Acts 15 calls it "the Law of Moses" yes
tbh i thought about it, and decided you might attack the phrase, saying it wasn't Moses who wrote the Law ((though we all know that)) and that it might steer off needless bickering by making it clear what we're talking about. i was not successful in that endeavour ;p
but "the Law of Moses" is the Law of a covenant ((re: Exodus 27:21, Exodus 31:7, Exodus 31:18, Numbers 1:53, Numbers 17:4, Leviticus 24:3, Deuteronomy 4:13, Deuteronomy 5:2, Deuteronomy 29:1, Psalm 78:10, Hosea 8:1, etc))
and that Covenant was certainly made at Sinai:
There are two Laws referenced in the Bible.
One Law was given to Abraham and again to Abraham's Children in Egypt when they cried out for reason of bondage.
Ex. 2:
23 And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage.
24 And God heard their groaning,
and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.
This Law, given to the Children of Israel, and the Strangers which sojourned among them, teaches how to Love God and how to Love our neighbor.
The other Law was given specifically to the Levites, Aaron and his sons. This Law was for the "administration of God's Laws, and contained sacrificial, ceremonial, "works" for the atonement of sins.
Paul speaks to this in Rom. 3.
27 Where
is boasting then? It is excluded.
By what law? of
works?
Nay:
but by the law of faith.
Here are examples of the "LAW of WORKS" performed by the Priesthood!!!
Ex. 27:
21 In the tabernacle of the congregation without the vail, which
is before the testimony,
Aaron and his sons shall order it from evening to morning before the LORD:
it shall be a statute for ever unto their generations
on the behalf of the children of Israel.
Num. 1:45 So were all those that were numbered of the children of Israel, by the house of their fathers, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war in Israel;
46 Even all they that were numbered were six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty.
47 But the Levites after the tribe of their fathers were not numbered among them.
48 For the LORD had spoken unto Moses, saying,
49 Only
thou shalt not number the tribe of Levi, neither take the sum of them among the children of Israel:
50 But thou shalt appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of testimony, and over all the vessels thereof, and over all things that belong to it: they shall bear the tabernacle, and all the vessels thereof; and they shall minister unto it, and shall encamp round about the tabernacle.
Law of Faith!!!
Ex. 20:1 And God spake all these words, saying,
2 I
am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt(Sin), out of the house of bondage.(Deception)
3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Two Laws,
one for the "Ministers of the Priest's Office" and
one for the Children of Israel. One shows how to Love God and how to Love our neighbor, One specifically for a single "tribe" of Israel to perform Priesthood duties "
On the Children of Israel's behalf", "until the Seed should Come".
The Word which became Flesh spoke of a time when the Priesthood would change.
Jer 31:33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD,
I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD:
for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.
This is speaking to 2 things here, How God's Word is administered, and how sins are forgiven. Both of these things were not part of God Laws for the People on how to love God and our neighbors, but Laws specifically given to the Levites.
God had His Laws from the foundation of the earth. He gave these Laws to Abraham, and again to his children in Egypt. Paul said He "ADDED" a Law that Abraham didn't have. Abraham didn't have the Levitical Priesthood, Levi wasn't even born yet. This Law, which pertained to how God's Laws are administered, and how sins were forgiven, were specific duties of the Priesthood. It was the "Priesthood" Jesus changed. "A Mediator of a better covenant". No more Levite Priests to filter God's Words, no more animals to sacrifice for the sin's of the people.
One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be slaves
(Galatians 4:24)
what's the context of this part of Galatians 4? what's the apostle writing by the breath of God about?
Tell me, you who want to be under the Law, are you not aware of what the Law says?
(Galatians 4:21)
These same Levite Priests didn't believe Jesus was the Messiah, so they didn't attribute Jer. 31 to Him. They continued to corrupt God's Word and push their version of the Levitical priesthoods "Works of the Law" for remission of sins. They did this to the New Converts on Acts 15, and to the Galatians.
2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
We are not arguing over mere "words" here. We are talking about a fundamental disagreement regarding the very foundation of the teaching of the Word which became Flesh.
Heb. 7:
5 And verily they that are of the
sons of Levi,
who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham:
11 If therefore perfection were
by the Levitical priesthood, (
for under it the people received the law,) what further need
was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron?
12 For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a
change also of the law.
13 For he of whom these things are spoken pertaineth to another tribe, of which no man gave attendance at the altar.
14 For
it is evident that
our Lord sprang out of Juda; of
which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood.
Heb. 8:
6 But now hath he obtained
a more excellent ministry, by how much also
he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.
7 For if that first
covenant had been faultless,
then should no place have been sought for the second.
8 For finding fault with them, (Levites Priests) he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord,
when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:
For Jesus to inherit the Priesthood and become our High Priest, this Law had to be changed to allow someone other than a Levite to perform the Priesthood duties,
Now Jesus is the High Priest, by His Blood we are forgiven our sins. No more "Works of the Law" for remission or justification of sins as Paul says in Romans 3.
But we are still required to Love God and Love each other as the Old Testament Commandments God gave to the people instructs.