 749s

law requires, these, though not having the law or a law to themselves, they show that what the 763s

law requires here it comes is written on their hearts to which their own conscience also bears 772s

witness. So what's the moral law? Good summary, the moral law is the Ten Commandments. It's written 783s

on our hearts, the moral law stands for all time. The civil law was that law which governed 789s

the people of Israel. It governed the nation. And the ceremonial law we see in scripture 798s

relegated the worship life. So it relegated things like sacrifice and circumcision and festivals 807s

and priesthood and diet and all of that. So you've got the moral law which endures for all time. 814s

You've got the civil law which governed the nation of Israel. And then you have the ceremonial law 820s

which governed the worship life. The civil law drops out of business when the nation of Israel 826s

ceases to be a nation. When indeed through Jesus Christ the dividing law between Jew and Gentile 835s

is broken down. The civil law with the coming of Christ it is no longer. Same thing about the 842s

ceremonial law all of those purification rituals and all of those cleanliness type of rituals. 851s

All of that no longer in business with Christ. Let's go to Colossians the second chapter Matthew 859s

Mark Luke John, Acts and Romans, 1st and 2nd Corinthians, Galatians Ephesians, 867s

Philippians and then Galatians. Galatians chapter 2 verse 16. And here Paul is addressing this very 874s

issue. He writes, therefore, do not let anyone condemn you in matters of food and drink or of 882s

observing festivals, new moons or Sabbaths. These are only a shadow of what is to come but the 893s

substance belongs to Christ. So with Jesus the civil law is no longer. People of Israel aren't a 901s

nation anymore dividing between Jew and Gentile is no longer. The ceremonial law all of the 912s

purity laws etc which was pointing ahead to the one who would cleanse us the Savior the Lord Jesus 919s

Christ that is no longer. Let's go to Matthew the fifth chapter. Matthew chapter 5 926s

and you hear of the accusation that Jesus is addressing. Matthew chapter 5 verse 17. 940s

Jesus says this, do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. Do not think that 954s

I have come to abolish the law of the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. 962s

For truly I tell you until heaven and earth pass away not one letter, not one stroke of a 970s

letter will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever breaks one of the 975s

least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of 983s

heaven but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 988s

For I tell you unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees you will never 993s

enter the kingdom of God. So when Jesus comes not the smallest stroke of the law is ever ever 998s

removed. Why? Because it stands as a witness to how Jesus fulfills the moral and the civil and 1007s

the ceremonial law. Here's where this understanding can come in and it's called the shellfish argument. 1019s

Have you ever heard this? Well you know there's a lot of things in the Bible that it says that we 1029s

shouldn't do like you know eat shellfish and pork. There's a lot of stuff we don't do anymore 1037s

therefore that's out of date therefore it doesn't apply and then you fill in the blank do us. 1047s

You know you know where that argument has been made with regard to homosexual behavior. 1059s

The argument is made. I've heard folks make it and I just kind of cring and I can't 1067s

have up close my hand because what they're doing here is they're confusing the ceremonial law and 1074s

the moral law. The moral law we see for example with homosexual behavior that it's sinful is 1085s

affirmed throughout the Holy Scripture. The ceremonial law and now that it is no longer 1094s

enforced because of Christ can't be used to therefore say that part of the moral law is no 1101s

longer in place. Why? Because there's a difference between the ceremonial law and the civil law and 1109s

the moral law. Jesus fulfilled the moral law absolutely perfectly. He never ever sinned, thought 1116s

ordered deed. He couldn't have because he's got in the flesh. If Jesus would have ever sined then 1128s

Jesus would have needed a wife, a savior right? And he couldn't be God. So he perfectly 1134s

fulfilled the moral law. He perfectly fulfilled the civil law. It's broken now now because the nation 1141s

doesn't exist anymore. The dividing between Jew and Gentile here is no longer. And all of the 1147s

ceremonial law that simply pointed to the Messiah to come that indeed would cleanse that has been 1154s

fulfilled. But to use then the ceremonial law which is no longer in business to say the 1160s

aspect of the moral law is no longer applicable. It doesn't rightly divide the three expressions of 1168s

the law that you see in Holy Scripture. Listen for the shellfish argument. And what you'll know then 1176s

is not can I tell you about the moral civil and the ceremonial law. See? And that then gives the 1189s

correct understanding. The Judaizers then were teaching that the gospel of Jesus Christ had addons 1196s

and that you had to fulfill the law of Moses in order to be saved. In other words, 1208s

it's salvation by grace through faith plus works. In the end then the Judaizer called for 1217s

a gospel that was works righteousness. Right? Works righteousness. What did Paul call such a gospel? 1231s

Let's go to Galatians the first chapter. Matthew Mark Luke John, Acts and Romans, 1240s

1st and 2nd Corinthians, then Galatians, Galatians chapter 1, verses 6 to 9. 1246s

Paul writes this, I'm astonished that you're so quickly deserting the one who called you in the 1268s

grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel. Not that there is another gospel but there 1274s

are some who are confusing you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an 1280s

angel from heaven should proclaim to you a gospel contrary to what we proclaim to you, let that one 1289s

be accursed. As we have said before, so now I repeat, if anyone proclaims to you a gospel contrary 1296s

to what you receive, let that one be accursed. Going over into chapter 2, verse 15. 1304s

She's after 2, verse 15. We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners. Yet we know that 1318s

a person is justified. Remember the easy way to remember the meaning of that name to be made just 1327s

as if you never sinned. We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners yet we know that 1333s

a person is justified not by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ. And we have 1339s

come to believe in Christ Jesus so that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by doing 1349s

the works of the law because no one will be justified by the works of the law. Galatians 3 chapter 1358s

verse 10. All who rely on the works of the law are under a curse for it is written. 1368s

Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the things written in the book of the law. 1378s

See the law is never given as a vehicle unto salvation. The law was given and one of the functions 1387s

of the law is to reveal our sinfulness and our need for salvation. And so if there is no proclamation 1392s

then of the law as the people gather, we will begin then to get the sense that we don't need a 1399s

savior because there's nothing for us to be saved from. The law then is so crucial to be 1409s

proclaimed in all of its severity because we never understand the sweetness of the gospel 1418s

if we don't understand the severity of the law of God. That indeed we stand condemned before him. 1425s

Judiizers then today are those who insist on keeping the law for salvation. It comes in many 1436s

different expressions but at the heart when you hear someone who say to says, I think I'll get to 1448s

heaven because I'm a really good person. That's an opportunity for witness, isn't it? 1457s

I remember my first call one of the first funerals that I did was this person who came in and 1468s

from the neighborhood and he said, you know, relative of mine has died and would you do the funeral 1478s

service? So we started to talk about faith and before I could get like one sentence out, the person 1487s

said this, I mean if there's anybody that's going to make it into heaven, it would have been and I 1497s

forget his name. You see that's the sense of works righteousness there. That sense of what must I 1504s

do and you'll hear various expressions of it where it's believe in Jesus Christ and 1514s

hear the works to do. Remember what Luther said about works? Works are an active and a busy thing. 1522s

In other words, where there is faith, you can't help but do works. But the works are never 1529s

meritorious for salvation. Why? Because your salvation has been bought and paid for through the blood of 1535s

Jesus Christ and the works that we do are simply the expression of the faith that God has given us. 1541s

It's not faith in Jesus and now I'm just a little short of the quota here and if I can get the works 1550s

up, you know, I'm ahead of schedule here. No, it's it's his works righteousness that can creep in 1560s

and the heart of it is the thought of the Judaism. Let's go to Romans 9th chapter verse 30. 1567s

Matthew Mark Luke John, Acts and then Romans. Romans 9 verse 30. 1580s

Paul under the inspiration of the Spirit says, what then are we to say? Gentiles who did not strive 1600s

for righteousness have attained it. That is righteousness through faith. See, the Gentiles didn't 1607s

pursue righteousness through works. They were granted righteousness through faith in the Lord Jesus 1618s

Christ where the works of Christ are credited to us. What did the Jew try and do? The Jew tried to use 1624s

the works in order to gain the righteousness. The goal of the Jew to be right was with God. Well, 1633s

it's the purpose of the law. The purpose of the law is threefold. So remember moral law and 1658s

doers. Civil and ceremonial law that we see in scripture is is totally out of business. So if 1667s

on the on the menu for lunch today you're having pork chops, enjoy. Enjoy, right? And do not worry 1675s

when you come to that portion in scripture that tells you not to eat pork. No, you want to go to 1682s

to red lobster today? Have at it, right? Have at it because all of that ceremonial law it's out of 1689s

business. More law and doers. What are the three functions of the law? One of the functions of the law 1698s

is a mirror. It shows us our sinfulness. When the law confronts us we see how far we fall short of 1705s

God's righteousness. We see the holiness of God and we see our unholiness. We see the perfection 1718s

of God and we see our lack of perfection. It's not just a matter of making some mistakes. No, 1727s

we are sinners. What do we confess? In thought, word, and deed by what we've done and by what we 1737s

have left undone. And that law continually comes at us in holy scripture to show us our need for 1744s

a savior. So the law's mirror functions as SOS. It shows our sin. The gospel functions as SOS. It shows 1753s

our, what's the S? It shows our savior. Yeah. So the mirror then shows our sin. That's the law. The 1764s

gospel shows our savior. The law is also given as a curb, as a curb. In other words, 1771s

as the law is given it is written in our, in our hearts, there is that where in our sinfulness we say, 1783s

well yeah, I can go over to Tom Thumb and I can walk out with something. But I'm going to get caught. 1792s

And I don't want to, I don't want to get caught and face the punishment and the punishment functions 1803s

as a curb. Of course, that's a one-dimensional example. I want you to think your pastor is looking 1810s

forward to seeing what he can stuff in his suit coat. There going, going over. But the curb is because 1815s

of punishment for sin, we don't want that. And so it functions in our society as a form of civil 1822s

righteousness as a dimension of it where even the non-Christian will look and say, I don't want to, 1831s

I don't want to hurt my neighbor in that way because then I would face the punishment for that. So 1838s

the law functions as a curb. So it shows us our sin. It functions as a curb. And it also functions as a 1845s

guide. Now the guide, which is what's called the third use of the law, the guide is for the 1854s

Christian. Because now all of a sudden, as we read the law of God and God says, this is what I 1864s

desire of you, that immediately brings us to confession because we fall short. We're immediately 1871s

empowered by his word of grace and absolution. And the law then becomes, the moral law becomes the 1880s

guide for that which is pleasing unto God Almighty. And with a transformed heart, we want to be 1888s

about pleasing God. And so then the law then functions as that guide. Can the law ever 1898s

motivate? Absolutely not. Absolutely not. So in other words, in other words, the gospel is the 1908s

motivator for the living of the law. You can't motivate a people by the use of the law. Perhaps you've 1920s

heard of sermons where people have said thankfully not here. But people have said, I went to church 1930s

today and I left with my hair seared off. Now you know what happened then, right? Is that the 1938s

pastor, whoever was preaching, preacher, whatever you want to call them, use the law to motivate. 1947s

And the law doesn't motivate. All the law does is show us our sin. It acts as a curb. It acts as 1956s

a guide. The motivation then the empowerment is the gospel. It's the gospel. So in your conversations 1962s

this week, be sensitive and listen for when people say, you know, faith in Christ is, I guess it's 1973s

important. But I'm a really good person. And so I think I'm going to heaven. At the heart of that, 1984s

it's the judy eyesers of all and what an opportunity to witness. 1994s

joy. 2016s