Bible Study                                     Notes 1999

23 February 1999

Text:  Deuteronomy 5-6 / Matt 5-7 / Romans / Galatians / 1 Timothy

THE REGARD OF THE LORD JESUS FOR THE LAW

1.   He had the highest regard for it   (Matt 5:17-19)

      a)   He came not to destroy, but to fulfil the law

      b)   No one teach another person to disregard (break) the law

2.    He lived by the Word of God   (Matt 4:4)

3.    He re-interpreted the application of the law   (Matt 5-7)

4.    He respected the customs associated... to fulfil all righteousness 

       (Matt 3:15)

       a)  Jewish rites (circumcision, Passovers, etc)

       b)       Attending synagogue worship   (Matt 4:23)

5.    But He was not afraid to comfort and depart from social practice that were wrong - eg. Cleansing of the Temple   (Matt 21:12-13)

THE REGARD OF THE APOSTLE PAUL TO THE LAW

1.    He declares that the law is good   (1 Tim 1:8-9)

2.    However, the law is essentially a guardian/steward   (Gal 3:23-24; 4:1-3)

3.    Important observations concerning the Law

       a)  No one is justified by the works of the law   (Gal 2:16)

       b)       “Righteousness” does not come by the law   (Gal 2:21)

       c)  The Spirit of God is not given by the works of the law   (Gal 3:2)

       d)       Abraham as an example of one justified by faith... not by the law

           (Gal 3:6-9)

       e)  If one decides to keep the law to obtain righteousness, he must also know the penalty of failing to keep the law of God perfectly   (Gal 3:12)

       f)  The law came AFTER the giving of the (Abrahamic) covenant, and thus the law cannot annul the covenant given BEFORE (the law)   (Gal 3:17)

       g)  The law was “added” because of the transgressions of the people   (Gal 3:19)

SPECIAL PROBLEMS RELATED TO THE APPLICATION

OF THE LAW

1.    The tendency to “observe days, months, seasons and years...”  

       (Gal 3:10; Col 2:8, 16-23; Rom 14)

2.    The danger of being legalistic (in the keeping of the law)

3.    The danger of being in bondage once again   (Gal 4:3, 9)

APPRECIATING THE GOSPEL OF GRACE IN CHRIST

1.       Righteousness is imputed to us

2.    Grace extended to us

3.    All the rights and privileges of being a child of God fully given to us

       (Eph 1:1-15)

4.    Grace was ALWAYS God’s means of salvation...

5.    Faith has always been the means by which we appropriate the salvation we have in the Lord