I am looking for clarification of the issue on whether the old Mosaic law was abolished by the coming of Christ. I seem to be reading contradictory information on the issue. For instance the Catechism states in paragraph 121: “The Old Testament is an indispensable part of Sacred Scripture. Its books are divinely inspired and retain a permanent value, for the Old Covenant has never been revoked.” Yet Popes Benedict the XIV and Pius XII along with many others state unequivocally that the coming and death of Christ have abolished the old law. Is the teaching of the Catechism, therefore, in error? Any thoughts would be appreciated.
See:
“Ex Quo Primum”
Benedict XIV
No. 61
March 1, 1756
“Misticci Corpus Christi”
Pius XII
No. 29 & 30
June 29, 1943
What Christ changed was the
manner in which the law is fulfilled, the manner in which man becomes righteous. Man has no righteousness of his own, apart from God. And yet humanity is born “apart from God” as a result of Adam’s sin which was essentially a rejection of God’s authority and therefore a rejection of God
as God. Under the Old Covenant we’re still in that state but tested to see if we can live up to, or fulfill, Gods standards for righteousness on our own. But the lesson to be learned is that we
cannot. This is the “righteousness based on the law” referred to in Phil 3:7-9, which also mentions the new way, the right way which Jesus made available: “the righteousness of God, based on faith”.
The difference is that now, under the New Covenant, we’re reconciled with God and, as we come to believe in and trust in Him, rather than ourselves, we enter
communion with Him, His Spirit dwelling within, so He may do His work of justification/salvation in us, described in the New Covenant prophecies of Jer 31:3-34. IOW, in the OC we attempt to become or prove our righteousness on our own, apart from God,
apart from Whom we can do nothing (John 15:5), while in the NC we become righteous by no longer remaining apart from Him; we’re now under grace IOW. Another way to say this: We don’t fulfill the law in order to be righteous enough to be at one with God, rather we must first become at one with God in order to fulfill the Law, the right way. This is the purpose of the Atonement: “at-one-ment”. So the Law must still be fulfilled and Romans 2:13 makes perfect sense in light of this:
"For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous"
Another relevant verse, describing what, exactly, effects this
change in us: the fulfillment of the greatest commandments, the supernatural gift of love, God’s authentic righteousness for man:
**Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. 9 The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”10 Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. **Rom 13:8-10
I like how St basil of Cesarea put it:
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.