The Mosaic Law: Its Function and Purpose in the New Testament by J
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What Is the Law of Christ? Peter Ditzel
What Is the Law of Christ? Peter Ditzel "Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ" (Galatians 6:2). Although it is alluded to in other Scriptures, this is the only place in all the Bible that uses the phrase "law of Christ." What is the law of Christ? As Christians, we should have more than vague ideas about something so connected to Jesus Christ as His law. Is the law of Christ a set of commandments like the Ten Commandments? Is it one command, love, that can be expressed in slightly more detail as "bear one another's burdens"? Is it the law that Jeremiah prophesied God would put in our inward parts and write on our hearts? (Jeremiah 31:33). Let's find out. A Command If there is a law of Christ, we should expect something in the way of commands, or, at least, a command. In John 13:34, Jesus says, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, just like I have loved you; that you also love one another." But what about all of the other commands about loving our neighbor, loving our enemies, and the many things Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount and elsewhere? I believe that just as Paul, after quoting some of the Ten Commandments, said, "whatever other commandments there are, are all summed up in this saying, namely, 'You shall love your neighbour as yourself'" (Romans 13:9), so also all of Jesus' commands about how we are to live can be summed into His one command, "love one another." What about, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind"? (Matthew 22:37). -
Jesus Christ: Perpetuator of the Mosaic Covenant
JESUS CHRIST: PERPETUATOR OF THE MOSAIC COVENANT Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for graduation with honors to the Department of Theology, Carroll College Helena, Montana by Patricia H. Nelson April 1986 lC®RET E L,BRARY CARROLL COLLEGE 5962 00083 291 This thesis for honors recognition has been ii TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION ................................ 1 Mosaic Covenant .......................... 1 Christian Covenant ........................ 2 II. COVENANT IN JUDAISM ...................... 3 The Period of the Patriarchs............. 5 The Tribal Confederacy ................... 6 The Age of Kings.......................... 8 The Two Kingdoms.............................10 Covenant and Judgment .................... 10 The Prophets and Covenant.................. 11 Amos Hosea Isaiah Micah Jeremiah Ezekiel Summary..................................... 15 III. COVENANT IN CHRISTIANITY.................... 16 Christology................................. 16 Baptism of Jesus............................. 17 Ministry of Jesus...........................17 The Beatitudes............................... 19 The Twelve Apostles........................ 20 IV. ARK OF THE COVENANT CONTINUED IN JESUS . 20 The Holy Place and Holy of Holies .... 21 The Four Types ofO ffering................... 26 Jesus, Mediator of the New Covenant ... 27 V. CONCLUSION................................... 28 BIBLIOGRAPHY .............................. 30 iii I. INTRODUCTION Holy Scripture is rooted in covenant theology. The "berit" of the Old and -
1 Calvin and Witsius on the Mosaic Covenant
1 1 Calvin and Witsius on the Mosaic Covenant J. V. FESKO hen it comes to the Mosaic covenant, an ocean of ink has been spilled by theologians in their efforts to relate it both to WIsrael’s immediate historical context and to the church’s exis- tence in the wake of the advent of Christ. Anthony Burgess (d. 1664), one of the Westminster divines, writes: “I do not find in any point of divinity, learned men so confused and perplexed (being like Abraham’s ram, hung in a bush of briars and brambles by the head) as here.”1 Among the West- minster divines there were a number of views represented in the assembly: the Mosaic covenant was a covenant of works, a mixed covenant of works and grace, a subservient covenant to the covenant of grace, or simply the covenant of grace.2 One can find a similar range of views represented in more recent literature in our own day.3 In the limited amount of space 1. Anthony Burgess, Vindicae Legis (London, 1647), 229. 2. Samuel Bolton, The True Bounds of Christian Freedom (1645; Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 2001), 92–94. 3. See, e.g., Mark W. Karlberg, “Reformed Interpretation of the Mosaic Covenant,” Westmin- ster Theological Journal 43.1 (1981): 1–57; idem, Covenant Theology in Reformed Perspective (Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock, 2000), 17–58; D. Patrick Ramsey, “In Defense of Moses: A Confes- sional Critique of Kline and Karlberg,” Westminster Theological Journal 66.2 (2004): 373–400; 25 Estelle Law Book.indd 35 12/12/08 3:36:48 PM 26 J. -
LAW of CHRIST - NEW COVENANT by Donna Dorsey Wulfemeyer Updated 2020
LAW OF CHRIST - NEW COVENANT By Donna Dorsey Wulfemeyer Updated 2020 The Law of Christ states that we can’t be good enough or righteous enough to enter heaven by following the Law and The Prophets. It says we need to believe in Jesus as our Messiah (savior). His death for us is what makes us righteous in God’s sight. For our salvation, which can never be earned, God simply asks us to love him, love others (both believers and non-believers) and believe in God’s son. The NT contains hundreds of commands. All of them come under the general heading of love. Everything He commands is an expression of love. This I believe is the Law of Christ and this fulfills all that was said in the Law and the prophets without the need to look at a check list of demands. Jesus asked believers to love each other in order to show the world we are his followers because in doing so we follow his example for living. Receiving our righteousness from God thru Jesus, not the law, explains the Law of Christ which is the New Covenant. Prior to Christ the law was a list of do’s and don’ts that were created to help people live peaceably with God and others. However people were unable to keep the commandments so the blood of animals was shed on our behalf. After Jesus was the final sacrifice, the Law of Christ took effect; by belief in Christ all our sins are covered/removed and we are made righteous in God sight. -
Covenant in Judaism and Christianity
168 Theological Trends Covenant in Judaism and Christianity Dan Cohn-Sherbok HE CONCEPT OF ISRAEL AS GOD'S CHOSEN PEOPLE has been a constant T feature of Jewish thought from biblical times to the present. In the Bible the Hebrew root 'bhr' (to choose) denotes the belief that God selected the Jewish nation from all other peoples. As the Book of Deuteronomy declares: 'For you are a people holy to the Lord your God: the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his own possession out of all the peoples that are on the face of the earth' (Deut 7:6). According to Scripture, this act was motivated by divine love: It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love upon you and chose you for you were the fewest of all peoples; but it is because the Lord loves you. (Deut 7:7-8) Such love for Israel was later echoed in the synagogue liturgy, especially in the prayer for holy days, which begins" Thou hast chosen us from all peoples; thou hast loved us and found pleasure in us and hast exalted us above all tongues; thou hast sanctified us by thy commandments and brought us near unto thy service, O king, and hast called us by thy great and holy name. Through its election Israel has been given an historic mission to bear divine truth to humanity. Thus, before God proclaimed the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai, he admonished the people to carry out this appointed task: You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings, and brought you to myself. -
Covenant of Mount Sinai
mark h lane www.biblenumbersforlife.com COVENANT OF MOUNT SINAI SUMMARY The children of Israel were slaves in Egypt. The Lord brought them out with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm. He brought them into the desert of Sinai and made them a nation under God, with the right to occupy and live in the Promised Land, AS TENANTS, subject to obedience to the Law of Moses. To have the privilege to continue to occupy the Promised Land Israel must keep: The ritual law concerning the priesthood and the continual offering of animal sacrifices, etc. The civil law concerning rights of citizens, land transactions, execution of justice, etc. The moral law: Love your neighbor as yourself The heart law: Love the LORD your God and serve him only In the Law of Moses there were blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience. Penalties for disobedience went as far as being shipped back to Egypt as slaves. All who relied on observing the Law of Moses were under a curse. It is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law” (Deut. 27:26). None of the blessings under the Law of Moses concern eternal life, the heavenly realm, or the forgiveness of sins necessary to stand before God in the life hereafter. The people under the Covenant of Sinai did not even enjoy the privilege of speaking to the Lord face to face. The high priest, who crawled into the Most Holy Place once a year, was required to fill the room with incense so that he would not see the LORD and die. -
Rereading Paul on Circumcision, Torah, and the Gentiles Asha K
A Seal of Faith: Rereading Paul on Circumcision, Torah, and the Gentiles Asha K. Moorthy Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY 2014 © 2014 Asha K. Moorthy All rights reserved ABSTRACT A Seal of Faith: Rereading Paul on Circumcision, Torah, and the Gentiles Asha K. Moorthy It is generally held that the Apostle Paul dismissed the rite of circumcision for Gentiles. This dissertation, however, offers a different perspective. Through examination of relevant sources regarding the role of circumcision in conversion along with consideration of Philo of Alexandria’s depiction of Abraham as an exemplar of and for the proselyte, this project will suggest that Paul, in Rom 4:11‐ 12, uses the example of Abraham in order to explain the value of circumcision for Jews as well as for Gentiles. It will be argued, moreover, that Paul’s objections to circumcision, as found in Romans as well as in Galatians, Philippians, and 1 Corinthians, were not to the rite per se but rather to the notion that circumcision was necessary for entering the Abrahamic covenant, “becoming a Jew,” justification, salvation, spiritual transformation, protection or identity in Christ. A case will be made, moreover, that in Paul’s day there were two competing forms of circumcision and that Paul was opposed to the more radical procedure. Finally, divergences in Paul’s handling of the topic of circumcision in different letters will be explained through attention to particular audience concerns. TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 1: Introduction 1 1. -
“Washing Your Hands Before Eating.” Actually, It Is a Pivotal Moment That He
Rev. Glen Mullan The Law of Moses August 29, 2021 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (B) (Dt 4:1-8; Mk 7) Jesus has an argument with the Pharisees about “washing your hands before eating.” Actually, it is a pivotal moment that helps to define Christianity as a movement distinct from “traditional” Judaism, and it is because of this argument, that Christians today are able to eat bacon with their eggs! At issue is the Law of the Moses, that extensive body of rules and precepts which are set forth in the first five books of the Bible, and summarized by Moses in the book of Deuteronomy. Or rather, at issue is the purpose of the laws, and their relationship to holiness. Jesus – and Christianity – does not actually reject the Law of Moses, including those precepts about washing hands and avoiding pork. In my household, we were taught from childhood to “wash your hands” before coming to the dinner table. Likewise, to wash all the dishes afterward (cups, jugs, kettles), to bathe every day, and to regularly launder the bedding (cf. Mk 7:4). We were quite “Jewish” in this regard. Likewise, we followed very careful rules with regard to the preparation, cooking, eating, and storing of meats, aware that pork has more dangers than beef or chicken. The precepts of the Law of Moses are filled with incredible wisdom which modern science has only confirmed. In the era before electricity and refrigeration, stoves and antibiotics, the rules kept people healthy and strong, and enabled the community to deal swiftly with illnesses and infections. -
Marcion's Version of to the Galatians
English Reconstruction and Translation of Marcion's version of To The Galatians by Daniel Jon Mahar Abbreviations are provided in the right margin to indicate the Patristic sources for passages, a system borrowed from Paul-Louis Couchoud which he utilised for his translation of Marcion's gospel (The Creation of Christ, p.318ff, Watts& Company, 1939). The abbreviations which occur most often: T.- Tertullian, Adversus Marcionem, Bk.V. E. - Epiphanius, Adversus Haeresies, Section.42. A.- Adamantius, Dialog (Parts I, II, V). Rufin - The Latin version of Adamantius. O. - Origen Hier.- Hieronymus, cited from the notes of Zahn/Harnack in their reconstructions. In the left hand margin, SyP = variant reading from the Syriac Peshitta. This translation was generated from the Greek-English Interlinear of the reconstruction. Some notes of possible interest are provided. The English translation itself is admittedly conjectural in places, as also are the notes. One such creative liberty is the name for the Marcionite Savior, "Isu Chrestos" - "Isu" derived on the designation of Syrian Marcionites, the spelling for "Chrestos" (=the Good one ) derived from an ancient inscription to a Marcionite synagogue. 1 TO THE GALATIANS 1 Prologue Galatians are Greeks. These accepted the word of truth first from the Apostle, but after his departure were tempted by false Apostles to turn to the law and circumcision. These the Apostle recalls to the faith of the truth, writing to them from Ephesus. 1:1 Paul an apostle, not of men nor through man, T but through Isu Chrestos, T who awakened himself from the dead; 2 (Hier.) 2b To the assemblies of Galatia : 3 Goodness to you and peace from God our Father and Lord Isu Chrestos, 4 Who gave himself for our sins, so that he might rescue us Syp from this wicked Destiny, 3 according to the pleasure of God our Father. -
Not a Covenant of Works in Disguise” (Herman Bavinck1): the Place of the Mosaic Covenant in Redemptive History
MAJT 24 (2013): 143-177 “NOT A COVENANT OF WORKS IN DISGUISE” (HERMAN BAVINCK1): THE PLACE OF THE MOSAIC COVENANT IN REDEMPTIVE HISTORY by Robert Letham READERS WILL DOUBTLESS be aware of the argument that the Mosaic covenant is in some way a republication of the covenant of works made by God with Adam before the fall. In recent years, this has been strongly advocated by Meredith Kline and others influenced by his views. In this article I will ask some historical and theological questions of the claim. I will also consider how far Reformed theology, particularly in the period up to the production of the major confessional documents of the Westminster Assembly (1643-47), was of one mind on the question. 2 I will concentrate on the argument itself, without undue reference to persons.3 1. Herman Bavinck, Reformed Dogmatics, Volume 3: Sin and Salvation in Christ (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2006), 222. 2. Apart from the works of Kline, cited below, others have addressed the matter in some detail - Mark W. Karlberg, “The Search for an Evangelical Consensus on Paul and the Law,” JETS 40 (1997): 563–79; Mark W. Karlberg, “Recovering the Mosaic Covenant as Law and Gospel: J. Mark Beach, John H. Sailhammer, and Jason C. Meyer as Representative Expositors,” EQ 83, no. 3 (2011): 233–50; D. Patrick Ramsey, “In Defense of Moses: A Confessional Critique of Kline and Karlberg,” WTJ 66 (2004): 373–400; Brenton C. Ferry, “Cross-Examining Moses’ Defense: An Answer to Ramsey’s Critique of Kline and Karlberg,” WTJ 67 (2005): 163–68; J. -
The Angels and the Giving of the Law
December 2011 • Volume XIII, Issue 20 The Angels and the Giving of the Law There are five texts in the Bible that speak of the angels’ role in the giving of the law at Sinai. The first occurs in the last recorded speech of the 120-year-old Moses, at the start of the penultimate chapter of the Pentateuch—his blessing of Israel—where he tells us that he saw angels on Sinai thirty-eight years ago: ―The Lord came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them; he shined forth from mount Paran, and he came with ten thousands of saints: from his right hand went a fiery law for them‖ (Deut. 33:2). David made the other Old Testament reference to angels at the giving of the law: ―The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels: the Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place‖ (Ps. 68:17). The psalmist tells us that ―twenty thousand, even thousands of angels‖—Moses refers to ―ten thousands‖ (Deut. 33:2)—came as an army (―chariots‖). Like Moses, David also emphasises the impressiveness and awesomeness of the angels on the holy mount. (The psalmist’s reference to ―angels‖ makes it clear that the ―saints‖ or holy ones in Deuteronomy 33:2 are heavenly messengers.) The first believer recorded in the New Testament as referring to angels at Sinai is the deacon, disputer, apologist and martyr, Stephen. As part of his defence before the Sanhedrin, he stated that the Jews ―received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it‖ (Acts 7:53). -
The Servant-Master Roles of the Laws of Christ, of Scripture, and of Nature
Journal of the Adventist Theological Society, 9/1Ð2 (1998): 278Ð309. Article copyright © 2000 by Martin Hanna. The Servant-Master Roles of the Laws of Christ, of Scripture, and of Nature Martin F. Hanna Northern Caribbean University, Jamaica This article is the third in a series on a model for theology which is in- clusive of revelation in Christ, Scripture, and nature. In this model, Scrip- ture has a unique role that belongs only to Scripture. However, Christ and nature also have roles in faith and practice, as Scripture teaches. According to Scripture and Seventh-day Adventist theology, there is a harmony among the divine revelations in Christ, Scripture, and nature.1 The thesis of this ar- ticle is that there are servant-master roles for the laws of Christ, of Scrip- ture, and of nature in Christian faith and practice. The law is a servant of God which rules as a master over those who are without faith in Christ. However, for those who through faith are exalted with Christ, the role of law is transformed. The law, which is a servant of God, functions as a ser- vant rather than as a master of those who have faith. This article surveys the history of the interpretation of Paul’s statements about the laws of Christ, Scripture, and nature (part 1). Then it surveys Paul’s actual references to the law (part 2), especially in Galatians 3:24–25 (part 3). Finally, this article surveys Ellen G. White’s Seventh-day Adventist perspective on the servant- master roles of law (part 4).