By Arthur J Licursi

If you are a student of the Bible who has learned to “rightly divide the word of truth” (2Tim. 2:15) as the Apostle to the Gentiles, Paul, instructs us to today, you know we “are not under the Law but under grace” (Rom. 6:14). If you’ve not learned this dispensational truth then you might still believe the Law applies today.

This then might raise the question, “Was The Law Abolished?” It might be well to ask what the law was, to whom it was given, and when was it given. That might give us some light on answering this question. Often it is only necessary to define terms Scripturally so then all questions might be gone.

An overarching view of the Bible would tell us that in God’s eyes there are only two separate classes of people... the Israelites and non-Israelites commonly referred to as Gentiles. The Mosaic Laws of God were to Israel given only through Moses as seen in the Pentateuch books that Moses wrote.

“And all the people [of Israel] answered together, and said, All that the LORD hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the LORD.” Exodus 19:8 (KJV)

We must remember the ‘dispensation of innocence’ in the garden of Eden was the first of several dispensational ages found in the Bible, when God changed His requirement of men in each of those times. Most often we hear of the ‘promises’ God made to Abraham in Gen 12:1-3

“Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: ² And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: ³ And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” Genesis 12:1-3 (KJV)

But we must go back to the first “promise” God made to Adam and Eve in the Garde of Eden after they sinned in eating of “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil,” disobeying God’s one instruction. This was God’s covenant with the first man, Adam, but it was not law. This covenant is also sometimes called the ‘Covenant of Works’ and it is the first covenant that God made directly with man. The heart of the ‘Edenic Covenant’ is really God’s command to Adam to not eat from “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” (Genesis 2:16–17). This command sets forth both God’s promise as well as the penalty if Adam disobeyed. This covenant plays an important part in the unfolding of God’s plan of redemption, as it demonstrates the inability of fallen humans to maintain a right relationship with God … even when they are set into the earthly paradise that God created for them.

Though Eve first sinned, being seduced of the Serpent, then Adam also ate of the forbidden fruit. As the deferral head of all humanity, it is called the sin of ‘the first man, Adam.’ In Adam breaking this ‘conditional covenant’ with God he left human family in a fallen state. But God would soon make a second covenant. God then revealed an unconditional covenantal promise of redemption with Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:14–24). In the first ‘Edenic Covenant’ God had promised life and blessing, but that promise was conditionally based upon Adam’s obedience to God’s command to “not eat” of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:16–17). The Serpent lied and baited Eve into eating of that tree, saying;

“And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: ⁵ For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and Ye Shall Be As Gods, Knowing good and evil. Genesis 3:4-5

God was to be Adam’s provider and teacher. But Adam as the federal head of all humanity followed Eve in the same sin of eating of that ‘Tree of knowledge.’ Adam was immediately penalized for his disobedience, by which he made himself and all mankind after him to be independent of God’s will and wisdom. The penalty for his sin was physical and spiritual death and a curse came upon the ground. He then had to work hard to grow crops. I expect this was to occupy and restrain his now fallen independent mindset. (Genesis 3:17–19). Man’s illicitly gained knowledge led him from the ‘Dispensation of Innocence’ into the ‘Dispensation of enlightened Conscience.’ Yet, mankind still would fail God, then being continually evil right up to Noah’s flood by which all but eight souls died.

So, in Scripture we see different types of covenants that God made with people. Some are unconditional covenants, which God will keep regardless of human actions. Others are conditional in that the people must obey the terms of the covenant in order to receive the promise related to it. The Edenic Covenant is an example of a conditional covenant because Adam was required to obey the terms of the covenant in order to not suffer the consequences of breaking it.

Like the ‘Edenic Covenant,’ this 2^nd covenant was unconditional. Though not explicitly referred to as a covenant in Genesis, it is a significant promise that God makes to humanity. It is the first promise of redemption and the promise of Christ’s coming was spoken to Eve and the Serpent.

“And I [the Lord] will put enmity between thee [the serpent] and the woman, and between thy [Satan’s seed] seed and her seed; it [her ultimate seed, Jesus Christ] shall bruise thy [the Serpent’s’] head, and thou [the Serpent] shalt bruise his [the Redeemer’s] heel.” Genesis 3:15 (KJV)

Thus here, only three chapters into Genesis, God is already giving mankind hope of a Redeemer to recover and reconcile mankind to God. Genesis 3:15 is sometimes referred to as the protevangelium, meaning the first announcement of the gospel in Scripture. God’s promise to Eve was that the seed of the serpent would bruise the heel of the seed of Eve and the seed of Eve would bruise the head of the seed of the serpent. This the promise that Satan would wound Christ on the cross, but that Christ would triumph over Satan at that same cross.

As we take the longer look at the promised redemption to come, we note that years later the Nation Israel agreed three times to their part of a conditional covenant of with God (Ex 19:8; 24:3, 7).

“And all the people [of Israel] answered together, and said, All that the LORD hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the LORD.” Exodus 19:8 (KJV)

Israel in the wilderness managed to keep their part of the covenant for only a short time. When Moses came down from the mount with the covenant written on stone, they had forgotten their covenant and had made the golden calf and were worshipping it. God then was no longer obliged to keep His part of the agreement. And instead of being just a covenant, these words became “the law.” We are told in Galatians 3:17 that although “the law” was given 430 years after “the promise,” yet it did not in the least alter God’s earlier promise.” In Gal. 3:19 we find that “the law” was added because of transgressions until the Seed, of whom the promise was made, should come

“Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come [to those] to whom the promise was made; and it [the Law] was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator [Moses].” Galatians 3:19 (KJV)

Did the Law extend any farther?

In Heb. 8:13 (written to Hebrews, Israelites, not to Gentiles) it was mentioned that the old covenant was about to pass away. The next chapter is taken up with a discussion of the ‘new covenant for Israel’ which is defined in Gal. 3:15-18, thus reminding us of Jer. 31:31. So, the old covenant was still in force as late as of the writing of Hebrews.

“Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:” Jeremiah 31:31 (KJV)

“And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.” Gal. 3:17

But, when we read the definition of the ‘new covenant,’ we discover that it is not made with flesh and blood, but with a resurrected people “in Christ.” This has not yet occurred because the Nation Israel has not yet accepted the Christ, Redeemer. Therefore, the new covenant has never yet come into operation.

There has therefore never yet been a New Testament (New Covenant) church. Any claims to that name are false and since it was promised to resurrected Israel only, Gentiles could not claim it at any time.

The covenants and ceremonial law (if you want to use that title) were given to the same people, Israel. Gentiles never had any part in either of them. See the decision of the Jerusalem council of Acts 15:23-29.

If the Gentiles had no part in either covenant or law during Acts while they partook of the blessings of Israel, how could they have a part in the same when Israel is no longer on the scene as it is today?

So, we have answered this question.

The law was not abolished, but the people [of the nation Israel] to whom it was given are no longer a ‘people of God’ since Acts 28:28. It is just that fallen Israel is currently ‘lo-ammi’ (“not my people”, Hos. 1:9) during this Post-Acts Gentile grace-age.

So where is ‘the law’ today?

We of the Gentile church called “the body of Christ” are not under a theocracy or Law today (Rom. 6:14). God is not meting out penalties today as He did upon Israel. While Israel is set aside as they are today, during today’s ‘times of the Gentiles’ (Rom. 11:25). Yes, we have the laws of our country to obey and above that, we as Gentile grace believers have all the exhortations of the Paul’s Post-Acts epistles, which essentially repeat all the ten commandments, except keeping the Sabbath, Col. 2:16. This eliminates the problem of rituals, special days, ceremonies, dietary restrictions. Paul wrote;

“Let no man therefore judge you in meat [foods], or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:” Colossians 2:16 (KJV)

Again we have the plain statement in Gal. 3:17 that ‘the law began 430 years after the God's promise’ that we call “the Abrahamic covenant.” The Law came about 645 years after Abraham, but 215 years later the promise was reiterated to Jacob, exactly 430 years prior to the Mosaic covenant at Sinai.

Comparing Rom. 5:14 with notes on Hosea 6:7, we discover that God had made a covenant with Adam and that Adam had transgressed it by eating of the ‘the Tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil.’ Similarly, Israel later transgressed a covenant. Rom. 5:13-14 tells us plainly that there was no Law from Adam to Moses and that Sin Is Not Imputed [counted] Where There Was NO LAW.

When God speaks of ‘law,’ He is speaking of law dispensed by Himself in a theocratic kingdom. Mankind has only had laws by which to rule himself from Adam till now. But, with Israel it was different, the law of Sinai was not man-made. Its very nature compared with man-made laws is sufficient proof. So, from Sinai till the setting aside of Israel with Paul’s statement of Acts 28:28, it was a Jewish age and the law was applicable. Today the people of the ‘Nation Israel,’ to whom ‘the Law’ was given are set aside and so the Law Is No Longer Is In Force.

It is true that ‘the Mosaic law’ is reflected in the laws of every civilized country in the world. Most of them adopted capital punishment for murder just as was suggested to man after the flood (Gen. 9:6). So, there is law today, but not “THE LAW.” We today are simply told by Paul to be subject to the government under which we live. An of course we are still to love God with all our faculties and our neighbor as ourself.

The Law did not have sanctions concerning the future life as the result of disobedience nor did it have much in the way of the promise of a future if one obeyed. This question was tied mostly to the ‘promise made to Abraham regarding His “seed, which is Christ” (Gal. 3:16). However, a few texts here and there do show that keeping the law had something to do with having ‘life’ hereafter. An example is Deut. 8:3, where God told Moses that “man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.” Our Lord also quoted this to Satan in the temptation in the wilderness. See also Lev. 18:5.

In speaking to the Gentile grace-saved Christians in Galatians 4, Paul reminds them that they at one time served God, but now … they were ‘desiring to be under the law’ because of the Judaizers. In verse 9 he tells them that law would only bring them into bondage again, to weak and beggarly elements, the same as when doing service to idols. He tells them that they are observing Israel’s days (sabbaths), months (feasts such as Pentecost and Passover), and years (Sabbatical and Jubilee). Paul was afraid for them, lest he had preached to them in vain since these Acts period grafted in Gentiles had at one time been freely partaking of Israel’s blessings… totally apart from the Law. Paul goes on saying serving “The Law” would make Christ’s word “of no effect.”

“Christ Is Become Of No Effect [benefit] Unto You, whosoever of you [who suppose you] are justified by ‘the law’; ye are FALLEN FROM GRACE. Galatians 5:4 (KJV)

The truth for us Gentiles today is; “… for ye are not under ‘the Law,’ but ‘under Grace.’” Romans 6:14

Today, since Acts 28:28, fallen Israel, with its “Law,” is currently off the scene. (Rom. 11:10-12, 15, 25).