PAUL AND THE LAW
PROSECUTION
There are many passages in Paul's teaching that claim that the law of God is no longer to be considered. For instance, Romans 6:14 states ...
"For ye are not under the Law but under grace..."
and Galatians 5:18 ...
"But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the Law..."
Romans 10:4 ...
"For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth".
How these passages contradict our Lord's words when He said in Matthew 5:17-19 ...
"Think not that 1 am come to destroy the Law or the prophets,. I am not come to destroy but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the Law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the Kingdom of heaven, but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the Kingdom of heaven. "
Surely Paul's bold condemnation of the Law is completely contradictory to these words of Jesus our Lord?
DEFENCE
Again the Prosecution have not done their homework sufficiently, for they fail to state which Law they mean. Or perhaps they are blind to the fact that there are two principle Laws laid down in the Bible.
1. The Laws of the Nation or Kingdom, which concern our mortal life on this earth - the Book of Deuteronomy contains these in full.
2. The Law of the Temple, which was added to redeem the transgressor of the Kingdom Law from eternal death - this Law appears in full in the Book of Leviticus, and it was administered by the Aaronic Priesthood. Both this Law and the Priesthood came to an end with the death of the Messiah, and were of no further effect.
These two classes of Law, with their respective statutes, were well known to the people of Paul's day. It was also recognised that the Law of Worship (Leviticus) was added for spiritual cleanliness, in order to save the transgressor of God's commands from spiritual death, Galatians 3:19. It was Paul's difficult task to teach these fickle, argumentative Israelites - who were not all heathens- that the Law of Worship had ceased to have any effect after the death of Jesus as the Sacrificial Lamb. Paul was not talking about the Kingdom Law at all!
In Genesis 26:5, Jehovah said ...
"Abraham obeyed My voice, and kept My charge, My Commandments, My statutes and My Laws".
These Laws were finally written down in full in the Book of Deuteronomy. Hence Abraham received blessing because he obeyed them. Moses obeyed them, and likewise the prophets, but Israel did not obey them. Consequently, Israel lost her land and entitlement to be called by the name of 'Israel'. It is obvious, therefore, that if Abraham, Moses, the prophets and Israel had to obey the Kingdom Law till the coming of Jesus, and if we are going to have to obey them in the coming Kingdom Age under our Lord, then Scripture and logic tell us that, while the Kingdom exists on earth, THE KINGDOM LAW STANDS! This is the Law that Jesus endorsed by His remarks concerning the carrying out of the least of these commandments, and then stating that a person's position in the Kingdom of the Heavens will be determined by his or her attitude to that Law, while living on the earth.
"Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things (ie. necessities of LIFE) shall be added to you."
That is the blessing offered for obedience to that Kingdom Law, which is why Israel today is suffering more and more as we strip away piece by piece the discipline of our law, founded upon the Law of God. The Kingdom Law was known to the Greek-speaking Israelites as 'Deutero Nomium','the Second Law'- because Leviticus was the more important Law, being the Law of Worship. It took precedence because it offered a spiritual reconciliation to God for breaking the Laws of the Kingdom, hence saving the transgressor from eternal death.
The Kingdom Law, on the other hand, offers physical LIFE or DEATH ON THE EARTH ...
Deuteronomy 5:33 - "..that ye may live and that it may be well with thee..."
Deuteronomy 8:1 - "..that ye may live and multiply..."
Deuteronomy 16:20 - "...that thou mayest live and inherit..."
But Leviticus 18:5 states ...
"Ye shall therefore keep My statutes and My judgements (ie. rules and regulations) which, if a man do, he shall live in them. I am Jehovah. "
Notice the difference carefully. Deuteronomy refers to living, multiplying, inheriting, etc. IN THE LAND, which ye shall possess because we do not live and multiply and inherit in Heaven. But in the Leviticus quotation, the words "he will live in them (or 'by' them)", means "he will live by (means of) them", i.e. live again in the resurrection as a result of obeying them. The Chaldee paraphrases it..."shall live by them to life eternal".
The Amplified and some other Bibles have marginal references to Leviticus 18:5, against Romans 10:4-5, Galatians 3:12, and Luke 10:25-28. Both of the Pauline references speak of the Law, and state that there is no need for its further application - and rightly so. Paul is only referring to the Law of Worship, as is noted in the marginal references. This is the Law with its sacrifices which Jesus came to fulfil - which is why John calls Jesus the Sacrificial Lamb, and Daniel prophesies that the Messiah will complete the sacrifices, and that all offerings will cease (Daniel 9:27), being ceremonies of sanctification for the spirit.
So now our atonement from sin comes by belief in Jesus' sacrifice upon the stake. In fact, it is the only means by which we can regain our eternal life. Therefore Paul is not guilty of refuting the Kingdom Law in any way, although he does denigrate man's law on some occasions.
