The Law Has Been Abolished

“Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandment contained in ordinances, for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace” (Ephesians 2:15). This verse makes it clear that Jesus has abolished the law of commandments contained in ordinances, given to the Jews in the Old Testament. He fulfilled them and abolished them. The laws and commandments of the Old Testament are not directly relevant to the new creation in Christ Jesus. It is therefore wrong for us to live our lives trying to obey the Mosaic law.

Hebrews 7:12 is another verse that gives us an interesting light on this, “For the priesthood being changed there is made of necessity a change also of the law”. The Lord Jesus became our high priest in the New Testament, not in the order of the Aaronic or Levitical priesthood, but in the order of “Melchizedek” (Hebrews 7:17 and see also verse 21). This signifies an eternal priesthood, a new priesthood, headed by Jesus Christ, different from that which obtained in the Old Testament.

Now the importance of this is that Jesus has become our High Priest, not a high priest under the Sinaitic covenant. What we read in Hebrews 7:12 is that a change of priesthood automatically means a change of the law. Since the priesthood has been changed and Jesus Christ is now our High Priest in the New Testament, the law has also been changed. This is why Jesus said: “A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another” (John 13:34).

Love has replaced all the laws and ordinances in the Old Testament (Romans 13:8-10). “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment and the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets” (Matthew 22:37-40). This, however, does not mean that the Old Testament is not useful to us today: “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope” (Romans 15:4). The things written in the Old Testament have been written for our learning; let us now learn what it is to walk in love.

Bro Maxwell Choongo (Kasaka, Zambia)