The Purpose/Place/Duration of The Mosaic Covenant
by Jim Shaul 3/9/97
A. The Purpose & Place of The Law
1) The Law Came In (alongside) That the Transgression Might
Increase – Rom. 5:20
2) Sinful Passions Are (were) Aroused by The Law – Rom. 7:5
3) The Law Gives (gave) Power to Sin – I Cor. 15:56
4) The Law Separated the Jews & Gentiles and Brought Enmity
Between Them – Eph. 2:15
5) The Law Did Not Remove Sin, It Reminded of It – Heb. 7:19
6) The Law, As Child-Guide Kept Israel In Line (restrained national and
personal sin) Until Christ Came – Gal. 3:23
7) Gentiles Were Not Under the Law and Therefore Were Not Judged By
The Law – Rom 2:12
B. The Duration & Termination of The Law (in its relation to Christians)
1) The Law Was Added Until Jesus (the seed) Came – Gal. 3:19-24;
Matt. 11:13 & Luke 16:16
2) Christians Are Not Under the Law – Gal. 3:25; Rom. 7:6
3) The Law Was Weak, Useless (to bring about righteousness), And Merely
A Shadow of The Realities Which Came in By Christ, and Has Now Been
Set Aside – Matt 5:17-19; Eph 2:11-16; Rom. 8:3; Col. 2:17; Heb.
7:18, 8:5, 9:10,23; 10:1
4) Christians Are Led by The Spirit (to follow Christ) and Not
Under the Law – Rom. 8:14 & Gal. 5:18
5) The Law Has Been Removed, Breaking Down the Barrier Between
The Jews and Greeks – Eph. 4: 14-15; Gal. 3:28-29
6) Christians Are Not Under Moses As His Household, But Under Jesus
As His Household – Heb. 3:1-6, 12:2, 18-24
C. Christians Have Been Set Free from The Mosaic Law, And in Relation
To That Law, All Things Are Lawful
1) It Was for Freedom That Christ Has Set Us Free – John 8:32,
10:36; Gal. 5:1; Acts 15:28-29; Rom. 8:2
2) All Things Are Lawful to Christians – I Cor. 6:12, 10:23
D. The Mosaic Covenant, While No Longer Authoritative, Still Has A
“Lawful” Use – I Tim. 1:8
1) As Part of The Inspired Scriptures – II Tim. 3:16
2) As Profitable to the Christian – II Tim. 3:16
(for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness)
3) As Providing Examples of God’s Dealings with Mankind – I Cor. 10:11
4) As Confirming or “Establishing” The Truth That Man Always Was and Is
Justified by Faith Apart from Works of The Law – Rom. 3:28-31
Note: All the “Moral” Standards of the 10 Commandments Are Repeated Under the New Covenant [the Sabbath was not a moral commandment, but a “sign” of the Mosaic Covenant to the Jews (Ex. 31:17; Ezek. 20:12, 20) even as circumcision was a sign of the Abrahamic Covenant (Gen.17:1-11) and the rainbow was a sign of the Noahic Covenant(Gen. 9:13-16]