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Bible Study Discussions with Gary Panell

Question: Explain step by step the argument Paul presents in Romans in defense of his missionary practice of including the Gentiles without requiring them to observe the Law of Moses.

Answer: First, I might mention that we have done a whole study on the book of Romans that you might want to look at also, but this study could be a summary of the differences between the Age of Law and the Age of Grace. Another book of the Bible you will want to consult on this topic is the book of Galatians. As a practical application of this subject you would want to follow Paul’s missionary messages to the Gentiles in the book of Acts.

Second, I might explain that a lot of the confusion in the Church today, and throughout history has been over this very study discussion. We need to understand that Paul teaches that nowhere in history have people been saved by good works or keeping the law. It has always been by "grace through faith." (Romans 3:19-20) "Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin."

So the law was given to the Jews (and those who would accept it) as a means of showing them their need of salvation, and as the way to live their lives. No one was good enough to be righteous in God’s sight, for this look at, Romans 3:9-18, the context of the former verses we gave.

So you ask, "How were people saved before the Law and during the Age of the Law?" Good question, people were saved by "grace through faith." Look at Romans 3:28-31 "Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law. Or is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also, since there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law."

You might ask, "Was Abraham saved by his good works or his faith (remember he lived before the Law was given)?" Look at what Paul says, "For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something of which to boast, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.’" (Romans 4:2-3; Genesis 15:6)

Some Jews would say we are saved because we are Jews and were circumcised, but Abraham was declared righteous before he was circumcised. Even as some today would trust in their baptism to save them, but if there is not faith with baptism, it just makes for a wet sinner.

Now if we are not saved by keeping the Law, does this mean that there is no purpose for the law today in a Christian’s life?

Yes, I believe that Paul makes it clear that even though we are not saved by keeping of the law, that we keep the principles of the law as a by-product of our salvation. This means we do not sacrifice, of course, Christ is our sacrifice, but we do not murder, etc. The Ten Commandments are a summary of the law, and we certainly keep these, again not to be saved, but because we have been saved by "grace through faith."

This righteousness we have comes through the death of Jesus Christ, our sacrifice. "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God." (Romans 5:1-2)

Paul points out, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that a gift is not a gift, if you have to work for it. "But the gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. (Romans 5:15)

Does that mean that since we have Christ as our Savior we can go out and sin as much as we please? "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? (Romans 6:1-2) Paul goes on to say that baptism pictures death to the old nature and rising with Christ in a new life.

We need to realize that there was a transition from the Age of Law (before Jesus) and the Age of Grace (from Jesus baptism), but specifically at the out pouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. The official end to the law, I believe was at the destruction of the Jewish temple in 70 A.D. God made it very clear to everyone that there would no longer be sacrifices because Christ is our sacrifice!

This is why Paul taught the Gentiles that they need not be circumcised, or keep the Jewish sacrificial laws. Then this teaching, which had been revealed through Paul, was confirmed by the whole Church. We find this in, Acts 15:1, "And certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, ‘Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.’"

Then the answer comes from the whole Church Acts 15:6-29. I will just quote the first and last part here. "So the apostles and elders came together to consider this matter. And when there had been much dispute, Peter rose up and said to them: ‘Men and brethren, you know that a good while ago God chose among us, that by my mouth the Gentles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. So God, who knows the heart, acknowledged them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as He did to us, and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they."

Paul explained how God had confirmed their work by the miracles that had taken place among the Gentiles, and then James the head elder in Jerusalem spoke. He first pointed out what Peter had said about the Holy Spirit had fallen on the Gentiles when they believed, and how this was according to prophecy. Then James made his suggestion, and waited for the agreement of the other apostles and elders. This is what they decided, under the direction of the Holy Spirit, concerning the Law and how Gentiles would relate to it. "The apostles, the elders, and the brethren, To the brethren who are of the Gentiles…

"Since we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your souls, saying, ‘You must be circumcised and keep the law’—to whom we gave no such commandment—it seemed good to us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who will also report the same things by word of mouth. For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell." (Acts 15:22-29)

I think this pretty much sums the matter up. We are not under the law, but under grace. We are to look at the Law as principles to follow, but not to think that we are saved by keeping the Law. For example, we will not take and stone someone for breaking the laws of Moses, but we leave it to God to judge people when he sees fit.

Our faith is in Jesus Christ and His righteousness, since He died in our place. Is there a purpose for the Law still in any other way, yes, Paul told Timothy: "Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith, from which some, having strayed, have turned aside to idle talk, desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm." (Paul is saying the Law of Moses can be summed up in one word "love." We will keep the Law as a by-product of our salvation if we love God, and our fellow man. The Ten Commandments are a summary of the Law.)

"But we know that law is good if one uses it lawfully, knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine, according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust." (1 Timothy 1:5-11)

In this last part to sum it all up, we as Christians love God and our fellow man, and in this way we keep the whole Law. We can do this because we were saved by "grace through faith." However the people in the world need law to show them they are sinners in need of salvation. Also the government can use the Law of Moses (which is summed up in the Ten Commandments given by God) to give them laws on how people should be judged for the above offenses.

I hope this helps to understand how we as Gentiles relate to the Law of Moses.

Gary T. Panell

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Keywords: Paul, Romans, Jew, Jews, Gentile, Gentiles, law, righteousness, works, circumcised, uncircumsiced, salvation, grace, faith, sin