PEOPLE OF G-D, MESSIANIC
The Scriptures have much to say about the subject of boasting.
The word is usually defined in a negative sense:
Boast: To speak in high praise of oneself or what one possesses; to use exulting, pompous or pretentious language; to brag; to exult; to glory; to vaunt; to bluster. Make statements with pride. Boaster: a braggart.
The Scripture, both in the Old and New Testaments, strongly condemns and rebukes boasting in this sense; (2 Chron. 25:19, Romans 1:30) and many other passages [1]. The "man of sin" in Daniel 11:36 will "exalt himself above all.." Robbers are also said "to exalt themselves". Daniel 11:14
Is there another type of boasting?
Yes. There is "Boasting in the L-rd". (Psalm 34:2) This is Authorized and is related to Praising the Grace of G-D.
"And think not to say within yourselves, 'We have Avraham to [our] father, for I say unto you that G-D Is Able of these stones to Raise Up children unto Avraham." Matthew 3:9
The Apostle Paul identifies certain ones who "make their boast in the Law"[2]. Romans 2:17 ff.
The Gospel has no Law-works in it because It is by Grace through Divine Faith Alone. (Ephesians 2:8,9) There is no room whatsoever for boasting in ourselves with regard to our Salvation.
Also our Sanctification is by Grace Alone, and G-d Works through us. Once again, no room for fleshly boasting whatsoever. Philippians 2:13.
IS THERE ROOM FOR ANY FLESHLY BOASTING OF OUR SPIRITUAL LIFE IN YESHUA?
The Apostle Paul addresses the issue directly:
"The Law was our Schoolmaster to bring us to Yeshua (Christ) that we might be Justified by Faith." Galatians 3:24
"Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what Law? By the Law of Faith." Romans 3:27
Boasting in the Law (Torah) is not to be a part of Spiritual Life in Yeshua.
The early Assemblies had a problem with those who "made their boast in the Law". This can be seen from ACTS 15 .
The Judaizers were acting apart from the Holy Spirit and Apostolic Command. They were suggesting that Gentiles become circumcised after Salvation, and using various reasons for proclaiming this false teaching.
HERE IS WHAT THE APOSTLES SAID ABOUT THIS MATTER:
Paul: "As many as desire to make a fair show in the flesh, they compel you to be circumcised (by offering various well-designed "compelling arguments" for it)[4], only lest they should "suffer persecution for the cross of Yeshua (Christ)".
"For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the Law; but desire to have you circumcised that they may glory (boast) in your flesh." Galatians 6:12,13
Yakov (James): "Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. Behold how great a matter a little fire kindles!" James 3:5
"But now you rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil." James 4:16
The New Testament says that these persons were false apostles as they have NO Command to teach what they were teaching -as if- they had an authorized Command.
OTHER SCRIPTURES
"Cast abroad the Rage of Thy Wrath: and Behold every one [that is] proud, and abase him. Look on every one [that is] proud, [and] bring him low; and tread down the wicked in their place." Job 40:11,12
"O L-RD G-D, To Whom Vengeance Belongs; O G-D To Whom Vengeance Belongs, Show Thyself. Lift Up Thyself, Thou Judge of the earth: Render a reward to the proud (A Judgment against)." Psalm 94:1,2.
"The proud have hid a snare for me, and cords, they have spread a net by the wayside; they have set gins for me." Psalm 140:5
"The L-RD Will Destroy the House of the proud: and He Will Establish the border of the widow." Proverbs 15:25
"Every one that is proud in heart [5] is an abomination to the L-RD: [though] hand [join] in hand, he shall not be unpunished." Proverbs 16:5
"Pride [goeth] before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Better [it is to be] of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud." Proverbs 16:18,19
"This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more then lovers of G-D; having a form of godliness, but denying the Power thereof: from such turn away." I Timothy 3:1-5
"...Backbiters, haters of G-D, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: who knowing the Judgment of G-D, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them." Romans 1:30-32
"For he is not a Jew that is one outwardly; neither [that] outward in the flesh is circumcision: but he that [is] hiddenly a Jew [is one]; and circumcision [is] of heart, in spirit, not in letter, of whom the Praise [is] not of men, but of G-D." Romans 2:28,29
CONCLUSIONS
Teaching misunderstandings of the Law (Torah) after Faith has Arrived often results, sooner or later, in boasting and pride; to the eventual exclusion of Divine Faith and instead relying more on the works of the flesh as a "substitute spirituality".
"For the Law (Torah) is not of Faith..." Galatians 3:12
Yet the Law does possess within it what Paul calls "holy, just and good." Its' power is to convict of G-ds' Righteousness, and by so doing, to expose sin and not to "establish our own righteousness" but to drive to Yeshua wherein Righteousness by Faith is found.
WHAT DO JUDAIZERS DO?
Judaizers go about to teach Gentiles, in a seemingly "perfectly acceptable" form [4], giving reasons to be circumcised after Salvation.
The New Testament declares it false teaching, because everything in the New Covenant is by Divine Faith: Salvation, Sanctification, Justification, and Imputation as well as everything else; not by the works of the Law (Torah).
FOOTNOTES
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False teachers can be very religious, "nice people" or "rational", but still do not have any Command in the New Testament whatsoever to authorize their teaching. Grace has never been a product of mans' works. Philippians 2:13
One of the Judaizers' teachings is that the New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31 compared with Hebrews 8:8-12). is still "future". (?) They especially focus on Hebrews 8:10-11. They say that the "Laws" (read Mosaic Laws) are not "written on the heart" yet, but that man still has to "teach every man his neighbor" (Torah study) so therefore they assert it could not be fulfilled.
They suggest "in the millennium" sometime, perhaps, not now.
The passage (Jer. 31:31; Heb. 8:8 ff) is NOT speaking of "Torah study", however, OR "learning all the Laws of Moses". It is Speaking of the "Law of Faith" and also the "Law of Love" along with other Laws, which are Spiritual in Nature, and Arrive when a person gets Saved (Believes in Yeshua [Jesus]).
These Spiritual Laws are indeed "Laws Written on the heart" Fulfilling both of these passages. Ask a Believing Gentile in King Moshiach Yeshua if the "Law of Love of the L-RD Yeshua (Jesus)" is "Written on his heart"!
"Straining at a gnat", they have "swallowed a camel".
For some, sitting down for "Torah study" on Shabbat is a "self-fulfilling prophecy" that Jeremiah 31:31 is NOT FULFILLED YET, "proving" the "talmidiim" (used as Gentile believers here) do not yet have all of Moses' Laws on their hearts and minds? Yes, some do actually teach that, or privately believe it! Who teaches it? Even ones that refuse to believe the New Covenant has Arrived!
These passages, it is clear, are NOT speaking of the Torah of Moses and the R" Halachah! They never were! That is WHY it Is Called, the "New Covenant"! How many times must it be read in the New Testament that we are NOT speaking of the Torah of Moses?
The Gentiles DO NOT have to have all the Mosaic Law and the R" Halachah "written on their heart and mind" as a "fulfillment" of Jeremiah 31:31 and Hebrews 8:8 ff.!
The Law of Love in Faith Fulfills the Whole Torah!
Does this sound familiar? The R"s of Yeshuas' day didn't believe He was Moshiach because He hadn't "fulfilled" -their- interpretation of how Moshiach would be Revealed? Yes! They also had in mind a "millennial-type" state, just as ones are also preaching TODAY with regard to our Already-Revealed New Covenant!
We (Jews and Gentiles) are Given the Higher Spiritual Laws that are Fully Listed in the New Testament itself. They are all part of our Salvation. It is absolutely NOT true that the New Covenant needs to fulfill rabbinic or Judaizers'interpretations in the case of Gentiles before the New Covenant Arrives! But the Judaizers will say "Yes it does"! So who is right?
We will TELL you who is right! Believing Gentiles in King Moshiach Yeshua (Jesus) who KNOW they are IN The New Covenant and HAVE HAD His Laws (Divine Faith and Love and More) "Written on their hearts and minds" when they Believed in Yeshua! The New Testament also says that they have been Given a Jewish heart! They are Fully-Fulfilled Spiritual Jews! What? Without R" conversion? Yes. Without it.
[4
Another argument sometimes used is that Gentiles are "born into the house" and so must be circumcised (Genesis 17:11-13). There is no evidence whatsoever that any of the individuals in Genesis 17 were circumcised after Salvation. Judaizers take passages of Scripture and try to use them to convince Gentiles they should be circumcised after Salvation? This is tied-into "earning Grace' or "meriting Grace". It is false.
Their arguments all become hollow promises because they are without a Command from the Holy Spirit or the Apostles, and only result in the Gentile "falling from Grace." Paul states that physical circumcision is "not of any force" in the Greek of Galatians 5:1-9, and the Gentiles are to be LET ALONE concerning this matter, as the conscience of the Gentile is here troubled.
"This persuasion (fleshly circumcision after Salvation) cometh not of Him Who Calls you." Then from whom does it come?
Matthew Henry says that because it was not given by the Holy Spirit to the Apostles, it comes from SATAN!
"Since then this persuasion did not come from Him that Had Called them, he leaves them to judge from where it must arise, and sufficiently intimates that it could be owing to none but Satan and his instruments, who by this means were endeavouring to overthrow their Faith and obstruct the progress of the Gospel, and therefore that the Galatians had every reason to reject it, and to continue steadfast in the Truth which they had before embraced". "Matthew Henrys' Commentary"; MacDonald, McClean, VA, Volume VI, p. 673.
To accomplish their designs they must also seek to make the Old Testament equal to, or over the New Testament. These teachings also have no New Testament Authority, and are totally false.
[5
How much clearer can the case absolutely against Gentile circumcision after Salvation be made?
Or are these Judaizers the ones who "have Faith but not Works", (James 2:19,20)? That is, they do not have the True Spiritual Works of the New Testament? Because they act outside of Apostolic Command, theirs are indeed all "dead works" and not the Truly Authorized Works of the Spirit at all? Hebrews 6:1