truthfrees,
1. The letter of the law is now the Spirit of the law. The glory of the old covenant was abolished and this is why Paul said Moses wore the veil over his face because the children of Israel could not stand to seeing the passing away of the glory of the law.
2. Paul said the old covenant was passing away in Hebrews 8:13 and this is why the old covenant had to be replaced by the new covenant.
3. The sacrifices have been done away with because Christ was the real sacrifice that replaced all the shadows and types and those ceremonial sacrifices were done away including divers washings etc. Colossians 2:14-15 and Hebrews 9:9-10.
4. The civil law is now for the disobedient according to Timothy 1 and if being a christian is who we are in Christ and being empowered by the Holy Spirit and his finished work then we should not be subdued by the law for we already keep it as a whole.
5. The moral law according to the Mosaic ethic was done away with because of the weakness of the commandment and the specific punishment under the blessing and cursing system of the Mosaic law. Romans 7 talks about the Law was holy and good but was taken advantage of by the law of sin and death and made them live to the frailty of man. This was Paul talking of life under the Mosaic law for in Romans 8 he said the law of the Spirit has done away with the law of sin and death that made them live to the frailty of man.
6. The new covenant was actually made with Israel and not the church as such.
Matthew 26:28: For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. Mark uses the same term, "the new testament". Luke uses the same term. Though the context maybe slightly different there is no doubt that the new covenant came in at Calvary. The new birth explained to Nicodemus was prophetic. Though Christ forgave sins then all was not completely official until Calvary and the blood was applied. The jews were saved by water the first time as shown by the Red Sea deliverance and the second time they would be delivered by the Spirit. This happened in the early church which was mostly jewish believers and according to the church age. So although the new covenant was offered to the jews officially and mostly about their promises of the kingdom the new testament can be seen as the new covenant and why the law had to be set aside.
7. The grafting in of the gentiles is not into Israel because the body of Christ is what we are baptized into. The jews today have to be grafted back in again. This does not effect them as being the natural branches anymore than gentiles being the branches. I say this because there is no replacement theology in any respect. Paul used this metaphor to show that the gospel of the oracles of God was originally with the jews.
Today, there is no jew or gentile in the church, no male or female etc.
8. As far as the jews calling as head of the nations and the law being put into their hearts will not happen until the millennial kingdom.
9. The Mosaic law was one unit and was only till the seed should come which was Christ and didn't really manifest until the cross.
10. I still believe that a jew can be a jew culturally. There is nothing wrong with dietary laws as long as one doesn't look to salvation for it. Even a gentile could abstain from pork because it is smart to do so to keep one healthy. However, since the old covenant was basically types and shadows and the reality has come then how does one reconcile to living the letter of the law vs. the spirit of the law.
The new covenant was built on better promises. Hebrews 8:6-7. 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. For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. How does one reconcile this and the others that show the old covenant passed away. According to this scripture there cannot be two covenants.
11. The big disagreement seems to be whether or not the whole covenant was done away with or just parts of it. Paul said in Romans people under the age of conscience would be judged by that law and the jews under the law of Moses will be judged by it and of course Christians will be judged according to their law under grace.
Matthew 5:17 says that Christ came to fulfill the law of Moses and this did happen. He did not destroy it because the abolishment was because it had reached its goal Romans 10:4. Verse 18 says till heaven and earth pass away one jot or one tittle shall not pass from the law. This was speaking of the law of Moses but it didn't stop there. The last phrase till all be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall not pass away is how full proof God's word was and how it would surely come to pass without doubt. Till all be fulfilled was talking about Jesus ministry as the Messiah in reference to the Kingdom of Heaven which he offered the jews and they rejected him.
Why is the jew more than upset about the law being done away with at Calvary when we have a covenant built on better promises? I ask this sincerely? Is it because it threatens their identification as a jew or make them feel inferior to the church or because they have the old mindset of proselyting gentiles? Does it make bad light on their history as a failed people? I don't believe it is a bad thing for it was the best God gave them at that time. God gave people in the ante diluvian age but we have more knowledge of revelation since then. Do you think they would have been offended because of the written law had taken over their law of conscience? I don't think the jews have to worry about an identification problem if they are being grafted back in to God. They will have their place again. No need to feel inferior of the church for they are to be a part of the church just like the early church of jews and gentiles when Peter finally got the vision.
Final question; how does a jew of today live the mosaic law? What is the whole essence of living the law? Just curious. Jerry kelso
I used to believe this way too until I saw what Yeshua said about the law in Matthew 5:17-19.
