Jesus and the Law
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Began studying Jesus’ teachings at Mudjimba, Queensland, 2008
The Relevance of the Law
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets.
I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them.
I am telling you the truth: until the sky and the earth pass away,
not one letter nor one stroke will disappear from the Law, until
everything takes place.
So anyone who removes one of the least of these commands and
teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the Kingdom
of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called
great in the Kingdom of heaven.
And I tell you that unless your actions are more righteous than the
teachers’ of the law and the Pharisees’, you will never enter the
Kingdom of heaven.” Mt 5:17-20
The Law Still Remains
“It is easier for the sky and the earth to disappear than
for one stroke of a pen to drop out of the Law” Luke 16:17
The Law is Relevant to Eternal Life
• Whenever Jesus was asked, “What must I do to inherit eternal
life?”, he always referred to the Law: “If you want to enter life,
obey the commandments” Mt 19:17, and pointed to commands
from the Law Mt 19:17, similarly Mk 10:19, Lk 18:20, Lk 10:26
• Jesus said that at the Judgment, the“workers of lawlessness*”
Mt 7:23 and “those who do lawlessness” Mt 13:41 will be thrown
out of the Kingdom (Greek anomia despite NIV ‘evildoers’).
*ie not following Law of Moses
Mudjimba, Queensland, 2008: 4 mo studying Law, >12 mo studying
Jesus’ teachings; patterns and logic emerged towards the end
The Law (of Moses)
Attr. Moses ~ 1400 BC
Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
By 600 BC
The Law
Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
Aka Torah, Pentateuch, Law of Moses
Jesus and the Law: Outline
A. The Parties: God & Israel
B. The Requirements (the Law )
C.
Blessings and Curses
for keeping the covenant, or not
D. How the New Covenant
compares with the Law
E.
Jesus, Pharisees and the Law
A
The Parties: God and Israel
Remember…
God’s Covenant with Israel (the Law)
God and Israel + descendants
The Parties
Requirements
Blessings
(Ex 34:27, Dt 29:1, 12:28, 4:9-10, 31).
Not other nations (Ex 19:5, Lev 20:26)
The Law
(Gen, Exod, Lev, Num, Deut—esp Exodus 20-24).
Peace and prosperity and possession of the land of
Israel, and God’s dwelling among them
(Lev 26:3-13, Dt 28:1-14)
Curses
Duration
Famine, disease, war, defeat and exile, temple
gone (Lev 26:14-46 and Dt 28:15-68)
At least 1,000 generations (Dt 7:9);
til sky and earth pass away (Lk 16:17, Mt 5:17-20)
The Parties: God and Israel
God made the covenant/Law with Israel only:
“Then the LORD said to Moses, “Write down these words, because I
have made a covenant with you and with Israel on the basis of
these words”” Ex 34:27
“This is what you are to say to the house of Jacob and what you are
to tell the children of Israel: 4 … 5 Now if you fully obey my voice
and keep my covenant, then you will be my treasured possession
out of all the nations. For the whole earth is mine, 6 but you will
be a kingdom of priests for me and a holy nation.’ These are the
words you are to speak to the children of Israel.” Ex 19:3-6
The Law still applies to Israel; it never applied to other nations.
B
The Requirements (the Law)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
The Law’s Main Commands
The Law’s Three Categories of Commands
Righteousness and Sin (Dos and Don’ts)
The Law was Attainable
The Law did not require sinlessness
B1.
The Law’s Main Commands
Two
Greatest
Commandments
Mt 22:37-40
The Ten
Love the Lord your God
with all your heart soul
strength and mind
Relating to God
out of 613
Love your neighbour
as yourself
Relating to Others
No other gods
Honour parents
No stealing
No images
No murder
No lying
No blasphemy
No adultery
No coveting
Commandments
Keep Sabbath
Ex 20:1-17
Prototype commands
The Law’s Main Commands by category
Two
Greatest
Commandments
Love the Lord your God
with all your heart soul
strength and mind
Love your neighbour
as yourself
Mt 22:37-40
Relating to God
The Ten
Relating to others
No other gods
Honour parents
No stealing
No images
No murder
No lying
No blasphemy
No adultery
No coveting
Commandments
Keep Sabbath
Ex 20:1-17
Prototype commands
B2. The Law’s Three Categories
Love God
Love Neighbour
National
B2. The Law’s Three Categories
Love God
Worship/blasphemy
No idols
Forgiveness of sin,
sacrifice
Prayer
Hear from God
Sabbath (assembly)
7 annual feasts
Clean & Unclean
Medical functions
Dedicating
VIA TEMPLE
AND PRIESTS
Love Neighbour
National
B2. The Law’s Three Categories
Love God
Worship/blasphemy
No idols
Forgiveness of sin,
sacrifice
Prayer
Hear from God
Sabbath (assembly)
7 annual feasts
Clean & Unclean
Medical functions
Dedicating
VIA TEMPLE
AND PRIESTS
Love Neighbour
Love neighbour
Help with problems
Not harm: murder,
safety, injury
Property: giving,
lending, stealing,
coveting
Honesty, lying, oaths
Sexual, marriage
Honor parents, train
children in law
National
B2. The Law’s Three Categories
Love God
Worship/blasphemy
No idols
Forgiveness of sin,
sacrifice
Prayer
Hear from God
Sabbath (assembly)
7 annual feasts
Clean & Unclean
Medical functions
Dedicating
VIA TEMPLE
AND PRIESTS
Love Neighbour
National
Love neighbour
Help with problems
Not harm: murder,
safety, injury
Property: giving,
lending, stealing,
coveting
Honesty, lying, oaths
Sexual, marriage
Honor parents, train
children in law
Judicial functions,
punishments
National assemblies
Choosing a king
Waging war
Census, temple tax
Expelling Canaanites
Use of trumpets
B3. Righteousness and Sin (Dos and Don’ts)
Commanded good actions = RIGHTEOUSNESS (40%)
“If we observe all these commandments before the LORD our God, it
will be our righteousness (tsedaqah)” Deut 6:25
“Return [a poor man’s] cloak to him by sunset so that he may sleep in
it. Then he will thank you, and it will be regarded as a righteous act
(tsedaqah, righteousness) in the sight of the LORD your God” Dt 24:13
Prohibited bad actions = SIN (60%)
“When anyone sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any
of the LORD'S commands…” Lev 4:2
Righteousness means righteous actions
“Suppose there is a righteous man who does what is just and
what is right (righteousness, tsedaqah).
6 He does not .. (do various bad things) …but (does various
kind and honest things) 9 He follows my decrees and faithfully
keeps my laws. That man is righteous; he will surely live,
declares the Sovereign LORD.” Ezek 18:5-9
Righteousness (tsedaqah H7407) = righteous actions, what is right
Righteousness means righteous actions 2
“But if the wicked person turns from all the sin he has been doing
and observes all my statutes and does what is just and what is
right (tsedaqah), he will surely live; he will not die. 22 None of the
offences he committed will be held against him; because of the
righteous acts (tsedaqah) he has done, he will live. …
24 But if a righteous man turns away from his righteous ways
(tsedaqah) and does the same wrong and detestable things that
the wicked do, will he live? None of his righteous acts (tsedaqah,
tsedaqah) will be remembered” Ezek 18:21-24
Righteousness (tsedaqah H7407) = righteous actions, what is right
Examples of Righteousness
“David reigned over all Israel,
administering justice and
doing what was right
(tsedaqah) for all his people”
2 Sam 8:15
“Phinehas stood up and intervened, and the plague was
stopped (see Num 25:7-8; he speared 2 people sinning).
This was credited to him as righteousness (tsedaqah) for all
generations” Ps 106:30-31
Righteousness (tsedaqah H7407) = righteous actions, what is right
Jesus viewed ‘righteousness’ as actions
“Be careful not to do your righteous
actions (dikaiosynē, righteousness)
before men, to be seen by them.
If you do, you will have no reward
from your Father in heaven.
2 So when you give to the needy…
5 And when you pray…
16 When you fast…” Mt 6:1-16
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for doing what is right
(dikaiosynē, righteousness), because the kingdom of heaven is for
them” Mt 5:10
Righteousness (dikaiosynē G1466) = righteous actions
Jesus viewed ‘righteous’ as doing right actions
At the Judgment of the Nations Mt 25:31-46, those who actively
loved their neighbours are called “the righteous (dikaios)” and
will inherit the kingdom; those who did not are called “the
cursed” and will be sent away.
RIGHTEOUS
CURSED
righteous (dikaios G1465) = good and right, referring to
actions or those who do them
Summary of Righteousness
Righteousness (noun) means good and right actions,
esp. those commanded by the Law
Righteous (adjective) means good, right, upright, just –
referring to good actions or to people who do them.
B4.
The Law was attainable
“Now what I [Moses] am commanding you today [the Law] is
not too hard for you, neither is it far off.
It is not up in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will go up to
heaven for us and bring it to us, so that we can hear it and do it?’
Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go
across the sea for us and bring it to us, so that we can hear it and
do it?’
But the word is very near you. It is in
your mouth and in your heart, so that
you can do it.” Deut 30:11-14
Some people were righteous
“They [Zechariah and Elizabeth] were
both righteous (dikaios) in the sight of
God, following all the commandments
and ordinances of the Lord
blamelessly” Luke 1:6 NET
“Joseph her husband was a righteous (dikaios) man…” Mt 1:19, as
were John the Baptist Mk 6:20, Simeon Lk 2:25, Joseph of Arimathea
Lk 23:50, Abel Mt 23:35 and the gentile Cornelius Acts 10:22.
Jesus referred to the “graves of the righteous” Mt 23:29, “many
prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see” Mt 13:17
and “I have not come to call the righteous, but the sinful to
repentance” Lk 5:32.
Psalms have 38 references to “the righteous”.
B5.
•
The Law did not require sinlessness
There was a recovery
mechanism for
minor-moderate sins
via sacrifice, and the
person would be forgiven
eg Lev 4:20,26,31,35 5:10,13,16,18
•
The standard required was to love, serve and obey God
with all your heart and soul Dt 4:29 6:5 10:12 11:13 26:16 32:2,6,10 –
not sinless or perfect.
“Sinless”?
• The concept of ‘sinless’
is not in the Law.
‘Without sin’ mentioned later only to
say that no one is Job 33:9, Pr 20:9, Ecc 7:20
• Jesus did not teach ‘sinless’.
“Sinless” (anamartētos) occurs only in Jn 8:7
(“let someone sinless among you throw the first stone”).
• Jesus taught that we need to be righteous, not sinless.
Many people have been righteous, but none sinless*.
Righteous ≠ sinless
*Except Jesus
Sinful means full of sin (actions)
 Sinful (hamartōlos,G283) = full of sin, doing a lot of sin
“Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man” Lk 5:8
“…a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town…” Lk 7:37
 “the sinful” (hamartōlos) = people who sin a lot, more than others
“Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinful people?” Lk 5:30
“He has gone to be the guest of a sinful person” Lk 19:7
eg hairy
“Sinner” ??
 Sinner = “someone who sins” (English Dictionary).
(Would include everyone, since no-one is sinless).
 No word or concept for ‘sinner’ in the gospels.
Every “sinner” in NIV gospels is actually hamartōlos sinful G283 and
should be translated as “sinful person” or “the sinful”.
eg “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you?
Even ‘sinners’ love those who love them” Lk 6:32
should be “Even sinful people love those who love them” see G283
‘sinner’ incorrect;
replace with ‘sinful person’
Righteous & Unrighteous, Sinful and Sinless
Jesus
Righteous
(dikaios)
(Do good
things)
Unrighteous
(adikos)
Satan
Sinless (anamartētos)
Sinful
(hamartōlos)
(Do bad things)
Righteous & Unrighteous, Sinful and Sinless
Jesus
Righteous
(dikaios)
(Do good
things)
Zechariah
Elizabeth
Joseph
David
Simeon
John Baptist
Cornelius
“Many”
Unrighteous
(adikos)
Satan
Sinless (anamartētos)
Sinful
(hamartōlos)
(Do bad things)
Righteous & Unrighteous, Sinful and Sinless
Jesus
Righteous
(dikaios)
(Do good
things)
Tax-collectors
Sinful woman
Peter fisherman
Sinful generation
Unrighteous
Herod
(adikos)
Satan
Sinless (anamartētos)
Sinful
(hamartōlos)
(Do bad things)
Righteous & Unrighteous, Sinful and Sinless
Jesus
Righteous
(dikaios)
(Do good
things)
Pharisees
Teachers of the Law
Crowds?
Unrighteous
(adikos)
Satan
Sinless (anamartētos)
Sinful
(hamartōlos)
(Do bad things)
Righteous & Unrighteous, Sinful and Sinless
Jesus
Righteous
(dikaios)
?
(Do good
things)
Unrighteous
Hermit?
Dead man
(adikos)
Satan
Sinless (anamartētos)
Sinful
(hamartōlos)
(Do bad things)
Righteous & Unrighteous, Sinful and Sinless
Jesus
Righteous
(dikaios)
(Do good
things)
Zechariah
Elizabeth
Joseph
David
Simeon
John Baptist
Cornelius
“Many”
?
With all your heart & soul & strength & mind
Pharisees
Teachers of the Law
Crowds?
Unrighteous
Hermit?
Dead man
(adikos)
Sinless (anamartētos)
Tax-collectors
Sinful woman
Peter fisherman
Sinful generation
Herod
Sinful
Satan
(hamartōlos)
(Do bad things)
Righteous & Unrighteous, Sinful and Sinless: Summary
Righteous (dikaios G1465) =
good and right (actions or people)
Righteous ≠ sinless
(though righteous people will do less sin).
Sinful (hamartōlos G283) =
full of sin, doing sin a lot
C
Blessings and Curses
for keeping the covenant, or not
The Law’s Blessings and Curses
Blessings for obedience
Curses for disobedience
Prosperity
Fruitfulness and abundance
Poverty
Bad crops, drought, famine
Freedom and peace
Peace, security and victory
Subjection and slavery
Invasion, war, defeat,
conquered, occupied,
plundered
Live in the Land
Live long in the land of Israel
Exiled out of the land
Cities destroyed, scattered,
exiled, serve enemies in their
lands, persecuted, killed
God among them
in Sanctuary, be their God
God withdraw
Destroy sanctuaries (temple)
(Lev 26; Deut 11 & 28)
The Way Back from the Curse
“But if they will confess their sins and the sins of their fathers—
who in their disobedience acted unfaithfully against me, so that
I was hostile toward them and sent them into the land of their
enemies—when their uncircumcised hearts are humbled and
they pay for their sins, I will
remember my covenant with
Jacob and my covenant with
Isaac and my covenant with
Abraham, and I will remember
the land” Lev 26:40-42 lit.
Dan 9; Neh 1
The Way Back from the Curse
“When all these things come upon you—the blessings and
the curses I have set before you—and you take them to heart
again, among the nations where the Lord your God has driven
you; and you and your children return to the Lord your God,
and obey his voice with all your heart and soul according to
everything I am commanding you today, then the Lord will
restore your fortunes and have
compassion on you, and he will
gather you again from all the
peoples where the Lord your
God has scattered you”
Dt 30:1-3 lit.
The Law: Two States
Blessed in the land of Israel
Prosperous, free, in the land, with God
Break covenant
Admit sin & fathers’ sins
Pay for sins , Seek God,
Obey God again with all
heart and soul
Cursed in the land of their enemies
Poverty, slavery, exiled from Israel, no temple
(Lev 26; Deut 11 & 28)
Love God
Law in normal
blessed state
(with temple,
living in Israel,
free)
Worship/blasphemy
No idols
Forgiveness of sin,
sacrifice
Prayer
Hear from God
Sabbath (assembly)
7 annual feasts
Clean & Unclean
Medical functions
Dedicating
VIA TEMPLE
Love God
Law in the
cursed state
(temple destroyed,
exiled from Israel,
loss of freedom)
Worship/blasphemy
Forgiveness of sin,
sacrifice
Prayer
Hear from God
Sabbath (assembly)
7 annual feasts
Clean & Unclean
Medical functions
Dedicating
VIA TEMPLE
Love
Neighbour
Love neighbour
Help with problems
Not harm: murder,
safety, injury
Property: giving,
lending, stealing,
coveting
Honesty, lying, oaths
Sexual, marriage
Honor parents, train
children in Law
Love
Neighbour
Love neighbour
Help with problems
Not harm: murder,
safety, injury
Property: giving,
lending, stealing,
coveting
Honesty, lying, oaths
Sexual, marriage
Honor parents, train
children in Law
National
Judicial functions,
punishments
National assemblies
Choosing a king
Waging war
Census, temple tax
Expelling Canaanites
Use of trumpets
National
Judicial functions,
punishments
National assemblies
Choosing a king
Waging war
Census, temple tax
Expelling Canaanites
Use of trumpets
The Law in Exile (cursed state)
When Israel went into exile and the temple was destroyed,
all of the Law’s temple worship and national commands
became very difficult or impossible (586 BC and 70 AD)
Slaves of the conquerors
Temple in ruins
What about Synagogues?
The Law referred to “the place the Lord your God will choose as a
dwelling for his name” Dt 12:11 and required that the Israelites
should bring their sacrifices, offerings and tithes to it, and rejoice
there before the Lord. They were not to offer sacrifices anywhere
else Dt 12 esp verses 13-14.
The Law never mentioned synagogues.
Synagogues could not replace the temple.
If Israel’s relation with God was so bad
he destroyed his own temple,
replacing it with synagogues
was not the solution.
Israel: Blessed and Cursed periods
~1300 BC
time
United Israel
Blessed in the land of Israel
Joshua, Judges, Kings to Rehoboam
931 BC
Judah
Blessed in Judah
586 BC
~520 BC
Jesus 30 AD
70 AD
Babylonian exile
Judah
~blessed
in Judah
Destroyed
by
Romans
Worldwide
exile
1948 AD
Northern Israel
Blessed in Israel
Deported
to Assyria
10 Lost
Tribes
722 BC
Israel today: blessed or cursed?
Blessings for obedience
Prosperity
GDP per capita $33,000 (26th)
Curses for disobedience
Poverty
(NZ’s is $27,000, 31st)
Freedom and peace
Not in open war
Subjection and slavery
Threat of war ever present.
Weekly terrorist attacks.
Live in the Land
State of Israel since 1948.
6M Jews live in 60% of
habitable land of Israel.
Exiled out of the land
8M+ Jews still overseas.
4M Gentiles in 40% land and
temple mount. Land disputed.
God among them
God withdrawn
No temple. Up to 80% of Jews
in Israel are secular.
(Lev 26; Deut 11 & 28)
D
The New Covenant
How the New Covenant relates to the Law
Which parts of the Law did Jesus teach?
The “Eternal Life” commandments
Someone asked Jesus:
“What must I do to
inherit eternal life?”
Mt 19:16 Mk 10:17
Lk 10:25 Lk 18:18
The “eternal life” commandments
Jesus answered:
• “Obey the commandments” Mt 19:17
• “You know the commandments: …”
Mk 10:19 Lk 18:20
• “What is written in the Law?
How do you read it?” Lk 10:26
Someone asked: “Which ones?” Mt 19:18
(or Jesus went on to specify which commandments anyway)
The “eternal life” commandments
On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus.
“Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
“What is written in the Law?” he [Jesus] replied.
“How do you read it?”
He [the expert] answered: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your
heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all
your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ’’
“You have answered correctly,”
Jesus replied.
“Do this and you will live”.
Lk 10:25-28
The “eternal life” commandments
Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing
must I do to get eternal life?”
“Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied.
“There is One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the
commandments.”
“Which ones?” the man inquired.
Jesus replied, “Do not murder,
do not commit adultery,
do not steal,
do not give false testimony,
honor your father and mother,’
and love your neighbor as yourself.”
Mt 19:16-19
Putting Jesus’ answers together:
Love God with all your heart soul mind and strength Lk 10:25-28
(but via Holy Spirit rather than via temple Jn 4:21-24 Mk 13:2)
Love your neighbour as yourself
No adultery
No murder
No steal
No defraud
No false testimony
Honour father and mother
Mt 19:19, Lk 10:25-28
Mt 19:18, Mk 10:19, Lk 18:20
Mt 19:18, Mk 10:19, Lk 18:20
Mt 19:18, Mk 10:19, Lk 18:20
Mk 10:19
Mt 19:18, Mk 10:19, Lk 18:20
Mt 19:19, Mk 10:19, Lk 18:20
Which parts of the Law did Jesus teach?
Love God
Law in ~blessed
state
(with temple,
living in Israel,
-- but occupied
by Romans)
Worship/blasphemy
No idols
Forgiveness of sin,
sacrifice=Jesus
Prayer
Hear from God
Sabbath (assembly)
7 annual feasts
Clean & Unclean heart
Medical functions
Dedicating
VIA HOLY SPIRIT
Love
Neighbour
Love neighbour
Help with problems
Not harm: murder,
safety, injury
Property: giving,
lending, stealing,
coveting
Honesty, lying, oaths
Sexual, marriage
Honor parents, train
children in Law
National
Judicial functions,
punishments
National assemblies
Choosing a king
Waging war
Census, temple tax
Expelling Canaanites
Use of trumpets
Sabbath?
• Most of the “Love God” functions but via Holy Spirit instead of via temple
• All of the “Love Neighbour” group (except oaths?)
• None of the national commands
Which parts of the Law did Jesus not teach?
Jesus did not uphold:
WORK
Temple worship—he taught
Sabbath rest on 7th day
worship in Spirit Jn 4:21-24
Jn 5:17 and others
Clean and Unclean foods
Judicial punishments
Mk 7:19
Jn 8:1-11, Mt 5:38-39
Which parts of the Law did Jesus not teach?
Love God
Law in normal
blessed state
(with temple,
living in Israel,
free)
Worship/blasphemy
No idols
Forgiveness of sin,
sacrifice
Prayer
Hear from God
Sabbath (assembly)
7 annual feasts
Clean & Unclean
Medical functions
Dedicating
VIA TEMPLE
WORK
Love
Neighbour
Love neighbour
Help with problems
Not harm: murder,
safety, injury
Property: giving,
lending, stealing,
coveting
Honesty, lying, oaths
Sexual, marriage
Honor parents, train
children in Law
National
Judicial functions,
punishments
National assemblies
Choosing a king
Waging war
Census, temple tax
Expelling Canaanites
Use of trumpets
Sabbath?
WORK
Temple forms of worship and some national commands
There is a pattern
• Jesus’ teachings of the Law
correspond to the “Law in exile”, ie:
• The parts Jesus taught could all be done in exile,
without a temple or nation.
• The parts Jesus didn’t teach were
difficult/impossible in exile with no temple or nation.
(Israel had already lost sovereignty to Rome from 63 BC, and Jesus predicted
the time when Israel would be exiled (Lk 21:23-24; occurred 70 AD))
New Covenant includes all of the “Law in exile”, plus Love God via Holy Spirit
Love God
Law in the
cursed state
(temple destroyed,
exiled from Israel,
loss of freedom)
Worship/blasphemy
Forgiveness of sin,
sacrifice
Prayer
Hear from God
Sabbath (assembly)
7 annual feasts
Clean & Unclean
Medical functions
Dedicating
VIA TEMPLE
Love God
New Covenant
Jesus’ teachings
Most functions still
but via Holy Spirit,
not temple
Believe in Jesus
Worship
Forgiveness of sin,
sacrifice=Jesus
Prayer
Hear from God
Clean & Unclean ♥
VIA HOLY SPIRIT
Love
Neighbour
Love neighbour
Help with problems
Not harm: murder,
safety, injury
Property: giving,
lending, stealing,
coveting
Honesty, lying, oaths
Sexual, marriage
Honor parents, train
children in Law
National
Judicial functions,
punishments
National assemblies
Choosing a king
Waging war
Census, temple tax
Expelling Canaanites
Use of trumpets
Love
Neighbour
National
Same as Law, plus
a new command:
Love as Jesus
loved them
Absent from
New Covenant
(New covenant is
an individual
covenant, not
national)
The Biggest Addition in the New Covenant
The Holy Spirit
•
Provides a new way of relating to God
(previously, temple and priests were generally the only way)
•
Teaches, guides and helps us to keep Jesus’ teachings
and frees us from the power of sin
(previously, there was no help with keeping the requirements)
New Covenant includes the “Law in exile”
Nat’l
Laws
Love God
Love neighbour
Temple worship
The Law: God’s Covenant with Israel
New Covenant includes the “Law in exile”
Law in Exile (cursed phase)
Nat’l
Laws
Love God (somehow)
Love neighbour
Temple worship
The Law: God’s Covenant with Israel
New Covenant includes the “Law in exile”
New Covenant with Everyone
Love God via Holy Spirit
Law in Exile (cursed phase)
Nat’l
Laws
Law in Exile
Love God
(cursed
phase)
Love neighbour
Love God (somehow)
Love neighbour
Temple worship
The Law: God’s Covenant with Israel
Believe
Jesus
Love as
Jesus
loved
New Covenant and the Law: Summary
• Jesus’ teachings include the heart of the Law—
Love God with all your heart, and Love your neighbour.
• Jesus’ teachings do not include temple worship and national functions
which become impossible (or very limited) when Israel is in exile.
(These sections are not removed from the Law, just dormant.)
• Jesus’ teachings add relating to God via Holy Spirit,
and to love as Jesus loved.
If in doubt: just do what Jesus taught
E
Jesus, Pharisees and the Law
Why Jesus criticised the Pharisees’ observance* of the Law
* non-observance
The Pharisees’ Errors
1. They didn’t love God:
“you neglect justice and the love of God” Lk 11:42
“you do not have the love of God in your hearts” Jn 5:42
“they loved praise from men more than praise from God” Jn 12:43
“the Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this…” Lk 16:14
2. They followed human traditions instead of God’s words:
“You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions
of men” Mk 7:8; “You nullify the word of God by your tradition” Mk 7:13
Talmud (Jewish traditions)
The Pharisees’ Errors
(cont’d)
3. Pretended to follow the Law
for appearances (=hypocrisy):
“everything they do is done for men to see” Mt 23:5
“devour widows’ houses and for a show make
lengthy prayers” Mk 12:40
4. Focussed on minor matters and neglected major ones:
“you give a tenth of your spices… but you have neglected the more important
matters of the Law—justice, mercy, and faith” Mt 23:23
5. Created “exceptions” to God’s commandments:
“Love your neighbour (Law) and hate your enemy (tradition)” Mt 5:43
Judged and rejected their sinful neighbours instead of loving them
eg Lk 7:39 Lk 18:11 Mt 9:11
The Pharisees’ Errors
6.
(cont’d)
Used one command as an excuse not to keep another:
eg used sabbath rest as a reason not to heal the sick Lk 13:14
7.
Created heavy burdens for others and didn’t help
“they tie up heavy loads and put them on men’s shoulders” Mt 23:4
8.
Persecuted true prophets,
Jesus, and believers in Jesus
Killed prophets Lk 11:47-51,
opposed Jesus Mt 12:14,
expelled believers in Jesus Jn 12:42
Why did Jesus criticise the Pharisees?
Jesus never criticised the Pharisees for keeping the Law.
He criticised them for not keeping the Law:
“not one of you keeps the Law” Jn 7:19
you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness (anomia, lit. lawlessness)” Mt 23:28
What about “legalism” ?
“Legalism” means strict adherence to the Law (dictionary),
but is viewed negatively in church circles.
The word and concept of “legalism” is not in Jesus’ teachings;
he never criticised people for adhering strictly to the Law.
(Use “hypocrite” or “pretender” or a more specific term instead)
“Oh, how I love your Law !
I meditate on it all day long”
Ps 119:97
Conclusions
It was possible to keep
the Law, and some
righteous people did.
Jesus’ teachings exclude
Temple worship and
national functions
(impossible in exile)
“Righteous” means
doing good actions,
not being sinless.
New in Jesus’ teachings:
the Holy Spirit as the new
way of relating to God,
and to help us do right.
Jesus’ teachings include
the heart of the Law, esp
Love God and Neighbour,
(necessary for eternal life)
If in doubt about the Law:
follow Jesus’ teachings
Listen to the Holy Spirit
 Does the Holy Spirit want to show me anything
about the Law?
HS
Questions
 Did the Holy Spirit say anything to me?
 Any new or useful concepts, or surprises?
 Which parts of the Law are included in the
New Covenant (and thus relevant to us)?
 Do the Law’s commands about how to love our
neighbour have any relevance to us today?
Appendix
The Sabbaths
The Sabbaths
Three types of sabbaths in the Law:
Weekly sabbath
Special sabbaths,
eg Passover
Sabbath year 1/7
Purposes of the Sabbaths
Multiple purposes:
 A gift from God: double manna on 6th day so they could rest
on 7th day Exod 16:14-30. (Triple crop in 6th year Lev 25:18-21)
(“the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath”
Mk 2:27)
 To honour God: keep it holy, remember he created the
world in 6 days then rested on 7th Exod 20:8-11 and remember
that he delivered them from slavery in Egypt Deut 5:15
 “Sacred assembly” Lev 23:3 (at sanctuary/temple?)
 For the benefit of others: so servants and animals could rest
too Deut 5:14
 As a sign between God and the Israelites Exod 31:17
Sabbaths belonged to Blessed phase
 Without blessing of prosperity, can’t afford not to work
on 7th day and 7th year
 Without blessing of freedom, difficult to take any day
off as a slave (or a whole sabbath year)
 “Sacred assembly” very difficult as slaves in exile with
no temple
Jesus and the Sabbath
 Regarding healing a man on a Sabbath, Jesus said
“My Father is still working, so I am working” Jn 5:17
Jesus worked and rested according to what the Father told
him, not in a fixed weekly pattern (rest too, eg Mk 6:31)
 “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the
Sabbath” Mk 2:27
Sabbath is primarily a gift from God to men
 “If you have a sheep and it falls into a pit on the
Sabbath, who wouldn’t take hold of it and lift it out?
Then how much more than a sheep is a man worth?
So, it is right to do good on the Sabbath” Mt 12:11-12
Other commandments take priority over strict Sabbath rest