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The word Judaism refers to not only nationality but also to religion. To be fully Jewish, a person must have descended from Abraham.

In Paul’s day, the Jews thought of all Gentiles as Gentiles. Jews avoided contact with Gentiles, believing contact with Gentiles brought spiritual corruption. Although Gentiles could become Jews by undergoing circumcision, they had to follow all the laws an customs, so they were never fully accepted by the Jewish people.

Many Jews had a hard time accepted that salvation was for the Jews and Gentiles. Yet God planned to save the Jews and Gentiles and had revealed this through the Old Testament prophets. He also had fulfilled it through Jesus Christ; he was proclaiming it to the Gentiles through Paul.

Galatians 1:14
I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers.