People continue making the gross error of trying to justify any changes to God’s Law AFTER the Cross.
Years ago, I was discussing aspects of God’s Law with a Sunday-Churcher friend of mine who believed- contrary to God’s Law (Lev 11:1-47 & Ex 20:8), that it was okay for Christians to eat unclean animals and to worship on Sundays “IN PLACE OF” the Sabbath. He said that Paul actually taught this in the New Testament.
I asked him, WHERE in scripture did GOD OR CHRIST teach this? He responded by saying that Paul clearly taught it in his letters.
I told him that Paul DIDN’T HAVE the authority TO CHANGE God’s Law. Therefore, if Paul was actually teaching that (of course, he wasn’t), then it meant that God HAD TO HAVE MADE A CHANGE to His Law PRIOR to Paul BEING ABLE to draw from it AND THEN teach such a change.
So I asked, WHERE THEN, did God sanction these changes in the Law? WHERE does Christ speak of these specific changes? SHOW ME!
And of course, he was stuck and had no viable answer, other than saying, “That’s what Paul teaches.”
NO! That’s NOT what Paul teaches.
What “IS” the New Covenant?
Hebr 10:16 – “THIS IS” the New Covenant I will make with My People on that day, says the Lord: I WILL PUT MY LAWS IN THEIR HEARTS, AND I WILL WRITE THEM ON THEIR MINDS.
So, since the New Covenant WENT INTO EFFECT AT THE CROSS and FOREVER IMMORTALIZED God’s Laws, prudence dictates that you DON’T EVER look to justify or establish any CHANGES to God’s Law AFTER the cross – IT’S IMPOSSIBLE! And a gross error! Anything AFTER the Cross can CONSIST ONLY of that which was ratified AT THE CROSS. Look at Hebr 10:16 AGAIN!
Read the following VERY CAREFULLY:
Hebr 9:16 – For where a Covenant is, the death of him covenanting must be offered.
Hebr 9:17 – For a Covenant is affirmed over those dead, since it never has force when The one covenanting is living. (The reason is because while he is still alive, he is free to alter, completely annul, or make changes to any part of the Covenant as His wish may be).
Hebr 9:18 – Therefore not even the First Covenant was inaugurated (or ratified) without blood.
Gal 3:15 – To give a human example, brothers: EVEN with a man-made Covenant, NO ONE “annuls it or adds to it” ONCE IT HAS BEEN RATIFIED!
Pretty straightforward. So what does all that mean?
Simply put, Jesus RATIFIED the New Covenant AT THE CROSS with His own blood and death. Any changes or implementations to it could have only been made by Him (by way of God) BEFORE His death. AFTER HIS DEATH- NO ONE CAN ALTER IT BY ADDING OR TAKING AWAY FROM IT. At that point, the Covenant with God’s Law at its core was a PERMANENTLY DONE DEAL!
It’s just like a Family Will. If you have a Will that’s already completed, it will go in force ONLY at the time of your death. While you are still alive you can continue making any changes to it as you so desire because it hasn’t gone into effect yet. But once you die, it immediately goes into effect AND NO ONE CAN ALTER IT AFTER THAT. IT IS FINAL!
And so it is with God’s Law, AFTER the Cross, NO ONE (including Paul) can ever possibly change it. Don’t fall into the gross error of trying to.