The Voice of Elijah® July 1998 Newsletter

We Know the Law Is Holy. But What About the Commandment?

This is the first in a series of articles whose purpose is to explain what the Apostle Paul had in mind when he talked about “law” and “the Law.” It begins by looking into how Paul uses the term law in the Book of Romans and makes the obvious point that the logical corollary to that term is judgment, which is what Paul is talking about when he begins using the term law in Romans 2:12. The article explains the original meaning of the legal terms translated righteousness and justified before showing how Paul makes a precise distinction between “law” and “the law.” Along the way, it explains what he has in mind when he says “the death,” “the sin,” “the transgression,” “the gift,” and “the favor.”

Questions & Answers

The first answer in this column goes on to explain a bit more about Paul’s understanding of “the sin” and “the transgression” of Adam. It shows how that insight relates to what he says about the True Believer’s inheritance of the promised blessing in the Book of Galatians. The next answer explains how the parabolic imagery in The Apostolic Teaching describes the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as the Word of God. The response to the final question is a polite refusal to give advice concerning what anyone should or should not do.