Paul and the Law
Was Paul a Law Negator?
In Jesus Words Only chapter five, we reviewed all the arguments pro and con whether Paul negated the Law. See this link.
However, I saw today a good article that had a short section which synopsized Paul's negative views on the Law given Moses so succinctly that I wanted to post it here to share with everyone. This is from a valuable website Problems with Apostle Paul. This is an excerpt from a page entitled History of Apostle Paul (also hosted at this page in slightly better font text) which I present below, only removing items that do not bear directly on the issue about the Law:
Then there’s the matter of Yahweh’s Law. Paul went to great lengths to make void the law. Yahoshua and the apostles said otherwise. Yahoshua taught obedience to Yahweh’s Law. Paul taught (in Christ’s name) that the Law passed away. As you can see, Paul spoke against the teaching of Yahoshua. Here are Paul’s teachings of the Law.
Paul said all the Law was fulfilled in one word (a Pharisaic teaching). Romans 13:8-9, Galatians 5:14. Yahoshua said otherwise, Matthew 22:27-40, Mark 29-31.
Paul declared ALL things lawful, I Corinthians 6:12-14, Colossians 2:16. Yahoshua said otherwise, Matthew 5:18, Luke 16:17, John 14:15.
Paul declared nothing unclean, Romans 14:14, I Timothy 4:1-5. Yahoshua and James said otherwise, Acts 15:28-29, Revelation 2:14.
Paul claimed Christ abolished the Law, Romans 6:14, 7:4, Ephesians 2:15-16. Yahoshua said otherwise, Matthew 5:17-20, 19:17, 28:20, Luke 16:17.
Paul claimed no one was justified by the Law, Romans 3:20, Galatians 3:11-12, 21. The scriptures say otherwise, II Samuel 22:21, Ezekiel 14:14, 20, Job 27: 29:14, Luke 1:5-6, James 2:20-22.
Paul claimed no man was justified by works of the Law, Galatians 2:16, 21. Yahoshua and James said otherwise, Matthew 16:27, James 2:20-22.
Paul claimed the Law was ‘veiled’ (too hard to understand), II Corinthians 3:12-16. Moses said otherwise, Deuteronomy 30: 10-14. John tells us the law is not burdensome, I John 1:53.
Paul called Yahweh’s Law a ‘curse’, Galatians 3:13. (Galatians Chapter 3 and Romans Chapter 3 detail Paul’s attack on the Law). Yahoshua instructed us to keep the Law,Matthew 19:17. He came to fulfill the Law, not destroy it, Matthew 5:17-18. The Law was a blessing, Deuteronomy 7:11-13, 11:26-27, 30:19-20.
Paul referred to the Law as ‘the ministry of death’, II Corinthians 3:7. Moses said otherwise, Deuteronomy 4:40, 5:29, 6:24-25, 30:15-20.
Paul declared he sinned because of the Law (this passage is really a piece of work), Romans 7:7-13. James told us that’s not so, James 1:13-14.
Paul speaks against questions he considers foolish, and genealogies, Titus 3:9. Since genealogies are immensely important to Adam’s seed and Satan’s seed in the old and renewed covenants, one must wonder why Paul tells Titus to avoid them.
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Paul claimed to be blameless (sinless) in the Law, Philippians 3:4-6.
Paul devalued the Sabbath, Romans 14:5-6.
Today I stumbled on another good website presentation of Paul's views that support he did away with the Law:
Paul clearly does not want us to follow the law as proved in Galatians 5:4, “You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.”
“Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law.” [Gal 3:23-25]
In this, Paul once again tries to prove to us that the law holds us prisoner. Paul would have you believe that “everything is permissible.” [1 Cor 10:23] If God’s law holds us as prisoner, what does the laws of men hold us as? This is a philosophy that any law holds us prisoner, even if it be a single law. And who is more just to give us law – men or God?
Also according to Paul, “all who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.’” [Gal 3:10] God can tell you exactly what should be done in Jeremiah Chapter 11, Verse 4, “…I said, ‘Obey me and do everything I command you, and you will be my people, and I will be your God.’”
Ponder 1 John 5:3, “This is love for God: to obey his commands. And His commands are not burdensome…”
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