JESUS ABOLISHED THE LAW:
HE REPLACED IT BY REVEALING
TO PAUL THE GRACE GOSPEL!
JESUS ABOLISHED THE LAW:
HE REPLACED IT BY REVEALING
TO PAUL THE GRACE GOSPEL!
JAN LILLEBY
That particular action taken by God and Christ – abolishing the Law – is found in Eph. 2:14-16, NASB,
“For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall,
15 by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace,
16 and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity.”
(My emphasize)
This action taken by Christ, happened as He was crucified in 28 CE, but actually kept secret during the time of Acts. But revealed firstly to Paul right before he wrote Ephesians and Colossians in 63-67 CE.
He was writing this as he was in jail in Carcere Mamertino in Rome.
Jesus had to abolish it before He could create the Body of Christ, the ‘One new Man’. This means that the Church, the ‘One new Man’ did NOT exist before He abolished the Law and ordinances mentioned in verse 15, quoted above.
Many Christians falls into confusion over this statement from Paul, the apostle to us – the Gentiles.
How?
Well, as one read that passage many think that “…wow! …from now on we can do whatever we want to. The law cannot get to us. Let’s go and have a party…at the bar, or the pub or where ever we can throw ourselves into” ….well, you get the gist of it! Now we can rob the banks and we can cheat on taxes or whatever!!
But God, doing away with the Law with its commandments and ordinances, never meant that now everything is legal.
Paul’s teaching to us, the Body of Christ, shall have nothing of the sort.
Simply because He had the Law/commandments/ordinances REPLACED by an entirely new arrangement: The free Grace Gospel of Paul, the Mystery body of saints consisting of both Jews and Gentiles into one body by faith in Jesus.
The Law of Moses said: Thou shall not steal, thou shall not commit murder, …thou shall NOT…and thou SHALL ….and so on.
The morale/ethics found in the Law is still kept in all civilized nations, and will have criminal elements thrown in jail if they break the law of that nation. The police will take you down, for sure. The Law of Moses was not written to Gentiles at all, Rom. 2:14.
When studying Col. 2:13-17, we find Paul’s explicit teaching of how this works, NASB,
“When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions,
14 having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
15 When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.
16 Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day-
17 things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.”
These few written words of Paul are enough to bring down all Adventist groups in Christendom! A clear word from God that Sabbath and food and holiday ordinances are out! This was for the Acts body of believers, mainly the Jews and their proselytes who came to faith in Jesus 28 – 62 CE.
To find out what is the correct doctrine for the Mystery body, the ‘One new Man’ to which Christ is Head, we have to follow Paul’s teaching in Ephesians and Colossians. No other message has valid authority for the Body of Christ.
The morale and ethical doctrine in the Grace Gospel, shines through as we read Eph. 5:5-16, NASB,
“For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
7 Therefore do not be partakers with them;
8 for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light
9 (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth),
10 trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.
11 Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them;
12 for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret.
13 But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light.
14 For this reason it says, "Awake, sleeper, And arise from the dead, And Christ will shine on you."
15 Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise,
16 making the most of your time, because the days are evil.”
I have mentioned this in several of my latest articles in this web site.
CONFUSION BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO
MAKE RIGHT DIVISION OF THE BIBLE
When an average regular Christian read the Bible, on the topic of Christ having abolished the Law, they mostly think that the Law was not abolished: It can be seen in Acts that it was observed by the apostles and their followers.
I already wrote above, that Christ kept this truth secret during Acts period, but had it revealed to Paul when he was in the Roman jail 63-67 CE.
Here is a quote from Paul on this, Eph. 3:1-4, NASB,
“For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles -
2 if indeed you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace which was given to me for you;
3 that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief.
4 By referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ,”
The very same revelation of The Mystery, is found also in Col. 1:25, 26.
Before this was revealed to Paul, nobody in the entire world had any knowledge of that divine Mystery, - the fact that Christ abolished the Law already back at the cross in 28 CE, thirty four years before He had this revealed to His servant Paul for us Gentiles!
It was even hidden from Peter and the eleven as well. Peter never was an apostle to the Church; he was chosen to go to Israel only. Where was the twelve found, geographically, during Acts period?
Luke 24:50-53, NASB, placed them in Jerusalem and Judea, saying:
“And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them.
51 While He was blessing them, He parted from them and was carried up into heaven.
52 And they, after worshiping Him, returned to Jerusalem with great joy,
53 and were continually in the temple praising God.”
And in Acts 5:12, Luke wrote,
“At the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were taking place among the people; and they were all with one accord in Solomon's portico.” (The portico was in the temple site, Jerusalem!)
Acts 21:18-20 confirms the observing of the Law clearly, NASB,
“And the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present.
19 After he had greeted them, he began to relate one by one the things which God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.
20 And when they heard it they began glorifying God; and they said to him, "You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed, and they are all zealous for the Law;”
(My emphasize)
This was in 58 CE as Paul just had arrived Jerusalem to make it to the Pentecost holyday.
Everybody in the Messianic assembly in Jerusalem observed the Law…in a zealous manner!! Meaning, the Law was part of the regular basic doctrine of faith among the apostles. Paul included, since we learn that he took upon himself the nazi-rite of 7 days fasting, verses 21-24, so to confirm to all Jews that he was indeed observing the Law in all truth.
But if a Bible reader stops at Acts 21 and the passages witnessing of the observance of the Law, he is certainly bound to get confused.
For in Biblical timeline it is the Ephesians as well as Colossians which continue the line post Acts. And these two epistles tell of an abolishment of the Law and ordinances, as it was replaced by the free Grace Gospel of Paul; through the said REVELATION.
In which Paul clearly declares, Eph. 2:8, 9, NASB,
“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;
9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
Gracepano.com
