Implications of Paul's Message: The teaching of a first century Jewish Rabbi and his revelation about Torah Part II

First post in this series... In case you would like to read it after reading this one.

In that first post it was established that when Paul, and the other first century followers of Christ, used the term nomos/law, they mean Torah and not just the so called moral law. With this in mind, let's look at the following passage of the New Testament.

(Act 15:5)  "But some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to command them to keep the law of Moses.”

There can be no doubt that the afore mentioned Pharisees were referring to the entire Torah, and not just the so called moral law in this instance. This was the thrust of the Jerusalem Council. In fact, this is the first major council in which the leaders of the church met to decide an issue that had arisen. It was initiated by Paul and Barnabas going up to Jerusalem about this matter. Further, it is important to understand this in light of Paul's statement in Romans... Rom 10:4  "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes" 

There are essentially two groups of evangelicals that have put their meaning to the fifteenth chapter of Acts. One are those who say that they were only meeting about the food and temple laws and the others are Messianic Jews who believe that the instructions for the Gentiles are transitional and that the time would come when they would be obligated by the Torah. Both groups deem anyone literally believing Romans 4:10 antinomian. Yet, it is clearly established that Paul most definitely meant Torah when he used the word nomos. So then, in the eyes of the above groups, Paul had to be an antinomian.

Let's again see what Paul really said in Romans 10:4. He said that Christ was the termination of the Law/Torah for righteousness. Christ is not the termination of the Law/Torah for understanding what God considers the best for humanity. Christ was the termination of the Law/Torah for determining righteousness.

Both groups however, see the Law/Torah still in operation for righteousness. The one group sees only the so called moral law, and the other sees the entire Torah. Both establish a read and do mentality. Paul goes on to make a distinction between the Law/Torah and the Spirit. He refers to the Law/Torah as the letter. (2Co 3:6)  "He has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life." What Paul is saying in this verse is that the Law/Torah kills, but the Spirit gives life. This entire passage in second Corinthians 3 is written to discuss the very issue that was taken up in Acts 15 at the Council of Jerusalem. Those who wanted to demand that the Gentiles obey the Torah did not go away willingly. They stayed around and continued to teach their heresy. But, what is even more dangerous are the ones who claim that Law only meant the dietary, festival and sacrificial laws. They are the ones that have frustrated the gospel of grace and made it of no effect.

Considering 2Cor 3:6, how indeed does the Spirit give/bring life? The answer is simple. It is through the gospel of grace. Paul will explain that in 2Cor 5...  2Co 5:18-21  "Everything is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation.  (19)  That is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and he has committed the message of reconciliation to us.  (20)  Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf: “Be reconciled to God.”  (21)  He made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."

This is why Romans 5:1 and the Hebrews' 3 & 4 description of the Sabbath Rest are so important. It is imperative that one rest in Romans 5:1 before the Spirit can bring life! It is peace with God that brings genuine love for God that brings spiritual life. The Law/Torah can inform the one resting in God's grace the heart of God. The more rested, the more the Law/Torah can inform the individual how to react to God's grace. Not to establish righteousness, but to demonstrate love for God.

Unfortunately, Law/Torah righteousness is so deeply ingrained in the saints because of the leaven of the Pharisees, that it takes radical and drastic rest to bring about Spiritual life. Whereas, if the pure gospel was the norm, the Law/Torah could be much more effectively used to inform the saint of the heart of God. But, since Law/Torah righteousness is a main framework of evangelical doctrine the life that results from resting in Jesus can never completely come to fruition.