“You observe days and months and seasons and years!” (Gal. 4:10)

We know that none of these observations are a part of the gospel. They are add-ons brought by the Jewish teachers who are insisting that Christians take on a Jewish cultural look. Be a Christian they say but also be a Jew. Circumcision, feast days and other external things were outward signs of Jewish culture. Obviously, the Jews felt that they were a superior nation and culture and that the Gentiles were inferior. All this new gospel was just adding Jewish nationality to the gospel.

Paul mentions this in his letter to the church of Rome. Christians were not commanded about days or certain foods or any other Jewish custom (Romans 14). The only significant day the Christians deemed important was the first day of the week, the day that Jesus rose from the dead. Paul recognizes that following these Jewish customs will lead deeper and deeper in Jewism and further away from the pure gospel of Christ.

Like any teacher and leader Paul has concerns about the effectiveness of his teaching. This may well indicate that he had already covered this subject with the Galatians before this letter. He had no doubt explained the all-sufficiency of Christ and the Holy Spirit. This would have not included the feast days of the Jews and very well may have mentioned that they were a thing of the past as far as a requirement for Christians was concerned. Now, we learn that the Galatians were not only adapting circumcision as a part of their salvation but were also keeping Jewish feast days.

Another frustration for Paul and another opportunity for us in modern day times to realize that we do not need special days or special rules as Christians. Jesus is our only need. Jesus is our means of salvation and the Holy Spirit is our means for knowing God on a family basis. All other things or for us and by us. When we make rules about the flesh like circumcision or add days and feasts and celebrations to the gospel we are going too far.

Task for Today: Don’t observe special times as a requirement for Christianity. You do not need those things to be a faithful Christian and the minute you attach them to the gospel you violate the Jesus only rule. If the Holy Spirit didn’t teach it then it is the product of men. Paul polarized man and God in the first chapter. We can only obey one. I hope you choose God.