You Who Desire the Law

Gal 4:21 Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law....
by rory moore

Here now is a test for those who are prophets and/or spiritual from 1 Cor 14:37: "If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord." -written to the saints at Corinth by Paul, a Jewish apostle.

Does it come as a surprise that Jesus continued speaking through the apostles?
The scriptures did not cease with the Old Testament, but many people think we should observe many of the laws, statutes, and ordinances God gave to Israel as they went into the promised land.
**ALL** of the words of God are His Law, and that there are commands in the New Testament that are to be observed and there are commands and ordinances in the Old we are free from.

Acts 1:2 (ASV) until the day in which he was received up, after that (day),

he had given commandment through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen.

Jesus prayed for you and me to believe on Him through the words given by His apostles:
John 17:20 Neither for these only do I pray, but for them also that believe on me through their word
Jesus continued speaking by the Holy Ghost through the apostles in giving his commands to the church

Paul delivered God's commands when he wrote the church letters in 1 Cor 14:37 and in 2 Thes 3:4. Peter affirmed this in 2 Pet 3:2 & 16, as did Jude in verse 17 of his letter.

2 Pet 3:2 That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Savior:

1 Cor 14:37 If any man thinks himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him take knowledge of the things which I write to you, that they are the commandment of the Lord.

• Are Christians to keep the ordinances, laws, and commandments of the Old Testament?
• Is it righteous to keep the feasts of the Lord, the Sabbath, and what of the Ten Commandments?
• Should Gentile (non-Jewish) Christians do all?
• Did Peter, Paul, or Jesus instruct any church to keep the OT laws?
• If so, what verses SPECIFICALLY say so?

What follows is a long list of Holy Spirit directed New Testament scriptures that speak directly to the Christians relationship to the Old Covenant laws and commands.

Print out this list of verses and next time you hear a prophet, Hebrew Roots,  or "Torah keeper" tell you we must continue doing certain practices to please God, remember what was written in "the faith once delivered" that God gave us.

"Tell me, You THAT DESIRE TO BE UNDER THE LAW" Gal 4:21

80 PROOFS THE LAW OF MOSES WAS DONE AWAY IN CHRIST

Gal 3:10-11 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continues not in all which are written in the book of the law to do them.

Gal 5:18 But if you be led of the Spirit, you are not under the law.

Rom 10: 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believes.

Col 3:20 Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances? (referring to the law)

Col 2:14 <upon Christ's death>   Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances [contained in the Law] that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it [the Law] out of the way, nailing it [the Law] to his cross;

Eph 2:15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; in order to make in himself of the two (people groups)  one new man, so making peace;

Heb 7:18 For there is VERILY (indeed-truly)  A DISANNULLING OF THE COMMANDMENT going before the weakness and unprofitableness thereof, (
19) for the law MADE NOTHING PERFECT, but the bringing in OF a BETTER HOPE, by which we draw nigh unto God.

Heb 9: 9 Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience;
10) Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation.

Col 2:16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink [from the Law], or in respect of an holyday [from the Law], or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days [from the Law]:

17) Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.

Heb 10:1 For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.

Col 2:17 [speaking of the days and feasts of the law] Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.

Heb 10:1 For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.
 (These verses interpret the scripture in Luke about the shadow and the Light)

Col 2: 20 Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, (referring to the Old Testament laws)  after the commandments and doctrines of men?
23) Which things have an appearance of wisdom in will-worship

I like the Complete Jewish Bible rendering of Colossians 2:20
They do indeed have the outward appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed religious observances, false humility and asceticism; but they have no value at all in restraining people from indulging their old nature.

Acts 21:20 And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord, and said unto him, you see, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the law:  
21)  And they are informed of you, that you teach all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after the customs.
22)  How shall we deal with this? because the multitude will assemble and they will hear that you are here.
23)  therefore do this, we say to you as we have four men which have a vow on them;
24) Them take, and purify yourself with them, and be at charges with them, that they may shave their heads: and all may know that those things, whereof they were informed concerning thee, are nothing; but that you also walk orderly, and keep the law.
25) but As touching the Gentiles which believe, we have written and concluded that they observe no such thing [the OT laws], save only that they keep themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from strangled, and from fornication.

LET'S NOTE a couple of important points here about Acts 21: Prior to 70 AD Israel still existed as a nation, and a central temple, God’s “house”.  The final destruction prophesied by Jesus was not yet fulfilled. And under the law, animal sacrifice was still practiced, the Levitical and High Priest offices still functioned,  but only as an outward observance (in the eyes of God).  Jesus was the final sacrifice and Jesus is our One and only High Priest, as it is written. Desolation had been pronounced upon the harlot house of the Jews by Jesus. Mat 23:38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. (This does not mean Jewish people cannot be saved.  The NT church began as a 100% Jewish ekklesia and gentiles added later.  Salvation is given to "both Jew and Greek" and both Jews and gentiles are one in Christ.)

Regarding the early church debate over the works of the law, in Acts 15, the apostle James told the church leadership in Jerusalem:

22) Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men out of their company, and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas..........;

23) and they wrote to them, The apostles and the elders, brethren, to the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greeting:

24) For as we have heard that certain who went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls; to whom we gave no commandment;

25) it seemed good unto us, having come to one accord, to choose out men and send them unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,

27) We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who themselves also shall tell you 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:

29)  abstain from things sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication; from which if ye keep yourselves, it shall be well with you. 

But those who would "trouble", "burden" and "subvert" your souls might say,
"Paul meant for you to keep the letter of the law, keep the sabbath and the feasts, circumcision, ordinances, and/or the tithe."

BUT the law HAS been changed:

Heb 7:12  For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.

Heb 7:22  By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament.
Heb 8:6  But now has he obtained a more excellent ministry,
by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.

Heb 8:7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.
8) For finding fault with them, the LORD, Behold, the days come, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:
9) Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt [the law]; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, says the Lord.

10) For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says 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:
11) And they shall not teach every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.
12) For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more
13) In that he says, A new covenant, he has made the first old [the law]. Now that which is decaying and waxing old [the ordinances of the law] is ready to vanish away.

Did we hear correctly?

"In that He says,  A new covenant,  he has made the first old.
 Now that which decays and becomes old is ready to vanish away."

-HOW did it decay and vanish away? Simple. After Christ the decay began as no more blood sacrifices could remove sin. The Jewish Levite priest's sacrifices were no longer necessary, and when the Lord sent the Romans to obliterate the ancient Jewish nation, the whole Levite priest system vanished with the destruction of the nation and the temple itself.

Rom 7:4 Wherefore, my brethren, you also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ ,
Rom 8:3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
4) That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us,
who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Rom 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believes.

Gal 2:15 We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles,
16) Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ,
and not by the works of the law:  for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.


Gal 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. (the same phrase Peter used in Acts 15:10 referring to the law and Gentile Christians)

Gal 2:21 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

Gal 3:3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are you now made perfect by the flesh?

Gal 4:9 But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn you again to the weak and poor elements, so that you desire again to be in bondage? ("weak and beggarly" means unable to save and lacking in power.)

Gal 5:1 "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage."

Gal 5:3 For I testify again to every man that is circumcised (i.e. one who tithes, keeps the sabbath and  the feasts, is circumcised, sacrifices animals, or keeps other points of the law) that he is a debtor to do the whole law.

Gal 5:9 A little leaven (from the law) leavens (pollutes) the whole lump (body).

Gal 3:10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse:
 for it is written (IN THE LAW!),
  Cursed is every one that continues not in all which are written in the book of the law to do them. 
And a little law (tithe/sabbath/etc.) leavens, vails, makes Christ no effect, brings one under the curse, etc....

Col 2:14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us (in the law), which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way,  nailing it to his cross;
16) Let no man therefore judge (to condemn) you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days [as given in the law]:
17) Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
(When Christ, the LIGHT comes, the shadow goes away.)

Gal 5:4 Christ is become of no effect to you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.
5) For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.
6) For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love. (Observing the law avails nothing, it is faith which justifies. Faith in Christ makes you complete and righteous, not the outward keeping of the law).

2 Cor. 3:7 But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones (the law), was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away:
8) How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?
9) For if the ministration of condemnation be glory (the law) , much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.

Phil 3:6  Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.

7) But what were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
8) Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung,

 that I may win Christ
9) And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law,
 but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith

10) For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect (no glory by the works of the law) , by reason of the glory that excels (the glory that is of faith).

11) For if that which is done away (the law) was glorious, much more that which remains is glorious.

12) Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech:

13) And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: (the law)

14) But their minds were blinded: for until this day remains the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; (law) which vail is done away in Christ.
 (By observing an OT law we veil the face of Christ)

Phil. 3:5 (Paul was) Circumcised on the eighth day (according to the law),
 of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; 
as touching the law, a Pharisee; 

1Tim. 1:9 Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers...

?? The law was made for who??

You see, for those who will be righteous in Christ, trying to keep a covenant that was done away makes Christ "of none effect".

And when we look at the sum of what scripture says about the OT law, we find words: "abolished", "disannulled", "done away", "counted loss", "Christ the end of the law", "that which decays", "vanish away", "blotting out the ordinances...", "to whom we gave no such command", "dead to the law through the body of Christ", "canceled" ....

The new covenant is for a spiritual people of God, not a letter people. "They that are led of the Spirit are the sons of God", not them that are led of the letter. "The letter killeth but the Spirit maketh alive."
We are righteous by faith in the scriptures and obedience to the terms of the New Covenant unto obedience.
To follow Christ is to learn of the Covenant He gave us as given through His holy apostles.

No one is to add to it or diminish ought from it under severe penalty. see our article
 "Only One Covenant" to learn more about what is given in our "better covenant".

(Some believe the Jews still have a relationship with God via the Old Testament and are saved by the Old Covenant)

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On the authority of the testimony of Paul who preached the same Gospel to BOTH Jews and gentiles:

   to the elders of the church at Ephesus he said:
Acts 20:19 Serving the LORD with all humility of mind, and with many tears, and temptations, which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews:

20) And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, (and he never once telling them they had to observe the law, keep sabbaths, tithing, feast attendance, hiring a pastor,  etc.) but have showed you, and have taught you publicly, and from house to house,

21) Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. (without putting either group back under the law)

There is ONE faith, and it is the same gospel to the same body made up of both Jews and gentiles.

Eph. 4:5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism,

Peter bore witness that Paul's writing to the churches was also scripture in 2 Peter 3:15,16. Luke, James, Peter, the church in Jerusalem all bore witness to Paul’s ministry, and verified his word to the church. 

1 Corinthians 14:37
If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write to you are the commandments of the Lord.

They will try to persuade you with crafty wrestling of scripture, if you are in doubt, please re-read these with PRAYER.