In Ephesians Paul makes this bold and amazing declaration:
[Christ] destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in His flesh the Law with its commandments and regulations (Ephesians 2:14-15).
Has the Law been abolished? This thought is all the more startling when we remember that Paul was raised as a strict observer of that Law (Acts 22:3; 26:5; Galatians 1:14; Philippians 3:5-6), and he still recognizes its value. “So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good” (Romans 7:12 cf. Romans 7:14,16; 15:4; 1 Timothy 1:8; 1 Corinthians 10:11). Paul himself reminds us that the Law came from God (Romans 7:22; 1 Corinthians 14:21; Galatians 3:17). Yet Ephesians 2:15 speaks plainly enough, and reflects other passages that teach the same truth: “Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ.” (Romans 7:4). “Christ is the end of the law” (Romans 10:4). “So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian” (Galatians 3:23-25). “But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law” (Galatians 5:18).
The Whole Law Some people suggest that Christ removed only a certain part of the Law. They call this part ‘the ceremonial law,’ and they say that it deals with external matters such as the sacrificing of animals. But, as we read through the Bible, this explanation fails on two accounts. First, Scripture itself never uses the term ‘the ceremonial law,’ or anything like it. Second, Scripture never divides the Law of Moses into two distinct parts, whether ‘moral’ and ‘ceremonial’ or any other division. To the contrary, Scripture shows the importance of “the entire Law” (2 Kings 17:13; 21:8), and treats it as a whole that cannot be altered or disobeyed in any way (Deuteronomy 6:20-25; 17:19; 27:3,8; 28:58; 29:29; 31:12,24-26; 32:46; Exodus 34:9-32; Leviticus 26:46; Joshua 1:7; 8:34-35; 23:6; 1 Kings 2:3; 2 Kings 23:24-25; Jeremiah 11:3-4; Ezra 7:10,21-23; Nehemiah 9:13-14; 10:29; Malachi 2:9; 4:4; Matthew 5:17-19; 23:23; Galatians 3:10; 5:3; Hebrews 9:19; James 2:10). When God gave the Israelites their covenant at Sinai, He emphasized that it included “all the LORD’s words” as given through Moses. (Read Exodus 24:3-4,7-8,12.) When Paul discussed the Law, he also stressed its nature as a whole, which cannot be treated selectively.
For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them” (Galatians 3:10).
I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law (Galatians 5:3).
The undivided nature of the Law explains Paul’s choice of words in Ephesians 2:14-15: “the Law with its commandments and regulations” – all of these go together, and Christ’s death removes them all.
The Covenant Written On Stone Tablets This raises the question about the Ten Commandments: If Christ has abolished “the Law with its commands and regulations,” has He also abolished the Ten Commandments? If “the Law” refers to the system as a whole, then it certainly includes the Ten Commandments at that system’s heart (Exodus 24:12; 31:18; 34:27-32; Deuteronomy 4:13; 5:2-22; 9:9-10; 10:1-5; 1 Kings 8:9; 2 Chronicles 5:10; Nehemiah 9:13-14; Malachi 4:4; Acts 7:38; Galatians 4:24; Hebrews 9:4). Passages about the removal of the Law plainly show that the Ten Commandments are included in that removal. Take for example 2 Corinthians 3:1-18. Paul contrasts two kinds of writing, and two covenants.
And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts (2 Corinthians 3:3).
“Tablets of stone” refers to the Ten Commandments (Exodus 34:28), as Paul makes clear by contrasting the Old Covenant (written on stone) with the New Covenant (written on hearts, Jeremiah 31:33; Hebrews 8:10).
…who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses’ face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory? (2 Corinthians 3:6-8)
In 2 Corinthians 3:6,7,9 Paul calls that covenant written in stone the ministry of death. By contrast, the better ministry, the New Covenant, brings life, righteousness and freedom (2 Corinthians 3:6,9,17,18). Did you notice the other great contrast? The Old Covenant’s glory did not last, whereas the new glory lasts forever. “Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses’ face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end…” (2 Corinthians 3:7). When Moses came from meeting God, Moses’ face shone (Exodus 34:29-35). But his glory failed to keep on shining. By inspiration, Paul shows that this fact teaches an important truth: Moses’ face lost its glory to show that the Old Covenant would lose its glory.
For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory. Indeed, in this case, what once had glory has come to have no glory at all, because of the glory that surpasses it. For if what was being brought to an end came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory (2 Corinthians 3:9-11).
Paul definitely speaks of the Ten Commandments – the ministry written in stone tablets. That ministry was “fading away.” It “has no glory now” compared with the New Covenant. Those who still follow the Old Covenant are the like people blinded by a veil (2 Corinthians 3:14-15; 4:3-4). But turning to Christ removes that veil, and gives true glory from God’s Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:16-18). In other words, believers must now turn from the Old Covenant that was written in stone tablets, and turn to Christ and His New Covenant.
“You Also Died To The Law” This is the same message found in Romans 7, where Paul teaches that death changes relationships. The death of a husband, for example, means that his wife can remarry (Romans 7:2-3). Likewise, the death of Christ has cut the relationship between God’s people and the Law.
Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God. For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death. But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code (Romans 7:4-6).
What is this “written code” under which we no longer serve? The next verse, Romans 7:7, quotes from it.
What then shall we say: That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.”
The Law to which God’s people died (Romans 7:4), the Law from which they have been released (Romans 7:6), turns out to be the very Law that said, “Do not covet” (Romans 7:7). This quote comes from the Ten Commandments, and not from any “ceremonial” section. Knowing that Paul speaks of “the Law” that includes the Ten Commandments – and that has always been its meaning – let us look more closely at his inspired teaching. That Law (with its Ten Commandments) was like a husband to God’s people. They, like a wife, were bound to the Law, but they had the wrong kind of children. “Our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death” (Romans 7:5). The rest of Romans 7 develops this principle. The problem with the Law was human weakness (Romans 7:7-24 cf. Jeremiah 31:32; 22:9). Since the Law was a legal system it had to condemn its weak people, which is to say, all its people (Romans 2:17-25; 3:9-20 cf. Deuteronomy 27:26; Jeremiah 11:3-4; Galatians 3:10-12). The result was a covenant that killed (Romans 7:9-11; 2 Corinthians 3:6-9). God, of course, knew this all along. The Law was necessary to make sin obvious (Romans 7:13), and to prove the need for a Savior (Romans 7:24). When the Savior came, His death launched the New Covenant of mercy for sinners (Matthew 26:28; 1 Corinthians 11:25; Hebrews 8:6-12; 9:11-16). Romans 8:2 calls this new system “the Law of the Spirit of life.”
These two systems – the new life-giving system and the old death-dealing system – cannot rule the same people at the same time. Thus Christ’s death does more than introduce the new system; it also removes the old system. “He does away with the first in order to establish the second” (Hebrews 10:9).
Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ… But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code (Romans 7:4,6).
Remember that the very next words quote from the Ten Commandments (and show how death comes from that Law). So Christ’s death means our death to the Law that includes the Ten Commandments. Christ’s death means we are “released” from the Law that includes the Ten Commandments. We do “not” serve in that way (Romans 7:6), just as prophecy foretold by using the word “not” in Jeremiah 31:32.
What Now? Many people stop with that thought. In their minds they are still married to the Law. They cannot imagine life that is not under the Law’s firm hand. They ask, “If we are not under the Law, does that mean we can now covet and commit adultery and murder?” Romans 7:4 answers in terms of Christ’s resurrection. Since our relationship with the Law is dead, and since Christ is alive, the new marriage must be with Christ. “Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law… that you might belong to another, to Him who was raised from the dead” (Romans 7:4). Why should we not covet? Because we are under the Law? No, for it no longer controls us (Romans 6:14; 7:6; Galatians 3:24-25; 4:5; Ephesians 2:14-15; Colossians 2:14-17; Hebrews 7:12,18). Rather, we do not covet because Christ, our new husband, trains us not to covet (Romans 13:8-10; Matthew 23:25; Mark 7:21-23; Luke 12:15; 1 Corinthians 5:11; 6:10; Ephesians 5:3,5; Colossians 3:5; James 4:1-4).
We can easily illustrate this point: Suppose that a married lady cooks daily meals for her husband. One day her husband dies in a car accident. Many years later she marries again. Now she cooks daily meals for her new husband. Some of the meals are similar to meals she used to serve in her first marriage. Who would say that the meals she now cooks are for her former husband that is dead? We all understand that she now does things for her living husband. She may benefit from many things learned in her earlier days, but her present marriage is the one that matters now. The same is true of our marriage to Christ. The good we do and the evil we avoid may look similar in some ways to behaviors required by the Law. But what is the reason for our present behavior? Do we avoid coveting and adultery and murder because we are under the Law? No, for the New Testament emphasizes the divine death that cuts us off from the former marriage to the Law (Romans 7:4; Galatians 2:19-21). Now we belong to Christ! We seek to please our living Husband! Notice again how we serve, and how we do not serve:
We serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code (Romans 7:6).
Notice again what we are not under, and what we are under:
To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law (1 Corinthians 9:20-21).
The End of Law This marriage to Christ gives us far more than rules. It gives us life! “There is now no condemnation” for us while we remain in Christ (Romans 8:1-4). His Spirit helps us to overcome sin (Romans 8:5-14). The result is that we enjoy complete salvation (Romans 8:15-39). Later, in Romans 10, Paul draws a contrast between Jews and Christians. Jews sincerely try to obey the Law of Moses, yet they remain unsaved. Christians know that “Christ is the end of the law,” and He gives them righteousness.
[Law-keeping Jews] did not submit to God’s righteousness. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes (Romans 10:3-4).
In this Study Note we use the small letter “l” in “law” to let English readers know when the Greek text has no definite article (“the”). Romans 10:4 is one of these cases where the definite article is absent. Thus Romans 10:4 is saying that “law” in the widest sense – which includes the Law of Moses – loses its role when Christ takes over. The word “end” (Greek: telos) means “the termination, the limit at which a thing ceases,” and especially the completion of a goal.
This concept of completion or fulfillment is important. It helps us to understand that the Law of Moses came to a natural and expected end. A picture from marriage may again be useful. When a man and woman are promised to each other, we say that they are promised, betrothed or engaged. Their engagement may “end” in one of two ways. The couple can break their engagement if their relationship falls apart before the wedding date. Or they can complete their engagement so that it ends in marriage. Everyone understands that an engagement period is temporary. Everyone knows it will end, and the happiness of the wedding day is its planned ending.
In the same way, the Law was known to be temporary. God knew it, and gave a sign of that fact in the fading glory of Moses’ face (2 Corinthians 3:6-11). The prophets knew it, and promised a New Covenant “not like” the Old Covenant given at the exodus (Jeremiah 31:31-34 with 1 Kings 8:9; Exodus 34:27-28; Hebrews 8:6-13 cf. Jeremiah 32:40; Ezekiel 37:26; Isaiah 55:3; 61:8; Deuteronomy 18:18-19 with Acts 3:22-26). When the time came, Christ arrived and fulfilled the Law. As the perfect and sinless Man, He fulfilled all its legal demands. He also fulfilled its promises, prophecies and expectations. That is why He worded His mission, not in terms of destroying the Law, but in terms of fulfilling the Law.
Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them (Matthew 5:17).
He assured Jews that nothing about the Law would change “until all is accomplished” (Matthew 5:18). Indeed, nothing did change “until” – up to the time when – Jesus met every demand and prophecy of the Law, including paying its penalty of death for all sinners. On the cross Jesus cried out, “It is finished” (John 19:30). As the risen Lord, He said, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled” (Luke 24:44 cf. Matthew 26:54,56; Luke 22:37; Acts 3:24; 13:18,27,33; 1 Corinthians 10:11; Ephesians 3:11). After everything had been fulfilled, both legally and prophetically, changes could take place. Indeed, Hebrews 7:12 plainly teaches that “a change of the Law” has taken place. More than that, there has been an entire change of covenant (Hebrews 8:6-12; 10:9). The Old Covenant, which began with tablets of stone (Exodus 34:27-28; Deuteronomy 4:13), has become “obsolete” (outdated, no longer useful as an effective covenant).
In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away (Hebrews 8:13).
All of this was planned by God from the beginning. True to His statement, Jesus did not destroy or break the Law (like breaking a wedding engagement). Instead, He spent His earthly life under its rule (Galatians 4:4), obeying it and fulfilling it in every way. He thus brought it to its proper conclusion (just as engagement ends in a natural way when the couple marries). Jesus replaced the Old Covenant with the New Covenant of forgiveness and true righteousness received by faith. That is why Romans 10:4 says “For Christ is the end of the law…to everyone who believes.” This natural end helps us to understand that Ephesians 2 does not contradict Matthew 5. The Greek word for “abolish” in Matthew 5:17 is kataluo, which means to demolish or tear down. Matthew 24:2; 26:61; 27:40 uses that word for violent destruction. Ephesians 2:15 does not use the same Greek word. Instead it uses katargeo, which means to cause to cease, to make useless or idle, to make of no effect, and thus to abolish. No, Jesus did not overthrow the Law in a destructive sense (Matthew 5). Yes, His death fulfilled the Law and so concluded it and caused it to cease (Ephesians 2).
But What About…? Many people want to keep their favorite parts of the Law. Some Jewish Christians refused to give up circumcision as a requirement (Acts 15:1-5), and they could offer strong arguments:
- Circumcision was given directly by the mouth of God, long before the Law (Genesis 17:9-12; John 7:22).
- Circumcision was an “everlasting covenant” made with Abraham himself (Genesis 17:13).
- In the Law of Moses, circumcision was essential for covenant worship (Exodus 12:48; Leviticus 12:3; John 7:23).
- John and Jesus, who are surely our examples, were circumcised (Luke 1:59; 2:21).
- Many early Christians were circumcised (Acts 10:45; 11:2; 16:3).
Yet all these powerful arguments could not overcome one simple fact: “The grace of our Lord Jesus” removes the yoke of the Law (Acts 15:6-11). To require circumcision now is to return to “the whole Law” and to fall from grace.
…if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that the is obligated to keep the whole law. You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace (Galatians 5:2-4).
Today people advance similar arguments for the Sabbath. It was first mentioned after creation (Genesis 2:2-3), and given by God’s mouth in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:8-11), to last from generation to generation (Exodus 31:13). It was kept by Jesus (Luke 4:16), and some early Christians seemed to use it (Matthew 24:20; Acts 13:14,44; 17:2). Yet all these arguments fail to overcome the simple principle of the Law’s unity. To require one part obliges one “to obey the whole Law.” That same principle means that the removal of the Law amounts to the removal of all its parts (“with its commandments and regulations,” Ephesians 2:14-15). The similar passage in Colossians confirms that this applies even to Sabbaths.
…having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him. Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ (Colossians 2:13-17).
When the Law was in force, its people were judged about their keeping of the Sabbath. If a man gathered firewood on that day, he was stoned to death (Numbers 15:32-36). Why are Sabbath-breakers not killed today? Because the Law of Moses is no longer in force. Christ “canceled the record of debt against us with its legal demands… This he set aside, nailing it to the cross” (Colossians 2:14). This is the context explaining why Old Testament food rules and special days, including Sabbaths, no longer judge Christians. It also calls Old Testament laws “shadows” that pointed ahead to the “reality” of Christ. Thus Sabbaths were shadows (dim pictures) that gave clues about what was to come. Today we enjoy real spiritual rest in the gentle grace of our Lord Jesus (Matthew 11:28-30). At the same time, we “make every effort to enter that rest” where we will cease from all our labors, as God did (Hebrews 4:10-11). Heaven, in other words, fulfills the ultimate meaning of the Sabbath. There God’s people “will rest from their labor” (Revelation 14:13).
Notice that the New Testament says nothing about Sunday as the new day of rest. When Jesus removed the Sabbath, He did not merely move it from Saturday to Sunday. The New Covenant gives no direct command to rest on a special day. Instead, as regards a day for meeting and remembrance, the New Testament gives background information and examples. Legalists who want to show off can exploit no obvious command. But all who truly seek to honor Christ’s death and resurrection have good evidence from the New Testament to see how the early Christians did that. God seeks true worshipers (John 4:23). He has no desire for a “Christianity” that follows the devil six days, then “honors” God one day (see Isaiah 1:13). True Christians offer their priestly sacrifices every day (Luke 9:23; Romans 12:1-2; Hebrews 13:15; 1 Peter 2:5). In this sense, the New Covenant makes every day sacred or special. Yes, Revelation 1:10 uses the term “the Lord’s day.” Yes, Sunday is special as the day we meet to remember our Lord through His Supper (Acts 20:7). But why is it special? Because of a legal requirement? Hardly, when no command, in a direct or legal sense, exists for that day. We meet because of sincere hearts (Hebrews 8:10; 10:22-25) that want to honor God, hearts that see in apostolic examples the ways to fulfill that desire – every day and on that special day.
Remember that Jesus called Himself “Lord of the Sabbath” (Matthew 12:8). He gave the Sabbath its meaning and purpose. As Lord of the Sabbath, He also had the sovereign right to remove the Sabbath law, which He did by “abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances” (Ephesians 2:15).
This change was not the work of mere men. God Himself gave the Law of Moses. God Himself intended for it to be temporary, as He showed in Exodus 4:29-35 (with 2 Corinthians 3:7-18), Deuteronomy 18:14-19 and Jeremiah 31:31-34. God Himself brought that Law to a natural end by fulfilling its purposes. God Himself now speaks through His Son (Hebrews 1:1-2), and shines on us the fullness of His “truth and grace” (John 1:9-17). God Himself warns us not to return to shadows of the Law, including its Sabbaths (Galatians 5:1-10; Colossians 2:14-22). To realize that the New Covenant makes the Old Covenant “obsolete” is simply to accept the truth revealed by God Himself (Hebrews 8:13). To accept Jesus is to recognize Him as the Mediator of the New Covenant, which is definitely “not like” the Old Covenant (Hebrews 8:6-9).