Love Fulfills the Law
Rom 13:8-10 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet," and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself." (Lev 19:18) Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
Concerning love, that is a debt which can never be fully paid off. The obligation remains forever. There are relationships based upon an enlightened self-interest in which one does good to another so that those other person may feel obligated to reciprocate. But that's not love. Jesus said, "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ lend to ‘sinners,’ expecting to be repaid in full. Love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back." Luke 6:32-35
The particular commands he's pointing out have to do with our social relationships. And while the overriding principle of the law with regards to such relationships is to love your neighbor as if he were you, another way of viewing this is to make it one's intention to do no harm to one's neighbor. Each prohibition of the commandments have to do with not bringing harm to one's neighbor. That is clear from "Do no commit adultery", "Do not murder" , "Do not steal", but even coveting a neighbor's property apparently does the neighbor harm.
This gives us a way to view the, approximately, 500 particular regulations of the law of Moses. Each has to do with not harming one's neighbor, but rather doing good to one's neighbor. If we embrace the general principle, there is no need to impose regulations upon us. For love fulfills the law.
The Berean Christian Bible Study Resources
Rom 13:8-10 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet," and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself." (Lev 19:18) Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
Concerning love, that is a debt which can never be fully paid off. The obligation remains forever. There are relationships based upon an enlightened self-interest in which one does good to another so that those other person may feel obligated to reciprocate. But that's not love. Jesus said, "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ lend to ‘sinners,’ expecting to be repaid in full. Love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back." Luke 6:32-35
The particular commands he's pointing out have to do with our social relationships. And while the overriding principle of the law with regards to such relationships is to love your neighbor as if he were you, another way of viewing this is to make it one's intention to do no harm to one's neighbor. Each prohibition of the commandments have to do with not bringing harm to one's neighbor. That is clear from "Do no commit adultery", "Do not murder" , "Do not steal", but even coveting a neighbor's property apparently does the neighbor harm.
This gives us a way to view the, approximately, 500 particular regulations of the law of Moses. Each has to do with not harming one's neighbor, but rather doing good to one's neighbor. If we embrace the general principle, there is no need to impose regulations upon us. For love fulfills the law.
The Berean Christian Bible Study Resources
