Recently, blogger Xulon, from Theologica posted this excellent series focusing on ethics, Law, and the question of the Sabbath. This is post 2 of 4.
The teaching of this blog was summed up by Dr Lightner: “The Law of Moses in its entirety has been done away with as a rule of life” (Robert Lightner, “Theological Perspectives on Theonomy”, Bibleotheca Sacra 143, P235) Further, being done away with, the Law of Moses is not a path to higher sanctification so that keeping any part of the Law makes you more spiritual, nor does it mean you are more closely imitating Jesus who lived his life “under the Law”. Done away means it is no longer God’s will for the believer. Choosing to do what God does not require does not mean that one is “really going all out for God”. Indeed, it could indicate that one is ignoring what God says and substituting the wisdom of men. This does not mean that one is forbidden to follow any part of the Law as a personal or cultural preference but it would be a preference (Covered by Romans 14) and not requirement. The Scriptures supporting this are:
Important to this issue is Acts 15. The Law of Moses is a “yoke” (which Israel could not bear) which is not imposed on the New Testament believer. Note that the question comes up post-conversion. It is not a “follow The Law in order to be saved” issue, it is “once you are saved, you are required to submit to The Law”. Paul had done the part of presenting the Gospel and the people responded. After conversion, the Judaizing faction is saying that these Gentile believers must be circumcised. The circumcision in question was “according to the custom of Moses” (v 1) and was part of directing them “to observe the Law of Moses” (v 5), so it is in reference to required observance of the Law of Moses and not to the Covenant of Abraham.
Paul’s Epistle to the believers in Galatia is also important. Galatians 3:17-25 The Law is a temporary schoolmaster leading to Christ. Since his coming, the Law’s tutelage has ended.
Galatians 4:9-11 turning to the Law of Moses is choosing to be enslaved to “weak and worthless things”.
Galatians 5:2-4 Submitting to part of the Law obligates you to the whole Law and cuts you off from Christ.
Galatians 5:18 “If you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law”
2 Corinthians 3:6-13 The Law of Moses, engraved on stones is a ministry of death. Three times this passage says it is fading and being replaced by the ministry of the Spirit.
Hebrews 7:11,12 Since the Law and the Priesthood are inseparable, and Christ’s priesthood is not in the priesthood of the Law, Christ has done away with both the Levitical priesthood and the Law. This is a significant passage for the truth that the Law of Moses has been done away. If the Law were still in effect, then Christ cannot be our High Priest.
One way to look at this by way of illustration is that when a country adopts a new Rule of Law or Constitution, the old Rule has no authority over the citizen or the Government. It has been replaced. It could be that there are some similar provisions between the two Rules (I expect to expand on this in my next blog), but those provisions have authority only because they are in the new Constitution. The old has no authority and only the new is in force. Perhaps some will continue in formerly required practices out of habit or out of culture but there is no binding obligation and these practices do not make one a better citizen than those who fully follow the new Constitution without regard for the old.
There have been those who divide the Law into parts. The Westminster Confession of Faith says that the Law contains Moral Law, Ceremonial Law, and Judicial Law. While this may be a helpful grid in analyzing the text, people use this analysis to say that only one or two of these parts were fulfilled by Christ while the other(s) are still binding on the believer. Yet, the Bible presents the Law as a unified whole.
James 2:10 says that whoever keeps the whole Law but stumbles at one point has broken the whole Law. Also, Galatians 5:2-4 says that obligation to any part of The Law obligates one to the whole Law.
So, when the Old Covenant was replaced by the New, there was a complete replacing in terms of authority and requirement. No New Covenant restating of Old Covenant regulation is based in its being Mosaic legislation. Rather, they are restated in the framework of New Covenant grace. In Acts 15, the regulations in the ruling are based on the offense it may give to brothers who are Jewish, not because it is in The Law of Moses.
2 replies on “The Law of Moses Has Been Done Away With (2 of 4)”
And yet we keep / fulfill every single “moral” commandment mentioned in the Law and repeated by the LORD Jesus Christ and His Apostles (they repeat every single of them). And that’s where it makes absolutely no sense to claim that the Law is done away with, but we still obey it (except all of its fleshly rules), since Paul teaches in Galatians 5, 1. Timothy 1 and almost the whole letter to the Romans, that Love fulfills the whole Law and we have to obey and uphold it by the Spirit. Why should we obey and uphold something that is null and void? And why are sinners under a Law that has been nailed to the cross and all sin has been blotted out? I understand that Paul tries to tell us in Romans 7 that you revive your “dead husband” by sinning and thus revive also the Law, but gentiles have never been under the Law to begin with, and so this also makes no sense.
And in Romans 2 he calls Love “works of the Law”, and at the same time he condemns all works of the Law in Galatians. And he tells us that all sinners are under the Law, which means nothing other than that those sinners have to learn the commandments and stop sinning and thus become righteous by the Law, which is condemned in many places.
Do not get me wrong: I’m not slandering Paul nor his teaching. I’ve been seriously trying to figure out what he is trying to tell us for almost 9 years now (almost on a daily basis), and his teaching just doesn’t make any sense (that’s why nobody has ever understood it, and nobody ever will), because he doesn’t differentiate and doesn’t tell us, which Law he is talking about, because Love definitely is not the fulfillment of the Law of Moses, because the Law of Moses is based on many different things, and not only on Love. You can’t justify not wearing mixed fabrics by speaking about fulfilling it with Love. This commandment has nothing to do with Love at all (many others do, but many others do not). Also the Sabbath has nothing to do with Love, as well as hundreds of other commandments do not have anything to do with Love.
Paul’s words are way too difficult to understand, because he doesn’t explain what he means. And we can’t read his thoughts.
His students back then might have been able to understand him, because they were taught by him face to face. But we have nothing but his letters, and they cause nothing but confusion, because we lack his background knowledge.
After almost 9 years of almost daily studying his letters and analyzing every single of his words, I came to the conclusion to just give up, ignore his letters and to keep the Law of Moses without circumcision, holidays, dietary laws, washings, capital punishments and all other outward things. Since all these commandments are repeated in the New Testament incl. all Epistles, I think it’s the easiest way; and also the only solution to end this fight over Paul’s letters and the Law, because his letters (Romans and Galatians) lead to nowhere at all. They only cause confusion and fights among believers, and every single believer reads something different into his letters. This needs to stop.
Forget about Romans and Galatians, and focus on better things. These two letters are of no profit, and you will not understand them in a thousand years. We cannot read Paul’s mind. It’s worthless to try figuring this out. It is impossible.
In your analysis, observations and studying I observed that you never mentioned the role the Holy Spirit plays. No wonder the aforementioned epistles seem far fetched to comprehend. Spiritual truths are interpreted by those who possess the Spirit and allow Him to teach you, not relying on your wisdom to unravel revelations in Christ. I’ll respond in full after going through all the verses you mentioned, even though I already percieve where you err. By strength, human effort shall no man prevail! Love your tenacity to know the truth though. You just need to allow the Spirit to guide you without pressuppositions and you’ll see it ain’t difficult to comprehend after all.