Lesson 1

Key Text:

“For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law,

these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves”

Romans 2:14

In most societies, various laws function at the same time. There can be general laws that apply to every-one and, simultaneously, local laws that prevail in one community but not in another.

In New Testament times, when a person used the common word for “law” (nomos in Greek, lex in Latin, and Torah in Hebrew), he or she could have been referring to any one of a number of laws. Often the only indicator as to the exact law being discussed was the context of the conversation. Thus, as we study this lessons, we’ll always need to keep the immediate context in mind in order to understand best what law is being discussed.

This lesson investigates the various laws that functioned in the community during the time of Christ and the early church.

We will study these various laws but only in the context of helping to set a foundation for the study of the law that will be the major focus of this quarter—God’s moral law, the Ten Commandments.

Jesus and the Apostles lived in

the 1st Century. Several kinds

of laws governed the Jewish

society in that time:

1. Human laws:

I. Roman Law.

II. Rabbinic Law.

2. Divine laws:

I. Civic Law.

II. Ceremonial Law.

III. The Moral Law.

“Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good.” (1 Peter 2:13-14)

Both Jesus and the Apostles taught that we should obey the human civil laws

(Roman Law in their case). Now, we shouldn’t obey if it is in conflict with the

divine Law.

The Roman Empire made a very strong legal system. Most of current civilized

legal systems are based on the Roman Law.

The Roman Law may help us in understanding some of the stories in the New

Testament. For example, the crucifixion (Mt. 27:26), Paul appealing to Caesar

(Acts 25:11) or Paul’s Roman citizenship (Acts 22:25)

1. Roman Law

Since the time of the early republic, the Romans recognized how important written laws were for the governance of society.

In fact, the system of constitutional law established by the Romans remains a foundation of the legal systems found in many of today’s

democratic societies. For the most part, Rome allowed vassal kingdoms to maintain their own customs, but all subjects were expected to obey imperial and

senatorial laws. Obviously, this included Joseph and Mary.

Roman law was concerned with order in society. As such, it not only addressed issues of government but also legislated behavior in the domestic arena. In addition to stipulating the procedures for selecting people to public office, Roman law also dealt with things such as adultery and master/slave relationships. Many of the social codes are similar to the ones found in the Old Testament and other societies.

KING HERODPlaced by the Romans

KING AGRIPAAnother king placed by the Romans

All attempts to understand the

culture in which the New Testament

books were composed must take into account the fact

that the Roman Empire formed the

political backdrop for the world in which Jesus and the early

church lived.

Many things taking place in the New Testament, from the death of Jesus to the imprisonment of Paul, make much better sense when we understand whatever we can about the environment of their times. Of course, one doesn’t need to be a scholar of Roman history in order to understand that which we need for salvation. However, when it is possible for us to obtain it, historical knowledge can indeed be helpful.

ROME

Reflection:

Despite the amazing providences of Mary’s pregnancy and the obvious hand of the Lord in it, these two people still obeyed the law of the land, which required them to leave their home, even

when Mary was quite far along in her pregnancy. Would it not have been better simply to have stayed home,

considering the extraordinary circumstances? What might their actions say to us about how we should relate

to civil law? Think how easy it would have been for them to have justified

not obeying

“not giving heed to Jewish fables and commandments of men who turn from the truth.” (Titus 1:14)

The Jewish people promised to keep

the 613 main laws they found in the

Pentateuch during the

intertestamental period.

The Pharisees accused Jesus of

transgressing “the Law” when

He healed on Sabbath day (John

9). But they were actually

accusing Him of transgressing

some of those rabbinical rules.

They also added innumerable rules

(rabbinical laws) which were written to

the Mishnáh and the Midrash.

“Remember the Law of Moses, My servant, which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments.” (Malachi 4:4)

The law of Moses or the Torah comprises

the first five books in the Bible—the

Pentateuch. The civil laws of Israel were

part of the Torah.

Those laws ruled the taxes in the Temple,

divorce, circumcision, the field system,

protection for poor people, witnesses…

The Roman Empire allowed the Jews to

keep using their own rules, always under

the Roman Law. Therefore, the Sanhedrin

could often pronounce sentence according

to the civil laws in the Torah.

Jewish societal law was founded upon the civil codes revealed in the five books of Moses. Because Moses was the author of the first five biblical books, the laws are referred to as the law of Moses. When God originally gave the laws to Moses,

He envisioned a state where He would be the head and the people would enforce His legal mandates. By the time of Jesus, the Jews were subject to Roman law. However, the Roman government allowed them to use Mosaic law in order to settle issues relating to their customs. Here is where the work of the Sanhedrin was especially important.

“It was symbolic for the present time in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make him who performed the service perfect in regard to the conscience—concerned only with foods and drinks, various washings, and fleshly ordinances imposed until the time of reformation.” (Hebrews 9:9-10)

The Ceremonial Law involves everything

related to the Sanctuary and Israel’s religious

festivals.

God instituted this Law to teach His plan of

Salvation. All rites and ceremonies

represented the ministry of Jesus Christ.

The Ceremonial Law was fulfilled in Christ, so

those rules are not mandatory for the

believer anymore.

Nevertheless, we can better understand

Jesus’ redeeming work by studying that Law.

“For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.” (James 2:10-11)

The Ten Commandments are the eternal

Moral Law. That is the basis of all laws.

Therefore, we must obey every law only

if it is in accord with the Ten

Commandments.

Jesus told us to keep the Commandments

(Mt. 19:16-19). The apostles also did

(Rom. 13:8-10)

Everyone must comply with the Moral

Law, even if he or she is not submitted to

the Roman, Rabbinic, Civil or Ceremonial

Law.

“He did not even then trust His precepts to the memory of a

people who were prone to forget His requirements, but

wrote them upon tables of stone. He would remove from

Israel all possibility of mingling heathen traditions with His

holy precepts, or of confounding His requirements with

human ordinances or customs. But He did not stop with

giving them the precepts of the Decalogue. The people had

shown themselves so easily led astray that He would leave no

door of temptation unguarded. Moses was commanded to

write, as God should bid him, judgments and laws giving

minute instruction as to what was required. These

directions relating to the duty of the people to God, to one

another, and to the stranger were only the principles of the

Ten Commandments amplified and given in a specific

manner, that none need err. They were designed to guard the

sacredness of the ten precepts engraved on the tables of

stone.”

EGW (Patriarchs and Prophets, cp. 32, pg. 364)

CHRIST AND HIS

LAW

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