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- The Promises – God gave the promises to Abraham based on the understanding that His people would obey his commandments, statutes and laws (Gen 26:1-5, Deuteronomy 5:28-29, Deuteronomy 10:12-13). This promise predated the law, though the law points to it. The law came in to assure Christ’s lineage through the line of Judah. (Gal 3:7-9,15-22, Rom 8:1-2)
- The Law is Not Difficult to Keep – The law was not hard to keep, for God says in scripture explicitly that it is not too difficult (Deuteronomy 30:8-14, Romans 10:6-8). In keeping the law, one finds rest for their soul (Jer 6:16). In Christ, we see a return to the law in the manner in which it was meant to be kept, away from heavy burdens of man-made ordinances, for his yoke is easy and burden is light (Matt 11:28-30). The nature of the new covenant is that our hearts are turned from stone to flesh and the law is written on us such that we desire to keep it out of fear and reverence to Holy God (Jer 31:31-34).
- Man-made ordinances are not God’s Torah – We were not to add to scripture in the way of additional man-made ordinances (Deut 4:2, Deut 12:32). These additional burdens and traditions of men in the form of the oral law, or Talmud, became hard to bear, hypocritical, and contrary to God’s Torah (Mark 7:1-12, Gal 2:11-14, Is 29:13-16, John 14:15-21, Col 2:8-15, 1 John 5:2-3). God’s authority is given in scripture (1 Cor 9:8-10, 2 Tim 3:14-17). The oral law and written Mosaic law represented the whole law in the time of Christ and the apostles, and circumcision was a sign of conversion to Judaism and a pledge to also keep the oral doctrines of men (Gal 5:1-4,11). But a true Jew is one inwardly, known to God only, for works and signs of conversion do not bring salvation in themselves (Romans 2:28-29). The Talmud contains numerous un-Godly tenants from which the Christian should steer clear. This dividing wall of hostility is broken down in Christ (Eph 2:14-15).
- Christ taught and kept the Torah – Many point to Paul as evidence that the law was not kept after the time of Christ, but Paul says otherwise (Rom 3:31, Rom 7:12, Rom 7:22). Christ states explicitly in scripture that the Law is not done away with until heaven and earth pass away and all is accomplished (Matt 5:17-20). The Great Commandments are not a replacement of the OT or commands of God, but are a summary (Matt 22:36-40). In addition, they do not merely summarize the 10 commandments, but the entirety of God’s Torah (Matt 19:17-19). Christ tells us what He came to abolish, and it was not God’s Torah, but the hypocritical heavy burdens of man-made ordinances found in the talmudic oral law (Matt 23:1-12, Mark 7:1-12). God’s Torah is not burdensome (1 John 5:2-3, John 14:15-21) and grants eternal life through Christ in us (Luke 10:25-28, Luke 16:27-31, Rev 12:16-17, Rev 14:12).
- Christ was a Prophet like Moses – Christ was a prophet like Moses in fulfillment of Deuteronomy 18:15 (John 5:42-47, Acts 3:22-24, Acts 7:35-38). Like Moses, He spoke for God (John 15:15-16) and brought in a covenant which offered intercession to God and the remission of sins (Heb 7:25, Heb 8:6). Both were feared by the rulers of the day (Ex 1:22, Matt 2:16); both led an exodus out of captivity – Moses out of Egypt, and Christ out of the nations within which the scattered tribes of Israel were sent (Is 11:9-13, Rom 11:19-23); and both fasted 40 days prior to receiving revelation (Ex 24:18, Matt 4:2).
- The Nature of the New Covenant – The new covenant is not simply the old covenant renewed, but a better covenant, for it is built on God’s sacrifice through Christ, and His laws are written on our hearts without feeling heavy or difficult (Romans 2:12-16, Romans 10:1-13, Jer 6:16, Jer 31:31-34, Deut 30:6-14). We are to have fear and admiration of God (Deut 5:28-29) and recognize that we need His intervention in our lives (Ez 36:22-32, Hos 2:14-23). Christ lived the Torah as it was meant to be lived, and we are to emulate His life for He is the unifying branch between Ephraim and Judah in whom transgressions are no longer remembered (Ez 37:15-28), for there is no condemnation to death for those in Christ (1 Cor 15:56-57, Gal 6:1, Rom 8:1-8). We read and understand the scriptures unveiled (2 Cor 3:4-18) and do not fall prey to the traditions of men (Col 2:8-15).
- The New Marriage Contract – We are no longer under the penalties, or curse of the law, for we died in our sin according to the law so that we may belong to Christ (Rom 7:4). We belong to God in this new marriage in accordance with the law, for we committed adultery against God (Matt 5:13-32, Jer 3:1,6-8, Deut 24:1-4, Rom 7:1-4).
- The Torah Defines Sin – Through the law comes the knowledge of sin, which came to make known to us the degree of our trespass and that we deserve the death penalty for our transgressions (Rom 3:20, Rom 5:12-13,20-21, Rom 7:4-7,12,14,22-25). We are free from the law of sin and death, which means we deserve death for our transgressions of the Torah (Rom 7:25, Rom 8:1-2, Gal 3:10-14), but just because we are under grace through Christ’s sacrifice, however, does not give us the authority to continually trespass the law (Rom 6:15-19). Sin is not keeping the Torah, or lawlessness (1 John 3:4-6), and when we love God, we keep His Law (1 John 5:2-3).
- Christ Fulfilled the Eternal Sacrifice – Christ redeemed us from the penalties be becoming a curse or penalty for us, so that the scattered may be brought in (Gal 3:13-14). He is our atoning sacrifice for our law violations (Matt 26:28, Mark 14:24, Luke 22:20). Do we honor that sacrifice by continually transgressing the law? No, we keep the law (Rom 6:15). Christ is our High Priest (Heb 4:14-16) of the order of Melchizedek (both prince and priest, Gen 14:17-18 Zech 19:5-6, Ps 110:4, Heb 5:6-10, 6:20, 7:1-28) who intercedes for our sins eternally (Heb 7:26-28, 8:1-6, Heb 9:11-15).
- Christ Wore the Tzitzit – The tassel or fringe mentioned in the NT was the traditional tzitzit mentioned in Numbers 15:37-41 (Matt 9:20, Mark 6:56, Luke 8:44), for not even the least of the commandments was violated by Christ (Matt 5:17-19), and as Israel who follow our shepherd, we are commanded to live likewise (Matt 2:3-6).
- The Apostles Kept the Law – The apostles kept God’s law, the written Torah, not the oral commands of men included in the Jewish whole law, or Talmud (Acts 10:25-28,34-37). Peter’s sheet vision is not about food laws, but is interpreted to mean that the law that divides the Jewish people from gentiles coming to faith should be torn down (Acts 11:1-18). These gentiles coming to faith are defined by James at the Jerusalem council as the fulfillment of Amos 9:9-12 as the scattered northern tribes being brought in (Acts 15:1-18). The council decides that because the law of Moses is read in every town on every Sabbath, there is no need to reiterate the entirety of the law to those coming to faith, but rather to give them some basic guidelines that will keep them from trouble (Acts 15:19-29). Throughout scripture, we see evidence that the apostles kept the law by utilizing the nazarene vow of Number 6: and the celebrating the feasts (Acts 18:18, Acts 20:6, Acts 20:16, Acts 21:17-26). After examining Paul’s life in fact, the Pharisees see nothing wrong with Paul’s conduct (Acts 23:9), and Paul reiterates that the only questionable act is in regards to the resurrection of the dead (Acts 24:11-21, Acts 25:8).
- Living the Torah – The great commandments are reiterations of God’s Torah (Deut 6:5, Lev 19:18, Matt 22:36-40). As a practical matter, to live out the Torah, as Christ has fulfilled the sacrificial system, one should strive to keep the 10 commandments, including a weekly Sabbath (Ex 20:1-18), keep the feasts (Lev 23:1-18), wear a Tzitzit, hang a Mezuzah on their doorframe, and keep a kosher diet, which essentially consists of avoiding the scavenger animals of the earth (Num 6:37-41, Deut 6:4-9, Lev 11:1-46).