Tuesday 31 December 2013

Did Paul Keep the Law?

Paul was able to live the Christian life without breaking Moses' Law, without offending Gentiles and without breaking Roman law.

And he encouraged all believers to avoid needlessly offending anyone.

The Jews didn't really expect Gentiles to keep Moses' Law.

The Church didn't expect Gentiles to keep Moses' Law either.

But Paul himself, being a Jew, didn't break Moses' Law.

He became all things to all men, that he might win some.

He became as under the law to those who were under the Law, and as without law to those who were without the Law.

He believed that the Levitical priesthood and everything related to it, was passing away.

And it did pass away.

Jesus had implied that it would, when He said that the true worshippers would no longer worship in Jerusalem, but in spirit and in truth.

So although Paul didn't offend against Moses' Law, he didn't expect Gentile believers to keep it, and he also foresaw a time when even Jews would no longer keep it.

And today no Jews keep Moses' Law.

It's impossible to today, since the destruction of the Temple and of the Levitical records.

Modern Judaism is not Moses' Law.  It's a poor substitute for it, seeing the Jews did not embrace what the Law promised, which is Christ.

Modern Jews and Gentiles can't and don't need to keep the Law.

But we can still try not to offend modern Jewish customs and laws, just like we can try not to needlessly offend any Gentile nation's customs and laws - so that by any means we might win some.

But keeping modern Jewish customs and laws is not the same as keeping Moses' Law, no matter how much it looks like Moses' Law.


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