Why do you believe Paul taught, "Not by Works, but by Grace", when Jesus Christ didn't?
Why do you believe Pauls teachings on "Grace", are foundational teachings, when in the Gospel of Christ, Jesus never even said the word?
Its very important, especially in these days of globally excepted immorality, for all believers to discernibly understand why Paul taught it.
The reason...
Paul taught what he did about the Law, because the Jews never really grasped....why God had given them the Law. Paul used Abraham as his example, but the answer is in understanding why God never gave Noah, Abraham, Isaac nor Jacob, the same Laws...he had given to Abrahams children.
That's right....many do not realize it, but all these men were given Laws to follow. God commanded each one of these men to do something. The things God told to do...were Gods commandments.
(Genesis 26:5)
Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.
But Paul says...Abraham was not under the Law. This is true, but Paul was talking about the Ten Commandments. These men did not need to be given these moral Laws of God, because they loved him and because they loved him, they were already written on their hearts. Obviously...there were very few men like Noah, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob...else they would also be in the Bible. But why did God give Moses the Moral Law??
Well we must remember, the Children of Abraham were enslaved in Egypt for over 400 years. So these generations of children, did not even know God. And because they did not know God, they did not love God as their Father Abraham did. Read about their actions right out of the gate, immediately after they left Egypt. These folks couldn't even follow the simplest of Gods commandments. They were a very disobedient lot to be sure. So they needed discipline, discipline there forefathers did not require.
So how do you discipline the the disobedient?
You must exact punish for disobedience, for breaking the rules.
But what if there are no rules, no rules written on their hearts as there were with their forefathers?
This is why God put them under the Law of Moses. God had given their Forefathers commandments to keep, but they were never Under The Law.
outta time...talk more tomorrow
Gotta go...