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Is “Love your Neighbor” Part of the New Covenant?

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If there is one book that highlights the dangers of mixing grace with law it’s Galatians. Which is why I am always surprised when people use Galatians to mix grace with law.

You wouldn’t think it was possible. It’s like opening a cookbook and finding recipes for poison. It’s like finding yeast in your matzah.

A little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough. (Galatians 5:9)

While writing my commentary on Galatians, I did a lot of reading. I was surprised at how often I found people trying to sneak a little law into Paul’s masterpiece on grace. It usually happened with this verse:

For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Galatians 5:14)

You have to admit, this is an unusual verse to find smack-bang in the middle of Galatians. Quoting law in a book warning about the dangers of the law is like finding a rock in a box of chocolates. It should lead us to ask questions, like this:

Is love your neighbor part of the new covenant?

No. This is from the Law of Moses (Lev. 19:18). It is 100 percent old covenant. That doesn’t mean it’s a bad law. “Love your neighbor” is a good law, an excellent law. But it is still a law, which means it has no relevance to your walk with God.

For you are not under law… (Romans 6:14)

Yet people say things like, “we must keep the law of love” and “God commands us to love our neighbors.” Hmm. The Jews having been trying to keep the “love your neighbor” law for 3,500 years. How’s that working out?

(I’m not picking on the Jews. We all fall short of God’s standards.)

If you think keeping the “law of love” is going to make you righteous and holy, or a better person, you are as foolish as the Galatians. And if you tell others that God commands them to love their neighbors, you are putting law on them. You are pushing them away from grace and promoting dead works.

Which begs the question:

Why does Paul quote an old covenant law in a new covenant letter?

Paul is not preaching a law you must obey. Read the verse in context with the one that follows and you will see that he is using the law to expose the hypocrisy of the law teachers. “Your hostility towards me and your attacks on each other prove that you are unable to keep the law that you are preaching.” It’s a devastating body blow to the legalists.

Like all the Laws of Moses, the “love your neighbor” law is not a law we can keep, and Paul is not suggesting we try. He is warning the Galatians, “These law preachers are phonies. Don’t listen to them.”

But didn’t Jesus quote this law?

Jesus quoted the “love your neighbor” law on numerous occasions and most of the time he did so in an old covenant context. For instance, when asked about the greatest commands in the law, he said “Love God and love your neighbor” (Matt. 22:36–40). If you were to rank the Laws of Moses, these are the top two. But these laws have no relevance in the new creation.

“Love your neighbor” is a great law, and how wonderful the world would be if we could love our neighbors. But history proves that we are incapable of loving our neighbors. Thankfully there is a better law called the Law of Christ. See if you can spot the difference:

Law of Moses: Love your neighbor
Law of Christ: Love one another as I have loved you

Jesus called his commandment a new commandment, meaning it was a new kind of commandment (John 13:34). The old commandment relied on your flesh – which is why we can’t keep it – but the new commandment is powered by God’s grace.

Do you see? The Law of Moses demands that you keep the law day in, day out, even if your neighbors are not the nicest people. But the Law of Christ only asks that you receive Christ’s love. Receive, receive, receive.

Christ loves us first, and as we receive from the abundance his love and grace, we find ourselves able to love others, our neighbors, even our enemies.

All this is to the glory of his grace.

—

The latest installment in my grace-based series on the Parables of Jesus, “The Parable of the Minas”, has just been released on Patreon. It is also available on E2R’s Supporters’ Page.

Is “Love your Neighbor” Part of the New Covenant?

by

If there is one book that highlights the dangers of mixing grace with law it’s Galatians. Which is why I am always surprised when people use Galatians to mix grace with law.

You wouldn’t think it was possible. It’s like opening a cookbook and finding recipes for poison. It’s like finding yeast in your matzah.

A little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough. (Galatians 5:9)

While writing my commentary on Galatians, I did a lot of reading. I was surprised at how often I found people trying to sneak a little law into Paul’s masterpiece on grace. It usually happened with this verse:

For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Galatians 5:14)

You have to admit, this is an unusual verse to find smack-bang in the middle of Galatians. Quoting law in a book warning about the dangers of the law is like finding a rock in a box of chocolates. It should lead us to ask questions, like this:

Is love your neighbor part of the new covenant?

No. This is from the Law of Moses (Lev. 19:18). It is 100 percent old covenant. That doesn’t mean it’s a bad law. “Love your neighbor” is a good law, an excellent law. But it is still a law, which means it has no relevance to your walk with God.

For you are not under law… (Romans 6:14)

Yet people say things like, “we must keep the law of love” and “God commands us to love our neighbors.” Hmm. The Jews having been trying to keep the “love your neighbor” law for 3,500 years. How’s that working out?

(I’m not picking on the Jews. We all fall short of God’s standards.)

If you think keeping the “law of love” is going to make you righteous and holy, or a better person, you are as foolish as the Galatians. And if you tell others that God commands them to love their neighbors, you are putting law on them. You are pushing them away from grace and promoting dead works.

Which begs the question:

Why does Paul quote an old covenant law in a new covenant letter?

Paul is not preaching a law you must obey. Read the verse in context with the one that follows and you will see that he is using the law to expose the hypocrisy of the law teachers. “Your hostility towards me and your attacks on each other prove that you are unable to keep the law that you are preaching.” It’s a devastating body blow to the legalists.

Like all the Laws of Moses, the “love your neighbor” law is not a law we can keep, and Paul is not suggesting we try. He is warning the Galatians, “These law preachers are phonies. Don’t listen to them.”

But didn’t Jesus quote this law?

Jesus quoted the “love your neighbor” law on numerous occasions and most of the time he did so in an old covenant context. For instance, when asked about the greatest commands in the law, he said “Love God and love your neighbor” (Matt. 22:36–40). If you were to rank the Laws of Moses, these are the top two. But these laws have no relevance in the new creation.

“Love your neighbor” is a great law, and how wonderful the world would be if we could love our neighbors. But history proves that we are incapable of loving our neighbors. Thankfully there is a better law called the Law of Christ. See if you can spot the difference:

Law of Moses: Love your neighbor
Law of Christ: Love one another as I have loved you

Jesus called his commandment a new commandment, meaning it was a new kind of commandment (John 13:34). The old commandment relied on your flesh – which is why we can’t keep it – but the new commandment is powered by God’s grace.

Do you see? The Law of Moses demands that you keep the law day in, day out, even if your neighbors are not the nicest people. But the Law of Christ only asks that you receive Christ’s love. Receive, receive, receive.

Christ loves us first, and as we receive from the abundance his love and grace, we find ourselves able to love others, our neighbors, even our enemies.

All this is to the glory of his grace.

—

The latest installment in my grace-based series on the Parables of Jesus, “The Parable of the Minas”, has just been released on Patreon. It is also available on E2R’s Supporters’ Page.

Is “Love your Neighbor” Part of the New Covenant?

by

If there is one book that highlights the dangers of mixing grace with law it’s Galatians. Which is why I am always surprised when people use Galatians to mix grace with law.

You wouldn’t think it was possible. It’s like opening a cookbook and finding recipes for poison. It’s like finding yeast in your matzah.

A little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough. (Galatians 5:9)

While writing my commentary on Galatians, I did a lot of reading. I was surprised at how often I found people trying to sneak a little law into Paul’s masterpiece on grace. It usually happened with this verse:

For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Galatians 5:14)

You have to admit, this is an unusual verse to find smack-bang in the middle of Galatians. Quoting law in a book warning about the dangers of the law is like finding a rock in a box of chocolates. It should lead us to ask questions, like this:

Is love your neighbor part of the new covenant?

No. This is from the Law of Moses (Lev. 19:18). It is 100 percent old covenant. That doesn’t mean it’s a bad law. “Love your neighbor” is a good law, an excellent law. But it is still a law, which means it has no relevance to your walk with God.

For you are not under law… (Romans 6:14)

Yet people say things like, “we must keep the law of love” and “God commands us to love our neighbors.” Hmm. The Jews having been trying to keep the “love your neighbor” law for 3,500 years. How’s that working out?

(I’m not picking on the Jews. We all fall short of God’s standards.)

If you think keeping the “law of love” is going to make you righteous and holy, or a better person, you are as foolish as the Galatians. And if you tell others that God commands them to love their neighbors, you are putting law on them. You are pushing them away from grace and promoting dead works.

Which begs the question:

Why does Paul quote an old covenant law in a new covenant letter?

Paul is not preaching a law you must obey. Read the verse in context with the one that follows and you will see that he is using the law to expose the hypocrisy of the law teachers. “Your hostility towards me and your attacks on each other prove that you are unable to keep the law that you are preaching.” It’s a devastating body blow to the legalists.

Like all the Laws of Moses, the “love your neighbor” law is not a law we can keep, and Paul is not suggesting we try. He is warning the Galatians, “These law preachers are phonies. Don’t listen to them.”

But didn’t Jesus quote this law?

Jesus quoted the “love your neighbor” law on numerous occasions and most of the time he did so in an old covenant context. For instance, when asked about the greatest commands in the law, he said “Love God and love your neighbor” (Matt. 22:36–40). If you were to rank the Laws of Moses, these are the top two. But these laws have no relevance in the new creation.

“Love your neighbor” is a great law, and how wonderful the world would be if we could love our neighbors. But history proves that we are incapable of loving our neighbors. Thankfully there is a better law called the Law of Christ. See if you can spot the difference:

Law of Moses: Love your neighbor
Law of Christ: Love one another as I have loved you

Jesus called his commandment a new commandment, meaning it was a new kind of commandment (John 13:34). The old commandment relied on your flesh – which is why we can’t keep it – but the new commandment is powered by God’s grace.

Do you see? The Law of Moses demands that you keep the law day in, day out, even if your neighbors are not the nicest people. But the Law of Christ only asks that you receive Christ’s love. Receive, receive, receive.

Christ loves us first, and as we receive from the abundance his love and grace, we find ourselves able to love others, our neighbors, even our enemies.

All this is to the glory of his grace.

—

The latest installment in my grace-based series on the Parables of Jesus, “The Parable of the Minas”, has just been released on Patreon. It is also available on E2R’s Supporters’ Page.

Is “Love your Neighbor” Part of the New Covenant?

by

If there is one book that highlights the dangers of mixing grace with law it’s Galatians. Which is why I am always surprised when people use Galatians to mix grace with law.

You wouldn’t think it was possible. It’s like opening a cookbook and finding recipes for poison. It’s like finding yeast in your matzah.

A little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough. (Galatians 5:9)

While writing my commentary on Galatians, I did a lot of reading. I was surprised at how often I found people trying to sneak a little law into Paul’s masterpiece on grace. It usually happened with this verse:

For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Galatians 5:14)

You have to admit, this is an unusual verse to find smack-bang in the middle of Galatians. Quoting law in a book warning about the dangers of the law is like finding a rock in a box of chocolates. It should lead us to ask questions, like this:

Is love your neighbor part of the new covenant?

No. This is from the Law of Moses (Lev. 19:18). It is 100 percent old covenant. That doesn’t mean it’s a bad law. “Love your neighbor” is a good law, an excellent law. But it is still a law, which means it has no relevance to your walk with God.

For you are not under law… (Romans 6:14)

Yet people say things like, “we must keep the law of love” and “God commands us to love our neighbors.” Hmm. The Jews having been trying to keep the “love your neighbor” law for 3,500 years. How’s that working out?

(I’m not picking on the Jews. We all fall short of God’s standards.)

If you think keeping the “law of love” is going to make you righteous and holy, or a better person, you are as foolish as the Galatians. And if you tell others that God commands them to love their neighbors, you are putting law on them. You are pushing them away from grace and promoting dead works.

Which begs the question:

Why does Paul quote an old covenant law in a new covenant letter?

Paul is not preaching a law you must obey. Read the verse in context with the one that follows and you will see that he is using the law to expose the hypocrisy of the law teachers. “Your hostility towards me and your attacks on each other prove that you are unable to keep the law that you are preaching.” It’s a devastating body blow to the legalists.

Like all the Laws of Moses, the “love your neighbor” law is not a law we can keep, and Paul is not suggesting we try. He is warning the Galatians, “These law preachers are phonies. Don’t listen to them.”

But didn’t Jesus quote this law?

Jesus quoted the “love your neighbor” law on numerous occasions and most of the time he did so in an old covenant context. For instance, when asked about the greatest commands in the law, he said “Love God and love your neighbor” (Matt. 22:36–40). If you were to rank the Laws of Moses, these are the top two. But these laws have no relevance in the new creation.

“Love your neighbor” is a great law, and how wonderful the world would be if we could love our neighbors. But history proves that we are incapable of loving our neighbors. Thankfully there is a better law called the Law of Christ. See if you can spot the difference:

Law of Moses: Love your neighbor
Law of Christ: Love one another as I have loved you

Jesus called his commandment a new commandment, meaning it was a new kind of commandment (John 13:34). The old commandment relied on your flesh – which is why we can’t keep it – but the new commandment is powered by God’s grace.

Do you see? The Law of Moses demands that you keep the law day in, day out, even if your neighbors are not the nicest people. But the Law of Christ only asks that you receive Christ’s love. Receive, receive, receive.

Christ loves us first, and as we receive from the abundance his love and grace, we find ourselves able to love others, our neighbors, even our enemies.

All this is to the glory of his grace.

—

The latest installment in my grace-based series on the Parables of Jesus, “The Parable of the Minas”, has just been released on Patreon. It is also available on E2R’s Supporters’ Page.

Is “Love your Neighbor” Part of the New Covenant?

by

If there is one book that highlights the dangers of mixing grace with law it’s Galatians. Which is why I am always surprised when people use Galatians to mix grace with law.

You wouldn’t think it was possible. It’s like opening a cookbook and finding recipes for poison. It’s like finding yeast in your matzah.

A little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough. (Galatians 5:9)

While writing my commentary on Galatians, I did a lot of reading. I was surprised at how often I found people trying to sneak a little law into Paul’s masterpiece on grace. It usually happened with this verse:

For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Galatians 5:14)

You have to admit, this is an unusual verse to find smack-bang in the middle of Galatians. Quoting law in a book warning about the dangers of the law is like finding a rock in a box of chocolates. It should lead us to ask questions, like this:

Is love your neighbor part of the new covenant?

No. This is from the Law of Moses (Lev. 19:18). It is 100 percent old covenant. That doesn’t mean it’s a bad law. “Love your neighbor” is a good law, an excellent law. But it is still a law, which means it has no relevance to your walk with God.

For you are not under law… (Romans 6:14)

Yet people say things like, “we must keep the law of love” and “God commands us to love our neighbors.” Hmm. The Jews having been trying to keep the “love your neighbor” law for 3,500 years. How’s that working out?

(I’m not picking on the Jews. We all fall short of God’s standards.)

If you think keeping the “law of love” is going to make you righteous and holy, or a better person, you are as foolish as the Galatians. And if you tell others that God commands them to love their neighbors, you are putting law on them. You are pushing them away from grace and promoting dead works.

Which begs the question:

Why does Paul quote an old covenant law in a new covenant letter?

Paul is not preaching a law you must obey. Read the verse in context with the one that follows and you will see that he is using the law to expose the hypocrisy of the law teachers. “Your hostility towards me and your attacks on each other prove that you are unable to keep the law that you are preaching.” It’s a devastating body blow to the legalists.

Like all the Laws of Moses, the “love your neighbor” law is not a law we can keep, and Paul is not suggesting we try. He is warning the Galatians, “These law preachers are phonies. Don’t listen to them.”

But didn’t Jesus quote this law?

Jesus quoted the “love your neighbor” law on numerous occasions and most of the time he did so in an old covenant context. For instance, when asked about the greatest commands in the law, he said “Love God and love your neighbor” (Matt. 22:36–40). If you were to rank the Laws of Moses, these are the top two. But these laws have no relevance in the new creation.

“Love your neighbor” is a great law, and how wonderful the world would be if we could love our neighbors. But history proves that we are incapable of loving our neighbors. Thankfully there is a better law called the Law of Christ. See if you can spot the difference:

Law of Moses: Love your neighbor
Law of Christ: Love one another as I have loved you

Jesus called his commandment a new commandment, meaning it was a new kind of commandment (John 13:34). The old commandment relied on your flesh – which is why we can’t keep it – but the new commandment is powered by God’s grace.

Do you see? The Law of Moses demands that you keep the law day in, day out, even if your neighbors are not the nicest people. But the Law of Christ only asks that you receive Christ’s love. Receive, receive, receive.

Christ loves us first, and as we receive from the abundance his love and grace, we find ourselves able to love others, our neighbors, even our enemies.

All this is to the glory of his grace.

—

The latest installment in my grace-based series on the Parables of Jesus, “The Parable of the Minas”, has just been released on Patreon. It is also available on E2R’s Supporters’ Page.

Is “Love your Neighbor” Part of the New Covenant?

by

If there is one book that highlights the dangers of mixing grace with law it’s Galatians. Which is why I am always surprised when people use Galatians to mix grace with law.

You wouldn’t think it was possible. It’s like opening a cookbook and finding recipes for poison. It’s like finding yeast in your matzah.

A little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough. (Galatians 5:9)

While writing my commentary on Galatians, I did a lot of reading. I was surprised at how often I found people trying to sneak a little law into Paul’s masterpiece on grace. It usually happened with this verse:

For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Galatians 5:14)

You have to admit, this is an unusual verse to find smack-bang in the middle of Galatians. Quoting law in a book warning about the dangers of the law is like finding a rock in a box of chocolates. It should lead us to ask questions, like this:

Is love your neighbor part of the new covenant?

No. This is from the Law of Moses (Lev. 19:18). It is 100 percent old covenant. That doesn’t mean it’s a bad law. “Love your neighbor” is a good law, an excellent law. But it is still a law, which means it has no relevance to your walk with God.

For you are not under law… (Romans 6:14)

Yet people say things like, “we must keep the law of love” and “God commands us to love our neighbors.” Hmm. The Jews having been trying to keep the “love your neighbor” law for 3,500 years. How’s that working out?

(I’m not picking on the Jews. We all fall short of God’s standards.)

If you think keeping the “law of love” is going to make you righteous and holy, or a better person, you are as foolish as the Galatians. And if you tell others that God commands them to love their neighbors, you are putting law on them. You are pushing them away from grace and promoting dead works.

Which begs the question:

Why does Paul quote an old covenant law in a new covenant letter?

Paul is not preaching a law you must obey. Read the verse in context with the one that follows and you will see that he is using the law to expose the hypocrisy of the law teachers. “Your hostility towards me and your attacks on each other prove that you are unable to keep the law that you are preaching.” It’s a devastating body blow to the legalists.

Like all the Laws of Moses, the “love your neighbor” law is not a law we can keep, and Paul is not suggesting we try. He is warning the Galatians, “These law preachers are phonies. Don’t listen to them.”

But didn’t Jesus quote this law?

Jesus quoted the “love your neighbor” law on numerous occasions and most of the time he did so in an old covenant context. For instance, when asked about the greatest commands in the law, he said “Love God and love your neighbor” (Matt. 22:36–40). If you were to rank the Laws of Moses, these are the top two. But these laws have no relevance in the new creation.

“Love your neighbor” is a great law, and how wonderful the world would be if we could love our neighbors. But history proves that we are incapable of loving our neighbors. Thankfully there is a better law called the Law of Christ. See if you can spot the difference:

Law of Moses: Love your neighbor
Law of Christ: Love one another as I have loved you

Jesus called his commandment a new commandment, meaning it was a new kind of commandment (John 13:34). The old commandment relied on your flesh – which is why we can’t keep it – but the new commandment is powered by God’s grace.

Do you see? The Law of Moses demands that you keep the law day in, day out, even if your neighbors are not the nicest people. But the Law of Christ only asks that you receive Christ’s love. Receive, receive, receive.

Christ loves us first, and as we receive from the abundance his love and grace, we find ourselves able to love others, our neighbors, even our enemies.

All this is to the glory of his grace.

—

The latest installment in my grace-based series on the Parables of Jesus, “The Parable of the Minas”, has just been released on Patreon. It is also available on E2R’s Supporters’ Page.

Is “Love your Neighbor” Part of the New Covenant?

by

If there is one book that highlights the dangers of mixing grace with law it’s Galatians. Which is why I am always surprised when people use Galatians to mix grace with law.

You wouldn’t think it was possible. It’s like opening a cookbook and finding recipes for poison. It’s like finding yeast in your matzah.

A little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough. (Galatians 5:9)

While writing my commentary on Galatians, I did a lot of reading. I was surprised at how often I found people trying to sneak a little law into Paul’s masterpiece on grace. It usually happened with this verse:

For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Galatians 5:14)

You have to admit, this is an unusual verse to find smack-bang in the middle of Galatians. Quoting law in a book warning about the dangers of the law is like finding a rock in a box of chocolates. It should lead us to ask questions, like this:

Is love your neighbor part of the new covenant?

No. This is from the Law of Moses (Lev. 19:18). It is 100 percent old covenant. That doesn’t mean it’s a bad law. “Love your neighbor” is a good law, an excellent law. But it is still a law, which means it has no relevance to your walk with God.

For you are not under law… (Romans 6:14)

Yet people say things like, “we must keep the law of love” and “God commands us to love our neighbors.” Hmm. The Jews having been trying to keep the “love your neighbor” law for 3,500 years. How’s that working out?

(I’m not picking on the Jews. We all fall short of God’s standards.)

If you think keeping the “law of love” is going to make you righteous and holy, or a better person, you are as foolish as the Galatians. And if you tell others that God commands them to love their neighbors, you are putting law on them. You are pushing them away from grace and promoting dead works.

Which begs the question:

Why does Paul quote an old covenant law in a new covenant letter?

Paul is not preaching a law you must obey. Read the verse in context with the one that follows and you will see that he is using the law to expose the hypocrisy of the law teachers. “Your hostility towards me and your attacks on each other prove that you are unable to keep the law that you are preaching.” It’s a devastating body blow to the legalists.

Like all the Laws of Moses, the “love your neighbor” law is not a law we can keep, and Paul is not suggesting we try. He is warning the Galatians, “These law preachers are phonies. Don’t listen to them.”

But didn’t Jesus quote this law?

Jesus quoted the “love your neighbor” law on numerous occasions and most of the time he did so in an old covenant context. For instance, when asked about the greatest commands in the law, he said “Love God and love your neighbor” (Matt. 22:36–40). If you were to rank the Laws of Moses, these are the top two. But these laws have no relevance in the new creation.

“Love your neighbor” is a great law, and how wonderful the world would be if we could love our neighbors. But history proves that we are incapable of loving our neighbors. Thankfully there is a better law called the Law of Christ. See if you can spot the difference:

Law of Moses: Love your neighbor
Law of Christ: Love one another as I have loved you

Jesus called his commandment a new commandment, meaning it was a new kind of commandment (John 13:34). The old commandment relied on your flesh – which is why we can’t keep it – but the new commandment is powered by God’s grace.

Do you see? The Law of Moses demands that you keep the law day in, day out, even if your neighbors are not the nicest people. But the Law of Christ only asks that you receive Christ’s love. Receive, receive, receive.

Christ loves us first, and as we receive from the abundance his love and grace, we find ourselves able to love others, our neighbors, even our enemies.

All this is to the glory of his grace.

—

The latest installment in my grace-based series on the Parables of Jesus, “The Parable of the Minas”, has just been released on Patreon. It is also available on E2R’s Supporters’ Page.

Is “Love your Neighbor” Part of the New Covenant?

by

If there is one book that highlights the dangers of mixing grace with law it’s Galatians. Which is why I am always surprised when people use Galatians to mix grace with law.

You wouldn’t think it was possible. It’s like opening a cookbook and finding recipes for poison. It’s like finding yeast in your matzah.

A little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough. (Galatians 5:9)

While writing my commentary on Galatians, I did a lot of reading. I was surprised at how often I found people trying to sneak a little law into Paul’s masterpiece on grace. It usually happened with this verse:

For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Galatians 5:14)

You have to admit, this is an unusual verse to find smack-bang in the middle of Galatians. Quoting law in a book warning about the dangers of the law is like finding a rock in a box of chocolates. It should lead us to ask questions, like this:

Is love your neighbor part of the new covenant?

No. This is from the Law of Moses (Lev. 19:18). It is 100 percent old covenant. That doesn’t mean it’s a bad law. “Love your neighbor” is a good law, an excellent law. But it is still a law, which means it has no relevance to your walk with God.

For you are not under law… (Romans 6:14)

Yet people say things like, “we must keep the law of love” and “God commands us to love our neighbors.” Hmm. The Jews having been trying to keep the “love your neighbor” law for 3,500 years. How’s that working out?

(I’m not picking on the Jews. We all fall short of God’s standards.)

If you think keeping the “law of love” is going to make you righteous and holy, or a better person, you are as foolish as the Galatians. And if you tell others that God commands them to love their neighbors, you are putting law on them. You are pushing them away from grace and promoting dead works.

Which begs the question:

Why does Paul quote an old covenant law in a new covenant letter?

Paul is not preaching a law you must obey. Read the verse in context with the one that follows and you will see that he is using the law to expose the hypocrisy of the law teachers. “Your hostility towards me and your attacks on each other prove that you are unable to keep the law that you are preaching.” It’s a devastating body blow to the legalists.

Like all the Laws of Moses, the “love your neighbor” law is not a law we can keep, and Paul is not suggesting we try. He is warning the Galatians, “These law preachers are phonies. Don’t listen to them.”

But didn’t Jesus quote this law?

Jesus quoted the “love your neighbor” law on numerous occasions and most of the time he did so in an old covenant context. For instance, when asked about the greatest commands in the law, he said “Love God and love your neighbor” (Matt. 22:36–40). If you were to rank the Laws of Moses, these are the top two. But these laws have no relevance in the new creation.

“Love your neighbor” is a great law, and how wonderful the world would be if we could love our neighbors. But history proves that we are incapable of loving our neighbors. Thankfully there is a better law called the Law of Christ. See if you can spot the difference:

Law of Moses: Love your neighbor
Law of Christ: Love one another as I have loved you

Jesus called his commandment a new commandment, meaning it was a new kind of commandment (John 13:34). The old commandment relied on your flesh – which is why we can’t keep it – but the new commandment is powered by God’s grace.

Do you see? The Law of Moses demands that you keep the law day in, day out, even if your neighbors are not the nicest people. But the Law of Christ only asks that you receive Christ’s love. Receive, receive, receive.

Christ loves us first, and as we receive from the abundance his love and grace, we find ourselves able to love others, our neighbors, even our enemies.

All this is to the glory of his grace.

—

The latest installment in my grace-based series on the Parables of Jesus, “The Parable of the Minas”, has just been released on Patreon. It is also available on E2R’s Supporters’ Page.

Is “Love your Neighbor” Part of the New Covenant?

by

If there is one book that highlights the dangers of mixing grace with law it’s Galatians. Which is why I am always surprised when people use Galatians to mix grace with law.

You wouldn’t think it was possible. It’s like opening a cookbook and finding recipes for poison. It’s like finding yeast in your matzah.

A little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough. (Galatians 5:9)

While writing my commentary on Galatians, I did a lot of reading. I was surprised at how often I found people trying to sneak a little law into Paul’s masterpiece on grace. It usually happened with this verse:

For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Galatians 5:14)

You have to admit, this is an unusual verse to find smack-bang in the middle of Galatians. Quoting law in a book warning about the dangers of the law is like finding a rock in a box of chocolates. It should lead us to ask questions, like this:

Is love your neighbor part of the new covenant?

No. This is from the Law of Moses (Lev. 19:18). It is 100 percent old covenant. That doesn’t mean it’s a bad law. “Love your neighbor” is a good law, an excellent law. But it is still a law, which means it has no relevance to your walk with God.

For you are not under law… (Romans 6:14)

Yet people say things like, “we must keep the law of love” and “God commands us to love our neighbors.” Hmm. The Jews having been trying to keep the “love your neighbor” law for 3,500 years. How’s that working out?

(I’m not picking on the Jews. We all fall short of God’s standards.)

If you think keeping the “law of love” is going to make you righteous and holy, or a better person, you are as foolish as the Galatians. And if you tell others that God commands them to love their neighbors, you are putting law on them. You are pushing them away from grace and promoting dead works.

Which begs the question:

Why does Paul quote an old covenant law in a new covenant letter?

Paul is not preaching a law you must obey. Read the verse in context with the one that follows and you will see that he is using the law to expose the hypocrisy of the law teachers. “Your hostility towards me and your attacks on each other prove that you are unable to keep the law that you are preaching.” It’s a devastating body blow to the legalists.

Like all the Laws of Moses, the “love your neighbor” law is not a law we can keep, and Paul is not suggesting we try. He is warning the Galatians, “These law preachers are phonies. Don’t listen to them.”

But didn’t Jesus quote this law?

Jesus quoted the “love your neighbor” law on numerous occasions and most of the time he did so in an old covenant context. For instance, when asked about the greatest commands in the law, he said “Love God and love your neighbor” (Matt. 22:36–40). If you were to rank the Laws of Moses, these are the top two. But these laws have no relevance in the new creation.

“Love your neighbor” is a great law, and how wonderful the world would be if we could love our neighbors. But history proves that we are incapable of loving our neighbors. Thankfully there is a better law called the Law of Christ. See if you can spot the difference:

Law of Moses: Love your neighbor
Law of Christ: Love one another as I have loved you

Jesus called his commandment a new commandment, meaning it was a new kind of commandment (John 13:34). The old commandment relied on your flesh – which is why we can’t keep it – but the new commandment is powered by God’s grace.

Do you see? The Law of Moses demands that you keep the law day in, day out, even if your neighbors are not the nicest people. But the Law of Christ only asks that you receive Christ’s love. Receive, receive, receive.

Christ loves us first, and as we receive from the abundance his love and grace, we find ourselves able to love others, our neighbors, even our enemies.

All this is to the glory of his grace.

—

The latest installment in my grace-based series on the Parables of Jesus, “The Parable of the Minas”, has just been released on Patreon. It is also available on E2R’s Supporters’ Page.

Why do I Need a Bible Commentary?

by

“Why does anyone need a commentary to tell them what the Bible ‘really’ means?”

This question was put to me by someone on Facebook. It’s a fair question and it was followed by another:

“Isn’t God’s word clear enough on its own?”

The short answer is “no.” If the Bible was clear, we would all agree about everything in it and the church would be a shining beacon of peace and unity. If the Bible was clear, there wouldn’t be 40,000 denominations and we wouldn’t have 400 different English translations.

In truth, the Bible is clear; the problem lies with us. We don’t have the original manuscripts on which the Bible is based, and if we did, most of us would not be able to read them.

If the Bible seems unclear it is because our translations of it were written hundreds of years after the original texts in languages that did not exist at the time. Consequently, it’s easy to be confused by strange verses like this:

Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather. (Matthew 24:28)

Do you know what that verse means? Most people wouldn’t have a clue, and this makes them susceptible to bad teaching. “It’s about moral corruption and God’s judgment on America.” “Jesus will return like a vulture.” “It’s about the rise of false Christs who are like carrion.”

This vulture quote from Jesus has been used to justify all sorts of wacky end-times stuff. But a decent Bible commentary will examine the translation (Jesus wasn’t talking about vultures) and the context to reveal what Jesus really was talking about.

How commentaries help

A good Bible commentary helps us understand scriptures by providing the context. It’s the context that provides the meaning. Consider this verse:

Women should remain silent in the churches. (1 Corinthians 14:34)

Do you know what that verse means? Many people think they do, yet there is little agreement.

On the basis of this verse, some say women can’t preach or teach in church. Others say women can teach children, but not men. A few say that women should remain tight-lipped during church services.

Then there are those who swing the other way. Paul was a misogynist, they say. His words were for another time and place. Women couldn’t speak in church then but they can speak now. Which means we can dismiss any scripture we don’t like as “out of date” and “not for us.”

Which is the thin edge of a bad wedge.

The man who wrote this verse – the apostle Paul – would have shuddered to see how we misinterpret his words. Paul not only encouraged women to speak, teach, sing, and prophesy in church, he expected it (Rom. 12:6–7, 1 Cor. 12:7, 14:5, 31). He was no misogynist. He was a champion of equality who named and praised women leaders.

It’s easy to misread this verse if you don’t know the context. Read the verse in isolation and you’ll miss the meaning.

Why did Paul say women should remain silent? He didn’t. He was repeating a question put to him by the Corinthians (“Should women remain silent?”) before giving them an emphatic answer (“No!”).

The first letter to the Corinthians is full of questions and answers like this, as any good commentary will tell you.

Why do I need a Bible commentary?

A good commentary will help you make sense of the Bible. It will turn the lights on and make things clear. Like a key, it will unlock doors to insight and understanding.

But only if it’s a good commentary.

A good commentary is one that reveals the good news of God’s goodness. A good commentary uses the written word to reveal the Living Word.

The Bible is like no other book ever written. Its purpose is to reveal the Author to humanity, and it accomplishes this using a variety of literary forms (psalms, poems, prophecies, letters, histories, etc.). The whole Bible was written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Son of God and have life in his name (see John 20:31).

Like the Bible itself, a good commentary inspires you to believe in Jesus and experience life in fellowship with him. Sadly, many commentaries fail this test.

Instead of promoting faith, they encourage dead works. Instead of inviting you to rest in the finished work of Christ, they force you to work. Instead of preaching the good news, they proclaim bad news, and the result is you are left anxious and insecure.

There are hundreds of commentaries and study Bibles and most of them, I’m sad to say, are riddled with mixture. They have good bits, but they also preach dead works and condemnation. They mix medicine with poison leaving you sick and anxious.

Thankfully, there is a simple test to determine whether the commentary you are using ministers life or death.

—

Get answers to your questions about God and grace.

Check out the latest progress report for the Grace Commentary.

Want more? Check out the growing list of ebooks, classic sermons, bonus articles, and study notes found in Paul’s Library (Patreon).

Why do I Need a Bible Commentary?

by

“Why does anyone need a commentary to tell them what the Bible ‘really’ means?”

This question was put to me by someone on Facebook. It’s a fair question and it was followed by another:

“Isn’t God’s word clear enough on its own?”

The short answer is “no.” If the Bible was clear, we would all agree about everything in it and the church would be a shining beacon of peace and unity. If the Bible was clear, there wouldn’t be 40,000 denominations and we wouldn’t have 400 different English translations.

In truth, the Bible is clear; the problem lies with us. We don’t have the original manuscripts on which the Bible is based, and if we did, most of us would not be able to read them.

If the Bible seems unclear it is because our translations of it were written hundreds of years after the original texts in languages that did not exist at the time. Consequently, it’s easy to be confused by strange verses like this:

Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather. (Matthew 24:28)

Do you know what that verse means? Most people wouldn’t have a clue, and this makes them susceptible to bad teaching. “It’s about moral corruption and God’s judgment on America.” “Jesus will return like a vulture.” “It’s about the rise of false Christs who are like carrion.”

This vulture quote from Jesus has been used to justify all sorts of wacky end-times stuff. But a decent Bible commentary will examine the translation (Jesus wasn’t talking about vultures) and the context to reveal what Jesus really was talking about.

How commentaries help

A good Bible commentary helps us understand scriptures by providing the context. It’s the context that provides the meaning. Consider this verse:

Women should remain silent in the churches. (1 Corinthians 14:34)

Do you know what that verse means? Many people think they do, yet there is little agreement.

On the basis of this verse, some say women can’t preach or teach in church. Others say women can teach children, but not men. A few say that women should remain tight-lipped during church services.

Then there are those who swing the other way. Paul was a misogynist, they say. His words were for another time and place. Women couldn’t speak in church then but they can speak now. Which means we can dismiss any scripture we don’t like as “out of date” and “not for us.”

Which is the thin edge of a bad wedge.

The man who wrote this verse – the apostle Paul – would have shuddered to see how we misinterpret his words. Paul not only encouraged women to speak, teach, sing, and prophesy in church, he expected it (Rom. 12:6–7, 1 Cor. 12:7, 14:5, 31). He was no misogynist. He was a champion of equality who named and praised women leaders.

It’s easy to misread this verse if you don’t know the context. Read the verse in isolation and you’ll miss the meaning.

Why did Paul say women should remain silent? He didn’t. He was repeating a question put to him by the Corinthians (“Should women remain silent?”) before giving them an emphatic answer (“No!”).

The first letter to the Corinthians is full of questions and answers like this, as any good commentary will tell you.

Why do I need a Bible commentary?

A good commentary will help you make sense of the Bible. It will turn the lights on and make things clear. Like a key, it will unlock doors to insight and understanding.

But only if it’s a good commentary.

A good commentary is one that reveals the good news of God’s goodness. A good commentary uses the written word to reveal the Living Word.

The Bible is like no other book ever written. Its purpose is to reveal the Author to humanity, and it accomplishes this using a variety of literary forms (psalms, poems, prophecies, letters, histories, etc.). The whole Bible was written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Son of God and have life in his name (see John 20:31).

Like the Bible itself, a good commentary inspires you to believe in Jesus and experience life in fellowship with him. Sadly, many commentaries fail this test.

Instead of promoting faith, they encourage dead works. Instead of inviting you to rest in the finished work of Christ, they force you to work. Instead of preaching the good news, they proclaim bad news, and the result is you are left anxious and insecure.

There are hundreds of commentaries and study Bibles and most of them, I’m sad to say, are riddled with mixture. They have good bits, but they also preach dead works and condemnation. They mix medicine with poison leaving you sick and anxious.

Thankfully, there is a simple test to determine whether the commentary you are using ministers life or death.

—

Get answers to your questions about God and grace.

Check out the latest progress report for the Grace Commentary.

Want more? Check out the growing list of ebooks, classic sermons, bonus articles, and study notes found in Paul’s Library (Patreon).

Why do I Need a Bible Commentary?

by

“Why does anyone need a commentary to tell them what the Bible ‘really’ means?”

This question was put to me by someone on Facebook. It’s a fair question and it was followed by another:

“Isn’t God’s word clear enough on its own?”

The short answer is “no.” If the Bible was clear, we would all agree about everything in it and the church would be a shining beacon of peace and unity. If the Bible was clear, there wouldn’t be 40,000 denominations and we wouldn’t have 400 different English translations.

In truth, the Bible is clear; the problem lies with us. We don’t have the original manuscripts on which the Bible is based, and if we did, most of us would not be able to read them.

If the Bible seems unclear it is because our translations of it were written hundreds of years after the original texts in languages that did not exist at the time. Consequently, it’s easy to be confused by strange verses like this:

Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather. (Matthew 24:28)

Do you know what that verse means? Most people wouldn’t have a clue, and this makes them susceptible to bad teaching. “It’s about moral corruption and God’s judgment on America.” “Jesus will return like a vulture.” “It’s about the rise of false Christs who are like carrion.”

This vulture quote from Jesus has been used to justify all sorts of wacky end-times stuff. But a decent Bible commentary will examine the translation (Jesus wasn’t talking about vultures) and the context to reveal what Jesus really was talking about.

How commentaries help

A good Bible commentary helps us understand scriptures by providing the context. It’s the context that provides the meaning. Consider this verse:

Women should remain silent in the churches. (1 Corinthians 14:34)

Do you know what that verse means? Many people think they do, yet there is little agreement.

On the basis of this verse, some say women can’t preach or teach in church. Others say women can teach children, but not men. A few say that women should remain tight-lipped during church services.

Then there are those who swing the other way. Paul was a misogynist, they say. His words were for another time and place. Women couldn’t speak in church then but they can speak now. Which means we can dismiss any scripture we don’t like as “out of date” and “not for us.”

Which is the thin edge of a bad wedge.

The man who wrote this verse – the apostle Paul – would have shuddered to see how we misinterpret his words. Paul not only encouraged women to speak, teach, sing, and prophesy in church, he expected it (Rom. 12:6–7, 1 Cor. 12:7, 14:5, 31). He was no misogynist. He was a champion of equality who named and praised women leaders.

It’s easy to misread this verse if you don’t know the context. Read the verse in isolation and you’ll miss the meaning.

Why did Paul say women should remain silent? He didn’t. He was repeating a question put to him by the Corinthians (“Should women remain silent?”) before giving them an emphatic answer (“No!”).

The first letter to the Corinthians is full of questions and answers like this, as any good commentary will tell you.

Why do I need a Bible commentary?

A good commentary will help you make sense of the Bible. It will turn the lights on and make things clear. Like a key, it will unlock doors to insight and understanding.

But only if it’s a good commentary.

A good commentary is one that reveals the good news of God’s goodness. A good commentary uses the written word to reveal the Living Word.

The Bible is like no other book ever written. Its purpose is to reveal the Author to humanity, and it accomplishes this using a variety of literary forms (psalms, poems, prophecies, letters, histories, etc.). The whole Bible was written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Son of God and have life in his name (see John 20:31).

Like the Bible itself, a good commentary inspires you to believe in Jesus and experience life in fellowship with him. Sadly, many commentaries fail this test.

Instead of promoting faith, they encourage dead works. Instead of inviting you to rest in the finished work of Christ, they force you to work. Instead of preaching the good news, they proclaim bad news, and the result is you are left anxious and insecure.

There are hundreds of commentaries and study Bibles and most of them, I’m sad to say, are riddled with mixture. They have good bits, but they also preach dead works and condemnation. They mix medicine with poison leaving you sick and anxious.

Thankfully, there is a simple test to determine whether the commentary you are using ministers life or death.

—

Get answers to your questions about God and grace.

Check out the latest progress report for the Grace Commentary.

Want more? Check out the growing list of ebooks, classic sermons, bonus articles, and study notes found in Paul’s Library (Patreon).

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