Romans 11:5-6, “5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. 6 And if by grace, then is it no more of works: 👉otherwise grace is no more grace.👈 But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.”

This is very important to know and understand. If one adds the Law (the works of the Law) after the cross, then grace must be thrown out. Grace is no longer grace when Law is added! The finished atoning work of Jesus on the cross is clearly taught by Paul. If a group of Israelites (a remnant) that were alive in the first century were saved by grace, then it could never be by the Law. To say the Law continued after the cross in order to save anybody in AD 70 or anytime is blasphemy against what Jesus accomplished on the cross.

Romans 5:8-11, “8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, 👉being now justified by his blood,👈 we shall be saved from wrath through him. 10 For if, when we were enemies, 👉we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son,👈 much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. 11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom 👉we have now received the atonement.”👈

The Atonement was accomplished in full on the cross in the biological blood and biological body sacrifice of Jesus. The “saving” here is a “saving from wrath” and NOT a “being saved, redeemed, justified, and forgiven by God” – which already took place by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.

Some false teachers are teaching Christ came out of the heavenly Holy of Holies to deliver salvation to God’s people in AD 70 at his coming, appearing, and arrival (Christ’s “second coming” in AD 70 according to these false teachers). This insidious false teaching is called Covenant Eschatology Full Preterism. Mark and avoid these false teachers!

If the Law was in place after the cross – if it had standing – if is was effectual – like these false teachers say it was – then ALL OF THE LAW needed to be observed and obeyed. Paul knew this well – and he argued this. You can’t pick and choose what stays and what goes. If it had standing (it did not), then every first and last little precept needed to be observed and obeyed.

Paul rhetorically argued, “If you go about the LEAST of the Law, then you MUST go about the WHOLE of the Law.” Paul knew that the Mosaic Covenant and Law was finished on the cross, but he argued rhetorically – such as, “Oh! So ya wanna be under the Law do ya! Well then! Let’s look at what the Law really says! Because if ya wanna be under it, we’re going to really dig in here and see if you’re up for it ALL!” But Paul knew it was fulfilled and finished on the cross.

And the Law only ever pointed to the constant failure one would have if they were under it. It was “the ministry of death and condemnation” to Paul (2 Cor. 3). One then finds themselves to be a lawbreaker and worthy of the full penalty of the law. To break the least of the Law is to break the whole of Law and be a “lawbreaker”.

“What’s that? Ya want the dietary part of the Law only? Well now! You just obligated yourself to go about THE WHOLE of the Law!” Guess what?! Grace is no longer grace in this case! Ouch! Of course, many will argue this with all kinds of human reasoning!

Paul rhetorically argued this – even as he knew that the Mosaic Covenant and Law was made obsolete on the cross. Paul argues in Galatians that Jesus took the curse of the Law for Israelites upon himself on the cross. Paul argued on the behalf of all Israelites who thought the Law was still in place. Of course, very few would have tolerated such a teaching from Paul in the first century.

Galatians 3:13 “Christ hath redeemed us [Israelites who were once under it] from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:”

There was no curse of the Mosaic Covenant and Law that needed to play out after the cross! Jesus took the curse of the Law for every Jew upon himself on the cross in his biological blood and biological body sacrifice on the cross!

Jesus saying “It is finished!” right before he sacrificially died on the cross was NOT about Jesus’ fun and good times he had while on Earth being finished!

Galatians 3:13 “Christ hath redeemed us [Israelites who were once under it] from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:”

This redeeming that Paul teaches here already took place on the cross in the biological blood and body sacrifice of Jesus. It wasn’t a 40 year redeeming, forgiving, and saving process – like the false teachers in Covenant Eschatology Full Preterism teach. Paul knew this – and he was trying to get other Israelites to see it.

The whole Galatians letter that Paul wrote is super clear about the role of the Mosaic Covenant and Law. I studied this out 35 years ago and saw it plainly. Paul absolutely knew the Mosaic Covenant and Law was fulfilled, laid aside, made obsolete, done away with, and finished on the cross. It would definitely take a brainwashing technique with false teachings to miss this central theme of Paul in Galatians – and throughout all his letters!

Notice what Paul say here early on in his letter to the Galatains…

Galatians 2:15-18, “15 We who are Jews by nature, 👉and not sinners of the Gentiles,👈 16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. 17 But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, 👉we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin?👈 God forbid. 18 👉For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.”👈

Paul was a Jew – and not “one of THOSE people who are non-Jews who are sinners outside of being a Jew” (said pridefully). Paul’s argument is very clear here. He knew that he already turned to being justified by the faith of Jesus ALONE – and that the Law was done away with on the cross – and that he couldn’t turn back to the Law for justification. So he reasons in a rhetorical way for his hearers in his letter… “Well what if we Jews actually no longer have the Law and we are seeking to be justified by the faith of Jesus ALONE – and then we Jews are also found out to be sinners in the same way that non-Jews who are separate from the Law are sinners – does this make Jesus a promoter and administrator of sin towards us Jews?”

DON’T MISS THIS! There’s a lot being said in a few words here by Paul! He’s setting the stage for the rest of his letter right here! Paul is emphatically saying to fellow Jews, “If we DON’T have the Law any longer and we are justified ONLY by the faith of Jesus, does this mean that were are ALSO mere sinners like all the non-Jews who are sinners separate from the Law?”

Paul asks this rhetorical question to challenge his fellow Jews that would end up reading this letter that he sent to the Galatian believers. Of course Paul knew that his fellow Jewish readers would have questions! Paul was great at asking these rhetorical questions that were meant to challenge his fellow Jews! Such as… “Oh! Ya wanna obey the Law do ya?! Well, alrighty then! Let’s go deep with the Law and pick it apart and see what it really has to say for those who are in it and under it!” But Paul already knew that it was made obsolete on the cross!

Paul’s answer to his rhetorical question here is classic Paul!

“But if, while we [Jews] seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners [like the non-Jews], is therefore Christ the minister of sin?”

“GOD FORBID! FOR IF I BUILD AGAIN THE THINGS WHICH I DESTROYED, I MAKE MYSELF A TRANSGRESSOR!”

Paul 100% knew that if he went BACK TO THE LAW THAT WAS MADE OBSOLETE ON THE CROSS, he would take on the label that the Law gives to every Jew under it!

TRANSGRESSOR! GUITLY! SHAME! CONDEMNED! WORTHY OF THE FULL PENATLY OF THE LAW! THE DEATH SENTENCE!

And Paul already knew that he deconstructed out of the whole Law framework and system that once held him and the Jews in bondage.

Paul says the following in Romans 8 – as he was once again trying to convince his fellow Jews that the Mosaic Covenant and Law was fulfilled, done away with, made obsolete, and finished on the cross.

Romans 8:2-4, “2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from 👉the law of sin and death.👈 3 For 👉what the law could not do,👈 in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: 4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”

I’ll end with this… Later in Paul’s letter to the Galatians believers, Paul really drives home his point. When Paul mentions “the yoke of slavery” in Galatians 5, he’s referring directly to the Mosaic Covenant and Law. Pauls uses “circumcision” as a direct symbol for the Mosaic Covenant and Law. Paul rhetorically argues that if anybody wanted to go about any part of the law, they were obligated by the nature of the Law to go about THE WHOLE OF THE LAW – NO EXCEPTIONS – even as Paul knew that the Mosaic Covenant and Law was fulfilled and laid aside on the cross.

When Pauls says here in Galatians 5, “A little leaven leavens the whole lump” (as in a little yeast in a batch of dough works through the whole lump), he might as well have said, “A little legalism quickly ruins everything!”

It’s the last verse here (Galatians 5:11) that’s killer! Paul says pointedly, “If I’m still PREACHING CIRCUMCISION [IF I’M STILL PREACHING AND TEACHING THE MOSAIC COVENANT AND LAW AS BINDING], 👉why am I now suffering persecution?👈 Then the OFFENSE OF THE CROSS is not even taking place!”

Paul absolutely knew that IF he was STILL preaching and teaching the Mosaic Covenant and Law as binding and effectual after the cross, he would have friends and friendship with all his fellow Jews who pridefully still went about trying to observe and obey the Mosaic Covenant and Law!

HE WOULDN’T BE GETTING PERSECUTED BY HIS FELLOW JEWS IF HE WAS STILL PREACHING AND TEACHING THE MOSAIC COVENANT AND LAW AS BINDING AFTER THE CROSS!

THEY WOULD LOVE HIM AND EMBRACE HIM AS A GOOD FELLOW JEW IF HE WAS STILL PREACHING AND TEACHING THE MOSAIC COVENANT AND LAW AS BINDING AFTER THE CROSS!

But Paul was happy and overjoyed to go about the offense of the cross instead – and be hated by his fellow Jews who pridefully still wanted to go about trying to observe and obey the Law!

Paul says to his Galatians readers, “They would all love me if I was still preaching and teaching the Law! But they’re persecuting me!”

Please keep in mind that this is all very simple teaching from Paul IF you take the plain meaning in his letters and stay away from false teachers with agendas!

Galatians 5:1-11, “1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. 2 Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. 3 For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. 4 Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. 5 For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. 6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love. 7 Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth? 8 This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you. 9 A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. 10 I have confidence in you through the Lord, that ye will be none otherwise minded: but he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment, whosoever he be. 11 And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? then is the offence of the cross ceased.”