Spirit of Law 3

The Spirit of the Law

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The Spirit of the Law
[continued]

Did Paul Remain A Jew?

Only in modern theology is it conceivable that Paul would leave his Jewish faith and practice when he began to preach to the Gentiles. Both the New Testament and ancient literature show that Jewish believers continued to keep the Jewish Law, festivals, and many traditions. The Jewish believers kept the Law not for salvation, but in obedience to identify as God's Chosen People. It was not until much later, during Justin Martyr's day [150 A.D.] when the Gentile Church began to flourish, that we begin to encounter Replacement Theology where the church replaced the Jews as God's Chosen People. As Jews, Jesus, Paul, James, and Peter are continually seen keeping the Law to the end of their lives, and others like John, as late as 50-60 years after Pentecost. There is not one instance where Jesus or Paul attacked the Law or any of its ordinances, but in every case supported them as the Word of God. We as believers are commanded to walk by faith and to fulfill the Law by applying its moral principles to our relationships with fellow believers [Matthew 5:17-20].

It was Paul who told Timothy the Law was good if an individual used it lawfully, and that no one would be crowned or rewarded except when he lived lawfully [I Timothy 1:8; II Timothy 2:5].. Paul said he was not living without the Law to God, but was under the Law to Christ [I Corinthians 9:21]. Before the high priest and Felix, Paul boldly proclaimed that those who accused him could not prove that he actually broke the Law. Then Paul confessed that he worshiped God and believed all things which were written in the Law and prophets. To make sure there was no misunderstanding, Paul reminded his listeners that he continually brought offerings and alms and went through the Temple purification [Acts 24:13-20].. Dan Harrington, in his book, Paul on the Mystery of Israel, affirms that "Paul never disavowed his Judaism. He never said , ' I am no longer a Jew.' In fact, at several points, he lists his credentials as a Jew [Philippians 3:5, 6; II Corinthians 11:22; Romans11:11]." Harrington further noted that one recent approach by scholars to understand Paul's words involves viewing it in the context of the situation in which he wrote. In his directives, Paul necessarily used the language and slogans of his opponents, or at least of the people whom he addressed. One major component that modern believers seem to miss is that according to Paul's writings, the Law was intended to bring about the right relationship with our fellow believers, while Christ, the redemptive factor of God, brings about the right relationship with God.

Paul's Conversation With James

It is particularly interesting to note the four points of conversation when Paul returned to the Jerusalem Church and was confronted by James and the elders concerning several issues of the Law [Acts 21:17-25].

1. The many thousands of Jews who believed were all zealous for the Law.

2. A problem arose as the incorrect word got out that Paul was teaching Jews to forsake the Law and not circumcise their children. The point was that Gentile converts were not required to keep the Jewish ritual laws, and James was not critical of that, but he objected to anyone teaching Jews not to keep their identification covenant and traditions [Acts 21:21].

3. James declared to Paul that this misconception must be cleared up immediately. It should be noted that Paul agreed with James, and this was done to prove his loyalty as a Jew to the Law. Unfortunately, today many theologians still believe this misconception about Paul and the Law [Acts 21:24].

4. Notice "as touching the Gentiles which believe" there was a different standard, and they did not need to identify with a covenant as the Chosen People. They were believers in the Jewish Messiah and had to respect the so called Noachide precepts stressed at the Jerusalem Council by avoiding pagan beliefs [Acts 21:25; Acts 15:28, 29].

There is Neither Jew Nor Gentile in Christ

Concerning the promises regarding individual salvation, Paul pointed out that there was neither Jew nor Gentile, slave nor free, man nor woman, but all were one in Christ [Galatians 3:28]. Occasionally, someone takes this to mean that the Jew no longer exists as God's chosen people. But by the same thinking this verse proves there are no more women, no more slaves, no more people in jails. It is clear that Paul is speaking only concerning salvation as he indicated by the words "in Christ." The same point was made to the Ephesians in showing them that there was no distinction or dividing wall in Christ [Ephesians 2:14-19].

On the other hand, we would have to disallow many Scriptures concerning promises to the nation of Israel to believe that there is no difference in the nation who embraced God when no others would. Israel is mentioned in Scripture some 2,293 times with at least 15 references to God's everlasting covenant with them. In Ephesians 2:12 the commonwealth of Israel is used as an exalted phrase, and in Acts 4:27 well after the beginning of the church Luke differentiates between the Gentiles and the people of Israel. Romans 3:1, 2 tells us there is much advantage in every way of being Jewish, especially because the oracles of God were originally from their culture. With these things understood, one can easily see what Paul meant by his words, "If you are a Jew, do not seek to become uncircumcised, if you are non-Jewish, do not seek to be circumcised, but let every man abide in the same calling wherein he is called" [I Corinthians 7:18-20].

Those Under the Law Must Keep All the law

Today some understand the phrase of James "if you offend in one point of the Law, you are guilty of all" to mean that one must keep all of the Law or else the Law is of no use [James 2:10]. Actually James is saying, if you break any part of the Law you have violated the Law as a whole, but that is true of any law, including the speeding laws of our day. What James is addressing in this chapter has to do with having faith in Jesus Christ with sin in one's life [James 2:11]. The problem arises when modern believers fail to realize the Law was not to achieve salvation, but to expose and remove sin from the life of believers.

The popular idea that one can live by faith without any rules, committing sin and calling it liberty or grace, while believing the Jews are under Law, is the old heresy of Antinomianism, and is one of the issues being addressed in this chapter. The truth is there can be no grace without Law and all who are without the Law of God are under death because they do not recognize their sin, therefore do not qualify for the grace of God [Romans 5:13, 14]. This was not written to the Jews only, but to the Gentile brethren who thought they were living by a different Law Of Liberty [James 2:8-14]. James is saying even the Gentile brethren have to fulfill the Royal Law of Scripture by loving their neighbor as themselves. This is the spirit of the whole Law, that each individual must honor lest they have respect of persons and are judged for breaking the Law of God.

Section 4:

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The Spirit of the Law: Table of Content