Which Law did Christ nail to His cross?
Some say it was not Moses' Law, but sin and death - our guilt - our accusation - which was nailed to the cross.
Others say it was the traditions of man that were nailed to the cross.
Let's have a look at it:
Some writers argue it was not Moses' Law.
My thoughts:
1. Sin and death were not written, and they were not ordinances. Moses' Law was written and it consisted of ordinances.
2. Man-made, non-Torah commandments would not have required the cross in order to be taken away, seeing they were considered non-binding to Christ. But Moses' Law was binding and therefore required nothing less than the cross in order to be taken away.
3. As someone once said, Whenever there's a 'therefore', find out what it's there for. The word 'therefore' links verse 16 (where certain requirements of Moses' Law are listed) with the previous verses. This seems to serve to identify Moses' Law as the subject.
4. Similar words are found in Ephesians 2:11-16. No mention of man-made traditions is mentioned, but the Old Covenant Law is implied.
Therefore I feel it's likely that it was Moses' Law that Christ nailed to His cross.
The Law, by its own clauses, excluded Gentiles. Therefore if Gentiles were to become the people of God, the Law would need to be annulled. Christ met the demands of the Law once-for-all on the cross, for us Gentiles, thereby removing the barrier. From then on Gentiles became the people of God without any requirement to keep the Law.
The Law was also a barrier to Jews, because of the sinful nature. Christ fulfilled the Law once-for-all on the cross, thus making a New Covenant with the house of Israel, by which He gave them a new heart, a new spirit, putting His Spirit in them, and causing them to walk in His ways. Thus the Jews were able to be made true Jews - inwardly - truly made the the Israel of God - without the Old Covenant Law being the means nor an ongoing requirement.
And a short time later it became impossible for the Jews to continue keeping the Law anyway (after the altar and Temple in Jerusalem were destroyed).
God's purpose was to create in Himself one new man, where any distinction between Jew and Gentile is non-existant - the Church of the living God.
Some say it was not Moses' Law, but sin and death - our guilt - our accusation - which was nailed to the cross.
Others say it was the traditions of man that were nailed to the cross.
Let's have a look at it:
COLOSSIANS 2:13-14, 16-17
13 And you, being dead in your sins and the UNCIRCUMCISION OF YOUR FLESH [the Colossians, being Gentiles did not come from a background in Moses' Law, of which circumcision was the symbol], hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
14 Blotting out THE HANDWRITING OF ORDINANCES [the written Law] that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
16 Let no man THEREFORE judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holiday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
My thoughts:
1. Sin and death were not written, and they were not ordinances. Moses' Law was written and it consisted of ordinances.
2. Man-made, non-Torah commandments would not have required the cross in order to be taken away, seeing they were considered non-binding to Christ. But Moses' Law was binding and therefore required nothing less than the cross in order to be taken away.
3. As someone once said, Whenever there's a 'therefore', find out what it's there for. The word 'therefore' links verse 16 (where certain requirements of Moses' Law are listed) with the previous verses. This seems to serve to identify Moses' Law as the subject.
4. Similar words are found in Ephesians 2:11-16. No mention of man-made traditions is mentioned, but the Old Covenant Law is implied.
Therefore I feel it's likely that it was Moses' Law that Christ nailed to His cross.
The Law, by its own clauses, excluded Gentiles. Therefore if Gentiles were to become the people of God, the Law would need to be annulled. Christ met the demands of the Law once-for-all on the cross, for us Gentiles, thereby removing the barrier. From then on Gentiles became the people of God without any requirement to keep the Law.
The Law was also a barrier to Jews, because of the sinful nature. Christ fulfilled the Law once-for-all on the cross, thus making a New Covenant with the house of Israel, by which He gave them a new heart, a new spirit, putting His Spirit in them, and causing them to walk in His ways. Thus the Jews were able to be made true Jews - inwardly - truly made the the Israel of God - without the Old Covenant Law being the means nor an ongoing requirement.
And a short time later it became impossible for the Jews to continue keeping the Law anyway (after the altar and Temple in Jerusalem were destroyed).
God's purpose was to create in Himself one new man, where any distinction between Jew and Gentile is non-existant - the Church of the living God.
No comments:
Post a Comment