Jesus teaches, "I have come not to abolish (the Law of Moses), but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17)." What does Jesus mean by "fulfill?" To the degree that the Law's many regulations can be used in the service of the Golden Rule, they remain valid: "In everything do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the Law and the Prophets (Matthew 7:12)."
But to the degree that the Law of Moses fails to serve the Golden Rule, it no longer applies and needs correction. In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus repeatedly uses the phrase, "You have heard that it was said (often citing the Old Testament), but I say to you," to clarify these corrections. Paul takes this one step further by declaring, "Christ is the end of the Law [of Moses] for righteousness for everyone who believes (Romans 10:4)." From now on, the Law of Moses continues to be applicable only if it serves the Gospel of grace.
These points form the foundation of "progressive revelation." The reality of progressive revelation raises 2 issues that will be treated in my later posts: (1) How does Jesus justify negating specific teachings in the Pentateuch? (2) In what sense did God originally authorize the now obsolete revelation in the Pentateuch?
1. JESUS AND ST. PAUL ON SLAVERY
Jesus is crucified as a messianic radical and lacks the political power to implement His compassionate social program, which includes release from slavery:
"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me...He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives...to let the oppressed go free (Luke 4:18-19, quoting Isaiah 61:1-2)."
In its original meaning, the Lord's prayer calls for release from debt slavery as an act of gratitude for God's release of our debt incurred by our sin:
"And forgive us our debts, as we forgive [release] our debtors (Matthew 6:12; Luke 11:4)."
Jesus' point is illustrated in His parable about a slave whose great debt is forgiven: "And out of pity for him the lord of that slave released him and forgave that debt (Matthew 18:27)."
In the parable, the slave who has his debt cancelled is then punished because he refuses to release a fellow slave from a debt owed him.
Paul implements Jesus' anti-slavery position as best he can, but we must remember that Christians are a small persecuted group in the first century and lack the political power to fully implement their egalitarian Christian program. For Paul, baptism symbolizes our status as mini-Christs in the sense that we now all wear Christ like a garment. Among other things, this means the abolition of slavery as an inferior status and equal treatment in the church:
"As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek, slave or free, male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:27-28)."
The practical application of this teaching is demonstrated by Paul's letter to Philemon, the owner of the runaway slave, Onesimus. Paul needs to send Onesimus home in the hope that Philemon will grant him manumission from slavery, but there is a problem: Onesimus may have run away because he has wronged or stolen from Philemon, thus angering him enough to punish his slave. Paul wants Philemon to forgive his slave and offers to pay for any debt that Onesimus has incurred by stealing from him (Philemon 19). Paul appeals for Onesimus's manumission on the grounds that he has converted him and been well served by him while Paul is in prison:
"Perhaps this is the reason he [Onesimus] was separated from you for a while, so that you might have him back forever, no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, a beloved brother--especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord...Confident in your obedience, I am writing to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say (Philemon 15-16, 21)."
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But to the degree that the Law of Moses fails to serve the Golden Rule, it no longer applies and needs correction. In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus repeatedly uses the phrase, "You have heard that it was said (often citing the Old Testament), but I say to you," to clarify these corrections. Paul takes this one step further by declaring, "Christ is the end of the Law [of Moses] for righteousness for everyone who believes (Romans 10:4)." From now on, the Law of Moses continues to be applicable only if it serves the Gospel of grace.
These points form the foundation of "progressive revelation." The reality of progressive revelation raises 2 issues that will be treated in my later posts: (1) How does Jesus justify negating specific teachings in the Pentateuch? (2) In what sense did God originally authorize the now obsolete revelation in the Pentateuch?
1. JESUS AND ST. PAUL ON SLAVERY
Jesus is crucified as a messianic radical and lacks the political power to implement His compassionate social program, which includes release from slavery:
"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me...He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives...to let the oppressed go free (Luke 4:18-19, quoting Isaiah 61:1-2)."
In its original meaning, the Lord's prayer calls for release from debt slavery as an act of gratitude for God's release of our debt incurred by our sin:
"And forgive us our debts, as we forgive [release] our debtors (Matthew 6:12; Luke 11:4)."
Jesus' point is illustrated in His parable about a slave whose great debt is forgiven: "And out of pity for him the lord of that slave released him and forgave that debt (Matthew 18:27)."
In the parable, the slave who has his debt cancelled is then punished because he refuses to release a fellow slave from a debt owed him.
Paul implements Jesus' anti-slavery position as best he can, but we must remember that Christians are a small persecuted group in the first century and lack the political power to fully implement their egalitarian Christian program. For Paul, baptism symbolizes our status as mini-Christs in the sense that we now all wear Christ like a garment. Among other things, this means the abolition of slavery as an inferior status and equal treatment in the church:
"As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek, slave or free, male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:27-28)."
The practical application of this teaching is demonstrated by Paul's letter to Philemon, the owner of the runaway slave, Onesimus. Paul needs to send Onesimus home in the hope that Philemon will grant him manumission from slavery, but there is a problem: Onesimus may have run away because he has wronged or stolen from Philemon, thus angering him enough to punish his slave. Paul wants Philemon to forgive his slave and offers to pay for any debt that Onesimus has incurred by stealing from him (Philemon 19). Paul appeals for Onesimus's manumission on the grounds that he has converted him and been well served by him while Paul is in prison:
"Perhaps this is the reason he [Onesimus] was separated from you for a while, so that you might have him back forever, no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, a beloved brother--especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord...Confident in your obedience, I am writing to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say (Philemon 15-16, 21)."
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