Bible Readings for the Home Circle Part 112

Was faulty. Is a better covenant.

Was established upon the Is established upon the promises of the people. promises of G.o.d.

Had no mediator. Has a mediator.

Had no provision for the Provides for the forgiveness forgiveness of sins. of sins.

Under this, the law was Under this, the law is written written on tables of stone. in the heart.

Was of works. Is of grace.

Conditions: Obey and live; Conditions: Repent and be disobey and die. forgiven; believe and be saved.

_If._ If _ye_. If ye _will_. _I._ I _will_. I will _do_.

If ye will _do_.

If ye will do _all_. I will do _all_.

If ye will do all, _then_-ye I will do all, _and_-will be shall be My people, _and_ I your G.o.d, _and_ ye shall be My will be your G.o.d. people.

What Was Abolished By Christ

[Ill.u.s.tration.]

The Veil Rent In Twain. "Having abolished in His flesh ... the law ...

contained in ordinances." Eph. 2:15.

1. How did Christ's death on the cross affect the whole sacrificial system?

"After threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off.... And He shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and _in the midst of the week He shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease_." Dan. 9:26, 27.

2. What did Christ nail to His cross?

"Blotting out _the handwriting of ordinances_ that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, _nailing it to His cross_." Col. 2:14.

3. What did He thus abolish?

"Having abolished in His flesh the enmity, even _the law of commandments contained in ordinances_; for to make in Himself of twain one new man, so making peace; and that He might reconcile both unto G.o.d in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby." Eph. 2:15, 16.

4. To what did the ordinances pertain that were thus abolished?

"Let no man therefore judge you in _meat_, or in _drink_, or in respect of an _holy day_, or of the _new moon_, or of the _sabbath days: which are a shadow of things to come_; but the body is of Christ." Col. 2:16, 17.

5. From what statement do we learn that these ordinances related to the sacrificial system?

"For the law _having a shadow of good things to come_, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect." Heb. 10:1.

6. What occurred at the time of the crucifixion which indicated that the typical system had been taken away by Christ?

"And, behold, _the veil of the temple was rent in twain_ from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent." Matt. 27:51.

7. In what language is this clearly stated?

"Then said He, Lo, I come to do Thy will, O G.o.d. _He taketh away the first, that He may establish the second._" Heb. 10:9.

8. What is the first which He took away?

"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." Verse 8.

NOTES.-"He taketh away the first." The connection plainly indicates that what Christ took away was ceremonialism as expressed in the typical service of sacrifices and offerings, and that what He established, by giving Himself to do the will of G.o.d, was the experience of doing the will of G.o.d on the part of the believer. Thus He made possible the answer to the pet.i.tion which He taught His disciples, "Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven." Instead of abolis.h.i.+ng the moral law, Christ made such provision that every believer in Him may become a doer of that law.

"The word _first_ here refers to sacrifices and offerings. He takes _them_ away; that is, He shows that they are of no value in removing sin. He states their inefficacy, and declares His purpose to abolish them. '_That He may establish the second_'-to wit, the doing of the will of G.o.d.... If they had been efficacious, there would have been no need of His coming to make an atonement."-_Dr.

Albert Barnes, on Heb. 10:9._

9. In what statement to the woman at Jacob's well did Jesus intimate that the ceremonial system of wors.h.i.+p would be abolished?

"Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe Me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, wors.h.i.+p the Father." John 4:21.

NOTE.-The wors.h.i.+p of the Jews centered in the typical system, or ritual service, of the temple, "at Jerusalem," while the Samaritans had inst.i.tuted a rival service "in this mountain," Mt.

Gerizim. In His statement to the woman of Samaria, Jesus therefore indicated that the time was at hand when the whole typical system would be done away.

10. What test case arose in the time of the apostles over this question?

"And certain men which came down from Judea taught the brethren, and said, _Except ye be circ.u.mcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved_."

Acts 15:1.

11. What requirement was made by these teachers from Judea concerning the ceremonial law?

"Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, _Ye must be circ.u.mcised, and keep the law_: to whom we gave no such commandment."

Verse 24.

12. After conferring over this matter, what decision was reached by the apostles?

"For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things; _that ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication_: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well." Verses 28, 29.

13. What charge was made against Stephen concerning his att.i.tude toward the ceremonial law?

"And set up false witnesses, which said, This man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against _this holy place_, and _the law_: for we have heard him say, that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place, and shall _change the customs which Moses delivered us_." Acts 6:13, 14.

14. What similar charge was brought against the apostle Paul?

"This fellow persuadeth men to wors.h.i.+p G.o.d _contrary to the law_." Acts 18:13.

15. What statement did Paul make concerning his faith and manner of wors.h.i.+p?

"But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call _heresy_, so wors.h.i.+p I the G.o.d of my fathers, _believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets_." Acts 24:14.

NOTE.-The charge against Stephen and Paul was not based upon any violation of the moral law, but upon their teaching concerning the ceremonial law; and Paul's admission that he was guilty of what they called heresy meant simply that he differed from them as to the obligation to observe any longer the precepts of the law which was imposed upon them "until the time of reformation." The simple fact that such charges were preferred against these able exponents and teachers of the gospel shows that in their view the ceremonial law had been abolished by the death of Christ, and that, like the giving of the moral law at Sinai it was designed to lead men to Christ.