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Do not fellowship with those of another Doctrine.

Rom 16:17
And I exhort you, brothers, to watch those making divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which you have learned, and avoid them.

Paul makes a serious statement here where he instructed the believers to watch out for people who cause divisions bringing other doctrines than Paul taught. The should be avoided because they cause division and it is important to have unity in Messiah. Paul made a similar statement to Timothy in his letter to him.

1Ti 6:4-5
He is proud, knowing nothing. He is sick concerning doubts and arguments, from which comes envy, strife, evil speakings, evil suspicions, (5) meddling, of men whose minds have been corrupted and deprived of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness. Withdraw from such.

These people are normally ignorant and does not know the Word, the complete Scripture, including the prophecies. They live in doubt and if someone differs from them, they are quick to argue because they are jealous which causes strife. They feel it is their soul purpose to speak against you and warn people against you and their doctrines are not based on the whole Scripture but interpretations of isolated portions received from the corrupted philosophies of man. They do not know the truth and have a form of godliness, and they believe they are free to do as they please and are not willing to submit under the authority of the Messiah or His Word. Yeshua made it clear; if you love me, keep my Commandments. Which Commandments was He talking about? The Commandments in the Torah, the same Commandments He taught the people in Matt 5 on the mountain, similar to when He spoke His Commandments from the Mountain when Israel left Egypt. It was the same Voice that spoke, the Voice of the Shepherd, calling His people into repentance and obedience, under His authority (Word/Commandments).

The letter to the Romans was to restore unity among the mixed assembly consisting of Jews and Gentiles that believed in Yeshua as the Messiah. They had differences and this caused divisions and disputes.
Then there were Jews who brought “another gospel” as we learned from the letter to the Galatians where they taught salvation through circumcision and faith in Yeshua. Paul said that they should hold to the doctrine that he taught and not to listen to them and to avoid them.

What doctrine did Paul teach?

The people said that Paul did not keep the Torah (Law) and that he teaches people to do the same. This is the general belief among Christians today that Paul taught against keeping the Torah and if you do, you will be doomed and fall from grace. Is this what Paul taught? Was this his doctrine?

Act 18:12-13 But Gallio being pro-consul of Achaia, the Jews with one accord rushed against Paul and brought him to the judgment seat, (13) saying, This one persuades men to worship God contrary to the Law (Torah).

Paul was accused of teaching the believing Jews not to keep the Law of Moses, better known as the Torah, they accused him of teaching them not to circumcise their children and not to walk after the customs as prescribed in the Torah. As witness against these accusations, Paul had four men with him who underwent the Nazarite vow to prove that they and Paul have not done these things and were following the Torah orderly.

Act 21:20-24

And hearing, they glorified the Lord, and said to him, You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are who BELIEVE (in Yeshya), and they are all zealous (passionate) of the Law (Torah). (21) And they are informed concerning you (Paul), that you teach all the Jews who are among the nations to forsake Moses (Law of Moses – Torah), saying that they ought not to circumcise their children, nor to walk after the customs. (22) What is it therefore? At all events a multitude will come together, for they will hear that you have come. (23) Therefore do this, what we say to you: We have four men who have a vow on hemselves;(Nazarite vow) (24) taking them, be purified with them, and be at expense for them, so that they may shave their heads. And all may know that what they have been told about you is nothing (a lie), but you (Paul) yourself also walk orderly and keep the Law (Torah).

Act 21:26-27 Then taking the men on the next day, being purified (mikvah – cleansing ritual) with them, Paul went into the temple, declaring the fulfillment of the days of the purification (according the Torah in as found in Num 6:4-13), until an offering should be offered for each of them. (27) And when the seven days were about to be completed, the Jews who were from Asia, having seen him in the temple, stirred up all the crowd and laid hands on him (Paul),

These accusations were false because of them observing what is commanded in the Law of Moses and detailed in Numbers 6. When they saw Paul fulfilling the Nazarite law of purification, bringing the sacrifice, they stirred up the crowd with the news and laid hands on him and blessed him, believing that he (Paul) obeyed the Torah and they saw that these accusations against him were false.

Paul observed the Feasts of YHVH.

Paul taught in the Synagogue in Ephesus but did not want to stay in Ephesus. Did Paul have an issue with them wanting to leave Ephesus because they wanted him to stay longer?

Act 18:19-21 And he came to Ephesus and left them there. But he himself entered into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. (20) And they asking him to stay a longer time with them, he did not consent (21) but took leave of them, saying, I must by all means keep this feast that is coming in Jerusalem, but I will return again to you, God willing. And he sailed from Ephesus.

Paul had to leave because he was observant of the Feasts of YHVH that was celebrated in Jerusalem and are described and commanded in the Law of Moses.
Here is another verse in Acts that confirms that Paul kept the Feasts commanded in The Torah:

Act 20:16
For Paul had determined to sail past Ephesus, so that he might not lose time in Asia; for, if it were possible for him, he hastened to be at Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost.

It is clear that Paul was Torah observant regarding the Feasts and proves that the verse in Col 2 is not proving the abolishment of the Feasts of YHVH.

Col 2:16-17 Therefore let no one judge you in food or in drink, or in respect of a feast, or of the new moon, or of the sabbaths. (17) For these are a shadow of things to come, but the body is of Messiah.

This verse is talking about people who are outside the faith and who judges you. Paul said to then that no one should judge them who are not of the body of Messiah. The word “is” is in italics and in not in the original Greek and causes the verse to be interpreted wrong. If I keep the feasts, let no one judge me on doing so, if they are outside the faith, and leave me be observing YHVH’s instructions regarding the Feasts and eating kosher and keeping the Sabbath.


This did Paul have to say about the Torah…

We need to understand that Paul’s writings are used to confirm that the Law is no more and that Paul’s letters are used to confirm the doctrine of “no more Torah” but liberty in the Spirit and freedom from the bondage of the Law. Let’s see what Peter, one of the elders and leaders of the Jerusalem counsel had to say about Paul’s letters.

2 Peter 3:15-16
And think of the long-suffering of our Master as salvation as our beloved brother Paul also has written to you according to the wisdom given to him (16) as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things HARD TO BE UNDERSTOOD, which the UNLEARNED and UNSTABLE pervert, as also they do the rest of the Scriptures, TO THEIR OWN DESTRUCTION”

Care should be taken when you make assumptions and define doctrine using Paul’s letters and you need to study the Scripture and know it very well to understand what Paul really meant and have to read everything in context if you do not want to fall into the trap of confusion and false doctrine. Paul should never contradict himself or others in the Word and this is what he said about the Law (Torah):

1Ti_1:8
And we know that the Torah is good if one uses it legitimately,

Rom_2:12-13
For as many as sinned without Torah shall also perish without Torah, and as many as sinned in the Torah shall be judged by the Torah. (13) For not the hearers of the Torah are righteous in the sight of Elohim, but the doers of the Law (Torah) 1 shall be declared right. Footnote: 1 Mat_7:21-27, Jas_2:14-24.

Rom_3:31
Do we then nullify the Torah through the belief? Let it not be! On the contrary, we establish the Torah.1 Footnote: 1See Rom_7:12.

Rom_7:12
So that the Torah truly is set-apart (Holy), and the command set-apart (Holy), and righteous, and good.

Rom_7:22
For I delight in the Torah of Elohim1 according to the inward man, Footnote: 1 Psa_119:16.

Act 24:14
“And this I confess to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect, so I worship the Elohim of my fathers, believing all that has been written in the Torah and in the Prophets,

In Rom 2 Paul said that we must not be hearers of the Law only, but doers of the Law as well, then you shall be declared right. In Rom 3 Paul said that we establish the Law through our faith, by the way we live. In Rom 7 he said that the Law is Holy and the Commandments are Holy, righteous and good. Later on he quoted David from Ps 119 where he said that he delights in the Law of Elohim.

This sounds like Paul embraced the Torah (Law) and did not preach against doing the Law. In his letters he definitely preach against the attitude of people who said they obey the Torah but their lives did not show it.

He also spoke against salvation through only the Law and emphasize the fact that you need to start with faith in Y'shua to become righteous. He preached the need for receiving the Spirit and if you follow the Spirit, you will obey the Law because the Holy Spirit is the One Who helps us to be Holy or live as His Set Apart (Holy) people, not doing the things of the world but rather the things of Elohim.

Conclusion:

No, Paul was not drunk or mad or spoke with a fork tongue, he was and is misunderstood because of the translation and interpretation errors that lead people to think that Paul started a sect where everything goes. Be careful to make assumptions and to build doctrine upon isolated verses, Paul said this about defining doctrine:

2Ti 3:16-17
All Scripture (TaNaK) is God-breathed, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, (17) that the man of God may be perfected, thoroughly furnished to every good work (mitsvot).

Build your doctrine on all Scripture that means that it should be in harmony with the rest of the Scriptures and not contradict what is written therein. Read all Scripture in context, taking into account that the people are that he is addressing and lastly, please use the true meaning of the words and idioms and take the cultural aspects into account, to fully understand and interpret the verse correctly. It is not that straight forward and that is why Peter warns us not to be UNLEARNED or UNSTABLE in what the Scripture states or what Paul wrote in his letters.

To answer the question regarding Romans 16:17; avoid people that teaches another doctrine that Paul taught because they will only cause confusion and doubt and lead people into confusion making them ineffective for the Kingdom. We have seen what Paul believed and what he taught, interpret his words in line with this and the rest of Scripture and you would not be confused. Know what you believe and understand what the Scripture means and DO NOT BE UNLEARNED AND CONFUSED.

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