PART 3: THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE LAW
By Woodrow Oliver, Jr.
July 11, 1997
First, what do we understand the law to be? Some divide the law into parts, i.e., dietary, ceremonial, moral, civil. But it is all law. Some might say, "It is the ten commandments". What the law is, has been proven in past studies. For a summary review, see Luke 24:27; 44-45: Jesus equates the "law of Moses", "the prophets" and "the psalms" to scriptures, or inspired writings. There are several references where, when quoting from various parts of the Bible, it is noted as the "law" or "scripture". (See John l0:34-35; l2:34; 7:42; l3:1; Luke 4:18-2l; Mark 12:10; 1Corinthians l4:2l). So the scriptures are all the writings of the prophets,... or the Bible.
HEBREW CONCEPT OF THE LAW: The Hebrew word "torah" is translated Law (Strong's # 8451) in all 219 appearances. The root of torah is the verb "yarah" (3384), which means "to teach". Therefore torah, a noun, is "teaching", or "instruction". It is not law in a sense that God laid down a set of rules to follow. It is the concept of God's righteousness, or right thinking and living. The books of the Bible are a collection of writings by men inspired of God, but written in their own words by their understanding of what they thought God was teaching them. The concept of God's righteousness is buried in what inspired men wrote. Therefore, it requires the inspiration of God, via the Holy Spirit, to understand what man wrote. It is God's understanding we must have!! Example: Proverbs 6:12-13: 12 A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth 13 He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers. How does a person "walk with his mouth", "speak with his feet", or "teach with his fingers"? Unless the symbolic language is understood, these verses cannot be understood. This is called "spiritual understanding". To glean any depth at all from the Bible, it must be understood spiritually - ALL OF IT! (1 Corinthians 2:14).
Psalm 119:33-34,72: Teach (3384), in verse 33, is the root of law (8451), in verse 34. Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law.. Proverbs 8:14: Wisdom IS understanding, and Wisdom IS Christ, 1 Corinthians 1:24. The law of God's mouth is what we are to keep (See also Deuteronomy 8:3).
Romans 7:12: The law (written word) of God is holy, just and good when we have God's understanding of it. Romans 8:3-4: There is righteousness in the written word. However, it is weak through the flesh (or human nature). Therefore, God sent his Son to teach us, by example, what it means to keep the law. IF I KEEP THE TEN COMMANDMENTS LITERALLY, AS THEY READ, AM I RIGHTEOUS? NO!! Philippians 3:9: Paul was getting his own righteousness out of the law. (Philippians 3:4-6: Paul considered himself blameless when persecuting Christians, according to his understanding of the written word). True righteousness comes only from the Father through the faith OF Jesus Christ. Note, it does not say faith IN Jesus, but faith OF Jesus. Faith IN Jesus is our faith; faith OF Jesus is His faith. (See Revelation 3:18 - His faith has already been tried in the fire).
Galatians 2:21; 3:21: Righteousness does not come through the law. Life comes only from the Life Giver. Romans 4:13-14; Galatians 2:16: The promise of God does not come through our reading and doing the written word. But it comes through the faith OF Christ. Christ's faith was that He trusted in everything his Father told him, and did it. When we hear and do what Christ tells us in our conscience, we are receiving the faith of Christ and His righteousness. Romans 9:31-32: Israel did not attain to the law of righteousness, because they tried to obey it according to their own understanding, instead of through the faith of Christ. Spiritual Israel has the same problem today! Anyone who says we are to literally keep the ten commandments is a Pharisee! They are without spiritual understanding, and only God can give spiritual understanding. Does that mean the ten commandments are void or canceled? ABSOLUTELY NOT!! But the only way they can be kept is by abiding in Christ and doing what He tells us. It is by the understanding of Christ that we are to live.
Romans 10:1-4: Israel had a zeal of God, but [absolutely] not (3756) according to [accurate] knowledge (1922). They went about to establish their own righteousness. HOW? By interpreting the law themselves. WHAT DOES IT MEAN - CHRIST IS THE END OF THE LAW FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS? Galatians 3:23-25: The written word is our school master to bring us to Christ. When we begin to listen to the voice of Christ, then He becomes our head (1 Corinthians 11:3). Then, are we governed by Christ and we are no longer under the dominion of the law.
Romans 10:5; Galatians 3:10: The righteousness of the law is keeping the law as it reads (works of the law). According to these two verses, if we do that, then we must keep 100% of the written word. We must sacrifice animals, keep the feast days, etc, etc. Romans 10:6-10: However, true righteousness is having the spoken word of the faith of Christ in the heart. To confess the Lord Jesus is to say the same thing he puts in our hearts.
Romans 7:1-4: To understand these verses, it is critical to understand verse one. "Know not" (50) means "without understanding", or "be ignorant". The same word is translated in Romans 10:3 as "being ignorant". Are you ignorant brethren, how that the law has dominion over a man as long as he lives? We just read verses in Galatians 3 that said we are no longer under dominion of the law once we come to Christ. To come to Christ is to die to self, Galatians 2:20, and allow Jesus Christ to live in us.
Now, Paul is speaking "to them that know (1097) the law." In Romans 10:2, Paul used a different Greek word for "knowledge" (1922), which means "accurate or precise" knowledge. But he also used the Greek "absolute negative" (3756) with the word, thus indicating Israel had not the right knowledge. So, in Romans 7:1, Paul indicates the Jews know the written word, but not the spiritual meaning of it. Then he quotes the written word about marriage between a man and woman. Verse 4 tells us Paul is applying verses 2 & 3 spiritually. Why did he say "that ye should be married to another"? Because it is the law, or the written word, the Bible, to which we have been married. Paul is telling us we should be married to Christ and become dead to the law. Romans 3:31: Do we then make void the law through faith (of Christ)? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.1 Corinthians 9:21:...but [in] the law [in] Christ... [Greek]. By being in Christ we keep the law; we establish the righteousness of the law by being married to Christ, i.e., by having His mind, or thoughts.
Romans 2:17-23: The spiritual-literal Jews today are resting in the law, being instructed out of the law. We are to rest in Jesus (Matthew 11:28) and hear him (Matthew 17:5). They have only a FORM of knowledge and of truth in the law, who through making their boast in the law, break the law. They claim to keep the ten commandments, when in truth, they are breaking them. If one is broken, they are guilty of all, James 2:10. The spiritual-literal Jews of today claim to be keeping the rest (Sabbath) of God. But, in fact, they are only keeping Saturday, which is really spiritual Sunday keeping, because it is a "works" oriented religion, of which Sunday is the symbol.
There is only ONE LAW. Do you relate to it SPIRITUALLY, or LITERALLY...or something in between?? Psalm 119:142: The law is the Truth. John 14:6: And Jesus is the Truth. Romans 8:1-2: It is the "law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus" (listening to & obeying the voice of Christ) that sets us free from "the law of sin and death" (listening to & obeying self, or others). When we walk (think) according to the Spirit of Christ, we will be free from sin and spiritual death.
Hebrews 4:11: Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest (keeping of the Sabbath), lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief (as Israel).
Part 4: The Spirituality of the Law
Send mail to Woodrow Oliver, Jr. with questions or comments about this study.