Was Paul against observing special days?

[tonychanyt]

On the one hand, Paul supported both the observance and non-observance of special days as equally valid options in Romans 14:

5 One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind. 6 Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord.

On the other hand, he was against observing special days in Galatians 4::

8 Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. 9 But now that you know God—or rather are known by God—how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable forces? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? 10 You are observing special days and months and seasons and years! 11 I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you.

Did Paul contradict himself?

No, they were two different audiences with different contexts. Paul wrote to the Romans, a mixed congregation of Jewish and Gentile Christians. If they wished, the Roman Jews could observe special days but didn't insist the Roman Gentiles do the same. On the other hand, the Galatians were Gentile converts. They were being pressured to adopt Jewish special observances. Paul told them there was no need. He advocated for mutual respect and tolerance in non-essential matters.

 

[Yeshua HaDerekh]

No they weren't. One was regarding fasting while the other was regarding reverting back to pagan practices...

 

[Soyeong]

On the one hand, Paul supported both the observance and non-observance of special days as equally valid options in Romans 14:


On the other hand, he was against observing special days in Galatians 4::


Did Paul contradict himself?

No, they were two different audiences with different contexts. Paul wrote to the Romans, a mixed congregation of Jewish and Gentile Christians. If they wished, the Roman Jews could observe special days but didn't insist the Roman Gentiles do the same. On the other hand, the Galatians were Gentile converts. They were being pressured to adopt Jewish special observances. Paul told them there was no need. He advocated for mutual respect and tolerance in non-essential matters.

Neither of those passages are referring God's holy days.

In Romans 14:1, the topic of the chapter is in regard to how to handle disputable matters of opinion in which God has given no command, not in regard to whether followers of God should follow God. For example, in Romans 14:2-3, they were judging and resenting each other based on whether or not someone chose to eat only vegetables even though God gave no command to do that. In Romans 14:4-6, Paul spoke absit those who ate or refrained from eating unto the Lord, so he was speaking about those who esteemed certain days for fasting. In the 1st century it had become a common practice for people to fast twice a week and people were judging and resenting each other based on whether or not someone chose to do that even though God gave no command to do that.

In Exodus 33:13, Moses wanted God to be gracious to him by teaching him to walk in God's way that he and Israel might know Him, and in Galatians 4:8, Paul addressed those who formerly did not know God, so he was not addressing people who were formerly obeying God's instructions for how to know Him, but to former pagans. Likewise, Paul saying that they were slaves to those who by nature are not gods is another clear indication that he was addressing former pagans. As such, they were not formerly keeping God's holy days and therefore Paul could not have been criticizing them for returning to them. So the special days that Paul was referring to was within the context of paganism, which is why he was against them returning to them.

In 1 Corinthians 5:6-8, Paul spoke in regard to how Passover foreshadowed Christ by drawing the connection of him being our Passover lamb and then concluded that we should therefore continue to keep Passover. It is contradictory to consider Paul to be a servant of God while interpreting him as speaking against obeying God's commands.

 

[Aaron112]

The messenger Paul, chosen by YHVH, taught by Yahshua,
is still a light in the world; a small light next to Jesus, but a huge light next to religious darkness today.