Biblical Law & Obedience

The concept that Old Testament laws were annulled with the coming of the Messiah is false. Yahshua said in Matthew 5:17 that he came not to do away with the law, but to fulfill it. The word "fulfill" means to complete. Yahshua came to complete the law.

Yahshua came to save His people from their sins. We find this in Matthew chapter 1. "And you shall bring forth a son; and you shall call his name YAHSHUA" (Matthew 1:21). Yahshua's Name means "Yah is Salvation" or the Salvation from Yah." Yah being the short form for the Name Yahweh.

To find what is set aside now since Yahshua's death on the stake, read Hebrews chapter 1. The writer of Hebrews shows three key points in understanding the New Covenant:

• The sacrificial system has been set aside for the time being,
• The blood of animal sacrifices was not sufficient to atone for our sins and,
• Yahshua the Messiah is now our High Priest and intercessor for our transgressions.

When we understand the purpose for Yahshua's coming to this earth, we should realize that He came to establish or complete the law. He showed us how to apply the law to our everyday life.

There are three passages found in the Book of Revelation that Yahshua gave to John of Patmos concerning the law of Yahweh. These passages are Revelation 12:17; 14:12; and Revelation 22:14.

Through each one of these passages Yahshua tells John of Patmos that we are to uphold and follow the law of Yahweh. He even goes on and says that keeping his laws is the only way to the Tree of Life, His kingdom. Keeping of Yahweh's law is very important and the way we show love to our Heavenly Father (1 John 5:3) as well as our fellow man.

The King James reads: "For Messiah is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth." The International Standard Version is much closer to the meaning of the Greek: "For the Messiah is the culmination of the law as far as righteousness is concerned for everyone who believes."

That this verse abolishes the law is one of the most popular misnomers today. "End" here is the Greek telos and means goal. It doesn't mean to cease or bring to a close. He is the goal to which the law brings us. The purpose of the law is to make us more like Him in behavior and thinking.

We can demonstrate that telos does not mean termination, but rather goal, by looking at other passages where it is found:

• James 5:11 uses the same term telos when it says "You have heard of the patience of Job and seen the end of Yahweh." Our Creator has certainly not come to end, and neither has His law. But properly translated, through the patience of Job we can see the ultimate object or aim of his patient suffering, which is Yahweh and His purpose to teach His ways.

• 1Peter 1:9 also uses telos in speaking of the Savior, it says, "Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls." Certainly your faith doesn't end with the Messiah. But He is surely the goal of faith. "End result" would have expressed the Greek far more precisely.

Here's telos in 1Peter 1:9 as translated in other versions:

God's Word Translation: "As you obtain the salvation that is the goal of your faith." The International Standard Version: "Because you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls."

• The word telos is also used in 1Timothy 15: "Now the end (telos) of the commandment is love." The commandment certainly doesn't end with love. But the goal of the commandment is love, a fact expressed by Yahshua in the two great laws: love Yahweh and love your neighbor as yourself, Luke 10:27.

The Talmud lists the number of laws at 613, although that total is disputed. The laws of the Old Testament were the constitution of Israel as a theocracy or nation under a religious government headed by Yahweh. We today are under a nonreligious Roman system and therefore many of the Old Testament governmental laws are impossible to keep today. Many laws are also to regulate a worship system centered in the Temple, which doesn't exist today and therefore we are unable to perform them. But the majority of those "613" laws are moral/spiritual in nature and are incumbent on us, such as: not to bear a grudge (Lev. 19:18); not to wrong any one in speech (Lev. 25:17); not to curse a father or mother (Ex. 21:17); and to carry out whatever one has said one would do (Deut. 23:23). And of course there are the Ten Commandments. These kinds of ordinances apply to everyone's personal behavior and are meant to mold us into the image of Yahshua the Messiah (Deut. 28:9).

Many laws were given to Israel for their particular place and time and which have been usurped by the governments in power today. These include: to appoint judges and officers in every community of Israel (Deut. 16:18); not to execute one guilty of a capital offense before he has stood his trial (Num. 35:12); not to sell a field in the land of Israel in perpetuity (Lev. 25:23); never to settle in the land of Egypt (Deut. 17:16); not to allow a witch to live, Exodus 22:18. These kinds of laws are governmental or judicial and are out of the personal jurisdiction of today's believer.

Then there are laws specific to men and women that are not intended for the other sex.

We find laws regarding the priesthood and temple worship, which are impossible to observe today or that were changed with Yahshua's sacrifice and role as our High Priest. Such laws include: not to tear the High Priest's robe (Ex. 28:32); a person with a physical blemish shall not serve in the Sanctuary (Lev. 21:23); to carry out the ordinance of the red heifer so that its ashes will always be available (Num. 19:9); and all the laws regulating animal sacrifice.

Certain laws are for health and cleanliness, such as: the leper shall shave all his hair (Lev. 14:9); a woman's running issue of blood defiles (Lev. 15:25-27); to have a place outside the camp for sanitary purposes (Deut. 23:13).

Other laws are for safety and are specific to a historical time, like to make a parapet (perimeter fence) on your roof because a person's roof was a living space in Israel (Deut. 22:8);

A general guideline is, if the laws deal with our worship as defined in the New Testament, and if they are moral/spiritual laws of behavior and decency, they must be observed just as Yahshua and His followers observed them in the New Covenant.

While many use Ephesians 2:15 as proof that Paul abolished the Old Testament commandments, nothing could be further from the truth. The key to understanding this passage is found in the word "ordinances." This word is from the Greek dogma and refers to man-made decrees or ceremonial law. Strong's provides the following definition: "…a law (civil, ceremonial or ecclesiastical." In addition to this passage, dogma occurs four times in the New Testament. Below are the passages:

• "And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree [dogma] from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed" (Luke 2:1)
• "And as they went through the cities, they delivered them the decrees [dogma] for to keep, that were ordained of the apostles and elders which were at Jerusalem" (Acts 16:4)
• "Whom Jason hath received: and these all do contrary to the decrees [dogma] of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Yahshua" (Acts 17:7)
• "Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances [dogma] that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his stake" (Colossians 2:14).

Based on the above, Luke 2:1 and Acts 17:7 refer to Roman civil law; Acts 16:4 refers to ecclesiastical laws from the apostles; and Colossians 2:14 and Ephesians 2:15 likely refer to rabbinical laws that served as a wedge between Jew and gentile. It's important to note that in none of the above examples, as well as Ephesians, dogma does not refer to Old Testament law, including laws dealing with morality and worship. It is clear from the New Testament that the Messiah and apostles, including the Apostle Paul, were not opposed to the Old Testament commandments, but taught compliance to them, Matthew 5:17-20;

You ask a great and important question. We do not believe that Paul hijacked the Messiah's message. While many today believe Paul started a new religion that resembled the Greco-Romans culture of his time, nothing could be further from the truth. If Paul is understood and his writings applied correctly, we will conclude that Paul never forsook the faith given to him as a boy. He continued keeping the commandments, even after coming to the Messiah.

An example of Paul's unrelenting commitment to the faith of the Old Testament is Acts 24:14. He states there, "But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the Elohim of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets:"

In addition, we find several examples of Paul supporting the commandments throughout his epistles:

Romans 3:31: "Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not: yea, we establish the law."

Romans 7:1, 12: "Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth? … Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good."

1Corinthians 7:19: "Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of Yahweh."

These passages do not describe a man who was anti-law or against the Old Testament, but a man who supported and saw value in both. Along with Paul's commitment to the law and the Old Testament, we find several examples of him referring to and observing the Sabbath and Feast days.

Acts 17:2: "And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures."

Acts 18:4: "And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks."

Acts 20:16: "For Paul had determined to sail by Ephesus, because he would not spend the time in Asia: for he hasted, if it were possible for him, to be at Jerusalem the day of Pentecost."

1Corinthians 5:7-8: "Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Messiah our passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth."

A man who was sincerely opposed to the Old Testament laws would have never observed them as Paul did. Through Paul's actions he demonstrated that he was not against the commandments, but supported and taught them.