Delight In The Law/Torah?
“For I delight in the law of God after the inward man” Romans 7:22
On the surface of things, I don’t think any believer would take exception with this statement made by Paul. It’s fairly innocuous. We get the general point.
However …
What did he really mean when he penned that? How would he explain it to a group of us sitting around the parchment as he laid it down?
And If you’re willing to think this through —
What part of the Law did Paul inwardly delight in?
Did he just mean he delighted in the Moral Law? Or perhaps only the Civil Law? How about the Ceremonial Law? A smidgen of all three combined? Did Paul even know about this nifty three-fold division of the Law that has been disseminated as fact?
While I’m at it :-)
Has anyone ever parsed out these supposed divisions into a neat little chart for us to see? But understand, I’m talking about … the whole Law, not just those parts that are easy to lay out and everyone can agree with.
Suppose someone was to propose said formatted power point, do you really think there would be unanimous consent to the divisions as laid out? — Me thinks I see a whole lot of new denominations popping up out of that mess.
So, I ask again, what part of the Law did Paul delight in after his inward man?
Moral
Civil - Judicial/Legal
Ceremonial
I want you to understand that this isn’t me, the Hebraic guy, trying to bust some chops here. I’m not all of a sudden thinking about this because I’m “Hebraic.” This is stuff I thought about, wrestled with, looooooong before the Hebraic mindset was ever a twinkle in my theological brain cells.
But, these are questions that must be considered. An honest attempt must be made to determine if our Theological Law Triunity of Moral, Civil, Ceremonial holds up … not theologically though, but Biblically.
Personally, I wonder if this three-fold division is so universally latched onto because it offers a neat, easy solution to circumvent the possibility of reaching unfavorable, uncomfortable and unwanted discoveries.
Why do I think that, you ask?
Because if this Theological Law Triunity doesn’t hold up in all the areas it’s said to … if even one thread starts to get pulled … what then?
For myself these days, I’m endeavoring the best I can to shed any and all theological biases I might have. I know that’s not completely possible but none-the-less that’s my heart’s desire.
I don’t care any longer about being “right.” I don’t worry that I might be “wrong.” I just want to know “what saith the Lord” — no matter where that may take me.
And along with all that, I no longer worry about having to admit I was wrong, may be wrong now, or may be potentially wrong in the future — about anything Biblical. Who cares? Why do we care? It’s not about us; it’s about God and His Word which is Truth.
We’re going to get things wrong along the way. But one thing I have noticed is that Christian/Hebraic people have a hard time saying two words: I’m wrong.
And, I’ve noticed it’s even harder for the guy behind the pulpit to admit that his theological hermeneutics has been off a little. I get it. What preacher wants to admit that?
BUT WE MUST … if and when necessary. We owe it to ourselves, others and most importantly to God to do no less.
If we expect the world to admit they are sinners in need of salvation, that is “wrong” … then we as God’s people need to admit when we’ve been “wrong.” We need to countenance the possibility that we don’t have everything hammered out theologically. And when that awareness hits us, man up and admit it.
I’ll go one further …
We, the preachers, need to lead the way in this.
That’s what happened in the Book of Joel.
God’s preachers were called to task and told to get down on their faces before a holy God and confess their sins. They had to lead the way if the people were ever going to shed their ways and come clean with God.
12 The vine is dried up, and the fig tree languisheth; the pomegranate tree, the palm tree also, and the apple tree, even all the trees of the field, are withered: because joy is withered away from the sons of men.
13 Gird yourselves, and lament, ye priests: howl, ye ministers of the altar: come, lie all night in sackcloth, ye ministers of my God: for the meat offering and the drink offering is withholden from the house of your God.
14 Sanctify ye a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the Lord your God, and cry unto the Lord,
15 Alas for the day! for the day of the Lord is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come. — Joel chapter 1.
So one day this preacher (me), having no idea where it may lead me, decided it was time to confront my theology.
Little did I know …
But here I am. Do I think I have it all “right” now? Nope. And you know what, I no longer feel that intense compulsion to persuade others to enter the journey I’ve embarked upon this past decade or so of my life.
What do I want to compel you to do then?
*Search the Scriptures for yourself.
*Ask yourself the hard, uncomfortable questions about what you believe and why.
*Challenge yourself to question your own beliefs with the Bible itself as your ONLY source.
*Don’t be afraid. Don’t think it’s unnecessary. Don’t just shrug it off as irrelevant to do so.
Come on, even Paul was challenged in what he taught. And if others challenged Paul, shouldn’t we at least challenge ourselves?
“These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things {which Paul had taught} were so.” Acts 17:11
With all that said …
Here’s a place to start challenging the theological legs you’re standing upon.
What did Paul mean when he said he delighted in the law of God after his inward man.
I’m warning you … don’t just ruminate in your mind as to what you think he meant.
SEARCH the Scriptures. Search Paul’s writings. Compare what you think he says in one part with what you think he means in another.
And then …
Get ready for a great journey of dismantling discovery.
{Next week (maybe): Four Messianic Movement Heresies}