I think it'll help to firmly establish context of Paul's letter from the beginning of Galatians chapter 2.
Starting in Chapter 1, Paul is greeting his readers and explaining his calling to the gentiles is from the same living God as Peter's calling was to the Jews, noting that Peter, James and John also recognized the grace (i.e. divine strength) Paul was given by giving him the right hand of fellowship and mission to the gentiles with an added instruction to be mindful of the poor.
Lawbreaking = sin = unclean. These words are interchangeable in the context Paul has established. So notice how the passage's point jumps at us when we interchange these words...
Galatians 2:17 (Berean)
17 But if, while we seek to be [cleansed] in Christ, we ourselves are found to be [lawbreakers], does that make Christ a minister of [lawbreaking]? Absolutely not! 18 If I rebuild what I have already torn down, I prove myself to be a [UNCLEAN].
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So the context of Galatians is "no traditions (of the law) SPECIFICALLY TO CLEANSE ONESELF will ever make oneself clean, but will actually makes oneself unclean now that Christ has provided his blood to cleanse." Paul is NOT saying "do not obey Yah's commandments". Paul is being very specific in what he's talking about. He's talking about the traditions/works that involved social separation, ritual cleansing and priestly blood ministry from animal sacrifice, which are exactly what the Pharisees would've continued to perform because they rejected Christ. Thus...
Galatians 2:19-21 (Berean) [Brackets are mine for context]
19 For through the Law [OF DEATH PAYMENT & BLOOD SACRIFICE TO CLEANSE] I died to the Law [OF DEATH PAYMENT & BLOOD SACRIFICE TO CLEANSE] so that I might live to God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ [IN FULFILLMENT OF DEATH PAYMENT & BLOOD SACRIFICE TO CLEANSE], and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. 21 I do not set aside the grace of God. For if righteousness comes through the Law [OF DEATH PAYMENT & BLOOD SACRIFICE TO CLEANSE], Christ died for nothing.”
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Therefore we must have faith in Christ's blood, but we can't then become lawbreakers.
That was beautiful Yahshua. A true understanding of scriptures.
Paul is simply continuing his teaching from early on in Romans.
Rom. 2:
6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds:
7 To
them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality,
eternal life:
8 But unto them that are contentious,
and do not obey the truth,
but obey unrighteousness,
indignation and wrath,
9 Tribulation and anguish,
upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the
Jew first,
and also of the
Gentile;
10 But glory, honour, and peace,
to every man that worketh good, to the
Jew first,
and also to the
Gentile:
11 For there is no respect of persons with God.
13 (For not the hearers of the law
are just before God,
but the doers of the law shall be justified.
Rom. 3:
25 Whom God hath set forth
to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare
his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
26 To declare,
I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just,
and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
He Justifies now, not the Jews version of the Levitical Priesthood "Law of works"
27 Where
is boasting then? It is excluded.
By what law?
of works?
Nay:
but by the law of faith.
28 Therefore we conclude that a man
is justified by (the Law of) faith without the
deeds of the law. (of works)
Can a person have "Faith" without the "Deeds" of the first and greatest Commandment?
I would say if Abraham is our example, "Faith" is defined by our willful submission and obedience to the first and greatest Commandment in the Law. I would say the Bible teaches without this "Law" there is no "Faith", no Salvation, no repentance, no Light in those who rebel against God and His Love..
I think Paul exposed this failure to submit to this "Law of Faith" in the Mainstream Preachers of his time and this refusal to "Keep God's Commandment" is the Root cause of their fall.
Rom. 1:
21 Because that, when they knew God,
they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations,
and their foolish heart was darkened.
22 Professing themselves to be wise,
they became fools,
And Jesus confirms this teaching about the Mainstream Preachers of His time.
Matt. 23:
23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin,
and have omitted the weightier matters of the law,
judgment,
mercy,
and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
Once a person comes to grips with the two Laws Paul was speaking about. "Law of Faith vs. Law of Works" his letters becomes very clear.
Until then as Paul told Timothy.
4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures
more than lovers of God;
5 Having a
form of godliness, but denying the power thereof (Truth): from such turn away.
6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,
7 Ever learning, and
never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Great post Yehshua,
Truly explains Paul's context in Galatians.
