The Weblog of Trenton & Nichole Adams

The LAW and The Prophets

In Christendom we have been taught that the LAW has been completely abolished, and it now has no value (though we know we are not "under the LAW"). This really is a lie of the enemy, designed to create animosity any time that someone brings up the LAW, especially in regard to righteousness. Now, don't get me wrong, we aren't under the LAW in the sense of salvation. But, we are to be guided by the LAW, into righteousness.

We must understand that Paul and ALL other NT writers based their beliefs on the OT. They mostly did not teach anything that was not already written, in the OT, except a better understanding of it, and the new covenant understanding. Some new things are the gift of the Holy Spirit, and the gifts that come with that. Even an understanding of justification by faith came from the OT writings. We will show these things clearly.

Matthew 5:17-19 is commonly misinterpretted to show that LAW has no value.

Matthew 5:17-19 (KJV) Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 18For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. 19Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Some think Yashua fulfilled the whole LAW, leaving nothing unfulfilled. The LAW has not been completely fulfilled, in that not all of the shadow pictures have been fulfilled. For instance, the Feast of Tabernacles was never completed, and still remains as a shadow picture of His second coming. Also, the LAW is to be used for showing us what constitutes righteousness.

Revelation 21:3 (KJV) And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

The above scripture will be the fulfillment of the feast of Tabernacles, which hasn't yet happened. So, Yashua really did mean that the LAW wouldn't be fulfilled, until everything is fulfilled. Although He wasn't perfectly clear, so you could read those scriptures a few different ways.

1. Some argue that Yashua fulfilled all the LAW, but as shown above He didn't.
2. Some argue that Yashua did not fulfill any of the LAW, except the sacrificial parts. These people believe that we are required to practice the feasts, be circumcised, obey the sabbath, and much more. Obviously there's nothing *wrong* with doing any of those things. In fact, they may be beneficial. Especially getting some rest now and then, even though Christ is my sabbath rest!
3. Others, like myself, believe that He is saying that He fulfilled certain points. For example...
   1. Anything ceremony/ritual wise, He fulfilled.
   2. Anything pertaining to righteousness, for salvation purposes, He fulfilled.
   3. Anything pertaining to righteousness, for continual repentance before God, as we GROW in Him, casting our burdens and sins upon Him, He did not fulfill, except to allow us to cast them upon Him.

The specific scripture that Paul was quoting here was Deuteronomy 30:11-14

Romans 10:4-9 (KJV) 4For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. 5For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them. 6But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) 7Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) 8But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 9That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

As we see above, the word of faith that Paul preached, was the same word of faith that Moses taught, in Deuteronomy 30:11-14. The main difference is that our Messiah has come, and we are no longer in need of sacrifices continually (Hebrews 10:1, Hebrews 10:11-12). Also, we put our faith in Christ, who is the God of the OT.

righteousness is: in a broad sense: state of him who is as he ought to be, righteousness, the condition acceptable to God If you click the word righteousness above, you will be linked to the strongs definition. So, I think this is in alignment with what Paul is teaching there. He is teaching that Yashua is the end of the LAW for our acceptance before God, not for moral reasoning. i.e. We are justified (saved) by faith, it is the gift of God, not of ourselves, that no one can boast. But, we still can't go around being unrighteous, and continue in sin.

However, if we really love Him, we must walk in inward and outward righteousness, through Christ's empowerment to attained to the fruit of the knowledge of what is right and wrong. In other words, if we don't know what is right and wrong, in a given situation, the LAW can teach us that, at which time, God can impart to use the ability, by writing it on our hearts, to fulfill that LAW of righteousness, in the flesh (Romans 2:14-16). We know this is true, because Paul wrote epistles, rebuking people for their sins, according to what is taught in the LAW, and encouraging them to walk in newness of spirit, not according to the oldness of the letter (Romans 7:6).

Furthermore, you might notice that Paul is specifically quoting the LAW, as he always does. Paul loved the LAW (Torah and prophets) of God, and continually quoted from it, and based ALL of His teaching on it, as did the other apostles, and writers of the NT. Contrary to popular belief, he never opposed the LAW itself, he only opposed the LAW in regard to acceptance before God. Everything from doctrine, to the second coming of Christ, was taught from the OT, but given to Him by revelation through reading of the OT. As it is written, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word. God gave him the revelation, as he read the word, and he wrote it down for us.

So, we can see the "coming to God by FAITH" concept is not a new concept at all. Moses told the people that it is in their heart by faith, that it is very nigh unto them, even in their heart and mouth, that they may do it. That's the same thing as the NT. The NT teaches that God's grace empowers us to live a Holy life. Where did they get that teaching from? Well, the LAW and the prophets. Hebrews also teaches that the great men of God, as written in the OT, walked by faith.

Now, if we do not understand these things, we must ask ourselves a question. Are we babes, concerning the word of righteousness?

Hebrews 5:12-14 (KJV) For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. 13For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. 14But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

Hebrews 6:1-3 (KJV) Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, 2Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. 3And this will we do, if God permit.

Clearly Paul is speaking of the Old Testament, and having an understanding of the righteousness contained in it.

Now, another problem with not having a thorough understanding of the OT, is that we simply will not really understand the doctrines that we teach, nor where we get them from, or even be able to use the LAW for what it was intended; namely conviction of sin, that all would become guilty before God.

1 Timothy 1:7-9 (KJV) Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm. 8But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully; 9Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,

There are three points that are important in the scriptures above.

1. People desire to be teachers of the law, neither understanding what they say, nor where they get their doctrine from. i.e. It's supposed to come from the LAW
2. The LAW is good, if it is used lawfully.
3. The LAW was made for those who would transgress against it, such as the lawless and disobedient.

Now, in his next letter to Timothy, Paul expounds more on what the LAW is good for, basically repeating what he said in 1 Timothy 1, about using it lawfully.

2 Timothy 3:15-17 (KJV) And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures (the torah, prophets), which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

So, the LAW is good, and can be used for doctrine, reproof, correction, AND instruction in righteousness. See, the LAW is there for our benefit, so that we can see where we fall short, and where we need to repent, and where we need to become more like Yashua.

But, as we see in other writings of Paul, it is not profitable for justification unto eternal life, except to point us to Christ, and cause us to fall upon the rock, and be broken, as opposed to being CRUSHED (Matthew 21:44).

Also, we see how the apostles handled righteousness, in Acts 15.

Acts 15:19-21 (KJV) Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God: 20But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood. 21FOR Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day.

The key word in v21 is the word "for", as it shows WHY they did not need to burden them. They didn't want to burden them with rules and regulations, so they simply instructed them in some of the basics of the LAW, such as keeping ourselves from idols, fornication, consumption of strangled animals, and from drinking blood. They minimized it because they knew that Moses (Torah) was read every sabbath, and they would hear it anyhow, thereby learning righteousness from the LAW. They did this, partly because they were babes, and it's difficult for a babe to receive much more than milk. To throw a whole bunch of burdens on these babes, was detrimental to their development.

Read Romans, or really many other epistles that Paul wrote. Many of them contain doctrines formed from the LAW, but BY THE SPIRIT. In other words, the newness of the spirit, and not the oldness of the letter.

The whole plan of God was to have us obey the LAW by a right heart condition, rather than striving in the flesh. See Jeremiah 31:34 and Hebrews 8:11.

Romans 3:30-31 (KJV) Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith. 31Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.

I think this is a good beginning on understanding the profitability of The LAW and The Prophets.