While you look hard for a situation where we are dead to the [whole] law, I have no such agenda. In fact, my agenda is opposite. (Yes. I have a bias to keep from nullifying Torah because Yeshua said that's what He was all about.)
I clearly have no agenda to look hard for a situation where we are dead to the whole law. If anything, my bias is to preserve the law because I do not view God as capricious. What I strive to do is let the author of Scripture speak for himself. I try and follow his train of thought. If it does not fit with my present theology, tough luck. First it is important to understand the message of the passage. Next we develop our theology to account for the teaching of Scripture.
Now Paul very clearly embraces the law. He quotes it often and uses it as an authority for what he teaches. There should never be any concern that Paul would bash the law or marginalize the law in any way (certainly not in the way that we see many modern Christians treating it.) Nevertheless, Paul approaches the law in a different way than most modern day Messianics. Romans 7 is one clear example of that.
Let's take it a step at a time concerning Romans 7. Let's see if we agree on some basic concepts first.
1. The Torah of Moses is what proscribes adultery and coveting, right?
2. For the most part, the entire 7th chapter of Romans concerns the Torah of Moses, right?
3. An interaction of man with this Torah is described whereby man finds himself coming to a knowledge of righteousness through Torah, but then he is frustrated by a lack of ability to do what Torah says. For example, Torah forbids coveting, and when man first learns of this prohibition through Torah, his mind agrees with it. However, as described in Romans 7, he is unable to find a way to obey it at all times ("when the commandment came, sin revived and I died. And the commandment which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death."). The end result is that the Torah plus man in the flesh without Christ results in a terrible life of condemnation (a life of bondage, a heavy yoke). Are we on the same track here?
4. There appears to be a concensus that nobody ever kept the Torah. Paul uses this in his arguments at times, claiming that the Judaizers who try to get the Gentiles to keep the Torah do not keep it themselves.
5. Would you agree that a marriage covenant would be a very good example of our covenant with God?
I'm going to stop here to see if we have some common agreement on these five points. If so, then I will move on with some other points and questions. If not, then we will discuss some of the details above where our assumptions differ.
Peace be with you.
David Miller.
---------- "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man." (Colossians 4:6) http://www.InnGlory.org
If you do not want to receive posts from this list, send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and you will be unsubscribed. If you have a friend who wants to join, tell him to send an e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and he will be subscribed.
