A418 : by Tony Garland 
This is a large topic with some complexity when you press into the details. Nevertheless, evidence that the Law of Moses has been done away with as a rule of life is overwhelming, as is evident from the following passages.
Key Passages
In canonical order:
| Passage | NKJV | Comments |
|---|
| Jeremiah 31:31-33 | 31 "Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah- 32 "not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the LORD. 33 "But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. (Jeremiah 31:31-33) | Israel's (indeed,mankind's) inability to keep the law is THE BIG PROBLEM which necessitates God establishing a new covenant, not based on external performance, but on internal transformation. |
| Romans 6:13-15 | 13 And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. 15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! (Romans 6:13-15) | We are not under law (evaluated by performance) but under grace (obtain God's unmerited favor, despite our failures). There would be no reason for Paul to ask, "shall we sin because we are not under law" if believers were still subject to the law. |
| Romans 10:1-4 | 1 Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. 2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. (Romans 10:1-4) | Jews who reject Jesus still seek to be justified before God by their performance—seeking to establish their own righteousness. But Christ is the end (telos): fulfillment, culmination1) of the law as a means of righteousness, having been superseded by faith on the part of those who believe. |
| 2 Corinthians 3:7-11 | 7 But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away, 8 how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? 9 For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory. 10 For even what was made glorious had no glory in this respect, because of the glory that excels. 11 For if what is passing away was glorious, what remains is much more glorious. (2 Corinthians 3:7-11) | The law, which Paul refers to as "the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones," and "the ministry of condemnation," and states that it "is passing away". That which remains is the ministry of righteousness—the new covenant (2Cor. 3:6). |
| Galatians 2:15-21 | 15 "We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, 16 "knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified. 17 "But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is Christ therefore a minister of sin? Certainly not! 18 "For if I build again those things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. 19 "For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God. 20 "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. 21 "I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain." (Galatians 2:15-21) | We are justified by faith in Christ, not by works of the law. The law brought death in that it exposes our inability to live righteously. If we seek righteousness through the law, not only did Christ die in vain (there was no need for his cross-work), but we would not need God's grace (unmerited favor) to gain His acceptance. |
| Galatians 3:21-25 | 21 Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law. 22 But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. 23 But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. 24 Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. (Galatians 3:21-25) | The law could not give life (because of human inability to keep it). The law served as a tutor to bring us (to the end of ourselves and) to Christ that we would find justification through faith in Christ—the perfect law keeper on our behalf. "After faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor" (the law). |
| Colossians 2:13-17 | 13 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, 14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 15 Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it. 16 So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, 17 which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ. (Colossians 2:13-17) | Christ's work on the cross "wiped out" the "handwriting of requirements that was against us" (the law). It has been taken out of the way, "nailed to the cross". This is how He disarmed principalities and powers—their chief being Satan (diabolos), the accuser of the brethren (Rev. 12:10). If we are still subject to the law, then Satan still has ammunition against us—our failure to keep the law. Also see the related passage at Ephesians 2:11-16. |
| Hebrews 7:14-19 | 14 For it is evident that our Lord arose from Judah, of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood. 15 And it is yet far more evident if, in the likeness of Melchizedek, there arises another priest 16 who has come, not according to the law of a fleshly commandment, but according to the power of an endless life. 17 For He testifies: "You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek." 18 For on the one hand there is an annulling of the former commandment because of its weakness and unprofitableness, 19 for the law made nothing perfect; on the other hand, there is the bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God. (Hebrews 7:14-19) | Jesus is associated with a different priesthood, tribe, and covenant (Melchizedek, Judah, New) than Moses (Aaronic, Levi, Old or Mosaic). The former commandment (Law of Moses) is annulled, because of of its weakness and unprofitableness—being unable to make "nothing perfect" because of the inability of man to keep it. Believer's are united with Jesus, not Moses. |
| Hebrews 8:6-13 | 6 But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises. 7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. 8 Because finding fault with them, He says: "Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah— 9 "not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them, says the LORD. 10 "For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 11 "None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them. 12 "For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more." 13 In that He says, "A new covenant," He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away. (Hebrews 8:6-13) | Jesus is the mediator of a better covenant—the New Covenant—which was necessitated by the inability of man to keep the Law of Moses. The New Covenant "has made the first (the Mosaic Covenant) obsolete," even "ready to vanish away." |
Inability to Keep the Law
The entire thrust of the New Covenant—indeed the work of Christ—is predicated on the inability of mankind, due to our fallen condition, to obey God. If we think we are keeping the Ten Commandments, we are deceived (e.g., the rich young man, Mat. 19:16-22; Mark 10:17-22).
Even if we could keep the Ten Commandments by our external actions, our internal motivation falls short, a point which Jesus emphasized, 20 For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:20). . . . 27 You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not commit adultery.' 28 But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart (Matthew 5:27-28).
Not only that, the Law of Moses includes a myriad of additional "do's and don'ts" beyond the "big ten"—the rabbis count 613 Mitzvot (Commandments)a.
Nor can we find solace in dividing the law into categories in a misguided attempt to "divide and conquer," by restricting ourselves to a subset.3
One of the problems with this view is that no verses show that Paul divided the Law of Moses into ceremonial, civil, penal, and moral codes. Paul categorically stated that the Decalogue kills and that the Sinaitic Covenant was a covenant of death (2Cor. 3:6-7). Gentiles cannot simply pick and choose within the Mosaic Law what they want to obey (Gal. 5:2-3)."4
Moo observed, 'Of Paul’s 119 uses of nomos, none occurs in the plural. . . . [T]his statistic should be regarded as significant: Paul discusses the law as a single entity rather than a series of commands.' Therefore, if the law is an indivisible unit, it follows that there is a certain “all or nothing” quality about it. This understanding of the law as a unit is supported by at least three New Testament texts [Mat. 5:19; Gal. 5:8; Jas. 2:10]."5
It is useless to claim that it was the judgments and ordinances that were done away and that the commandments abide, since it is that which was "written and engraven in stones" which is said to have been "done away" and "abolished" (2 Cor. 3:11, 13). Nor is the situation relieved for those who claim that the law has ceased as a means of justification; for it was never that, nor could it be (Gal. 3:11).6
Paul recognized the folly of placing oneself back under the law, 21 Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law? (Galatians 4:21)
Galatians and the Jerusalem Council The central question of the Book of Galatians deals with the relationship of salvation, faith, the law, and the expectations of Jewish believers concerning Gentile believers in the fledgling church. 1 . . . certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved" (Acts 15:1). This eventually led to a meeting known as The Jerusalem Council where the apostles and elders gave their judgment on the matter. Peter summarized their conclusion: 10 "Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? 11 "But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they." (Acts 15:10-11).
They sent the following instructions back by letter, 28 . . . it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: 29 that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell (Acts 15:28-29). These "necessary things" were intended to facilitate fellowship between believing Gentile's who lacked familiarity with the Law of Moses, and believing Jews who observed the Law of Moses.
For a more in-depth treatment of this passage, see my presentations: Guarding the Gospel (Acts 15:10-11)b and Guidelines for Fellowship (Acts 15:12-31)c
Freedom to Observe the Law As we've seen, the instructions given at the Jerusalem Council were primarily for Gentile believers. Although no believer is beholden to the Law of Moses, Jewish believers were still free to observe the law, if they so choose. This finds further support in Acts 28:18-28. Upon returning to Jerusalem from the missionary field, James informs Paul that Jews who were zealous for the law were misinformed as if Paul was teaching Jewish believers to forsake (the Law of) Moses. 20 You see, brother, how many myriads of Jews there are who have believed, and they are all zealous for the law; . . . but they have been informed about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs (Acts 21:20-21).
Paul had made a Nazirite vow (Num. 6:13-17) during his missionary journey, having had his hair cut off in Cenchrea (Acts 18:18) and was now advised to pay the costs for four men who had also taken the vow and to go through the purification ceremony with them (Acts 21:23-26 cf. Num. 6:5). This would demonstrate that he was not against the freedom of his fellow Jews to continue to observe aspects of the Old Testament law. By being purified with these men, the elders wanted Paul to demonstrate, 24 . . . that you yourself also walk orderly and keep the law (Acts 21:24). "Keep" here is from φυλάσσω [phylassō], “keep a law, etc., from being broken, hence observe, follow . . . Ac 7:53; Ac 21:24”7, “live in observance of” (ESV).
In summary, while Gentile believers are free from observing the Law of Moses, Jewish believers are free to observe the Law of Moses.
Dangers of Observing the Law Although believers are free to observe the Law of Moses, there are some caveats to bear in mind.
For one, scripture—and our experience—teaches that our fallen nature tends to respond with rebellion, whenever emphasis is placed upon rule-keeping.
6 But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter. 7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, "You shall not covet." 8 But sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all manner of evil desire. For apart from the law sin was dead. 9 I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died. 10 And the commandment, which was to bring life, I found to bring death. 11 For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me. 12 Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good. 13 Has then what is good become death to me? Certainly not! But sin, that it might appear sin, was producing death in me through what is good, so that sin through the commandment might become exceedingly sinful. (Romans 7:6-13)
As evidence, consider the numerous scandals associated with legalistic religious practices (e.g., sexual scandals associated with forced celibacy).
Another danger of observing the law is our tendency to become prideful when comparing ourselves other believers who do not observe the same practices (e.g., "keeping" the so-called "Christian sabbath", ceremonies, feasts, etc.). In our own zeal for observance, we need to take care not to impose our own practices on fellow believers who are completely free to do otherwise.
The Law Informs Christian Living While believers are not under the law, this does not mean that the law is irrelevant. The law itself is good and was the rule of life for the theocracy of Israel for hundreds of years. As such, it has much to tell us concerning right-living and how far short we fall in relation to our Holy God (Gal. 3:24). Even so, we must be careful to distinguish that which was given to a specific nation (Israel) during a specific period (prior to the cross) from our marching orders today as the Church.
This is one of the dangers of Christian Nationalism, which tends to read Scripture without sufficient attention to historical context, seeking to impose the Law of Moses upon secular societies during the Church Age. Doing so would misapply the death penalty for failure to keep the Sabbath (Ex. 31:14), cursing one's parents (Ex. 21:17), or exercising freedom of conscience (Deu. 17:2-7)—among numerous other infractions which governed the theocracy of Israel.8
When it comes to "keeping a law" today, believers are to “to fulfill the law of Christ” (Gal. 6:2 cf. Rom. 13:8-10; 1Cor. 9:21; Jas. 1:25; 2:12).
Summary of the Law Having received numerous questions on this topic over the years, I've developed a summary of aspects of the law to help inform our Christian walk.
Since the ‘law’ is based upon the Mosaic Covenant, it is important to understand the relationship between the different covenants of Scripture and their application to Israel and to believers, the ‘sons of Abraham’ by faith (Gal. 3:7).
- The Old (Mosaic) Covenant was conditional and was broken by Israel. (Jer. 31:32).
- In response, the New Covenant was made with the same people as the Mosaic Covenant — Israel (Jer. 31:32-33).
- The covenants given to Israel which remain in effect include the Priestly Covenant (Num. 25:10-13; 1Chr. 23:13; Jer. 33:18-21; Eze. 40:46; 43:19; 44:15), the Abrahamic Covenant (Gen. 12:1-3; 15) and the three covenants which spring forth from it: the Land Covenant (Ex. 6:4; Deu. 29:1-12), the Davidic Covenant (2S. 7:8-17; 1Chr. 17:9-16; Ps. 89:19-51; 132:10; Luke 1:32-33), and the New Covenant (Jer. 31:31-40; Mat. 26:28; Mark 14:24; Luke 22:14-20; Rom. 11:26-27).
- The Old Covenant is obsolete and vanishing away (Heb. 8:13). People of faith are no longer under it (Heb. 9:10; Gal. 3:25; 5:18).
- Salvation is by faith based on participation in the Abrahamic Covenant — which preceded the Mosaic Covenant and was not annulled by it (Gal. 3:7-18). Gentiles participate in the blessing of Abraham (Gen. 12:3) via faith in Christ (Gal. 3:8,14) who fulfilled the law (Mat. 5:17).
- Gentiles were initially strangers from the covenants (plural), having no hope and without God. Christ abolished in His flesh the law of commandments (the Mosaic Covenant), which separated Jews from Gentiles, creating one new man from the two — the Church (Eph. 2:12-15). Through Christ, both Jewish and Gentile believers mediate and participate in the New Covenant.
- The law was meant to expose our sin (Rom. 3:19; 5:20; 7:7), guide us, and point us to Christ (Gal. 3:19-25).
- The law is an all-or-nothing proposition. Those who would seek to be justified by the law have become estranged from Christ (Gal. 3:10; 5:3-4; Jas. 2:10).
- Although believers are free to observe the law, caution is advised to avoid arousing the flesh (Rom. 7:9-11), becoming prideful, or requiring others to do the same (Col. 2:16).
- No one has ever been justified (declared righteous) by the law (Gal. 3:11). Justification has always been by faith in God based on the work of Christ (Gen. 15:6; Gal. 3:6).
- Believers are now subject to the law of Christ, the law of the Spirit (Rom. 8:2; 1Cor. 9:21; Gal. 6:2; Jas. 1:25; 2:12).
If we mistakenly attempt to keep the law, we underestimate the seriousness of the fall and its affect upon the human condition. We fail to appreciate our need of grace9 and faith10 for salvation. As Paul forcefully wrote, we risk becoming “estranged from Christ” (Gal. 5:3-4).
Endnotes:
| 1. | “Christ has brought the law to its culmination and thereby made righteousness available to everyone who believes.” Ref-1629, 636 | | 2. | Ref-0197, p. 126 | | 3. | “The Law is an organism and therefore an indivisible unity.”2 | | 4. | Ref-0200, Femi Adeyemi, The New Covenant Law and the Law of Christ, Volume 163 Number 652, October-December 2006, 438:452, p. 445 | | 5. | Ref-0785, Bruce A. Baker, The Dangers of Kingdom Ethics, Part III: Theonomy, Progressive Dispensationalism, and Social-Political Ethics, vol. 21 No. 63, Autumn 2017, 133-156, pp. 141-142 | | 6. | Ref-1518, p. 49 | | 7. | Ref-0334, p. 868 | | 8. | Notice that fornicators, adulterers, homosexuals, and sodomites—all subject to the death penalty within the theocracy of Israel—are not subjected to capital punishment in Paul's letter to the church at Corinth (1Cor. 6:9-11). | | 9. | Unmerited favor. | | 10. | Trust in the work of Jesus on our behalf rather than our own behavior. |
Sources:
| Ref-0197 | Erich Sauer, The Dawn Of World Redemption (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdman's Publishing Company, c1964, 1951). | | Ref-0200 | Roy B. Zuck, ed., Bibliotheca Sacra (Dallas, TX: Dallas Theological Seminary, n.d.). [www.dts.edu]. | | Ref-0334 | Arndt, W., Gingrich, F. W., Danker, F. W., & Bauer, W. A Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament and other early Christian literature (Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 1996, 1979). | | Ref-0785 | Journal of Dispensational Theology, Fort Worth, TX: Tyndale Theological Seminary. [www.tyndale.edu]. | | Ref-1518 | Lewis Sperry Chafer, Dispensationalism (Dallas, TX: n.p., 1951). | | Ref-1629 | Douglas J. Moo, The Epistle to the Romans (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. Be. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1996). ISBN:978-0802823175d. |
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