In our last episode, we laid the theological foundation for a new covenant doctrine: Christ fulfilled the Law and ratified the new covenant, which opened a new way of relating to God apart from obedience to Torah. Now we will discuss a number of texts that sometimes confuse Christians into thinking the Law is still in effect today. We’ll cover Jesus’ obedience to Torah, several scriptures that imply the Torah is forever, the sabbath’s association with creation, and a number of prophecies that mention keeping aspects of the Law in the kingdom. Although, I realize these are not all of the texts and strategies that Torah-observant Christians use to make their case, these are some of the significant ones.
—— Notes ——
State the Doctrine Simply Because of Christ’s obedient life, atoning death, and justifying resurrection, he has opened a new way of relating to God via the new covenant. Thus, the old covenant (the Law of Moses) is obsolete for both Jews and Gentiles.
Texts that Support This Teaching Acts 15.23-29; Rom 2.25-29; 3.21-31; 4.13-16; 6.14-15; 7.1-7; 8.1-4; 13.8-10; 1 Cor 9.20-21; 2 Cor 3.1-18; Gal 2.14, 19-21; 3.10-29; 4.21-31; 5.1-6; 5.13-25; 6.15-16; Eph 2.11-19; 3.4-6; Col 2.11-17; Heb 7.11-12, 21-22; 8.4-13; 9.11-15; 10.8-22; 12.18-29
The Example/Teaching of Jesus Hebrews 4.15
15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.
in the context of Jesus’ life, sinless means he kept the Law
just b/c Jesus kept the law, doesn’t mean we should continue to keep it, especially if his whole mission was to open a new way for us to relate to God
Think of the generation that first received the Torah in the time of Moses. They were not free to continue living the old way if they wanted to relate to God through the new way Moses had delivered to them.
Numbers 15.32-36 (the guy who collected sticks on the Sabbath)
32 While the people of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day. 33 And those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation. 34 They put him in custody, because it had not been made clear what should be done to him. 35 And the LORD said to Moses, “The man shall be put to death; all the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp.” 36 And all the congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him to death with stones, as the LORD commanded Moses.
Matthew 5.17-20
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 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 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. 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
booster rocket analogy of N. T. Wright
Jesus did not abolish, but to fulfill the Law, but once he fulfilled it, a new way became available
what is a covenant? it’s a way God has set up to relate to him
all of Hebrews teaches that the new way is better he is a better mediator of the covenant than the angels (Heb 1)
he offers better salvation (Heb 2)
he is better than Moses as a son is better than a faithful servant (Heb 3)
his priesthood is better than Aaron’s b/c it’s after Melchizedek’s order (Heb 7)
his covenant is better than the old covenant b/c it has better promises (Heb 8)
his heavenly priestly service is better than priest’s earthly service (Heb 9)
his sacrifice is better than animal sacrifices b/c it was once for all and actually takes away sin (Heb 10)
Zion covenant is better than the Mt. Sinai covenant b/c it is unshakeable (Heb 12)
Galatians 3.24-25
24 So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian,
Luke 16.16-17
16 “The Law and the Prophets were until John; since then the good news of the kingdom of God is preached, and everyone forces his way into it. 17 But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one dot of the Law to become void.
…until Jesus finished his work, nothing could invalidate the Law
Perpetual Ordinances Exodus 29.27-28
27 And you shall consecrate the breast of the wave offering that is waved and the thigh of the priests’ portion that is contributed from the ram of ordination, from what was Aaron’s and his sons’. 28 It shall be for Aaron and his sons as a perpetual due from the people of Israel, for it is a contribution. It shall be a contribution from the people of Israel from their peace offerings, their contribution to the LORD.
Exodus 40.14-15 (cp. Lev 7.34, 36, 24.9; Num 10.8; 18.8, 11, 19, 23; 19.10; 25.13)
14 You shall bring his sons also and put coats on them, 15 and anoint them, as you anointed their father, that they may serve me as priests. And their anointing shall admit them to a perpetual priesthood throughout their generations.”
The vast majority of these “perpetual” texts relate to the Aaronic priesthood
However, we know that Christ’s priesthood has superseded the Aaronic priesthood
Hebrews 7.11-12 (change in priesthood)
11 Now if perfection had been attainable through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need would there have been for another priest to arise after the order of Melchizedek, rather than one named after the order of Aaron? 12 For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well.
Hebrews 7.23-28 (Jesus’ priesthood is superior to the Aaronic priesthood)
23 The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, 24 but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. 25 Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. 26 For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. 27 He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself. 28 For the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever.
Romans 3.31
31 Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.
overthrow (ESV) = nullify (NASB)
we don’t nullify the law, but we are able to relate to God apart from the law through Christ
Creation Genesis 2.2-3
2 And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. 3 So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.
God kept the Sabbath
the Sabbath is prior to Moses
if God Almighty rested on the 7th day, who do we think we are if we don’t rest?
Exodus 20.9-11
9 Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
the reason given for keeping the Sabbath is because God did it
this is true; God set an example by resting and he expected Israel to imitate that
However, we are no longer under this covenant, but under a new one where there’s more freedom
Colossians 2.16-17
16 Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. 17 These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.
Romans 14.4-6
4 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand. 5 One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God.
we should take seriously the wisdom of God in establishing the sabbath as a day off from work
if we overwork ourselves, we’ll have problems
however, the Sabbath was never about worship; it was about rest
in our culture many of us get the weekend off—two days of rest, a double sabbath!
Eschatological Observance Zechariah 14.16-21
16 Then everyone who survives of all the nations that have come against Jerusalem shall go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Booths. 17 And if any of the families of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, there will be no rain on them. 18 And if the family of Egypt does not go up and present themselves, then on them there shall be no rain; there shall be the plague with which the LORD afflicts the nations that do not go up to keep the Feast of Booths. 19 This shall be the punishment to Egypt and the punishment to all the nations that do not go up to keep the Feast of Booths. 20 And on that day there shall be inscribed on the bells of the horses, “Holy to the LORD.” And the pots in the house of the LORD shall be as the bowls before the altar. 21 And every pot in Jerusalem and Judah shall be holy to the LORD of hosts, so that all who sacrifice may come and take of them and boil the meat of the sacrifice in them. And there shall no longer be a trader in the house of the LORD of hosts on that day.
Isaiah 56.6-7
6 “And the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD, to minister to him, to love the name of the LORD, and to be his servants, everyone who keeps the Sabbath and does not profane it, and holds fast my covenant– 7 these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.”
Isaiah 66.23
23 From new moon to new moon, and from Sabbath to Sabbath, all flesh shall come to worship before me, declares the LORD.
Ezekiel 40.38-39 (cp. Eze 45.13-46.15 for specific offerings )
38 There was a chamber with its door in the vestibule of the gate, where the burnt offering was to be washed. 39 And in the vestibule of the gate were two tables on either side, on which the burnt offering and the sin offering and the guilt offering were to be slaughtered.
“The problem is easily solved if we view them as being COMMEMORATIVE rather than EFFICACIOUS. The sacrifices will be a memorial, just as communion is practiced today looking back. They will not be propitiation, or efficacious (they will have no power to redeem) but are a reminder of what took place.”[1]
[1] http://www.letusreason.org/Biblexp191.htm
—— Links ——
Listen to the previous episode to hear why the new covenant has made the old obsolete: Theology 23 — New Covenant
See Steve Gregg vs. Doug Batchelor debating whether or not Christians today need to keep the Sabbath
For more on this check out these episodes Interview 17: Will All Israel Be Saved? (Matthew Elton)
Interview 35: Should Messianic Jews Keep Torah? (Daniel Calcagno)
Interview 36: Paul and Covenantal Nomism (Jerry Wierwille)
Interview 37: A New Perspective on Galatians (Jerry Wierwille)
For the textbooks, check out the New Bible Dictionary and Greg Deuble’s They Never Told Me This in Church.
Also, listen to an interview with Deuble here.
See other episodes in this Theology Class
Find more Restitutio classes here
More information about Converge 2019
Intro music: Jazzy Frenchy by bensound.com. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
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