I read many posts that ask a redundant question; "why do you want to go back under the law?" when I mention the instructions that God gave to Moses have always been beneficial for instructions in righteousness. (2 Timothy 3:16)
That verse includes all the scriptures of the Old Testament and whatever Timothy had been taught of the New Covenant by oral and written means. Let's put it in proper perspective with additional context.
2 Timothy 3:14-17 (KJV)
[SUP]14 [/SUP] But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;
[SUP]15 [/SUP] And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
[SUP]16 [/SUP] All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
[SUP]17 [/SUP] That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
For the sake of clarity, the truth is Paul was grooming Timothy to minister the New Covenant that Paul taught. That included knowledge of Genesis, but of Moses and the law, the judges, the kings, and all the prophets, plus all that was known by Paul concerning the gospel of Christ.
So what does the term “under the law” really mean?
Romans 6:14-15
14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
Paul is juxtaposing using the observances of former religious rules and practices of Jewish commandments instituted by the rabbis, and binding customs along with the grace that is available in Messiah.
Juxtaposing is to place close together or side by side, especially for comparison or contrast.
Jesus found that the Law of Moses had been corrupted from priests down to the lowest Levite ranch hand. It wasn't limited to rabbis, Pharisees, but the priests also defied God, as none were implementing the Law as limited to the Torah. Paul was in that passage contrasting Moses against Grace. The Law was not at all about grace, but was of works only. Do this, don't do that. If you do this, then you must also do this....
Jesus opened up God's grace to all who would believe on him, not something linked to acts of a few notable ancient saints who pleased God by works.
So let's be sure to set the stage properly for greatest understanding that the Second Temple period was under the sentence of exile in 70AD. The prophets had already delivered the news from God that the Jews had broken the covenant, and that the old covenant was faulty. By the time Jesus walked among men, the Old Covenant, the Law, sorely needed to be replaced, and was, and is based on better promises from God through those same prophets.
Hebrews 8:6-9 (KJV)
[SUP]6 [/SUP] But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.
[SUP]7 [/SUP] For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.
[SUP]8 [/SUP] For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:
[SUP]9 [/SUP] 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 continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.
It should be clear to anyone that the New Covenant completely replaced the old. God would not hold the old over anyone, as that covenant was dead, and so was Israel spiritually dead. Those that tried to adopt it still wind up under the yoke of the Talmud, which Jesus demonstrated that the Jews had replaced the written Mosaic Torah with.
Galatians 3:23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
In this regard the law (Torah) can be compared with any righteous values a soul voluntarily imposes upon themselves. However as a spiritual relationship is established with God and Christ Jesus, a soul is elevated to much higher levels of spiritual awareness and accountability. Therefore, it is a complete farce when Christians claim to follow the Messiah, but willfully abuse and neglect the instructions in the Law (Torah) according to their denominational authorities. The term “kept under the law” is indicative of popular anti-law theology. Many fail to understand that without the law of God (the Pentateuch), there would be no standard with which to prove Christ Jesus, therefore NO Messiah.
Keep in mind that Israel had abandoned the old covenant between God and their fathers long before the Talmud replaced the written law. The Talmud served to widen the gap between God and Israel. Nowhere in the New Testament are Christians taught to adopt the old covenant like the Jews were supposed to, but failed at. With all their scriptures to know, the Jews believed their Messiah would be a flesh king of the Davidic line coming to rescue them from Rome. They were looking for a second David.
It was necessary for Jesus, born a Jew, to never violate any of the written law.
Jesus could have manifested to the people in India, and by his works alone be found to be divine without a single word of the Torah. Around the world are millions of Wycliffe and Gideon New Testament Bibles, as well as many other ministry versions that are all people need, in their own languages, to find Christ.
Galatians 5:18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
The idiomatic expression “under the law” refers to a false teaching that has never been true. The Dead Sea Scrolls confirm that this phrase “under the law” refers to strict religious Jewish commandments instituted by the rabbis, and binding customs, not obedience to God's law itself. Torah has not at any time saved anyone! God saves when His people demonstrate a sincere obedience to His righteous instruction. Blind ritual (or religion) alone without the love of God profits nothing. God is “the Spirit” of the Renewed Covenant that writes the law upon our heart.
I've been keeping up with the Dead Sea Scroll news, not seeing that discovery. Please link to it. So far nothing different of great significance has emerged other than to verify the political, legal, cultural variety of the area was extremely diverse. They still can't verify whether Qumran was Essene or Sadducee society, though most scholars "believe" they were Essenes.
Although there were rabbis in those days, the significant influences of the rabbinical system didn't kick in until 6th century AD. The priests of Judah were still running things in Paul's day, other than those that became Christians (
Acts 6:7 (KJV)
[SUP]7 [/SUP] And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.) until the second temple was destroyed. Then came movements to figure out what to do without it, among a widely dispersed people using synagogues.
Hebrews 7:11 If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron?
If, therefore, perfection had been by means of the priesthood of the Levities in which the law was imposed upon people, why was another priest required who should stand up after the likeness of Melchizedek?
Here is the key that sets the context for Hebrews 8:13. Throughout chapter 7, it is the “instruction” of the Levitical priests officiating the Temple ordinances that are being discussed, pointing towards Abraham submitting his sons to be in the line of Melchizedek, by tithing to him in advance. What happens is a switching of priestly modalities within the instructions of the law where the priestly model in Exodus gives way to its predecessor from Genesis, in accordance with all the prophesies in the Old Testament. Again, pagan tradition uses this passage to teach that it is the “Law” that has passed away. Another vital component to understanding this priesthood is that the binding of Isaac at Moriah points to the Melchizedek priesthood, not to the Levitical priesthood. With that, the “binding of Isaac” is fully realized in Messiah, the son of man, the Suffering Servant who is Jesus.
Abraham's
son Isaac (singular, not many) begat the line that led to Aaron and his sons as priests, not at all after the order or lineage of Melchisedec. No Levite or anyone else in the OT reverted back to the Genesis "line" of Melchidesedec. The man Melchisedec was not eternal, (though having no genealogy recorded, being a Canaanite that emerged from mortal obscurity back into mortal obscurity), but the priesthood he ministered was eternal, followed only by Jesus today and forever. That priesthood made the man greater than the man Abraham.
The only connection the Levites had to Melchisedec was the tithes they collected were by Jewish accounting credited back through Abraham since Levi was genetically in Abraham. There is a better comparison between the earthly priesthood and the eternal, in that priests of the earthly one die. That's one reason Jesus was set to doe, never to minister in the mortal priesthood. His priesthood was a better one than Aaron's.
To teach that Paul taught a pagan doctrine about the law will require you to believe ALL he OT prophets were false prophets, and in fact including very OT author. If you can do that, then I would be bound to prove Moses was a false prophet too. But of course that can't happen. I think the real problem is a lack of reading and study of the epistles, but does indicate a heavy persuasion from mixed up web site authors. That, I hope, isn't a sign there are yet some unidentified Hebrew Roots Movement deceivers here at CChat. Those are far more destructive than JWs.
