Are we bound by law?

[DelsonJacobs]

You guys are over-thinking this.

So whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them; for this is the law and the prophets. (Matthew 7:12)

The law of love contains all of the Old Law.

And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets." (Matthew 22:37-40)

The entirety of the Law of Moses is contained in one word - Love.

-Tim-

Bravo, Tim.

While this is not actually what the OP’s question was, it does bring out what is most important in the end. There are some unanswered questions, and in the face of having more questions than answers it is always best to stick with what you know.

In this sense the Christian can see themselves as having a part in Christ’s fulfilling the Mosaic Law, even if they are a Gentile, because the Law is fulfilled by serving God and neighbor in love.

The other points are in reference to when is Mosaic Law being discussed and when it is not as the word “law” is often used in the New Testament without an indicator as in the OPs question of 1 John. Not having a definitive answer to this, I can add one more possibility to directly answer the OP: If the traditional author of 1 John is the Beloved Apostle, he may have been speaking in context of the Mosaic Law and his experience as a Jewish Christian in relation to it. If that is the case, then Tim’s excellent answer is applicable for the Gentile Christian in how they apply this to their own circumstances. Either way it the ultimate solution.

 

[teeboy]

To add:

I once heard a homily where the priest stated that The Ten Commandments are not necessary if one love’s God and neighbor.

Another way to say this is that if you love God and neighbor, then the first three commandments are fullfilled by loving God and the rest are fullfilled by loving neighbor.

 

[fhansen]

Well, “mere external observance of the law, itself, does not make us just” in the Old Covenant either. The observance should be sincere and should be performed with love, whether directed toward G-d or toward one’s fellow man. However, there is one caveat. That is, Judaism believes that even when one helps a fellow human being grudgingly or with some selfish motive, although this is considered the lowest form of charity, it is STILL better than not helping at all.

That’s interesting. Basil of Cesaera, a 2nd century bishop, put it this way, “If we turn away from evil out of fear of punishment, we are in the position of slaves. If we pursue the enticement of wages, . . . we resemble mercenaries. Finally if we obey for the sake of the good itself and out of love for him who commands . . . we are in the position of children.”

But in Christianity the means to this love, to this justice, to a consistent sincerity of heart, is communion with God, apart from Whom we can do nothing, a communion man was made for according to our faith. The doctrine of Original Sin maintains that a fatal rupture took place with Adams disobedience; a doorway was opened which resulted in a separation of sorts between God and humanity, which is why we’re now born without knowledge of God, let alone communion with Him, and which is why we fail to love so often, why sin is so universally widespread IOW.