the New Testament is the standard for believers in Jesus...even Jewish believers, not just Gentiles
when Gentiles try to copy Jewish ways of worship, they end up with something that is really not pleasing God as Paul states in Galatians, asking them who had bewitched them as they had started out in the spirit but were now falling back on fleshly obedience to things that were no longer in effect
God gave the Sabbath to Israel as a sign of His special covenant with His chosen people. It was part of an elaborate system of sacrifices, rituals, and offerings (
Exodus 31:13-17;
Nehemiah 9:13-14 ). The Epistle to the Hebrews makes it clear, however, that the coming of the Messiah invalidated these regulations (
Hebrews 10:1-18 ). It emphasizes that the Old Testament has been replaced by a new covenant (
Hebrews 8:7-13 ).
Paul warned the church in Galatia about legalism relating to the Mosaic law, saying:
How is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? You are observing special days and months and seasons and years! (
Galatians 4:9-10).
Galatians 3:
1O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified.
2I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law, or by hearing with faith?
3Are you so foolish? After starting in the Spirit, are you now finishing in the flesh?
4Have you suffered so much for nothing, if it really was for nothing?
5Does God lavish His Spirit on you and work miracles among you because you practice the law, or because you hear and believe?
6So also, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”
7Understand, then, that those who have faith are sons of Abraham.
8The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and foretold the gospel to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.”
9So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.
Christ Has Redeemed Us
10All who rely on works of the law are under a curse. For it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.”
11Now it is clear that no one is justified before God by the law, because, “The righteous will live by faith.”
12The law, however, is not based on faith; on the contrary, “The man who does these things will live by them.”
13Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us. For it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”
14He redeemed us in order that the blessing promised to Abraham would come to the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.