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Originally Posted by shazeep

my position is that they are misinterpreted, to serve an agenda--or by all means, post one, and we will explore it, i have no problem with that. I may have skipped over one without realizing it? Sorry--the last one i remember you posting was 2John10 or 11, and we know where that went.

Find love and you will find the cross. Love comes first, as far as "our part" goes, too; the Apostles only had love, and it was "sufficient for them." The legal understanding, the NT, came later. If you preach any other doctrine, you are "not welcome."

Love does not come first as our part. God's love toward us comes first.

1 John 4:18-21 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. (19) We love him, because he first loved us. (20) If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? (21) And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

Shazeep, your explanation that love was a commandment before the cross in order for us to know we must love first so we will come to the cross is not found int he bible. Where did you get this concept?

The New Testament teaches why the law said what it said

Look how Paul leads up to the purpose of the Law. We have to follow his context carefully.

Galatians 3:5 He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

Law is being contrasted from faith. Actually, works contrasted with faith.

Galatians 3:6-9 Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. (7) Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. (8) And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. (9) So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.

Letting this teach us, and not reading anything in to it, we learn Abraham's faith alone caused God to declare he was righteous. Paul explained it follows that everyone since then who likewise believes God takes their faith and not their works (no matter how much they love others) to grant them a gift of righteousness, not having worked for it, are children of Abraham.

This naturally tends to the question about Law's purpose.

So Paul then contrasts BLESSING with CURSING, a common contrast in the overall bible. He just said we are BLESSED with Abraham, and now he speaks of cursing.

Galatians 3:10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.

Paul just quoted a statement from Law to substantiate his claim. Law itself stated that you have to continue in Law, or in other words, successfully be able to obey it without failure, or else you are cursed.

Here's that verse:

Deuteronomy 27:26 Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them. And all the people shall say, Amen.

Then Paul quotes another verse from Law to show that Law itself witnessed that nobody can ever be justified by obeying anything the Law demands they obey.

Galatians 3:11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. 12 And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.

Habakkuk 2:4 is now his reference, from under the age of Law. The reason we rad the just shall live by faith is meant to say those who are just are that way because of faith. Paul was a spiritual genius! He knew the Law so well that he was able to use it to show that it actually indicated no one can be justified by works when Law encouraged people to do so. You might ask, "Why would God have a Law that encourages people to commit works if God knew the Law could never successfully see man do them?"

Paul gets to that.

He said Law is not of faith, because law again, itself, noted that you have to DO what it says to LIVE. "Living in them" this context means living a successful life for God and being connected to Him.

Another quote!

Leviticus 18:5 Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the LORD.

In other words, you shall be God's people if you keep His Laws. Paul points out this is impossible.

Paul said faith moves God to make you righteous and just. Obeying works of the Law to be righteous cannot happen, even though law encouraged that. And Law itself implied that in the verses Paul cited! Follow his reasoning?

So, overall, having established one is cursed under Law, he then informed them Jesus did something about that!

Galatians 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:

Another Old Testament quote from LAW!

Deuteronomy 21:23 His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God that thy land be not defiled, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.

Paul applied this to the cross of Jesus, and applied it spiritually. Moses meant the land is cursed and defiled if a hanged man is accursed and is not removed before sundown. But Paul applied that spiritually to say Jesus became cursed because he was hanged, as Law stated, and was made a curse FOR US. In other words, He took the penalty of being cursed that falls on everyone who is unable to successfully keep the Law of works. We were cursed for being unable to keep Law, so Jesus willingly made Himself a curse in our places to receive the penalty so we don't have to.

Why did Jesus become a curse for us?

That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

It was so that we would be BLESSED instead of being CURSED. This brings the blessing of Abraham on us instead of being deemed cursed by Law. And becoming blessed people allows the PROMISE GIVEN TO ABRAHAM TO COME TO US now, too! The blessing was meant for Abraham and HIS DESCENDANTS. And we BECOME a child of Abraham when we believe for righteousness instead of working good deeds, including loving one another, to be righteous.

Galatians 3:15-17 Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto. (16) Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. (17) And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.

Paul said any given covenant cannot be disqualified and made void if it's confirmed. That's ANY covenant. God made a covenant to Abraham about receiving promises. That covenant cannot be made void by any additional covenant that might follow. LAW was a second covenant after Abraham received his. LAW cannot cancel out Abraham's covenant. The PROMISE is still in effect even though a covenant came later, called Law, that urged righteousness by WORKS.

Galatians 3:18 For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.

Then Paul said the promise was in regards to an INHERITANCE Abraham's children would receive. And he said that inheritance promised to Abraham cannot come by Law. Law was a law of WORKS to become righteous. And a promise is not a PROMISE if we have to WORK FOR IT. If someone promises you something, your only obligation is to believe you will get it. You are not intended to start working to achieve it. It was promised to you. No works were mentioned! So Paul showed LAW was a totally different issue altogether than Abraham's covenant of Promise.

Bear with me.

Galatians 3:19 Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.

In other words, why, then, did God ever institute Law? Why did it come AFTER Abraham's covenant as an additional covenant? It was because God had to inform something to man about SINS. And he had to do that UNTIL Jesus, the Seed, would arrive when the inheritance of receiving the promise would be fulfilled.

What message did it relate to people about sins?

Galatians 3:20-22 Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one. (21) Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. (22) But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.

Does this mean Law is contradictory to promise? Nope. We must understand what a Law is. It's demands to be good. Think of our nation's laws. Law cannot give life to people because righteousness would have been achieved by lawkeepers if that were the case. Obviously Paul implied nobody was ever made righteous under Law. But why did Law come?

Paul called Law SCRIPTURE in verse 22. Law or scripture came ... AND HERE IS THE REASON..... to convince everyone that not one single human being is not without sin. THAT IS IT!

Law's purpose was to convince man that EVERYONE IS A SINNER.

God sent Israel the Law. From God, Himself! And He said they would live and have a relationship with God if they successfully kept it. DOING. WORKS. That's what it demanded for righteousness. Paul just proved no one could keep it, though. So why would God know nobody could keep it and yet give it to Israel, anyway? Paul said it was to PROVE SOMETHING TO MAN. It was to show man that HE CANNOT WORK HIS WAY TO HEAVEN. He can't succeed even if it's spelled out to him in a law of what TO DO, as far as works are concerned.

Then, AFTER 1,500 years of this LESSON, boom! Christ comes with a covenant of FAITH that was given to Abraham!

After having shown EVERYONE is a sinner, including the people of Israel whom God handpicked to have a law that outlined what TO DO TO BE RIGHTEOUS, then man is absolutely hopeless on his own. When Jesus came with the message of FAITH that was given to Abraham before Law, everyone would realize they could not work for righteousness, so they would accept the offer to BELIEVE instead in order to be righteous.

Paul then went on to say Israel was locked up in a prison of sorts under Law, like a schoolmaster, until Jesus came.

But the point is PAUL TAUGHT LAW'S PURPOSE was not to love so we could be led to God like you espoused (no offence intended), but to show us we cannot do enough good works to earn righteousness -- including loving one another. We need the route of righteousness being a GIFT!

I have no agenda. I am just responding to your thoughts according to what chapters like this teaches us.