Admin
|
Is Keeping "The Mosaic Law" required?
Posted : 21 Mar, 2010 01:53 PM
Hi Everyone,
This is a study I did sometime ago and was a response to someone in a discussion here on this board before. This is a very important issue and foundational to the Christian Faith. It is not terribly long and certainly warrants your utmost consideration. I have a great concern on this board as there are some who teach falsely concerning this issue and it can have a direct affect on one's Salvation. I certainly do not believe they are intentionally trying to mislead anyone but even if it's not "intentional" and someone is mislead because of what they teach in this matter because of their own ignorance, the end result is the same. "If the blind follow the blind will not both fall into the ditch?" Mat:15:14.
I ask that no one respond to this study unless you have thoroughly studied the entire post/article. Thank you in advance! Now for the study.
There was a great concern Paul had for the Christians in Galatia. Jews were going around and telling them that it was not sufficient to have Faith in Christ but that they also needed to "KEEP THE LAW, The Mosaic Covenant. In other words they were preaching that Christ's finished work on the cross was not sufficient. Paul called this teaching "ANOTHER GOSPEL" and warned them of the danger of being deceived by these False Teachers. The term for them is called "Judaizers". Let's examine what Paul had to say.
Gal 1:1 Paul, an apostle (not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead),
2 and all the brethren who are with me, To the churches of Galatia:
3 Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ,
4 who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,
5 to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
***6 I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel,
7 which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to PERVERT the gospel of Christ.
8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.
***9 As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.
Paul used some strong language here in saying that these Jews who were presenting "Another Gospel" should be "accursed". He said it twice for emphasis. This can apply to anyone bringing in another gospel.
Gal 2:14 But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before them all, "If you, being a Jew, live in the manner of Gentiles and not as the Jews, why do you compel Gentiles to live as Jews?
15 We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles,
16 knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and NOT by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.
17 "But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is Christ therefore a minister of sin? Certainly not!
18 For if I build again those things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.
19 For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God.
20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
21 I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain."
Do you see the clear teachings here. Paul was making a case, laying again the foundation that salvation comes only through Jesus Christ and not through "The LAW" nor a combination of both.
Gal 3:1 O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified?
2 This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?�
3 Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?
4 Have you suffered so many things in vain�if indeed it was in vain?
5 Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
Paul called the Galatians "Foolish" and that they had been..."BEWITCHED". Strong language here addressing this issue. Again Paul stressed that it is a matter of FAITH and not works of the LAW.
Watch now as Paul explains what the purpose of the LAW was but also what happened to the LAW.
Gal 3:19 What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions,... TILL...the Seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator.
The Law was intended to only remain "TILL" the "SEED" should come. The "seed" is CHRIST.
Gal 3:24 Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
25 But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.
Paul explained above that "the LAW" was a tutor to bring us to Christ but that after Christ came, we are no longer under a tutor. In other words you are no longer under the LAW/The Mosaic Covenant. (Gentiles never were anyway; Acts 15:23-24; Acts 21: 18-25)
26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
We are all sons of God HOW? Through FAITH in Christ. Did he say Faith in Christ AND keeping the Law/Torah? NO! Through FAITH.
27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
Here we see that it is THROUGH BAPTISM we put on Christ. [This is another discussion. ;-) ]
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
29 And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Because we have "put on Christ", we have become Abraham's seed and heirs to all that God promised Abraham. Let's continue.
Gal 4:19 My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you,
20 I would like to be present with you now and to change my tone; for I have doubts about you.
Paul was very concerned for their salvation. He had doubts about their Faith and if they had been totally deceived. Noticed how he wished he could change his tone. He was been very tough on these people because of the heresy being taught there.
Please don't miss this next important point he makes below.
21 Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law?
22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, the other by a freewoman.
23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and he of the freewoman through promise,
24 which things are symbolic. For these are the two covenants: the one from Mount Sinai which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar�
Paul is now breaking this down through an analogy of the two different covenants. The Mosaic, which is what Sinai refers to and the other one which is of Christ. Watch.
25 for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children�
26 but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all.
27 For it is written: "REJOICE, O BARREN, YOU WHO DO NOT BEAR! BREAK FORTH AND SHOUT, YOU WHO ARE NOT IN LABOR! FOR THE DESOLATE HAS MANY MORE CHILDREN THAN SHE WHO HAS A HUSBAND."
Gal 4:28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise.
Gal 4:29 But, as he who was born according to the flesh then persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, even so it is now.
Gal 4:30 Nevertheless what does the Scripture say? "CAST OUT THE BONDWOMAN AND HER SON, FOR THE SON OF THE BONDWOMAN SHALL NOT BE HEIR WITH THE SON OF THE FREEWOMAN."
Gal 4:31 So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman but of the free.
In other words we as Christians are not under bondage of the Mosaic Covenant but we are free because we are under the New Covenant.
Gal 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.
He says above that you are not to go back under THE LAW; The Mosaic Covenant. Do not place yourself under bondage!
2 Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing.
3 And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law.
This is a serious point here. Don't miss this. Paul was giving an "EXAMPLE" of circumcision in that if you keep just one part of the Mosaic Covenant/ The LAW, then you are obligated to keep ALL of it. He just used circumcision as an example. If you think you have to keep the Sabbath then you are obligated to keep the WHOLE LAW, ALL of it, no exception, all 613 LAWS. That is a yoke of bondage the Judaizers would have you be under. Now look at the danger of what occurs for those who believe and teach that you must keep the TORAH / The Mosaic LAW.
4 You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.
Nothing could be more serious. Becoming estranged from Christ means you have abandoned Christ. APOSTASY! Forfeiture of salvation. That is also what it means to have "Fallen from Grace".
5 For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.
6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.
7 You ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?
8 This persuasion does not come from Him who calls you.
9 A little leaven leavens the whole lump.
I hope you see the seriousness in this. The real potential danger and why it is so important to have a firm foundation in the true Gospel so you will not be BEWITCHED into believing another Gospel that actually takes you away from Christ. This is of the Devil and you need to be on guard against it.
Rom 3:24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,
Grace to you all!
In Christ Jesus,
Walter
Post Reply
|
