=BillG;3352456]Hi studyman
It was the Law and even though Jesus had come, many were still trying to use it for the cleansing of sins, justification, forgiveness, they are the same.
This is the situation Paul found himself in. The mainstream preachers of his time would open their Bible and say, See, Moses commanded that we should take a sacrifice to the Levite to have our sins removed, be cleansed, justify us, whatever word you want to use.
Paul had to explain to them that even though it was part of God's Laws, it was a shadow of the sacrifice of the Messiah, and now that the "SEED has come" He is the High Priest and He shed His blood once and for all.
So as prophesied in the Old Testament, a new and better way to cleanse sins, forgive, justify us, was created by God through Jesus.
So in his explanation regarding the Levitical Priesthood "Works and Deeds of the Law" for cleansing, forgiveness, justification of sins, he said the following.
Rom. 3:
27 Where
is boasting then? It is excluded.
By what law? of works? Nay:
but by the law of faith.
28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith
without the deeds of the law.
We have been taught since our youth that there is only one Law of God, and for us this is true. The Levitical Priesthood was fulfilled by Jesus years ago. But Paul was still fighting with the Mainstream Preachers of his time about this.
They refused to separate God's Righteous Commandments Abraham obeyed, from the "ADDED" Law of Works for cleansing, justification, forgiveness, whatever.
These liars and hypocrites, as Jesus called them, were still clumping the two laws together. When they said "Law of Moses" this included the "Law of Works" of the Levitical Priesthood Paul is discussing in Romans 3 and Galatians.
They refused to accept the truth that it was and always had been the Blood of Jesus that justified, forgave, removed, cleansed, their sins.
The mainstream preachers of today make the same mistake. They refuse to separate the "Law of Works, from the "Law of Faith". They preach when Paul speaks about "works of the Law", he means the 10 Commandments, and all of God's Righteous Commandments. This lie has deceived "MANY" as Jesus said it would.
The Law of Faith, which can also be known as "works worthy of repentance", is spoken of differently by Paul.
Rom. 2:
11 For there is no respect of persons with God.
12 For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law:
and as many as have sinned in the law shall be
judged by the law;
13 (
For not the hearers of the law are just before God,
but the doers of the law shall be justified.
This is what Jesus preached.
3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
And this is what Paul preached;
Acts 26:
20 But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea,
and then to the Gentiles,
that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.
Abraham believe God enough to follow his Instructions and it was accounted unto him as righteousness. He believed in God enough to follow His Instruction and this action was called "Faith".
He didn't follow man made doctrines and traditions, he didn't create his own righteousness, his own laws or judged and pick one part of God's instruction over another.
We are to have this same "Faith of Abraham" which is taught against by "many" preachers who "come in His name".
I hope this answers your questions.