The Puzzle of Paul & the Law

Should Christian's tithe? Work on the sabbath? Follow Jewish dietary restrictions? The relationship between the New Covenant believer and the Law of Moses is a confusing, and that's because Paul's teaching on the Law is confusing. What, for example, does Paul mean when he says, "For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God" (Galatians 2:19)? Brian Rosner argues that Paul's treatment of the Law follows a consistent pattern-a 3-step process: Paul, first, repudiates the Law; then replaces it with the "law of the Spirit" and "law of Christ" (love); and, finally, he recycles the Law, not as law, but as prophecy, pointing forward to Christ, and as wisdom, principles for Christian living.

Written by Brian S. Rosner