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Friday, April 8, 2011

The Old Testament Law and Us in 78 Verses








Galatians 5:9 - A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.
          The leaven here is adding a little law.

3  I testify again to every man that receiveth circumcision, that he is a debtor to do the whole (OT) law.
     4  Ye are severed from Christ, ye would be justified by the law; ye are fallen away from grace.

Simply put:
In case some are not clear on the New Testament in regard to the Old Testament laws and ordinances please carefully read what we are bound to and what we are loosed from. For many this is not an issue. For many, there is much confusion and some sects would bring you back under the law and a covenant God never made with Christians, either Jewish ones or gentile.

The following are NT verses to clarify Christians relationship to the laws of God as given in the Old Testament:
 (OT is used and abbreviated from the words, "OLD TESTAMENT")

Galatians 4:21 Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law......
What follows is verse after verse that the Spirit of God spoke through Jewish apostles.

How serious is this?   Do you want to be under curse?
Galatians 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 things which are written
in the book of the
(OT) law to do them.
5:18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the (OT) law.

Romans 10: 4   For Christ is the end of the (OT) law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
Romans 7:6     But now we have been discharged from the (OT) law, having died to that wherein we were held; so that we serve in newness of the spirit, and not in oldness of the (OT) letter.

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 (the OT LAW) ordinances?
14 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,  (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;  for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;

Hebrews
7:12 - For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.
8:7  For if that first covenant had been faultless (the OT law), then should no place have been sought for the second (Covenant).
  :8   For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord,
when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:
  :9  Not according to the covenant
(contained in the law)  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;
:13  In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old.
Now that
(the OT law) which decays and waxes old is ready to vanish away.

Why was it getting ready to to vanish away?
At the time the NT scriptures were written, the nation of Israel, the temple, and the OT priesthood still stood and outwardly functioned.  But Christ had already pronounced Jerusalem and the House of God there "desolate" and the Romans would come and wipe national Israel and the temple, off the map in 70 ad.

When that took place, it became IMPOSSIBLE to observe even a form of the OT law that required a temple, priesthood, sacrifices, feasts, tithing, and many other ordinances specifically required by God's OT laws, statutes, ordinances, and commands.

And so we read regarding the priesthood and sacrifices under the law:

Hebrews
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 holy day(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. "

The law was "the shadow", The Body of Christ is 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,
21 (Touch not; taste not; handle not;
22 Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?
23 Which things have indeed a show of wisdom in (self-) will worship

Paul appeared to go back to the law in Acts 21. (remember, the OT temple was still standing)

Acts 21:20 And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord, and said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the(OT)  law:
21 And they are informed of thee, that thou 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 What is it therefore?  the multitude must needs come together: for they will hear that thou art come.
23 Do therefore this that we say to thee:  We have four men which have a vow on them;
24 Them take, and purify thyself 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 thou thyself also walk orderly, and keep the
(OT)  law.

(which was in the process of “decaying” and “vanishing away” as the Jewish temple and nation had been “desolated” by Christ, but still existed at the time scripture was written)

 25 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.

But why would Paul appear to go back under the OT law?
He told us!
1st Corinthians 9:19     For though I was free from all men, I brought myself under bondage to all, that I might gain the more.
Here it is:
:20      
And to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain Jews;
to them that are under the law, as under the law,
not being myself under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law;

He went back under the OT law in order to lead his Jewish brethren out from it to Christ!

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

Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free,
and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.  (to the law)
: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 ye now made perfect by the flesh?
 ("perfect" meaning complete,in works of the flesh, by keeping the OT law the Lord abolished)

4:9  But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God
 how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements,  (the OT law)
 whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?  (the OT law)

5: Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.   (to the OT laws)

2Cor 3:7
But if the ministration of death
(the OT law), written and engraven in stones (the law), was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly 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
(th OT law)  be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.

10 For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth. 11 For
if that which is done away (the law) was glorious, much more that which remaineth (NT faith) 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 OT law)
 14 But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail  
(the OT law)
   
untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.              (By observing an OT law we veil the face of Christ)

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




Do you really want to be a debtor to do the *WHOLE law, as the law itself commanded?





5:9
   A little leaven (from OT law) leaveneth the whole lump.
3:10  For as many as are of the works of the (OT 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.

Just a little law such as tithing/sabbath/ dietary /feasts, etc., leavens, it veils, it makes Christ no effect, it brings us  under the curse, etc....

Paul testified of his very Jewish pedigree:

Phil. 3:5 Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;

6 Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
7 But what things were gain to me (the righteousness of the OT law),  those I counted loss for Christ.

Why would he count the OT law “loss”?
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,  (is) the righteousness which is of God by faith

Therefore Christ, in 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
;
15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
16  Let no man therefore judge 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.

Hebrews and the “BETTER COVENANT” than the Old one.

7:22   By so much was Jesus made a surety of
a better testament.  (the NEW one)
8:6     But now hath 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  (the OT law) had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.
8 For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:
9 Not according to the covenant (the law) 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 (OT) covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. 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:
 11 And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, 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 saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old  
(the law) .
Now
that which decayeth and waxeth old (the law) is ready to vanish away.

GAl. 5:4 Christ is become of no effect unto 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.

If any part of the law does not justify us, and was: Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances,"  then
WHY CONTINUE DOING THAT WHICH WAS ABOLISHED IN HIS FLESH,
which will cause you to be “fallen from grace”, brings you into  a “yoke of bondage”,   by which “shall NO flesh be justified”, and brings you “under a curse” for not “doing ALL things that are written in the law to do them”
?
addendum for those that may doubt me yet:

*the WHOLE law:
If you have even a FLICKER of doubt in your ability to keep, observe, and do ALL that is written in the law, please read carefully the following:
Does all really mean "all", when God said "do all", "keep all", "observe all"?

H3605 כּול כּלo
kôl kôl kole, kole From H3634; properly the whole; hence all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense): - (in) all (manner, [ye]), altogether, any (manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as many as, [no-] thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole, whoso (-ever).
Let's be clear about "all". כּול כּלo
I used the Gesinius lexicon.
Definition
:
all, the whole all, the whole of, any, each, every, anything, totality, everything
 
It was used in 4,221 verses.
 -No splitting hairs on this one, God meant "all" when He commanded "all"
.

And the penalty for breaking and not doing "all" the way He gave "all" in the laws, staututes, commandments, and ordinances" was often death and being "cut off" from Israel.
Exodus 15:26 and he said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of Jehovah thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his eyes, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases upon thee, which I have put upon the Egyptians: for I am Jehovah that healeth thee.
Leviticus 20:22 Ye shall therefore keep all my statutes, and all mine ordinances, and do them; that the land, whither I bring you to dwell therein, vomit you not out.
Deuteronomy 5:29 Oh that there were such a heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!
Deuteronomy 6:2 that thou mightest fear Jehovah thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son's son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged.
Deuteronomy 11:8 Therefore shall ye keep all the commandment which I command thee this day, that ye may be strong, and go in and possess the land, whither ye go over to possess it;
Deuteronomy 11:22 For if ye shall diligently keep all this commandment which I command you, to do it, to love Jehovah your God, to walk in all his ways, and to cleave unto him;
Deuteronomy 13:18 when thou shalt hearken to the voice of Jehovah thy God, to keep all his commandments which I command thee this day, to do that which is right in the eyes of Jehovah thy God.
Deuteronomy 17:19 and it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life; that he may learn to fear Jehovah his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them;





1 comment:

  1. Thank you for this, this only reinforces what I have seen and believed. Thank you for the insight on the "Leaven" makes since, I am reminded of the Scripture where Jesus told us to "Beware of the Leaven of the Pharisees" The Law! God bless

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