- Jun 28, 2018
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You need to keep the law (free will) and grace (purely a gift of salvation, no strings attached) separate.Paul was not referring to all forms of Law (like the commandments of Jesus). If Paul attacked the words of Jesus and the doctrine according to godliness, he would be proud and he would know nothing according to his own statement in 1 Timothy 6:3-4.
So why did Paul appear to speak negatively of the Law sometimes?
Paul was fighting against "Circumcision Salvationism" (Which is Law Alone Salvationism without God's grace); (Note: Circumcision is a part of the 613 Laws of Moses, i.e. the Old Law, and not the New Law).
In fact, a certain sect of Jews were trying to deceive some Christians into thinking they had to first be circumcised in order to be saved. This was a heresy that was clearly addressed at the Jerusalem council (See Acts of the Apostles 15:1, Acts of the Apostles 15:5, Acts of the Apostles 15:24). Paul also addressed this problem; Paul said to the Galatians that if you seek to be circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing (Galatians 5:2), and then Paul mentions how if you seek to be justified by the Law, you have fallen from grace (Galatians 5:4). This "law" is the Torah (or the 613 Laws of Moses) because circumcision is not a part of the commands given to us by Jesus and His followers. Yes, certain commands have been repeated by our Lord, but the New Covenant commands (i.e. New Testament commands) are not exactly like those of the Old Testament Law of Moses (the 613). Hebrews 7:12 says that the Law has changed.
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