Skip to main content

Can We Be Saved by Law?

Can we be saved by law? Paul says many times that we are saved by grace, not law. He even says Christ is the end of the law:

Since they [Israel] did not know the righteousness of God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. Christ is the culmination of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.

Romans 10:3‭-‬4 NIVUK
https://bible.com/bible/113/rom.10.3-4.NIVUK.

There are two things we need to think about first, before we jump to conclusions on this issue:

1. The word nomos 'law' could refer to several different things (Gal 2:19 illustrates this point)
2. The word telos 'end/culmination/goal' also needs interpreting

On the first question, Paul, in Romans 10, is likely to be referring to the Mosaic law, with its regulations to offer sacrifices and so on. We cannot be saved by keeping all of the teaching of the Torah. Neither are Jews saved simply by having this teaching. Having a Bible doesn't save you.

On the second, the word telos is likely to mean 'goal/fulfilment' here. Christ is the goal and fulfilment of the teaching found in the Torah. He is the fulfilment of the sacrificial system. Actually the Jews haven't been able to offer sacrifices since the Roman desecration of the Jerusalem temple in AD 70. But both Messianic Jews and Christians  believe Christ's sacrifice was sufficient once for all. Also, if we are to talk about nationalism (i.e. pride in being a Jew), then Abraham is the father of all Jews (and Arabs), and the grandfather of Jacob, who was given the name Israel, and Abraham was promised he would be a blessing to all nations, albeit through his descendent. If you are a Jew, there is no point in being nationalistic and anti-gentile. In fact the Hebrew word for nations is the same as the word for gentiles - goyyim. Abraham's name is a blessing to all, both Jew and gentile.

So can we be saved by law? Yes! By obedience to the law (i.e.teaching) of Christ (Gal 6:2; Jhn 15:1-17). The similarity between Moses and Jesus is that they were both teachers, but Jesus brought (and taught) grace and truth (Jhn 1:16-18). Also, we have been saved, and therefore want to obey, not the other way around. If it were the other way around, it would be us not him. It would be our righteousness not his.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Flow Chart for Bible Translation (a Relevance Theory Approach)

One of the current theories behind modern translation work is Relevance Theory. [1] Here is a flow chart that explains the process often used to produce a draft when using such an approach: *Make sure your translation committee makes the decision as to what kind of translation they want. A domesticated translation is one that submits to dominant values in the target language [2] whereas a foreignized translation is one that is happy to import foreign terms and ideas from Hebrew, Greek, or the language of wider communication such as the Greek term baptizo . The chart looks something like this: Text                                   Communicated Ideas                  Context A sower went out to sow  A farmer went out to sow grain   People scattered/threw seed etc. The text has very little information, but behind i...
Post a Comment
Read more

Asking the Right Questions in Bible Translation and Scripture Engagement Planning

If you want to get useful answers you have to ask the right questions. Do you agree? Yes, of course you do. In the Bible translation world we often ask a very narrow question when planning for the next stage of work: 'What would you like to see translated next?' Now, if you simply want to translate, and that's it, that question is fine, but what if you want to see some kind of result from your translation work? What if, for instance, you want to see transformation occur? Then a more powerful question to ask the community and positive stakeholders in the project would be: 'What kingdom goals would you like to see reached?' These kingdom goals should meet felt needs of the community - they should solve problems that are apparent to most or all in the community. See below on how those can be met. If that's too abstract, then try, 'What kinds of things, in your extended family, do you tend to worry about?' This will help establish some felt needs, from which...
7 comments
Read more

A Plea Regarding Footnotes in Bible Translation

Recently I was giving input to a team who had worked on Psalms. I noticed that in several places they had included footnotes referring to the New Testament use of those Psalms. One example was a footnote in Ps 34:20 'not one of [his bones] will be broken' that referred to John 19:32, 33, 36 where this prophecy is fulfilled. Now, obviously this is a useful link for readers, but it is better to put it in John's gospel referring back to Psalms. Why? Because the New Testament is (to some extent) a commentary on the Hebrew Bible, whereas the reverse is not true (the Hebrew Bible never refers to the New Testament). There are often two possible ways of reading a Psalm: In its original context, and  As interpreted by the New Testament writers. This is quite important, as the Hebrew Bible belongs to two faith communities, the Jews and the Christians. (Muslims too, to some extent, though they refer to the Torah and the Psalms only). If we translate the Bible in such a way that it onl...
Post a Comment
Read more