Timothy Jay Schwab who is The God Culture continues his foundations series with the law. What is the law? What is its purpose? Let's hear what Tim has to say.
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FOUNDATIONS: Week 14What Is the Law—Biblically?Key Texts:Deut 4 • Ps 19 • Ps 119 • Matt 5 • Rom 7 • 1 John 2:3–4WHAT IS THE LAW?The Law is not:a burdena curseor something abolishedBiblically, the Law is:Instruction. Direction. Truth.THE LAW DEFINES RIGHTEOUSNESSDeuteronomy 4The Law was given so that people would:livebe wisewalk rightlyPsalm 19“The law of YAHUAH is perfect, converting the soul…”Not temporary.Perfect.Psalm 119The longest chapter in Scripture—all devoted to one thing:His LawDescribed as:truthrighteousnessdelightlifeTHE LAW IN THE NEW TESTAMENTRomans 7:12“The law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.”Romans 7:22“I delight in the law of Elohim…”Paul did not abolish the Law. The Law of Sin and Death is never the Law of Moses or that of Life. They are opposites to Paul (Rom 7-8).He affirmed it.MESSIAH’S OWN WORDSMatthew 5:17–19“Think not that I am come to destroy the law…”He did not come to remove it.He came to fulfill and establish it.WHAT FULFILL DOES NOT MEANIt does NOT mean:abolishreplaceendIt means to complete and confirmHOW DO WE KNOW HIM?1 John 2:3–4“Hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments…”This is not optional.It is definition.A HARD TRUTH“He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar…”Strong words.But Scripture defines truth—not culture.THE PURPOSE OF THE LAWThe Law:reveals sindefines righteousnessguides lifereflects His characterWHAT THE LAW IS NOTThe Law does NOT save.Grace saves.But the Law shows:how the saved liveTHE RIGHT ORDERGrace → SalvationFaith → ResponseLaw → DirectionFOUNDATION TRUTHYou are not under the Law for salvation.But you are not lawless in salvation.FINAL WORDIf you love Him:you will walk in His ways (John 14:15)His Law is truth.His ways are life.Walk in them.Yah Bless.
As with Tim's other definitions this definition of the law is 100% Christless. The purpose of the law is not to be a guide on how to live nor does the law define righteousness. The puropse of the law is to lead us to Jesus Christ. Righteousness comes from Christ, not the law.
Galatians 3:21 Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.
22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.
23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
Galatians 2:21 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.
To discuss the law Biblically and omit the fact that the law leads to Jesus Christ is to not understand the law correctly. Likewise, even though Paul called the law holy and good, he also called it the ministration of death which has been done away with.
2 Corinthians 3:6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
7 But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away:
8 How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?
9 For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.
10 For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth.
11 For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.
Tim's definition of the law is wrong on every level. He quite literally wants to lead people away from Christ and back to the ministration of death.
Let's see what noted theologian Father Ted has to say about Tim's definition.
- The Law (Torah) is not a burden, a curse, or abolished.
- It is “perfect,” “holy,” “just,” “good,” “truth,” “righteousness,” “delight,” and “life.”
- Jesus did not come to destroy it but to “fulfill and establish it.”
- Keeping the commandments is how we know we know Him (1 John 2:3–4).
- Grace saves, but the Law shows “how the saved live.”
- The right order is: Grace → Salvation → Faith → Response → Law → Direction.
- He redefines “fulfill” to mean “continue and establish”Tim says Jesus came to “fulfill and establish” the Law, not abolish it.But when Jesus says “I have not come to abolish the Law or the Prophets but to fulfill them” (Matthew 5:17), He means He came to complete and bring to fruition everything the Law and Prophets pointed toward — namely, Himself.Tim turns “fulfill” into “keep doing it forever.” That’s not what the word means in context.
- He keeps the Law as the ongoing director of the Christian lifeThe post ends with: “Grace saves… but the Law shows how the saved live.”That sounds reasonable until you realize that in Tim’s dictionary “the Law” always means the full Mosaic Torah — Sabbath, feasts, dietary laws, etc. So the Christian life is still fundamentally defined by keeping the Old Covenant law.
- Christ is once again pushed to the sideIn a whole post about “What Is the Law?”, Jesus is mentioned only in passing (“Messiah’s own words”). The real hero of the post is the Law itself — its perfection, its enduring nature, its role as guide and director.The cross, the blood, justification by faith, and the finished work are nowhere to be found.
- He quietly contradicts PaulPaul says we are not under the Law (Romans 6:14, Galatians 3:23–25, 5:18).Tim says the Law still directs how the saved live.Paul says the Law was a tutor to bring us to Christ; once Christ has come, we are no longer under that tutor.Tim says the tutor is still in charge.
- Repentance = turning back to the Law
- Faith = obedience to the Law
- Grace = the power to keep the Law
- The Christian life = walking in the Law
That is not the gospel. That is a different gospel.The real biblical order
quietly, shaking his head
...Right, I’m off to read Romans 6 and 7 again and thank the Lord that we are not under law but under grace.
Go on, go on, go on — have a cuppa. You’re seeing the pattern clearly. Tim keeps dressing up the old covenant in new clothes, but it’s still the same heavy yoke. The gospel offers a much lighter one. Keep holding fast to the finished work. That’s where real freedom and direction are found.
