The Pauline Paradox - Lawfulness or Lawlessness?
The Pauline Paradox - Lawfulness or Lawlessness?
Are you that sure that Paul teaches that God has abolished or changed His law? Do you attempt to discern what law (instruction) Paul is teaching on in context? Do you realize how many "laws" Paul mentions in his letters?
Here are some "laws" Paul specifically mentions: "Law of God" "Law of Sin" "Law of Sin and Death" "Law of Faith" "Law of my mind" "Law of Righteousness" "Law of Christ"
Have you ever wondered why Peter says Paul is difficult to understand and Paul's writings can lead to sinning (lawlessness) if read incorrectly (2 Peter 3:14-17)?
One reason is certainly because of the number of laws Paul mentions in his writings. We can count 7 in just the list in the above.
Sometimes he just uses the word "law" by itself and forces you to use the surrounding context, sometimes verses before or verses after, to enable you to determine which law is the focus. That can become a BIG problem if we pretend that Paul is simply just teaching against the Law of God instead of the Law of Sin and Death for example.
Are sure that God did not abolish and free us from the "Law of Sin and Death" (we deserve eternal death of we sin) in our faith by grace, or did the grace of God destroy the Law of God?
We should ask ourselves these questions, especially since loving God is defined by keeping His commandments (1 John 5:3). Do we love our doctrins and traditions more than the means to love God back?
What is even more concerning, is that Paul (the one who is difficult to understand and leads to lawlessness) is a central pillar of mainstream Christianity's understanding of the Law of God. There is a reason why Paul is the core of such doctrine, and Peter sounded the alarm in advance.
There was once an instance in which I was recommended by a well intentioned friend to read a book titled:
The End of the Law: Mosaic Covenant in Pauline Theology (Nac Studies in Bible & Theology) - Hardcover (Sept. 1, 2009) by Jason C. Meyer
That says it all, does it not?
Clearly, Paul has become the pillar of modern understanding of the law of God, or lack there of.
Sadly, Paul is "twisted" to support a law abolishing paradigm, focussing on certain sentences Paul said in the context of a letter that often reveals the truth of one desires it.
Ro 7:22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
Ro 3:31 Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish/continue (histemi) the
law.
Just something to consider...