Monday, July 28, 2008

Law and Gospel - tentative conclusions

Have just finished reading 'Five views on Law and Gospel'. I think the strongest case is for the Modified Lutheran view as advocated by Douglas Moo.

In short, this view sees the law of Moses as fulfilled in Christ such that Christians are no longer under obligations to the law of Moses. We are now under the law of Christ. This may include much found in the law of Moses, but we find what we are to obey based on the NT, not directly from the law of Moses. The law of Moses was a temporary administration to lead Israel to Christ. Now fulfilled in Christ, we're no longer under its condemnation, administration or demands.

Views that advocate continued obligation to the law of Moses seem to rely heavily on dividing the law into moral, civil and ceremonial, e.g. reading certain key texts as speaking of only certain parts of the law. Whilst its possible to see some of these divisions in the law, the law itself seems to mix and integrate these strands together. In the NT this division doesn't seem to appear at all, instead the law is conceived of as a unity.

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