Paul ~ Inventing a new saviour, page 84

Originally posted by justamomma
So, did Paul help to invent a new savior? And what would be the reason? I say yes to the first and the reason? Well, that will be up to individual interpretations I suppose.

Rom 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.

Firstly, I'll mention an article that I wrote back in 2005 called Righteous Sumission vs Zealous Obedience to Principle, which will go into a whole lot more detail than what I say here.

Now, I am sure the argument will be that “the end of the law” means that he is the “sum” of the law, as I have heard, but yet Jesus (as we are told of him in the Bible) shows that this in not what is meant. Remember, Deut 26:16 says “This day the LORD thy God hath commanded thee to do these statutes and judgments: thou shalt therefore keep and do them with all thine heart, and with all thy soul.”

I have never heard a Christian theologian interprate "end of the law", as "sum of the law". The word "end", here is translated from the Greek word telos. WE Vine described this word by saying:

Vines Expository Dictionary Of Old And New Testament Words
..."the final issue or result" of a state or process, e.g., Lu. 1:33; in Ro. 10:4, Christ is described as "the end of the Law unto righteousness to everyone that believeth;" this is best explained by Ga. 3:23-26 ... the following more expecially point to the issue or fate of a thing. (underlined emphasis added)

The point isn't one of the law "terminating", as this would contradict Yeshua's words:

Matthew 5:17-18
17Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
18 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 be fulfilled.

Paul's point is that Meshiach came to fulfill the law, by meeting it's obligations. Friend, you meantion the Torah, but do you keep the opening statements of Leviticus:

Leviticus 1:1-4
1 And the LORD called unto Moses, and spake unto him out of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying,
2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any man of you bring an offering unto the LORD, ye shall bring your offering of the cattle, even of the herd, and of the flock.
3 If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD.
4 And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.

These statements, and those after them, are the basis of the burnt offering, which it turn is the basis of every sin offering. If you have broken the commandments, you are requied to sacrifce for atonement. The sacrifice required an identification with it, by laying on of hands. Catch is, the sacrifice is only valid in the Temple, and it was leveled in 80AD. Another possibilty is that you can run into the Temple, and hold onto the horn of the altar, which has the same problem attached.

Meshiach's death fulfilled the Law, in that His was a perfect sacrifice, as the "Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world", prophecied Johannan bar Zacharias (ie, John the Baptist). Likewise one must identify with him in order to receive the benefit.

(to be continued...)