Letters to the Church

The Law was an interim stage with a termination point. Disciples are no longer under its jurisdiction, but now, they are in Christ .  Paul argues that adopting the rite of circumcision constitutes regression to an earlier stage in God's redemptive history. If Gentiles adopt a  Torah -compliant lifestyle, they will return to bondage under “ elementary things ."

Paul argues for tolerance in the church on food regulations and the observation of holy days – The shadows now find their fulfillment in Jesus.  The law of Moses specified what foods the people of God could eat by distinguishing between “clean” and “unclean,” and the consumption of the latter was forbidden. A comprehensive description of the dietary regulations is found in the eleventh chapter of the book of Leviticus .

In his Letter to the Galatians , Paul chides believers for their desire “ to return to bondage under the weak and beggarly rudiments ” of the world, including calendrical observations and circumcision. Since they are no longer “minors” but full heirs who live in the AGE OF FULFILLMENT and have the Gift of the Spirit, resorting to outmoded rituals is tantamount to returning to a state of slavery.