The Law of Moses versus the Law of the Spirit

The Law of Moses versus the Law of the Spirit – Part 4-5

We concluded our last study with the understanding that the bondwoman, Hagar, and her son Ishmael, “answer to Jerusalem which now is and is in bondage with her children”:

Gal 4:25  For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.

Yet we have also been told by the holy spirit that at the Lord’s appointed time “all Israel shall be saved”, because “the gifts and calling of God are without repentance”:

Rom 11:25  For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.Rom 11:26  And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:Rom 11:27  For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.Rom 11:28  As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sakes.Rom 11:29  For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.

God’s gifts and calling of God being without repentance does not tie His hands so He cannot judge each of us according to our works and cause us to reap what we sow. Christ being rejected by His own physical flesh gives Him the occasion He is seeking to judge His own people by “blinding [them]… until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in”. Now that we have been told that physical Israel’s blindness will last “until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in”, it becomes very important for us to know when the fullness of the Gentiles will come in. The very next verse firmly asserts that the Lord has still blinded Abraham’s physical descendants:

Rom 11:30  For as ye [Gentile Romans] in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: [Through physical Israel’s unbelief – vs 25-26]

By giving His mercy to the Gentiles, the Lord is also giving His gifts and calling and promises to the Gentiles by giving us a spiritually circumcised heart and ‘eyes that see and ears that hear the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven.’ In doing all that, the Lord is seeking to “provoke physical Israel to jealousy” and thereby save a few of them as Paul states in both Romans 10 and 11.

Rom 10:19  But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you.Rom 11:11  I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.

Where does Paul come up with all these doctrines declaring that all Israel will not be saved until the fullness of the Gentiles comes, and that God is provoking Israel to jealousy by giving His gifts, calling and promises to the Gentiles??? The answer is that Paul has simply been given eyes that see and ears that hear what has already been written many hundreds of years earlier in the Old Testament. We just read in Romans 10:19 that it was Moses who prophesied that the Lord would “provoke [Israel] to jealousy by them that are no people and by a foolish nation…” Nevertheless, where does Paul get the idea that “the whole house of Israel” and the vision of the valley of dry bones will not be fulfilled “until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in?” Is Paul “speaking above that which is written” after warning us we must never do such a thing? No, Paul is not speaking above that which is written, rather He is simply affirming these words of the 16^th chapter of Ezekiel:

Eze 16:53  When I shall bring again their captivity, the captivity of Sodom and her daughters, and the captivity of Samaria and her daughters, then will I bring again the captivity of thy captives in the midst of them:Eze 16:54  That thou mayest bear thine own shame, and mayest be confounded in all that thou hast done, in that thou art a comfort unto them.Eze 16:55  When thy sisters, Sodom and her daughters, shall return to their former estate, and Samaria and her daughters shall return to their former estate, then thou and thy daughters shall return to your former estate.

So much for the monstrous, despicable and blasphemous false doctrine of an eternally burning ‘hell’ where we are told that a loving heavenly Father whose “mercies endure forever”, a statement that is repeated in all 26 verses of Psalms 136, will torment His hapless, weak, “shapen in iniquity… conceived in sin” creatures (Psa 51:5) for all eternity with no hope of learning and being brought to repentance and to life. Here we have the Lord Himself telling us that when He brings Sodom to Himself, “then will I bring again the captivity of [Israel] in the midst of [Sodom] (Eze 16 53). He repeats this fact in verse 55:

Eze 16:55  When thy sisters, Sodom and her daughters, shall return to their former estate, and Samaria and her daughters shall return to their former estate, then thou and thy daughters shall return to your former estate.

“Return to their former estate” is Bible-speak for God devising means that His banished be not expelled from him:

2Sa 14:14  For we [all] must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; neither doth God respect any person: yet doth he devise means, that his banished be not expelled from him.

There it all is, right there in the Old Testament all along. All these words from the apostle’s pen are verified in Ezekiel 16 concerning the salvation of Sodom and Samaria, and in Ezekiel’s vision of the valley of dry bones in chapter 37. Ezekiel is told “these bones are the whole house of Israel” who say, “our hope is lost, we are cut off” yet the Lord says He will ‘open their graves and place His spirit within them’:

Eze 37:11  Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts.Eze 37:12  Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.Eze 37:13  And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves,Eze 37:14  And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken it, and performed it, saith the LORD.

Here we have the statement that “the whole house of Israel”, or as Paul words it… “all Israel shall be saved… when I have opened your graves”.

Now all we need to know is the timeline which the scriptures do give us for when the Lord will open the graves of “the whole house of Israel.” Paul tells us that this momentous event related to us in Ezekiel 37 and the opening of the graves of “the whole house of Israel” will take place “when the fulness of the Gentiles be come in… so, all Israel shall be saved…” (Eze 37:25, Rom 11:25-26):

Rom 11:25  For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.Rom 11:26  And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:Rom 11:27  For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.

The fullness of the Gentiles means all mankind who were not granted to be part of those who are the first to be resurrected in what Christ calls “the resurrection of life”:

Joh 5:28  Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,Joh 5:29  And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation [G2920: ‘Krisis’, judgment].

The ‘resurrection of life’ is called “the… blessed and holy… first resurrection”:

Rev 20:6  Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

If there is a “first resurrection” then there must also be a second resurrection, and since “judgment must begin at the house of God” in this present life, and since Christ said that all the rest of mankind will “come forth… unto the resurrection of judgment”, it is obvious that “the resurrection of judgment” is the second resurrection. The King James translation calls it “the resurrection of damnation” just to make it fit in with their false doctrine of an eternal burning hell.

Joh 5:28  Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,Joh 5:29  And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation [G2920: ‘Krisis’, judgment].

In 1 Peter 4:17, we are told that “the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God.” However, the fact that it “first begins with us” necessitates that it will, at the appointed time, pass upon all others at the second resurrection. Christ said “all that are in their graves” must “come forth… unto… judgment”.

What exactly does ‘judgment’ accomplish? Does ‘judgment’ produce “eternal damnation” as most of the churches of Babylon teach? The answer is that nothing could be further from what the scriptures teach, which is:

Isa 26:8  Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O LORD, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee.Isa 26:9  With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.

This accords with Paul’s doctrine that the “fire” of the Lord will save “every man”:

1Co 3:13  Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.1Co 3:14  If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.1Co 3:15  If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

We are all “saved… by fire”. The ‘fire’ of scripture does not torment for all eternity, rather “[we] shall be saved… by fire”. Even those in that “blessed and holy… first resurrection” are saved only through “fiery trials”:

1Pe 4:12  Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:1Pe 4:13  But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed [at that “blessed and holy… first resurrection], ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

With all of this in mind, let’s remember that it is only “when the fullness of the Gentiles be come in” that all Israel… the whole house of Israel… shall be saved, as Paul declared. Will the “fire” be a factor in the fulfillment of Ezekiel 16 and Ezekiel 37?

Eze 16:55  When thy sisters Sodom and her daughters shall return to their former estate, and Samaria and her daughters shall return to their former estate, THEN thou and thy daughters shall return to your former estate.Eze 37:11  Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts.

“Return to your former estate” is Bible-speak for being delivered from one’s enemies, and we are told that “the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.”

1Co 15:26  The last enemy  that shall be destroyed is death.

Is the ‘fire’ of scripture in any way associated with the destruction of death? We will see that it is very much associated with the destruction of the last enemy, death.

Is there a scholar anywhere who doesn’t agree that the perverted Sodomites will be raised in the second resurrection, also known as the “Great White Throne… judgment”, where all the dead are judged and all whose names are not in the book of life will be cast into the “lake of fire” (Rev 20:12-15)? The “lake of fire” is where “all Israel shall be saved”, and it will be at the time of the lake of fire that the “whole house” of physical Israel will be “brought… up out of [their] graves” and restored to their “former estate.” Unconverted physical Israel “shall be saved… by fire… when the fulness of the Gentiles be come in” at the time of “the lake of fire”.

Eze 37:13  And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves,Rom 11:25  For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.Rom 11:26  And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:

Here is the scriptural timeline for the destruction of death and the fullness of the Gentiles:

Rev 20:7  And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,Rev 20:8  And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.Rev 20:9  And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.Rev 20:10  And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever [the ages of the ages].Rev 20:11  And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.Rev 20:12  And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.Rev 20:13  And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.Rev 20:14  And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.Rev 20:15  And whosoever was not found written in the book of life [over a thousand years earlier] was cast into the lake of fire.

Until this present time, physical Israel who even now reject Christ as their Savior, has served as “a shadow of good things to come and not the very image of the things…” (Heb 10:1). In 1 Corinthians 10, Paul gives us a brief synopsis of Israel’s history of rebellion against God while wandering in the wilderness. In verse 6, he says: “Now these things were our examples…” Again, in verse 11: “Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples”.

“Example” and “ensample” are both translated from the same Greek word, ‘tupos’ (Strong’s G5179).

The holy spirit is telling us that the entire history of “Israel after the flesh” (1Co 10:18), including the giving of the law, is a tupos or a type of the “Israel of God” of Galatians 6:16. “The law (had) a shadow of good things to come” (Heb 10:1) which “good things to come” are the spiritual inheritance, the spiritual promises and the spiritual gifts which are given to all who are “in Christ” and who abide in His doctrines. The inheritance and promises made to Abraham are now those things possessed by those who are “in Christ…. [in] this present time” regardless of their pedigree. Those who believe in Christ are now “the Israel of God”, and those who do not believe in Christ are called by the holy spirit “unbelievers” even if they are physically descended from Abraham. This is what Paul tells us of all such unbelievers:

2Co 6:14  Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?2Co 6:15  And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?2Co 6:16  And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.2Co 6:17  Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,2Co 6:18  And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.Gal 3:29  And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

It is they that “are Christ’s… [who are now] the “sons and daughters” of our heavenly Father. Abraham’s spiritual seed has been “graffed in” to the “root and fatness of The Olive Tree” which signifies Christ. As such, even Gentiles who are in Christ are now “heirs according to the promise” including the promise that “I will bless them that bless thee, and I will curse them that curse thee”.

Gen 12:3  And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

It is only through the Lord’s elect that the families of the earth will be blessed. It is only the elect who will rule with Christ a thousand years and judge angels in the lake of fire (1Co 6:2-3, Rev 20:6). That promise has no application at all to “those who say they are Jews and are not” (Rev 2:9, Rev 3:9). That promise does not apply to those we are plainly told “are not [spiritual] Jews” (Rom 2:28-29). Those words apply only to those who know that “it doesn’t matter whether one is circumcised or not. Rather what matters is being a new creature.” God’s blessings are only on those who bless His Israel, and His curses are on those who curse His Israel, and ‘His Israel’ are those who conform to the concept and “rule” (Gal 6:16) that being an ‘Israelite’ is now a matter of the heart, in the spirit. Being an ‘Israelite’ or a ‘Jew’ is no longer a matter of physical pedigree. It is now a matter only of spiritual pedigree. All men, physical Jews and physical Gentiles, are now viewed by our heavenly Father as His children through the faith of Christ in them, or they are “of [their] father the devil”, even if they are physically descended from Abraham (Joh 8:30-44).

Gal 6:14  But it’s unthinkable that I could ever brag about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. By his cross my relationship to the world and its relationship to me have been crucified.Gal 6:15  Certainly, it doesn’t matter whether a person is circumcised or not. Rather, what matters is being a new creation.Gal 6:16  Peace and mercy will come to rest on all those who conform to this principle. They are the Israel of God. (GWV)

Paul is given the honor of revealing all of this to us, but he also warns us against becoming “high minded [and] wise in [our] own conceits” just like Abraham’s physical descendants who took personal pride in their physical pedigree. In other words, it is entirely possible to take personal pride in our spiritual pedigree just as easily as it is for Jews to take pride in their fleshly descent.

Here is that somber warning to all who are in Christ and have eyes that see and ears that hear:

Rom 11:13  For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:Rom 11:14  If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them.Rom 11:15  For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead? [in the resurrection of judgment (Joh 5:27-29)]Rom 11:16  For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.Rom 11:17  And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;Rom 11:18  Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.Rom 11:19  Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in.Rom 11:20  Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:Rom 11:21  For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.Rom 11:22  Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.Rom 11:23  And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again.Rom 11:24  For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree?

It is right at this point of warning us against being “highminded” that Paul tells us when “all Israel shall be saved”. We are never given dates, but we are given the order and timeline of His plan for mankind:

Rom 11:25  For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.Rom 11:26  And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:

We need to understand that when Paul said in Romans 11:26 that “all Israel… shall… be saved”, he was speaking specifically of physical Israel whom he says has not been completely “cast away” (G580: apobole, rejection, loss) but has been temporarily “broken off” (G1575: ekklao), and the Gentiles have been “graffed into the Good Olive Tree.” The physical Jews who have rejected Christ as their Savior are now “the son of the bondwoman” and are temporarily “broken off… until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in… and so all Israel be saved”.  When shall “all Israel be saved”?

Rom 11:27  For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.

It is here in Romans 11 that the order and timeline of this prophecy of  “the fullness of the Gentiles” and the salvation of “all Israel… the whole house of Israel” is revealed. We are plainly told that Israel has been blinded from knowing their Savior “until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.” Only then will “all Israel shall be saved”. One more detail of the timing of this momentous event is revealed as “when I shall take away their sins.”  Paul is revealing to us the timing of “when [the Lord] shall take away their sins, and it  happens to be at the same time He takes away the sins of Sodom when “the fulness of all the Gentiles be come in” (Rom 11:25).

Paul is not making any this up. Every word he has spoken was revealed in the book of Ezekiel among many other prophecies concerning the Lord’s work with the Gentiles. It is here in the book of Ezekiel that the holy spirit tells us plainly that the salvation of all Israel will come to pass “when Sodom and her daughters return to their former estate”. Note closely the qualifying words ‘when’ and ‘then’ in these verses:

Eze 16:53  When I shall bring again their captivity, the captivity of Sodom and her daughters, and the captivity of Samaria and her daughters, then will I bring again the captivity of thy captives in the midst of them:Eze 16:54  That thou mayest bear thine own shame, and mayest be confounded in all that thou hast done, in that thou art a comfort unto them.Eze 16:55  When thy sisters, Sodom and her daughters, shall return to their former estate, and Samaria and her daughters shall return to their former estate, then thou and thy daughters shall return to your former estate.

This prophecy is directed specifically to physical “Jerusalem”:

Eze 16:2  Son of man, cause Jerusalem to know her abominations,

However Samaria is also part of this prophecy and Samaria is the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel which means this prophecy concerns “the whole house of Israel” mentioned in Ezekiel 37.  Then, apparently for no other reason than to nail down the timing of this most important event, Sodom is also mentioned as being raised up and restored to her former estate at the same time Jerusalem and Samaria are restored to their former estate. It is the inclusion of Sodom by the holy spirit which reveals to Paul and to us, that Israel will remain blinded “until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in”.

When we put these words concerning Jerusalem and Samaria and Sodom together with the prophecy of Ezekiel 37, then we have ‘book ended’ the timing of when “all Israel shall be saved”:

Eze 37:1  The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones,Eze 37:2  And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry.Eze 37:3  And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest.Eze 37:4  Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.Eze 37:5  Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live:Eze 37:6  And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.Eze 37:7  So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone.Eze 37:8  And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them.Eze 37:9  Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.Eze 37:10  So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.Eze 37:11  Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts.Eze 37:12  Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.Eze 37:13  And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves,

This all accords with this prophecy in Isaiah:

Isa 26:8  Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O LORD, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee.Isa 26:9  With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.

It is manifested that neither physical Jews and physical Israelites who reject their own Savior, nor any Gentile who rejects Christ will be in the “blessed and holy first resurrection”, simply because they have not been judged in this present time. The only other judgment is the great white throne judgment, and that is where Sodom and her daughters, and ‘the fullness of the Gentiles will be come in.’ It is only then that “all [physical] Israel shall be saved”:

Rom 11:25  For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.Rom 11:26  And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:

None of what we have discussed in this study can possibly be comprehended by anyone who does not understand how the law of the spirit differs from the law of Moses. The law of Moses keeps our hearts and minds focused on the letter of the law and upon the fleshly pedigree of physical Israel. The law of the spirit teaches us by comparing spiritual things with spiritual so we can know that he is not a Jew which is one outwardly and neither is that circumcision which is done outwardly, but we are inward Jews and our circumcision is of the heart, in the spirit and not in the letter:

Rom 2:28  For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:Rom 2:29  But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.1Co 2:12  Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.1Co 2:13  Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.1Co 2:14  But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

We will stop here for now, and we will continue to see the differences between the law of Moses and the law of the spirit at our next study.

Law of Moses versus the Law of the Spirit – Part 5

There is a Change

We have seen the scriptures which tell us that the law of Moses is but a shadow of good things to come and that it is totally incapable of bringing salvation:

Heb 10:1  For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.

Now that the body casting those types and shadows has come (Col 2:16, 17), “there is of necessity a change… of the law” which “the people received under the levitical priesthood” (Heb 7:11).

Heb 7:11  If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron?Heb 7:12  For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.Col 2:16  Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:Col 2:17  Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.

Let’s put this “change of the law” in modern terms. If I had a contract (covenant) with you last year, and I broke the terms of that contract, you would have every legal right to cancel that contract and draw up a new one. In the new contract, you could change or retain any part of the old contract that you want, but the old contract would be abolished, and the new contract would be established (Heb 7:11).

Rom 13:8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law [of the spirit].Rom 13:9 For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.Rom 13:10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

In Hebrews 7, Paul tells us that this is exactly what has taken place. Under the old contract, only the sons of Aaron could be priests. In the new contract, the Aaronic priesthood has been replaced by the Melchizedek priesthood, the priesthood that existed before the Levitical Aaronic priesthood; a priesthood that had everything to do with God’s calling and had nothing to do with one’s pedigree or physical lineage (Gal 3:28-29).

Gal 3:27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.Gal 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.Gal 3:29 And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Under the new Melchizedek contract, everyone in Christ becomes a priest:

Exo 19:6 And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.

Hebrews 7:12 is a pivotal scripture: “For the priesthood being changed there is of necessity a change also of the law”. This “change” is not just in the law requiring that priests must be descended from Aaron. It is a change of “the law”… “received”…”under” the Levitical priesthood: “For under it (the Levitical priesthood) the people received the law [of Moses]” (vs 11). The extent to which the law is changed is laid out for us in Matthew 5-7, and throughout Christ’s entire ministry. Every time Christ said the words… “but I say unto you…” He was changing and reforming the law.

Defining Phrases

Speaking of this change in his various letters, Paul uses eight phrases that are misused, abused and misunderstood by many in the body of Christ today. Those eight phrases are:

1… a change also of the law – Heb 7:122… that which is done away – 1Co 13:10; 2Co 3:7, 113… that which is abolished – 2Co 3:13 – abolishing the law of commandments contained in ordinances – Eph 2:154… blotting out the handwriting of ordinances – Col 2:145… a carnal commandment… [has been] … disannulled – Heb 7:16-186… ready to vanish away – Heb 8:137… under the law – Rom 3:19; Rom 6:14,15; Gal 3:23; Gal 4:4,5, Gal 4:21; Gal 5:188… He taketh away the first that he may establish the second – Heb 10:9

Phrase #1

What does “a change also of the law…” mean? – Heb 7:12

In this 7th chapter of Hebrews, Paul informs us that the Aaronic Levitical priesthood has been replaced with a priesthood after the order of Melchisedek. In verse 11, he says “the people received the law” under the Levitical priesthood. Paul poses the question, ‘What further need was there that another priest should arise after the order of Melchisedec?’

Heb 7:11 If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron?

In verse 12, he makes a statement which bears heavily on the answer to all these statements, concerning the law and its present form and function. “For there being a change in the priesthood, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.” (The law which the people received under the Levitical priesthood.)

Many contend that the only law under consideration here in verse 12 is the law concerning the priesthood only. Let us assume for the moment that this is true. Verse 11 then would really be saying this; “If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood [laws], (for under it the people received the [Levitical priesthood] law)…”

This is obviously absurd. It is the law given by God to Moses, which the Levitical priesthood administered and taught to the people, that is under discussion here in verse 11. This is the law which the scribes and Pharisees mistakenly assumed would perfect them (vs 11). This is the law referred to in verse 12 where we read:

Heb 7:12 For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.

The law just mentioned in verse 11, which was assumed to perfect the people, referred to the law of Moses and all of its animal sacrifices. Laws regarding the priesthood were never assumed to perfect the people. Laws administered by the Levitical priesthood were assumed to perfect the people. I asked a Jewish friend if the Jews believed that the sacrifice of an animal actually removed their sins, and his answer was very emphatically… “Yes, we believe that the blood of an animal does cover our sins!”

Christ demonstrates in Matthew 5 that the law of Moses (the 10 commandments and the statutes and judgments – the Old Covenant – Deu 4:13) are all types and shadows “of the law of the spirit of life” (Rom 8:2).

Notice I did not say that Christ demonstrates the “spirit of the law” in Matthew 5. The phrase “the spirit of the law” is not to be found in scripture. “… In newness of spirit” is a scriptural phrase and is always used in opposition to “the oldness of the letter” (Rom 7:6).

“The letter” is not a phrase for rabbinical or Pharisaical “traditions of the elders” who had robbed the law of its original spiritual intent. The letter always opposes the spirit. “The letter” is “the law of Moses.” There is no spirit to “hate your enemy” or “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.”

‘Hate your enemy’ (Mat 5:43), refers to God’s command to Israel in Deuteronomy 20:16 and 23:6:

Deu 20:16 But of the cities of these people, which the LORD thy God doth give thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth:Deu 23:6 Thou shalt not seek their peace [An Ammonite or Moabite (vs 3)] nor their prosperity all thy days for ever.

King David expresses the spirit of that law many times with numerous statements like this:

Psa 18:40 Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies; that I might destroy them that hate me.

You simply cannot twist ‘hate thine enemy’ into meaning, “love your enemy” and Christ was not referring to words the elders of Israel had added to the law of Moses when He says:

Mat 5:43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.

Israel was taught by the law of Moses to hate and destroy their enemies.

Paul’s statement in…

Rom 7:14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.

These words are contrasting the spiritual laws of Christ with the carnal spirit of the letter and “carnal commandments” (Heb 7:16) of the law of Moses. This entire 7th chapter of Romans demonstrates that the letter of the law of Moses leads only to death and the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus leads to life as Paul makes very clear at the beginning of the very next chapter 8. Remember, there were no chapter breaks in the original Greek:

Rom 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh [letter of the law of Moses], but after the Spirit [“the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus”].Rom 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death [the “carnal commandments” of the law of Moses]

“Love your enemy” is the exact opposite of “hate your enemy.” If you try to somehow make the old agree with the new, you will end up “making the tear worse;” “breaking the bottles” and “spilling the wine” and the result would be to “perish”!

Mat 9:17 Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved.

Yes indeed, Christ does say:

Mat 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets. I came not to destroy, but to fulfil.Mat 5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.Mat 5:19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.Mat 5:20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Exactly to what do the Lord’s words… “one of these least commandments” refer? Is Christ saying that anyone who breaks one of the least of the commandments of the law of Moses and teaches men to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven? Is that what “one of the least commandments” means???

It is of utmost importance that we see with our own eyes that the words of verses 17-20 are couched between the so-called ‘beattitudes’ Christ commanded us in verses 2-16, and the many changes of the law of Moses which He makes in verses 21-48. It is His words, “the things He is saying” (Luk 6:46), He refers to when He tells us that ‘whosoever shall break one of the least of His saying and His commandments shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven and whosoever shall do and teach them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven’.

Immediately after saying “Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets: I am not come to destroy but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled… Whosoever shall break one of these least commandments and shall teach men to do so, he shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven” (Mat 5:17-20)… Christ Himself names off a litany of commandments in the law of Moses which He then immediately teaches men to break.

Christ changes, and in many cases teaches us to break, the laws of Moses concerning the subjects of lust (Mat 5:27-30), divorce (Mat 5:31-32), oaths (Mat 5:33-37), retaliation (Mat 5:38-42), and loving your enemies (Mat 5:43-48). Therefore when Christ says that anyone breaking “one of the least of these commandments and shall teach men to do so shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven” He is obviously referring to “the things that I say” (Luk 6:46) and not the law of Moses. It is Christ’s words which must be taught and kept, and definitely not the vengeful and hate-filled words of the law of Moses. “The law [of Moses] is NOT of faith [neither is it] made for a righteous man…”

Luk 6:46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?1Ti 1:9 Knowing this, that the law [of Moses] is not made [by the Lord] for a righteous man [“the just (G1342: adjective form of G1343 righteousness)] shall live by faith… the law is NOT of faith…” , but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,1Ti 1:10 For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;1Ti 1:11 According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.Rom 1:17 For therein [the gospel of Christ (vs 16)] is the righteousness [G1343 noun] of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just [G1342 righteous, adjective of 1343] shall live by faith.Gal 3:12 And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.

It is a miracle of God which has blinded the eyes of most all the ministers of Babylon to the fact that “the law is NOT of faith [and] is NOT made for a righteous man…”

In each and every case where Christ demonstrated the differences between His law and the law of Moses He either raises the bar of the law of Moses beyond human capabilities, or he simply contradicts the law of Moses and teaches us to “turn the other cheek [and] love our enemies”, etc. It is therefore manifested that the phrase “these least commandments” refers, not to the law of Moses, but rather that phrase is referring to the words preceding and following verse 17:

Mat 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil [G4137: pleroo, “to make full, to fill up”].Mat 5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled [G1096, “to become, i.e. to come to pass”].

Notice that the Greek word translated ‘fulfil’ at the end of verse 17, is an entirely different Greek word from the one translated as ‘fulfilled’ at the end of verse 18:

G4137, ‘Pleroo’, fulfill– Original: πληρόω– Transliteration: Pleroo– Phonetic: play-ro’-o– Definition:1. to make full, to fill up, i.e. to fill to the fulla. to cause to abound, to furnish or supply liberally1. of matters of duty: to perform, execute2. of sayings, promises, prophecies, to bring to pass, ratify, accomplish3. to fulfil, i.e. to cause God’s will (as made known in the law) to be obeyed as it should be, and God’s promises (given through the prophets) to receive fulfilmentG1096γίνομαιginomai, be brought to pass. Be come to passghin’-om-aheeA prolonged and middle form of a primary verb; to cause to be (“gen” -erate), that is, (reflexively) to become (come into being), used with great latitude (literally, figuratively, intensively, etc.): – arise be assembled, be (come, -fall, -have self), be brought (to pass), (be) come (to pass), continue, be divided, be done, draw, be ended, fall, be finished, follow, be found, be fulfilled, + God forbid, grow, happen, have, be kept, be made, be married, be ordained to be, partake, pass, be performed, be published, require, seem, be showed, X soon as it was, sound, be taken, be turned, use, wax, will, would, be wrought.

The law of Moses is still the schoolmaster which the Lord uses to drag us to Christ, but after the faith of Christ is “come to pass” and has been given to us then we are no longer under that carnal schoolmaster:

Gal 3:19 Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.Gal 3:20 Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one.Gal 3:21 Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.Gal 3:22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.Gal 3:23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards [after serving our time under the law] be revealed.Gal 3:24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.Gal 3:25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

“The Seed [Christ] comes”, (Aorist tense) to each of us at our own appointed time. When Christ does come to us we are no longer under the schoolmaster, but when The Seed does come to us we do not ungratefully turn around and shoot the schoolmaster who brought us to Christ, rather we let him continue to do his job of “bringing [many more] to Christ”:

Gal 3:24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

There will be law, whether it is the law of the Gentiles or the law of Moses, which will be used to drag mankind to Christ in every generation until the Lord returns. This will always be done before mankind is no longer under a schoolmaster.

Christ is not saying that Torah, the law of Moses, would be in effect over His elect until the consummation of the ages. If that were the meaning, then circumcision would be necessary for salvation, because it is one of the most oft repeated, obvious requirements of, and the original token, of God’s relationship with his physical people (Gen 17:13 and Jos 5:3-7).

Gen 17:13 He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.Gal 3:10 As many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, cursed is everyone that continueth not in all things [including physical circumcision?] which are written in the book of the law to do them.

If “till all be fulfilled” (Greek: pleroo – level up, cram, satisfy, finish, fulfill) means that the elect of Christ must continue keeping every “jot and tittle” of “all things written in the book of the law [of Moses] to do them”, then why does Christ in this same chapter urge his disciples to break the law of Moses and “love [their] enemies?

Mat 5:43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.Mat 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

Obviously pleroo “fulfilled” has more to do with bringing the law to a spiritual consummation within those who are “in Christ [who] is the end of the law [of Moses, the end product, the goal – the law of love] for righteousness [the sayings of Christ (Luk 6:46)] to every one that believeth” (Rom 10:4), than it has to do with keeping every jot and tittle in Torah, even “after that faith is come”.

Rom 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.

What Christ is saying is that when He pleroos (G4137: fulfills all the prophecies of the law of Moses), that will be the time when “all is fulfilled” (G1096, Genomai, has been “found to be fulfilled”, and therefore the law of Moses will “pass away” for all those who are in Christ.

Mat 24:35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words [not Moses’ words] shall not pass away.

Has heaven or earth passed away? No, not yet. Why, then, are we not circumcising and keeping all of the law of Moses?

If “the man which doeth those things [contained in the law] shall live by them” (Lev 18:5) is a positive statement encouraging us to keep the law, as some erroneously contend, why then is Paul contrasting “the righteousness which is of the law” with “the righteousness which is of faith” (Rom 10:4-6)? Those who emphasize the words “shall live in them…”, and proclaim that as a positive statement…

Gal 3:12 And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.

…Are simply blinded to the first part of that verse which declares plainly “…the law is not of faith”.

“The law of the spirit” on the other hand is “of faith”. “Thou shalt not kill” has been replaced with ‘don’t even hate your brother’ and “thou shalt not commit adultery” has been replaced with ‘don’t even look at a woman to lust after her in your heart’. So there really is a “change also of the law” (Heb 7:12).

The Greek word translated ‘change’ is Strong’s Concordance G3346, metatithemi. This word is used in Jude 1:4, “… certain ungodly men turning (metatithemi) the grace of God into lasciviousness.” The change (metatithemi) here in Jude 1:4 is a drastic change. So is the change in Hebrews 7:12. The “change also of the law” is in the opposite direction from this “change” or “turning” in Jude 1:4. Let us allow Christ himself to demonstrate what is involved in this “change also of the law,” in this “new covenant… not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers…”

Mat 5:17 think not that I am come to destroy [Greek: kataluo – G2647] the law or the prophets. I came not to destroy, but to fulfil [Greek: pleroo G4137].”

The word kataluo “destroy,” appears sixteen times in the New Testament. The first time it is used is here in Matthew 5:17. The next appearance of this word is in Matthew 24:2; “… Jesus said… there shall not be left here one stone upon another that shall not be thrown down” (kataluo). Of the sixteen entries of this word kataluo, the translation “destroy” and “thrown down” are by far the most common. Christ did not come to “destroy” or “throw down” the law, but to fulfill (pleroo) the law.

This word pleroo (G4137) appears 90 times in the New Testament, generally in reference to the fulfillment of various Old Testament prophecies about Christ being ‘pleroo’ or fulfilled in Christ in the New Testament.

This is also the word used in Romans 8:4. In verse three, Paul says that God sent Christ to accomplish in us what the law could not accomplish because of the “weakness of the flesh”. So “Christ in us” (Gal 2:20) accomplishes something the law could not do. Christ strengthens us “that the righteousness of the law might be pleroo fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh [the letter] but after the spirit.” This is the “law of love” (Mat 22:37-40) that faith establishes (Rom 3:31-“Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law”). Establishing the “law of love” necessitates the “disannulling of the commandment” (Heb 7:18) as Christ demonstrates in Matthew 5. “The law” is itself a prophecy and type of the kingdom of God. It is through the “fulfilling and vanishing away” of the old testament law that the kingdom of God is “established” in the person and body of Jesus Christ.

The Righteousness of the Law

In Paul’s writings, the phrase “after the flesh” and “after the letter” are used interchangeably (Rom 2:29, 8:1); contrasted to “after the spirit” (2Co 3:6).

Rom 2:28 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:Rom 2:29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

The outward circumcision of the flesh is contrasted with the inward “circumcision of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter”. Now Paul goes so far as to call the letter of the law of Moses “the law of sin and death.”

Rom 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.Rom 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

Rom 8:4 is often quoted by those who want to retain the ten commandments of the law of Moses: “That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit.”

Rom 8:4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit.

If we are walking after the spirit, we are not walking after the letter, “For the letter kills but the spirit gives life” (2Co 3:6). Simply not killing your brother and not committing adultery will not land you in the first resurrection. It will take a “change of the law” to accomplish that because a “change of the law” is also a change “of the heart” “not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart” (2Co 3:3).

2Co 3:2 Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men:2Co 3:3 Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.

It is this changed law; walking after the spirit; that Christ demonstrates for us in Mat 5. In verse 17, he tells us he came not to destroy, but to fulfil the law. Keeping the “newness of spirit” may or may not fulfill the law of Moses (the ten commandments), but the law of Moses (the ten commandments) does not fulfill the “newness of spirit”, the law of love (Rom 13:10). The rest of the chapter demonstrates what he meant by this, and we will see that it involves a drastic “change also of the law.”

Six times in this same chapter, demonstrating what he meant by the word pleroo (fulfill), Christ quotes out of the law of Moses preceding each quote with “You have heard that it was said by them of old time…”, then Christ ‘changes’ what he quotes.

Obedience to the Ten Commandments is Insufficient for Salvation

Christ precedes the changes He has made in the law with this statement, “I say unto you that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.”

Mat 5:20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

There are many hypocritical Pharisees (Mat 23:2-3 and Rom 2:23-24) although there were others, perhaps Nicodemas, the rich young ruler and Joseph of Aramathea who, like the Pharisee Saul of Tarsus, were “touching the righteousness which is in the law blameless” (Php 3:6). Even the righteousness of a “blameless” keeper of the ten commandments was still to be “counted as dung” (Php 3:8) and “filthy rags” (Isa 64:6) and “yet lacking” (Luk 18:22).

Luk 18:18 And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?Luk 18:19 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God.Luk 18:20 Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother.Luk 18:21 And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up.Luk 18:22 Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.

Philippians 3:9 is the sum of it,

Php 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, [this is the ten commandments and though blameless, we must exceed that.] But that which is through the faith of Jesus Christ, [the spirit, not letter, the changes in Matthew 5, etc.] The righteousness which is of God [not of self (Gal 2:20)] by faith [of Christ]” (Gal 2:20).

Let us now examine the changes Christ made in the law.

Change #1 – Thou Shalt Not Kill

The first example of this “change… of the law” is found in…:

Mat 5:21 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:

This, of course, is a reference to what we call the sixth commandment in the order given in Exodus 20. Notice now how Christ “changes” this law.

Mat 5:22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

That is quite a “change… of the law”. It certainly wasn’t metatithemi “changed” or “turned” into “lasciviousness”. Instead the person who “hates his brother without a cause” is now as guilty before God as a murderer!

1Jn 3:15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.

That, I submit, is a demonstration of “a change also of the law” under this new priesthood after the order of Melchisedek; this “new covenant” “not of the letter but of the spirit”. This change is so drastic that it has, for those who walk in the spirit, “done away” with the need for “thou shalt not kill” (Exo 20:13). Parents, schools and courtrooms are still in desperate need of some of the laws of Moses. It is “for the lawless and disobedient” (1Ti 1:9). “… The law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ… BUT AFTER THAT FAITH IS COME, WE ARE NO LONGER UNDER A SCHOOLMASTER”. But if we live in the spirit, a much higher law has been written on the heart (Gal 3:24, 25).

Change #2 – Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery

The next “you have heard it said by them of old time” is the seventh commandment.

Mat 5:27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:

Once again Christ is going to demonstrate for us a “change also of the law”, “not of the letter but of the spirit”; a “new covenant”. He will be writing his new covenant law “not on tables of stone, but on fleshy tables of the heart”. The new covenant is not a “version” of the OLD. It is an entirely NEW Covenant. Christ will show us what is meant by “when that which is perfect is come that which is in part shall be done away.”

1Co 13:10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

This “change of the law” concerning the seventh commandment will “abolish… the law of commandments contained in ordinances”

Eph 2:15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;

It will “blot out the handwriting of ordinances” (Col 2:14).

Col 2:14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;Col 2:15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

“A carnal commandment will be disannulled.” (Heb 7:16-18). This “new covenant” “… hath made the first old. Now that which is old is ready to vanish away” (Heb 8:13). All of these statements of the Apostle Paul are demonstrated in the changes in the law made by Christ here in Matthew 5. He does not kataluo (destroy) the law, but he does katargeo (abolish) the “law of commandments contained in ordinances [Eph 2:15] by reason of the glory that excelleth” (2Co 3:10).

Mat 5:27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:

Now notice how the “law of the spirit of life” contrasts with the letter in verse 28 contrasts with the letter in verse 27.

Mat 5:28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.Mat 5:29 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.Mat 5:30 And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

Under the old covenant, your mind could be filthy as long as you didn’t physically commit the act of adultery. Not so in this new covenant. If our obedience does not come from the deepest part of our being; from the heart (2Co 3:3) “not of the letter but of the spirit” (2Co 3:6), it will not even be counted as obedience or righteousness. You “have committed adultery with her already in your heart”. You “by the letter.. transgress the law” (Rom 2:27).

Rom 2:27 And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law?

Paul agrees with Christ. ‘Letter only’ obedience amounts to disobedience, and is no more acceptable to our heavenly father than it is to us. Any decent parent who tells a child to close the door and is obeyed with a slammed door, will immediately administer the much deserved discipline for what really amounts to disobedience.

We will stop here and continue our comparison between the Mosaic and Christ’s law in the next study.