The Adventist Way of Life

“They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.” [1 Timothy 1:7]

“We know that the law is good if one uses it properly.” [1 Timothy 1:8]

And how are we to use the law properly? We are to learn how to differentiate the moral aspects from the “shadows” or “types” that were done away with in Christ! We are to understand the difference between the ceremonial sabbaths and the Sabbath of the fourth commandment. Take Paul’s letter to the Galatians in point; In the Galatian letter there was the issue regarding, “who is Abraham’s seed”. The issue of circumcision is addressed and the fact that it was a “type” or outward ”symbol” of adoption into the family of God and the fact that now through Christ we have a “spiritual circumcision of the heart”.

One thing to recognize is that Paul does not say; “Now I am talking about the Ten Commandments” and or “Now I am talking about the ceremonial law” when he writes. God asks us to look at the context so that we can tell what the subject and lesson is about.

We are commanded to, “rightly divide the word of Truth”. For instance, in Paul’s letter to the Romans in chapter seven and verse seven he quotes the tenth commandment and concludes; “Did that which is good [the moral law], become death to me? By no means!” [Romans 7:13] Yet in other places when he refers to the ceremonial aspects of the Mosaic law he says things like;

“When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong. Before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray. When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter in front of them all, “You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs?” [Galatians 2:11-14]

Paul goes on in his letter to the Galatians over the issue of circumcision and referes to this law as that which is written in “The Book of the Law“. [Galatians 3:10] This is a clear reference to Mosaic law, ceremonies and traditions.

In oneof John’s letters we read; “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law; for sin is the transgression of the law.” [1 John 3:4] And; “He that saith, I know him [God], and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” [1 John 2:3,4] These are clear references to the moral law, the Ten Commandments.

Therefore, let us be very careful when we read God’s word. Let us learn how to rightly read and understand. Like the apostle Paul, we conclude that;

“Wherefore the law is holy, and the cammandment holy, and just, and good.” [Romans 7:12]

Written by, Eric W. King [June 11th,2007]

More articles by Eric William King regarding God’s Law:

Grace & Truth

Eric responds to Antinomianism

Biblical thought....