I have argued before that the New Testament believer, a member of the Church, the Body of Christ, is not under the jurisdiction or the condemnation of the Mosaic Law. Does this mean that I am "lawless" or an "anti-nomian"? I'm sure some would gladly hurl that epithet at me.
I have tried to be careful with the word "law," usually qualifying it as the "Mosaic Law." By that, I mean the Law given by God through Moses to the nation of Israel at Mount Sinai. With the exception of theonomists or Christian Reconstructionists, almost all are agreed that the Mosaic Law is not entirely binding on the Christian. At the very least, most are willing to arbitrarily dismiss the sacrificial system and the priesthood for Christian believers today.
However, when I say that the Christian is neither under the jurisdiction nor the condemnation of the Mosaic Law, this does not mean that I am advocating anarchy or individual autonomy. The Christian is under the authority of God. He is still responsible to obey what God has commanded him. As Paul said, "To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law" (1 Cor 9:21). In other words, although Paul was a Jew (a Mosaic Law-abiding Jew), he was willing (and able!) to give that up in order to minister the Gospel to Gentiles. The very fact that Paul could give up his adherence to the Mosaic Law speaks to its non-permanent nature. By giving up his adherence to the Mosaic Law, Paul was not lawless, but under the law of Christ.
The Great Commission (Matt 28:18––20) instructs us to teach the nations what Christ has commanded us. It does not mention the Law of Moses. We are at the command of Christ. We obey his words and the inspired words of his apostles. We are not "lawless," but we are not under the Mosaic Law.
I have tried to be careful with the word "law," usually qualifying it as the "Mosaic Law." By that, I mean the Law given by God through Moses to the nation of Israel at Mount Sinai. With the exception of theonomists or Christian Reconstructionists, almost all are agreed that the Mosaic Law is not entirely binding on the Christian. At the very least, most are willing to arbitrarily dismiss the sacrificial system and the priesthood for Christian believers today.
However, when I say that the Christian is neither under the jurisdiction nor the condemnation of the Mosaic Law, this does not mean that I am advocating anarchy or individual autonomy. The Christian is under the authority of God. He is still responsible to obey what God has commanded him. As Paul said, "To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law" (1 Cor 9:21). In other words, although Paul was a Jew (a Mosaic Law-abiding Jew), he was willing (and able!) to give that up in order to minister the Gospel to Gentiles. The very fact that Paul could give up his adherence to the Mosaic Law speaks to its non-permanent nature. By giving up his adherence to the Mosaic Law, Paul was not lawless, but under the law of Christ.
The Great Commission (Matt 28:18––20) instructs us to teach the nations what Christ has commanded us. It does not mention the Law of Moses. We are at the command of Christ. We obey his words and the inspired words of his apostles. We are not "lawless," but we are not under the Mosaic Law.
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