Question:
What about the term "law" in the New Testament?
I believe I can clear up the entire problem about the term “law” in the New Testament (NT). But first let me say this: You are not alone regarding this question. Whole groups of Christians have chosen a more legal approach to the NT because of such factors as Paul’s various references to “law” in his NT writings and a lack of understanding the relationship of the OT with the NT. In fact, the documentation from the Protestant Reformation reveals a legalistic approach in debating over doctrines, which bred hatred not only between Catholics and Protestants but between differing denominations of Protestants. It looks as though the legal approach was an underlying factor that led to the bitter Thirty Years War that killed many, devastated Germany and other places in Europe, and disgracefully brought the historical period of the Protestant Reformation to an end. Unfortunately, the legal approach is still adopted and followed by many Christians today. It seems as though the lesson of the Thirty Years War has not yet been learned--that is, legalism breeds division and hatred, which can lead to violence and killing, and even war.
Here is an easy explanation that should clear up the confusion and help you and anyone else to properly understand the various uses of “law” in the New Testament.
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When Paul refers to the “law of the Spirit", he is not referring to a legal law. Think of gravity. It is not a legal law. It is a natural force that scientists call a “law”. Just the same, the “law of the Spirit" is the force or power of God working inside of a believer in Christ. (Remember too that the Holy Spirit is a living Person, not just some non-living force.)
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When Paul refers to the “law of his mind", he is not referring to a legal law. He again is referring to a force. The same with the “law of his members". He is talking about the good desires of his mind versus the temptations of his sinful nature
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However, when he talks about the “Law of Moses", Paul is referring to the legal law that was given to Moses for the nation of Israel. It is important to remember that the holiness of the Law of Moses comes forward into the NT, but the NT is actually revealing the issues of the heart in which people struggle between right and wrong, between good and evil.
A good example of the difference between the Old Testament (OT) and the NT is the Ten Commandments versus the eight Beatitudes (Matt. 5:3-10). The OT Ten Commandments were the foundation of a legal code for a nation. The NT Beatitudes are commandments of attitude of the heart, which comes by love for God and the help of the Holy Spirit within the believer.
What Paul is actually doing when using the term “law” in his writings is dealing with the struggle between the sinful nature and the power of the Holy Spirit in a person’s life. If you keep that understanding, and realize that Paul uses legal terms as figures of speech in order to reach a legal thinking audience such as the Romans, it will give you some clarity when reading Scriptures that use those terms. And Paul backs up the non-legal approach to Scripture by stressing in his letters that we are saved by grace through faith; it is a gift of God and not of works. So obedience in the NT, which is all important, is a matter of heart; a matter of love for God in response to His love for you.
Rev. Pat Reynolds
Wayne Parks Ministries