Galatians 1:14 Cross References

Galatians 1:14

14: I was one of the most religious Jews of my own age, and I tried as hard as possible to follow all the old traditions of my religion.

If they would admit it, they know that I have been a member of the Pharisees, the strictest sect of our religion.

Yet I could have confidence in myself if anyone could. If others have reason for confidence in their own efforts, I have even more!
For I was circumcised when I was eight days old, having been born into a pure-blooded Jewish family that is a branch of the tribe of Benjamin. So I am a real Jew if there ever was one! What's more, I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law.
And zealous? Yes, in fact, I harshly persecuted the church. And I obeyed the Jewish law so carefully that I was never accused of any fault.

Instead, they have stubbornly followed their own desires and worshiped the images of Baal, as their ancestors taught them.

"I am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, and I was brought up and educated here in Jerusalem under Gamaliel. At his feet I learned to follow our Jewish laws and customs very carefully. I became very zealous to honor God in everything I did, just as all of you are today.

Don't let anyone lead you astray with empty philosophy and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the evil powers of this world, and not from Christ.

And if they say to you, `But where can we go?' tell them, `This is what the LORD says: Those who are destined for death, to death; those who are destined for war, to war; those who are destined for famine, to famine; those who are destined for captivity, to captivity.'

"Why do your disciples disobey our age-old traditions?" they demanded. "They ignore our tradition of ceremonial hand washing before they eat."
Jesus replied, "And why do you, by your traditions, violate the direct commandments of God?

"I used to believe that I ought to do everything I could to oppose the followers of Jesus of Nazareth.

You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him, you trust him; and even now you are happy with a glorious, inexpressible joy.

(The Jews, especially the Pharisees, do not eat until they have poured water over their cupped hands, as required by their ancient traditions.
Similarly, they eat nothing bought from the market unless they have immersed their hands in water. This is but one of many traditions they have clung to--such as their ceremony of washing cups, pitchers, and kettles. )
So the Pharisees and teachers of religious law asked him, "Why don't your disciples follow our age-old customs? For they eat without first performing the hand-washing ceremony."
Jesus replied, "You hypocrites! Isaiah was prophesying about you when he said,
'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far away. Their worship is a farce, for they replace God's commands with their own man-made teachings.'

"Now I will expose your so-called good deeds that you consider so righteous. None of them will benefit or save you.

And so the Lord says, "These people say they are mine. They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far away. And their worship of me amounts to nothing more than human laws learned by rote.

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