I am glad to share an excellent article by my good friend Steven Baisden of Michigan. Steve is a minister and excellent student of the word. In this article he addresses a fundamental doctrine in the churches of Christ, and that is that the Law of Moses (supposedly) passed away at the Cross. Steve does an excellent job of debunking and falsifying that idea. Enjoy! (I will continue my series on Daniel 9 shortly, DKP)
The Passing of the Law of Moses – Guest Article By Steven Baisden
More sadness among my brethren:
Written in Aprx 63-64 AD; Heb 10:1 For the law having a shadow of the coming good things—not the very image of the matters, every year, by the same sacrifices that they offer continually, is never able to make perfect those coming near,
The old testament law was still THEN (AD 63-64) working, to bring the fulfillment of that old law. This means all the prophecies of that old law were not fulfilled when the writer of Hebrews wrote this. Jesus said till every jot and tittle (every bit without exception) of the old testament was fulfilled, then and only then (verily) could the Old Law would be done away (Mt 5:17-18).
This means, 1) The old law was still in force when Hebrews was written in AD 63-64. 2) All of its prophecies were not yet fulfilled. 3) The end of the old testament would be when it was completely fulfilled. 4) The New Testament was still being built, (obviously the Hebrew writer was just then giving the book of Hebrews). 5) Fulfillment of the Old Testament is CRUCIAL for the complete existence of the New Testament. 6) Fulfillment of the Old Testament (ALL OF IT) if not yet fulfilled demands that Christianity is still accompanied by an active, working, in force, Law of Moses, just as it was when Hebrews was written! Heb 8:13 “In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.”
The “sadness among my brethren” is they are still looking for Old Testament Prophecies to be fulfilled in our future. Things like the resurrection of the just and unjust (Dan 12:2). The Judgment of God to destroy the Heaven and Earth (Duet 31:29-32:45). The second coming of the Lord when all the nations would be judged (Zec 14:1-3). Etc.
In other words, my brethren, as sad as it may be, are exactly like the Jews, demanding physical actions from the Lord, not understanding the kingdom cometh not with observation! Not understanding that the words of Jesus were SPIRIT and life, NOT PHYSICAL and DEATH! They do not understand, for they know not what they do. Yet, just like the Jews, they will continue to crucify Jesus afresh, keeping Him in open shame, not knowing when the Old Testament would end and the New begin, keeping the world under the force of the old law still waiting for those things to happen (Heb 6:1-6).
Heb 10:7 Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.
Heb 10:8 Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law;
Heb 10:9 Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.
As it was written in the Old Testament, He (Jesus) still had to come to take away the first Testament so the He may then establish the New. Has this happened? If NOT, you are still keeping the Old Testament alive and working.
Written before the coming of Jesus (LK21:20-32) is Heb 10:37 “For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.” He was coming in a little while and was NOT delaying, He had to end the old to bring the New by His coming.
Be sure to get a copy of my book, The End of the Law: From Torah To Telos. This book contains a wealth of information on the passing of the Law and showing, just as Steve does in this article, that the Law did not pass at the cross!
