What is a Judaizer?

Many people parrot what they hear without examining to see if what they are parroting has any element of truth to it.  This is especially true on religious matters: "december 25 is Jesus' birthday", "Jesus cleansed it" (meaning it is acceptable to eat what He said not to) and "Jesus nailed it [The Law] to the cross" and they claim those who teach the importance of following Torah (The Law) are "Judaizers".

Both Messiah Yeshua (Jesus) and the apostle Paul taught we were to obey the Torah but not the traditions of men that are attached to the laws.

Paul wrote most of the New Testament.  When he was in ministry, the ONLY bible that existed was the Old Testament.  It was not until many decades / centuries later.  The first New Testament canon (books of the Bible recognized by any Christian church as genuine and inspired) was not put together until 170AD and was not finalized until about 400AD.  When the Berean's compared Paul's teachings with scripture, the scripture they compared it to was the Old Testament --- and his teachings did not contradict Torah otherwise they would have rejected him as false:

Acts 17
10  And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews.
11  These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
12  Therefore many of them believed; also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few.

Messiah said we are to obey Yahweh which clearly means obey Torah:

John14:15  If ye love me, keep my commandments.

John14:23  Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

John15:10  If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.

1 John 5
2  By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
3  For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

Revelation 14:12  Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus

In fact, Messiah said He will reject those who do not obey Torah even if they "do things for Him":

Matthew 7
21  Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22  Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. ^G458

Strong's number G458 iniquity (transliterated as anomia) is  :
anomia
1) the condition of without law
     a) because ignorant of it
     b) because of violating it
2) contempt and violation of law, iniquity, wickedness

So it is clear that we are to obey Torah so what is a Judaizer that Paul warns about?  Both Messiah Yeshua and Paul explain what Judaizing is - only most people do not study for their selves and only parrot what their ignorant or false teachers teach.  Many "teachers" only parrot what they have been taught which was probably parroted from another "teacher".  In other words, much of what is called Christianity is TRADITION - people parroting what they were taught handed down for generations.

Yeshua did not say the Pharisees were wrong for obeying Torah.  What Messiah said was  they were wrong for hanging traditions on the law that they expected people to obey (when they them selves were not obeying them)   Messiah said we were to EXCEED the righteousness of the Pharisees:

Matthew 15
8  This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
9  But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men

Matthew 5
17  Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
18  For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
19  Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
20  For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

There is a vast difference between Mosaiac Judaism and talmudic / rabbinic Judaism even in the time of Yeshua.  Mosaic Judaism follows Torah that was from the beginning of the world and given again to Moses on Mt. Sinai.  Talmudic /rabbinic Judaism is what most people consider to be "real" Judaism is a false religion that is based on Torah PLUS traditions just like false Christianity such as catholicism is based on the bible PLUS traditions. 

Talmudic / rabbinic Judaism  adds so much onto the law, it has become a burden.  For example, in Orthodox Jewish homes, they have three sets of dishes: one for meat meals, one for milk meals, one for Passover.  They also have two refrigerators and two dish washers: one each for meat, one for milk because the rabbis took the Torah commandment to not boil a kid in its mothers milk (which was a pagan fertility tradition) to mean you could not eat meat and milk together - not even turkey (turkeys do not give milk) and milk products.  There are so many traditions and "fences" put around this one Torah rule they have made it to mean something the law never said.   They ignore the fact that Abraham fed Yeshua and the angels with Him meat and milk together and King David fed his people meat and milk together.

The apostle Paul made a clear distinction between obeying Torah and following the TRADITIONS of his fathers.

Galatians 1
13  For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it:
14  And profited in the Jews' religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers.

If you read and study scripture and trust Yahweh to show you His truth,  He will show you the error of so many teachers and you can see for yourself that the judaizers were those who re-interpret Torah and hang traditions on the law that Yahweh never commanded.  The same can be said about what is called "christianity" today:  how many people bow down to idols, use worship objects, celebrate pagan holidays, eat what Yahweh calls an abomination, violate the Sabbath, and do things all in the name of Yeshua that He said not to?   The very same rebellion that happened in Ancient Israel is happening in the church today and false talmudic / rabbinic Judaism continues on.  Yeshua says the road is narrow and FEW find it - too many would rather follow traditions of their fathers instead of finding out what Messiah Yeshua wants us to do:

Matthew 7
13  Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
14  Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
15  Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.