D5-2: Understanding What Paul Meant When He Told His Gentile Audience The Law Was Not Able To Save

Deuteronomy Chapter 5 is basically a reiteration of the 10 Commandments that were first introduced in the Book of Exodus.

However, since we’ve already studied the 10 Commandments in great detail, I’m only going to be focusing on certain topics that I feel are worthy of special attention.

There are three main points you need to understand when studying the 10 Commandments.

FIRST, the 10 Commandments are NOT really “commandments” but are 10 guiding principles and they serve as the foundation for the other 603 laws in the Torah.

SECOND, the first 4 commandments deal with mankind’s obligations to God and the remaining 6 of the commandments govern our relationships with men.

THIRD, nowhere in the 10 Commandments (nor anywhere else in the Law portion of the Torah for that matter) is the issue of salvation raised.

It’s necessary to talk about this a bit more because it’s precisely in this area where misunderstanding is the rule rather than the exception.

Here’s what you’ve got to understand.

The reason the Law doesn’t deal with salvation is because that was never its primary purpose or function.

Got it?

Here’s another thing you’ve got to understand.

The Israelites DID NOT TO LOOK TO THE LAW TO BE SAVED.

And the reason the Hebrews didn’t look to the Law for Salvation was because they well understood that salvation and obeying the Law were two different things.

In the New Testament, when we encounter Paul telling his gentile audience that the Law was not able to save, he was simply making the point that the Law was NOT an alternative to do what only the Messiah could accomplish.

Paul had to go out his way to explain this to the gentiles because they didn’t know any better.

Since Yeshua was a Jew AND…

…it is ONLY within the covenant that God made with the Jews…

…that Yeshua’s sacrifice carried any meaning at all…

…the gentiles had the mistaken tendency to imitate the Jews and…

…obey the outward rituals of the Law…

…thinking that such acts and behaviors brought them salvation.

Paul had to correct them and let them know that while obeying the commands of God was good and to be expected, it was NOT the same thing as salvation.

And the Hebrews in Moses time never equated Torah obedience to salvation either. 

They well knew that BEFORE they had ever received the Law they were ALREADY chosen and saved.

Remember God saved Israel from bondage (in Egypt) FIRST…

…and then AFTERWARDS gave them the Law…

…which they were expected to obey out of gratitude…

…for the salvation the Lord had accomplished for them.