Christ fulfills the Law...

[kari21]

Indeed. We are not bound by ceremonial laws, but we still must obey the moral laws.

[Massorite]

I only have one Bible. It has 66 books. I only have one God. He never changes. There is only one way to Salvation. By grace through faith in the finished work of Yeshua our Salvation. I don't believe in a separate or different way of salvation for the Jews before the revelation of Jesus. There is only one way and that will never change. All of the Saints listed in the hall of faith in Hebrews were saved and gained eternal life exactly the same way as Peter, Paul and I.

So, the law? It carries exactly the same weight today as it did 4 thousand years ago. It points out sin, informs us of the things God hates and helps us to better know our beloved Almighty God. It never did produce salvation and it still doesn't. Jesus fulfilled the entire list of the things God loves as well as never doing any of the things God hates. God did not change His mind about those things after Jesus achieved this.

Thats right Tehilah. Christ actually filled in the gaps so to speak which is what is meant by the word "fulfilled" but no laws were made null and void.

[Guest shiloh357]

Indeed. We are not bound by ceremonial laws, but we still must obey the moral laws.

I agree!

[Guest shiloh357]

Sounds to me like we're running into the Galatian dilemma. "For if justification comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing"(Galatians 2:21).

No, it does not appear so, unless I missed something. I don't think anyone in this is saying we are justified by the law. I know many believers who keep the sabbath, observe the festivals and stay kosher. They do so as an expression of their faith, not as a means of trying be justified before God. Nor, do they advance it as something everyone MUST do. It is simply something they do to honor the Lord.

The Galatian problem was not in the keeping of the law itself, but the fact that they were being led to believe that they needed to become full Israelites (hence, the issue of circumcision) in addition to faith in Christ.

Galatians is not polemic against observance of the law, but rather the perversion of the gospel by a judaizing sect that infected that congregation.

[Guest shiloh357]

The problem that prompted the Galatian letter was a group of teachers who claimed to be acting with James' authority.

Where do you find in the Bible that it says these men claimed to be acting on James' authority?

They were teaching that once a Gentile had become a Christian, he was obligated to be circumcised and keep the law, sort of a reverse syncretism.

Actually they were teaching that salvation was not possible apart from circumcision.

In our day, the trend is the other way; we have Christians adopting Jewish cultural customs. Of itself, there is nothing wrong with that. However, doctrine follows practice and the next step in that parade is for those adopted customs to become obligatory and doctrinal in nature. Syncretism again. Where does it end? At what point does the blending of Christian doctrine and Jewish custom develop its own identity? Better for a Christian to not get started down that road at all.

That is true where some Messianic extremists are concerned, but by and large, most Messianic Jewish believers I know are very balanced. It really depends on the person. Some people do go over board, but I have seen that also happen with Christians who want to impose their brand of Christianity on everyone else, and have even made doctrinal statements that challenged the salvation of anyone that did not follow their prescription. Neither Christian or Jewish customs are the problem. It is an immature, and irresponsible application of those customs that lead to problems.

[MeCajunboy]

Matthew 5:17-20

The Fulfillment of the Law

17"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Are the Laws of the OT null, and void or are we still required to follow them. If not then why do we have the OT?

God's Laws have not changed! Just clarified by the Christ. We are still commanded to "Honor God the Father with all our hearts, souls, and minds. and to Honor or neighbors as we should honor our own lives. And SIN is not honor. It is questioning the "HAND" of God.