tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87106303950073630262024-03-13T22:24:11.057-07:00When Did the Apostles Learn that the Law was Abolished?Because we are not under the law, most Christians assume that the law was abolished. If it was, the apostles must have known it, and their actions and teaching would bear record of this. In my book, "When Did the Apostles Learn that the Law was Abolished," I examine the Scriptures from Genesis to Revelation in search of the exact point in time when the apostles became aware of this doctrine. This blog is an open forum for my brothers and sisters in Christ to share their opinions on this topic.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777770503354764222noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8710630395007363026.post-1815976453652451442012-09-14T15:55:00.000-07:002012-09-16T13:41:01.735-07:00When Did the Apostles Learn that the Law was Abolished?<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: yellow; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>What
Happened to the Law?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.25in;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.25in;">What
happened to the law? It was abolished – at least, this is the
conclusion of most Christians including some very brilliant
theologians.
After all, there are many suppositions,
based on Biblical truths, used to justify this conclusion:</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: yellow; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Ten
Suppositions of the Law Abolishment Doctrine</b></span></div>
<ol>
<li><div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
law began with Moses at Mount Sinai,
and it ended with Jesus at the cross.</span></div>
</li>
<li><div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
law was weak and ineffective
as a means of salvation;
therefore, the LORD sent His Son to do what the law failed to do.</span></div>
</li>
<li><div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Because
the law is inextricably linked to God’s covenant
with Israel, when Israel broke the first covenant,
it became null and void, and its commandments and laws were abolished.</span></div>
</li>
<li><div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
<i>second</i>
covenant was made
because fault was found
in the <i>first</i>
covenant.</span></div>
</li>
<li><div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
<i>new</i>
covenant made the <i>first</i>
covenant “old," thus the laws of the first covenant were abolished.</span></div>
</li>
<li><div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jesus
fulfilled the law;
and therefore, the law was abolished because it was no longer
needed.</span></div>
</li>
<li><div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
Law of Moses resulted in wrath,
death and
condemnation.</span></div>
</li>
<li><div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
<i>reason</i>
that we are not <i>“under
the law</i><i>”</i>
is because it has been abolished.</span></div>
</li>
<li><div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
LORD took away the first <i>covenant</i>
so He could establish the second <i>covenant</i>.</span></div>
</li>
<li><div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
law was abolished because it was a wall of hostility
between Jew and Gentile.</span></div>
</li>
</ol>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> If
the law abolishment doctine is legitimately a scriptural doctrine,
then the apostles must have known it. If the apostles knew that the
law was abolished, then they would have learned this either through
the Scriptures that
preceded them, the teachings of Jesus, or through the inspiration of
the Holy Spirit.
Therefore, by doing a chronological search of the Scriptures, we
should discover the answer to the question:</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-right: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><b><span style="color: yellow; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> When
did the apostles learn that the law was abolished?</span></b></i></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Although the law abolishment doctrine is based on a dozen or so
passages of Scripture, there are two verses
that are routinely and universally quoted as proof texts that the law
was abolished.</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.25in; margin-right: 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
“Having <b>abolished </b>in
his flesh the enmity, <i>even</i>
<b>the law </b>of
commandments <i>contained</i>
in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain
one new man, so making peace.” (Ephesians
2:15)</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.25in; margin-right: 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
“<b>Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances</b>
that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the
way, <b>nailing it to his cross</b>;”
(Colossians 2:14)</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These verses suggest that the law was abolished at the time of the
crucifixion, but they do not </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">answer the question as to </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">when</i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> the apostles learned that the law was abolished. In fact, these verses do not actually state</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> whose law Paul is referring to.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Furthermore, since
Paul did not write these epistles until about 63AD, this would beg an
even more provocative question:</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: yellow; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> What
were the apostles </i><i><b>doing</b></i><i>
and </i><i><b>teaching</b></i><i>
from the crucifixion in 33AD, when the law was abolished, until Paul
wrote these epistles </i><i>in 63AD, revealing that the law was abolished?</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Keep
in mind, </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">these epistles were written to Gentile churches; they were not written to the apostles or any other Jewish believers in Jesus. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Moreover, </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">by the time Paul wrote these two epistles, he had already
finished all of his missionary journeys; he had already written most
of his other epistles; everything written in the book of Acts had
already taken place; and half of the original twelve apostles were
dead.</span><br />
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Is it possible that God did not inform the
original twelve apostles any sooner than 63AD that He had abolished
His Own law – and then when He did inform them, He did so
second-hand through epistles that were not addressed to them? If so, it would mean the apostles preached the Gospel to the Jewish
community for three decades without informing them that the law had
been abolished. </span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If the apostles knew <i>before</i>
63AD that the law was abolished, then we should find evidence of this
in their actions and teachings; after all, Christian doctrine is
based on their writings. If there was an event in their lives <i>before</i>
63AD where it was evident that they no longer kept the law, we could
conclude that the Holy Ghost informed them that the law was abolished
<i>before</i>
Paul wrote these epistles. On the other hand, if the apostles
continued to keep the law <i>after</i>
the crucifixion, it would indicate that neither the Father nor the
Son nor the Holy Ghost informed them that the law was abolished. If this is the case, then
the law abolishment doctrine would be a doctrine of man and not God.</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> If
the LORD revealed His intent to abolish His Own law, He would have done
so either <i>before</i>,
<i>during,</i>
or <i>after</i>
the moment He actually abolished it. My book is divided into these
three sections – <i>before</i>
the crucifixion, <i>during</i>
the crucifixion, and <i>after</i>
the crucifixion.</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<ol>
<li><div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: yellow; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>BEFORE
THE CRUCIFIXION</b>.</span></div>
</li>
</ol>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> This
would be the most likely time when the LORD would reveal His intent
to abolish the law, as it is written: <i>“Surely
the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his
servants the prophets.”</i> If the LORD gave advance notice of His intent to abolish the law,
then we should expect to find this stated somewhere in the writings
of Moses or the prophets (or at the very latest, during Jesus’
ministry prior to His crucifixion). However, if the law abolishment
doctrine does not appear in the Bible until <i>after</i>
the apostles began their ministries, then the LORD did not inform </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">apostles</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> through the </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Scriptures”</i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
that preceded </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">them</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<ol start="2">
<li><div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: yellow; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>DURING
THE CRUCIFIXION</b>.</span></div>
</li>
</ol>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> This
would be a less likely time when the LORD would reveal His intent to
abolish the law, as it would be uncharacteristic of His nature.
Without giving some sort of advance notice, the apostles would not
have been able to search the Scriptures to determine whether or not
the law abolishment doctrine lined up with the previously existing
Word of God. Never the less, if the
LORD waited until the moment He abolished the law to reveal that He
abolished it, then we should find this stated somewhere in the words
of Jesus as He hung on the cross.</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<ol start="3">
<li><div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: yellow; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>AFTER
THE CRUCIFIXION</b>.</span></div>
</li>
</ol>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-right: -0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> This
would be the least likely time when the LORD would reveal His intent
to abolish His law; in fact, it is highly unlikely that the LORD
would have waited until <i>after</i>
He abolished the law to “reveal” that He abolished it. Indeed,
it would be quite embarrassing to assert that God abolished the law
at the cross, but He neglected to inform His Spirit-filled apostles
for thirty years (which would be the case if the apostles did not
know the law was abolished until after they read Paul’s epistles).
Surely, the apostles knew it before reading it second-hand some
thirty years after-the-fact. Be that as it may, if the LORD did
not reveal that He abolished the law until <i>after</i>
He abolished it, then we should expect to find this stated in the
life and teachings of Jesus <i>after</i>
the crucifixion or through the actions or teachings of the apostles.</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-right: -0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-right: -0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Keep
in mind that God’s original status quo concerning the law was that
His people keep it; therefore, <i>the burden
of proof that God </i><i><b>reversed</b></i><i>
this status quo rests with those who claim God abolished the law</i>.</span></div>
<div id="sdfootnote1">
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div id="sdfootnote5">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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