So You Want To Be Under The Law?

By

Jesse Acuff, Bs. Ed., M.A. Rel.

Why All The Controversy?

The controversy over whether the Law of Moses is binding on Christians today, especially the observance of the Holy Days and kosher foods, rages on today as strongly as it did two thousand years ago. This is particularly true among Sabbath-keeping Christians who have split off from the Worldwide Church of God (WCG). Because they insist that the Law of Moses still binds Christians to these observances, they have become separatists. Their adamant demands make them exclusivists, and fosters "racial discrimination" within the context of the Christian Church. On the basis of Old Testament law (the Law of Moses) they bar the born again believer (they deny that anyone is born again unless he is changed from flesh and blood into spirit at the second coming of Christ) from worshipping with them if he or she teaches abrogation of the Mosaic Law, i.e., "the law contained in ordinances." Although they agree that circumcision is not required for salvation, they are adamant about observance of the Sabbath, the Holy Days, tithing, and abstinence from unclean meats according to the Levitical definition outlined in Leviticus eleven. They maintain that observing these things pleases and commends them to God. Nevertheless, by this, though they deny it, they place themselves under the Law, bring upon themselves the curse of the Law, and deny Jesus Christ.

We shall see that, like the Pharisaical "Circumcision Party" that troubled Paul so much, there is an element today that continues to trouble those who want to come to Christ by insisting that they keep the Mosaic Law, at least in the areas of the Sabbath, Holy Days, tithing, and kosher foods. Although they reject circumcision, they fail to understand that circumcision and the keeping of the Law of Moses—any part of it—are inseparable. Obedience to the Law of Moses means obedience to the law of circumcision and vise-versa. To say that circumcision is no longer required but observance of the Sabbath, the Holy Days, tithing, and kosher meats is required is inconsistent. Consistency in these areas would lead to the introduction of the entire legal system, which they are loath to do. However, this is not the case with most of the split-offs from the WCG today. They discard the major part of the Mosaic Law and pick and choose those portions that fit their doctrinal beliefs, q.v., the Sabbath, the Holy Days, tithing, and kosher meats. However, a careful reading of Acts 15 demonstrates that the church resolved the issue two thousand years ago at the first Jerusalem conference. Let’s read what Acts 15: 1-2 has to say.

"And certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, ‘Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.’ Therefore, when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and dispute with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them should go up to Jerusalem, to the apostles and elders, about this question."

These Judaizers, these self-appointed teachers (we shall see later that the Jerusalem church never authorized them or gave them any such command) did not come to Antioch to encourage the believers in the faith, but to force upon them the strict requirements of the Mosaic Law in order for them to be saved. They taught the brethren at Antioch that salvation was unattainable without circumcision. Thus, they pronounced all the uncircumcised brethren at Antioch and elsewhere, unsaved. They taught that faith in Jesus Christ was not enough, that circumcision must be added. By this they asserted that God never abrogated the practice of circumcision. But this is not what Paul and Barnabas taught and they practiced no such doctrine among the Gentile churches.

Verse 2 states that Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and dispute with them, which is just another way of saying that there was a heated argument between them about this teaching. This was Paul’s first sharp clash with these Judaizers known as the Circumcision Party. However, it would not be the last for Paul was not about to buy into their teachings and never did. We see that at this point circumcision alone was the issue. But circumcision is only one of two demands that we read about in Acts 15. The other is found in verse 5,

" But some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up, saying, "It is necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the Law of Moses" (emphasis added).

It is important here to understand that believing Jewish Christians, people who had already accepted Christ as their Savior, made these demands. Lenski explains:

"Some have a wrong conception of them, as though they rejected the entire gospel, the entire Christ, and preached only salvation by law. But they were believers in Christ and the gospel, members of the church at Jerusalem, but they erred in the most dangerous point, namely in wanting to append to the gospel and Christ the requirement of circumcision (that most especially) and of other Mosaic regulations. They thought the gospel incomplete without this addition. [1]

The mistake that those Jewish Christians made in Paul’s day is the same mistake that many Sabbath-keeping Christians make today—they think that there are certain key features of the Law of Moses that need to be appended to the Gospel of Jesus Christ in order to obtain salvation. However, one cannot just append certain features of the Law of Moses to the Gospel and ignore the rest. Again, circumcision cannot be detached from the Law of Moses, but this is exactly what they do. Paul says in Gal. 5:3-4 that anyone who becomes circumcised (for religious purposes) becomes a debtor to keep the whole law! Notice, he doesn’t say a debtor to keep part of the law (Sabbath, Holy Days, tithing, and kosher food laws), but the whole law! God’s standard is 100 %, period! Nevertheless, while rejecting circumcision, they continue to observe the Sabbath, the Holy Days, tithing, and kosher food laws (all included in the Mosaic Law) in defiance of God’s word.

Dr. David Albert says rightly,

"Circumcision was for the Jews what baptism is for Christians today—the formal entry rite or ceremony into a whole way of life and a declaration of one’s willingness to adhere to that way of life. Just as we are baptized into Christ and Christianity, Jewish proselytes were circumcised into the law of Moses and Judaism."[2]

Kistemaker, in his New Testament Commentary, writes of these believing Pharisees,

"They determine that all Christians, whether Jew or Gentile, are obligated to obey the entire law of Moses, and that includes circumcision. . .The Christianity of the Pharisees is overshadowed by their emphasis on the Mosaic Law. They assert that the development of the church can take place only when believers adhere to all the stipulations of the Old Testament. They virtually demand that every Gentile become a Jew before he can be a Christian."[3]

We have seen that Paul states in Gal. 5 that circumcision logically leads to the observance of the whole law. In fact the word "circumcision" becomes Paul’s metaphor for the Law. Having once been freed from that legalistic system, any legalistic system, it would be tantamount to reverting to slavery to return to it. In fact, Paul says in Gal 2:18,

"For if I build again those things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor."

He continues in verse 19 by saying,

"For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God. ²⁰I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain."

Those things which a born again believer has destroyed are the requirements of the Mosaic Law for he has died to the law and has been crucified with Christ. If you are dead to something it no longer has a hold on you. Building again that which you have destroyed—putting yourself back under the law by observance of any part of it—makes you a transgressor of the law and subject to its penalty which is spiritual death.

In John 8:32,34 Christ says that you shall know the truth and the truth will set you free. And if the Son sets you free you are free indeed. What was it then that the converted Christians in Acts were free of? What, if anything, were they bound to in the first place? They were bound to the Law of Moses and circumcision! Were they loosed from sacrifices and circumcision but still bound to the Holy Days, Sabbaths, New Moons, tithing, and kosher food laws? No, they were loosed from the whole Law of Moses. But what is the Law of Moses? There are over 30 passages in the Old and New Testaments that refer to the Law of Moses in one way or another. Nothing in these passages suggests that the Law of Moses is only sacrificial and ceremonial. The Law of Moses includes commandments, statutes, ordinances, sacrifices, ceremonies, and circumcision. Ezra preached the Law of Moses to Judah after they returned from the Babylonian captivity. Because of this they once again began to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. This is a clear indication that the Holy Days, as well as the dietary laws, derive their authority from the Law of Moses!

Peter’s Response To The Jewish Christians

Now, what was Peter’s response to the demands of the Jewish Christians? In Acts 15:8-9 Peter says of the Gentiles,

" . . .God, who knows the heart, acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us, and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.

In other words Peter queried, "If God never gave the Law to the Gentiles in the first place, why do you insist on usurping God’s authority and making yourselves greater than He by commanding them to be circumcised and to obey the Law of Moses?" God, Peter declared, made no distinction between the Jews and the Gentiles regarding salvation and purifying their hearts by faith. Nevertheless, too many Sabbath-keeping Christians today want to make a distinction between themselves and "Protestants" who accept Christ without the requirements of the Law or circumcision. Just as Jewish Christians did then, present-day Sabbath-keeping Christians (viz. WCG split-offs and some Seventh-Day Adventists) consider those who do not observe Holy Days and kosher food laws inferior, second-class Christians, as it were, and not entitled to salvation because they do not keep "God’s Law", i.e., the Law of Moses. Peter reminds the Jerusalem counsel from the beginning that God makes no such distinction. Rather, He offered the Gentiles salvation through grace without the requirements of the Mosaic Law including circumcision.

Peter continues in verse 10 by saying,

"Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?"

How did James and the elders at Jerusalem respond to this stinging rebuke? James answered, saying,

"Men and brethren, listen to me: Simon has declared how God at the first visited the Gentiles to take out of them a people for His name. And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written: ‘After this I will return And will rebuild the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down; I will rebuild its ruins, And I will set it up; So that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, Even all the Gentiles who are called by My name, Says the Lord who does all these things. Known to God from eternity are all His works. Therefore I judge that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God . . ." (emphasis added).

What does he mean by "not troubling those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God"? He means that the Gentile converts should not be required to be circumcised or observe the Law of Moses!

We see further that the Jerusalem Church wrote a letter to the Gentile brethren telling them of James’ decision or judgment.

"Then it pleased the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas, namely, Judas who was also named Barsabas, and Silas, leading men among the brethren. They wrote this, letter by them: The apostles, the elders, and the brethren, to the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia: Greetings. Since we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your souls, saying, "You must be circumcised and keep the law"—to whom we gave no such commandment—it seemed good to us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who will also report the same things by word of mouth. For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell" (emphasis added).

Notice what it says in verse 24—no command to be circumcised or to keep the Law of Moses was ever given by the Jerusalem Church to the Judaizers who went to Antioch and taught the Gentile brethren these things. In addition, neither Paul nor any other apostle or elder who taught in the Gentile churches ever gave them such a command. The only ones who gave such a command were the Judaizers, the legalists who insisted on adding circumcision and the requirements of the Mosaic Law to God’s saving grace.

In chapter 5, verses 1-3, Paul admonishes the Galatians to

"Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law."

Judaizers claiming to be from James had come in and convinced the Galatians that they needed to be circumcised and obey the Law of Moses in addition to accepting the Gospel and the grace of Jesus Christ. Their clever ploy was that they too were converted and had accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior, but that was not enough. Circumcision and the Law of Moses must supplement Christ’s grace and His all-sufficient sacrifice on the cross. Not so, says Paul. He tells them to stand fast in the liberty by which Christ had made them free. To supplement grace is to supplant Christ because Christ freed them from the Law and its penalties.

Notice the second half of the verse and especially the phrase "do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage." What is he referring to here? The "yoke" he speaks of is the yoke of the Law including its regulations and man-made traditions. Israel groaned under that yoke for almost 1500 years but the Gentiles, because God never gave them the Law, did not. So, what does Paul mean when he says "again?" Paul certainly refers here to the yoke of bondage brought about by the Law of Moses, but he goes even further. He says to the Gentiles that they should not tolerate any kind of slavery whether it was the Law of Moses or the yoke of Paganism, which they formerly bore. In other words, they were not to endure any kind of law, rules, or regulations, which put them in bondage and abrogated their freedom in Christ.

If you elect to fellowship with these quasi-law-keeping Christians and express contrary views you are looked upon as heretical. If you insist that, according to 1 Corinthians 10 and Romans 14 that, for example, the eating of unclean meats is a choice (Gr. Adiaphora) based on faith, you will likely be disbarred, excommunicated, ostracized, and shunned. However, we are not to give offense to our weaker brothers in the faith concerning eating or not eating certain meats for Rom. 14:1-4 tells us,

"Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things. For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables. Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him."

We also read in Rom. 15:1,

"We then that are strong (in the faith) ought to bear the infirmities of the weak (in the faith), and not to please ourselves" (parentheses added).

Romans 15:1 reflects on Romans 14:1-3. Paul considers himself as strong in the faith, i.e., he does not condemn himself in what he approves. His attitude is more liberal when it comes to observing the clean and unclean meats laws, etc. If we are strong in the faith as Paul is we are to bear with those who are weak, i.e., who believe that the observance of such things are necessary for salvation and not dispute with them over things which are a matter of choice under the New Covenant.

We should listen to the words of Paul and the Apostles and accept the saving grace of Jesus Christ apart from the works of the Law.

 "Therefore let no one judge you in food or in drink, or in respect of a feast, or of the new moon, or of the sabbaths. Therefore let no one judge you in food or in drink, or in respect of a feast, or of the new moon, or of the sabbaths. For these are a shadow of things to come, but the body is of Christ. Let no one defraud you, delighting in humility and worship of the angels, intruding into things which he has not seen, without a cause being vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, and not holding the Head, from whom all the body, having been supplied through the joints and bands, and having been joined together, will grow with the growth of God. If then you died with Christ from the elements of the world, why, as though living in the world, are you subject to its ordinances: touch not, taste not, handle not; (22) which things are all for corruption in the using, according to the commands and doctrines of men? These things indeed have a reputation of wisdom in self-imposed worship and humility, and unsparing severity of the body, but are not of any value for the satisfying of the flesh". (Colossians 2:16).

We cannot and must not base our salvation on performance oriented works of the Law. We cannot base our salvation on the performance oriented works of the law and have our Jesus too, so to speak. That which is of the law is not of faith. Observance of the Sabbath, the Holy Days, new moons, tithing, and kosher food laws do not commend us to God (cf. 1 Cor.8:8).

Do you have faith?

". . .Have it to yourself before God. Blessed is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves" (Romans 14:22).

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End Notes:

1. Linski, R.C.H., Commentary on the New Testament, Acts, p. 599.

2. David Albert, Difficult Scriptures, p. 35.

3. Simon J. Kistemaker, New Testament Commentary, Acts, p. 541.

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