The council argues that all Christians - Jews and Gentiles are hearing Moses read every Sabbath in the Synagogues.
In Acts 13, 17, 18 we see that very thing happening - BOTH Jews AND gentiles in the synagogues every Sabbath.
It's strange that sin is the central problem for all the saints, but they express no desire for relief. Abraham wants an heir, Isaac a wide and Jacob protection from Esau. God always emphasizes how they will be blessings to the world. God and the saints seem to talk past each other!
However, the first covenant that God makes with Israel is called Law. In agreements, contracts, covenants, treaties, the beneficiaries receive products or services in return for meeting the requirements of their side of the agreement. The benefit is normally the name of the agreement: this peace treaties, rent agreements, etc. You lay down your arms, you get peace. Youse pays your rent, you get a house on hire.
Christ said "
Abraham saw my day and was glad" John 8.
Paul said '
the Gospel was preached to Abraham" Gal 3:7
Paul said in 1Cor 10 that they "
all drank from the same Spiritual Rock and that Rock was Christ"
Paul said in Heb 4:1 "
The GOSPEL was preached to US just as it was to THEM also"
The NEW Covenant is in the OLD Testament - Jer 31:31-33
Romans 4 - Abraham is the father of all those who believe God
Heb 11 Noah pursued "
Righteousness which is by faith"
Heb 11 - OT saints like Enoch and Elijah - taken directly to heaven without dying
In the case of Sinai, the benefit is the protection of the law. The law is a guardian until Christ was sent.
No text says that.
2 Salvation in the covenant of law was by believing God, saying his law was good, by doing his law. Faith, high fidelity (hi-fi!) led to protection by the law. The doers of the law were found righteous, justified. Notice I said doers, not those meeting its righteous requirements, because no one was righteous, not even one.
Faith in the coming Messiah - the Lamb of God, the sin offering pointing to Christ (Messiah).
"
Christ our Passover has been sacrificed" 1Cor 5
Rom 2 "
it is not the HEARERS of the Law that are just before God but the DOERS of the LAW Will be justifIED... on the day when according to my GOSPEL God will judge"
See, the Gentiles were justified, because their consciences convicted them of their sin and they were broken and God lifted them up.
As we see with all the Jews listed in Heb 11
Israel was puffed up because she possessed the law, she was not convicted and remained unjustified. Possessing the law was a hindrance, a stumbling block!
Romans 2:13For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified.
True -
Rom 2
. 26 Therefore, if an
uncircumcised man keeps the righteous requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be
counted as circumcision? 27 And will not the physically uncircumcised, if he fulfills the law, judge you who,
even with
your written
code and circumcision,
are a transgressor of the law? 28 For
he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; 29 but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise
is not from men but from God.
Summary
The benefit of the old covenant of law was the protection of the law, obtained by believing God through His statement of his requirements at Sinai for Israel and believing their conscience for Gentiles. Yes if the Gentile met the requirements of the law, FAITH, BELIEF, would God not treat them as if they possessed the law and were under covenant? You betcha!
Romans 2 is under the "Gospel" the New Covenant.
No NT text says anyone is saved under the Old Covenant. All are lost under it - it is the "Covenant of death" 2Cor 3.
All the Gospel preached in the OT - was the NEW covenant Gospel.
Gal 1:6-9 - there is only ONE Gospel.
Gal 3:7 - the Gospel was preached to Abraham.
in Christ,
Bob
