What is wrong with the Law of the Gentiles?
The Law of the Gentiles Conflicts with God’s instructions against Fables.
The Law of the Gentiles conflicts with the history revealed in Scripture!
The Law of the Gentiles Conflicts with God’s instructions against Fables.
As previously established in this study (Analysis), the "Law of the Gentile" is not revealed or mentioned in Scripture. This means it is of purely human origin. It is a fable! Fable is translated from the Greek word "muthos", Strongs number 3454. Zodhiates defines the meaning as: "Commonly rendered as a tale or a fable or that which is fabricated by the mind in contrast to reality. It is the word from which "mythology" is derived." This is truly a "Frankenstein" Law. Just as the story of "Frankenstein" was about a mad scientist who put together a monster from many different bodies, the originators of this law have cut parts from the two legitimate laws in our Scriptures and sewn together this monster from the pieces.
Fables are clearly condemned in Scripture and Christians are forbidden to develop, teach, believe, or accept fables and their authors. Fables are the source of disputes and damage Christians and the churches as well as our credibility among the unbeliever.
1 Tim 1:4 "nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than godly edification which is in faith." (NKJ)
1 Tim 4:7 "But reject profane and old wives' fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness."
2 Tim 4:3-4 "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables."
Titus 1:14 "not giving heed to Jewish fables and commandments of men who turn from the truth."
2 Pet 1:16 "For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty."
The "Law of the Gentile" conflicts with the history revealed in Scripture!
The "Law of the Gentiles" rewrites Bible history, incorporating into it an important and extensive universal law which has greater and predominate authority over the Law of Christ! This is clearly not the history presented by God himself concerning God, man, and the character and origins of law.
4114 B.C. to 1447 B.C. The history revealed in Genesis and the book of Job about laws, commandments, and ordinances reveals the opposite concepts. Instead of a universal law in which every individual is under the same laws and commands, God reveals a variety of custom made covenants which are quite different from each other and are limited to a single individual, a family, or tribe. The ordinances given to Adam and Eve (Gen 2:16-17) are very different from that given Abraham (Gen 12:1-4). The fact that there was no universal law but rather different laws for different people is what empowered Christ to be our High Priest today! The priesthood of Abraham was different then the one given to Melchizedek and this fact made possible the priesthood of Jesus (Hebrews 6:20-7:28)
Rather then the existence of an extensive body of law we see smaller, compact, stand-alone commands. The commands are so compact that the Scripture records that they were given orally and not in written form. A complex, extensive body of law requires a written record due to the limited and faulty memory of man. Look at the system God put in place for the Law of Moses. It was written, it was regularly reviewed by all the people, a school system to train children and professional scribes were established. No such system was required before Moses because no such body of law existed!
Remember, Genesis was written by Moses to record the history that came before. Job also deals with events after the flood but before Moses. Job is one of the oldest books in the Bible and it was not written to record laws but rather to record a special event!
1447 B.C. to 31 A.D. The history revealed in Exodus through the Gospel of John established the first universal, written law which is called, "The Law of Moses", "The Law", "The Law and the Prophets", etc.. According to the Scripture, God gave Moses an extensive body of law which was part of the everlasting covenant promised to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and Israel. It was a national law which governed all people both Jew and Gentile within Israel. It required all people who wished to serve God to be physically and spiritually bound to the nation of Israel. This law was in effect until Jesus died on the cross.
28 A.D. to present. The New Testament of Jesus Christ is revealed by Scripture to start with the preaching of John the Baptist in Luke 16:16. This covenant is a universal, written, exclusive body of law established by Jesus Christ and applies to all man (Jew and Gentile alike.)
Luke 16:16 "The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it.
(NKJ)
The Scripture often summarizes Bible history. In each summary the above information is confirmed. There are only two great universal covenants, the Law of Moses and the Gospel of Christ as confirmed in Hebrews chapters eight and nine. Of the two, only Jesus’ Gospel remains in force.
Heb 8:8-13
8 Because finding fault with them, He says: "Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah--9 "not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them, says the Lord. 10 "For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 11 "None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them. 12 "For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more." 13 In that He says, "A new covenant," He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away. (NKJ)
The Law of the Gentiles conflicts with the Scriptures teaching about the Gentiles not having a Law of their own before Jesus gave them the Gospel
The scripture teaches that the Gentiles were without God prior to Christ. The Law of the Gentiles claims the Gentiles have access to God. A law provides benefits as well as responsibilities. Ephesians the second chapter states the Gentiles did not have a connection to God and this is what made the Gospel so important. It saved the Gentiles who had no other hope. It is very clear that the Gentiles did not have their own God given law during the Mosic period.
Eph 2:11-13
11 Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh-- who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands-- 12 that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. (NKJ)
The Gentiles were
1. Aliens: (526 apallotrioo) to alienate, to estrange, to be shut out from one's fellowship and intimacy, to be non-participant:
2. Strangers (3581 xenos) - a foreigner, a stranger, without the knowledge of, without a share in
3. Without Hope or God
In Acts 14:8-18, Paul by inspiration states the Gentiles were doing what they wanted, not what God had directed.
Acts 14:16
16 "who in bygone generations allowed all nations to walk in their own ways.
In Romans the second chapter, God states that the Gentiles operated without the law. The law they followed was their own laws even if they were similar to Gods.
Rom 2:14-15
14 for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves, 15 who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them)
1. by Nature (phusis 5449) from phuo, "to bring forth, produce," signifies (a) "the nature" (i. e., the natural powers or constitution) of a person or thing (b) "origin, birth,"
2. Not having a law (by choice)- clear statement of fact : Not (3361 me) a primary particle of qualified negation (whereas 3756 expresses an absolute denial. 3361 indicates negation due to will, 3756 is negation due to fact. The Gentiles refused to have a law, not that God did not want to put them under one.
3. Are a Law to themselves- the laws they followed originated from themselves
4. Between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them- right and wrong were decided by the Gentiles and not by God.
The Law of the Gentiles conflicts with God’s teaching about exclusive nature of the Gospel and the Lord Jesus being the only Lawgiver.
The "Law of the Gentiles" claims to be the law all people are born under and Jesus Gospel a voluntary Law to escape sin after baptism. The Scriptures teach Jesus is the only Lawgiver and the Gospel the only law for this age.
Heb 1:1-2
1 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; (NKJ)
1. Before Jesus God spoke in differing times and ways by prophets.
2. In these Days God speaks through Jesus.
3. Jesus has inherited all things
This scripture establishes the nature of the Old Testament and the Gospel and the supreme authority of Christ. God does not speak to us today by an ancient unknown law of the Gentiles. Jesus has inherited all things including authority to rule men. It is blasphemous to teach Jesus rules only those who become Christians! The Bible clearly teaches Jesus has been given all power and authority. This means there is not a bit of authority left to any other or for any other law.
Matt 28:18-20
18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.
1. ALL Authority (1849 exousia)- 1) power of choice, liberty of doing as one pleases; the power of authority (influence) and of right (privilege); the power of rule or government (the power of him whose will and commands must be submitted to by others and obeyed)
2. "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you- what is a Christian to teach others? What Jesus has said and not the "Law of the Gentiles"
Eph 1:3
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,
1. The Bible teaches that every blessing from God resides in Jesus and his gospel. this leaves nothing the "Law of the Gentile" can do for mankind. It does not exist and cannot provide any benefit.
Eph 1:20-22
20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. 22 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, (NKJ)
1. Nothing that exists, whether it be a kingdom, country, or law; stands before Christ. The "Law of the Gentile" can not exist along side of Christ and the Gospel; especially in the manner attributed to it.
Isaiah 2:2-4 prophesied that Jesus would unite Jew and Gentile into one people. Isaiah 42:1-9 likewise prophesied that Jesus would give law to the Gentiles and enlighten them. The "Law of the Gentile" teaches a separation of the unbeliever from the Gospel until they become Christians. The Bible teaches all mankind are under the Gospel only. This restricting Jesus to a few is an old false teaching by Jehovah’s witness, Seventh Day Adventist, and Calvinist.I John 2:1-2
1 My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. (NKJ)
1. and not for ours only but also for the whole world- An absolute statement of the universal nature of Christ and his Gospel applying to Christian and Non-Christian alike.
Rom 1:16
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.
Rom 2:9
9 tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek;
Rom 2:11-12
11 For there is no partiality with God. 12 For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law
1. These scriptures with many others tell us those that are saved and those that are lost are uniformly judged. There are not special rules for anyone! No special law for the gentile or a special law for the Jew.
Jesus and His Gospel are the only Judge for all mankind since the Gospel was established. People will not be lost because they violated the ‘Law of the Gentile’. This "Law of the Gentile" doctrine states people are lost because of the violations to the Law of the Gentile and people are saved by the power of the Gospel. The Bible teaches they are lost for disobeying Jesus and his Gospel and saved for obeying Christ and his Gospel.
John 12:47-48
47 "And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. 48 "He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him-- the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day. (NKJ)
Acts 17:30-31
30 "Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, 31 "because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead." (NKJ)
II Thessalonians 1:7-8
7 and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, 8 in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. (NKJ)
What is wrong with this doctrine? Everything! This is blasphemy against Jesus himself and the Gospel which leads to salvation.
1. History and Development of this Doctrine
3. What is wrong with this Doctrine
5. Homer Hailey and this Doctrine