3. Romans was written to teach both the Jews and Gentiles
4. To the Jews the laws of God meant everything
5. The Gentiles were not as conversant with the laws of Israel
HOW SHOULD THE CHURCH REGARD THE LAWS OF GOD TO ISRAEL?
8 Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.
9 For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not bear false witness,” “You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.”
10 Love does no harm to a neighbour; therefore love is the fulfilment of the law.
Romans 13:8-10
1. The Commandments of the Law
a) There were many commandments
b) God gave to Israel different types of Laws:
i) Civil law
ii) Ceremonial law
iii) Moral Law
2. The teachings of the Old Testament:
a) There were 613 laws (mitzvoth)
b) All are to be kept
c) This was the strict view of many Jews
d) This created much conflict in the Church at Antioch (Acts 15)
e) The doctrine of Salvation was finally resolved by the Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15)
3. The essence of all the Laws of God: Love
a) To love one another
b) To practise this law is to fulfil it
c) This was a profound way of understanding God’s laws
4. A summary of the Laws of God
a) Paul was citing what the Lord Jesus taught
b) He distilled the Lord’s teaching in this text
c) He focused on the need to learn how to love one another
d) The summary: ““You shall love your neighbour as yourself.”
5. The teaching of the Lord Jesus on the commandments of God
34 But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together.
35 Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying,
36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”
37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’
40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.
Matthew 22:34-40
a) The Pharisees challenged the Lord Jesus to pick out “the great commandment of the law”
b) The Lord Jesus chose “the Shema” as the answer
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” Matthew 22:37 (Deut 6:5)
c) He added another choice
“You shall love your neighbour as yourself” Matthew 22:39 (Lev 19:18)