It’s a question we all ask ourselves at some point: does the Old Testament law still apply? Do Christians follow the Old Testament? Read the passage below along with the notes taken from the Chronological Life Application Study Bible to help you explore these questions.

What is the Old Testament Law?

The Old Testament Law is found in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. This includes the Ten Commandments. It is often referred to in Scripture as the “Law of Moses,” the “tablets of the covenant,” or just “Law”.

“Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved. So if you ignore the least commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God’s laws and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. But I warn you—unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven!”MATTHEW 5:17-20

DOES THE OLD TESTAMENT LAW STILL APPLY?

If Jesus did not come to abolish the law, does that mean all the Old Testament laws still apply to us today? In the Old Testament, the law has three dimensions: ceremonial, civil, and moral.

ONE: Ceremonial Law

The ceremonial law related specifically to Israel’s worship (see Lev 1:2-3, for example). Its primary purpose was to point forward to Jesus Christ; these laws, therefore, were no longer necessary after Jesus’ death and resurrection. While ceremonial law no longer binds us, the principles behind them—to worship and love a holy God—still apply. The Pharisees often accused Jesus of violating ceremonial law.

TWO: Civil Law

The civil law applied to daily living in Israel (see Deut 24:10-11, for example). Because modern society and culture are so radically different from that time and setting, all of these guidelines cannot be followed specifically. But the principles behind the commands are timeless and should guide our conduct. Jesus demonstrated these principles by example.

THREE: Moral Law

The moral law (such as the Ten Commandments) is the direct command of God, and it requires strict obedience (see Exod 20:13, for example). The moral law reveals the nature and will of God, and it still applies today. Jesus obeyed the moral law completely.

THE ULTIMATE GOAL

God gave His laws to help people love God with all their hearts and minds. Throughout Israel’s history, however, these laws had often been misquoted and misapplied. By Jesus’ time, religious leaders had turned the laws into a confusing mass of rules. When Jesus talked about a new way to understand God’s law, he was actually trying to bring people back to its original purpose. Jesus did not speak against the law itself but against the abuses and excesses to which it had been subjected (see John 1:17).

OBEYING > EXPLAINING

Some of those in the crowd were experts at telling others what to do, but they themselves missed the central point of God’s laws. Jesus made it clear that obeying God’s laws is more important than explaining them. It’s much easier to study God’s laws and tell others to obey them than to put them into practice. How are you doing at obeying God yourself?

HEART CHANGE > OBEYING

The Pharisees were exacting and scrupulous in their attempts to follow their laws. So how could Jesus reasonably call us to greater righteousness than theirs? The Pharisees’ weakness was that they were content to obey the laws outwardly without allowing God to change their hearts (or attitudes). They looked pious, but they were far from the Kingdom of Heaven. God judges our hearts as well as our deeds, for it is in the heart that our real allegiance lies.

Jesus was saying that his listeners needed a different kind of righteousness altogether (out of love for God), not just a more intense version of the Pharisees’ obedience (which was mere legal compliance). Our righteousness must

(1) come from what God does in us, not what we can do by ourselves,

(2) be God-centered, not self-centered,

(3) be based on reverence for God, not approval from people, and

(4) go beyond keeping the law to living by the principles behind the law. We should be just as concerned about our attitudes that people don’t see as about our actions that they do see.

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This content came directly from the Chronological Life Application Study Bible! Get this resource today to read through the Bible in chronological order, giving you a fresh take on your Bible study. Plus, you’ll receive thousands of notes just like these to enhance your understanding of God’s Word.

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212 Comments

  1. Leslee Owens Reply

    To me the law was given to show mankind that they never could fulfill the law no matter how hard one tries they can never do it! That is why Jesus came and died. He paid the price…He fulfilled the law so the law gives us freedom…freedom to believe that our debt has been paid and we have choices! No longer a slave, but a joint heir! It’s a relationship with Our Father and knowing His love for us that causes me to naturally follow and keep His commandments not trying to keep His commandments!

    • And the net effect is that we keep His commandments. After all, He did say that if we love Him, then we would keep His commandments.

      I don’t know if I would say that He gave us the Torah simply to show us that we couldn’t keep it. Scripture says that the Law is good; and without it, man would have no way of identifying the work of death within his members. Without it, man would have no shadow or idea of what to look for in the coming Messiah. As a culture, Christianity has done a good job of demonizing this good thing given to us by our good God

      • Gordon Tippett Reply

        Paul said in Romans 8:7-8
        For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed
        indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
        Paul wrote throughout his writings that because of our weal flesh we did not have the power to obey God’s law. And that this fact was the schoolmaster to lead us to our needfor Christ and salvation by grace through faith and not by keeping the Law. The New Covenant is a completely new system that replaces the old system and cannreplace it because Christ did fulfill it, bringbitvto completion. And so in Ephesians 2:14 -16
        For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.
        Paul used the word “”abolish” because it is replaced by the new system of grace, relationship and its new dynamics.

        • The article quotes Yeshua Himself saying that He didn’t come to do away with he Torah. The word fulfill in Greek doesn’t mean to abolish. It means to fill in the gaps. If the unchanging God gave a Law that His Word says was good; Then at what point did it become bad? Or when did the unchanging God change His mind about its goodness?

          Further, Paul never expressly said that the law was done away with. In fact, he says this in Romans 3:31:

          Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.

          So if Yeshua kept it; nd Paul kept it (after the resurrection), why do Christians think we shouldn’t?

          • 1Jn 2:27, Jn 14:26, The responsible person to teach the Word is the Holy Spirit. Gal5:1-5 shows that there are two entities. The Law and the Gospel. If we put our self back under the law, Jesus and the covenant of grace, Jesus did nothing for us. Under the law, no one is free. You are totally back under Law of performance for righteous. Paul also said that to follow the Law is adultery because of the marriage relationship between believers and Jesus. So are you free from condemnation? Also what was finished? “It is finished”, Jesus said it the Cross? PTL

          • So, in your view, we should still be offering animal sacrifices?

          • You are absolutely correct in that the law was good. And it is still good because it teaches us of our deficiencies .. however, the law is weak in that it was unable to save us.
            Romans 8:3The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins.

          • Christopher Milligan

            @Gord, the idea that living within Torah in this day and age means we should be offering animal sacrifices is a false notion, because according to the very Torah, the act of offering animal sacrifices is forbidden away the physical temple within Jerusalem. The mitzvah was to be suspended
            during times of exile, and unnecessary when the temple was absent, since the main purpose of animal sacrifice, with the right heart state of course, was to cleanse the temple of sin for the dwelling presence. No physical temple, no need for temple cleansing, so no need for animal sacrifice. However, the prayers of the righteous, such as the psalms, the Our Father, as well as petitions, are an acceptable form of sacrificial offering, but must come from a right heart 🙂

          • So right!..we don’t follow his instructions to be saved. We follow them because we are saved..when we enter the new covenant with him, he shows us how to love. Love him, and love our fellow man.
            The entire law is summed up in this.
            “Whatsoever you would that someone does to you, do you also to them!.for this is the law and the prophets!”
            Or in other words, this is what the whole bible is about.

          • Praise God! In Deut 5: Moses reminded the Israelite that God did not make the Old Covenant with their fathers but with them that were alive then. In 4 same thing was stated somewhere else. Now, in John 1:17 scripture said the law came through Moses while grace came through Jesus Christ. To sum it all, in the New Covenant, these laws contained (Old Covenant) are known as works of the flesh. They are no longer called laws and if one sees himself delving or meddling with them he is regarded as walking in the flesh (Gal 16-25). Therefore, Jesus Christ having died and resurrected, the New Covenant (The ‘Will’ God Made) commenced (so to say as stated in Hebrews 9). Note v 17 in particular.

          • Meryl Roach

            After being miss lead for 30 years I finally got most of it figured out. When did the father change forever? Malichi 3: I change not.! To follow the mainstream churches you are still hooked into the Roman church that changed the sabbath day. Changed all of Gods appointed times to meet with him and replace them with many of the cult systems that they absorbed. You won’t get close to the father if you don’t keep Friday sunset to Saturday sunset. I found this to be the key to the kingdom. When the apostles talk about the law or in the first covenant this should be changed to the Torah. That’s what it is.. Remember the apostles were men like us. They can’t change the fathers words to fit the customs of today. If anything doesn’t line up to the Torah then have nothing to do with it. The remnant is few and it’s a lonely walk. I do have a few who are like minded.

          • πληρόω
            plēroō
            play-ro’-o
            From G4134; to make replete, that is, (literally) to cram (a net), level up (a hollow), or (figuratively) to furnish (or imbue, diffuse, influence), satisfy, execute (an office), finish (a period or task), verify (or coincide with a prediction), etc.: – accomplish, X after, (be) complete, end, expire, fill (up), fulfil, (be, make) full (come), fully preach, perfect, supply.
            I would take fulfill to mean finishing, completion, satisfy, execute. When Jesus died he said “It is finished”. What was finished? Was it what he came to do? Why does Paul say that if you keep the law you are living under the curse of it? Galatians 3:13 tells us that Jesus redeemed us from the law, that is to rescue or ransom. Jesus said to love the Lord thy God, and to love thy neighbor as thyself, this encompasses the whole law. That was His commandments. Jesus died a death of love to free you from what you could never obtain by trying to follow the Mosaic Law. If you are to follow the Mosaic Law, you must follow it completely. There are not just 10 commandments there are 613! I suggest you get your life right and start following the whole Law. Or you can accept the gift that Christ died to give you and live a life of freedom. The life Jesus finished the Law for.

          • Thanks for your question this the problem am having that still confusing me today.. Old testament and new testament. I think is good to follow all..

          • Because they are prideful self-righteous beasts and are the Pharisees of old, of that same devil spirits……..when a true believer comes by they know it and they hate them with a lustful hatred I’ve seen it over and over and over again they are the pretenders of good the same exact things that we read like the Pharisees did these people do today. They are not lovers of our Creator or the Messiah they do not love his commandments or laws and have no intentions of keeping the laws spiritually in any way let alone physically….. As they blatantly say that it doesn’t exist and it’s been abolished. If the law and commandments are polished then there is no spiritual truth or law they’re all connected they’re all one. Murdering physically a sin murdering spiritually is sin take the physical away there is no spiritual truth. It’s an evil blasphemy that the church world teaches this is why Revelation calls it the harlot that rides the beast because they are one in the same. Correction, Yahuawah our Father and Creator says this these are his words……..The harlot is the beast the beast is the harlot the beast is the beast. In fact religious Powers control and rule and dominate this world it rides the beast it’s in control of the beast. Atheist don’t run anything oh no not up in the high places they’re the same spiritual wickedness of old same spiritual Babylon and Egypt. How about this connection? Jerusalem or God’s people are so wicked that they’re called spiritually Sodom and Egypt…..WOW! Have these people ever open the Bible and read it? Sure they have but they can’t see or hear what it’s talking about…….them…….. Every word is talking about them, but to them its talking about everyone else besides them…… there it is the difference between a saint and a religious center, a religious man pounds his chest and says thank God I’m not like that person, but the broken down chastised saint says I’m a sinner and I need in a perfectly righteous mockery of a tone the Messiahin a perfectly righteous mockery of a tone the Messiah says I didn’t come to heal the catch that? no one is righteous that’s a total mockery of religious people. Any and all righteousness comes from our father it doesn’t even come from the Messiah he had to receive all of it from the Father….. He was given all things. Father was given nothing by no one and no ever counseled him.
            Their symbols are everywhere start opening your eyes every one. What does messiah say? If you can’t understand earthly things then you sure won’t understand heavenly or spiritual things not even possible! How can you? CAN’T. With man it is impossible, but with our Creator all things are possible. What on Earth do people think Messiah is saying there? Literally with man it’s impossible hello? Prideful self-righteous beast religion says that they are God that’s what the serpent says, they never die they’re immortal they have immortal souls they have the serpent’s doctrine…. They believe the snake and their own instincts instead of our Creator. literally everything that the truth meaning of scripture teaches religion and Christianity teaches the exact opposite it blows my mind every single day every single breath that I they’re so blind it’s beyond saving it’s beyondthey’re so blind it’s beyond saving it’s beyond talking to them it would be like talking to a rock you’re better off actually. I had to learn the hard way about what that meant, to be careful for handing over pearls to swine. You start flashing all this goodness around they’re going to trample you like pigs in the spiritually …..within this happens.
            They follow their heart that kind of wickedness. not truly actually believing that the heart is deceitful above all things, that there’s literally nothing more deceitful than the heart…. yes their own heart.

            I wonder what the purpose of teaching is to Nicodemus maybe it was for one man on the whole entire Earth or maybe that message is for all people? Just maybe? Our Father came to destroy religion because he set it up to fail on purpose because man is a prideful self-righteous beast that only looks good and is only capable of looking good on the outside. This is why Jerusalem was crushed and destroyed. A type a shadow of all religions being destroyed and crushed because all those things could be shaken but not the heavenly things, not the spiritual things those things can’t be shaken and that’s what he’s looking for. is simply admitting that we’re prideful self-righteous beast that hate his laws and commandments but these people do the exact opposite they take Glee and gloat in themselves and do their long prayers in their buildings and show everyone how much money they donate and how good they look……or the other side of that they’re just steeped in sin and they don’t care how they look you know they just sin all they want sleep with as many as woman you know one of those loose Christians or whatever you want to call them. Religious people. 666 is the number of man all man.he was made on day 6 just like the beast of the field, interesting. Solomon received 666 talents because he built a beast kingdom full of money and women right? Am I wrong?

            Nebuchadnezzar a wild beast bent over growing hair in Long nails what’s the message? The more money and power someone has the more of a beast they are and become and have to hide that beast even more in the shadows and they think no one else can see them. What happens when a lion gets spotted and scared? It launches at you and attacks because it’s afraid and it needs to defend itself. Yes human nature is like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour I bet no one ever thought of themselves as exactly that but some devil out there anything but them………I’m not here to debate or deny foul spirits or anything but I’m trying to get the point across this is what’s going on in people’s minds. no one in the world sees themselves as a prideful evil self-righteous beast that hates people and breaks his commandments every single day almost every single breath lying every single day who knows how many lies? so many lies that they can’t even admit that they’re lying at all they’re perfect actually! After all he who lies ends up in the lake of fire right and gets tortured and burnt forever man I hope these people are perfect……..carnal understanding leading to doctrines of demons talking about physical fire when that’s not the message. they teach the whole entire world in all atheists that are Creator will torture people in literal fire with no end which must mean that it has to be us who changes our own selves and it must be within us because it’s all our fault isn’t it 100%? was it the creations will or does Paul understand what the scriptures actually mean, and he says not willingly the creation, but the Creator willed it to be like this and subjected it to futility……Not one denomination truly believes what I just said not one they might pretend but they don’t actually believe it they believe they are God themselves and that they are sovereign after all he helps those who help themselves first right?

            that’s exactly what all religion teaches it’s your fault you always have someone to point a finger to or blame they do this all the time inside their mind and heart but they just like to hide it. they’re no better than a murdering rapist or some murdering liar that’s not religious at all no better that’s the whole point! That spiritual wickedness is in high places and it’s within the mind and heart this is sin….. to them it’s not sin because to a carnal man spiritual things don’t count for anything.

            Sorry that was a long reply, but let me try to wrap it up.

            the reason why Christianity and all religion can’t accept our creators commandments is laws is because they literally can’t that is exactly what Paul is saying and it’s extracting from the scriptures he didn’t make that up.

            It’s literally not possible for carnal mankind to be subjected to his laws. Period. Surprised that they don’t teach it or teach against it? Don’t be surprised this is exactly what you should and what we all should expect from anyone to do or teach. the devil’s world in kingdom is backwards as mankind follow the devil and worship themselves they are backwards and 180 to our creator in every way shape and form.

            Are loving Father is chastising and showing us how to discern between Good and evil and we realize after a lot of painful mistakes and corrections that we truly are rotten just like the scripture say.

            Yahuwah bless anyone who reads

          • Nobody said the law was “bad”. We just don’t follow the ordinances . Paul was not sinless after accepting Christ. Paul failed as a human being after accepting Christ. If you are trying to follow the law, you are not obeying Christ. He asked for Faith in him and what he had done for us. He did not tell us to believe in him, and then go follow the 10 commandments to maintain your salvation status. Your comment sounds dangerously like you are suggesting Christians need to do this.

            27 Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? 𝙉𝙤, 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙖𝙬 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙨 𝙛𝙖𝙞𝙩𝙝. 28 𝙁𝙤𝙧 𝙬𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙖 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝙞𝙨 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙛𝙞𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙛𝙖𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙖𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙖𝙬. 29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, 30 since 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙂𝙤𝙙, 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙛𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙞𝙧𝙘𝙪𝙢𝙘𝙞𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙛𝙖𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙪𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙧𝙘𝙪𝙢𝙘𝙞𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙨𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙛𝙖𝙞𝙩𝙝. 31 Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.

          • I’m sure he doesn’t “warship” anyone. He does, however, worship God and, since God inspired Paul, who was the greatest of the apostles in terms of the amount of writings left to us, he does well to read and follow what Paul says.

            Or do you not believe Paul was inspired in his writings? Are they just his opinions?

          • I want to ask who will judge the 12 tribes in Revelations 20?
            Next question if there is no law how will we be judged?
            Revelation 22:14 says blessed are those who do His commandments they will have the right to the tree of life and enter into the gates of heaven.
            How do you do His commandments if there are none?
            How do you do commandments?

          • This is the truth even Paul said.
            The old laws we’re for the Israelites under works of flesh not grace.
            I was pulled by my daughter in to thinking we had to obey the Sabbath.
            We are not under condemnation or works because Jesus new even back in the old Israelites time, that them people failed the laws.
            It’s why they took up idols which is Satan.
            And if we’re under grace it’s not by what we do.
            It’s what Christ did at the cross.
            So to be into what is works is condemnation.
            Remember Jesus life is a gift of love we can’t earn.
            If we go back to warning we have to do all the old laws.
            Now this is inportian.
            If we pick up the laws that are dead!
            Then we have to do them all and Bible say that means all of them.
            Owning cattle doing the 6 and some laws.
            Now a person living in a apartment can’t do them.
            This is why the old Testament said Jesus was coming to free us from the laws that no one could do.

        • How could He abolish the law of commandments when He kept them faithfully?

          • Thank you! A question we should all ask ourselves.

          • Amen. If people ignore or refuse God’s grace, they will all be judged under the law. ONLY Jesus fulfilled the law, everyone else will be found wanting, i.e. doomed.

          • You wanna know how Jesus could abolish the law? Because Jesus IS GOD. God made the covenant and God Died. A marriage covenant is only binding as long as the spouse is Living. The whole OT covenant between God and Israel is likened over and over to a marriage. Well, Jesus died and now that covenant is void. Please read your Bibles. It says this clearly in Hebrews. We are under a New Covenant, a better covenant. He writes this law on our hearts, the Holy Spirit teaches us God’s will. I know not to hate my brother and not to kill but not once have I ever been convicted because I wore a wool/linen blend shirt. Come on people, use some wisdom and discernment, pray for it. Praise Jesus.

        • Eliawinga Gerald Reply

          We are under the Grace not the law, under the 2nd Adam not the 1st.
          Galatians 3:10-13
          For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.
          Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

          • There are still Two Covenants, the OLD Covenant (pre-Cross/resurrection); and the NEW Testament. Both still apply. The OLD Testament is the standard that ALL people deserve to be judged by (and all Non-Christians will be judged by).

            ONLY Christians accept God’s grace; The New Testament ONLY applies to Christians, no one else.

            Christians should still STRIVE to honor all of God’s Covenant; but if we fall, temporarily, we are still redeemed and Jesus will help us get back up again. But IF we fall into temptation and DON”T want to get back up, we are like dogs that return to eat their own vomit; wicked and lazy servants; deceiving ourselves.

            God is watching our hearts to see if we intend to obey him, or if we have carved our space for our pet sins.

          • William Smith

            @K

            By works of the law no flesh shall be justified Galatians 2:16

            Returning to your vomit is hearing the good news of the gospel, then returning to and relying on your own self-righteousness.

            Self-righteousness is an abomination to the lord, repent and put your trust fully in the lord Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross.

        • Keywords in Ephesians 2:14-16
          Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances. As said previously in Matthew Jesus Says that he didn’t come to abolish the law meaning that the law is still in hand, but he’s come to fulfill the law.

        • Laws are meant to be obeyed and should be. Paul’s letters were manipulated!

        • when Paul spoke about the law he was talking about
          Circumcision . and not the moral laws which are the 10 commandments.
          As Jesus said not one tittle will be done away with. throughout the new testament Jesus spoke about eg Honouring mother and father, committing adultery, making money ones idol and Loving G-d and loving ones neighbour, which sums up all the commandments.

      • Christoffer Reply

        Very good comment, I have also seen and heard this and did it myself before God opened my eyes.
        Yes so true, it is sad that as culture christianity has done a “good” job of demonizing this good thing.

        I so long for that we as believes would read the whole Word of God and be able to relate to it in it’s wholeness with open eyes.

        God is good!

        Thanks for this encouraging comment you made, it made me glad!

        /Christoffer

      • The Scripture shows that Jesus had to come and complete, fulfill, accomplish The Law. Noone else could do it to perfection as He. If you believe in Jesus as your Mwssiah, your Salvation has already been accomplished by His Work on The Cross not your work. Yes, we will work and bear fruit, but He has finished The Work of Justification and now we do the work He calls us to do in the Sactification process. I do t see that as demonizing The Law. Scriptures tell us that no man will be saved by The Law. That is THE WORK OF XHRIST JESUS AND HIM ONLY!

      • The law was our schoolmaster , in that it led us slowly but surely towards the cross and its remedy for sin.

    • DEUTERONOMY 30:11 “For this commandment that I command you today is not too hard for you, neither is it far off.

      12 It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend to heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ 13 Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ 14 But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it.

      15 “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil. 16 If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God[a] that I command you today, by loving the Lord your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his rules,[b]

      • Andrew Toulson Reply

        Lisa who was God speaking to and under what covernant? ( hint Isreal under the old covernant )

    • D. Shumaker Reply

      Paul put it this way: the Law was a schoolmaster to bring us to / see our need for Christ. It revealed to us God’s unattainable standard for righteousness, which He imputes to us through faith that Christ’s sinless life and death paid the penalty for our unrighteousness – it satisfied the Law. God accepts the substitution of Christ’s righteousness for our sinfulness. We are declared righteous while remaining in a sinning state – in which we are to live befitting a redeemed child of Him who adopted us. Our joy and relief is
      that Christ declared us righteous, giving us the freedom to live pleasing to God, out of love and gratitude, without the cloud of sinless perfection hanging over us.

      • Even in book of Galatians 5 the same pual mentioned if u leave the law ur falling from grace, and mean why our God is unchangeable God and he said my word remains for ever, after Jesus come and die for our sins the worst sins is every where in the world today.

    • Paul Chapman Reply

      This is true in as far as sinful, unconverted man is.

      “The carnal mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” Romans 8:7.

      The Law (Moral) convicts us of our sin, that we might realise our guilt and our inability to keep God’s Law.

      Christ, in coming to fulfill the law does two things.

      1. He died for our sins, suffering the full penalty of the Law, so that we don’t have to. Thus, offering forgiveness to us.

      2. He provided grace, through the Holy Spirit, to convict and convert us, so that we no longer walk a life of sin, but rather a life in the Spirit, whereby we fulfill the “righteousness of the law” in our own lives. (Romans 8:4)

      In other words, we live in obedience to the law only through the grace of Christ.

      “7 Because the carnal mind [is] enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you…”

      If we are in the Spirit, we will not be walking according to the flesh. Galatians 5:19-21 identifies the works of the flesh – if you look at the list, you’ll see all that is listed is things that are transgressions of the law. “They which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”

      Paul makes it clear again in Romans 13:8-10:

      “8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. 9 For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if [there be] any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love [is] the fulfilling of the law. ”

      So loving your neighbour as yourself is actually fulfilling the law. What Law? The Law that says, don’t kill, steal, lie, covet, etc. That is the Moral law.

      And this principle of loving your neighbour as yourself was not just a NT phenomenon. It lay at the heart of the OT law as well.

      “18 …thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I [am] the LORD.” Leviticus 19:18.

      This fulfills the last 6 commandments.

      “5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.” Deut 6:5.

      This fulfills the first 4 commandments.

      Hence, Jesus confirmed the words of the Jewish scribe:

      “32 And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he: 33 And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love [his] neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

      Hence Paul’s words in Romans:

      “Love is the fulfilling of the law”

      And Jesus himself:

      “If ye love me, keep my commandments.”

      It is the Moral law that identifies sin and where we fall short in fulfilling the law of love. But it is the grace of God, in changing us, that enables us to fulfill the law:

      The New Covenant promise actually is to have the principles of the law now written in our hearts and minds:

      “10 For this [is] the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people” Roman 8:10.

      The article is spot on.

    • Timothy Roberts Reply

      Hi, 1 John 5:3 says; “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.” How would you suggest that this is reconciled with what you have said; “To me the law was given to show mankind that they never could fulfill the law no matter how hard one tries they can never do it!

    • Dr Derek P. Blake Reply

      Leslee, if that were so, why did God wait thousands of years to give us a solution. The laws, particularly the Ten Commandments, are the basis for almost every countries law, or they have been up until the last two-hundred years. God started giving laws almost from the end of the creation process, when He rested and sanctified the seventh day and made it holy. Then came the law that a man and a woman should unite as one flesh. The Ten Commandments are divided into two parts, the first four commandments are about our relationship with God, the last six commands are about our relationship with each other. These commands were given to protect humanity, not given to demonstrate how impossible t was to keep the law. Jesus, during His earthly ministry obeyed and followed all of His Father’s laws, every one, and He also observed every one of His Father’s ordained feasts, feasts and holy days that are there to remind us how great God is and the great things He has done for us. Jesus was fully God, but He was also fully human and had the same human weaknesses as we have, He demonstrated how a human could actually obey His Father’s law.

    • It seems many don’t understand the scriptures regarding the Law. The Law that was abolished was the sacrificial law for sins because the Messiah is our sacrifice for if he didn’t die no will have a chance for life. The change in the Levitical priesthood isi what Paul was talking about. The Levitical priesthood was added 430 years after the exodus because of SIN! It says God Laws are not hard to keep accept the carnal mind is against cause righteousness. God’s covenant is forever with Israel. Besides the gentiles wasn’t given the covenant but the door was always open for the gentiles to be grafted in with the Jews as what Paul Said.

        • Martha Robinson Reply

          “And Moses alone shall come near the Lord: but they shall not come nigh; neither shall the people go up with him. And Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord, and all the judgments: and all the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words which the Lord hath said will we do. And Moses wrote all the words of the Lord, and rose up early in the morning, and builded an altar under the hill, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel. And he sent young men of the children of Israel, which offered burnt offerings, and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen unto the Lord. And Moses took half of the blood, and put it in basins; and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar. And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the Lord hath said will we do, and be obedient. And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the Lord hath made with you concerning all these words.”
          ‭‭Exodus‬ ‭24:2-8‬ ‭KJV‬‬

      • Thank you Jama for knowing the Holy word of God!! People should keep in mind not to add or take away any thing from this Bible! If we do not know pray to God for understanding!!

    • Devin Edwards Reply

      The servant is not above His master. Man must take up his own cross and go through the death of self by being obedient to the Holy Spirit unto death. Man must give up his sins out of a true love for God above self. Whosoever refuses to do this is not worthy of Christ. The only way for this to be accomplished is for man to truly repent of his sins and allow God to baptize him with the Holy Spirit with the gift of man’s prayer language. This gift is man’s way to directly communicate with God to know His will. Now man is prepared to go through the Baptism of Fire which is sanctification. Sin cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. It must be removed through the Fiery baptism before man’s death. This is the message of True salvation.

    • Joseph Cavanagh Reply

      Your logic is flawed. We are still bound by ceremonial law except Jesus the Christ is center. Remember he came to Fullfill the law to pay the price of our sin. He places himself as the perpetual sacrifice through the memorial of the Last Supper. “ This is my Blood and this is my Body do this in memorial of Me” so now the Arc is the alter and we do his memorial of his sacrifice on the alter. What has changed in the ceremony is that the alter horns of the alter the washing bowl and the Arc of the Covenant all become one in the new alter but the. Formality of the temple is maintained with Jesus as sacrifice and High protest while the believers are members of the priesthood with individual called out from the body to be keepers and tools of the High Priest to perform his will and commmands. Because we are now all of the nation of Israel through being born again in water and fire under the new covenant

      • So what about acts 15: 5-29 when a sect of Pharisees were telling saved gentile believers that they needed to keep the law of Moses and the apostles disagreed completely!

        5 But some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up, saying, “It is necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.”
        6 Now the apostles and elders came together to consider this matter.
        7 And when there had been much dispute, Peter rose up and said to them: “Men and brethren, you know that a good while ago God chose among us, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe.
        8 “So God, who knows the heart, acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us,
        9 “and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.
        10 “Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?
        11 “But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they.”
        12 Then all the multitude kept silent and listened to Barnabas and Paul declaring how many miracles and wonders God had worked through them among the Gentiles.
        13 And after they had become silent, James answered, saying, “Men and brethren, listen to me:
        14 “Simon has declared how God at the first visited the Gentiles to take out of them a people for His name.
        15 “And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written:
        16 ‘After this I will return
        And will rebuild the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down;
        I will rebuild its ruins,
        And I will set it up;
        17 So that the rest of mankind may seek the LORD,
        Even all the Gentiles who are called by My name,
        Says the LORD who does all these things.
        18 “Known to God from eternity are all His works.
        19 “Therefore I judge that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God,
        20 “but that we write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from things strangled, and from blood.
        21 “For Moses has had throughout many generations those who preach him in every city, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath.”
        22 Then it pleased the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas, namely, Judas who was also named Barsabas, and Silas, leading men among the brethren.
        23 They wrote this letter by them:
        The apostles, the elders, and the brethren,
        To the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia:
        Greetings.
        24 Since we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your souls, saying, “You must be circumcised and keep the law”–to whom we gave no such commandment–
        25 it seemed good to us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,
        26 men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
        27 We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who will also report the same things by word of mouth.
        28 For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things:
        29 that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well.
        Farewell.

    • I am in a lot of doubts and wondering. I met this Hebrew man and he’s all about the law. He has shown me so much. And to just see someone else See’s how Christ paid for our sin, the law. And that we follow him not because we have too, but because we want too. I hope you don’t mind me copying this to remind myself. You have the right way of explaining it. Thank you

      • We must understand that Gods word is based on the Ten Comandments which remains today and until the New Jerusalem. These were written in stone with Gods finger. Mosiac laws which pertained to sacrifices were not written in stone and were fulfilled with the sacrifice of Jesus. So, the Ten Commandments still are in effect today, for the clarification of sin. Jesus took the place of the laws of sacrifice by being sacrificed himself.

    • Gods law is forever Reply

      The Almighty’s law is forever and nothing shall be fulfilled until the Messiah returns!
      The law is not for luke warm MAN MADE “Christians” or those who sugarcoat the scriptures.

    • Lilian Kuhn Reply

      You are wrong. And you don’t understand the word “fulfilled.” Messiah fulfilled the Law. He lived it, obeyed it and was the Torah in the flesh. The word for the “law” in Hebrew is “the Torah.” You are confused.

    • Enoch Ilisia Reply

      When I re-read and study the texts people used to avoid God’s Law, I find huge discrepancies in their interpretations and conclusions. They miss-understood Paul because the English transitions were slightly but subtly missed Paul’s points. And those who skim-read it missed the correct and accurate meanings of Paul. Take for example, Col.2:14 & Gal.3:13; In their struggle to find a New Testament scripture that supports their misconception that God’s law is “done away,” antinomians point to Colossians 2:14 to “prove” that Christ nailed the law of God to the cross. Proponents of such a teaching say that the “handwriting of requirements [ordinances, KJV]” refers to the law “that was against us.” They further claim that Christ “took it out of the way” or abolished the law.
      The phrase “handwriting of requirements” is translated from the Greek phrase cheirographon tois dogmasin. Cheirographon means anything written by hand, but can more specifically apply to a legal document, bond, or note of debt. Dogmasin refers to decrees, laws, or ordinances, and in this context means a body of beliefs or practices that have become the guidelines governing a person’s conduct or way of life.
      What Paul is saying is that, by His death, Christ has justified us—brought us into alignment with His Law—and wiped out the note of guilt or debt that we owed as a result of our sins. And Gal.313, the context gave it away! See vs. 10, “10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.” Curse is only pronounced on those who “CONTINUETH NOT” or DISOBEYED the Law of God, not the obedient! But because “all have sinned” Rom. 3:23, the curse came upon all. Therefore, Jesus died (cursed) to redeem us from that curse! NOT TO ERADICATE God’s Righteous Standards .

    • Before the Law was given to to Moses as a everlasting covenant between TMH and man; not just to Israel, but Israel was officially given stewardship of the Law through Moses by a covenant, we must understand that Abraham knew and applied these laws because he came from a Sumerian civilization that apparently applied to the civil and moral laws, but Abraham took it a step further than they did (Gen 26:5), and was told to separate himself from them, even his idol worshiping father acknowledged Abraham’s conviction and followed him. which by the way debunks the Egyptologist community theory that Israel plagiarized the Law from ‘the 42 negative confessions’. I will summarize with a wish-list that OliveTree would provide those study guides and information on ‘Sumerian and Egyptian’ and links to keep its platform abreast with ongoing archeological updates that will bring its bible study platform to an academic level. Thanks a million OliveTree.

  2. Michael Scott Reply

    Peter had a dream in which he was told that nothing which was created by God was unclean, interpreted as, the foods which the Jews were told not to eat was seen as being OK to eat, in the New Testament. Some laws were created to set the Jewish people apart from the surrounding peoples. Some of the laws were created FOR the NEW Jewish community, laws such as “an eye for an eye” were part of a NEW system created for the Jewish people, as the _limit_ to which such punishments should be given, not that if someone commits murder they should be executed, but that the punishment should be LIMITED to that sentence. I’d like to hear more discussion about these areas of the law in Leviticus, Deuteronomy, Numbers.

    • Michael
      Peters dream wasnt about what food you could or could not eat. God was using food in the dream to teach Peter about the Gentiles

    • Barney Rehm Reply

      Peter himself interpreted his dream…that it rejected the Pharisaic idea that Gentiles, people, were unclean or common. Peter’s objection was to eating clean animals which were in close contact with unclean animals. God never told anyone to eat unclean animals… or that this law was abolished.

    • Michael, Peter’s vision in Acts 11:8 is NOT about us eating clean or unclean animals, it’s about calling the Gentiles unclean because immediately after the vision, three men visit him from Cornelius’ house, and the Spirit told him to go with them, “MAKING NO DISTINCTION.” The point of the vision was not about eating animals clean or unclean but about the fact that God made no distinction between the Jews and Gentiles in regards to hearing the Good News.

      The vision of the sheet from heaven is usually interpreted to mean that the dietary laws in the Torah have been revoked. But this interpretation is not supported by the text.

      First, this interpretation contradicts earlier Scripture. If we accept the traditional interpretation (that God intended for His people to disregard the laws of clean and unclean), then we must concede that God has changed His mind and REPEALED His eternal and unchanging Torah. We are left with Holy Scripture that hopelessly contradicts itself. The result of such thinking is that no Scripture is certain, and no mandate of God is definite.

      A second problem with the “all foods clean” interpretation of Peter’s vision is that it is only a vision. The conventional understanding seems to assume that Peter proceeded to kill and eat the animals in the sheet, enjoying a sumptuous feast of WILD BEASTS, CATS AND LIZARDS….REALLY??!! In fact, Peter does not “kill and eat,” but responds correctly and lawfully, “By no means, Lord!” After this happens two more times, the sheet is withdrawn.

      Furthermore, the “all foods clean” interpretation is not part of the story. Though there is discussion of eating with Gentiles, there is no mention of eating unclean animals before or after the vision. Neither is that interpretation born out by the remainder of Acts, which continues to paint the believers as a Torah-observant sect of Judaism.

      • D. Shumaker Reply

        The Torah, God’s schoolmaster to lead us to Christ, declared God’s unattainable standard of righteousness, which He imputes to us by faith in Christ’s once-for-all atonement. Paul reproved those who compelled the Gentiles (in Acts and the Epistles) to keep the ceremonial Law. There is no requirement to observe the feasts, say, of the Law but doing so is certainly beneficial to internalize the extent to which our imputed righteousness was attained through Christ’s substitutionary death. If we take his fulfillment – satisfaction before God – of the Law’s requirements, then there is no longer the need for the blood sacrifice and other sacrifices for sin ( stated in Hebrews). If we consider All of the Torah as eternal, unfulfilled and unsatisfied before God, then we should continue with ALL the sacrifices to pay for our sin – and RejecT Christ’s eternal atonement – thus remaining unredeemed. Do you observe all the sacrifices?

        • The idea that God would institute an unattainable standard and demand obedience to said standard is a premise that is fundamentally flawed.
          It’s more problematic if you believe that Yeshua of Nazareth met this so-called unattainable standard.

          Either this man met the standard or he didn’t.

          • Devin Edwards

            Jesus is the standard by which every man ever born will be judged. If man refuses to be like Him he will be rejected. Read the sermon on the Mount. It describes who will be allowed entrance into Heaven.

      • Then what about Romans 14: 1-6
        1 Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things.
        2 For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables.
        3 Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him.
        4 Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.
        5 One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind.
        6 He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks.

        and Colossians 2: 16-23
        16 So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths,
        17 which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.
        18 Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,
        19 and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God.
        20 Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations–
        21 “Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,”
        22 which all concern things which perish with the using–according to the commandments and doctrines of men?
        23 These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.

    • Those laws weren’t given to the Jews because they were Jewish laws. They were given because they were Gods laws! There is no way our messiah done away with them. There are some of the laws that apply to preists, some to women, some can only be kept if there is a temple. But like the article says, we need to go to the principle behind the laws. If we treat others the way we want to be treated we fulfill the law..

      • ITS SOUNDS/ SEEMS TO ME THAT SOME PEOPLE DON’T THINK THEY NEED CHRIST!!! THEY CAN GET TO GOD/ HEAVEN ON THERE ON!! BY THE WORKS OF THE LAW SHALL NO FLESH BE JUSTIFIED!! YOUR THEOLOGY IS FLAWED… FOR YOU CHRIST DIED FOR NOTHING… YOU CAN DO IT WITH YOUR FILTHY RAG OBEDIENCE HUH !! NO. YOU ARE GUILTY!! IN ADAM ALL DIE!! YOU FAIL TO SEE THE GLORY OF GOD IN THE FACE OF JESUS!! HE IS THE LIFE GIVING SPIRIT!! YOU ARE BLINDED/ VEILED BY THE LAW!! WHAT IS IMPUTED RIGHTOUSNESS? GRACE IS NOT PREACH FOR THE WEAK TO SIN…IT IS THE POWER UNTO SALVATION TO THOSE WHO BELIEVE!! FACTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

        • I um… this definitely got my attention. Remember folks that we do need God. And out of love we wish to be with him. Because we love him we want to please him and he is please when we follow his ways. Loving God means putting him before yourself. He loves you and wants you to love him back. That makes him happy. Remember to read the Bible thoroughly and if you have any question (sometimes it can feel confusing) don’t be afraid to ask around.
          OK love you, bye!

    • The dream had nothing to do with food; the dream was to show Peter that he was not forbidden to go into the home of of Gentile and preach Christ to them.

    • You really need to reread the New Testament, acts 15, Galatians 3: 21-24, Romans 3: 19-31. We still keep the moral laws of God but are not bound by the laws of Moses.

  3. “Think not that I came to destroy the law or the prophets: I came not to destroy, but to fulfill.” (Matt. 5:17). If Christ has already fulfilled the Law through His death at the Cross as final sacrifice then anyone who has Christ has been freed from the requirements of the Law. Praise the Lord for His Great Love!

      • I am baffled…really…if the law has been fulfilled and done away with through the death of Jesus why should I have to worry about sinning or not?… Christ fulfilling the requirements of the law, giving His life innocently for us who are guilty, in fact undelines the need for us to stay within the boundaries of the law, because that is how He lived and wants us to live also. The law guides and shows us how we should live, Christ died and saves those who believe, accept and live how He lived.

        • D. Shumaker Reply

          God DeclareD us righteous by faith in Christ’s once-for-all atonement. So His rightoeusness is credited to our account – while we remain in a sinning state, just as incapable of achieving our own righteous as before our salvation. As Paul’s Epistles (the vast majority of the NT) make very clear, we are to live as becomes a child of God, who adopted us through Christ. There is no free pass for living in sinful deeds and desires because to do so spits on our identity in Christ and His atonement to secure it, and discredits Him before all who witness our lives. And sin always carries it’s consequences.

          • Paul Chapman

            We certainly do not remain in a sinning state when we live a life in the spirit.

            What would be more correct to say, is that we live with the possibility of sinning. But walking after the Spirit, we no longer live a life of disobedience to God. We live a life of loving obedience. Thus, we fulfill the law in our own lives, as Christ did in his.

            “21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: 22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth” 1 Pet 2:21-22.

          • William Smith

            @Paul Chapman

            Which cannot be accomplished in your flesh, only by the spirit of the living God. So that when you work for good, it is no longer you that works, but God that works in you, for His glory.

            Fleshly self-righteousness is the threshing floor that divides the wheat from the chaff, the goats from the sheep, are you trusting in what the Lord Jesus did for you on the cross fully? Or are you trusting in your own ability to be righteous by works of the law?

            Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

        • “11 Now if perfection was through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it the people received the Law), what further need was there for another priest to arise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be designated according to the order of Aaron? 12 For when the priesthood is changed, of necessity there takes place a change of law also. 13 For the one concerning whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no one has officiated at the altar. 14 For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, a tribe with reference to which Moses spoke nothing concerning priests. 15 And this is clearer still, if another priest arises according to the likeness of Melchizedek, 16 who has become such not on the basis of a law of physical requirement, but according to the power of an indestructible life. 17 For it is attested of Him, “YOU ARE A PRIEST FOREVER ACCORDING TO THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK.” 18 For, on the one hand, there is a setting aside of a former commandment because of its weakness and uselessness 19 (for the Law made nothing perfect), and on the other hand there is a bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God.” – Heb 7:11-19 NASB

          Everyone seems to ignore these verses and in particular verse 12. Has the priesthood changed? Obviously it has unless you discount the book of Hebrews. Christ is the new high priest and he is of the tribe of Judah – a new priesthood, “For when the priesthood is changed, of necessity there takes place a change of law also.” How has the law then changed? Christ has greatly simplified the law for us, even simpler than Micah’s do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. So now we have the commandments (law) of Jesus to keep.

          “29 Jesus answered, “The foremost is, ‘HEAR, O ISRAEL! THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE LORD; 30 AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.’ 31 “The second is this, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” 32 The scribe said to Him, “Right, Teacher; You have truly stated that HE IS ONE, AND THERE IS NO ONE ELSE BESIDES HIM; 33 AND TO LOVE HIM WITH ALL THE HEART AND WITH ALL THE UNDERSTANDING AND WITH ALL THE STRENGTH, AND TO LOVE ONE’S NEIGHBOR AS HIMSELF, is much more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34 When Jesus saw that he had answered intelligently, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” After that, no one would venture to ask Him any more questions.” – Mar 12:29-34 NASB

          Because of the blood sacrifice of Jesus, do this and you shall live my brothers.

          • William Smith

            Amen, turning to the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross, and away from self-righteousness by works of the flesh is what is acceptable to God!

            Romans 8:3-4 ESV For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

          • I ask ; To whom did God the Father give all authority in heaven and in earth? To Jesus or to Paul?
            Christians accept Paul’s authority on the unsubstantiated belief that Paul was chosen by Jesus to take the gospel throughout the world. Paul’s alleged encounter with Jesus occurred after Jesus had ascended back to heaven. In Acts 3: 21 We are told that once Jesus ascended to heaven; he then must remain in heaven, until the restitution of all things; speaking of course of the time of his second coming. While the angels confirmed that Jesus would indeed return to the earth one day. they also warned that heavenly signs would of necessity accompany this future event. Matthew 24:23 -30 gives us a detailed description of the signs which would accompany his return to this earth. Jesus warned his disciples to be highly suspicious of anyone who would come along claiming that he ( Jesus ) had in fact returned -Matthew 24: 23- 26, but who’s return was not accompanied by the necessary prophesied signs and especially if every living person didn’t witness the watershed event with their own eyes. Acts 3: 21 tells us that once Jesus ascended to heaven; he then must remain in heaven, until the restitution of all things; speaking of course of the time of his second coming. Deut 19:15 and John 8:17; teach us ; it is only by the testimony of two witnesses that a matter is to be established as truth. This is vitally important, because of all the men who were allegedly said to have been with Paul during his miraculous encounter with Jesus; none of these men share any personal accounts of what they actually seen or heard. We are not even given the number, their names much less their testimony’s. This is a huge problem for those who claim to trust Paul’s apostolic authority based on his word alone. Remember, this is the same man who had been persecuting the believers in Christ and was actually on his way to Damascus to round them up for imprisonment. It’s true that Paul’s companion Luke recorded the details of the historic event, yet we recieve only one persons version of what transpired. That being Paul’s version. Even Ananias was not a “witness” to anything pertaining to the actual event, and while we are given his name, we are not afforded any personal testimony, in his own words of what he was told to do, but instead we have only Paul’s account of what Ananias was shown and told to do. This unsubstantiated evidence would never hold up in any court of Law, especially in God’s court. We have all been dooped into believing Paul’s epistles came through revelations given to Paul from Jesus, even though it is Paul’s epistles that we find doctrines that actually lead us away from following God’s word – Duet 13:1-3. Since Jesus hold’s all authority in heaven and earth; I caution everyone reading this post to follow Christ’s words over Paul’s word every time and you will have no need to be afraid when you stand before the throne on Judgement day . Jesus asked: Why do you call me Lord, Lord and do not the things that I say. Who is your Lord? Paul or Christ.

        • Andrew Toulson Reply

          Hi Gerry my take is that Jesus the perfect Human ( not tainted by original sin ) was able to fully obey the law of God and by this “fulfilled” the law by which he became the holy acceptable sacrifice for our sin. The moral law of God still stands but because of the sacrifice of Christ and our acceptance of that sacrifice we are no longer judged by it. Do we keep it. Yes because it is Gods standard and the spirit of God who dwells in us leads us to obedience.

    • Barney Rehm Reply

      The “handwriting of requirements” referred to a debt or IOU, the death penalty we owed… not God’s law, which are not burdensome, but for our good. Take the Sabbaths. Why would anyone call a commanded day off a burden? They are great blessings. The annuals Sabbaths, God’s Feasts are times of great, amazing blessing.

      • Amen. Amen. Amen. Why would we call keeping the Torah a burden?

        Psalm 119:18 (NIV)
        18 Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.

        Psalm 119:24 (NIV)
        24 Your statutes are my delight; they are my counselors.

      • William Smith Reply

        The Lord says if you work to fulfill the righteous requirements of the law, and do not keep all of the requirements perfectly, you are under a curse. The law was never given to make you or keep you right with God, it was given to show you how desperately you need a savior. Repent and trust in the finished of the Lord Jesus on the cross for righteousness and right standing before your God.

        Galatians 3:10 ESV For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.”

        James 2:10 ESV For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.

    • Nukes, if the law has been fulfilled by Jesus and we no longer have to keep the law (to show our love for God, not for salvation)—what about the 10 commandments–are they still in effect for us today, or have they passed away??? And if the 10 commandments are still valid and in effect, are you keeping the Sabbath (the 4th commandment)?? Are you keeping the Sabbath as holy and set apart, and if not, why not? Why do you ignore the 4th commandment while considering the other 9 commandments as valid???

    • Devin Edwards Reply

      Man must sacrifice his sins out of his overwhelming love for God. He must be perfect as the Father in Heaven is perfect. Jesus’s sacrifice made it possible for man to be sanctified by the Holy Spirit. No greater love than a man lay down His life for His friends. Jesus laid down His life for us, we lay down our lives for Him by denying our selves of our sins. All else is love of self and results in Hell

  4. Try finding that ceremonial, civil, and moral distinction in scripture; it doesn’t exist. It’s simply hermeneutical gymnastics. The truth is that the 3 strands are so intertwined that they can’t be separated. Better to find a new interpretive paradigm.

    • If they cannot be unwoven into some sense then when Paul says he is not under the law but under the law of Christ he is intending it to be understood that he is saying, “I am not under the law, I am under the law.” hmmmm. Seems to me there is something twisted there.

      • Herb,
        Paul wrote about 7 laws:

        1. The Law of God. This is simply all the instructions that we have received from our Creator. In Hebrew, this would be referred to as the Torah.

        2. The Law of Sin. Rom. 7:23-24. The context is that we are all under the law of sin. As Paul says to the Romans, “There is none righteous; there are none who seek after God.”

        3. The Law of Sin and Death. Rom. 8:2, “For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.”

        4. The Law of the Spirit. Rom. 8:2 (see above). 1 Cor. 2:13 speaks of being taught by the Spirit.

        5. The Law of Faith. Rom. 3:27–“Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith.”

        6. The Law of Righteousness. 1 John 2:29 (ESV)
        29  If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.
        Paul taught that as we obeyed the Law of Faith, it produced righteousness in our lives.

        7. The Law of Christ. 1 Corinthians 9:21 (ESV)
        21  To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law.

        Paul states that he is not outside the Law of God (Romans 3:31; 7:22-25) but under The Law of Christ (1 Cor. 9:21).

        Paul is saying that he is in the Law of God and The Law of Christ, at the same time. Meaning what? They are the same thing.

        The Law of God (Instructions/Torah) = The Law of Christ (1 Cor. 9:21)
        The instructions that Yeshua gave us are the same as the Law of God. Yeshua ONLY followed the Law of God. To follow the law of Christ is the same as following the Law of God..

        • 1 Corinthians 9:20 Paul states he is not under the law of God (the law of God must be understood here or he is saying he became under the law of sin). 1 Corinthians 9:21 he says he is under the law (of Christ). He cannot be “not under” and under one and the same thing. The law of Christ has to be a different law. If it is not a different law then Paul is a false teacher when he tells the uncircumcised not to seek circumcision. That circumcision MEANS NOTHING. Only keeping the law of God. Each one should REMAIN in the condition they are called. (1 Corinthians 7:19, 20)

        • Jesus will come back again but he will come back as a blackman, he have try white but fail ,he will bring a new commandment but he will put a little of old commandment, all his sent like senpaul,senpiter sentjude,etc fail him,sentobinna ,sentchukwudi etc will make him perfect for his will for the world,he will not even die again

    • D. Shumaker Reply

      OK. So we must resume all the sacrifices for sin… and RejecT Christ’s atonement that did away with them, remaining in our sins.

  5. Gordon Tippett Reply

    If we have to stringently obey the Ten Commandments then the 7th Day Adventists are correct in saying we still have to have a Saturday Sabbath.
    The 7th Day Adventists claim it was the Roman Catholic Church that changed the Sabbath Day.
    But Paul instructed the Corinthians about their giving in 1 Cor. 16:1-2: Now concerning the collection for the saints: as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do. On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come.
    The Christians in the Apostles time met on Sunday not Saturday.
    Another argument they have is that Paul wentbto the synagogues to discuss the Gospel with the Jews. He had to. That is when the Jews assembled.
    The Spiritual fulfillment of the Saturday Sabbath is Hebrews for that talks about the rest we have in God because we have the Spirit of God living in us.
    Paul, the Apostle, did NOT make any distinction between moral law, ceremonial law or civil law. He said in Ephesians 2:14-15 that Christ broke down the wall 15 “ by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances.“ His words seems to be all inclusive of laws, commandments and ordinances.
    Under the Old Covenant they were slaves to God’s laws. Under the New Covenant we live by the Holy Spirit guiding us directly and through our conscience. And so now we are slaves to the Spirit which is Christ/God. And manytimes Paul wrote that he was Christ’s doulos-slave.

    • Sorry Gordon, I have to disagree.
      It is not just the Seventh Day Adventists that keep the 4th commandment, but also the many Messianic congregations of Jews and gentiles. Ex 20:11 records that the Lord made it (the seventh day) holy.

      I do not see the evidence that the early believers met exclusively on the first day, but rather that they met ‘day by day’.

      I would suggest that Paul’s instruction that collections should be made on the first day (1 Cor 16) is because financial matters would not be allowed on the shabbat.

      There is much evidence in the writings of the early church fathers that believers met together on the shabbat, and that they met in the synagogues. The edicts demanding first day services are a feature of the 4th CE.

      Is there also a strong case for abandoning any of the other commandments? In this day and age, should we not also abandon honouring parents and allow adultery?

      • Yes, we are right 🙂
        and there is very little evidence from the Bible that the early church considered Sunday to be anything special.

        • D. Shumaker Reply

          Understood. But in keeping with Paul’s dismissal of observing certain days as more important than others – with no exceptions given for the Sabbath Or the Lord’s Day – consider this: the PrinciplE of Sabbath is what’s eternal. The whole intent of Sabbath was to pause in attempts at self-provision in a deliberate remembrance and reliance on God to be our faithful Provider, and we but minor (though required) participants in providing for ourselves. This is more obvious in the stated rationale for observing the seventh and Jubilee years’ rest (Sabbaths) for the land, and by extension, for themselves. His people were to TrusT Him to provide enough beforehand to carry them during those years – and so also to provide enough in 6 days to suffice for 7th. .. There are ways we can observe Sabbaths every day, or week. Whether with a portion of every day, or week – or whenever we catch ourselves frantically working out of anxiety for not having “enough” – we can decide to take our hands off the plow of self-provision for a period of time, to breathe, to remind ourselves that it is He who provides and not we ourselves, to resolve to rely on Him to do so, and thank Him that He is faithful. This is my Personal way to observe the Sabbath because it observes what I believe God had in mind behind the commandment. Consider it valid or not as you will; I compel no one to do the same.

          • Bobby Myers

            Hi, there is nothing healthier than people discussing and digging into Gods word seeking For His Truth. Have you considered the context of Romans 14 and the observance of days. The whole chapter is about food( and that is food defined by scripture as food). It was custom to fast twice a week during Yeshua’s time and people were arguing over which day to fast. Paul is telling them not to quarrel over this as it isn’t a commandment when to fast but a human tradition. It has nothing to do with keeping the Sabbath or not

        • There is plenty of evidence in the Bible that the first day of the week is very special. Look a little more closely and see what happened on that day.

      • How about the commandment to circumcise every male child in the 8th day. Paul told the Corinthians that his teaching in “all the churches” was that the uncircumcised were not to seek circumcision for “neither circumcision or uncircumcision counted for anything”.

        • Michael willard Reply

          Paul was saying that circumcision was not for salvation. He was not teaching against it.

          • Herb Nye

            Paul actually said, “Is anyone not circumcised? Let him not seek it?”

        • Yes in Galatians 5 if u leaves the law ur falling from grace, and if ur circumcised Christ will profit u nothing, if ur circumcide ur adapted to do the whole law

      • Craig Oliver Reply

        The Sabbath on the seventh day goes back even further than Ex 20:11. In Gen 2:3 it says “God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it.” To me that’s a big deal, and I find it hard to accept that Sunday is the now the day many people call the Sabbath. If you do the research you will find Constantine I changed it in 370 AD. He worshiped the sun, so thus Sunday. After that, a pope in the Catholic church accepted it as the day of rest for Christians. If Sunday was biblical, you would have thought Paul would have wrote about somewhere in the Bible, but he doesn’t. That would have been a pretty big change for the people, and would have needed some explanation.

        • my pastor said in the bible they used numbers like day 1,day 2,day 3 they had no names like sunday.but he said saturday is true sabath day when we rest then on sunday we go to worship

        • Andrew Toulson Reply

          Craig you can keep the Sabbath and still worship on the Sunday then right? Except that Adventists insist that worshiping on the Sunday is the Mark of the beast which leads to eternal seraration from God thereby taking people straight back to a “law” you must keep to ensure your salvation!

      • Yes David. You’re totally right.
        James speaking on behalf of the apostles and elders said:
        Acts 15:19-21 (NIV)
        19  “It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God.
        20  Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood.
        21  For Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.”

        Notice that he said, “For Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is READ in the SYNAGOGUES on EVERY SABBATH.” In other words, James was saying that we won’t burden these new Gentile believers with a lot of rules and commandments–just what is necessary for the time being so that they can have fellowship with their Jewish brethren. And, in time, as they hear Moses taught every Sabbath in the synagogue, they’ll LEARN and become obedient to the rest of the Torah.

    • Gordon I will have to affirm the Bible here…it says we are to obey the commandments…and commandments shouldn’t be taken to mean only the ten moral precepts but all that he requires of us. (but let’s focus on the one that so many wants to put aside) If love to God is the greatest commandment as stated by Jesus (God Himself) how can any person seek to change what he established at creation as His day of rest. It seems many forget that the day of rest (Sabbath) was not established with and for the Jewish nation…it was designated in creation week and reaffirmed with the calling of the Jewish nation as His chosen people…reminding them to keep it holy, for two reasons, He created and He delivered them from Egypt. There are those who would suggest that with the dawn of the christian church a new Sabbath was designated, but there is certainly no edict in scripture that this should be done, nor does it indicate that because Jesus is our rest that the day of rest is no longer to be observed. There is no doubt in my mind that if God saw it important to set aside and emphasise, (remember) the Sabbath day, if there was to be a change or setting aside for a new day, it would have been equally emphasised and stated.

      • Gerry, here’s the rub–so many who misunderstand the keeping of the TORAH, think we’re talking about keeping it for salvation. We KNOW and FULLY UNDERSTAND that we are SAVED by GRACE through faith in Yeshua, by His blood atonement on the cross. He is our Passover Lamb, sacrificed for our sins so that we might be forgiven and reconciled to God, the Father.

        So often the Apostle Paul is misunderstood to be railing AGAINST the LAW but what he is attacking is the belief that keeping the LAW would bring salvation. He also at times is referring to the oral commands as laid down by the Pharisees (known as the Talmud) which were the traditions of men.

    • JUNIAS MANJOKOTA Reply

      The old system replaced by the new system of law. In the covenant of of Grace there is only three laws which we need to obey completely LOVE, FAITH AND GRACE, Jesus said this

      • Replaced?

        Yeshua also said “”Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. [Mat 5:17 NASB]”

  6. Point 2, civil law..

    What if we had obeyed the law? Would society be as it is now?

    And why do we want to change the society? Who or what drives us to do so?

    I personally wonder how much of the “civil” part of the law had been set to be close to the general society laws as they already excited….

  7. Margaret Rodriguez Reply

    Everything YHWH instructs is for our well being YHWH remains the same yesterday and today and tomorrow Yahshua shows us how to Love YHWH and One another Yahshua was loving YHWH even by dying so that all of creation can be restored and the accusers silenced forever Praise YHWH forever for They are One The Father The Son The Helper Are One And By The Grace of YHWH all of us will be One with YHWH Hallelujah

  8. I think most people would find the comparison between Deuteronomy 4:13, 9:9 and Hebrews 8:8-13 rather eye opening. In Deuteronomy the 10 commandments are described as the covenant on stone, aka the first covenant. We believers are clearly under the New covenant. Does this mean we can run around killing people, lying and committing adultery? Of course not. Believers have a new nature, the indwelling Spirit and have God’s command written upon their heart.

  9. Chris Stinnett Reply

    A pretty cursory reading (let alone a serious study!) of Hebrews 8-10 demonstrates beyond doubt that our new covenant in Christ is the covenant God offers to all humanity now. The former things were written for our instruction (Rom. 15:4), but the Sinai covenant was given to Israel, nobody else. The splitting of that Law into “ceremonial, civil and moral” is an attempt to retain what we prefer of that covenant and ignore what we don’t prefer. God doesn’t offer us a covenant on those terms. We can accept the covenant He offers us in Christ, or we can reject it. We are not offered the authority to rewrite it. If church leaders would simply study the change in covenants so clearly stated in Hebrews 8, a great deal of religious confusion would vanish.

    • Chris,
      The New Covenant is referenced in Ezek. 36,
      Ezekiel 36:25-27 (NASB)
      25  “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols.
      26  “Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
      27  “I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.

      God says that along with giving us a new heart and putting his spirit within us, and giving us a heart of flesh, He will CAUSE us to walk in God’s statutes and that we would be CAREFUL to observe His ordinances (the Torah).

      If we as New Testament believers are NOT supposed to walk in the Torah, why does John say, 1 John 2:4-6 (ESV)
      4 Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him,
      5 but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him:
      6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

      John says that if we say we KNOW Jesus, we should keep his commandments. What commandments? John says that we can know that we KNOW him is we WALK in the same way that Jesus walked. How did Jesus walk? He kept the Torah. He observed the Sabbath and kept it holy.

        • In truth the “New Covenant has not been instituted yet. Jer. 31 :31 says the new covenant will be made with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. There is absolutely no mention of a new covenant with Gentiles, as the church proclaims. The new covenant did not begin with the death of Christ on the Cross, nor was it brought into effect on the day of Pentacost, with the giving of the holy spirit.
          Israel as a whole had rejected their Messiah and missed the initial opportunity to enter the kingdom of God, however, there will be another opportunity in the very near future. While it’s already been 2000 years; God has not given up on Israel; his covenant people. It will be for God’s own glory that he is going to bring about a new covenant and not because of Israel’s faithfulness, because the truth is …they have been anything but faithful.. Jeramiah chapter 31 speaks of a future time when all the 12 tribes of Israel will have 1 king (Jesus ) and God will write his law on there hearts, this is a picture of the instituting of the new covenant. Ezekiel 37 :16-17, and 22-23 speaks of the time when the 2 sticks ( Israel and Judah ) will one day be reunited as one nation. This is Ezekiel’s prophecy of the dry bones being brought back to life. While this new covenant will not be made with Gentiles per say, non-the-less Gentiles have always been invited into the Kingdom of God, but only when they agreed to live by the same covenant laws Israel was under. a perfect example of this is the story of Ruth. Understanding the fact that we are not yet under a new covenant; brings along with it some logical conclusions; specifically we are still under the Old Covenant, which likewise means we are still obligated to keep God’s laws, just as Jesus emphatically stated in Matthew 5: 17, and which he also confirmed when the rich young ruler asked which commandments he needed to keep to enter life. – Matt 19 17-21 . Nothing has changed. When speaking to Christians on the day of Judgement in Matt 7: 22 Jesus says to those men and women who call Jesus” Lord, Lord ” but failed to do the Father’s will hear the words…
          ” I never knew you; depart from me ye that work anomia (LAW-LESS-NESS.)”
          Keeping the law means keeping all 10 of the commandments, not just 9 of them. The sabbath is God’s sanctified holy day and is to be a day of rest and to be remembered every 7th day; which begins on Friday at dusk until Saturday at dusk. Sabbath observance is the “mark “of a true disciple of Christ. They are restricted from buying or selling on the Sabbath as a means of keeping it holy. Therefore, as Revelation 13: 15 says; And he ( the beast ) had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
          16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
          17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.”
          This is how those who worship the beast are decieved. He is able to convince them it is no longer necessary to keep God’s law to recieve salvation. It is by this false doctrine that he ” causes” ..not “forces” all men to recieve the mark of the beast. The restriction from being able to buy and sell is in reality associated with faithfulness to God, when law keeping / sabbath keeping men and women refrain from buying and selling on the Sabbath as a means of keeping it holy they will be persecuted and even killed. While those who worship the beast ” non sabbath keepers” have the mark of the beast, and therefore have no such restriction from buying or selling. Therefore, the mark of the beast is associated with all men throughout the earth who neglect to keep the Sabbath holy . It is these men and women who are buying and selling on the sabbath because they do not honor God as the creator and Lord of the Sabbath. This is what is meant by Revelation 12:9
          And the great dragon was cast out — that serpent of old called the Devil and Satan, who deceiveth the whole world.
          The world as a whole has in fact been decieved. Few find the narrow road which leads to life, while many take the broad road which leads to destruction. Jesus has all authority in heaven and earth. Listen to his words not man’s word.

  10. John Beaudoin Reply

    Hey! It’s all Greek. Yeshua is the Lord name, it’s Hebrew, Jesus is a Greek translated word, not Hebrew. Torah is NOT Law, that’s also Greek. Torah in Hebrew is instruction/teaching. If you want the true meanings look at the Hebrew over the Greek, Remember, Yeshua was born Jewish, he went to Temple or synagogue, he partook in all the feast. Consider the original roots of the faith. Rome gave the title of christian to believer, search true history

  11. Donald Gretel Reply

    Most fail to understand that the Old Testament law was given to the Jews ONLY – proof Romans 2:14-15. Hebrews 8:13 In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.
    Believers in Chrst’s blood and ressurection are under grace as the laws are written on man’s heart. 2 Corinthians 3:3
    Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart. Romans 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. Romans 6:15
    What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. True believers are under God’s grace but continue to struggle with sin as Apostle Paul explains in Romans 7.

    • Donald, I used to believe this, but the Lord has recently opened my eyes. The great mystery that Paul says has been revealed is the wall or barrier separating Jew from Gentile has been removed, and now there is one body and one spirit, and that means one law for Jew and Gentile as well.

      Ephesians 4:1-6 (ESV)
      1  I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,
      2  with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,
      3  eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
      4  There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—
      5  one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
      6  one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

      Jesus in Matthew 23:2-3 (ESV)
      2  “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat,
      3  so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice.

      Jesus aid we are to observe the teaching of the Pharisees, but not do what they do because they don’t practice what they preach.

      Jesus said in Matthew 5:17-19 (NIV)
      17  “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
      18  I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.
      19  Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

      Donald, Jesus said, “Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called LEAST in the kingdom of heaven…..” Who is “anyone”? That includes you and me and everyone else.

      • Donald Gretel Reply

        Dale,
        When reading the Bible one must always determine the verses are being directed to. Matthew 5:17 is being spoken to the Jews only. Every person ever born is either under the law or under God’s grace. Because no one can comply with the law those (again-see Hebrews 8:13) attempting to preach the law are following Moses, the law giver; however, that teaching is countered by verses like Galatians 5:4 Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.
        I stand firm on my original comment.

    • No,, I used to believe the same thing..
      People say, we are grafted I to Israël. Yet those laws don’t apply to me”
      Makes no sense. If you adopt a child he follows the rules of your house. Not the house he came from.
      They weren’t Jewish laws. They were Gods laws. The way he wants HIS people to live.
      You can’t have a new covenant without his laws. Because, he said he would write his laws on our hearts and minds. That IS the new covenant.
      The law isn’t bad. It’s the we need help through his spirit to live a life of righteousness..

  12. As a pastor and teacher of the Word for years since being saved at Billy Graham’s L.A. Crusade in 1963, I have recently had my eyes opened to the keeping of the Torah (God’s instruction). All my life in mainstream Christianity, I taught and was told that Jesus came to set us free from the Law, however, Psalm 119:44-45 tells us that God’s law brings freedom.

    Remember how we always say that we are NOT saved by works, but after we come to faith in Jesus, good works should be in evidence in our lives, produced my the Holy Spirit. Now I have come to realize that the good works that we are to WALK in after coming to Jesus is to walk in obedience to the Torah.
    1 John 2:3-5 (NASB)
    3 By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments.
    4 The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him;
    5 but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected.

    The Greek for commandments is the same as used by the Lord when He is giving the Sermon on the Mount and says, Matthew 5:19 (ESV) 19 Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

    Jesus is speaking here of the commandments (the Torah) and He says that whoever does these commandments (the Torah) and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.

    Walking in and keeping the Torah begins with keeping the Sabbath Day as holy (set apart). This was my first step in understanding that the Torah is for us today (not as a means of salvation, but to show our love for God for God by keeping His commandments (instructions). Why do we say that we’re supposed to keep the 10 Commandments, yet the 4th commandment is ignored and shunned by the mainstream church. Why are we NOT to keep the 4th commandment, “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.”

    When did God say that the Church did NOT have to keep the 4th commandment? When did God say that the Lord’s Day (Sunday) superseded the Sabbath? NEVER. There is NO scripture where God says that He switched the day of rest from Saturday (Friday sundown to Saturday at sundown). It was changed by the Catholic Church, and it is a tradition of man, not a command of God. Jesus kept the Sabbath. The Apostle Paul and the other apostles observed the Sabbath and the Torah. Paul says in Romans 7:12 (ESV)
    12 So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.

    Rather than saying “I don’t think, or I don’t feel” –you need to search out the Scriptures and rightly divide the Word, not allowing commentators, teachers, or pastors interpret the Word for you–Let Scripture interpret Scripture–then you will come to know the mind and heart of God on any matter. Don’t build your doctrine on one or a few verses–compare the doctrine based on the OT as well as the NT. All scriptural doctrines have their foundation in the Old Testament scriptures. When Paul says to Timothy that the scriptures made him wise unto salvation, he was referring to the Old Testament scriptures (Tenakh). There was NO New Testament when Paul was writing to Timothy.

    2 Timothy 3:15 (NIV)
    15 and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

    • Donald Gretel Reply

      Dale,
      1) Billy Graham taught Decision Theology but since everyone ever born is dead in sin, Ephesians 2:1-5, no one will seek god, Romans 3:11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. God must quicken man’s spirit as stated in 2 Cor. 4:6 and Ephesians 1:13-19.
      2) If anyone thinks they will be saved by following the law, they must keep the law 100% – James 2:10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. This is why Christ came – to fulfil the law through his blood and resurrection.
      3) See Ephesians 2:8 – 8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. Note it says, “not that of yourselves” meaning man plays no role in his salvation until God changes man’s dead spirit and makes man spiritually alive. Even faith is not ours, it is God’s faith he imputes to us.

      • None thinks they will be saved by following the law. Or, if they do, they are misled. Salvation was always by faith. Think of Abraham, he beloved God and it was accounted to him as righteousness. Gods laws are eternal. Period. I don’t keep them to be saved. I follow them because he wrote his law on my heart and mind. New covenant.

        • William Smith Reply

          @Charlie

          Repenting, abandoning self-righteousness and turning to the Lord Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross is the fulfillment of the law for everyone who believes (Romans 10:4). There is nothing we can do to add to the righteousness of Jesus.

          Romans 8:3-4 ESV For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

    • Cheryl Mendez Reply

      I am leaning toward your understanding of Scripture friend but remain hopelessly confused by many New Testament Scriptures that seem to disregard the Sabbath, such as Colossians 2:16… can you help me to understand what the Apostle Paul is saying here if he is not saying that observance of the Sabbath is necessary to obey? Thank you so much

      • William Smith Reply

        Hi Cheryl,

        God is looking for a people who will turn to Him and seek His righteousness. God gave his commands to show people that they are sinners in need of a savior. The commandments were not given to make or keep someone right with God, in fact God says if you will try to be right with Him by following the law, you need to keep the whole law perfectly, never stumbling once, otherwise you are under a curse. (Galatians 3:10, James 2:10) God says there is a way to be right with Him that is acceptable and pleasing, apart from works of the law, by placing our trust in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross by faith. God says those who will turn to the Lord Jesus and what He did for them on the cross are righteous in the law, because Christ is the fulfillment of the law for all who believe in Him and His work on the cross. It is the grace of God that makes us righteous, not our own efforts in our flesh, when you turn to Jesus and away from your own righteousness, Christ has fulfilled all of the commandments in you.

        Romans 3:20 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

        Romans 8:3-4 ESV For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

    • Andrew Toulson Reply

      Torah is the first 4 books of the old testiment. I hope you’re stiving to keep all 613 laws Dale!

  13. Marcus Yap Reply

    I would have to disagree to the blog writer based on several verses as indicated below. Our Lord Jesus mentioned the righteousness that EXCEED the righteouness of the Scribes and Pharisees. Its not about ‘keeping’ the law. Its sbout Jesus been the Righteousness that we need to abide in.

    Romans 10:3-4 (NKJV)
    3 For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.
    4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

    They refers to the Jews people. They seeking to be establish on being close with God based on their “performance” based ( all the laws found on torah ) righteousness.
    They did not submitted to the righteousness that comes from God. And it clearly stated Christ IS the end of the law for RIGHTEOUSNESS ( been declare in right position ) to everyone who believes. He who believes in Christ as Lord and Saivour has already the Righteousness that exceeds the scribes and Pharisees.

    Also in Galatians 4:21-31 Paul helps us to understand concerning trying to keep cermonial law ,
    : Galatians 5:2-4 (NKJV)
    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.
    4 You have become estranged from Christ, YOU WHO ATTEMPT to be justified by law; you have FALLEN from grace.

    Therefore, the end matter is
    Galatians 5:5-6 (NKJV)
    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.

    • Those people Paul was talking about were telling people
      “You can’t be saved unless you get circumcised.”
      They were adding too Christ’s sacrifice. Christ did not come to abolish the law but to show us how to live it. Period. We never ever keep the law to be saved. We keep it because we are saved. The new covenant is Him writing his law on our hearts and minds. What law? Well since there was no New Testament, it has to be his law written in the Torah. Right? Messiah came to empower us to live in love, which is his law. Not abolish the law!
      Whatsoever you would that men do unto you, do you also unto them. For this is the law and the prophets.
      In other words, this is what the whole bible is about.

      • William Smith Reply

        Charlie,

        God is looking for a people who will turn to Him and seek His righteousness. God gave his commands to show people that they are sinners in need of a savior. The commandments were not given to make or keep someone right with God, in fact God says if you will try to be right with Him by following the law, you need to keep the whole law perfectly, never stumbling once, otherwise you are under a curse. (Galatians 3:10, James 2:10) God says there is a way to be right with Him that is acceptable and pleasing, apart from works of the law, by placing our trust in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross by faith. God says those who will turn to the Lord Jesus and what He did for them on the cross are righteous in the law, because Christ is the fulfillment of the law for all who believe in Him and His work on the cross. It is the grace of God that makes us righteous, not our own efforts in our flesh, when you turn to Jesus and away from your own righteousness, Christ has fulfilled all of the commandments in you.

        Romans 3:20 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

        Romans 8:3-4 ESV For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

  14. Marcus,
    These are Gentile converts that Paul is talking to in Galatians 4:8-20.
    They used to serve other gods. Now they know the true God.
    Even so, they GO BACK to weak and beggarly elements related to the god they used to serve. And thus, they DESIRE AGAIN to go back INTO BONDAGE related to the gods they used to serve.
    What they are TURNING BACK to is observing certain days, months, and years related to the gods they used to serve.

    Paul says in Galatians 4:10-11, “You observe days and months and seasons and years. I am afraid for you, lest I have labored for you in vain.

    The assumption is that the observation of the days, months, and years are God’s Feast days, Sabbaths, etc. found in Leviticus 23 and therein lies the modern bias that is usually injected into this text. It rarely crosses anyone’s minds that the Gentiles worship the days, months and years of their sun-gods before they came into the faith of the One True God.

    How could we say that God’s appointed feasts are bondage? How can these HOLY days be considered bondage? When is something that God declares HOLY ever something that is “bondage”?

    How can these Gentile believers GO BACK to something that they NEVER used to do?

    It’s so easy to arrive at false assumptions when you ignore context and introduce a false paradigm.

    • Eaxcatly right! People think the weak and beggerly elements was God’s law. But no.. it was the garbage they used to follow!
      Well said!

      • William Smith Reply

        Charlie,

        The garbage is self-righteousness and unbelief, not fully trusting the finished work of the Lord Jesus on the cross for righteousness. Being deceived into thinking you can be right with God by works of your flesh, or that somehow being obedient in your flesh is pleasing to God. Repent and turn to the Lord Jesus my friend.

  15. Dr. Derek P. Blake Reply

    God never changes, He is eternal both in His existence and in His standards and laws, He does not change His mind. The law was set, not only for an iron-age people but for all mankind for always, as the ideal for life. Like our civil law today, breaking the law has a penalty, a price to pay; when we break the law, we are under the law, after we pay the fine or serve the sentence we are no longer under the law. In the same way, if we break God’s law we become subject to the law and the penalty; but Jesus paid our fine for us, so when we confess and repent and ask for forgiveness, God forgives us through Jesus’ sacrifice, and we are no longer under the law.
    If Jesus had abolished the law, there would no longer be any sin, but clearly there is sin, otherwise we would not need a Saviour. We all sin and fall short, but fortunately Jesus paid the price, so we should try to obey the law out of love for Him.

    • Samuel Hofer Reply

      Jesus’s new commandments: Matthew 5,6,7
      If you loved me you would obey my commandments, Jesus

      • William Smith Reply

        @Samuel,

        And our flesh, in it’s rebellion to God, does NOT LOVE GOD. If you truly loved God you would keep his commands, ALL OF THEM, never stumbling once. God says those who try to keep his commands by works of the law are under a curse. The law was never given to make or keep someone right with God, it was given to expose sin in a person’s life and point them to their desperate need for a savior. So then what is acceptable to God, how can we stand righteousness before our God? By turning from our sin, and placing our trust in the finished work of the Lord Jesus on the cross by faith! Repent and turn to Jesus my friend.

        Galatians 3:10 ESV For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.”

        James 2:10 ESV For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.

        Romans 8:3-4 ESV For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

  16. Wow! This whole debate makes me very sad, to see believers arguing over a distinction without a difference. Instead of debating nuances of the minimum standards for salvation, why not look at what Christ himself said about who is saved?

    In Mat. 5, he told us His followers are saved. So, who are His followers?

    Well, in v3 – 10, you see the character of a Christian. In v21 – 30, he told us that not only does the law apply, but even more stringently, we are judged by what is in our hearts. Murder is against the law, but for His followers, hatred is the same as murder, and lust is as bad as adultery.

    In Luke 6:31, we were admonished to treat others as we would have them treat us. The law says to stone an adulterer. But, wouldn’t all of us want to be treated far better than the minimum standards required by the law? If we sin one time, wouldn’t we want to be forgiven rather than stoned to death?

    Jesus raised the standards higher than the law ever required. The new standard is to be like Him, not even sinning in our hearts. Those of us who love Him and meet that standard are his followers and will be with him in Heaven. But, we know that we all have sinned and fall short of God’s glory (Rom 3:23).

    So, we are all condemned by the law of perfection and the sins in our own hearts. And, under the law, there can be no forgiveness without the shedding of blood Heb 9:22.

    Fortunately for us, God loves us so much that he shed the blood of the perfect Lamb, his Son, as the atonement required by the law, in order to buy our redemption. (everyone know where to find this verse?)

    We commit the crimes against God’s law, and God purchases our freedom with the death of Christ Jesus. Who among us would do nothing or only the minimum to thank the One who killed His own Son to purchase our freedom for the crimes we committed against Him?

    Thus, arguing about the minimum standards we must comply with in order to get into heaven cheapens the gift. We need to be looking at how much more we can do to follow the laws of the one whom we offended but who paid for our transgressions.

    We did nothing to earn our freedom. Thus, we cannot boast about how well we adhere to the law, or which laws apply or don’t apply. They all apply, and we have broken all of them so we deserve nothing but death.

    The only reason we aren’t going to suffer for eternity in Hell is because he paid for those of us who accept His gift of forgiveness. If we believe, we are contrite and we do not boast or waste our time arguing about how little we can do to get away with our sins. We strive for the best, not the minimum.

    • Samuel Hofer Reply

      Thanks for that brother!
      If we loved Jesus for what he did for us on the cross, we’d obey His commandments. Sermon on the MountMatt 5,6,7. What if Jesus meant every word he said?

    • Philip Moore Reply

      Thank you for that, brother. Well said. God has always worked through covenants. It is clear from Heb 8:6-13 that the ‘first covenant’ is now ‘obsolete and outdated’ and, as such, ‘will soon disappear’ (whatever that means). All I know is that I am a partaker of the new covenant, sealed by the blood of Jesus, and so, as God said He would do, He has ‘put [His] laws in [my mind] and write[n] them on [my heart].’ So, yes, read the law to get an idea of God’s demands for righteousness, but under the new covenant, Jesus is now the righteousness of God. I no longer relate to God through the old covenant (trying to keep the whole Mosaic law in my own strength, which is futile), but through the new covenant, where I am learning to relate to God as Paul describes in Rom 7:6: ‘But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.’ Halleluyah!

    • Tony G…I wanted to respond to this, but I was informed that I am responding too fast (even though this is my ONLY post on this topic TODAY)…so you won’t get my response for whatever reason…it was deleted and is not showing up. Too bad, because I thought it had merit…but apparently, they thought I was posting “too fast” whatever that mean????!!!

    • William Smith Reply

      Galatians 3:10 ESV For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.”

      James 2:10 ESV For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.

      Romans 8:3-4 ESV For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

      • nate dizzle Reply

        Don’t rely is right. Read it again, don’t rely. Revelation, last apostle alive John wrote. what’s the commandments written and said to do. End of time, new kingdom all of such. Isaiah at the end of his writings what was said. What did john write about keeping commandments, even Paul said” god forbid”,Christ himself, mount of olives, if I wanted I can pull more scripture, but I wanted to chime my two cents in. God’s glory for what none could do, his glory from the start and author and perfecter of faith. If you loved me you’d keep my commands, or be called least in the kingdom cause that’s what your showing,,,your teachings are leading astray children and you can’t argue this fact. Although grace is there cause you try family,and god is faithful. There will be many that he says depart cause these truths are the reason the door is narrow. It’s our study that grant us the authority that give us seats above others. Will you listen and humble yourself cause law or commandments is not a curse but not following is. There’s just no way to argue what some have said here. And very well it could be the mark, cause I have a feeling our family is catching on and more and more are being enlightend to this truth. I plan to report to my pasture aswell this truth with all my passion. Many people have died in the past with not listening to Catholic Sunday mark. Hard to understand sometimes cause we don’t understand why they where writing certain letters for certain reasons, and we just take certain passages and run all day long with it,or reading the build ups. It’s hard to understand and I’m happy to see us all trying honestly. It’s what our churches lack in my opinion. Thank goodness for technology I can learn here cause I don’t get or feel I can speak much at my fellowship. That’s what I’m working towards though in my race. I am thankful for this and I’m thankful for Christs perfect life, death and forgiveness cause we all have fallen short. Amen

    • “We need to be looking at how much more we can do to follow the laws of the one whom we offended but who paid for our transgressions.

      We did nothing to earn our freedom. Thus, we cannot boast about how well we adhere to the law, or which laws apply or don’t apply. ”

      You do realize that you totally just contradicted yourself, right?
      “What We Can do…. “There ya go. Man’s works righteousness.
      Followed by ” we cannot boast about how well we adhere to the law…” No, you can’t so I can’t understand the logic of the first quote lol.
      This is the dilemma people are put in when they try to put God in a nice theological box. Pay attention, class.

  17. John Bratincevic Reply

    Wow…moved to tears by some of the comments here. I was raised to live by “every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” – seeing others come to an understanding of what that means is very inspiring, especially the comments by Mr. Yancy.

    True righteousness is not just doing the physical acts of the law…the Pharisees did that. True righteousness is GOD’S righteousness…starting with faith. God lives in you through the Holy Spirit…the law is written on your heart…and you are God’s son. You will keep the Law, in the letter and in the spirit, JUST LIKE JESUS DID…not from “mere compliance”, but because God is in you and you are yielding to Him and becoming like Him. That’s God’s righteousness.

  18. John Bratincevic Reply

    I do have one specific criticism of the article, which stated that “Jesus was often accused by the Pharisees of violating ceremonial law.” This is misleading and implies that Jesus actually broke some ceremonial point of God’s law, in which case He would NOT have been sinless. The Pharisees either accused Him FALSELY or accused Him of not following the “traditions” of the oral law – for example, the washing of hands referenced in Matthew 15.

    The big picture point of the article is correct (it IS about the heart and attitude and God living in us!) but the implied conclusion that Christians can simply omit or dispense with aspects of God’s Law they consider unimportant or “ceremonial” is simply incorrect.

    Tony G is right – we’re trying to live to the highest standard, not the minimum.

    • Jesus had NO new laws. He kept the Torah implicitly…otherwise he would have been considered a sinner, and John says we should follow his example.
      1 John 2:6 (NIV)
      6 Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.

      • William Smith Reply

        God says if you are attempting to be right with him by works of the law you are under a curse, you must keep the whole law, never stumbling even once. The finished work of the Lord Jesus on the cross is the fulfillment of the righteous requirements of the law in us. Repent, turn from your self-righteousness and trust in what Jesus did for you alone!

        Galatians 3:10 ESV For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.”

        James 2:10 ESV For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.

        Romans 8:3-4 ESV For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

  19. Daniel Frederico Reply

    This sounds very covanental. Even if the law was split up into those three categories it wouldn’t matter. We are in no way obligated to follow any of the mosaic law. James says. “For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.” And see there, James puts the whole Law into one category. He does not split it into three.
    So, if we transgressed the “ceremonial” or the “civil” part of the law, we then are guilty of transgressing the “moral” part as well. But since those don’t really exist, God’s law is God’s law and God didn’t put any categories to His law, so we are not obligated to obey Torah. Jesus fulfilled the Law for us so that we wouldn’t have to. That is why He says He didn’t come to abolish but fulfill the Law.

    • Daniel Frederico,
      there is a flaw in your argument. you are saying that Jesus fulfilled the Law when He died on the cross. what about the Feast of Trumpets(Matthew 24:29-31)? He hasn’t fulfilled that yet. He says that “not a yod or dot shall be removed from the Torah(Law) until heaven and Earth disappear.” ….well… heaven hasn’t disappeared and nether has earth as far as i can see or tell. they will tho when he comes back. so it seems pretty clear that when he says that, he is referring to His return. no one will no until that day comes though.

  20. Shayne Higgins Reply

    The law is in the singular, so it is a complete package.You are under the Law of the Messiah not the Law of Moses, and remember the Sabbath was not a moral law it was a judicial law,I’ve come not to abolish but to fulfill, the emphasis in the Greek is on the word fulfill. Remember a text out of context in light of its co-text becomes a pre-text.Cotext,context,context

  21. If we live according to 1 Cor. 13, what more is there. Remember what Paul said in Romans 10:9. “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

    • Sorry Eldon, but you’re not rightly dividing the Word…you’re building a doctrine on a few passages in 1 Cor. 13, and ignoring so many other scriptures in both the OT and NT.

    • We can be saved – but disobedient. Yeshua spoke of reward for faithful (to what?) service. And weeping and gnashing of teeth. Matthew 25.

  22. Christopher Milligan Reply

    The claim that the law was done away with or made unnecessary is similar to one spoken by another group a few years back

    Act 6:13 — Act 6:14
    They (some scribes and elders) also set up false witnesses who said, “This man does not cease to speak blasphemous words against this holy place and the law; for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs which Moses delivered to us.”

    Others also said to a group of pretty important guys in Jerusalem

    Act 21:21 — Act 21:24
    but they have been informed about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs… …do what we tell you… …that all may know that those things of which they were informed concerning you are nothing, but that you yourself also walk orderly and keep the law.

    Paul was already aware that pain and suffering awaited him in Jerusalem, yet he was bold enough to go there anyway. He also did not hold back in rebuking Peter when he found him being swayed by those under the law, that is converts to Judaism. Paul was a loyal and bold man both before and after meeting the messiah, if he didn’t agree with the decision to make it known that what was told regarding him was false hearsay, he would have surely corrected the council. Being the honest man that he was, he didn’t correct them, he filled their decree because the rumours were false.

    Now back to Stephen, he was martyred for the cause of messiah under false charges provided by “false witnesses”. My (admittedly rhetorical) questions are:
    How on earth did the church come to take the side of the false witnesses, as well as an early Antichrist (Antiochus IV)?
    As those who are grafted into Israel, how did we get turn ourselves so turned around that we’ve come to think of a code of law which foreshadows life in the millennial kingdom, as not only negative, but something to be discouraged if not condemned by believers, Jew or Gentile, male or female, free or bond?

  23. Well said Christopher.

    What will be the law of the land when Yeshua returns? Torah (written not rabbinic oral law! but that is another subject)

    • Christopher Milligan Reply

      Thank you David.

      I do believe Torah, guided by messiah’s halachah (teachings about how to walk out the law) will be the law of the land. Since evil will be bound for a thousand years ( Satan in Christianity and our evil inclination according to Judaism, Paul refers to the EI as ‘the flesh’ and ‘the old man’) and Gods dwelling presence (messiah) will live among us, we will be enabled to more fully uphold and walk in the law with love.
      I have a personal theory, that the proximity of a gentile’s dwelling to Jerusalem in the kingdom will be based on their personal desire to guard and observe Torah. This will be similar to a Jew gaining priest like status in the temple during the period of a Nazarite vow.

  24. Terry Shelton Reply

    I’m intrigued by your words “it requires strict obedience”. Does that also refer to the fourth commandment, which requires the observance of the seventh day as the Sabbath? In my experience, most Christians today side-skirt this issue, or use human reasoning to explain why they do it different that what is specifically written in Exodus 20:8-11. It’s worth taking a look at.

    • Christopher Milligan Reply

      Contrary to the opinions expressed regarding Jewish observance of the different laws, how ridged or lax the laws were to be walked out depended on how much a recognised leader bound or loosed commandments for those under their care. Religious leaders had authority to make observance of laws heavier or lighter but lacked the authority to break or nullify the laws.

      Terry,
      Regarding Yom Shabbat (sabbath day) and its connection with Yom Shevii (the seventh day or more specifically day seven) in the Decalogue accounts shown both in numbers and Deuteronomy, as the exiled community’s temporal paradigm shifted from the Jewish lunar to a Roman solar calendar (based on many social and political factors between Neronian rule and the end of the failed Bar Kochba revolt), the widening gap between the exiled Jewish and gentile communites led to a growing ignorance of the Jewish weekdays which allowed for a loosing of which day constituted the seventh day. Thankfully God meets us in our ignorance, and I believe he will continue to, until messiah returns to set up his kingdom, when he will reinstate the Jewish temporal paradigm along with his kingdom Torah.

      • It is easiest to understand that Yeshua verified that the 7th day Sabbath was on the correct day of the week, 2000 years ago.
        It makes no difference what calendar you use , because the same 7th day keeping a 7 day cycle has been kept by many people ever since .
        (since being verified by Yeshua- known as Jesus, as he did not contradict the day, or ever say they had the wrong day) .
        The result is that the Sabbath is still commanded to be kept, and Yeshua never changed that.
        All those who do not keep the literal 7th day Saturday Sabbath are living in violation of Exodus 31:14, no matter what you think Paul said… Paul does not have authority over the OT or the Torah…
        Every Sunday church is living in contradiction to Exodus 20:10, 31:14,15 and the many other OT references to Sabbath.
        If anyone thinks otherwise, it is because they believe in Paul, NOT in Yeshua…
        There is a difference, but people refuse to believe or even study the differences.
        – – –

    • Christopher Milligan Reply

      Personally, I’d say that they are possibly messianic gentiles who hold onto messiah, and try to love God with their whole heart, soul and strength, and their neighbour as themselves. They aren’t bound to the 613 mitzvot through the Sinai covenant, but still strive and live by what they can. The Lord will provide them with the strength to endure during the great persecution and eventual martyrdom and receive the crown of life.

  25. Romans 3:20
    Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.

    It’s all about righteousness leading to salvation

    The old covenant said you made righteous by obedience of the law; but this was and is impossible as Rom 3:20 says.

    But under new covenant, justification or salvation is by faith in completed work of Jesus only. Even the Old Testament saints Moses, David, Elijah etc were justified by faith

    The moral law gives us the compass – but we are not compelled to follow the Law, now we LIKE to be obedient to the Law as the Holy Spirit residing in us compels us to

  26. It is great to see so many that care about finding the will of God. God gave us His laws, so we would know what sin is. Then the grace at the cross along with His own power and through our love to Him, we can now
    walk in obedience. God sees the heart, and if the desire is there to please Him, He honors this. When we truly love, the desire to please Him will be genuine. Blessings to all! Keep seeking to keep finding.

  27. I read the bible (the whole bibe) and wrote papers, it seemed like every day, served Mass during school and after school (Back then they would go to the classroom and get alter boys to serve for a funeral or something like that (and we got a tip, yay) for 12 straight years. I moved away in college and now that i am “older” i have a question.
    They (people and the bible) always talk about the Jews and the prophets and Abraham and Noah and Moses and Ezekiel and so on and so forth.
    Bear with me because I forgot much in the last 40 plus years but how come God saves the Jews and not the other people and really never ever says that there may be a nice Egyptian family with a couple of kids that are just trying to survive but it seems God smites them also. And I know Jesus came to save ALL PEOPLE PAST AND PRESENT, for that time they seem to be “aliens ” (for lack of a better word) and they may have been good people. To take it a step further I never hear countless references to the Asian population. It’s like, ACCORDING to the people and the bible, they never existed.
    And I come by this because when I was in Catholic school I was, sort of, told that God did this and that and don’t question. But my friends from work that are Asian do not believe in Jesus or God.
    So why are just “certain ” people are mentioned in the bible and are the only ones being saved, especially if you (at the time) just use the old testament.
    Thanks for reading.
    God Bless
    James

  28. Dr Derek P. Blake Reply

    Whether we are Catholic or Protestant, Evangelical or Baptist, we are still operating under the false belief that our Christian faith is a true faith, unaltered since the time of Jesus. Not so. We are told to use Jesus’ life as a role-model for our own lives and the the model for our churches. Yet at the time Christianity, or ‘The Wat’ as it was then known, was being accepted as the official faith of the Roman Empire, it was changed beyond our recognition. The Romans really wanted to hold onto all of their demigods, the gods that explained how the things they didn’t understand, happened. For that reason a system of ‘saints’ was introduced, the early church fathers all became saints, St. Matthew, St. Paul, St. Peter, an so on, replaced the Parthenon of Roman, Greek, and Egyptian gods. The Lord’s day was changed from the God-ordained seventh day to Sunday, the day that the Roman’s worshiped the their Sun god. The whole process was also an antisemitic one as the Jews had hit another low in popularity. The Roman Emperor Constantine had a hatred of Jews, who had caused more problems than any other conquered country in the empire. To replace Passover, Easter, named after a fertility god, was appointed, Christmas replaced Hanukah, Harvest Festival replaced the Feast of Tabernacles, or Booths, and so on. These days, even for the most devoted and devout Christian and church, it is impossible to please God by obeying His laws. It is so fortunate that God helped us by giving us Jesus, Amen?

  29. Steven Thompson Reply

    So, after 100 or so comments, has the initial question “does the Old Testament law still apply?” been dealt with? I have been helped dealing with this complex question by Alden Thompson’s biblical “Law Pyramid”.* Its peak consists of the single command, or goal of law: “love God!” (Romans 13:8-10).

    The pyramid’s wider mid-section begins to explain just how we “love God”–we do it by honouring Him and at the same time honouring people (as Jesus declared in Matthew 22:35-40).

    The pyramid further widens at its base to embrace the Ten Commandments–specifying more concretely how we love God and love people.

    But this “law pyramid” does not float in space; it is firmly grounded, in the Old Testament, on hundreds of very specific, mostly culturally-related and conditioned expressions of love for God and for people–613 of them in Torah alone, according to rabbinic authorities. This very specific cultural “earth” supporting the pyramid may undergo shifts with changing time and circumstances, but the pyramid it supports remains structurally sound and unchanging.

    *Thompson outlines his “law pyramid” in his book Who’s Afraid of the Old Testament God.

  30. Peter bwalya Reply

    Wonderful staff. The material suits the 21st century church.

  31. WOW!!!!!!!! Biblical Prophecy is inerrant and infallible! Many, according to the responses replied to in this post, have been deceived & made a mockery by the enemy of GOD….satan. Please, in love, allow the HOLY SPIRIT to guide you in understanding, peace, love, & mostly obedience; to THE MOST HIGH! I encourage each and everyone of us to read Scripture in context….CONTEXT. CONTEXT. CONTEXT.
    Many in the world have been hoodwinked, bambozzled, & defrauded by pitting GOD’S Word to align with fallible unauthencity…man! Acts 17:30…..And the times of this ignorance ELOHIM winked at, but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent! See: John 9:41, Acts 3:17, & 1st Timothy 1:13.

    Romans 5:13, For until the law sin was not in the world, but sin is not imputed where there is no law! Imputed(Ellogeo—Greek) means to not be charged to our account as sin. Genesis 6:5-7….And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and every imagination of the thoughts of his heart are evil continually. And it repented GOD that HE made man on the earth, and it grieved HIM at HIS Heart. And GOD said I will destroy man…… There existed no law pre- antediluvian! No Commandments!! Innately, man had/has the ability to distinguish between good and evil….Adam? Eve? The Serpent? The garden? Choices, choices, choices! Man /woman has to decide who to follow. satan to an eternal hell or, GOD, to eternal life.

    1st Corinthians 10:13, No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.
    So, according to this scripture, is GOD saying we cannot stop sinning through the indwelling of the HOLY SPIRIT? A diabolical and nefarious doctrine has entered into the hearts and minds of men! GOD’S Word today is being compared to what is spewed from the pulpit and from from man’s inability to allow the HOLY SPIRIT to guide and teach in all understanding! The first Church that was born in the Book of Acts details GOD’S plan for humanity; eternal life!

    1st John 3:7-9; Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God..Please, I encourage each of you to read the entire Book of 1st, 2nd, & 3rd John….This Book of John is located toward the back of the Bible.

    What else does GOD say about choices with regards to comitting sin? Matthew 5:27-30; “You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY’; but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. “If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. “If your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to go into hell. Are we to literally sever limbs and pluck out organs? It would behoove each of us to allow the SPIRIT, through Scripture, guide us as a lamp unto our feet. Again, we see that we have been given power to overcome sin…if we desire to live a life that is pleasing to THE MOST HIGH!

    When The MESSIAH was tempted by satan….Matthew 4:3-4; And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.'” What are our instructions? To live by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of GOD! JESUS said, 1st John 5:3; But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.'” Matthew 19:16-18; And someone came to Him and said, “Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life? And He said to him, “Why are you asking Me about what is good? There is only One who is good; but if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.” Then he said to Him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT MURDER; YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY; YOU SHALL NOT STEAL; YOU SHALL NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS; What is JESUS saying? Simply and plainly….individual responsibility & acountability to GOD and GOD only? Not fallible or inerrant man! 2nd Timothy 4:3-4; For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. The same foolishness that is being exhibted through many televangelist and ministres; that desire to keep their members in darkness(evilness) and not into the light of GOD(righteousness).

    There are Christians who are being spoon fed each and everyday, by so-called annointed leaders of THE MOST HIGH! Sad… It is imperative that we pray to THE MESSIAH, to yield our entire members and our hearts to HIM to walk in righteousness! Yes, we live in this sin sickened world but, we as Disciples of Christ should not be of the world. 1st John 2:15-17; Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever. Forever=Eternity with CHRIST!

    Lastly, there may be some or many ,through erroneous teachings and traditions of man, misunderstand/misapply Romans 3:10; There is none righteous, no, not one? Yes, Scripture doth say this, however, if we continue to read the proceeding verses we will understand the context of this verse. Verse 11 & 12: THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD; ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE.” But, what do the following verses, 13-18, reveal? 13. “THEIR THROAT IS AN OPEN GRAVE, WITH THEIR TONGUES THEY KEEP DECEIVING,” “THE POISON OF ASPS IS UNDER THEIR LIPS”; 14. “WHOSE MOUTH IS FULL OF CURSING AND BITTERNESS”; 15. “THEIR FEET ARE SWIFT TO SHED BLOOD .16. DESTRUCTION AND MISERY ARE IN THEIR PATHS, 17. AND THE PATH OF PEACE THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN.” 18. “THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD BEFORE THEIR EYES.” As we see friends, these verses, when taken in context, are describing an unbeliever and a believer that lives in sin; which is hostility toward GOD! Now, let’s compare these verses to Proverbs 6:16-19: 16. There are six things which the LORD hates, Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: 17. Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood, 18. A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that run rapidly to evil, 19. A false witness who utters lies, And one who spreads strife among brothers. Once again, we see personal responsibility and accountability to The MESSIAH and HIM Only. Remember what JESUS told the Pharisees; Luke 5:30-32; 30.The Pharisees and their scribes began grumbling at His disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with the tax collectors and sinners?” 31. And Jesus answered and said to them, “It is not those who are well who need a physician, but those who are sick. 32. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.” JESUS was simply and plainly stating that there were righteous people in HIS day…….not many though. Luke 1:5-6; 5.In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah; and he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6. They were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord. So….. Could Zacharias and his wife Elisabeth be those that that are referred to in Romans 3: 10?

    Trust JESUS…..not man! Allow the HOLY SCRIPTURE to convict of us sin; to turn from our wicked ways and repent…..Before it is too late…Matthew 25:1-13.

    Central Theme? Hear, Trust, Believe, Repent, & Obey GOD’S Word!!! The author of this article is spot on!

  32. i have a really close friend who is considering our Beliefs(Torah Observance). once she asked me if we believed the way we did because we believed that God truly command us to do so or if we did it just to become closer to God. i answered her saying that you can only become closer to God if you follow his commandments. many Christians will argue that when Yeshua(Jesus) died the Torah(law) was no longer in the picture. well from what you all have stated above that is so far from the truth. also, the bible says that when Yeshua died he took away the law of sin and death(Romans 8:2). nothing else(i would love for someone to show me where it says anything different). i mean, where does it say that we no longer have to follow the Torah(law)? yes, there are some things we can literally not do(like sacrifice at an alter), but most things we can do. like the Feast(Passover, Sukkot, feast of first fruits, day of atonement). and God commands us to keep his Feast forever(Leviticus 23:26-32, Leviticus 23:23-25 , Leviticus 23:1-44, Exodus 34:22, Exodus 23:16). i read a blog by a man named Rich Robinson. he said that Torah observers only pick and choose what they think they should follow out of the OT. well, one could say the same to Christians. where in the whole bible does it say to celebrate Christmas, Easter, and Halloween? nowhere. Deuteronomy 4:2 “You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you.”
    Deuteronomy 12:32 “Everything that I command you, you shall be careful to do. You shall not add to it or take from it”
    doesn’t that mean that Christians added to the bible when they made Christmas Yeshua’s birthday and Easter his resurrection day? it would be a different story if they just celebrated these things for pure enjoyment, but they do it in Yeshua’s name. that i just can’t stand. Yeshua’s death gave us salvation from death. that doesn’t mean we can keep on sinning. i mean if a murderer asked God for forgiveness and then went and murdered again and again, would he still go to heaven? i would think not. just because Jesus died doesn’t mean we can just forget Gods commands. Yeshua always talks about how we are to worship His Father and that He is here bring us back to Him. would Yeshua really contradict God? isn’t HE God in a human body? the same friend, when i asked her where in the bible Christmas, and Easter were she just told me that they were just traditions that her family love. Matthew 15:3 says “He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?” along with, Matthew 15:6 “He need not honor his father.’ So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God.” this is Yeshua speaking. what more do you need? God says to follow his commands and so does His Son Yeshua our Messiah

    • I AGREE WITH “Analyse”. I AM ONLY COMMENTING TO SAY “READ HIS COMMENTS”.

  33. i forgot to mention. when Yeshua(Jesus) died the only things he took away were the Law of Sin and Death AND he was the LAST sacrifice. many will ague that us Torah Observers just pick and choose what we WANT to follow from the Torah. one of their favorites is that we don’t do the sacrifices in the OT. well, yeah we don’t BECAUSE Yeshua WAS THE LAST SACRIFICE. He was the Last Sacrifice and we no longer have to die for our sins. i feel like many Christians only look to Jesus and NOT to God. many will say that Torah Observers only follow God. well i just want to make this clear, no we do not JUST follow God. we follow them both equally. we also follow the OT and NT equally, because that is how we are supposed to live.

  34. To be righteous you must get that from the blood of Christ, However, to love God or your neighbor, you must love them by doing the Law. The Law is God’s definition of how to love. Don’t kill them don’t still from them, etc. How can you say you love God and have other Gods before him? 1 John 2:4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; 5 but whoso keepeth his word, in him verily hath the love of God been perfected. Hereby we know that we are in him: 1 John was one of the last books written in the New Testament, if they have not learned that they didn’t need to keep the law to love by then, they never did learn.

  35. “Even the thought of foolishness is sin”
    For one to ask if we should obey God’s commands is disrespectful and dishonorable.
    A faithful son never questions the authority of his master’s will, a beast does and carries the mark.
    For one to belong to God….he willingly and joyfully submits his human will to the spiritual will of God’s
    written Word. He wouldn’t even consider doing differently. One that is in opposition to the law of God
    is the enemy of God. The Bible clearly teaches that by the law is the knowledge of sin. Why would one that loves God and is thankful for His sacrifice, wish to continue in sin?? They won’t…they respect the law of their God! People better humble themselves and repent…while they still CAN!

    • Daniel Veler Reply

      Patty define sin for me. And than I will tell you how the Jews fell short and how GOD actually defines it

  36. Matt Lanzon Reply

    Colossians 2:16

    Therefore let no one judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a festival, a New Moon, or a Sabbath.

    Galatians 5:1-6

    It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
    2 Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. 3 Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. 4 You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. 5 For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

  37. I think this verse goes hand in hand with Malachi 3:6. I love the Old Testament also referred to as a Tanakh by the Jews. It stands for some Hebrew words used in this verse, but I don’t speak Jewish. Great verse though. I’ve found a lot of help from Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. Love the Gospels too. Jesus was a funny guy

  38. Pastor Brad Reply

    I was just wondering how many folks on here have built a solid relationship with Christ, and asked to be a vessel of truth, before seeking answers in the Bible? The Ten Commandments handed down by God to Moses are the only ones that were heavy on my heart after giving my self over to Christ. Through my everyday life Christ showed me how to love, and the people that were being excluded from His love because of “scripture.” Why doesn’t anyone every question the fact that so many books and scrolls were destroyed since after Christ’s ascension till the days of Constantine over 700 yrs later. And how translations have lost so much of the meaning to the God inspired word in the books of the Bible. A few years ago during an intense meditation, I saw Christ come to me with tears in His eyes. All He said to me was the “Bible upsets Him because it confuses and separates” So ask yourself, do you use scripture to spread God’s love, or your own hate. God bless those seeking the truth, but know that it can only be found through Jesus Christ and no one else.
    – In life and death we belong to God –

    • Pastor Brad, are you then claiming the status of apostleship, since you indicate that you have seen the risen Lord Jesus Christ? Should we accept your word as additional Scripture? Also, what you say sounds awfully close to the justification given by Mormons for their “restoration” of original truth via Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon — how do you approach Mormons, since you are using precisely the same argument that they use to support the truth of the BOM and the authority of the LDS church?

  39. Daniel Veler Reply

    I have taken the time to read everybody’s comment. Understand the law given to Moses was spiritual. It showed man’ sinful state. It was never meant to make anyone righteous in the eyes of God. Paul even spoke of the law being spiritual. He went on to say give this example. I would not have known lust if the law hadn’t revealed to me “thou shall not covet.” This was the least of the ten. Know if you violated the least you were guilty of them all. The law was spiritual. God only require two commands to obtain His righteousness. One, to put your trust in his Son, holding to what you have received and to walk in His love.

  40. camden fletcher crace Reply

    Yeah so slavery, sexism, killing homosexuals, not eating pork hooved animals, not being able to wear polyester clothing, as well as a plethora of other sick laws in the OT are civil? *sigh*….

    • Camden fletcher crace,
      There are no sick laws in the Old Testament, only sick people who need a Physician, this is the nature of man then and today. This is why God the Father mercifully sent his son to show mankind how important it is to follow all of God’s words. Our hearts are sin sick, and because of this we have people who practice homosexuality, and people who eat unclean animals such as pork, and those who kill there fellow man. God’s law is perfect! it is man who is imperfect. Pray for understanding that you will see the truth concerning God’s law.

      father

  41. Matthew 22:36-40 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

    37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

    38 This is the first and great commandment.

    39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

    40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets

  42. Joseph Ndalira Reply

    I sincerely thank God for your eye opening comments, brethren!I tend to believe that though we have the same biblical issue but different revelations!
    Thanks for this!

  43. The Old Testament is a foundation for the New. The Scriptures are historical, instructional, and prophetic.
    Sacrifices and the Levitical priesthood pointed to what Jesus would fulfill. The Torah defines the character of God and His will for mankind. If we forsake His instructions, we have forsaken the only way to have faith.
    Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Romans 10:17. His Word is the only source of Spiritual truth, and should be used rather than our human thinking. This is the very mistake Israel made when God brought them out of Egypt. They rebelled against Him and died in the wilderness. We have the written testimony and it was written for our admonition. 1 Cor 10:11 Romans 15:4. If we repeat their mistakes, how can you think our outcome will be different? God is no respecter of persons. Acts 10:34

  44. Eduard Saints Reply

    Where does the idea came from “that the Mosaic law are divisible? Jesus said “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.” Before He died, He said “It is fulfilled”. The demand of the law was satisfied through Jesus’ sacrifce. Which laws are fulfilled? The civil & ceremonials only? Heb 8:13  In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away. He has done away the old and made a new one. The writer tells us all those laws in heb 9 and in v.4 4 which had the golden altar of incense and the gold-covered ark of the covenant. This ark contained the gold jar of manna, Aaron’s staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant. (He included that 10 Cs in the tablet of stones) That is the first covenant and a covenant for Israel only. These are all powerless to mankind to obey perfectly. It only produces sin in you. No wonder the rightful use of the law is to show we sinners (Rom 3:20) and second is to lead us to Christ (Gal 3:24) All the laws given to Israel were under the curse including the moral laws… And 1 out of 10 had a promise of long life. All the curse and the promise were done away. If the 10 Cs are not included then u are still in danger of the curse it brings. From the book of Romans to Jude, the pattern for christian walk are all given.. the laws are not the rule of life neither a part of salvation nor applicable to the age of grace. The law is not of faith (Gal 3:12) So if u are saved by grace thru faith thats it ! the purpose of law is done on you.

  45. Eduard Saints Reply

    According to the doctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Jesus completed rather than rejected the Mosaic law. The Ten Commandments are considered eternal gospel principles necessary for exaltation. They appear in the Book of Mosiah 12:34–36, 13:15–16, 13:21–24 and Doctrine and Covenants. This where I guess the idea of the law division came from.

  46. John A. Wheeler Reply

    These 10 Commandments, behold, are they not written with the finger of GOD?

  47. If God is the one that sent Jesus he for no try tempt our lord commandment because our God changes not, even the world he create have not change I’m still confused why Jesus come to die for our sin and sins still risen day by day, our pastors still living large why members is suffering, if Jesus was black man, I no I don’t believe White people will believe in him,no let think, as a sent he don’t have to born by human being atoll talking of having father or mother, may God intervene on this

  48. Godknows Shumba Reply

    We need scriptural evidence of your presentation. Do we have any verse in the bible where the law is actually divided in the way you presented. If you read carefully the law was never divided into any category. We are no longer supposed to follow the law of Moses but the law of Christ.

  49. answered prayers Reply

    Hidden truth uncovered is over two thousand years ago the twelve chosen disciples preached the man Jesus Christ, son of Joseph from the original Torah “Chabad” scriptures of the prophets known as the “Mystery of God” Revelation 10:7!
    Who am I?
    I am the witness with a testimony in seeing two identical “image” of Jesus Christ in the heavenly realm. This is Matthew 24:15;Rev 11:2;Luke 4:9;Dan 8:11;Ezekiel 8:3,5 the “image” of jealousy that provokes jealousy in the heavenly realm.
    There is the original Messiah and the other is a counterfeit, because during time of the twelve chosen disciples, the rulers changed the truth (word) of God into a lie (not knowing what they were doing) thru scribes “Sofers” who copied (hand written) the original Torah scriptures and within those copies added and took away specific Messianic words of the prophets. Then sent false brothers teaching gentiles this other “word” of prophecy drawing “disciples” after them. Those “disciples” were the forefathers who started the Roman Catholic “Mother” Church of all churches known as the fourth kingdom spread out on the earth. A people who will not hold on to the kingdom any longer.
    Study original Torah “Chabad” scriptures of the prophets with the Holy Bible “Old Testament” scriptures of the prophets, it clearly shows the exact WORDS in the scriptures of the prophets from the original Torah “Chabad” DID NOT get transferred into the Holy Bible “Old Testament” scriptures over 1500 years ago!
    Here is link study Torah: http://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/63255/jewish/The-Bible-with-Rashi.htm
    Teachings of the Messiah
    We have the Holy Bible which started teaching over 1500 years the Messiah comes from the seed of David by non-human conception between a woman and a spirit.
    Holy Bible KJV
    2 Samuel 7:12, And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom.
    Isaiah 7:14, Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
    Isaiah 9:6, For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
    1 Chronicles 17:11, And it shall come to pass, when thy days be expired that thou must go to be with thy fathers, that I will raise up thy seed after thee, which shall be of thy sons; and I will establish his kingdom.

    We have the Torah “Chabad” which has been teaching over two thousand years the Messiah comes from the seed of David by human conception between a man and a woman according to the flesh.
    Torah “Chabad”
    2 Samuel 7:12, When your days are finished and you shall lie with your forefathers, then I will raise up your seed that shall proceed from your body after you, and I will establish his kingdom.
    Isaiah 7:14, Therefore, the Lord, of His own, shall give you a sign; behold, the young woman is with child, and she shall bear a son, and she shall call his name Immanuel.
    Isaiah 9:5, For a child has been born to us, a son given to us, and the authority is upon his shoulder, and the wondrous adviser, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, called his name, “the prince of peace.”
    1 Chronicles 17:11, When your days are complete to go to your forefathers, I will raise up after you your offspring who will be from among your sons, and I shall make his kingdom firm. He shall build a Temple for Me, and I shall make his throne firm forever.
    SOON coming outpouring of God’s true Spirit upon all flesh. Then ingathering of exiles to soil of Israel (including USA). God shall lift the “Banner”. The one true God of the Hebrews shall be sanctified in the eyes of the nations. Then comes End of Days.
    That “Banner” is the true king Messiah according to the Torah “Chabad” scriptures of the prophets.

  50. Benjamin Molesworth Reply

    Once I became saved, I became dead to the law, if I had ever been under the law, which I hadn’t because I’m not Jewish. No, the law is not for Christians. The Holy Spirit is for Christians. Is the Holy Spirit going to lead us to contradict the 10 commandments?? Yes, every day is holy to me now, not just the sabbath (Saturday). Look, most of the law, not just the 10 commandments, had great worldly scientific backing behind keeping it. But Paul says to those trying to keep the law, that if you offend in one law, you are guilty of all. Can murderers, adulterers, liars and thieves become saved?? Yes they can. Therefore the law is no longer applicable to Christians, because we have died with Christ and are free from the law. Jesus is correct, He did not remove the law, He removed us, or at least saved Jews, from the penalty of the law. So why do we have confusion?? Because the law makes sense. Of course it makes sense, because it was given by God, and is a legitimate road map for living a consequence free life. But if you are saved, you are sealed with His Spirit, and kept in salvation. Does that mean we throw the Old Testament out then. No, certainly not. A function of the Spirit, is to lead us to all truth. Now when we read the Scripture, we aren’t reading it to see what laws we must keep. We are reading it, to learn about the character of God. When you read the Bible, you see everywhere, what God approves of, and what He doesn’t approve of. You’ll see God punishing other people for specific actions. Reading the Bible, including the 10 commandments, allows you to have your life guided daily by the Holy Spirit. When you come across any given situation, your knowledge of the character of God in your life, should allow the Holy Spirit to direct you along the straight and narrow path. Not because we are still under the law, because we have died with Christ, and are now alive in Him, by God’s grace. Does the 10 commandments help people become saved then?? Yes, but it isn’t necessary. People do need to be aware that they have sinned against God, so that they have a need for salvation, no doubt, and the 10 commandments are great for that. But technically, as Paul says in Romans, the law was for the Jews, and unsaved Jews should still be keeping ALL of the law today. Christians should be obeying the Holy Spirit in ALL things today, and we shouldn’t be surprised to find, that the Holy Spirit still doesn’t want us to murder, steal, lie, etc. God hasn’t changed. But God has changed us.

  51. Some people misinterpret the Bible so as to avoid the 4th commandment of keeping the 7th day Sabbath holy.By doing this they claim Jesus came and paid it all by even abolishing the commandments of God
    This is a satanic way of blaspheming God and trying to make Satan more supreme than the Almighty God.
    Jesus did not come to abolish or destroy the Law of God but to fulfill them.
    So whoever says the law i no longer applicable is an antichrist.

    • Dear James:
      Read the Law (Genesis ro Deuteronomy), Romans, Galatians, Ephesians and Hebrews and you’ll see they’re all contrary to your 180 degree misinterpretation, for when something is fulfilled it is done away with, Jesus having fulfilled the Law IN HIMSELF. Those who talk about “civil,” “ceremonial” and “moral” law make distinctions that are not in the text, Jesus having fulfilled all of that IN HIMSELF. In John 19:30 Jesus said “FINISHED” when he died and fulfilled the Law and he tore the temple veil apart to make a way for us into the Holy of Holies.(Matthew 27:51)
      Hebrews 7:11-19 If indeed, then, perfection were through the Levitical priesthood—for the people under it had received law—what further need, according to the order of Melchisedek, for another priest to arise, and not to be called according to the order of Aaron?  12  for the priesthood being CHANGED, of necessity also, of the law a CHANGE doth come,  13  for he of whom these things are said in another tribe hath had part, of whom no one gave attendance at the altar,  14  for it is evident that out of Judah hath arisen our Lord, in regard to which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood.  15  And it is yet more abundantly most evident, if according to the similitude of Melchisedek there doth arise another priest,  16  who came not according to the law of a fleshly command, but according to the power of an endless life,  17  for He doth testify—’Thou art a priest—to the age, according to the order of Melchisedek;’  18  for a disannulling indeed doth come of the command going before because of its weakness, and unprofitableness,  19  (for nothing did the law perfect) and the bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw nigh to God.
      God bless you,
      Russ Davis

    • PS
      Paul strenuously OPPOSED the Judaizers for the very thing you’re claiming: Jesus PLUS the Law, for Jesus plus ANYTHING is heresy. Sadly you have ZEROI Scriptural basis for your misinterpretation.

  52. Russell Davis Reply

    20210916 A very important matter but one too easily given a superficial knee-jerk reaction. Though I intend to read all of the posts made here over the years and have saved them as a Word docx, that will obviously take some time, so if what I say has been addressed I apologize in advance, but one crucial matter usually not addressed is whether or not law has the definite article, i.e. if it’s
    1. anarthros nomos law or 2. arthros o nomos the Law.
    I’m often frustrated by translators being too careless and arrogant in either
    1. ADDING the article when it’s NOT in the original, making what’s anarthrous in the transmitter original arthrous in the receptor, or
    2. omitting it when it IS in the original, making the arthrous transmitter original anarthrous in the receptor, a crucial difference too often unrealized and ignored, a fatal mistake for accurate exegesis, too easily making it eisegesis.
    See Romans 3:21
    GNT-V νυνι δε χωρις νομου δικαιοσυνη θεου πεφανερωται μαρτυρουμενη υπο του νομου και των προφητων
    Young’s 1898 Literal Translation  And now apart from LAW (rightly sustaining the anarthrous nature of the original) hath the righteousness of God been manifested, testified to by THE LAW and the prophets,
    ASV  1901 But now apart from THE LAW (wrongly inserting the article, canceling the anarthrous nature of the original) a righteousness of God hath been manifested, being witnessed by THE LAW and the prophets;
    This is why “literal” translations are so important, more concerned with serving the more important transmitter of the original versus the popularity of the form of the receptor, though even “literal” translations are so inconsistent in this they can’t be trusted entirely.

    • Michael Potter Reply

      Russell, this is absolutely fascinating. Maybe you already stated this and it went over my head, but in laymen’s terms, what would you say is the difference between LAW and THE LAW?

      • Russell Davis Reply

        Dear Michael:
        Sorry for the long delay. I had lots on my plate and then it seemed the “write a comment” function was disabled so I thus couldn’t figure out how to reply. Anyway, in reply.
        As to the simple difference the definite article makes, I would say THE LAW refers to Biblical law, especially that of Moses, whereas LAW is basically the law principle in general, i.e. vs lawlessness. I get this from John Piper somewhere. Also see Strong’s and Thayer’s similar definitions for G3551.
        If you look in Strong’s definition for νόμος nomos G3551:
        From a primary word νέμω nemō (to parcel out, especially food or grazing to animals);
        [bracketed #s are given to align with Thayer’s Definition]
        [1b] law (through the idea of prescriptive usage), generally (regulation), specifically (of Moses [including the volume]; also of the Gospel),
        [1a] or figuratively (a principle): – law.
        Total KJV occurrences: 197
        Thayer Definition:
        Part of Speech: noun masculine
        1) anything established, anything received by usage, a custom, a law, a command
        1a) of any law whatsoever
        1a1) a law or rule producing a state approved of God
        1a1a) by the observance of which is approved of God
        1a2) a precept or injunction
        1a3) the rule of action prescribed by reason
        1b) of the Mosaic law, and referring, acc. to the context. either to the volume of the law or to its contents
        1c) the Christian religion: the law demanding faith, the moral instruction given by Christ, especially the precept concerning love
        1d) the name of the more important part (the Pentateuch), is put for the entire collection of the sacred books of the OT
        I previously mentioned (20210916) the important matter of anarthrous nomos versus arthrous nomos; I’m in the process of listing all the occurrences in the original vs how the translations handle it rightly or wrongly. It’s ironic that though I’m just a janitor with 5 years of Bible college & a few of seminary, God’s given me insight many seminarians lack.
        But another matter at least as and really far more significant is HEBREWS. The great Puritan John Owen wrote a crucially important large, multi-volume commentary (biblesupport dot com slash e-sword-downloads slash file slash 8984-owen-john-an-exposition-of-the-epistle-to-the-hebrews-7-vols) on it alone more than some commentaries have on the entire NT! As is so common these days of being philosophical vs biblical I sadly saw much largely Scripture-free emotion in various comments but little mention of the crucial book of the OT in the NT of Hebrews and Owen’s crucial work! Heb 7:11-28 clearly says (… 12-14 GNT-V μετατιθεμενης γαρ της ιερωσυνης εξ αναγκης και νομου μεταθεσις γινεται 13 εφ ον γαρ λεγεται ταυτα φυλης ετερας μετεσχηκεν αφ ης ουδεις προσεσχηκεν τω θυσιαστηριω 14 προδηλον γαρ οτι εξ ιουδα ανατεταλκεν ο κυριος ημων εις ην φυλην TSBουδεν περι Aιερεων TSBιερωσυνης Aουδεν BAμωυσης TSμωσης ελαλησεν
        Young’s 1898 Literal Translation … 12  for the priesthood being CHANGED, of necessity also, of the law a CHANGE doth come,  13  for he of whom these things are said in another tribe hath had part, of whom no one gave attendance at the altar,  14  for it is evident that out of Judah [not Levi] hath arisen our Lord, in regard to which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood. …),
        i.e. Jesus FULFILLED and thus DID AWAY WITH THE LAW IN HIMSELF since he, being God Almighty, Supreme Law-giver, changed the priesthood from Levi to Judah, a decisive matter nearly all stupidly ignore. When one fulfills a contract or covenant, this fulfilling thus makes it void and of no effect, its terms having been satisfied, what Jesus’s 1 John 2:2 ἱλασμός G2434 (Thayer correct propitiation vs Strong’s erroneous expiation) was and did.
        (ASV and he is the propitiation [=wrath satisfier] for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the whole world.)
        Since this topic is really too large to deal with in the limitations of a mere blog you can also write me at russedav at bex dot net if you wish. I really hope you will read Owen’s incredible Hebrews commentary. Also his profoundly Biblical “Mortification of Sin in the Believer” and “Nature, Power, Deceit, and Prevelancy of the Remainders of Indwelling Sin in Believers” @ ccel.org.
        God bless you,
        Russ Davis

  53. How would you respond to a pastor using these laws as evidence that we cannot judge people in a same sex relationship by asking us how many of these laws we break daily? I made a general statement about homosexuality and my pastor, hurtfully, made it personal by bringing up the OT laws and asking me this question.

    • Brad Hoffman Reply

      Hi Kaliana! It sounds like your pastor is arguing that sinners aren’t qualified to judge other sinners. If that’s the case, then I don’t think his argument lines up very well with Scripture. It may be worthwhile to seek some clarification from him, especially since his comments hurt you. When would he consider it appropriate to confront someone in their sin? Who is called to do such a thing? 1 Corinthians 5:1-13 comes to mind as a good text to read with him. The gospel indicates we are all sinners and need to repent, so this isn’t something we can simply avoid. Blessings to you.

  54. Ha nem tartod be Mózes 613 törvényét, átkozott vagy.
    Gal 3:10 Mert akik a törvény cselekedeteiből valók, átok alatt vannak; mert amint meg van írva: Átkozott mindenki, aki nem marad meg mindabban, a mi meg van írva a törvény könyvében, hogy megtegye azokat.
    5Móz 27:26 Átkozott minden, a ki nem tartja meg e törvénynek beszédeit, hogy azokat cselekedje. És mondjon az egész nép: Ámen.

    Galata 3:13 Krisztus megváltott minket a törvény átkától.

    Ha valaki képes megtartani a Tízparancsolatot, azaz Mózes 613 törvényének egészét, akkor képes megmenteni magát, mert a cselekedetei által megigazulva üdvözül: Gal 3:12 A törvény pedig nem a hitből van, hanem aki cselekszi azokat, az él azok által;
    Róm 4:4 Aki pedig munkálkodik, annak nem kegyelemből számítják el a bérét, hanem a szerint, amilyen adóssággal tartozik.

    Vagy hiba nélkül megtartod a törvényt, és a törvény megtartása által üdvözülsz,
    vagy nem tartod meg, és elkárhozol.
    Olyan nincs, hogy hiszel Jézus Krisztus vérében és hibátlanul megtartod a törvényt, mert ha megtartod, akkor már nincs szükséged Jézus áldozatára.
    Tehát vagy az egyik, vagy a másik!

  55. If you do not keep the 613 laws of Moses, you are cursed.
    Gal 3:10 For they that are of the works of the law are under a curse: for as it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.
    Deuteronomy 27:26 Cursed is every one that keepeth not the words of this law, to do them. And all the people shall say, Amen.

    Galatians 3:13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law.

    If anyone is able to keep the Ten Commandments, that is, the whole 613 Laws of Moses, he is able to save himself, for by his works he will be saved through justification: Gal 3:12 Now the law is not of faith, but he that doeth them shall live by them;
    Rom 4:4 To him that worketh, the wages are not counted for grace, but according to the debt due.

    Or you keep the law without fault and are saved by keeping it,
    or you do not keep it, and you will be damned.
    There is no such thing as believing in the blood of Jesus Christ and keeping the law without fault, because if you keep it, you no longer need Jesus’ sacrifice.
    So it’s one or the other!

  56. The Bible does not use terms like moral, civil and ceremonial law. They are an artificual construct. I prefer the terms actually used in the Bible such as the law of Christ, the Spirit of the Law, the faith of Abraham and greater righteousness than the Pharisees. This is in contrast with the letter of the law which kills, the works of the law versus good works of obedience to Christ, and so on.

  57. The Bible does not use terms like moral, civil and ceremonial law. They are an artificial construct. I prefer the terms actually used in the Bible such as the law of Christ, the Spirit of the Law, the faith of Abraham and greater righteousness than the Pharisees. This is in contrast with the letter of the law which kills, the works of the law versus good works of obedience to Christ, and so on.

  58. Robert Mandel Reply

    Was Jesus of Nazareth the antiChrist, as he did not fulfill the prophecy of bringing peace to the earth? The Romans who destroyed God’s Temple chose Jesus as the one who would give to Caesar what is his and to God give faith.

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