Difference between revisions of "Moses and Law"
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===Theonomic reformed view=== | ===Theonomic reformed view=== | ||
| − | Bahsen claims that any denial of the applicability of the moral law to society today brings the risk of reducing our stance to cultural relativism in ethics. He does, however, recognize that the digital age is significantly different than the agrarian society of the Old Testament. Ultimately Bahsen claims that “some discontinuities with the mosaic law (or laws) are redemptive-historical in character and pertain to the coming of the new covenant and the finished work of Christ, while others are cultural in character and pertain to simple changed of time place or lifestyle <ref>Bahnsen, Five Views on Law and Gospel., 103<ref>.” Bahsen also views some aspects of the law as existing for the purpose of distinguishing Israel as God’s people. These laws, hence, serve not a moral function, but a symbolic function. | + | Bahsen claims that any denial of the applicability of the moral law to society today brings the risk of reducing our stance to cultural relativism in ethics. He does, however, recognize that the digital age is significantly different than the agrarian society of the Old Testament. Ultimately Bahsen claims that “some discontinuities with the mosaic law (or laws) are redemptive-historical in character and pertain to the coming of the new covenant and the finished work of Christ, while others are cultural in character and pertain to simple changed of time place or lifestyle <ref>Bahnsen, Five Views on Law and Gospel., 103</ref>.” Bahsen also views some aspects of the law as existing for the purpose of distinguishing Israel as God’s people. These laws, hence, serve not a moral function, but a symbolic function. |
===A Dispensational View=== | ===A Dispensational View=== | ||
| − | *What does Galatians 3:23- | + | *What does Galatians 3:23-25 teach about the purpose of the law? |
**The law served as a tutor. Specifically, the word tutor in Galatians 3:23-25 was used of a slave who functioned as the family tutor. The idea here is that a child would study under the slave. When the child matured, the child then became the master. The law served to teach the Jews how to serve God. However, when Christ came, the entire balance changes and the law no longer serves in this function. This does not mean the lessons the law gives are no longer applicable, but instead that the regulatory, supervisory nature of the law has changed. | **The law served as a tutor. Specifically, the word tutor in Galatians 3:23-25 was used of a slave who functioned as the family tutor. The idea here is that a child would study under the slave. When the child matured, the child then became the master. The law served to teach the Jews how to serve God. However, when Christ came, the entire balance changes and the law no longer serves in this function. This does not mean the lessons the law gives are no longer applicable, but instead that the regulatory, supervisory nature of the law has changed. | ||
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==The Dispensation of Law== | ==The Dispensation of Law== | ||
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=Conclusion= | =Conclusion= | ||
| + | *What are some of the ways in which we can misuse the Old Testament? | ||
| + | **If we are using the Old Testament to cite laws we are missing the point. The Old Testament can certainly show us something of God's standard but the laws in the Old Testament are means to show us something of God and man's inability to live holy rather than a simple list of laws. | ||
| + | |||
| + | =References= | ||
Latest revision as of 14:53, 15 April 2019
Contents
Objectives
- Students will determine to trust on Christ for their righteousness instead of a legal code.
Opening
Bring some copies of a regulatory book to class. If you have a library nearby you might pick up a copy of the FAR/AIM, the FAA list of regulations. The idea here is that the book should be thick and include lots of rules.
- What are some examples of rules?
- Take a look at this book, what do you notice?
- Why do we have so many rules?
Main Body
The Mosaic Covenant
The Creation of the Covenant
The Mosaic covenant is often associated with Exodus 19-24.
- What conditions are set forth in Exodus 19:5?
- Obedience
- What promises are given in Exodus 19:5-6?
- God would make Israel his treasured possession and a kingdom of priests.
- According to Exodus 19:7-9, who agrees to the covenant?
- Both God and the people agree to the covenant.
- In Exodus 19:10-11 what actions are taken to ratify the covenant?
- The people wash themselves and set themselves apart.
Obedience
- The condition placed on the covenant was that of obedience. What was it that the people were supposed to obey?
- The Old Testament Law was the standard God set forth. Exodus 20 has the 10 commandments but throughout Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, we find details on the laws that God expected Israel to obey.
- What are some examples of laws set forth in the Old Testament Law?
- Ten Commandments
- Laws on purity
- Laws regulating interactions with other people
- In fact, some Jews apparently codify the laws into 613 distinct commandments, 365 negative commandments, and 248 Positive commandments.[1]
- According to Galatians 3:11, what was the Law unable to do?
- Justify someone
Types of Law
One of the biggest challenges some theologians face is how to determine which Old Testament Laws apply today and which do not. In my opinion the answer is easy. The Old Testament served Israel as a legal code but for the Christian today the Old Testament serves as a means of teaching who God is and what holiness is. However, it may be helpful to try and understand how other theologians have looked at the Old Testament.
- What type of law is discussed in Lev. 24:17-23 and Deut. 21:1-4?
- Civil laws appear to be discussed here
- What type of law is discussed in Ex. 29:1-46 and Lev. 11:1-47?
- Ceremonial laws
- What type of law is discussed in Lev. 19:11 and Lev. 19:13?
- Moral laws
From this perspective theologians have then argued that certain laws are still in effect today.
Non-theonomic reformed view
For example, the non-theonomic reformed view of law and gospel can be summarized by the acceptance of the traditional reformed view that the civil elements of the law are no longer applicable while also maintaining continuity between the times before Christ and the time after Christ. The insistence on continuity in time and the division of the law into moral, ceremonial, and civil components forms the backbone of the non-theonomic reformed view.
Theonomic reformed view
Bahsen claims that any denial of the applicability of the moral law to society today brings the risk of reducing our stance to cultural relativism in ethics. He does, however, recognize that the digital age is significantly different than the agrarian society of the Old Testament. Ultimately Bahsen claims that “some discontinuities with the mosaic law (or laws) are redemptive-historical in character and pertain to the coming of the new covenant and the finished work of Christ, while others are cultural in character and pertain to simple changed of time place or lifestyle [2].” Bahsen also views some aspects of the law as existing for the purpose of distinguishing Israel as God’s people. These laws, hence, serve not a moral function, but a symbolic function.
A Dispensational View
- What does Galatians 3:23-25 teach about the purpose of the law?
- The law served as a tutor. Specifically, the word tutor in Galatians 3:23-25 was used of a slave who functioned as the family tutor. The idea here is that a child would study under the slave. When the child matured, the child then became the master. The law served to teach the Jews how to serve God. However, when Christ came, the entire balance changes and the law no longer serves in this function. This does not mean the lessons the law gives are no longer applicable, but instead that the regulatory, supervisory nature of the law has changed.
The Dispensation of Law
In the unfolding of history through dispensations we have seen that in innocence man fell, despite having a conscience man sinned, even human government could not stop the evil, God called Abraham but he and his descendants failed to remain in the promised land. In very possible way so far we have sen that man is totally depraved. Now, we address another question, "perhaps if man was told explicitly what God wanted, man would be able to be holy." This is the dispensation of law, we will see that despite being told explicitly what God wanted, the heart of man is deceitful above all (Jeremiah 17:9).
- According to Matthew 5:17, what is the relationship between the coming of Christ and the law?
- Jesus would fulfill the law down to the smallest stroke of the Hebrew alphabet. The word fulfill (plerosai) carries the idea of bringing something to an end or full degree. It is the case that theologians have provided four possible meanings to the word fulfill here.
- Fulfill means that Jesus obeyed the law
- Fulfill means that Jesus validated the law
- Fulfill means that Jesus completed the law by summing it up in His own teaching
- Fulfill means that Jesus completed the covenant aspect of the law and brought the covenant to completion.
- From a dispensational viewpoint, the law demonstrated that man could not follow enough rules to be holy, Jesus demonstrated that only God could be holy and in so doing fulfilled the requirements of the law. The fulfillment of the law allows for the law to cease functioning as a rule of life while also not being abolished. The law is simply fulfilled. Scofield, in his study notes summarizes it well
Christ's relation to the law of Moses may be thus summarized: (1) He was made under the law Gal 4:4. (2) He lived in perfect obedience to the law Jn 8:46 Mt 17:5 1Pet 2:21-23. (3) he was a minister of the law to the Jews, clearing it from rabbinical sophistries, enforcing it in all its pitiless severity upon those who professed to obey it (e.g.) Lk 10:25-37 but confirming the promises made to the fathers under the Mosaic Covenant Rom 15:8. (4) He fulfilled the types of the law by His holy life and sacrificial death Heb 9:11-26. (5) He bore, vicariously, the curse of the law that the Abrahamic Covenant might avail all who believe Gal 3:13,14. (6) He brought out by His redemption all who believe from the place of servants under the law into the place of sons Gal 4:1-7. (7) He mediated by His blood the New Covenant of assurance and grace in which all believers stand Rom 5:2 Heb 8:6-13 Song establishing the "law of Christ" Gal 6:2 with its precepts of higher exaltation made possible by the indwelling Spirit.[3]
- From a dispensational viewpoint, the law demonstrated that man could not follow enough rules to be holy, Jesus demonstrated that only God could be holy and in so doing fulfilled the requirements of the law. The fulfillment of the law allows for the law to cease functioning as a rule of life while also not being abolished. The law is simply fulfilled. Scofield, in his study notes summarizes it well
- From where then does the Christian get their rule of life?
- The moral law of God is immutable. This law, on which the Mosaic Law was built, is still written on human hearts (Romans 2:14-15). First Corinthians 9:20 teaches that Paul, while not bound by the law remained faithful to the law. The Law of Christ is the new law, which the Christian should hold. The Law of Christ is not a rephrasing of the Mosaic Law but a ministry of the Holy Spirit.
Conclusion
- What are some of the ways in which we can misuse the Old Testament?
- If we are using the Old Testament to cite laws we are missing the point. The Old Testament can certainly show us something of God's standard but the laws in the Old Testament are means to show us something of God and man's inability to live holy rather than a simple list of laws.
References
- ↑ Alex Bauman, Why Dispensationalism Matters Leader's Guide, Regular Baptist Press, 2015, page 39
- ↑ Bahnsen, Five Views on Law and Gospel., 103
- ↑ https://biblehub.com/commentaries/sco/matthew/5.htm
