The Jewish Law and its relevancy

[meltzerboy]

Perhaps this point has been made previously, but there are some things to bear in mind (these are all my opinions):

1. There is more than one Law. There is the moral Law, (10 Commandments, etc.) there is the Deuteronomic Law, which was to be the Law of the people of Israel, there was the ceremonial law, (circumcision, etc). Jesus’ statement about fulfilling the law is the prologue to a series of new moral dictates, that expand upon the moral law as stated in outline in the 10 Commandments. So this statement only applies to the moral law.
2. When Jesus said “I have come not to abolish the law but to fulfill it…” He was about to launch into an exposition of the law of love, which supercedes the simple moral precepts of the 10 Commandments. These come in the form of “You have heard it said…, but I say…” It’s interesting that Jesus does NOT say, “It is written…” I believe this is because He is illustrating the temporary and incomplete nature of the 10 Commandments, which was the law the Israelites received at Mt. Sinai. The final word is the Law of Love, the 10 Commandments necessary preparation for that.
3. In Acts 10, Peter receives a revelation from the Holy Spirit, that eating “all foods” is acceptable to God, instead of the kosher law. Peter disseminates this teaching at the Council in Acts 15. The proviso against eating blood and meat sacrificed to gods was to eliminate scandal, not permanently binding.
4. Paul makes the point in Romans 3 and 4 that Abraham was justified PRIOR to being circumcised. So he is saying that the advantage of circumcision is not justification, but something less than that. The point is that Baptism has now taken the place of circumcision (see Romans 6:3).
5. Paul says in Eph 2:14-15: “For [Christ] now is our peace…abolishing the law with its commandmentsand legal claims, that he might create in himself one new person in place of the two…”
6. Christ did not observe the law perfectly - he instruct those who wanted to follow him to “let the dead bury their dead.” He touched a dead girl and did not undergo seven days of ritual purification. He was touched by a hemorrhaging women, and did not undergo days of ritual purification. Christ demonstrated by this that the old law of separation (as particularly practiced by the Pharisees) was no longer to be binding - that HE is the law, and He is love.

According to Judaism, all of the Ten Commandments, which is actually a mistranslation of what should more rightly be called the Ten Statements, are subdivided into categories found in the Torah (Pentateuch), also given by G-d directly to Moses. In other words, there is no separation of the Law since the Torah is actually a fuller explanation of each of the so-called commandments. And as Hillel said before Jesus, the whole Torah itself (as well as the Ten Commandments) is subdivided into two large declarations: love of G-d and love of neighbor.

 

[Rooibok]

The evidence points to keeping the Law, otherwise we are saying God doesn’t mean what he says. Jesus never instructs to stop all the Laws given by God, only that we should do them and not be hypocritical about them.

**The Old Covenant **

written on tablets of stone
the letter that kills
a ministry that brought death
engraved in letters on stone
came with glory
the ministry that condemns
no glory now in comparison
it came with glory
it is now fading away

The New Covenant

written on the heart
the Spirit that gives life
a ministry that brings life
ministry of the Spirit
even more glorious
the ministry that brings righteousness
the surpassing glory
much greater glory
the ministry that lasts

 

[fred_conty]

If by “old law” one is referring to the laws of Judaism, as suggested by the thread topic, it is not true that “we” (meaning all mankind), would still be bound by these laws were it not for the redemption of Christ.

Jewish law was given by G-d to the Jews. The laws themselves consist of 613 commandments, but only a small subset of those - the Noachide Laws - are (were) binding on non-Jews.

According to Judaism, with the arrival of the Messiah, a new kingdom of G-d on Earth would come to pass, and most of the ills of mankind would vanish. The righteous dead of all faiths, not just Judaism, would rise up to everlasting life.

Christians believe Christ to be the promised Messiah, and that acceptance of His divine sacrifice creates in any one who accepts Him, redemption from the wages of sin and everlasting life beyond physical death. It is in that sense that He came to fulfill the old law.

I think for Christians the relevancy of Jewish Law is that it captured the teachings and commandments of G-d in the pre-Messianic times. Many of these teachings, at least the moral commandments, were reaffirmed by Christ. But it was never binding upon gentiles to follow all of the 613 commandments. G-d chose the Jews to preserve them through adherence and teaching.

Paul taught that acceptance of Christ was sufficient for all people - Jew and gentile alike - to secure G-d’s forgiveness and redemption. I don’t think this universal message is best captured by using phrases like “new covenant”, or “new chosen”.

The Jewish people still have their Torah, and to them G-d’s covenant is eternal. For Christians, Christ is the Messiah G-d promised the Jews (and everyone else), and Christ therefore fulfills Jewish law completely, from the Christian point of view.

Robendenver you mentioned,
“Christians believe Christ to be the promised Messiah, and that acceptance of His divine sacrifice creates in any one who accepts Him, redemption from the wages of sin and everlasting life beyond physical death. It is in that sense that He came to fulfill the old law.”

That was magnificently said. That was it in a nut shell and well put.

However “any one who accepts Him” is in a new covenant with Jesus and leaves the old covenant behind. Now if this were not true, then christians would be bound to the old laws which is not the case. The new fullfils the old promise that was to come, and is now here. So you are right in that the old covenant was fulfilled.

(Lk 22;20) This cup is the new covenant in my blood…"
(2Cor 3;6) …as ministers of the new covenant…"
(Heb 9;15) Christ is the mediator of the new covenant…"

Just a thought.