Comments on: From the Word: Under Law?

By: Robert McKinnon

Robert McKinnon — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 23:01:53 +0000

Good question Howard, and I’ll be bold to step forward first. Hopefully I have an answer that is good and right for you.

The one statement Jesus used to scold the Pharisees and Saducees was found in John 5: 39-40:

You search the Scriptures , for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. 40 But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.
NKJV

The Pharisees found their righteousness in obeying the law. The Saducees didn’t believe in the resurrection from the dead. They knew the bible frontward and backward (at least the old testament), and they used it as a weapon to beat down others who didn’t know it as well as they did.

They felt that since they knew the “word” so good, they were righteous. But Jesus was trying to show the world that HE was the only way to righteousness.

In short, I don’t think it was “Jesus having a problem with them”. I think it was them having a problem with Jesus.

Hope that starts the answer to a wonderful question.

By: Howard Ralston

Howard Ralston — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 19:36:19 +0000

Can you give me further insight into the following: “…unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” I have found where the Pharisees are one of the “four major schools of thought” in the old time of Jesus. Why did Jesus have a problem with them and the scribes?

By: Robert McKinnon

Robert McKinnon — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 21:04:36 +0000

Too true, Matt. There is a fine line between the old and new testaments. I guess I narrow it down to one line:

“The only difference between the ‘law’ of the old and the new, is that ‘living up to its expectations’ doesn’t make us righteous. Grace alone does that.”

Ok, so that was two lines! :>)

By: Fred McKinnon

Fred McKinnon — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 15:32:04 +0000

Junjie,
Great points!

By: Fred McKinnon

Fred McKinnon — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 15:31:25 +0000

Scott,
Yes, and Robert hits on that in the next comment. I hadn’t really thought about that, and definitely hadn’t noticed the “until it is accomplished” that Robert points out.

By: Junjie

Junjie — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 12:49:08 +0000

I’d say that this passage is telling us that there HAS to be another way than keeping the Law.

Think about the implication of the words “… least in the kingdom of heaven”. SOmeone who breaks the law and teaches others to do likewise, is still ahead of the game compared to the Pharisees! Obviously this person is playing in a different court than the Pharisees with their sincerity and law-keeping…

By: fmckinnon

fmckinnon — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 17:00:01 +0000

New blog post: From the Word: Under Law? http://www.fredmckinnon.com/myblog/2010/01/04/from-the-word-under-law/

By: Matt @ The Church of No People

Matt @ The Church of No People — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 15:41:47 +0000

You know, I had not noticed before the phrase “until all is finished.” That really ties up those loose ends of law vs. grace. I think we’d be really lost without Paul to explain the aftermath of Christ’s death and resurrection.

By: Robert McKinnon

Robert McKinnon — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 14:47:50 +0000

Well you know how much I enjoy “bible talk”. I greatly anticipate further topics and discussions! One of my goals this year is to spend much more time in the word with my family. How vital it is to instill a hunger for God’s word in our children!

By: Fred McKinnon

Fred McKinnon — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 14:29:24 +0000

“all is accomplished”

Now, that’s good insight! I think we may be tracking on something!

I hope ya’ll enjoy this Bible discussion, I plan to have a lot more of it this year. I already have a question from today’s Bible reading scheduled for discussion tomorrow!

By: Tracie

Tracie — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 13:49:01 +0000

I don’t know the answer. But I know God says if you love me then obey my commandments. But he also knows we are human. So then he says we are saved not by our works…In the end it all comes down to grace I think.

By: Marcus Lynn

Marcus Lynn — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 13:31:58 +0000

I think Robert is right. The law is a mirror to show us how inadequate we are. His point in this passage is that even the Pharisees can’t keep it! That’s why the Sermon on the Mount is so challenging because Jesus says that we should be doing all that…when clearly we can’t! So thank God for grace and the Holy Spirit that empowers us to defeat sin in our lives.

By: Robert McKinnon

Robert McKinnon — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 13:26:09 +0000

Fred, I think that the key words Jesus spoke here was “UNTIL ALL IS ACCOMPLISHED”. I, personally, think that when Jesus said, “IT IS FINISHED” on the cross, that all was accomplished.

Now, I don’t think that this means that we no longer have to “obey” the basic rules that God set up in the ten commandments and Jesus expanded upon. I don’t think that any of the Old Testament basics were thrown out the window except for the need of blood sacrifice.

However, Paul does show us that those rules and regulations were a “tutor” to show/teach us that we would never be able to live up to them in our own strength and ability. And that’s where grace comes into the picture.

The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus provides us the grace and re-connection with the Holy Spirit that gives us “everything (we need) pertaining to life and godliness”. Now we are ABLE to live up to the expectations of a godly life here on earth.

Therefore, in the words of Ken Mullis, we have “no alibis” anymore. Praise God for the grace, mercy and forgiveness made available to us through Jesus and His work on the cross!

By: Scott

Scott — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 12:38:16 +0000

I’m going to show some of my true colors here. I think this is where the usefulness of the concept of dispensations comes into play.

Jesus, in this situation, is talking to people before his death and resurrection, which means the New Testament (and Paul’s message of grace through faith alone) hadn’t begun. Jesus’ audience is still under the Old Testament law during this message.