Verse: Romans 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness, that everyone who believes may
be justified.
Read: Romans 10:1-4; Matthew 5:17-20; Galatians 3:23-29
Some people take “Christ is the end of the law” in Romans 10:4 and interpret it to mean that all of the
Old Testament has no value or relevance since the appearance of Jesus--as if the law ended and all of
YHWH’s former instructions are of no use any more. This is far from the truth of Scripture.
What then of all the gory details of Israel’s history?
1 Corinthians 10:1-7
I want you to know, brothers that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through
the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same
spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock
that followed them, and the Rock was Christ. Nevertheless, with most of them God was not
pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did. ESV
But Christ is the conclusion of the law.
Romans 10:4-6 (The Mirror Bible by Francois du Toit)
10:4 Christ is the conclusion of the law, everything the law required of man was fulfilled in him: he thus
represents the righteousness of the human race, based upon faith (and not personal performance).
10:5 Moses is the voice of the law; he says that a man’s life is only justified in his doing what the law
requires.
10:6 But faith finds its voice in something much closer to man than his most disciplined effort to obey
the law. Faith understands that Christ is no longer a distant promise; neither is he reduced to a mere
historic hero. He is mankind’s righteousness now! Christ is no longer hidden somewhere in the realm of
heaven as a future hope. For the Jews to continue to ask God to send Messiah is a waste of time! That is
not the language of faith.
Galatians 3:17 – 27 (The Mirror Bible by Francois du Toit)
3:17 This is my argument: God endorsed the covenant of promise in Christ 430 years before the law was
given. The law did not replace the promise! (God’s means of justifying humanity would always be by
faith in the promise and never by their own ability to keep moral laws.)
3:18 The law and the promise are not compatible: the one system nullifies the other. God gifts Abraham
with heir-ship by promise (and not by reward to his behavior)
3:19 So what is the use of the law then? It was an intermediary arrangement to make people aware of
the extent of their wrong doings and at the same time point them to the promise of a Redeemer, the
Messianic seed! It was given by angelic beings to Moses as the middleman.
3:20 With Abraham there was no middleman; it was just God! (The Mosaic law required mediators
because it was an arrangement mankind had a part and God had a part. Mankind’s part was to obey the
commandments and God’s part was to bless. God’s covenant with Abraham was a grace covenant; in the
man Jesus Christ, God himself would fulfil mankind’s part and therefore needed no mediator)
3:21 No, the law does not oppose God’s promise; is emphasizes the desperate need for a Redeemed to
release righteousness in man as his life; something the law would certainly not be capable of! Had it
been possible for man to be justifies by the law; the promise would be unnecessary. (“For if any kind of
rule-keeping had power to create life in us, we would certainly have gotten it by this time” Message_
Romans 5:6 “God’s timing was absolutely perfect; humanity was at their weakest when Christ
died their death – we were bankrupt in our efforts to save ourselves”)
3:22 Scripture concludes that all men without exemption are in the same predicament, they are
imprisoned to sin; now faith brings the promise of immediate release with everyone’s reach! Jesus
Christ makes it possible for all to believe what God believes concerning their righteousness and restores
innocence. (Jesus is the embodiment of God’s faith in man. The righteousness of God is now on display in
such a way that all may believe, regardless of who they are, there is no distinction. The same mass of
mankind that was once required to an inferior identity through there sin, is now gifted with acquittal on
the basis of the ransom paid by Jesus Christ for their liberation [Romans 3:22-24])
3:23 We were confined to the law, kept in custody to its constraining influence until the revelation of
faith would come to our rescue!
3:24 The law was acting just like a slave appointed to be the guardian of his master’s children, until they
would be of age to go to the proper school of Christ to find in faith their righteousness revealed and
endorsed.
3:25 Now that we have arrived at our destination, the prophetic road signs and pointers are of no
further use. Faith replaces the Custodian. Now that faith has come the law is no longer relevant.
3:26 What Jesus Christ believes to be true about you is the final confirmation of man’s redeemed
sonship. His faith is the only valid reference to your belief!
3:27 Whoever is immersed in Christ is fully clothed with him! He is your brand new wardrobe confirming
your sonship! (“Our own righteousness by doing the law compares to filthy rags!” [Isaiah 64:6])
Jesus introduces the new standard.
Matt 5:17-20
Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish
them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an
iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 Therefore whoever relaxes
one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least
in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the
kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and
Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. ESV
With this introduction, Jesus begins to describe the standard of righteousness that can only be
appropriated through Him. (Matthew 5:17- 6:34)
Anger is the same as murder.
Lust: even the thought of it equals the act itself.
Divorce is allowable only for sexual immorality.
Do not swear an oath on anything or anyone, let your simple yes be yes and your no be no.
Love your enemies as well as your friends; speak blessings on your enemies.
Do not brag about your gifts of mercy.
Do not display your fasting as religious righteousness.
Whatever you wish others would do to you, do it for them.
A tree is known by its fruit, the fruit of your life will demonstrate the conditions of your heart.
God sees your heart nothing is hidden, a good tree bears good fruit, a bad tree cannot.
It’s ironic that some people see the law as a grievous weight to bear and that we somehow get a sense
of relief that we are no longer “under” the law and have such a restrictive standard for our behavior. But
Jesus declares that our righteousness is to exceed that of the Jewish scholars.
All of the law (Torah) points to Jesus. Christ our Passover has come. He is not a distant example and He
is not an excuse for careless behavior. As we look to the Sabbath, let’s look for Him. Let’s look for the
reflection of who He is to help us identify with this new life that is already residing in us.
Christ is the fulfillment of Torah. He is the example of us as well as for us.
We can only find our Sabbath in His resurrection life. He is the end to which the Torah has brought us.
What is the Mirror Word by Francois du Toit?
Many words in previous translations have adopted meanings in time that distract from the original
thought. Individual words can greatly influence the interpretation of any conversation. The Mirror
assists the reader to create a direct comparison of words between two languages.
Jesus Christ is infinitely more than a historic Hero; He is both the mirror image of an invisible God, and at
the same time the reflection and blueprint of every person's original design. His life, death, and
resurrection represent the human race.
Francois is the author of The Mirror. Engaged in full-time ministry along with his wife Lydia DuToit,
Francois travels the world speaking and helping proclaim an important truth about our original identity.
Find out more here: http://www.mirrorbible.com/
Terms & Conditions
Subscribe
Report
My comments