Who Were the Judaizers?

Acts 15:1 Certain people came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the believers: “Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.”

One of the greatest challenges of the earlier Church was overcoming the salvation-by-works mentality. The most vocal group in the works-based camp was called the Circumcision Party.

What Was the Circumcision Party?

The Circumcision Party—also known as the Judaizers or the Circumcision Group—was a group of people in the early Church who emphasized works of the Law (specifically circumcision) as a means of earning salvation. This group also drew on many of the man-made laws and traditions of the Pharisees. They are the “certain people” mentioned in Acts 15:1, the ones whose works-based philosophy led to the Council of Jerusalem.

However, throughout the Brit Chadashah—especially through Paul’s letters—G-d reiterates the same point over and over again: salvation comes through faith, not through works:

Ephesians 2:8-9 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of G-d—not by works, so that no one can boast.

The Circumcision Party, however, was trying to convince people otherwise. They were promoting the false gospel of salvation through works, which Paul systematically breaks down in his letter to the Galatians:

Galatians 1:6-7 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ.

Essentially, Paul is calling the Circumcision Party on their false doctrine, which is in direct conflict with the Gospel of grace given through Messiah Yeshua. As the Church spread from the Jews to the Gentiles, G-d made it clear that even the uncircumcised were welcome in His Church, as He did not withhold His Spirit from them (Acts 15:8). His extension of the grace to the uncircumcised echoes His grace to one of the most prominent figures in the Torah—Abraham, the father of Israel:

Romans 4:9-10 Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? We have been saying that Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness. Under what circumstances was it credited? Was it after he was circumcised, or before? It was not after, but before!

G-d did not tell Abraham, “You must be circumcised before you can be considered righteous.” Rather, He accepted Abraham just as he was. He is not a G-d Who requires us to change or to clean up our act before we come to Him; He takes us just as we are.

But He also loves us too much to leave us where we are.

Romans 4:11a And [Abraham] received circumcision as a sign, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised.

Circumcision was not what made Abraham righteous—that was his faith. Circumcision was simply a sign of the faith that had already been established.

Romans 4:11b-14 So then, he is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them. And he is then also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also follow in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised. It was not through the Law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.

Praise G-d that we are saved by grace through faith! If our right standing with Him were dependent on our works, none of us could measure up. That is the hope of the Gospel of grace. That is the Gospel that Yeshua brought to the Jews and Paul taught to the Gentiles.

The Works-Based Legacy

A modern version of the Circumcision Party’s false gospel has found its way into the Church today—not through the Torah-observance movement, but through one of the most commonly accepted practices in Christendom:

Baptism.

There are many who believe that baptism is necessary for salvation. They echo the words of the Circumcision Party, but with their own twist: “Unless you are baptized, according to the custom taught by Jesus, you cannot be saved.” The problem is, of course, that this philosophy puts the burden of earning salvation on us rather than acknowledging that no one can earn their way to G-d; that’s why Yeshua had to die for our sins.

So, what does the Bible have to say about this issue?

Mark 16:15-16, emphasis added He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.”

Notice that while baptism is commanded, it is a failure to believe—not a failure to be baptized—that results in condemnation. This same point is made in the Gospel of Luke:

Luke 3:16 John answered them all, “I baptize you with water. But One who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”

So, then, is baptism a bad thing?

Of course not! It is a biblical action, and throughout the Brit Chadashah, believers are commanded to partake in it. They are not, however, told to depend on it for salvation. That is determined by the Cross of Christ.

Baptism—just like circumcision—takes place in the body. It is a biblical commandment, and therefore, it is a good thing. However, it does NOT grant salvation. The belief in Christ is what counts. Baptism—along with circumcision—is simply a sign of the belief that is already there.