>>212
And then see the verse in Proverbs. It isn't in disagreement, these observances themselves aren't considered worthless, but they are considered worthless, even an abomination without moral conduct.
>Oh there's more. It gives the power to death.
Nonsense.
<Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.
>Then why do you seek to be bound by it?
Again, because it's the Law that God wants his people to live, and it hasn't changed with the New Covenant. But it isn't eternal, it's a Law designed to govern a fallen people like us.
Faith is what saves us, and we can't work our way up to heaven because
>lo, I Paul do say to you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing; and I testify again to every man circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law; ye were freed from the Christ, ye who in law are declared righteous; from the grace ye fell away; for we by the Spirit, by faith, a hope of righteousness do wait for, for in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but faith through love working."
Again, this is talking about faith alone being what justifies you, not following the Law. It isn't saying however that the Law is bad.
Moreover, circumcision was added to the Covenant of Grace to confirm the promise made to Abraham. The Judaisers that Paul refers to considered such a practice mandatory, and this is what Paul is rebuking. And moreover, the practice itself is never removed (see Timothy) and the
>"if your righteousness may not abound above that of the scribes and Pharisees, ye may not enter to the reign of the heavens"
Has nothing to do with what I said. I'm saying that he's CORRECTING the Pharisees. I.e., this prideful idea that you can justify yourself by following the Law to the word. This includes what he said on the sermon of the mount, like committing adultery by the heart, etc., it's a condemnation of what the Pharisees believed the Law was.
>And then he goes talking how 'thou shalt not kill' isn't enough and so on. He is effectively correcting the Law - giving examples of what spirit of the Law is. You can either live by what Jesus says or by what letter of the Law says.
What nonsense. What Jesus meant on the sermon of the mount was to keep the Law in the heart, which includes not lusting upon women at all, not calling for any such murder at all, etc., not the literal interpretation that the Pharisees had and boasted about.
This is what the "Spirit of the Law" you talk of is, it is NOT a rejection of the Law, not one bit.
>>213