How To Understand The Law Of God In The New Covenant
Part 2: Recognizing Some Purposes For The Old Covenant Law
1 Corinthians 9:20-21
(Children’s Sheet for Sermon Interaction is at bottom. Notes for young children to answer are throughout sermon)Pastor Kerry Kinchen, Bridgeway Bible Church
Please turn to 1 Corinthians 9:20-21. It is the main passage we will be using for this sermon which is number two of four in our series on how to understand the Law of God in the New Covenant. In the first sermon we explored an important New Covenant revelation. We examined the fact that we are not in the Old Covenant Mosaic Law anymore. We saw that the Ten Commandments engraved on stone is actually the Old Covenant according to Exodus 34:27-28 and Deuteronomy 4:13,
“27 ... Yahweh said ... ‘Write down these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.’ 28 ... And he [Moses] wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.” Exodus 34:27-28
“So He declared to you His covenant which He commanded you to perform, that is, the Ten Commandments; and He wrote them on two tablets of stone.” Deuteronomy 4:13
We also saw that this means that we are not under those Ten Commandments engraved on stones which are typically just called “the ten commandments.” We saw this according to actual New Covenant revelation from passages like 2 Corinthians 3:5-10,
“ 5 ... God 6 who also made us adequate as servants of a New Covenant, not of the letter [which is the Old Covenant Mosaic Law] but of the Spirit; for the letter [of the Old Covenant Mosaic Law] kills, but the Spirit gives life. 7 But if the ministry of death, in letters engraved on stones [Ten Commandments], came with glory,” 2 Corinthians 3:5-7
[Verse 7 right there is the eye opening revelation. The ministry of death in letters engraved on stones is the Ten Commandments which were the part of the 600 plus statutes of the Mosaic Law. We saw that Paul continued on in 2 Corinthians 3:8-10 to add,]
“8 how will the ministry of the Spirit fail to be even more with glory? 9 For if the ministry of condemnation has glory, much more does the ministry of righteousness abound in glory. 10 For indeed what had glory, [Old Covenant Ten Commandments engraved on stone] in this case has no glory because of the glory that surpasses it.” 2 Corinthians 3:8-10
We also covered the fact that Jesus Christ fulfilled the righteous requirement of the Old Covenant Mosaic Law according to His prophecy in His Old Covenant teaching session on the Mount in Matthew 5:17-18,
“17 Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. 18 For truly I say to you, before [“before” is heos in the Greek. Heos also means until] heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.” Matthew 5:17-18 (cf. Luke 16:17)
Jesus pointed to all being accomplished so that He would establish the New Covenant about 3 years later on Golgotha. His prophesied accomplishment was revealed in His final words from His teaching session on the cross in John 19,
“... Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished, to fulfill the Scripture, said, ‘I am thirsty.’ 30 Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, ‘It is finished!’” John 19:29-30
Now the Old Covenant Law passed away because all was accomplished in the great finish. The Old Covenant became obsolete according to Hebrews 8:13. The Old Covenant faded away according to 2 Corinthians 3:11. Now we live in the New and “better” Covenant which we saw from Hebrews 7:7-8. We saw that the enmity of the Old Covenant letter which kills was itself killed on the cross with Jesus--it was abolished, as we read in Ephesians 2: 15-18, and the parallel epistle section in Colossians 2:13-14,
“15 by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, ... thus establishing peace, 16 and would reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity [of the Mosaic Law]. ... 18 for through Him we [Jews and Gentiles] have our access in one Spirit to the Father.” Ephesians 2:15-18
“13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses ... God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us [Old Covenant Mosaic Law and its enmity], which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.” Colossians 2:13-14
We saw that this was the fulfillment of those other prophetic statements by Jesus in His teaching session on the mount, where He said,
“20 ... unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:20
“48 Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Matthew 5:48
The perfectly righteous One fulfilled it all for us in His perfect work. Yes it is work’s of righteousness for salvation, but it is all the perfect God-man Christ’s works of righteousness that were accomplished for the elect on the cross and is being accomplished in them. We saw the enduring result of His work in which,
“He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we would become the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:21
The righteousness of God in Him surpasses any righteousness that a strict Old Covenant Law keeping Pharisee could accomplish. The righteousness of God in Him is His perfection which is imputed to us in which we are made spotless and without blame in Him. We saw the perfection in Hebrews 10:14,
“14 For by one offering [of Christ Jesus] He has perfected for all time those who are set apart.” Hebrews 10:14
We saw so much more in the last sermon, but the main sense that we walked away with was that we are no longer in the Old Covenant Mosaic Law. We saw that
“Christ is the end of the [Old Covenant Mosaic] Law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” Romans 10:4
With all these things in mind, I want to read the pertinent section out of 1 Corinthians 9 for the sermon. Starting in verse 19, we read,
“19 For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more. 20 To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the [Old Covenant Mosaic] Law, as under the [Old Covenant] Law though not being myself under the [Old Covenant Mosaic] Law, so that I might win those who are under the [Old Covenant Mosaic] Law; 21 to those who are without [Old Covenant Mosaic] Law, as without [Old Covenant Mosaic] Law, though not being without the Law of God [which is in operation in the New Covenant] but under the Law of Christ [which is the Law of God of the New Covenant that Christians are under], so that I might win those [Gentiles] who are without Law [without both the Old Covenant or New Covenant Law of God].” 1 Corinthians 9:19-21
Please prepare your heart to learn along with me in this sermon,
How To Understand The Law Of God In The New Covenant
Part 2: Recognizing Some Purposes For The Old Covenant Law
[prayer]
After we recognize that the Old Covenant Mosaic Law has been fulfilled in Christ and nailed on the cross to be replaced by the New Covenant, there are a few more things that I think are important to cover in respect to understanding the Law of God in the New Covenant. One of those things will be covered in next weeks sermon in which we will examine the fact that Christians are in the Law of God which is no longer the Old Covenant Law. It will be important to solidify the fact that the “Law of God” that we follow is in us, and is now something called “the Law of Christ.” But there is something else I think is pertinent to cover, and so I hope to do so now with what I think should be enough sufficiency. It has to do with various purposes of the Old Covenant Mosaic Law that we find explained in the New Testament. This brings me directly to stating an important fact; Namely, the Old Covenant Law still serves a purpose in the New Covenant. Or, I should say it this way; The Old Covenant Law still serves a purpose in the New Covenant but with qualification. Further, its qualified purpose is defined by the New Testament writers by the Spirit--not by us. I’ll repeat this particular principle because it is very important;
The Old Covenant Law still serves a purpose in the New Covenant, but that purpose is defined by the New Testament writers by the Spirit--not by us.
In other words, God wants us to look at the Old Covenant Mosaic Law through the lens of New Testament revelation. Whenever I find myself beginning to explain to someone about the Old Covenant Law codes in respect to them serving a purpose in the New Covenant, I think of certain contrasting word association keys that help people get a good start in looking through the proper lens for understanding the Biblical data. One such word picture contrast is to think of two m’s--
memory versus method.
The Old Covenant Mosaic Law is meant for our memory, but it is not meant for dictating New Covenant method for living out the life of Christ. Another poetic word picture contrast is to think of two r’s--
revelation versus regulation.
In other words, God recorded and preserved the Old Covenant Mosaic Law and all the Biblical details about it for us in terms of revelation. But God does not have the Old Covenant Mosaic Law recorded for us to regulate how we manifest the Holy Spirit in our lives. Another poetic word picture contrast is to consider that the Old defunct covenant Law codes are meant for
informing us, but not for conforming us.
Again, the Old Covenant Mosaic Law is information given from God. The information is meant for certain purposes. Nevertheless, the information is not meant for conforming us to live according to that covenant’s ethical statutes, ordinances, and commandments as we manifest the fruits of the Spirit in conformity to Christ in our covenant He has made with us. I do not think these keys can be over clarified, so I’ll give another one quickly. We can think of the Old Covenant Law being preserved in the Bible
for description, but not for prescription.
All of those statements point us to the proper lens that we are supposed to use for understanding the Old Covenant law which is the lens of New Testament revelation. With these things in mind, we can examine the Mosaic Law’s purpose in respect to its memory, its revelation, its information, and its description in how it has been, and may be used, by New Covenant people of God. As we do, we must keep the lens of New Testament revelation in front of our spiritual eyes at all times. Whenever we start to look around the lens through the microscope of theological theories and “ism’s” we can run into huge problems. What I am about cover is everything I could think of for this sermon. There may be something I will miss, but what we are going to cover is comprehensive enough for the purpose of sufficiently edifying the body.
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As a starting point, the Old Covenant Mosaic Law is a witness of the Messianic promises which were confirmed in Christ and His work. When we read the New Testament, we see the confirmation. For example, Luke records Christ’s New Covenant revelation that He repeats shortly after His establishment of the New Covenant in His blood and resurrection. In respect to His fulfillment of what was written about Him in the Law of Moses, the risen Christ said to his students,
“44 ‘These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.’” Luke 24:44
Christ was saying that the Law of Moses (Torah, Pentateuch, First five books of the Tanakh, Old Testament) has recorded prophecy concerning Him and His fulfillment. Christ meant that this includes the Covenant Law. Paul pointed out Christ's fulfillment of a statute in the Mosaic Law, when he wrote in Galatians 3:12-13,
“12 However, the [Old Covenant Mosaic] Law is not of faith; on the contrary, ‘He who practices them shall live by them.’ 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the [Old Covenant] Law, having become a curse for us--for it is written [prophetically in the Old Covenant Law], ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree’” Galatians 3:12-13
Using the apostolic lens of Paul, we recognize that Christ, as a curse hanging on the cross, is a fulfillment of the prophetic writing of the statute of the Old Covenant Mosaic Law in Deuteronomy 21:23. Philip recognized that Moses prophesied of Christ in the Law too, as we see in John 1:45,
“Philip found Nathanael and said to him, ‘We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law [Torah, Pentateuch which includes the Old Covenant] and also the Prophets wrote--Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.’” John 1:45
@1 Christ Jesus was written about prophetically by ____________ in the Old Covenant Law. John 1:45
Jesus repeated this same fact later on in John 5,
“45 Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; the one who accuses you is Moses, in whom you have set your hope. 46 For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me.” John 5:45-46
We see Paul doing this through His apostolic lens in Acts 28, where we read the account,
“23 ... Paul ... was explaining to them [a large number of Jews] by solemnly testifying about the kingdom of God and trying to persuade them concerning Jesus, from both the Law of Moses and from the Prophets, from morning until evening.” Acts 28:23
The first purpose point, then, is that the Old Covenant Mosaic Law is a witness of the Messianic promises, which were confirmed in Christ and His work.
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Another purpose for the memory, revelation, information, and description of the Old Covenant Mosaic Law that the Spirit imparts to us in the New Covenant, has to do with recognizing that the Law was given so that sin would increase through transgressing it,
“19 For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. 20 The [Old Covenant Mosaic] Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 5:19-21
@2 The Old Covenant Mosaic Law came in so that the transgression would _______________; and sin increased. Even so grace reigns through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 5:19-21
This was something that was not originally revealed in the initial revelation to Israelites of what the Old Covenant was meant for. The amazing irony of many modern day theological “isms” is that they still find a way to miss this vital point that God has revealed. Instead, they teach that the Old Covenant Mosaic Law which includes the ten engraved on stone, came in so that sin would decrease. Further, they wrongly teach that if a Christian seeks to obey the Ten Commandments, then sin will decrease in the Christian’s life. But this is the furthest thing from God’s true revelation on the matter. It was actually through the Mosaic Law coming in so that the transgression would increase against God’s demands, so that where sin increased in the transgression, grace abounded all the more in the coming of Christ to take away sins in Himself in the New Covenant. The true memory, revelation, information, and description, that we have concerning the Mosaic Covenant is so that as sin reigned in death even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord--and it does!
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This leads us directly into a related purpose for the memory, revelation, information, and description of the Old Covenant Mosaic Law that the Spirit imparts to us in the New Covenant; The Old Mosaic Law Covenant was a tutor that led the Israelites to faith in the Messiah. Directly after explaining that people under the works of the Old Covenant Law were under a curse, Paul goes on in Galatians 3:19 to ask,
“19 Why the [Old Covenant Mosaic] Law then? It was added because of transgressions, having been ordained through angels by the agency of a mediator, [Moses] until [When Paul uses the word until, he means that the Old Covenant was only meant to stay in existence through history until it’s ordained end. So Paul says that the Mosaic Law Covenant was added because of transgressions until] the seed [which is Messiah Who was the ordained offspring] would come to whom the promise [through Abraham] had been made. ... 21 ... For if a law [referring to the Old Covenant] had been given which was able to impart [spiritual] life, then righteousness would indeed have been based on law. 22 But the Scripture [The Torah, Pentateuch, Tanakh, which includes the Mosaic Law] has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Messiah would be given to those who believe. 23 But before faith [in Jesus Messiah; defined in verse 22] came, [which was the time of the Old Covenant that existed before faith in Jesus] we [Israelites] were kept in custody under the [Old Covenant] Law, being shut up to the faith [in Jesus Messiah] which was later to be revealed. 24 Therefore [meaning that everything Paul is about say is based on what he just said] the [Old Covenant] Law has become our [Israelite’s of the first generation who had previously been under the Old Covenant; like Paul himself. ... become our,] tutor until Messiah came, so that we would be justified by faith [in Jesus Messiah]. 25 But now that faith [in Jesus Messiah] has come, [in the New Covenant] we [Israelite’s] are no longer under a tutor.” Galatians 3:19-25
@3 The Scriptures of the Old Covenant Law which the Jews kept and preserved, __________ _____ everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus as Messiah would be given to those who believe. Before faith came, God’s Old Covenant people were kept in ____________ under the Mosaic Law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed. Therefore the Law had become the ____________ of God’s Old Covenant people _____________ Messiah came, so that they would be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, they are no longer under a tutor.” Galatians 3:19-25
The big point is that the Old Mosaic Law Covenant once kept genetic Israelites of Abraham in custody to its works requirements. They were,
“... under obligation to keep the whole [Mosaic] Law.” Galatians 5:3
Sacrifices were offered over and over again which were never able to take away sins. The writer of Hebrews explains how the tutor shut the Israelites up until faith in the Messiah for righteousness would finally come. We see it in Hebrews 10,
“1 For the [Mosaic] Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things, can never, by the same sacrifices which they [Levitical Priests] offer continually year by year, make perfect those who draw near. 2 Otherwise, would they [sacrifices] not have ceased to be offered, because the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have had consciousness of sins? 3 But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year by year. 4 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
[This is what the tutor taught, and teaches to us through the lens of New Testament revelation; Blood was shed under the Old Covenant Law--sin stayed.]
5 Therefore, when He [Christ] comes into the world, He says, ‘Sacrifice and offering You have not desired, but a body you have prepared for me; 6 In whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin you have taken no pleasure.’ 7 Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come (In the scroll of the book it is written of Me) to do your will, O God’ 8 After saying above, ‘Sacrifices and offerings and whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin you have not desired, nor have you taken pleasure in them" (which are offered according to the [Mosaic] Law), 9 then He said, ‘behold, I have come to do your will.’” He takes away the first [Covenant] in order to establish the second [Covenant]. 10 By this will [Covenant] we have been set apart through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 11 Every [Old Covenant] priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; 12 but He [Jesus Christ], having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God, 13 waiting from that time onward until His enemies be made a footstool for His feet. 14 For by one offering [of Himself] He has perfected for all time those who are set apart [in Him, by Him, for Him] .” Hebrews 10:
While in custody, the Old Mosaic Law acted like a tutor in the lesson of being in Covenant with God, and yet unable to achieve the righteousness God demands. It acted this way until the the New Messianic Covenant came in. Though all who were under the Old Covenant were under a curse according to the works requirement of the Law, all who have faith in Christ Jesus are blessed with the promise of imputed righteousness. The lesson was that Christ--not the Law--imparts life (imparts relevant righteousness). This is one of the greatest lessons that the tutoring of the bondage of the ministry of death imparted, 2 Corinthians 5:7. It taught the lesson of the need to have faith in something much better. You and I learn this too through the apostolic lens of illumination which interprets the tutor’s purpose for us in our day even though the Law was specifically the Israelite’s tutor until Messiah came, so that they would be justified by faith in Jesus Messiah, and now that faith in Jesus Messiah had come, Israelite’s are no longer under a tutor. Now the better covenant enacted upon better promises has come and it is miraculously recognized by God’s elect from among both Gentiles and Jews as better. This purpose of the Law leads directly into a related one.
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Essentially the Old Mosaic Law Covenant demonstrates the high demand for obedience to the rules of God’s Old Covenant, and its failure to impart the kind of righteousness that is beyond the basis of keeping rules, of which showed the superiority of, and the need for the new and better covenant of the glorious good news. Notice 1 Timothy 1:5-11
“5 But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. 6 For some men, straying from these things, have turned aside to fruitless discussion, 7 wanting to be teachers of the [Old Covenant Mosaic] Law, even though they do not understand either what they are saying or the matters about which they make confident assertions. 8 But we know that the [Old Covenant Mosaic] Law is good [meaning its purpose in respect to its memory, its revelation, its information, and its description is good], if one uses it lawfully, [in recognition of the New Covenant and the Law of Christ which is love as Paul explains] 9 realizing the fact that law is not made for a righteous person, but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers 10 and immoral men and homosexuals and kidnappers and liars and perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching, 11 according to the glorious [gospel] good news of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted.” 1 Timothy 1:5-11
It is vital to recognize that verse 5 connects to verse 11. All that is in between magnifies upon Paul’s point. Notice the two together,
“5 But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. ... sound teaching, 11 according to the glorious good news of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted.” 1 Timothy 1:5-11
Paul explains, in his point that he is making to Timothy, that the goal of the sound teaching of New Covenant instruction is "love." In other words, to manifest love. Paul is talking about the substance of the New Covenant Law of Christ, which is to love God and love one another. Paul also says that this love comes from a pure heart. This is a heart that is made pure in Christ’s finished work for, and in, His elect. From the heart purified in Christ, the love from Christ comes out, Romans 5:5,
“God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” Romans 5:5
Paul also says that the goal of His New Covenant instruction is from a good conscience, and that which is a sincere faith. This is also the work of Christ in His people. Paul is contrasting this with what Judaizers were doing who were trying to teach Christians the Law for method, regulation, and for being conformed to in living accord with its demands. We remember that the Old Covenant Law was a tutor that lead the people of the Old Covenant to the New Covenant in Christ. We also remember that where the Old Covenant Law is, sin increases. In fact, Paul said,
“... the power of sin is the [Mosaic] Law;” 1 Corinthians 15:56
@4 The_____________ of sin is the Mosaic Law. 1 Corinthians 15:56
In Paul’s point, and for those who use the Old Law lawfully in memory, revelation, information, and description of God’s prior dealing with His covenant people, that particular Law is good in all these respects, but only for a certain specific reason. Why? Because law (any law that is made) is not made for people who think rightly all the time, and do everything right. The ancient Israelites were gross sinners like everyone else. The point is that if someone naturally does everything right, then there is no need for law. But according to God, in the fallen world of the lost who are born in sin according to fallen Adam and live as being unrighteous, people who are void of law, need law. Also according to God, when people were under the curse of the Mosaic Law, it made them see that there is a higher standard that had requirements laid on them. The higher standard of law laid on men holds them accountable for what they do. Even if societies make up their own law, they have instituted something that holds people accountable to some degree. Further, in the Old Covenant Law’s accountability, it demonstrated that it condemned the people under it for being rebellious, for being ungodly, for being sinners, for being unholy and profane, for killing their fathers or mothers, for murdering, and being immoral, and homosexual and kidnappers and a liars and perjurers, and whatever else which is contrary to the love of Christ, by the Spirit, in sound teaching of the good news of the New and better Covenant which goes even beyond the Old Covenant Law. In fact, under the Old Covenant Law, their sin increased. Remember, the Old Covenant Law’s ministry was condemnation. So, the judaizers of Paul’s point to Timothy, were trying to teach the Old Covenant Law for New Covenant people to live according to as the way of attaining a kind of checklist righteousness based upon works, though they were in the New Covenant. But Paul knows that the Old Covenant Law’s purpose was to demonstrate to sinners their condemnation under an Older Covenant in which God’s Old Covenant Law standard indicted men. This is why Paul finished his point with contrasting the Old Law with the glorious good news of the blessed God, with which he had been entrusted, (not Moses) and in which he discipled New Covenant people in accord with the relevant goal of His instruction which is New Covenant love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith that is wrought as the ministry of the Spirit. To use the Law lawfully, then, is to recognize that the Old Covenant Law’s memory, revelation, information, and description is good because it served a purpose as bad news for Israelites. As bad news, it tutored the elect, as hopeless sinners whose spiritual eyes were opened by God, to embrace the good news of Christ and His hope. In comparison, it falls short of the glory of the good news of the everlasting Christ covenant. So whenever one uses the law lawfully for memory, revelation, information, and description of the high demands of the Old Covenant against those who were rebellious against God, and ungodly, and sinners who were unholy, immoral, and profane, and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching of the good news of the New Covenant, the Old Law (as bad news record) illustrates condemnation. Concurrently it is demonstrated to not remotely accord to the glorious good news which convicts of sin by the Spirit and brings justification by faith in Christ to save sinners through His shed blood in His new and better Covenant.
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This brings us to consider another purpose for the Law for first century memory, revelation, information, and description. The Israelite apostles used it as a strategy issue in traveling through society. The apostolic strategy was to do certain custom aspects of the Law to be seen by those who were weak in faith. The strategy was for an Israelite missionary to be as a Jew to Jews to avoid certain unnecessary areas of offensiveness that would disrupt his missionary outreach plans.
The principle is found in our 1 Corinthians 9 chapter we have been studying,
“... 19 For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more. 20 To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law” 1 Corinthians 9:19-20
Paul was an Israelite in the transition generation of the covenants. His intention of using the memory, revelation, information and description of the Mosaic Law for his strategy, had to do with winning the listening attention of fellow Jews who abided by the Old and had no idea that the New Covenant existed. Paul, being a Jew, became like Jews in outward expressions around them by emulating certain aspects of the Old Law, though not actually being in its jurisdiction any longer. It kept Paul from undue offense. It was a strategy issue to win an audience, and keep from causing social problems in certain venues. We see Paul demonstrating his application of the previous Abrahamic covenant, for this kind of social strategy in respect to Timothy in Acts 16,
“1 Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra, and a disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek, 2 and he was well spoken of by the brethren who were in Lystra and Iconium. 3 Paul wanted this man to go with him; and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those parts, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.” Acts 16:1-3
In the transition period of the first generation Christians, Paul ministered among Jews first and foremost in every city. To avoid any undue trouble, and because the Jews generally knew that Timothy’s father was a Gentile, Paul had Timothy (who was a Jewish descendant through his mother) circumcised. Since Timothy’s mother was Jewish, Abrahamic circumcision was not a foreign custom for Timothy to practice. But circumcision also concurrently happened to be commanded in the Old Covenant as a statute demand. But neither Paul nor Timothy did this for Timothy to attain a standard of Old Covenant Law keeping righteousness before God. Timothy was already the very righteous of God Himself in the jurisdiction of the New Covenant in Christ through faith, Romans 3:22, 2 Corinthians 5:21. But since circumcision was instituted for Israelites 430 years before the Mosaic Covenant, it was an ethnic identification marker that went back to Timothy’s forefather Abraham. And so doing the ethnic identification practice of circumcision, strategically eliminated a social problem for going into the local synagogues to preach which could not be overcome any other way. It was a strategy issue based upon a covenant preceding the Law of Moses, yet could be found in the Law of Moses. Something similar happened when Paul visited James and the elders in Jerusalem, as we read in Acts 21:18-26,
“20 ... they [James and the elders] said to him [Paul], ‘You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed, and they are all zealous for the [Mosaic] Law; 21 and they have been told about you, that you are teaching all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs. 22 What, then, is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come. 23 Therefore do this that we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow; 24 take them and purify yourself along with them, and pay their expenses so that they may shave their heads; and all will know that there is nothing to the things which they have been told about you, but that you yourself also walk orderly, keeping the [Mosaic] Law. 25 But concerning the Gentiles who have believed, we wrote, having decided that they should abstain from meat sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from fornication. 26 Then Paul took the men [the four Jews who were under a vow], and the next day, purifying himself along with them, went into the temple giving notice of the completion of the days of purification, until the sacrifice was offered for each one.” Acts 21:18-26
James was correct. Paul actually did teach Christians to forsake the Mosaic Covenant for the Christ Covenant. In that respect, Paul clearly taught not to circumcise as a righteousness action of the Law to try to gain favor with God according to that defunct covenant. But circumcision went back to Abraham--way before the giving of the Mosaic Law. For those Jewish Christians, circumcision was a strong ethnic identification signifying their heritage from father Abraham. In that respect, Paul never taught not to circumcise their children, or to forsake the cultural customs of their heritage. James and the elders knew that there were thousands of Jews who had embraced the Messiah, and were still keeping customs from the Mosaic Law as part of their cultural heritage. From Romans 14, we know that Paul considers such Jewish converts to be weak in the faith, or just simply ignorant. The ones the Jerusalem counsel had worries about would be scrutinizing Paul to see if he had rejected all Israelite customs with such rigidness to have no slack anywhere. So Paul took the four Israelite Christians who were under a vow, which was probably a Nazerite vow, and when they went through the purification ritual that came at the end of the vow, Paul even paid their expenses to be seen doing so. Concurrently, Paul demonstratively also went through a purification too. This was also to appease the Jews at the temple who would have deemed it necessary since Paul had been among Gentiles. The sacrifice part was an element of the procedures of purification that had nothing to do with cleansing from sin. This is why Israelite women had to go through a purification ritual after giving birth, though giving birth was no sin. Paul did this so that other Jews would see him and recognize that Paul was willing to do certain Jewish customs. His main task was to give public notice that he was still comfortable observing certain Jewish customs that he could justify doing without transgressing a New Covenant conviction. The main point is that by practicing certain customs of the defunct Law at that point, Paul was doing so for the sake of others as wise strategy. He was simply practicing what he preached in our chapter under study. He made himself
“ ... a slave to all, so that [he] may win more. 20 To the Jews [he] became as a Jew, so that [he] might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being [himself] under the Law, so that [he] might win those who are under the Law” 1 Corinthians 9:19-20
In both instances; in circumcising Timothy, and in observing Israelite purification customs so that he and the other four Jewish men would be seen in the temple, Paul was not doing so to keep the Old Covenant Mosaic Law codes for attaining Law righteousness. He was doing so for the sake of wise strategy in avoiding undue misunderstanding on a mass scale as thousands of Jews were coming to Christ. It was a strategy issue that the apostles had a special prerogative, based upon a special supernatural wisdom, to apply to a special situation at a special time in history. And of course, Paul did not do this with Gentiles, because they had no Israelite heritage. I think it also must be noticed that the Jerusalem counsel’s plan failed anyway. Paul was attacked and persecuted at the temple, and he went on through his ministry to proclaim that the Mosaic Law was defunct, and that Law circumcision profits nothing.
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This leads us to consider another aspect of the Old Mosaic Law Covenant for the memory, revelation, information, and description that the Spirit imparts to us in the New Covenant; It provided illustrative material for the apostles to use in their special revelations. The rule on this aspect is that the New Testament writers had special spiritual insights into certain aspects of the Old Covenant to illustrate some of their teachings. Paul does this in our chapter,
“Or does not the [Mosaic] Law also say these things? 9 For it is written in the Law of Moses, ‘You shall not muzzle the ox while he is threshing.’ God is not concerned about oxen, is He? 10 Or is He speaking altogether for our sake? Yes, for our sake it was written, because the plowman ought to plow in hope, and the thresher to thresh in hope of sharing the crops.” 1 Corinthians 9:8-10
Paul is quoting the Old Covenant Mosaic Law statute of Deuteronomy 25:4 to make his point. Paul has insight into the fact that the statute was written for the benefit of ministers of God because they are laboring in valuable pursuits. Paul uses the same Old Covenant Law statute to illustrate his point to Timothy in 1 Timothy 5:18,
“18 For the Scripture says, ‘You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,’ and, ‘The laborer deserves his wages.’” 1 Timothy 5:18
Another example of where Paul does this is in Ephesians 6:1-2,
“1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 ‘Honor your father and mother’ (this is the first [part of the] commandment with a promise), 3 ‘that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.’” Ephesians 6:1-2
Paul is quoting out of the ten commandments covenant from Exodus 20:12 and Deuteronomy 5:16 for honoring parents which comes with a blessing. It is not the first commandment. In Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5 we see that it is in the middle of the ten commandments. It is also not the first commandment to have a promise attached. Prior to it, starting with commandment one, to have no other gods before the One true God (Yahweh), God gives a promise of visiting iniquity upon those who hate Him, and bringing blessing upon those who love Him, Exodus 20:4-6. Then immediately after that, God promises to punish those who take His name in vain, Exodus 20:7.
So, what does Paul mean?
His metaphor in using the defunct Old Covenant writings for an illustrative point, is to show that the first part of that particular command is that children should obey their parents which in the New Covenant should be done “in the Lord” by the Spirit. Paul had insight into the fact that it is a continuous generational principle which should be done simply because it is right in God’s created order. The promise that follows that particular command is a created order principle that follows obedience to parents as a general rule. Paul’s point is not that it is obedience to God’s old Covenant Mosaic Law that brings the blessing in the New Covenant. It is obedience to parents that brings blessing as a principle that has always existed. The quote is meant to magnify a certain kind of parental honor that Paul is urging, with the accompanying goodness that comes from doing so. Notice that it is to obey “in” the Lord. This is a special insight into effective analogy, and it is also where the apostles used what they were supposed to use for illustration and nothing more while deferring immediately to the New Covenant regeneration. In other words, Paul did not use this statute from the Old Covenant Mosaic Law that states, in Exodus 21:15,
“15 He who strikes his father or his mother shall surely be put to death. ... 17 He who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.” Exodus 21:15, 17 (cf. Leviticus 20:9)
Or Deuteronomy 21:18,
“18 If any man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey his father or his mother, and when they chastise him, he will not even listen to them, 19 then his father and mother shall seize him, and bring him out to the elders of his city at the gateway of his hometown. 20 They shall say to the elders of his city, 'This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey us, he is a glutton and a drunkard.' 21 Then all the men of his city shall stone him to death; so you shall remove the evil from your midst, and all Israel will hear of it and fear.” Deuteronomy 21:18-21
Those statutes were not meant to be used as analogies, because they fail to perform the literary examples to illustrate points the way the Spirit intended for New Covenant revelation to be enhanced. The important point this morning, is that all of these things concerning the memory, revelation, information, and description that the Spirit imparts to us in the New Covenant, is information for both Gentiles and Jews to learn from in a certain manner and a certain sense. That manner and sense becomes clear when we analyze each one according to proper contextual considerations.
Lets’ briefly recap all we have covered in this sermon; We saw that the Old Covenant Law still serves a purpose in the New Covenant; but that purpose is defined by the New Testament writers by the Spirit--not by us. In other words, we look at the Old Covenant Mosaic Law through the lens of New Testament revelation. It is through the lens of New Testament revelation that we understand the memory, revelation, information, and description of the obsolete Covenant. One thing we saw was that the Old Covenant Mosaic Law is a witness of the Messianic promises which were confirmed in Christ and His work. In this way, we see that the Old Covenant Law has prophetic importance for Christ’s fulfillment. We also saw an amazing aspect of the Old Covenant Law that comes as a surprise to some people. Essentially the Old Covenant Law was given so that sin would increase through transgressing it. It was not given for sin to decrease, yet people are trying in futility to do so through it. As they do, the result is more sin. We also saw that the Old Covenant Law of Moses was like a tutor. It was the covenant that led the Israelites to faith in the Messiah--to embrace Him as their New Covenant hope of righteousness by the Spirit. Then we looked at another purpose which is similar. The Old Mosaic Law Covenant demonstrated the high demand for obedience to rules of God’s Old Covenant and its failure to impart God’s saving kind of righteousness. This showed the superiority of, and the need for, the new and better covenant of the glorious good news. Then we saw that Israelite apostles used the Old Covenant Law as a strategy issue in traveling through society. The apostolic strategy was to do certain custom aspects of the Law to be seen by those who were weak in faith, or simply were blinded or hostile to the New Covenant. Finally we saw that the Old Covenant Law provided illustrative material for the apostles to use in their special revelations. My urging to all of us, is that we make sure that we look at the Old Covenant Mosaic Law through the lens of New Testament revelation. The great need in our generation is to keep that lens there and don’t try to look over it. We need to keep it polished and ready to bring clarity to what God has given us. Next week we will examine the fact that Christians are in the Law of God. And further, The Law of God jurisdiction that Christians are in is the Law of Christ which is a specific Law that has definable aspects. The last sermon will deal with difficult law and command passages in the New Testament.
@1 Christ Jesus was written about prophetically by ____________ in the Old Covenant Law. John 1:45
@2 The Old Covenant Mosaic Law came in so that the transgression would _______________; and sin increased. Even so grace reigns through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 5:19-21
@3 The Scriptures of the Old Covenant Law which the Jews kept and preserved, __________ _____ everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus as Messiah would be given to those who believe. Before faith came, God’s Old Covenant people were kept in ____________ under the Mosaic Law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed. Therefore the Law had become the ____________ of God’s Old Covenant people _____________ Messiah came, so that they would be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, they are ___ _____________ under a tutor.” Galatians 3:19-25
@4 The_____________ of sin is the Mosaic Law. 1 Corinthians 15:56
