Edited: 3/18/2008.

Introduction

§2 All believers in Yeshua (Jesus) come into the covenants of Israel. As branches in the tree of God's people, we learn to rest on the sabbath as a sign of the covenant. Coming into this aspect of God's will, however, does not come without some hardship. We are besieged on all sides, by family, by friends, and by theologians who do not really understand the Scriptures they carefully search. They do not appreciate our desire to obey God's laws and seek out our Abrahamic heritage.

Positive Commands

§3. The Scripture is clear about the relation of sin, righteousness, judgment and the Law, and what we are to do about it:

Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. 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 these things happen, whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 5:17-20).

And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before YHWH our Elohim, as he hath commanded us (Deut. 6:25).

Teach them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you (Matt. 28:20a).

Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them with the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before G-d. Therefore, outside the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be right in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. (Romans 3:19-20).

Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law (I John 3:4).

§4. Comment: These texts clearly show that it is a sin to violate the laws of God. One of these laws is the Sabbath commandment (Exodus 20:8-11). Because the Sabbath is a central sign between God and His people, the adversary has raised up a host of attacks upon it. You may have experienced some of these attacks.

Attacks Against the Commandments

§5. One of the most popular "sound bite" responses to the clear teaching that transgression of the Law is sin is a curt remark, "You are not under the Law," which is supposed to mean that the Law does not apply.

It is based upon poor translations of Romans 6:14-15 and some passages in Galatians, which we will explain shortly.

Compare Definitions

§6.

¹legalism: an attempt or need to keep the law to earn forgiveness for salvation.

²legalism: treating mere traditions as if they were true law.

³legalism: any attempt to keep the commandments.

Messianic Jew, David H. Stern, Ph.D., M. Div. therefore correctly renders Romans 6:14-15 using "legalism" in The Jewish New Testament:

    "For sin will not have authority over you; because you are not under legalism but under grace. Therefore, what conclusion should we reach? Let us go on sinning because we're not under legalism but under grace? Heaven forbid!"

§7. In other words, since we are not required to keep the law to earn forgiveness, shall we continue to sin by breaking the law? Of course not! Now, that the meaning of Romans 6:14-15 is clear, it is needful to demonstrate that this interpretation is based upon a true translation of the text. For we clearly have indicated that "you are not under law" is a false translation.

§8. The Greek word in the text mistranslated "law" is nomou, which is pronounced "nomoo," and is an inflection of nomoV (nomos). The primary meaning of nomos is explained in the Liddell and Scott Dictionary:

that which is in habitual practice, use or possession ... usage, custom

It is also defined in Bauer:

a rule, principle, norm

And in TDNT (a 12 vol. tome)

norm, order, custom, usage or tradition

§9 It is obvious to any scholar of Greek that nomos does not mean "law" in a primary sense. Rather, it means "norm." If a particular norm also happens to be a law, then nomos can describe a law, but it does not mean "law," as legislation. It means "the norm," the status quo, whatever is in habitual use, practice or belief. Nomos is the norm. Look again at how the dictionaries define it. These are first rate scholarly dictionaries. Believe them! They are a last bastion of truth about the Greek language that the anti-law religious world has not succeeded in erasing yet. We have the actual volumes (and others) for inspection if requested. So do most theological libraries.

§10 The correct translation is therefore: you are not under the norm but under grace. Dr. Stern's "legalism" is but an interpretation of the norm then being practiced. To this we add that the norm is whatever applies to the world in general. We, however, are not of the world, so the world's norm does not apply to us. The norm for the world is to be under judgment and condemnation. The norm for the world is to think that they have to earn forgiveness of sins by their works (this latter norm is not prescribed by Scripture). We are not under the norms of the world because we are in the kingdom of God, and we are under grace, which is the exception, and not the rule (norm).

Conclusion

§11 So we see that Paul is not preaching that the law does not apply. After all, he readily agrees that the Law is holy, just (right), and good, and that the knowledge of sin comes through the law. Why would he contradict himself by telling us we are free to sin by lawbreaking? If that were the case, then we can chop him out of the Bible, because God does not inspire contradictions. For God is not a man that he should lie. Thankfully, Paul was a righteous man.

Questions

§12

1. Someone finds out that you observe the Sabbath, and they say to you, "we're not under the law." What do you say?

2. You are accused of being saved by works. What do you say?

3. You are accused of mistranslating Paul. What do you say?

4. What is the scripture's definition of "righteousness"?

5. What is the scripture's definition of sin?

6. What are some of the norms of the world?

7. You want to provoke another believer to some good thinking on this subject. What are some good questions to ask him or her?

Answers: these are true intellectual answers, however, you will need to pray for the person, and the Spirit (Ruakh) will have to open their eyes to see your answer.  Remember a rejection of the answer does not mean the answer is inadequate.

§13

1. The true Bible (the Greek original) says "you are not under the norm," and part of the norm we are not under is the norm of lawbreaking which John said was a sin. I am a follower of Yeshua who did not come to abolish the law, not the man of lawlessness who is coming to deceive the world. The man of lawlessness will not love God, but we show our love for Yeshua by keeping his commandments.   Also we are not under the norm of judgment, although this norm is biblical and the Torah applies it to the unbeliever.   Having been forgiven in Messiah, however, we are under the exception to the 'norm' (nomos).

2. I am already saved through the atonement of Yeshua. I therefore do not need to be saved by works. The works I do because I show my love for God by keeping his commandments. For we are created in Yeshua the Messiah for the purpose of good works. 

3. If we mistranslate Paul, then the honest thing to do is to cut him out of the Bible, because the other translations make him contradict himself. However, we have good backing in the Greek dictionaries.

4. Doing the Commandments (Deut. 6:25).

5. Breaking the law (I John 3:4; Rom. 3:20b).

6. Judgment, sinning with a high hand, under a curse, deluded into thinking they need to earn forgiveness of sins.

7. How does the Bible define sin? How does the Bible define righteousness?