| THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH IN RELATION TO THE OLD TESTAMENT LAW In examining the law no examination would be complete without first researching it’s meaning or definition: The law in itself was a covenant agreement or requirement placed upon the nation of Israel, it was conditional in the sense that it had punitive measures which were imposed as a result of disobedience, the law in itself served no soteriological ( salvational ) purpose other than to point to the one who would bring salvation (Jesus Christ) the messiah. Again the significance of the law was not salvation nor justification and most definitely not sanctification! A point to we will deal with more thoroughly later in this study, but let us now define the term ‘the law ‘ more concisely and theologically. Scriptuarally the term the law has many meanings, but basically one application minus its inherent eternal moral principles which apply to all. The term the law must be defined according to context and background, of the varied uses of the term ‘the law’ a few consist of: 1. The Pentetauch or the law of Moses as found in Luke 24:44 2. The Ten commandments as found in Exodus 20:1-17 3. The book of Deuteronomy as fond in Deuteronomy 1:1-5 27:1-8 4. In some cases the law could refer to some divine instruction, or human regulation . and could also be termed the Torah Before we attempt to find to whom the law was written for let us deal more appropriately with the why it was written? it is then that we can more clearly see the purpose of the law and with this in mind we may more objectively realize and conclude to whom it was written, as well as whom was not included in the law. A. Why the law? It’s purpose? Again as mentioned earlier the law had no soteriological significance and though there were those like the Pharisees who put great emphasis on the ’obedience to the law’ and they adhered to the strict letter of the law but it in no way gained them any meritorious favor nor justification with God. If anything they may have obtained a ’righteousness of the law’ but it brought no sanctification nor justification to them. “ for by the works of the law shall no man be justified” Galatians 2:14 So we see the law simply showed their inability to measure up nor reach a perfect standard of obedience or holiness. We could thus say in a sense that obedience to the law was just that! Obedience! For the purpose of pleasing Jehovah not maintaining our/their salvation. ( obedience is better than sacrifice) Works or obedience are merely the results of our faith in the work of God not in themselves acts that save us nor keep us saved, a some would have us be deceived into believing. Indeed there is a place for sanctification but it is Gods work and not of ourselves we cannot and dare not conjecture otherwise. “ for by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves least any man should boast” Ephesians 2:8-10 “ ..in which were offered gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect..” Hebrews 9:9 It is because of a misunderstanding of Hermeneutics and a failure of proper exegesis that we have many who are misled and misguided not knowing nor understanding interpretation from application and going from one extreme to another. On the one hand we have those like the Theonomist who would impose the Mosaic law upon all Jew and Gentile alike this Judiastic mindset or ideology would result in bondage rather than the freedom that was intended through grace. “ ..and only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh .. Galatians 5:13 “ Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law..” Galatians 3:13 “ stand fast therefore in the liberty .. and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” Galatians 5:1 On ther other hand we have those like the Antinomiast who would refuse, shun, and negate the the whole system of the law of Moses including those moral principles that are inherent within it and even predated the law . Realizing that the whole law of Moses centered around two principles; A. Love for God B. love for others. ( your neighbors) The Ten commandments themselves centered around these two principles: For commandments one through four emphasized loving God Commandments six through ten emphasized loving others. Of these two principles which actually predated the law and the whole 613 regulations / commandments of the law, Jesus said; ..” on these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets” Matthew 2:37-40 The failure on the part of those of the school of the Antonomians, Theonomist, Reconstruction Theorist, Dominion Theoligist, and the like is similar to that of the Pharisee’s mistake; not their interpretation of the law but their application. A. The law or rather their obedience through faith in the object and purpose of . the law pointed toward the messiah Jesus Christ. B. The church or our faith in the message of the Church, the gospel points . towards God ( Jesus Christ) Those who erred, erred in their object of faith, not their disobedience or obedience to the law, for the Pharisee’s were strict conformist to the letter of the law yet they omitted the spirit of the law, and were consequently still lost, for their faith was not in the God of the law but in their obedience to the law and the righteousness of the law, which they obtained not attained, hence their faith was in themselves and their suppose righteousness not in God’s righteousness or salvation. “ and the law is not of faith.. Galatians 3:12 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ ..” Galatians 2:16 What they saw in the law was self righteousness and self justification through self effort (works) which thereby nullified their faith and right standing before God, but indeed gratified their ego’s. “ “.. but in vain this people do worship me teaching for doctrine the commandments of men..” Matthew 15:8-9 “ .. by the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified ..” “ ..for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God..” Romans 3:19-23 1. The true purpose of the law was not soteriological but directional ( in that it pointed to . the messiah) 2. The law offered not justification but reconciliation! 3. The law was not intended to bring condemnation but anticipation! of the messiah 4. The law pointed to their inability to measure up and their need for a savior. Other significant aspects of the law were: 1. It revealed the holiness of God. 2. It revealed Jesus Christ the Messiah. 3 It set a standard of holiness by which His chosen people could fellowship with a Holy . God. 4. It served to set apart his chosen people from the heathen nations around them. So the law we see had its purpose in the person of the Jew, it was meant to guide them and point to their savior, to mark them as distinctive from others, and to make them of interest to others, that through them the world would come to know their God and savior, they were hence the repository for Gods purpose, plan and requirements for all of humanity, but herein they erred and we should note carefully their mistakes least we err . It has been said that we do not get good to get God but we get God to get good! Without faith in the blood of Jesus Christ and his death, obedience would serve no other purpose other than to bring about self righteousness ( Hebrews 11:16) remember the Pharisees Let us now deal with the ‘to whom’ it was written and at this point and time we can also find out not only ‘to who‘ but when’ it was written as well. For one the law was written several hundred years prior to the coming of Christ and was given at a time primarily to keep God’s chosen from faltering, complaining, murmuring, and rebelling, to keep them from turning away from the true God and from serving the gods and idols of the heathen around them, all this during a time when God had delivered them out of Egyptian bondage ( and incidentally not to place them back in bondage to the law or it’s condemnation) The law was given on Mt. Sinai after the children had journeyed from Egypt- with their first stop after the parting of the sea being the wilderness of Shur at Marah where they complained and murmured? their next stop would be at a place called Elim which means a place in the desert’ it was a place of rest and relaxation, here they found respite only to be moved on by God, to the wilderness of Sin and within 45 days from leaving Egypt they moved on to Meribah with more murmuring and complaining and from Mt. Horeb to Mt. Sinai where the law was given. Throughout all this journey their was a constant pattern of complaining ( Notice: the place of SIN was in between Elim and Sinai between the place of rest and the place of their mountain top experiences ) It was at Sinai that they were drawn closer to God and given a basis by which to regulate their actions -civil-ceremonial- and religious ( the law) for up to this point there was no written law only the oral traditions. Consider that there were over 600,000 people camped for 12 months at Sinai and the only obligation or authority they were under was that of Moses and they often rebelled against that authority, so we see that there was a great need for a higher authority or more so a revelation of that authority and the one who established it. Their lives needed governing, direction, motivation and revelation of who they were, how they were, where they were, and what condition they were in, of their need for reconciliation, restoration and redemption, the law was not given to establish an attitude of perfect obedience or righteousness, but rather RELATIONSHIP! For it had been the desire of God to establish a fellowship and relationship with his people since the fall of man in the garden of Eden hence the law was the vehicle by which he would do that.. In conclusion we see that the law brought relationship, direction, awareness and hope during a time of great discouragement and moral decline, in a of need for direction and guidance a time when there was little encouragement or commitment, it was given the people had little to govern their lives by, and nothing if not much by which to separate and distinguish themselves from the nations around them. The law was a covenant given to show and signify that they were a special people and chosen of God with promised blessings. Exodus 19:5-6 The law would govern their lives while on their journey to the promise land and their subsequent possession of it. It was written to the Jews the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob they were and still continue to be Gods chosen people, and will one day be re-established as a nation (1948 prophesy already fulfilled ) and brought into fellowship relationship with God. “ blindness in part has happened to Israel.. for all Israel shall be saved ..” Romans 11: 25-26 Hence the law ended or rather was fulfilled with the coming of Jesus Christ! and God having blinded Israel in part instituted the birth of the Church bringing Gentile and believing Jew into one body, all this within the same dispensation of grace not a different dispensation but a different means or channel by which he established relationship and fellowship inclusive of salvation ( Romans 5:11-27 ) A. The requirement in every age is FAITH B. The basis in every age is the BLOOD C. The object in every age is GOD Notice: that thee are no differing plans of salvation in each age, all remains the same with the only exception being the mode, method or content by which he is expressed or administered, which changes in the different ages. Last let us define the term “ not under the law’ “ and put no difference between us and them.. why tempt ye God to put a yoke ( The law ) upon ... the neck.. which neither our fathers nor we were able to bare “ Acts 15:9-10 “ standfast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again in the yoke of bondage “ Galatians 5:1 “ for ye are not under the law but under grace” Romans 7:14 “ ye are become dead to the law by the body of Christ “ Romans 7:4 It is evident that the law was normative for Israel but not for the Church however this does not preclude the inherent moral principles that pre-dated the law which are applicable to all, the law itself was fulfilled in Christ. To be under the law was to be tied to the past to be under bondage, guilt, and self condemnation, the law pointed to the Messiah and when he came Mercy and Grace met Guilt and condemnation and birthed freedom! Freedom from to love, live, serve, and to be obedient for the sake of pleasing God, Jesus broke the yoke of bondage for he himself in John 5:8 broke the law himself for the greater good, (commanding the lame man to take up his bed and walk on the Sabbath) “ for the man was not made for the law but the law for man” It was here that Jesus reinstituted a far greater commandment which in fact pre-dated the law ’ thus at the end of his ministry on earth and after the forty days of instruction following his resurrection, he directed his disciples to teach all things that he had commanded them ( Matthew 28:20) it is to be noted that Christ ‘s first injunction was “ a new commandment give I you” John 13:34 Love was the foundation of the new commandment, Notice Jesus did not order them to teach the Mosiac system they were only to obey the eternal inherent moral principles which predated the law, to preach the gospel. live in faith, accept grace, and love God and their neighbor; this is what it was, to be not under the law ” Prepared by : George R. Nava 2170 E. Market St. Stockton, Ca phone -46-59731 My web page: http://gospelstuffs.homestead.com/index.html |