THE OLD TESTAMENT LAW AND THE CHRISTIAN

THE OLD TESTAMENT LAW AND THE CHRISTIAN

Aleksandar Trajkovski

What is the Law? What is the place of the Law in the New Testament believer’s life? Has the Law been abolished or not? In this chapter I will outline the main views in evangelical theology regarding the Law and the place of the Law in the New Testament believer’s life.

1. A Definition of the Law

The word law¹ is frequently mentioned in the Bible. It does not always have the same meaning. Some mentions of the law are the law of sin, the law of the flesh, the law of faith, the law of work, the Law of God, the Law of Christ, the Law of Moses, the law of freedom, etc. Some of these terms can have the same or different meanings. The first five books of the Bible are called the Law of Moses (the Pentateuch). However, the word law does not always refer only to the Pentateuch but can include other parts of the Bible also. The New Testament uses it to refer to the Psalms and Prophets (Matt 5:17) and other parts of the Old Testament. Furthermore, the term law is used to describe the commanding aspect of the Law.² It is often used for a particular command (Rom 7:2) or a compilation of commands (Rom 13: 8-10). Sometimes it differs from grace or the Gospel (Joh 1:17, Rom 6:14). It can include the idea of legalism (Gal 4:21-5:4)³ or it can refer to a principle. (Rom 7:21)⁴

Keeping of the Law and Legalism

Is keeping the Law legalism? Many theologians use the letter to the Galatians to reinforce their interpretation about the abolition of the Law. They say that to keep the Law (or Moses’ law) is legalism even if they are just referring to the moral commands. We should ask ourselves if legalism is when a person is justified by faith and then starts to keep the Law, whether ceremonial or moral?1 Isn’t that what Paul is fighting against in Galatians? Contrary to many opinions, I must say that this is not legalism. Paul is not writing against that. If that is legalism, then the Lord has established it, because He has commanded Israel to receive salvation by faith and He gave them the Law to observe. (see Ps 119:4) The heresy in Galatia was not heresy because the false teacher had taught the believers to keep the Law, but because they taught that justification comes by the Law and not by faith.2 We must understand that the problem is not in the keeping of the Law. The fundamental problem in the Bible is breaking the Law, not keeping it. The major problem also lies in the wrong use of the Law and that is legalism. (From Law and Grace: Antinomianism Refuted - Case Closed)