What Law Paul

[Humblepie]

When reading all of Paul's writings one must be aware of what law Paul is referring to. The context of what law he is referring to will help one understand exactly what he is telling us.


Paul makes mention of many “laws.” In fact, he makes mention of at least seven.

1) The Law of God (Romans 3:31; 7:22-25; 8:7)

2) The Law of Sin (Romans 7:23-25)

3) The Law of Sin and Death (Romans 8:2)

4) The Law of the Spirit of Life (Romans 8:2)

5) The Law of Faith (Romans 3:27)

6) The Law of Righteousness (Romans 9:31)

7) The Law of Christ (1 Corinthians 9:21)

So when Paul says we are not under the law, he is not saying we are not under the law of God, he is telling us that we are not under the law of sin and the law of sin and death.


2 Peter 3:16
16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.

Context matters.

 

[Humblepie]

Romans 7:23-25
23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!

So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature[d] a slave to the law of sin.

 

[Humblepie]

Romans 8:2
2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you[a] free from the law of sin and death.

 

[Humblepie]

Romans 3:27
27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.

 

[Humblepie]

Romans 9:31
31 But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness

 

[Humblepie]

1 Corinthians 9:21
21 To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law.

 

[Humblepie]

Law of God

Romans 7:22-25

22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:

23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin

 

[journeymanisnothing]

Since the law was meant to convict people of sin, it makes sense to see how much sinners hurt God by trying to murder Him, paying no attention to what He said.

And we know how our Lord and the Apostles all preached to love as He did. Paul sums up the fruit of the Spirit by saying,

against such there is no law. Gal.5:23 KJV

The law isn't held against those following the leading of the Spirit of Christ. It will be for the unrepentant,

and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; Rom.2:12 KJV

 

[JLB]

So when Paul says we are not under the law, he is not saying we are not under the law of God, he is telling us that we are not under the law of sin and the law of sin and death.

We are not under (under obligation to obey) the law of Moses.

We are under the law of Christ.




JLB

 

[Humblepie]

We are not under (under obligation to obey) the law of Moses.

We are under the law of Christ.




JLB

Nobody is forced or obligated to obey God's law. It is out of obedience that we obey God's law.
We do it because we are saved, to set us apart.

We follow God's law because we are saved. The law does not end where grace begins. Grace is there for when we fail at following God's law.

 

[Humblepie]

We are under the law of Christ.

21 To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am ((((((not))))))) free from (((God’s law))) but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law.

 

[Hopeful 2]

Romans 7:23-25
23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me.

Paul's Rom 7:23 plaint is answered in Rom 8:2..."For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death."
Paul was writing from the perspective of his pre-conversion self, trying unsuccessfully to keep the Law of Moses.

24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?

Paul's Rom 7:24 plaint was already answered in Rom 6:6..."Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin."
Again, from the old perspective.

25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!

So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature[d] a slave to the law of sin.

There is the before and after conclusion, from his present post-conversion perspective.
The mind is now holding the steering wheel, and not the "flesh".

 

[Humblepie]

When he says you're not under the law, he is saying you are not under the law of sin and death.
The penalty of sin is death.
Breaking the law is what sin is.

We are under the law of christ but the law of God has not went anywhere.

We now have grace instead of the second death.

 

[Hopeful 2]

When he says you're not under the law, he is saying you are not under the law of sin and death.
The penalty of sin is death.
Breaking the law is what sin is.

Agreed

We are under the law of Christ but the law of God has not gone anywhere.

We have to be careful to separate the Law of God from the Law of Moses.
Circumcision and dietary rules, etc., don't apply anymore.
But the original 10 still do matter.

We now have grace instead of the second death.

I'm not sure what you mean there.

 

[Humblepie]

The law of God is the law of moses.

 

[Humblepie]

But the original 10 still do matter.

The two greatest commands Jesus talked about aren't even in the first ten

 

[Humblepie]

Circumcision and dietary rules, etc., don't apply anymore.

Correction,

They can't make you righteous.
They can't save you.
But they are still there, you just choose not to follow them, even though Jesus himself said not one word will disappear till all is accomplished..

18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished

 

[Hopeful 2]

The two greatest commands Jesus talked about aren't even in the first ten

They are, however, the same.
Love God, and love neighbor, pretty much encapsulate all of the ten.
Don't you think ?

 

[Hopeful 2]

Correction,
They can't make you righteous.
They can't save you.

If they can't make us righteous, or save us, they are worthless.

But they are still there, you just choose not to follow them, even though Jesus himself said not one word will disappear till all is accomplished..

They may be there, but we are not there either.
The Law was for those who walk in and after the flesh.
The converted now walk in and after the Spirit.

18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished

Does that include healing on the sabbath ?
Eating with unwashed hands ?
Entering a Gentile's house ?
Eating with Gentiles ?
How much of the Mosaic Law will you take a step back for ?

The law of God is the law of moses.

It was in the OT.
But we have a new testament now.

 

[Humblepie]

Does that include healing on the sabbath ?
Eating with unwashed hands ?
Entering a Gentile's house ?
Eating with Gentiles ?
How much of the Mosaic Law will you take a step back for ?

Oh the commands of men that were never part of God's law? All those you mention are traditions of men, or commandments of men.







2 “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!”

3 Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?


Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition.

they are worthless

How many times in the new testament does it say the opposite of what you claim?

31 Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.

By the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin." So he says that no one will be justified by doing the commandments of the Law like, "Be circumcised" and "Do no work on the Sabbath" and "Don't steal or kill or lie or commit adultery." No sinner can get right with God by doing the "works of the Law."

Then in verse 21 Paul says, "Now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested." God's righteousness is given to us "freely by grace" (verse 24) through Christ apart from the law of commandments. Commandment-keeping is not how we gain a right standing with God.

Then look at verse 27, "Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a Law of faith." So again the "law of works" seems to Paul to be negative. It can't get rid of boasting. Only a "Law of faith" can get rid of boasting. So what positive role is left for the Law?
Then notice verse 28, "We maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law." There it is again. Paul is not satisfied to say the positive - "a man is justified by faith" - he insists on saying the negative also - "apart from works of the Law." This is what is getting his critics upset. He says the Law can't set us right with God. We get right with God by faith "apart from works of the Law."

Now, with that kind of context, when we get to verse 31 and he asks, "Do we then nullify the Law through faith?", we really are not surprised that someone pressed this question on Paul. "Paul, you keep saying that a person gets right with God - gets justified - by faith apart from 'works of the Law,' and that the 'law of works' can't overcome boasting. So it seems to us that you are virtually nullifying the Law. You are saying that all those commandments in the moral law of God have no authority and may be safely ignored by God's people. You are, it seems, calling for a lawless people."