NOT UNDER LAW BUT UNDER GRACE
by
Eddie Chumney
Hebraic Heritage Ministries Int'l
Dear Mishpochah (family):
In this article, we are going to examine the statement
made by Paul, "... for ye are not under the law but under grace".
What was Paul saying when he made this
statement? Was he
having a discussion and comparing keeping the Torah verses not
keeping the Torah? Was Paul comparing and contrasting the Torah given
at
Messiah when He died on the tree? Was Paul discussing and teaching
how we are saved in Messiah? What is the meaning of Paul's statement,
"... for ye are not under the law but under grace".
THE MOST MISUNDERSTOOD VERSE IN THE NT
What is the #1 most misunderstood verse in the New
Testament? It is probably the statement made by Paul, "... for ye are not
under the law but under grace". How is this so? Why is this so? It is
because Christians DON'T read and study their Bible.
They only KNOW
parts of the Bible which they have HEARD while attending church. They
only KNOW what they have been TOLD to believe. They only know what
they have been TOLD to believe regarding the understanding and
interpretation of various Bible passages. But why?
Because the Bible
says that the people of YHVH are SHEEP. SHEEP are FOLLOWERS. Sheep
FOLLOW what other SHEEP DO.
MOST CHRISTIANS CAN QUOTE:
'...for ye are not under the law but under grace'
I started attending church when I around 5
years old. Since that
time, I have attended various churches. I have listened to hundreds
or thousands of sermons through tapes, radio or TV. I have been around
THOUSANDS of Christians during my lifetime. While most Christians
don't know their Bible very well, MOSTLY ALL Christians can quote to
you when having a discussion about following Torah and being a
believer in the Messiah: '...for ye are not under the law but under
grace.' Why are Christians so familiar with this verse? It is because
they have heard the verse quoted from their Chrisitan
leaders OVER
and OVER in emphasizing to them that a believer in the Messiah should
NOT follow Torah. But is this what Paul was teaching when he wrote
the verse? In this study, we will discover that this verse is being
quoted OVER and OVER by Christian leaders and the quote is taken OUT
OF CONTEXT.
MOST CHRISTIANS CAN'T TELL YOU THE CONTEXT OF THE VERSE:
'...for ye are not under the law but under grace'
Most Christians can't tell you where the verse, '...for ye
are not under the law but under grace' is in the Bible or the CONTEXT
of the verse. Therefore, let us examine the CONTEXT and teaching of
Paul regarding this verse. But first, let us examine Paul's teaching
in general about salvation in Messiah and the role of Torah in the
life of a believer in the Messiah.
SAVED BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH
Paul clearly teaches in the NT that our salvation in Messiah
is by grace through faith.
KJV Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through
faith; and that
not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
So, we are saved by grace through faith. We are NOT saved
by our own good merit or our own good works.
KJV Ephesians 2:9 Not of
works, lest any man should boast.
SAVED UNTO GOOD WORKS
Does our salvation by grace through faith mean that we
DON'T persue GOOD WORKS? The answer is that someone
saved in Messiah
WILL PERSUE GOOD WORKS. However, the GOOD WORKS DON'T SAVE them. GOOD
WORKS is a RESULT of being SAVED by GRACE through FAITH.
KJV Ephesians
JESUS unto GOOD WORKS, which God hath before ordained that we SHOULD
WALK in them.
KJV Matthew 5:16 Let your LIGHT so shine before MEN, that they may
SEE your GOOD WORKS, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
KJV Titus 3:7 That being JUSTIFIED BY his GRACE, we
should be made
heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
KJV Titus 3:8 This is a FAITHFUL SAYING, and these
things I will that
thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be
careful to MAINTAIN GOOD WORKS. These things are good and profitable
unto men.
KJV Hebrews
and to GOOD WORKS:
LIGHT SHINE = GOOD WORKS
Messiah taught that GOOD WORKS is associated with your LIGHT
shining.
KJV Matthew 5:16 Let your LIGHT so shine before MEN, that they may SEE
your GOOD WORKS, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
What is LIGHT?
TORAH / KEEPING COMMANDMENTS = LIGHT
KJV Proverbs
LIGHT; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:
KJV Isaiah 51:4 Hearken unto me, my people; and give ear unto me, O my
nation: for a TORAH shall proceed from me, and I will make my judgment
to rest for a LIGHT of the PEOPLE.
KJV Isaiah
according to this word, it is because there is NO LIGHT in them.
Therefore, when Messiah was saying, you are the
LIGHT of the
WORLD ... let them SEE your GOOD WORKS, He was telling those that
believed that He is the Messiah to FOLLOW TORAH.
TORAH / KEEPING COMMANDMENTS = HOW WE WALK
KJV Ephesians
unto GOOD WORKS, which God hath before ordained that we SHOULD WALK in
them.
We are to WALK in GOOD WORKS. "Walking" is a Hebrew idiom for
"following Torah". The Jewish people refer to the way in which you
seek to follow Torah is HALACHAH. HALACHAH comes from the Hebrew word
HALAK which means, "to walk". So, keeping
the commandments / Torah is
the WAY that one WALKS.
KJV Exodus 16:4 Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain
bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a
certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will WALK
in my TORAH, or no.
KJV Joshua 22:5 But take diligent heed to DO the COMMANDMENT and the
TORAH, which Moses the servant of the LORD charged you, to love the LORD
your God, and to WALK in all his WAYS, and to keep his commandments,
and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and with
all your soul.
KJV 1 Kings 2:3 And keep the charge of the LORD thy God, to WALK in his
WAYS, to KEEP his statutes, and his COMMANDMENTS, and his judgments,
and his testimonies, as it is WRITTEN in the TORAH of Moses, that thou
mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever
thou turnest
thyself:
KJV Psalm 78:10 They kept not the covenant of God,
and REFUSED to
WALK in his TORAH;
KJV Psalm 119:1 ALEPH. Blessed are the undefiled in
the way, who WALK
in the TORAH of the LORD.
KJV Jeremiah 26:4 And thou shalt
say unto them, Thus saith the LORD; If
ye will not hearken to me, to WALK in my TORAH, which I have set before
you,
KJV 1 John 2:4 He that saith, I know him, and
KEEPETH NOT his
COMMANDMENTS, is a LIAR, and the truth is not in him.
KJV 1 John 2:6 He that saith
he abideth in him ought himself also so
to WALK (follow Torah), even as HE (Messiah) WALKED (follow Torah)
PAUL TAUGHT: .SAVED BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH
KJV Romans
FAITH WITHOUT the DEEDS (trusting in your OWN GOOD WORKS) of the law.
KJV Romans
CIRCUMCISION (Jew) by FAITH, and UNCIRCUMCISION (non-Jew) through FAITH.
PAUL TAUGHT: SAVED BY FAITH TO KEEP TORAH
KJV Romans
FORBID: yea, we ESTABLISH the TORAH.
Ever since I was five years old, I don't think
that I EVER
remember anyone in church, radio or TV quote Paul's teaching of
Romans 3:31: 'Do we make void the Torah through faith? God forbid, we
ESTABLISH the TORAH'.
However, I have heard THOUSANDS of TIMES:
'...for ye are not under the law but under grace'
If Paul taught in Romans
through FAITH (Romans
If Paul taught in Ephesians
GRACE through FAITH (Ephesians 2:8-9) that we are CREATED unto
MESSIAH to do GOOD WORKS ....
Then how do we think that Paul taught differently quoting the
verse, ' ..for ye are not under the law but under
grace' ???
It is because we have taken the verse, ' ..for ye are not
under the law but under grace' OUT OF CONTEXT and have TWISTED the
teachings of Paul.
UNLEARNED = TWIST THE TEACHINGS OF PAUL
Peter wrote that:
KJV 2 Peter 3:15 And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is
salvation; even as our beloved brother PAUL also according to the
WISDOM given unto him hath written unto you;
KJV 2 Peter 3:16 As also in ALL his EPISTLES,
speaking in them of these
things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they
that are UNLEARNED and unstable TWIST, as they do also the other
scriptures, unto their own destruction.
WHO ARE THE UNLEARNED?
The unlearned don't know or follow Torah. The learned follow
Torah.
KJV Deuteronomy 31:12 Gather the people together, men, and women, and
children, and thy stranger that is within thy gates, that they may
hear, and that they may LEARN, and fear the LORD your God, and
OBSERVE to do all the words of this LAW:
KJV Psalm 119:7 I will praise thee with uprightness of heart, when I
shall have LEARNED thy righteous JUDGMENTS.
Peter said that those who are "unlearned" (dont'
follow
Torah) TWIST the teaching of Paul. How? It is because there is a
TERMINOLOGY to understanding TORAH like:
#1) Wisdom = Walking in Torah
#2) Light = Walking in Torah
#3) Truth = Walking in Torah
The UNLEARNED won't recognize the 'coded' words
used by the
Messiah or by Paul in the way in which they teach Torah.
MESSIAH SPOKE IN PARABLES SO UNLEARNED WON'T UNDERSTAND
KJV Matthew
speakest thou unto them in parables?
A 'parable' is a CODED message.
The TORAH is taught as a PARABLE.
KJV Psalm 78:1 {Maschil of Asaph.} Give EAR, O my people, to my TORAH:
incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
KJV Psalm 78:2 I will OPEN my MOUTH in a PARABLE: I will utter dark
sayings of old:
Messiah taught in PARABLES (coded Torah language).
KJV Matthew
unto you to know the MYSTERIES of the kingdom of heaven, but to them
it is not given.
The word, 'mystery' is a CODED Torah understanding. There are
four primary levels to interpreting Torah.
#1) Peshat: Literal
#2) Ramez: Allusion. One Scripture alluding to
another Scripture
#3) Derash: Homiletical.
Parables
#4) Sod: Deeper 'hidden' meaning of a Torah text. The 'hidden'
meaning is the HEART (true meaning) of the TORAH
Messiah said that the 'Mystery' (SOD) level of Torah is given to
His disciples (those that follow Torah). Those who are 'unlearned'
(don't follow or understand Torah) won't understand the 'hidden'
teachings of the Messiah.
KJV Matthew 13:12 For whosoever hath (seeks to follow Torah), to him
shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: (more Torah
knowledge) but whosoever hath not (doesn't follow Torah), from him shall be
taken away (his knowledge of the Bible will be so basic that they
have trouble understanding the BASIC things like a believer in YHVH
through Messiah will follow Torah) even that he hath.
KJV Matthew
seeing SEE NOT; and hearing they HEAR NOT, neither do they understand.
LITERAL AND REDEEMED JACOB IS BLIND
Who sees and sees not? Who hears (tries to follow the ways of
YHVH) and hears not? It is the LITERAL house of Jacob (whom we
recognize today as JEWS) and the REDEEMED house of Jacob (whom we
recongnize as CHRISTIANS).
Messiah rules over a REDEEMED house of Jacob.
KJV Luke
of his kingdom there shall be no end.
Why does the LITERAL house of Jacob and the
REDEEMED house of
Jacob see but see not and hear but hear not? It is because the
LITERAL house of Jacob have walked away from the
LIVING TORAH
(Messiah) and the REDEEMED house of Jacob have walked away from the
WRITTEN TORAH.
KJV Isaiah 42:18 Hear, ye DEAF; and look, ye BLIND, that ye may see.
KJV Isaiah 42:19 Who is BLIND, but MY SERVANT? or deaf, as my
messenger that I sent? who is blind as he that is
perfect, and BLIND
as the LORD'S SERVANT?
KJV Isaiah 42:20 SEEING many things, but thou OBSERVE NOT;
OPENING
the EARS, but he HEARETH NOT.
KJV Isaiah 42:24 Who gave JACOB for a spoil, and
did not the LORD, he against whom we have sinned? for they would NOT
WALK in his WAYS, neither were they obedient unto his TORAH.
So, Messiah spoke in parables so that those who
follow Torah
will understand what He taught and increase in their Torah knowledge.
Those who don't follow Torah won't understand the teachings of the
Messiah.
UNLEARNED TWIST TO THEIR OWN DESTRUCTION
What is the DESTRUCTION of the UNLEARNED (those that don't
follow Torah in Messiah) ??? They are LEAST in the
Kingdom or they
are NOT the Bride of Messiah.
KJV Matthew 5:19 Whosoever therefore shall
BREAK one of these LEAST
COMMANDMENTS, and shall TEACH MEN so, he shall be called the LEAST in
the KINGDOM of heaven: but whosoever shall DO and TEACH them, the same
shall be called GREAT in the KINGDOM of heaven.
PAUL WAS GIVEN WISDOM = KNOWLEDGE OF TORAH
KJV 2 Peter 3:15 And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is
salvation; even as our beloved brother PAUL also according to the
WISDOM given unto him hath written unto you;
What is this WISDOM which Paul was given? It is the
KNOWLEDGE of TORAH and the desire to FOLLOW TORAH.
KJV Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed for LACK of
KNOWLEDGE: because
thou hast REJECTED KNOWLEDGE, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt
be no priest to me: seeing thou hast FORGOTTEN the TORAH of thy God, I
will also forget thy children.
KJV Malachi 2:7 For the priest's lips should KEEP
KNOWLEDGE, and they
should SEEK the TORAH at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the LORD
of hosts.
KJV 1 Chronicles
UNDERSTANDING, and give thee charge concerning
mayest KEEP the TORAH of the LORD thy God.
KJV Psalm 111:10 The fear of the LORD is the
beginning of WISDOM: a
good understanding have all they that DO his COMMANDMENTS: his praise
endureth for ever.
KJV Deuteronomy 4:5 Behold, I have taught you STATUTES and JUDGMENTS,
even as the LORD my God commanded me, that ye should DO so in the land
whither ye go to possess it.
KJV Deuteronomy 4:6 KEEP therefore and DO them; for this is your
WISDOM and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall
hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise
and understanding people.
WHAT DID PETER SAY?
Peter said that Paul was given WISDOM (knowledge of Torah) by
God and those who are UNLEARNED (don't know Torah) TWIST (wrongly
interpret) the teaching of Paul to their OWN DESTRUCTION (keep them
from receiving blessings from YHVH for DOING His commandments thus
being GREAT in the Kingdom.)
KJV 2 Peter 3:15 And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is
salvation; even as our beloved brother PAUL also according to the
WISDOM given unto him hath written unto you;
KJV 2 Peter 3:16 As also in ALL his EPISTLES,
speaking in them of
these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which
they that are UNLEARNED and unstable TWIST, as they do also the other
scriptures, unto their own destruction.
WHAT DID PAUL MEAN WHEN HE SAID
'...for ye are not under the law but under grace'
So based upon what has been written in this article so far,
what really did Paul mean when he said, '...for ye are not under
the law but under grace' ??? To begin with, we need to
read this
verse in CONTEXT. This verse is found in Romans 6:14.
KJV Romans
not under the law, but under grace.
So, if this is the 14th verse of Romans 6 what is the CONTEXT?
What is said in Romans 6:1-13 which forms the CONTEXT of Romans 6:14?
Let's now examine Romans 6:1-14.
KJV Romans 6:1 What shall we say then? Shall we
continue in sin, that
grace may abound?
Paul begins by asking a question. Should we SIN so that GRACE
may abound? Before we can understand Paul's question, we need to
understand the definition of sin.
KJV 1 John 3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law:
for sin is the transgression of the law.
So,
grace may abound?
Does it make sense that MESSIAH FORGAVE us of our SIN = BREAKING
THE COMMANDMENTS so that we can SIN (NOT follow His commandments) ??
Well, Paul has an answer to that question.
KJV Romans 6:2 GOD FORBID. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live
any longer therein?
Paul's answer to this question was: JUST SAY NO!
Shall we purposely SIN = BREAK THE COMMANDMENTS
so that we can
receive GRACE AFTER we are saved (Romans
FORGIVEN FROM SIN = DEAD TO SIN
KJV Romans 6:3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into
Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
Now, Paul begins to make an anology:
Dead to sin = Baptized unto death of Messiah = Died for our SINS
In other words, once we are FORGIVEN of our SIN through Messiah,
we are NOT to persue a LIFE of SIN (breaking the
Torah). Our desires
should be to seek to be a HOLY people and NOT persue
living a SINFUL
LIFE. In we seek to be a HOLY people, we are 'DEAD TO
SIN'.
Paul is equatiing being DEAD TO SIN with the DEATH
OF MESSIAH.
KJV Romans 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death:
that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the
Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
KJV Romans 6:5 For if we have been planted together
in the likeness of
his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
Since we are DEAD TO SIN which Paul is comparing to the DEATH
OF MESSIAH, we have been "raised up from the dead" (FORGIVEN OF OUR
SINS) so we should WALK in newness of life.
WALK is a Torah 'code' word for OBEYING TORAH.
So, Paul is saying that we have been FORGIVEN of our SINS for
the purpose of WALKING (obeying Torah) in NEWNESS OF LIFE.
KJV Romans 6:6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him,
that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not
serve sin.
KJV Romans 6:7 For he
that is dead is freed from sin.
OLD MAN = FLESH = CRUCIFIED = FORGIVEN BY MESSIAH
Paul is saying that now since we have a NEW HEART and have
REPENTED of our SINS and thus have our SINS FORGIVEN that the OLD MAN
or the FLESH who DESIRED to SIN should be CRUCIFIED so that we don't
SERVE the FLESH or SERVE SIN.
DEAD TO SIN = OLD MAN = FLESH = CRUCIFIED = DIED WITH MESSIAH
KJV Romans 6:8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we
believe that we shall
also live with him:
DEAD WITH CHRIST = SINS FORGIVEN = OLD MAN = CRUCIFIED
LIVE WITH CHRIST = WALK IN NEWNESS OF LIFE = FOLLOW TORAH
KJV Romans 6:9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no
more; death hath no more dominion over him.
KJV Romans
that he liveth, he liveth
unto God.
KJV Romans
unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
KJV Romans
ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
If the OLD MAN has been CRUCIFIED = DEATH OF MESSIAH then
NEW MAN = NEW HEART = FOLLOW TORAH then
the rebellious heart
to NOT follow Torah and wants to SIN shouldn't
have dominion (power) over us.
REBELLIOUS HEART = STONY HEART = NOT FOLLOW TORAH
KJV Zechariah
shoulder, and STOPPED their EARS, that they should NOT HEAR.
JV Zechariah
lest they should hear the law, and the words which the LORD of hosts
hath sent in his spirit by the former prophets:
NEW HEART = HOLY SPIRIT = SEEKS TO FOLLOW TORAH
KJV Ezekiel 36:26 A
NEW HEART also will I give you, and a NEW SPIRIT
will I put within you: and I will TAKE AWAY the STONEY HEART out of
your flesh, and I will give you an HEART of FLESH.
OLD MAN = FLESH = STONEY HEART = DEATH OF MESSIAH
KJV Ezekiel 36:27 And I will put MY SPIRIT within you, and cause you
to WALK in my statutes, and ye shall KEEP my judgments, and DO them.
NEW MAN = HEART OF FLESH = WALK IN NEWNESS OF LIFE = RESURRECTION
OF THE MESSIAH
KJV Romans
unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that
are ALIVE from the DEAD, and your members as INSTRUMENTS of
RIGHTEOUSNESS unto God.
SAVED BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH = DEAD TO SIN
NEW MAN = ALIVE FROM DEAD = RESURRECTION OF MESSAH
NEW MAN = ALIVE FROM DEAD = INSTRUMENT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
NEW MAN = ALIVE FROM DEAD = FOLLOW TORAH
NEW MAN = ALIVE FROM DEAD = GOOD WORKS
So, the CONTEXT of Romans 6:1-13 is that Paul is saying that a
believer in Messiah should NOT SIN (break the Torah commandments)
because that OLD MAN who desired to SIN has been CRUCIFIED with
Messiah so that the NEW MAN who has been FORGIVEN from his SINS
should WALK in NEWNESS of LIFE (follow Torah) and be an instrument of
righteousness (produce GOOD WORKS by following Torah).
Next, Paul says the FAMOUS VERSE:
KJV Romans
not under the law, but under grace.
KJV 1 John 3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law:
for sin is the transgression of the law.
SIN (breaking the commandments) shall NOT have dominion over you!
In Romans 6:14, Paul is saying (for those who are LEARNED in Torah)
that we should FOLLOW TORAH because SIN (breaking Torah) shall not
have dominion over you.
KJV Romans
not under the law, but under grace.
Under the law? What law is Paul talking about in
Romans 6:1-13?
The Torah? NO! He is talking about the LAW of SIN and
DEATH.
THE LAW of our FLESH that cause us to SIN shall NOT have dominion
over us because that OLD MAN has been CRUCIFIED with Messiah and by being
FORGIVEN of our SINS (breaking the Torah) YHVH has extended GRACE /
MERCY to us to allow our SINS to be FORGIVEN.
YHVH extends GRACE / MERCY to those that KEEP His commandments.
KJV Exodus 20:6 And shewing MERCY unto thousands
of them that love me,
and KEEP my COMMANDMENTS.
KJV Psalm 103:17 But the MERCY of the LORD is from EVERLASTING to
everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto
children's children;
KJV Psalm 103:18 To
such as KEEP his covenant, and to those that
REMEMBER his COMMANDMENTS to DO them.
WHAT WAS PAUL SAYING IN ROMANS
KJV Romans
not under the law, but under grace.
THE LAW of our FLESH that causes us to SIN shall NOT have dominion
over us because that OLD MAN has been CRUCIFIED with Messiah and being
FORGIVEN of our SINS (breaking the Torah) YHVH has extended GRACE /
MERCY to us to allow our SINS to be FORGIVEN.
Since GRACE / MERCY has been extended to us to
allow our SINS
to be FORGIVEN through Messiah dying on the tree, YHVH has given us
His MERCY / GRACE to those that LOVE HIM and WALK in HIS
COMMANDMENTS. Those who do so will produce GOOD WORKS.
GOOD WORKS (following Torah and being a LIGHT in a world of darkness)
is the FRUIT of someone FORGIVEN of their SINS and who DESIRES to
show our LOVE to YHVH through Messiah by KEEPING His commandments.
Those who choose to do so will be given MERCY / GRACE by YHVH as they
seek with all their heart to be OBEDIENT unto Him, KEEP His
commandments and produce GOOD WORKS (fruits of righteousness) for the
GLORY of HIS KINGDOM.
Messiah said:
KJV John
I pray that this teaching has been and will be a rich blessing
to you in your studies. PLEASE share this teaching with others.
May YHVH continue to bless you in your studies.
Eddie Chumney
Hebraic Heritage Ministries Int'l