Q&A – IS THE DISCIPLE OF YAHUSHUA “UNDER THE LAW” - 1

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Q&A –  IS THE DISCIPLE OF YAHUSHUA “UNDER THE LAW”

Matthew 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

Being raised in a fundamental protestant denomination as a child, this question absolutely never came up into conversation.  It was never a topic of discussion. It was never the subject of any sermon I ever heard.  Generally speaking, “Christians” never think about it; however, over the past 20 years there has been a strong movement to bring the disciples of Messiah Yahushua back under the Torah.  They are referred to as “Torah keepers.”  They are becoming more and more successful at branding themselves as the part of the Body of Messiah that has “seen the light;” and are showing the way for the rest of the church to come into the light of Torah-keeping.  There is almost a tangible sense that emanates from this movement to make non-Torah keepers feel like they are disobedient or even rebellious toward IAUE because they have not yet embraced the Torah.

One of the lynch pins of this movement is our opening passage to today’s post, adding to it the following verse:

Matthew 5:19  Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Now, admittedly, their entire theology does not rest on these three verses; but these verses are used to reflect the enduring value and directive of Torah-keeping, and man’s call to remain in observance of the Law.  Unfortunately, they tend to stop at verse 19 and do not go on to read verse 20.

Matthew 5:20  For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.    

To the Jews who heard these words from the mouth of Yahushua, it seemed a virtual impossibility to enter into the kingdom of heaven because the scribes and Pharisees were meticulous keepers of the law.  It appeared that the Master was suggesting that a more meticulous observance of the Torah is what is necessary in order to have a greater righteousness than the scribes and Pharisees; but Yahushua was not referring to the righteousness which is of the law.  He was referring to the righteousness that Torah-keeping would ultimately reveal.  The Law was given for a reason; and it was not to produce right standing before IAUE.  The Law was not given even to make their lives better.

Romans 3:19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before IAUE.

20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

21 But now the righteousness of IAUE without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;

22 Even the righteousness of IAUE which is by faith of Yahushua Messiah unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:

Paul explains to the Roman believers (who were mostly Jews), that Torah-keeping convinces the Jew that he is guilty before IAUE, demonstrating and thereby proving that the whole world stands equally guilty before IAUE…including the Jews (tribes of Judah and Benjamin and some Levites).  If you will recall our recent study on “The Mystery of the Gospel,” you will remember that IAUE covenanted with Abraham alone; and then renewed His covenant with Abraham upon his son, Isaac, and then upon his son, Jacob, who became known as Israel; and then upon Israel’s twelve sons, the patriarchs of the Hebrew race.  Ten of those tribes were divorced from the covenant and became the “strangers and aliens from the covenants of promise of IAUE” spoken of in the epistles of the New Testament.  The Jews (the remnant Hebrews of the southern Kingdom of Judah) felt quite self-righteous about their unique faithfulness to IAUE among all the peoples of the world.  The reason Messiah exhorted them (in Matthew 5) to teach and to keep the law was to keep the purpose of the Torah alive.  It was to make it clear to the Jews that in the eyes of IAUE, they were no different from the rest of mankind.  All mankind was guilty before IAUE, “for ALL have sinned and come short of the glory of IAUE.” (Romans 3:23) 

Galatians 3:19 Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.

20 Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but IAUE is one.

21 Is the law then against the promises of IAUE? IAUE forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.

22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Yahushua Messiah might be given to them that believe.

23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.

24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Messiah, that we might be justified by faith.

25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

The purpose of the Torah was two-fold.  First, it was to convince the Jews that they were no different than the ten tribes that had been divorced from IAUE, and no different from the pagan gentiles of the world. They were all sinners.  Secondly, it was to bring them to Messiah….to faith in what Messiah has accomplished on their behalf IN ORDER THAT they might receive the righteousness of IAUE that is in Messiah Yahushua…and have a righteousness that exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees.

Paul makes it abundantly clear that once the law has convinced the Jews of sin, and has brought them to faith in Yahushua as their Messiah, the law, having fulfilled its purpose, is no longer necessary.

Now, the fact of the matter is, if you were not born a Jew, you were NEVER under the Torah; so the issue of whether or not you are STILL under the law as disciples of Yahushua Messiah is not even a relevant question.  For those of us who were non-Jews that have come to Messiah, the question is, “Should we be Torah-keepers, now?”  Paul answered that question in very simple terms.

Galatians 3:1 O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Yahushua Messiah hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?

2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?

4 Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain.

5 He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?...

10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.

11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of IAUE, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.

12  And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.

I suspect most believers are aware that one of the things that plagued Paul’s ministry were the “Judaizers” who followed him around from city to city.  Once Paul would evangelize and move on to the next city, the Judaizers would come in behind him and exhort the new converts that they also had to obey the law of Moses…that they must believe in Yahushua AND they must be Torah-keepers.  Once we understand “the mystery of the gospel” and recognize that most of the people who were responding to Paul’s gospel were descendants of the lost ten tribes of Israel, it makes sense that the Jews (who had never been divorced by IAUE, and who still kept the Law of Moses) believed that if the “lost sheep of the House of Israel” were going to return to the covenants of promise of IAUE they, like them, had to return to keeping the Law of Moses.  Paul was furious with this corruption of the gospel; and likens it to having been bewitched.  His simple challenge was to ask the Galatian disciples how they received the Holy Spirit?  Was it by faith or by obedience to the Torah?  Paul even calls obedience to the Law “the flesh” (in verse 3).  Paul then declares that “The just (the righteous) SHALL LIVE BY FAITH;” and “THE LAW IS NOT OF FAITH.”  In the mind of Paul, that is enough explanation to settle the matter.

Paul dealt with this matter repeatedly in his epistles.

Romans 6:14  For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

Most of the believers in Rome to whom Paul was writing were Hebrews; and he expressly declared that as disciples of Yahushua Messiah they were not under the Torah; but were under grace.

1 Corinthians 9:20  And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law;

Here, Paul says he became “as a Jew.”  We all know that Paul was born a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin; but in Messiah, he says “there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Messiah is all, and in all.”  (Colossians 3:11).  So, Paul behaved AS a Jew in order to lead to Messiah Jews who were still in bondage to the Torah of Moses.

Galatians 4:21 Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?

Here, Paul challenges the Torah-keepers in Galatia with the actual testimony of the law, to prove they are no longer under the law.

1 Timothy 1:5 Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:

6 From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling;

7 Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.

8 But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully;

9 Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,

10 For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;

11 According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.

Paul teaches Timothy that those who are teaching Torah-keeping do not even understand what they are saying.  In today’s vernacular, he would say they are clueless, declaring with confidence matters that actually demonstrate their ignorance of the Law.  Then, he makes it clear beyond question that the law does not apply to the righteous.  It applies to the lawless.  In Messiah, we are made the righteousness of IAUE (5 Corinthians 5:21); so, without dispute, the law does not apply to the disciple of Yahushua Messiah.  Paul explains this to the Galatians another way.

Galatians 5:18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law…

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

The Spirit within the disciple leads him/her to live life in such a way that is not subject to any law; for the law is only given to regulate and discipline the behavior of the lawless and disobedient.  The person who is walking in the Spirit is walking before IAUE in righteousness; and is thereby not under the law.

This question will become more and more prevalent in the Body of Messiah. It is best to settle the matter with the testimony of Scripture and not with the attempts by “teachers of the law” to present what they do not even understand.