Abstract
The Mosaic Law was never for one to attain their own righteousness or justification.[1] The Law had convicted God’s people of their sins, magnified the grace of God, and served as a testimony of faith.[2] Although it served such purposes, it ultimately brought sin and death, for it did not have the power to give life but rather increased one’s trespasses against the Holy God. The Law was widely misunderstood by first-century Jews as a way of attaining one’s own righteousness and justification.[3] This kind of approach to the Law would also breed faulty interpretations of Paul’s theology of the Law in Romans like that of the New Perspective on Paul, in which justification is based on works of the Law. With a right view of Paul’s theology of the Law in Romans, believers realize that their justification is not a means of their obedience to the Mosaic Law, but rather, their faith in Christ and His work for justification. Christians who have put their faith in Christ are released from the Law that brought sin and death and now uphold the Law, not in the old code of the letter, but in the new code of the Spirit-powered life of love for God and others.[4]
Introduction
Since the dawn of the Reformation, the doctrine of justification has been the major focus in the reading and interpretation of Romans. The Christian’s relationship to the Mosaic Law is in question. Or rather, the requirement of the Christian’s obedience to the Mosaic Law is in question. Has the Law passed away since Christ has come? Is the Law still authoritative today over Christians? Is justification by faith or works of the Law?
Without a proper understanding of the Mosaic Law—that is, the Old Covenant—there can be no proper understanding of the new law in Christ—the New Covenant. Through my study of the Book of Romans in particular, I will (1) define the Mosaic Law and discuss its very purpose for the people of God, (2) discuss whether obedience to the Mosaic Law is a different way of salvation for believers today, and (3) explore the Christian’s relationship to the Mosaic Law in this two-part series.
Before I define the Mosaic Law and its purpose, the context of Romans must be visited for proper understanding and reflection. The Letter to the Romans is no doubt of Pauline authorship since it was widely accepted in the historical church tradition. The Apostle Paul had written to the Christian church in Rome while he was in Corinth in the middle 50s to explain the spiritual failure of both the Jews and Gentiles, the meaning of life in Christ, the salvation of Israel in light of Christ, and the Christian’s moral conduct in the new manner of the Spirit.[5]
The Law and its Purpose
When Paul writes to the Christian church in Rome, his major concern is regarding the Law (Greek: nomos; lit. law, divine law). Paul uses nomos several times in the letter to the Romans but more specifically regarding the Mosaic Law—the Torah. John Piper, a Reformed teacher and pastor, gives a proper definition of the Mosaic Law:
“The Law, in its narrow, short-term design, demands perfectly doing the 613 commandments of the Pentateuch to have life (Gal. 3:10, 12; 5:3; 6:13; Rom. 4:2; 10:5). This is not a kind of legal arrangement that excludes reliance on God for enabling power. There is no thought in this arrangement of man being required to give to God what he has not first given to man (Rom. 11:35–36). This narrow, short-term design of the law holds up an absolute standard of childlike, humble, God-reliant, God-exalting perfection, and thus provides the moral backdrop without which the sin-atoning provisions of the Pentateuch and the work of Christ would make no sense.”[6]
The Mosaic Law was never meant to be long-term. It demanded perfect obedience from the people of God for eternal life. Through the enabling of God’s very power, God’s people were able to achieve what the Law demanded through their obedience in faith, although not perfectly. The Law was also given by God to His people (Romans 9:4; Exodus 19-24). Since the Law ultimately reflects the character of God, the Law is therefore holy, righteous, and good (Romans 7:12). In other words, the Law is not sin (Romans 7:7). Rather, it is the standard of righteousness that stems from God’s eternal and holy character (Romans 3:19; Deut 4:8; Lev 19:2).
The purpose of the Law had three main reasons given in Romans. Firstly, it was to mainly convict people of their inability to keep the Law and point them to their need for Jesus Christ as Savior (Romans 3:19-20; 5:20; 7:7-9; 9:31-32; 10:1-4, 16; Deut 31:26-27). Paul makes it clear that the Jews and Gentiles had fallen short of the glory of God whether they had the Law or not because of their sins (Romans 3:23). Reverend David E. Holwerda, former New Testament professor at Calvin Theological Seminary, states: “The Law itself cannot release from sin; in fact, it can only increase sin and stand in judgment over the sinner.”[7] It is through the Law, then, that one comes to the knowledge of their sins and recognizes their need for a Savior.
Secondly, the Law was to magnify the glory and grace of God (Romans 9:22; 11:5, 12, 15, 25). Because of mankind’s sin, a gracious atonement needed to be made. That atonement was prepared for us and made available through the Person and work of Jesus Christ. As Dr. Brad Eastman, former Greek lecturer, puts it, it is “through Christ’s righteous acts of obedience [that] believers will be made righteous, and so shall live.”[8] It is, therefore, not through our acts of obedience to the Law but Christ’s. Christ accomplishes what we cannot for ourselves: perfect, sinless obedience to the Law.
Thirdly, the Law was to serve as a testimony of faith (Romans 3:26, 31; 7:9). The Law had testified that all are sinners who cannot make up for the glory of God. It had testified that God is truly the One who is righteous and just. It had testified that God’s righteous decrees must be upheld by His people to set them apart from the world.
The Law Misunderstood: A Different Means of Justification?
With this framework of the Law and its purpose, I will now discuss four common misunderstandings of the Mosaic Law. Firstly, the Mosaic Law was never a way of justification for Old Testament believers, namely, the Jews (Romans 3:19, 27-30; 4:3, 11; 5:20; 7:7-8; 9:30-33; 10:3). Paul addresses the faith and obedience of Abraham in Romans 4:1-5 and explains that it was solely by his faith that he was justified.
Since the topic of this article surrounds the Mosaic Law, it is worth noting that Abraham was in a time when the Mosaic Law had not yet existed. That is, Abraham came before Moses had given the Law to the people of God at Mount Sinai; Abraham was without the Mosaic Law. However, in his time, God made a covenant with Abraham which included the promise of a land if Abraham had obeyed and kept the rite of circumcision—the specific sign of the Abrahamic Covenant. This raises two questions: (1) Was it by circumcision that Abraham was justified, and (2) did obedience to God merely bring about spiritual redemption?
Abraham did not just obey God’s command of circumcision because God told him to. He followed through in obedience because he had faith in God and His promises. Abraham’s obedience was a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith in God; His obedience was the product of the righteousness that he had received through faith in God. His faith in God had “counted to him as righteousness” (Romans 4:3).
It was by faith in God that Abraham obeyed God for righteousness. That is, Abraham had faith in God prior to his obedience and not the other way around, as some would argue that his obedience had brought upon his faith and justification. “No works of Abram were involved; the gracious work of God was the sole basis.”[9] If this were not the case, Paul would have mentioned Abraham’s justifying cause of circumcision. Paul wanted to emphasize that the “promises given to Abraham… were of far greater importance than the requirements of the Law.”[10] I am careful to say, then, that such promises could only be received by faith in God, not in one’s keeping of the commandments. I will explain this thought further in the section where I discuss the Christian’s relationship to the Mosaic Law.
If any obedience (or rather, requirement) truly mattered, it would be the obedience of faith. Israel struggled with one primary disobedience: lack of faith (Romans 10:14-21). Mohr Siebeck argues that the Jews “cannot gain, or even maintain, righteousness through the law.”[11] Human disobedience—that is, man’s lack of faith—can never be solved with mere moral obedience to the commandments. It is not man’s imperfect moral obedience to the commandments of God that achieves righteousness, rather, it is through the perfect and sinless Person and work of Christ. “If justification comes through faith in Christ alone, there is no room for human boasting.”[12] In Christ alone, there is justification and righteousness for the one who puts their faith in God.
First-century Jews struggled with trying to attain righteousness through their works of the Law, especially in Greek culture. “No doubt the Greek tradition of understanding righteousness as giving everyone his due… could create serious obstacles.”[13] Many struggled to understand Paul’s message of justification in Romans because they had been so used to the concept of working and earning. Rather than relying on the Law and the works of the Law for their righteousness and justification, the first-century Jews needed faith in God not just as Creator and Deliverer but also as Savior.
Secondly, the Mosaic Law cannot give life, but rather, brings death (Romans 4:4; 5:10; 7:7-12; Gal 2:16; 3:21). Sin had taken the opportunity through the Law to arouse sin. The people of God had sinned countless times in their attempt to keep the Law. Unfortunately, this resulted in spiritual death. Although the Law has a “disastrous effect” on the people of God because of sin, Douglas Moo, a New Testament scholar, argues that “the fault was not the Law’s. The fault… is sin, which uses God’s good law to bring death.”[14] Though God’s Law is good, it could not give or bring life. John Piper would explain: “[The Law] could only kill, because it shut people up to sin and multiplied transgressions.”[15] The Law had multiplied sin.
Attempting to merely obey the Mosaic Law brings about death. First-century Jews believed in the grace of God, however, such grace, they believed, “[placed them] in the position of attaining righteousness and salvation by doing what the law requires.”[16] However, in all their striving to attain righteousness by the means of the Law, they had fallen short because it couldn’t “result in fruit-bearing for God” but rather “fruit unto death.”[17] First-century Jews had attempted to fulfill the Law for justification through their works but stumbled at many points, resulting in their condemnation. In their attempt to meet the full requirement of perfect obedience to the Law, they could not keep all of the Law, rendering such obedience imperfect and undesirable before God.
Thirdly, the Mosaic Law cannot sanctify a believer spiritually (Romans 7:10-14; 8:3). A believer cannot be set apart in righteousness by the Mosaic Law. Since the Law demands absolute perfection of our obedience to the commandments, it “cannot produce in human conduct the righteousness that it demands.”[18] Externally conforming to the commandments of the Mosaic Law cannot separate a believer spiritually from an unbeliever if the believer has even one blemish in their outworking of the Law.
The perfect must be set apart from the imperfect. However, truth be told, none are perfect in their own accord without the working power of the blood of Christ. That is, none are righteous even if they attempt to keep a perfect life of obedience to the Mosaic Law, for all fail even at one point. This ought to point us to our dire need for Christ since Christ is the only Perfect One. Through faith in Christ, one can be credited with the righteousness of Christ, being set apart from the world as God’s child.
Lastly, the Mosaic Law was meant to be a guidepost for believers to look forward to Christ (Romans 3:21-24; Gal 3:24-26). When the Law is falsely understood, believers will breed a pursuit of the Law by works and attempt to establish their own righteousness just as the Pharisees did. One will encounter moral and spiritual failures repeatedly as one seeks to have their own righteousness from their observance of the Law.
However, their faulty Law-keeping ought to have pointed them to God, who is perfectly blameless, because they should have recognized that they cannot attain righteousness in their own will and strength. When the Law is rightly understood, believers will breed a pursuit of the Law by faith and submit to God’s righteousness that is theirs by faith. One can encounter the lovingkindness of God through the provision of Christ—the One who is our Righteousness.
*This is the end of the first portion of this article. I would highly recommend that you continue reading on in the second portion here: “The Christian's Relationship to the Mosaic Law (Part II)”
References
[1] Romans 3:27-30
[2] Romans 5:20
[3] Romans 2:17-29
[4] Romans 6:14-15; 7:4-6; 10:4; 13:8-10
[5] Brad Eastman, The Significance of Grace in the Letters of Paul (New York: Peter Lang Publishing, Inc., 1999) 113-114.
[6] John Piper, The Future of Justification: A Response to N. T. Wright (Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2007) 197.
[7] David E. Holwerda, Jesus & Israel: One Covenant or Two? (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1995) 161.
[8] Eastman, Significance of Grace, 131.
[9] Willem VanGemeren, et al., The Law, the Gospel, and the Modern Christian: Five Views (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1993) 233.
[10] Klaus Haacker, The Theology of Paul’s Letter to the Romans (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003) 125.
[11] Mohr Siebeck. Participation, Justification, and Conversion (Tübingen: Laupp & Göbel, 2017) 214.
[12] Eastman, Significance of Grace, 137.
[13] Haacker, The Theology, 123.
[14] Douglas J. Moo, The NIV Application Commentary: Romans (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2000) 225.
[15] Piper, The Future, 198.
[16] Holwerda, Jesus, 159.
[17] Jason C. Meyer, The End of the Law (Nashville: B&H Academic, 2009) 46.
[18] Holwerda, Jesus, 160.
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