UNDERSTANDING THE LAW OF MOSES

You might wonder why I would write about the Law.  After all, didn't Jesus fulfill it, and so we are no longer under the Law of Moses?

    Well, Jesus fulfilling the Law is true, but Gentile (non-Jewish) believers were never under the Law, so they were never obligated to keep it.

    However, we can all still learn from the Law if we understand what is in it, and what it truly is.

The Law Is God's Word

We call it the Law of Moses, but Moses is not its author. He was only the messenger who delivered it to the Israelites.

    God is the author of the Law.   It is His Word.   It is also His will.

    The Law is spiritual. Rom. 7: 14.

    The Law is perfect. Psalm 19: 7.

    The Law is useful. 1 Tim. 1: 8 – 11.

    The only problem with the Law is not within the Law itself. Heb. 8: 8.

    The Law points to Christ. Gal. 3: 24.

    The Law was added to the Abrahamic covenant, but did not replace it. Gal. 3: 15 – 19.

    The Law was the core of the Mosaic covenant. Heb. 9: 19

    As God's Word, the Law has not, and it will never pass away. Matt. 5: 18.

    Jesus fulfilled the Law to establish a better covenant that brings salvation and righteousness through the New Birth. Matt. 5: 17. Heb. 8: 6.

What Is In The Law?

We can better understand the Law's nature by understanding what is in it.

    The law of Moses contains three kinds of law: moral, ceremonial, and governmental.

    The moral law, as expressed by the Ten Commandments and other commandments, describes personal righteous behavior.

    Because people have problems keeping the moral law, God included the ceremonial and governmental laws.

    The ceremonial laws allowed the people to have an ongoing relationship with God through the Old Covenant.  These laws covered the sanctuary (tabernacle/temple), the priesthood, the sacrifices, the feasts, the kosher diet, and requirements for ceremonial cleanness.   Heb. 9: 1.

    The governmental law protected society from man's moral shortcomings.  It covered the investigation of crimes, punishments for violations, quarantines, settlement of civil disputes, and government structure.

The Law Is About Love

You probably didn't expect that, did you? Just bear with me and I'll explain.

Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. For this, "YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, YOU SHALL NOT MURDER, YOU SHALL NOT STEAL, YOU SHALL NOT COVET," and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF." Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

(Rom. 13: 8-10 NAS)

For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF."

(Gal 5:13-14 NAS)

If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF," you are doing well.

(James 2:8 NAS)

    If love is the fulfillment of the Law, then the Law just might have something to do with love.  That looks more likely when you consider that the two greatest commandments are to love God and your neighbor. Matt. 22: 35 – 40.

    Now, consider that the Hebrew word for law, “Torah,” also means “instruction.”

    Conclusion: The Law is not just a moral code of behavior, it is God's instruction to spiritually dead people on how to walk in love.  God does have a nature of love, and He expressed that nature through the Law.

    Jesus fulfilled both the moral and ceremonial laws to qualify Himself as the only perfect sacrifice for us.  The moral law did not pass away; it remains as an indicator of man's need for redemption. The ceremonial law is no longer needed, but it can still teach us things about our relationship with God.   The governmental law remains as the best example for human government.

    Through the New Birth, we receive God's love nature, and the moral law is now written on our hearts.

Meditations on 1 & 2 John

After Philemon, I read the letters of John

1 John 12 NOV 08
The key verse in this letter is 4:11, for it ties together the two major themes of God's love for us and our love for each other. If God the Father did love us enough to send Jesus to die for us, then it naturally follows that we have experienced this love would have that same love for others.

1John 02 DEC 08
Ch. 3: 11 - 12 John tells us again to love one another and to not be like Cain. Cain slew Abel because Abel's deeds were good, and his own deeds were evil.

This tells us that Cain did evil before he murdered Abel. What evil did Cain do? He despised his brother. Why did Cain despise Abel? Pride. God accepted Abel's sacrifice and not Cain's. Cain also wanted to be accepted by God, but on his own terms. He wanted to be able to brag about his relationship to God. That is self-righteousness. So, the evil that Cain did included pride, envy, spite and self-righteousness before he added murder.

God accepted Abel's sacrifice because it was based on God's plan. When God dealt with Adam and Eve after the fall, He made clothes for them out of animal skins. That means that some animal had to give up its life. Its blood was shed to provide a covering for man. Abel recognized that any relationship between God and man must be based on blood. The only type of continuing relationship man can have with God must be a blood covenant.

1 John 12 DEC 08
Follow up on comments on 1 John 3: 11 - 12: The larger context is that those who are born again are marked by love for one another. To not love your brother is evil. Cain did not love Abel before he even killed his brother. That lack of love manifested as pride, self-righteousness, envy, and spite before it culminated in murder.

2 John 01 JAN 09
Notice verse 8: "Watch yourselves that you do not lose what we have accomplished..." This is obviously an appeal to protect yourself against regression, or going backwards spiritually. What might not stand out is that this appeal is made to individuals for the benefit of all.

"Watch yourselves" is an appeal to individuals because "self" refers to an individual, and "selves" means more than one individual. The "you" in this verse could refer to an individual or a group, but in this case it refers to both, because the admonition is to preserve "what we have accomplished."

John wrote this letter to "the chosen lady and her children." Scholars believe this was a way of addressing a church, or the Church in general. Either way, this gives us a picture of the Church as a group of individuals, but we are all interconnected by sharing of the same Spirit.

2 John 22 JAN 09
Notice verse 9: "Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God..." This verse confirms the pre-eminence of Christ, or the "Jesus Plus Nothing" teaching. Notice it does not say "teachings," but the "teaching of Christ." This refers not only to what Christ taught, but to teachings that focus on Him or are based on Him. I have often said that any teaching that cannot be related back to Jesus, or that you cannot use Him as an example of, is to be suspected as false.

Meditations on Philemon - Part 3

30 OCT 08
We can see from some of the things that Paul says that he must have met Philemon at some time in the past. This is interesting, because Paul had never been to Colossae before he wrote the letters to Colossae and Philemon. Philemon might have been part of the ministry team that started the church at Colossae. Paul did travel to through Laodicea, near Colossae, and Paul probably met Philemon there and converted him.

However their relationship came to be, Paul's letter is an example of how close friends can be even when separated by great distances. This letter is about Paul's relationship with Philemon as much as it is about Philemon's relationship with Onesimus.

01 NOV 08
In verse 19, when Paul puts into his own handwriting his pledge to cover an damages or loss caused by Onesimus, he does not say that he will pay, but that he will repay. Paul assumed the debt of of Onesimus as his own. This shows the depth of love and friendship Paul felt towards both men.

Meditations on Philemon - Part 2

27 OCT 08
Paul never refers to himself as a prisoner for Christ, but as a prisoner of Christ. He does this to show that he is always conscious of his "obligation" to Christ.

On the road to Damascus, Christ "captured" Saul and began to transform him into Paul. Saul was acting in rebellion to the Good News, so he was an outlaw, spiritually speaking, who needed to be arrested. In his letter to the Philippians, Paul states that he was apprehended (KJV) by Christ.

27 OCT 08
Paul's letter is not just addressed to Philemon. His greeting includes Apphia, Archippus, and the church that meets at Philemon's house. Paul probably included them in this letter because they too were harmed when Onesimus ran away.

Because Archippus is mentioned in Paul's letter to the Colossians, and is mentioned as being a minister, we know that these people lived in or near Colossae. Philemon must have owned an estate near Colossae, Apphia or Archippus lived with him, and he hosted or pastored a church that met at his house. Apphia and Archippus were probably relatives of Philemon. Apphia was most likely his wife, but could have been his mother or sister acting as the lady of the estate. Archippus was most likely Philemon's brother or son.

Onesimus could have been assigned to serve Apphia and Archippus, and so they would have been harmed when he ran away. If he was assigned domestic duties in the house,he could have been used to prepare the house for church meetings,and his loss would have harmed the church.

The lesson here is that the situation was not just about Paul, Philemon, and Onesimus. Apphia, Archippus, and the house church also needed to forgive Onesimus and accept him as a brother in Christ.

28 OCT 08
In verse 18, where Paul pledges to cover any loss to Philemon caused by Onesimus, commentators often state the possibility the slave might have stolen some money or other property from his master when he ran away. What we might not see is that Onesimus could have cause loss in other ways.

For one thing, his labor was not available to Philemon, and Philemon had to have someone else do that work: either someone hired, or a new slave, or the work given to other slaves and their workload increased as their productivity decreased. So Philemon had to pay the wages of a new hire, or the price of a new slave, or he lost money due to less output from his estate.

This pledge by Paul shows how much he loved both men!

This also shows us a picture of propitiation. As Paul pledged to satisfy the debt caused by Onesimus, so Jesus pledged His life to satisfy our debt of sin.

30 OCT 08
In verse 6, Paul prays " that the fellowship of your faith may become effective..." Notice that Paul did not say "fellowship of the faith..." Paul is talking about a fellowship based on a personal faith. Fellowship is also a sharing of resources and responsibilities as in a partnership.

Paul goes on to say that this fellowship becomes effective "through knowledge of every good thing" that is in Philemon "for Christ's sake." Paul is calling Philemon to remember the positive thing that Christ has placed in Philemon because of his faith, and these things were placed their for Christ's benefit. Of course, the most important thing Christ placed in Philemon is love, which he demonstrates by his treatment of the saints.

In short, Paul is telling Philemon to remember his faith in Christ, how that faith changed him, and how he treats other believers.

Meditations on Philemon - Part 1

After reading Jude, I moved on to Philemon.

14 OCT 08
One of the shortest books of the Bible, but a fairly well-known story:

Onesimus was a runaway slave who belonged to one of Paul's friends. He met or found Paul, who was in prison at the time. Paul led Onesimus to the Lord, then sent him back to his master. Paul's letter is a plea for Philemon to accept Onesimus back as a brother in the Lord, even as if he were Paul himself (v. 17), and not as a slave. Runaway slaves who were returned to their masters were often punished severely.

Paul as an apostle could have ordered Philemon to either grant Onesimus his freedom, give him as a gift to Paul (v.13), or to not punish him. But Paul knew that to do so would infringe on Philemon's free will given by God. If God would not override Philemon's free will, neither will Paul (v.14).

The key phrase in this book is in verse 9: "for love's sake." For love's sake, Paul appeals to his friend instead of using his authority to order him to do the right thing. Paul also knew of Philemon's love for the saints (v. 5), and he was sure that would not only do what he asked, but more than that!

15 OCT 08
An interesting thread in this book is the obligations that people have towards each other.

First, Paul reminds or informs Philemon that he (Paul) is in prison for his faith, and is a prisoner of Christ (v. 9). By stating this, I'm sure he reminded Philemon of his own obligation to Christ.

Paul also indicates that he could have kept Onesimus with him, but he felt an obligation to respect Philemon's choice (v.14).

Paul also recognizes that Onesimus has an obligation to Philemon, but offers to cover any loss that Philemon might have incurred by Onesimus' actions. He also reminds Philemon of the spiritual debt that he owes Paul (vs. 18 - 19).

The key lesson from this thread is: Which obligation is the most important? The obligation to love.

23 OCT 08
Most people might not know it, but Paul makes a pun in verses 10 and 11. In verse 10, he first mentions Onesimus, whose name means "useful." This was a common name for males born into slavery.

The pun comes in verse 11. Paul says that Onesimus, "Useful," was not useful when he ran away, but now he is Onesimus again because Paul led him to the Lord, and is sending him back to Philemon.

All too often, American Christians miss the humor in the Bible due to our not being acquainted with the languages and culture of the times and places of when and where it was written, and also due to the influence of religion that sees laughter as unholy or sinful.

24 OCT 08
To tie together previous entries, what we see in this letter is a balance between love, free will, and obligation.

God will never override man's free will, and neither must His servants. Despite having the authority to order Philemon to release Onesimus, Paul appeals to his friend on the basis of love.

People do have the ability to obligate themselves. Because Philemon was a believer, he chose to submit to the authorities in the Church.

What if Philemon had not been a believer? Once Paul found out his new convert was a runaway slave, he would have sent Onesimus back with a different message. Paul's letter then would have presented the Good News first, and might have appealed to Philemon to release Onesimus, or at least not punish him severely, on the basis of general morality.

Paul made his appeal because of the love of God he experienced. He appealed to the love of God that Philemon experienced as the reason for him to release Onesimus.

The obligations of love are stronger than the obligations of the law.

26 OCT 08
The depth of Paul's appeal to Philemon is seen in verses 7 and 20. In verse 7, Paul notes that Philemon, acting in love, refreshed the hearts of the saints. In verse 20, Paul asks Philemon to refresh his heart. In other words, show me the same love you show to other Christians in your area.