Still Under The Law?

The apostle Paul in his letter to the Galatians said, “But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed. Therefore, the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith.” (Gal. 3:23-24, Nasb 2000). Here is good defense in support of the role of the law in the life of the Christian. Parts of it still works. Surely not the ceremonial and some of the civil pieces (for these would be unreasonable to uphold), but they played the crucial role as that of a school master/principal – keeping you in line till graduation. My tutor gives me guidance and insights; keeps me focused when I wish to game away the evening; keeps me in check and sometimes chastises me (in the old days, give me a whipping). But all for a good purpose.

Paul was accused of cozying up with the Gentiles and watering down the need for upholding the Law. He responded essentially that “the law teaches us the need for salvation. It has its place. The law is not what gives salvation, only God. The Old Testament reveals God’s nature, his will, his moral laws and gives guidelines for living. But what the law does is show people where they have sinned (tutor) and points them to Christ.”[1] The law was truly an integral part of their identity. But now, the identity of the Christian is not to be found in a set of laws as the Israelites had, rather faith in Christ. Why put your confidence in a system that was “restated, modified, intensified, changed and repealed?”[2] Makes no sense when we can have direct access to the law maker himself. Christians are now governed by the Holy Spirit and the law provides both moral and ethical guidelines for living today.

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[1]. Life Application Study Notes, (La Habra, CA: Zondervan, 2000), 2061.  

[2]. J. Daniel Hays, Applying The Old Testament Law Today, Bibliotheca Sacra, Iss. 158 no 629 (2001):29, accessed July 19, 2018.

Written by Kevin A. Hall

What of Matthew 5:17? Is the Mosaic Law Still Valid?

The Mosaic Law & Its Application

The contention surrounding Matthew 5:17  is most often concerned with the words “abolish and fulfill”. The exegesis of the text reveals that Jesus came “not to sweep away the righteous demands of the law, rather to fulfill (bring the intended meaning) its righteous demands.”[1] While the Mosaic law was a critical component of daily living for the Israelites and their land, “Christians are in no way tied to either the land nor its laws,”[2] rendering the law non-binding. Christ Jesus is the standard for the gospel, moral teaching and governance of the church,[3] not the Mosaic Law, especially in light of the fact that the New Covenant (Hebrews 8-9) renders the Mosaic Law obsolete. Christians are no longer under the Law (Gal. 3:25, 2:15-16; Rom. 7:4, 6:14-15; 1 Cor. 9:20; Eph. 2:15). The Law remains a guide to shed light on sin and the human nature, but the Christian is now bound to an internal governance by the Holy Spirit, his Word, and the fellowship of the church (Jer.31:31-33; Ezek. 36:24-28).

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[1]. J. Daniel Hays, Applying The Old Testament Law Today, Bibliotheca Sacra, Iss. 158 no 629 (2001):29, accessed July 19, 2018. 

[2]. Ibid., 30.

[3]. Ibid.  

Written by Kevin A. Hall

The Doctrine of Inspiration

The Authoritative, Inspired Word Of God

          

  From the inception of the church, converts of Christ’s Way came to know their God through the holy writings of Scripture. There were no available New Testament Scriptures. The early church relied on the writings of Judaism and “further developed the faith that the Jews had in their Scriptures.”[1] The earliest texts of the New Testament canon would contain the same formulas of quotation and reference as found in the Jewish texts. Example, “For it is written,” (thirty-one times) and “Scripture says,” (seven times).[2] These formulas of quotation and references attest to the doctrine of inspiration and is “conclusive proof sealed by divine authority and which, consequently, is to be accepted with faith and reverence.”[3]

            In the Old Testament, God’s mouthpieces would engage their audience authoritatively through declarative statements such as “Thus says the Lord” (Exodus 4:22, 5:11,7:17; Numbers 14:28; Joshua 24:2; Judges 6:8; 1 Samuel 2:27, 15:2). The New Testament also affirms God as speaking in this manner (Acts 15:18; Romans 12:19, 14:11; 1 Corinthians 14:21; 2 Corinthians 6:17,18; Hebrews 8:8-10, 16; Revelation 1:8). After the Incarnation of Jesus Christ, the main thrust of the New Testament writings would be guidance from the Holy Spirit. “However, when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13a). The revealed Christ becomes the focus of the text.

Original Sin & The Problem of Evil

The Fall, The Nature of Sin & The Problem of Evil.

The doctrines of the fall, the nature of sin and the problem of evil, have revealed more to me about the nature of God than all of the other doctrines combined. It is not uncommon to address the questions of “Why were humans created?” and “Why does a good God allow evil?” in daily conversations. These three doctrines (fall, sin, evil) provide some answers, as they are interrelated. It is now my understanding that because “God is the highest being and we are his creatures, failure to fulfill his standards disrupts the whole economy of the universe.”[1] It is very clear that God wanted  a relationship with his created beings. His daily interactions with Adam and Eve serves as the model (Genesis 3:8). It was their sin that transformed the relationship. A loving God as father and creator, provided everything necessary for his children (animals included) and they in turn trusted and obeyed him. The choice to sin “violated God’s trust and command, placing them on the wrong side of God, in effect making them his enemies.”[2]

Using One's Life Story In Ministry

Life Story & Ministry

     A life story “gives definition to the experiences of the past.”[1] God uses a lifetime of unfolding events, circumstances and relationships in the life of a preacher/teacher, to mold him or her into a tool for  spiritual development (personally and corporately).[2]It is interesting how God is never surprised by the path taken by any of his children. “He is never captive and will write his story in and through his instruments regardless of the circumstances.”[3] Since part of the role of encourager in chief (the preacher/teacher) will be to create and promote a community in which life stories can be freely and [4]

safely expressed (catalyst for change), then it is important that he or she is fully aware of his or her own story. The preacher becomes that catalyst for change after coming to an understanding of how he or she fits into God’s big picture. Before Peter the fisherman became the apostle Peter, bishop of the New Testament church, his Lord told him, “But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers” (Luke 22:32). His life story became his catalyst for change under the direction of the Holy Spirit. Peter’s influence and ministry after his last personal encounter with Jesus (John 21:15-18) set the pace for the latter half of his life, to the benefit of all of Christendom. All of his past was fuel for his future, and the same principle holds true for the preacher/teacher. It is “the preacher’s story, intersecting God’s story, for the purpose of God’s ongoing story.”

Perspectives On A Biblical Account Of Creation

In Support Of A Literal Six-Day Creation

The Bible testifies of itself that God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1). “By Creation we mean that free act of God by which in the beginning he made, without the use of preexisting materials, the whole visible and invisible universe.”^[1] God affirms he completed this miraculous work in 6 days (Exodus 20:11, 31:17, Nehemiah 9:6; Isaiah 45:12), proclaiming his work “very good” (Genesis 1:31), resting on the seventh day (Genesis 2:2), then declaring “This is the history of the heavens and the earth when they were created…” (Genesis 2:4).   Given that the Bible is both inerrant and infallible, we can trust the biblical creation narrative (Titus 1:2; 1 John 3:20; John 17:17; Romans 3:4). That said, “we can resist all attempts to add millions of years anywhere in or before Genesis 1,” and accept this biblical account as literal evidence.^[2]

The Lord's Prayer - Haddon Robinson

Evil & Suffering In Our World

The Problem of Evil

Evil in this world is the result of man’s choice to disobey God from the beginning. To the critic of Christianity, it is easy to deduce that God is unable to rid the earth of evil and if He can and obviously has not, then He cannot be a good God. This is faulty thinking.

Happy Father's Day - Getting Out Of My Boat

Father’s Day 2018: God’s Call To An Extra-ordinary Life

This time last year I was staying in Andros, The Bahamas. I spent time with the folks in the Cargill Creek Church. This was the first time I could call myself "Dad", as months earlier we adopted a beautiful little girl named Shaneillia. This week Shaneillia and I are in Florida with the folks at Transformation Ministries. She surprised me with a two page hand made card which said "You're The Best Dad. I Love You!"  Awwww.  The Journey of fatherhood. I was upset at her earlier today. My car had a flat tire, so we both shared in the experience of changing the flat. On the way to the tire store, she hangs something in the roof of the car that could dirty that really clean "roofing". I got mad and shouted at her. What is she thinking...messing up my Acura? (smh).  There are some things a kid will never think through. At nine years old, I cannot expect her to process certain actions. But that still does not mean I cannot expect her to think about her actions, and it is my job to develop critical thinking skills. Oh yes, I realize that I place a lot of stock in my stuff (My Acura...bye bye always clean interior..bye bye scratch free anything). We had a few words, then she was silent for a while. I made up to her by offering her $10 if she would help me wash the car. You should have seen the big smile on her face..Money!! I had to get her talking again so I asked her questions about her brother and family back home. That was all she needed, as she talked for another 30 minutes till we got to MacDonald's. She got a vanilla Sundae. What a journey it has been since the day we adopted her. My life has never been the same. Not only have I learned so much about me, but I find myself learning more about God in the process. My level of dependence on God has also grown as I must seek of Him to provide for our every need. This decision to adopt a child I will call "My Boat".  The journey of life involves a series of getting out of the boat decisions, or not!

Spiritual Formation

Old & New Testament Spiritual Transformation

At the heart of spiritual formation is transformation into Christ-likeness or as the Apostle Paul coined it “becoming mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13b). This process is not to be achieved by human effort, rather it is “what God does to and for us, along with all he makes available to make this transformation possible”[1]. Using New Testament language, spiritual formation is defined as “an inside job”[2]. The result of the Holy Spirit empowerment is a people transformed to live out “God-honoring lives within the context of community and healthy relationships”[3]. The above-mentioned statements describe the reality of a New Testament model of achieving transformation. But what of the Old Testament?