The law part 4, looking back to Acts 15 verses 7 till 12. We go back to the apostle meeting in Jerusalem, to hear how Peter puts this excellent and very instructive for us, in his contribution to the discussion, in Acts 15. Hes starting to remind of how God has used him as a special instrument, with the intention that would hear, through his mouth, the people, the gospel, and (would) believe. That they indeed have come to believe, has proven God, by giving the Holy Spirit to them, he says, and to us that are the believing Jews. By giving His Spirit also to the Gentiles, God himself gave testimony that he had retained them. Romans 8 verse 9 , But ye are not in the flesh , but in the Spirit , if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you . Ephesians 1 verse 13 , In whom ye also trusted , after that ye the word of truth , the gospel of your salvation : in whom also after that ye believed , ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise. God had sealed their faith with the Holy Spirit, without any precondition, but merely by believe. But , even in retrospect, after having come to believe it is wrong to come with additional conditions. See, that shows Peter, by pointing to the function, and the development of the law. He speaks about the law, as a yoke, Acts 15 verse 10, Now therefore why tempt ye God , to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples , which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear ? Peter confirms two things here, we have noted earlier. In the first place, he affirms that the law was given to Israel. He, after all, speaks about our fathers, who are none other than the Israelites, from previous generations, and about, we, by which is meant, the believing Jews, to whom he addresses the word here, including himself . Secondly, he confirms that the law is not to accomplish by one man, regardless of whether he is a believer or an unbeliever. The question emerges, which period is valid, the law? We have seen that the law was given to Israel, therefore, limited to one nation only. However, there is a limitation, and that is the period, which determines the law. That we read in Galatians 3 verse 23 to 25, But before faith came , we were kept under the law , shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed . Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ , that we might be justified by faith .But after that faith is come , we are no longer under a schoolmaster . In this section, Paul proposes two eras, facing each other. One era is that of the law, that is, the period in which God deals with man, on the basis of keeping the law, so , do what says the law . The other era, is that of the faith , that is to say, the period, in which God deals with the human being on the basis of belief . The era of faith, is essentially the Christian era, the period after came on earth, Jesus Christ and has accomplished His work on the cross, and has returned to the Father. After that, came to earth, the Holy Spirit, and began, Christianity. The era of the law, was marked by strict statutes, which had imposed God to His earthly people, Israel. For the Jew, that was a yoke, he suffered from it, as a set, in custody, so, as a prisoner, Galatians 3 verse 23 a , (we were kept under the law) . It took away any freedom of action, his whole life was dominated from the law. He had to abide by them, under penalty of death. At the same time, the law was a protection, like, prison, in order not to mix with other nations around him, Ephesians 2 verse 14, however, the era of the law was limited. Tomorrow , part 5 .
Posted on: Mon, 10 Mar 2014 07:54:00 +0000
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