The Law being used as an idol
What if the Gospel simply means the New Testament and Law is the Old Testament? Unfortunately, that is an oversimplification. The biblical canon is to be received as a unified whole. The Gospel is itself the unifying principle. There was no “intention” to form a new Bible as the New Testament was being written. This was all realized later as churches kept and preserved letters they had received from various apostles. These letters became representative of what was the “apostle’s teaching” (Acts 2:42), but it was not canon. For all intents and purposes the canon of the first 300 years of Christianity was solely the Old Testament.
The Gospel was the mechanism that Christians used to distinguish how they read their Bibles. It gave the Christians a good reason to reinterpret the Law, and it gave them good reasons to look to the apostle’s teaching as having an elevated status in the forming Christian conscience. Thus, the Gospel was polymorphous in many ways. It was a message, a truth, a sermon, a word, and so on. We have seen how the Gospel has been used in many ways in the New Testament as the power of God to the interpretive model for all Christian understanding into Scripture. It was this understanding which was in play when the New Testament authors made comparisons between the Law and the Gospel. Modern Christian readers miss this point entirely, but when the Christians of the New Testament critique and revise the “Law” they are reinterpreting their own Scriptures according to what they believe God is doing among them. They are basically being liberal with the Bible.
Nowhere is this more clear then when we look at that verse we started with —1 Timothy 1:9-11, “We also know that law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious; for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, for adulterers and perverts, for slave traders and liars and perjurers — and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine that conforms to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.” This is not the only mention of “sound doctrine” in the Bible. It is actually mentioned again at the end of 1 Timothy where it says, “If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, he is conceited and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between men of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain” (6:3-5).
Consider that last part. What does he mean by “financial gain?” It is interesting how this is grouped with other qualifying phrases, like “unhealthy interest in controversies,” “conceited,” and “quarrels about words.” It makes me think of our modern culture war and how Christianity has become a cult of personality to fuel political agendas. This idea is clarified further in 2 Timothy. Sound doctrine can only be taken in faith and love (1:13), and those who deny it turn to many teachers and follow myths (4:3). These “myths” are nothing other then the Jewish Scriptures which is hinted at in Titus 1:9 and 1 Timothy 1:4. What these pastoral epistles are most likely referencing are the Jewish practice of Midrash and perhaps even the Oral Torah. This being the case, it is most likely the case that early Christians were in the midst of their own culture war between the pharisaical movement of Judaism and the Gospel movement in Christianity. Apparently, within the ranks of the Christian movement there were some who were threatening the Gospel by teaching the virtues of Phariseeism. Historically speaking, Pharisees were not the greedy hypocrites that the New Testament paints them to be. This is culture war speech designed to close ranks and consolidate power. In fact, within many early Jewish writings we find themes and topics very similar to New Testament writings.
The Christian Gospel streamlined Jewish spirituality in the first century and made it much easier to follow God; instead of having to learn all 613 mitzvoth and obey them according to the wisest teachers. The Gospel simply said to do good and love God (Acts 10:35). In many ways this “Gospel movement” during the first century caused the more conservative spiritualists to think that Christians were mere libertines and hedonists. It is interesting how the arguments really never change.
Titus 1 really lays all the cards on the table. It says, “He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it. For there are many rebellious people, mere talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision group. They must be silenced, because they are ruining whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach — and that for the sake of dishonest gain” (1:9-11). The mention of dishonest gain is in reference to Timothy’s warning for financial gain through godliness, and it names this group specifically as the “circumcision group.” It says that this group of people are rebellious and deceivers. But why?
Well in Acts 15 we see front and center this conflict coming to a head. This is the ultimate showdown in the New Testament between the religious authorities and the ragtag Christian believers. Here is the charge the circumcision group levies against the Christians, “Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved” (Acts 15:1), and “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses” (v.5). Their appeal comes by way of authority. In many ways this is done today by the pastors and leaders of Christianity who say that because the Bible says it then it must be so. Moses taught us something and it is law. That was there argument.
The fact that we have a New Testament means that this argument failed. That is the singular truth that every Christian must remember when they read their Bibles. To think otherwise invalidates the whole existence of the Gospel and the Gospel movement which inspired the writing of the New Testament.
The Bible being used for the Gospel
We have no clue on how to use the Bible today because we are still trying to use it like the “circumcision group” was using Mosaic Law. Those who champion Biblical authority so much pay little attention to what the Bible actually says of itself. For those who have 2 Timothy 3:16 memorized pummel me over the head by saying, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” Have you heard of Colossians 2:6-23?
So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. For in Christ all the fullness of the deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions. He has lost connection with the Head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow. Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.
I do not understand how anyone can read this portion of Scripture and still be a fundamentalist, or even an evangelical in the modern sense. The written code is canceled. What do you think that means for the Bible? Is it written? I love this passage from the New Testament. But it is certainly not alone. In Galatians 3 Paul says how those who observe the law are foolish and how they should all emasculate themselves! He goes as far to say that the Bible no longer applies to those who have faith, in relative terms. You can also pretty much read the whole book of Romans and conclude that Paul is arguing against the Bible of his day to champion the Gospel of Jesus. And let us not forget Hebrews 8:7-13 which says,
For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another. But God found fault with the people and said: “The time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they did not remain faithful to my covenant, and I turned away from them, declares the Lord. This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” By calling this covenant “new,” he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear.
The Bible will disappear. We will all follow our own conscience and in doing so we will know Jesus. This is what this passage is saying. Do you understand this, Christian? The first Christians actually wanted to be rid of the Bible! What right do we have to use their name to promote our own religious agenda for power and control? It is the Gospel which must be promoted, magnified, and glorified in everything. The Christian certainly has a right to his Bible, but it is only because of the Gospel and only for the Gospel that he is allowed to use it.
Now to him who is able to establish you by my Gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all nations might believe and obey him — to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen (Rom. 16:25-27).
