About Jesus Steve Sweetman
The Law Was Nailed To The Cross
In Col. 2:11 Paul says, "in Him (Jesus) we were all circumcised…" Circumcision is another Old Testament type or shadow which has a New Testament reality. No longer does a baby boy’s circumcision have any spiritual significance. I’m sure Abraham would have preferred living in New Testament times in this respect, don’t your think?
Circumcision is now a matter of the heart because the intent of the New Testament is to get to the core of who we are. In general terms the Old Testament dealt more with the outward man while the New Testament deals more with the inner man, thus one reason why we have the Holy Spirit.
In Col. 2:16 Paul also says, "do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of things that were to come; the reality however is found in Christ". Note the words "shadow" and "reality", words that I’ve been using all along. Paul confirms what I’ve been saying by giving more examples of shadows found in the Law that have their New Testament reality in Jesus.
So what happened to these Old Testament rules? In Col. 2:13 and 14 Paul says, "… He (God) forgave us our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations … He took it away, nailing it to the cross". Did you know that the death of Jesus wasn’t the only death that took place on the cross? The rules of the Law died with Jesus, but the Law didn’t rise from the dead. It stayed dead.
Paul clearly says that the code, meaning the Law, has been cancelled and taken out of the way because it was nailed to the cross. If the Law died on the cross and was subsequently cancelled, it’s clear that it means something altogether different to us than what it meant to Israel. So when understanding and interpreting the books of the Law and anything associated with them, we need to think in terms of this New Testament reality. We don’t interpret the Law as if we were Old Testament Jews.