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I made a note the other day when reading through Luke 16 during morning quite time about a set of verses that seemed at the time self-contradictory. I'm not sure what I was thinking then but I decided to note it down and move on for the time being. Here are the verses.
Lk 16:16–17 (ESV) -“The Law and the Prophets were until John; since then the good news of the kingdom of God is preached, and everyone forces his way into it.But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one dot of the Law to become void.
So, using some software (Logos Bible Software 4) to do some comparison and find the same teaching in the other gospels. I found these passages.
Mt 5:17–18 (ESV) -“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. 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.
I also looked at the KJV translations.
Lk 16:16–17 (KJV) -The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it. And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.
Mt 5:17–18 (KJV) -Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
You see my confusion lied in the verbiage. How could the law no longer be valid and yet at the same time be valid. Looking at this with fresh eyes I think I understand what this is actually saying.
The Law of the Prophets, aka Mosaic Law, aka The Law of Moses. This is the law of the Jews that God entered into covenant with via Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and finally solidified and wrote in stone with Moses. Here, I think Jesus is saying that that law was in effect until John the Baptist because John was the greatest and last of the prophets under the covenant with the Jews.
Ok, that is common understanding and it makes sense. But what is with the rest of it.
Lk 16:16 (ESV) -“... since then the good news of the kingdom of God is preached, and everyone forces his way into it.
This could alternately be read this way.
Lk 16:16 (ESV) -“... since then the good news of the kingdom of God is preached, and everyone is forcefully urged into it.
Jesus is the one preaching the good news of the kingdom at this time. Its good news about him and his eventual crucifixion and rise from death. Here I think he is saying, now God is giving the only way into the kingdom and it is through me. You are being forcefully urged into the ONLY way to be with God. Jesus fulfilled the Law of the Prophets by becoming the one perfect sacrifice such that the imperfect sacrifices of atonement were superseded by God's own son.
I think the second variation is the correct one myself. This is because we do not force our way into the kingdom of God, we accept the gift of the kingdom by believing in Jesus and making Him our master such that we are his bondsman, his servants and stewards. I'm going to have to highlight the variation in my bible, I think its important.
Labels: Quiet time
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