law Archives - He Walks With Us

When Words Are Added

As touching the Gentiles which believe, we have written and concluded that they observe no such thing, save only that they keep themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from strangled, and from fornication.
Acts 21:25 (KJV)

They observe no such thing, save only – Have you ever studied this verse? Most Christians use it as a means to diminish the law’s application for Gentiles. Deeper study will prove this is incorrect. Words to subtly influence your theology have been added.

Written On Their Hearts

¹⁴For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:
¹⁵Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;
Romans 2:14-15 (KJV)

Written on their hearts – According to Paul, the Gentiles have the law written on their hearts. The proof of this is that the Gentiles “do by nature the things contained in the law.” So the logic reveals that if the law is truly written on our hearts, then we should be doing the very things the law says to do.

Covenant or Law

Take this book of the law, and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee.

Deuteronomy 31:26 (KJV)

Book of the law – There’s considerable study in comparative analysis with the relationship of the Israelites to their surrounding cultures.* One interesting conclusion is that deity and kings never legislated actual law. This is difficult to comprehend and I may not do it justice here, but suffice it to say, covenant is different than law and it behooves us to understand how. Continue reading “Covenant or Law”

Torah, the Teachings of God

Thus saith the LORD: For three transgressions of Judah, yea, for four, I will not reverse it: because they have rejected the law of the LORD, and have not kept His statutes, and their lies have caused them to err, after which their fathers did walk.

Amos 2:4 (JPS)

Law – The law was not replaced by grace. Yeshua supports this, Paul supports this. It aligns with their Hebraic worldview. But it doesn’t fit so well with our Greek worldview does it? Continue reading “Torah, the Teachings of God”

Easier to Swallow

Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord.

Psalm 119:1 (KJV)

Law – We know this word; it is Torah in Hebrew. But “law” is probably not the best translation. “Law” turns people away. Who needs the law of God when we have the grace of Jesus? All those commandments and judgements were just too much. We live with love now, right? Continue reading “Easier to Swallow”

Separation Destroys Us

In the law it is written, With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord.

1 Corinthians 14:21 (KJV)

In the law it is written – I find it interesting that Paul, a man who had Torah memorized from Genesis to Deuteronomy (and possible other books) refers to this quote which is clearly from Isaiah 28 and speaks as if it’s in the nomos (the law). Does that strike you odd at all? Isn’t Torah (which is the Hebraic equivalent of the law) just the five books that Moses wrote? Continue reading “Separation Destroys Us”

Entered into a Curse

They clave to their brethren, their nobles, and entered into a curse, and into an oath, to walk in God’s law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the LORD our Lord, and his judgments and his statutes;

Nehemiah 10:29 (KJV)

Curse – Doesn’t this tie in nicely with Galatians 3:13? Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law! That righteous, holy, and good law that was given to us to enrich our lives – we’re finally free of it! Right? Why would something so sacred be considered as a curse? Continue reading “Entered into a Curse”

Is He Writing to You?

Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?

Romans 7:1 (KJV)

Know – Modern day Christianity loves to apply Paul’s writings as if he was speaking to us personally in our current day culture. But he wasn’t. He was speaking to a specific audience that had specific issues during a specific time period. He didn’t write his letters with the assumption that some group of people 2000 years from then would be reading them. For instance, in this chapter of Romans, Paul is writing to those who “know the law” – does that sound like mainstream Christianity? Continue reading “Is He Writing to You?”

Practicing Righteousness

Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous;

1 John 3:7 (NASB)

Practices – The common theology of righteousness in mainstream Christianity is that the only way to be righteous is through Yeshua alone – only him. Any work you do is like filthy rags before God. That’s their mantra, and their argument for abandoning the law of God. But John makes a different claim. John writes that the person who practices righteousness IS righteous. So why the differences here? Continue reading “Practicing Righteousness”

A Comparison Operator != Common Theology

Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.

1 John 3:4 (KJV)

Is – This word is definitely a comparison operator, as we’d call it in the programming world. A comparison operator states that the first item is equal to the following item. This is what John is doing here, he is making it absolutely clear that sin is equal to breaking the law. There’s just no other way around this one. Continue reading “A Comparison Operator != Common Theology”