Interpreting the Law – Paul M. Williams

Knowing the Bible for Yourself (Pt. 9) The last two decades have seen a steady stream of teaching into the Christian Church with a major emphasis on the need for the return to the Jewish roots of the Christian faith.  The argument goes as follows:  the first Church was Jewish in culture and practice and so what went wrong?  What went wrong (they'll say) is that the Church veered from its Hebrew roots and allowed the influence of Greek philosophy to Hellenise a faith that was once deeply Jewish and what we have been left with a paganised Christianity that is need of desperate reformation!  Thus, the general consensus of those belonging to the Hebrew Roots Movement will be an insistence on a return back to Torah observance as a way of life, since this was (they'll argue) the life that Jesus, the disciples, and the early Church practiced.  This includes Sabbath observance (Friday sunset to Saturday sunset), abstaining from the consumption of unclean animals (pork, prawns, etc.), observance of the Jewish Feasts, and in some cases, even the practice of male circumcision!  The long and short of it (no matter how it may be dressed up) is this; unless you keep the Law of Moses, you cannot be truly saved! In this teaching, we endeavour to understand what the Torah (the Law) is and in so doing, offer some help on how to interpret it and bring the proper application in light of the New Covenant.  This will then lead us to answer the crucial question; are we obliged as New Testament believers, to keep the Law of Moses?    Download teaching notes (pdf) https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/bethesdashalom/6_Interpreting_the_Law.pdf