Freedom from the Mosaic Law: A Deep Theological Exploration of New Testament Teaching
Introduction: The Question of the Mosaic Law and Christian Identity
One of the most significant theological debates and practical challenges for the early church was the place of the Mosaic Law in the life of believers in Jesus Christ. This question remains alive today, particularly in communities and churches that quote the Old Testament as if its legal prescriptions still directly obligate Christians. The apostolic writings, especially those of Paul, provide the primary lens through which the New Testament resolves this matter. Paul’s letters—rich in both theological reflection and ecclesiastical urgency—not only confront false teaching but chart the path of new covenant living by the Holy Spirit.
This essay seeks to offer a doctrinal synthesis on why believers are no longer “under the Mosaic Law,” supported by original-language insights, harmonized scripture references, and commentary drawn from scholarship and ministries such as lovefulfilled.org. Special attention is paid to passages such as Romans 7:1–5, Galatians 2:4, Galatians 5:18, the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15, and others.
I. Exegesis of Romans 7:1–5 — Believers Freed from the Law
The Mounce Interlinear on Romans 7:1–5
ἢ ἀγνοεῖτε, ἀδελφοί (γινώσκουσιν γὰρ νόμον λαλῶ), ὅτι ὁ νόμος κυριεύει τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐφ᾿ ὅσον χρόνον ζῇ;
“Or do you not know, brothers (for I am speaking to those who are under the law), that the law is master over a person as long as he lives?”
…
ὥστε, ἀδελφοί μου, καὶ ὑμεῖς ἐθανατώθητε τῷ νόμῳ διὰ τοῦ σώματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ, εἰς τὸ γενέσθαι ὑμᾶς ἑτέρῳ, τῷ ἐκ νεκρῶν ἐγερθέντι, ἵνα καρποφορήσωμεν τῷ θεῷ.
“So then, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God.”
(Romans 7:1,4 MOUNCE)
In Romans 7:1–5, Paul uses the analogy of marriage to clarify the believer’s changed relationship to the Law. According to the logic of the Mosaic covenant, the Law’s authority extends only as long as one is “alive” within its jurisdiction. Paul teaches that just as death severs a marriage bond, so also, death with Christ brings an end to the Law’s binding authority over the believer. This is not merely a metaphorical death but a real participation in Christ’s death and resurrection—“you also have died to the law through the body of Christ.” The result is profound: believers are no longer bound to the Law but are instead united to Christ in a new covenant relationship, so they may “bear fruit for God.”
Paul extends the analogy for practical theology. The Mosaic Law, though holy and good (cf. Romans 7:12), could only amplify the passions of sin in human flesh rather than subdue them (Romans 7:5). But deliverance comes “so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter” (Romans 7:6, MOUNCE):
νυνὶ δὲ κατηργήθημεν ἀπὸ τοῦ νόμου, ἀποθανόντες ἐν ᾧ κατειχόμεθα, ὥστε δουλεύειν ἡμᾶς ἐν καινότητι πνεύματος καὶ οὐ παλαιότητι γράμματος.
“But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.”
This distinction is exegetically decisive. Paul does not describe a partial or ceremonial release but a comprehensive emancipation from the Law—encompassing both its moral and ceremonial aspects as a covenantal system.
Theological Reflection
Paul’s analogy teaches that returning to Mosaic Law is as inappropriate as a woman whose husband has died but thinks she can't remarry because of the Law: she is no longer obligated to the Law because he is dead. Christians, by their union with Christ, stand in a fundamentally new relationship—not merely to a subset of the Law (e.g., ceremonial aspects), but to its entirety as a new covenant of structure and obligation.
“The analogy of marriage is used to show that death severs legal obligation. Just as a woman is no longer bound to her husband after his death, so believers are no longer bound to the Law. They now belong to Christ, raised from the dead, to bear fruit for God.”
An important point that is worth debating is that Paul says "for I am speaking to those who know the law" or are under the law. Paul speaks to the Jew, the Gentiles were never under the Mosaic Law as it was given to the Jew, circumcision of the flesh being a sign of the covenant he made with them.
The gospel is based upon the promise given to Abraham, before the law and before circumcision so it is based upon faith according to grace, and comes to people of all nations. God has made one man out of the two in the new covenant, no longer is there a distinction.
II. Romans 6:14 and the Principle of Grace over Law
Interlinear Greek and Interpretation
ἁμαρτία γὰρ ὑμῶν οὐ κυριεύσει, οὐ γάρ ἐστε ὑπὸ νόμον ἀλλὰ ὑπὸ χάριν.
“For sin will not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.” (Romans 6:14, MOUNCE)
The logic here is foundational: being “not under law but under grace” is what breaks sin’s power. "The sting of death is sin, now, the power of sin; the Law" (1 Corinthians 15:56).
Paul directly connects liberation from sin to the new covenantal position of the believer.
Exegetical Note
The Greek construction oὐ γάρ ἐστε ὑπὸ νόμον ἀλλὰ ὑπὸ χάριν is categorical. It marks a definitive transfer from the jurisdiction of Mosaic Law to the reign of grace. This does not amount to antinomianism, but to a higher mode of empowerment—the internal, transforming work of the Spirit replacing the external codification of Law. We are to live in The New Living Way of the Spirit not the written code.
“The Law, which gives sin its power, no longer has jurisdiction over believers. Grace, mediated through the Spirit, is now the governing principle.”
III. Galatians 2:4 — Paul’s Rebuke of False Brothers and the Threat of Bondage
Mounce Interlinear Greek-English
διὰ δὲ τοὺς παρεισάκτους ψευδαδέλφους, οἵτινες παρεισῆλθον κατασκοπῆσαι τὴν ἐλευθερίαν ἡμῶν ἣν ἔχομεν ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, ἵνα ἡμᾶς καταδουλώσουσιν—
“But because of the false brothers secretly brought in—who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might bring us into slavery.” (Galatians 2:4, MOUNCE)
Paul recounts the infiltration of the early Gentile churches by “false brethren,” whose agenda was to surveil and undermine the freedom the gospel brought to believers. Paul calls them the "circumcision party" as they want to take them back to the Mosaic Law and begin with the requirement for Christians to be circumcised. The clear implication is that reintroducing any part of the Law as binding—circumcision, ritual, calendar, tithings and offerings, or otherwise—is tantamount to bringing believers back into slavery.
The “freedom in Christ” is not mere autonomy but a Spirit-wrought liberty grounded in Christ’s accomplishment and mediated by the Holy Spirit. The Law is yoke of slavery, "for you did not receive a spirt of slavery leading back to fear, rather receiving a Spirit of adoption that cries Abba Father!" (Romans 8:15-17). Why would anyone in their right mind go back again to death? The letter kills but the Spirit is life (2 Corinthians 3:4-6).
The attempt to supplement faith in Christ with Law observance was not only an affront to the sufficiency of Christ’s work but a denial of gospel freedom. It is a severing from Christ and falling from grace (Galatians 5:4). In clear form it is apostasy and another form of living in the flesh.
lovefulfilled.org explains:
“The 'false brothers' are not merely mistaken—they are infiltrators aiming to undermine the liberty found in Christ. This liberty is not lawlessness but life in the Spirit, which fulfills the righteousness the Law pointed to. Churches that teach obedience to Mosaic ordinances as a requirement for righteousness are, according to Paul, leading believers back into slavery.”
IV. Galatians 3:1–5 — The Foolishness of Returning to the Law
Interlinear Greek-English
Ὦ ἀνόητοι Γαλάται, τίς ὑμᾶς ἐβάσκανεν, οἷς κατ᾿ ὀφθαλμοὺς Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς προεγράφη ἐσταυρωμένος;
“O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified?” (Gal 3:1, MOUNCE)
τοῦτο μόνον θέλω μαθεῖν ἀφ᾿ ὑμῶν· ἐξ ἔργων νόμου τὸ Πνεῦμα ἐλάβετε ἢ ἐξ ἀκοῆς πίστεως;
“This only I want to know from you: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing of faith?” (Gal 3:2, MOUNCE)
οὕτως ἀνόητοί ἐστε; ἐν πνεύματι ἐναρξάμενοι, νῦν σαρκὶ ἐπιτελεῖσθε;
“Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?” (Gal 3:3, MOUNCE)
Paul’s rebuke is saturated with both rhetorical force and theological precision. To return to the Law after having received the Spirit by faith is not only foolish, but spiritually backwards and blatant deception.
The gift of the Spirit—the distinctive mark of the new covenant—cannot be attained nor increased by works of the Law. The Mosaic Law nor did serving in the temple bring anyone into perfection, to maturity in righteousness of God (Hebrews 7:19; Hebrews 10:1). Only in Christ is God's plan for salvation revealed in full glory. Paul’s rhetorical technique exposes the logical incoherence of mixing the new covenant’s provision of the Spirit with the old covenant’s works-based system.
lovefulfilled.org distills the argument:
“Paul’s rebuke in Galatians 3 is a direct confrontation of the theological error of returning to the Mosaic Law after receiving the Spirit. The rhetorical question…exposes the futility of law-based righteousness. The Spirit is received by faith, not by law observance. Churches that teach obedience to Mosaic Law as a means of sanctification contradict the New Covenant inaugurated by Christ.”
V. Galatians 5:18 — Living by the Spirit, Not the Written Code
Mounce Interlinear Greek-English
εἰ δὲ πνεύματι ἄγεσθε, οὐκ ἐστὲ ὑπὸ νόμον.
“But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.” (Galatians 5:18, MOUNCE)
This succinct statement is a lynchpin of Pauline ethics. The correlation is straightforward: the Spirit-led life is antithetical to life under Law. “Not under the law” (οὐκ ἐστὲ ὑπὸ νόμον) is not about ceremonial exceptions; it is a decisive statement about spiritual jurisdiction and empowerment. The new covenant believer’s moral life is not regulated by exhaustive legal code but animated by the indwelling Holy Spirit—who Himself produces the character the Law required but could not produce (Galatians 5:22–23).
lovefulfilled.org notes:
“Galatians 5:18 makes the contrast explicit: ‘But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.’ The Greek construction οὐκ ἐστὲ ὑπὸ νόμον (ouk este hypo nomon) is categorical. The Spirit-led believer operates in a different realm—one of grace, not law.”
VI. The Jerusalem Council (Acts 15): The Decisive End of Legal Imposition
Council Deliberation and Outcome
The issue of Mosaic Law observance for Gentile believers came to a head at the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15). The council’s debate was precipitated by some teaching that “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved” (Acts 15:1). After significant debate, Peter, Paul, and James affirmed that God had given the Holy Spirit to Gentiles apart from Law observance, thus making no distinction between Gentile and Jew.
Peter’s rebuke is clear:
“Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear? No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.” (Acts 15:10–11, NIV)
The council’s letter and subsequent teaching made it explicit that Mosaic Law was not mandated for Gentile converts, except for a few temporary practical restrictions to facilitate table fellowship (Acts 15:28–29). Even these were not salvific; the council’s thrust was to preserve the gospel’s freedom and ecclesiastical unity against legalistic distortions.
VII. Colossians 2:14–17 — The Abolition of Ceremonial Laws
Mounce Interlinear Greek-English
ἐξαλείψας τὸ καθ’ ἡμῶν χειρόγραφον τοῖς δόγμασιν, ὃ ἦν ὑπεναντίον ἡμῖν· καὶ αὐτὸ ἦρκεν ἐκ τοῦ μέσου, προσηλώσας αὐτὸ τῷ σταυρῷ·
“Having canceled the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. He set it aside, nailing it to the cross.” (Colossians 2:14, MOUNCE)
Μὴ οὖν τις ὑμᾶς κρινέτω ἐν βρώσει καὶ ἐν πόσει ἢ ἐν μέρει ἑορτῆς ἢ νεομηνίας ἢ σαββάτων· ἅ ἐστιν σκιὰ τῶν μελλόντων, τὸ δὲ σῶμα τοῦ Χριστοῦ.
“Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a religious festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.” (Col 2:16–17, MOUNCE)
Paul teaches that the “handwriting of ordinances”—the totality of regulatory law—was canceled, “nailed to the cross”. Therefore, believers must not submit to religious judgment based on dietary or ritual observance. The Law’s ceremonial and ritual provisions are described as “shadows”; Christ is the substance.
VIII. Hebrews 8:13 — The New Covenant Renders the Old Obsolete
Mounce Interlinear Greek-English
ἐν τῷ λέγειν “καινὴν,” πεπαλαίωκεν τὴν πρώτην· τὸ δὲ παλαιούμενον καὶ γηράσκον ἐγγὺς ἀφανισμοῦ.
“In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear.” (Hebrews 8:13, MOUNCE)
The force of πεπαλαίωκεν is “has made obsolete.” Christ’s high priesthood and the new covenant render the old covenant (and its law) not merely outdated but annulled. The book of Hebrews is relentless in affirming that Jesus’ priesthood and sacrifice fulfill, surpass, and terminate the need for the Law’s shadows (cf. Hebrews 7:12, 10:1–18).
lovefulfilled.org highlights:
“The Mosaic Covenant is rendered obsolete by the New Covenant, which is mediated by Christ and written on the hearts of believers through the Spirit.”
IX. 1 Corinthians 15:56 — The Power of Sin Is the Law
Mounce Interlinear Greek-English
τὸ δὲ κέντρον τοῦ θανάτου ἡ ἁμαρτία, ἡ δὲ δύναμις τῆς ἁμαρτίας ὁ νόμος·
“The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.” (1 Corinthians 15:56, MOUNCE)
Paul’s theology shows that the Law is not merely a collection of precepts but a covenantal dynamic that amplifies sin’s power. Far from empowering righteousness, the Law strengthens sin’s capacity to bring about death and condemnation. This is not an indictment of the Law’s goodness but a statement about its powerless due to the sinful nature.
Romans 8:3 and Hebrews 7:18–19 clearly teach that the Mosaic Law was powerless to produce righteousness because of human weakness or the sinful nature. It did not then nor will it have power today.
X. Theological Pitfalls of Returning to Mosaic Law
The Dangers of Reverting
Returning to the Mosaic Law—whether ceremonial, civil, or moral as a framework for justification or sanctification—carries profound dangers:
- It denies the sufficiency of Christ’s atoning work (Galatians 2:21).
- It rejects faith, the work of Jesus, and the Spirit as the new covenant’s source of righteousness and power (Galatians 3:1–5).
- It places believers under a system that was temporary and destined for obsolescence (Hebrews 8:13).
- It fractures the unity of the church and rebuilds the “wall of hostility” that Christ tore down (Ephesians 2:13–16). Think pharisaical judgmental mindset.
XI. Integrating the Greek-English Interlinear Perspective
The consistent use of Mounce Interlinear quotations not only grounds these conclusions in the Greek but highlights the force of Paul’s language. Distilled, crucial phrases such as οὐκ ἐστὲ ὑπὸ νόμον (“you are not under law”) and πεπαλαίωκεν τὴν πρώτην (“has made the first one obsolete”) demonstrate that the believer’s status has shifted legally and spiritually.
For instance, Romans 7:6 (MOUNCE):
νυνὶ δὲ κατηργήθημεν ἀπὸ τοῦ νόμου, … ὥστε δουλεύειν ἡμᾶς ἐν καινότητι πνεύματος καὶ οὐ παλαιότητι γράμματος.
“But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.”
This serves as an inspired summary of the entire New Testament teaching on the subject.
XII. Summary Table: Law Versus Spirit (Adapted from lovefulfilled.org and Scriptural Synthesis)
| Concept | Mosaic Law (Old Covenant) | New Covenant in Christ (Spirit) |
|---|---|---|
| Nature of Law | Written code (γράμματος); external regulations, precepts... | New spiritual birth; Law written on hearts and minds; Spirit-enabled life |
| Penalty for Breaking | Death, curse, condemnation | No condemnation (Romans 8:1) |
| Motivation | Fear of punishment, obligation | Love, adoption, assurance |
| Ability to Empower | External conformity without transformation | Internal renewal and external transformation by the Spirit of truth |
| Who is Abraham’s Seed? | Physical descendants/covenant members | All who belong to Christ by faith, circumcised of the heart by the Spirit, Romans 3:29 |
| Relationship to Sin | Law arouses, magnifies sin (Rom 7) | Spirit overcomes sin’s power |
| Fulfillment | Shadow of realities to come | Substance/reality is Christ |
| Membership Badge | Circumcision, food laws, Sabbaths | Faith, baptism, Spirit-given fruit |
| Slavery or Freedom? | Slavery (Gal 4:24–31) | Freedom (Gal 5:1, Rom 8:2) |
Every category reaffirms: the Law, in its totality as a covenant arrangement, is now fulfilled and superseded; the believer’s freedom is to walk in the Spirit, not to return to the Law’s yoke.
XIII. Insights: Law, Spirit, and Freedom
lovefulfilled.org’s articles summarize and extend the trajectory of Paul’s teaching as follows:
- The Mosaic Law was a “guardian” (παιδαγωγός, paidagōgos) until Christ (Galatians 3:24–25), but is no longer our guardian.
- The Gentiles were never under the Mosaic Law, thus the law would not be a teachable tool even if its covenant were still valid. See Children of The Promise
- The new covenant is established in the death and blood of Jesus, therefore to go back again is to sever from Christ (Galatians 5:4)
- The new covenant is characterized by prophetic vison and the promises of God that were hidden in God in the beginning and that are being manifested in the true church that are yes and amen in Christ. E
- Prophetic internal transformation (“law written on hearts,” Jeremiah 31:33); outward conformity to written codes is insufficient to produce biblical righteousness.
- True righteousness comes not from outward rituals or human effort, but from justification in the blood of Jesus through faith and a spiritual transformation and renewal that expresses itself through love for God's children (Romans 5:1-2; Romans 8:1-3)
- Churches that emphasize legal obedience, whether in the form of tithing, Sabbath day observance, or dietary laws, risk undermining not only Christian liberty but the very gospel of grace and Spirit-led transformation.
- Paul calls these false brothers in the church of Galatia, who were introducing such things.
- Legalism is another form of walking in the flesh.
- Walking in the Spirit fulfills the Law’s righteous requirement (Romans 8:4) but does not mimic the old written pattern; rather, it exceeds it in Christlike love and fruit.*
This perspective is deeply consonant with Paul’s repeated contrasts: flesh vs. Spirit, old code vs. new life, fear vs. sonship, sin’s slavery vs. adoption. A ministry of death and condemnation versus a ministry of the Spirit, life, and righteousness (2 Corinthians 3:7-9).
XIV. Harmonizing Scriptural References: The Unified Scriptural Theme
Through careful harmonization of Old and New Testament texts (cf. the practice described by Layton Talbert and others), we see that Paul and other apostles never treat the Law as merely “bad” or disposable—rather, it is reverently fulfilled, transcended, and rendered obsolete by the advent of Christ and the gift of the Holy Spirit. The various aspects of the Law—moral, civil, ceremonial—are not artificially divided; the Law is a unit (cf. Galatians 5:3, James 2:10) and must be viewed as such. Christ is “the end of the law for righteousness to all who believe” (Romans 10:4).
XV. Practical Implications for Church Teaching
Churches face a solemn charge: to uphold the gospel of grace and the freedom of the Spirit, avoiding both legalism and lawlessness. Quoting Old Testament Law as directly binding on believers—apart from the filter of fulfillment in Christ—leads to confusion, spiritual bondage, and ecclesial division.
Practical directives based on the New Testament and lovefulfilled.org:
- Pastors and teachers must instruct believers that their covenant is new, based not on written ordinances but on union with Christ and the indwelling Spirit.
- Scripture must be interpreted in light of covenantal fulfillment: the Law points to Christ, and in Him every shadow finds its reality.
- Legal adherence cannot be the rubric for sanctification; instead, growth in grace and walking by the Spirit must be emphasized.
- The church must vigilantly resist any teaching—however well-intentioned—that sets up new forms of bondage, whether by “Torah observance movements,” misuse of Old Testament civil or ceremonial law, or any blending of faith and works of the law.
- Leaders must nurture a community of faith, love, peace, and transformation—“serving in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code” (Romans 7:6).
XVI. Conclusion: Life and Faith Working through Love, Not Law
To summarize, the New Testament consistently teaches that believers are no longer under the Mosaic Law, having died to its juridical and covenantal authority through union with Christ. We as Jesus said we must enter the kingdom of God through being born a new of the Spirit. The Law served as a temporary measure, a guardian until Christ, who fulfills and transcends it in His person and work.
Believers now serve God not by external regulation but by the inward dynamic of the Holy Spirit and living and active word of God expressed in the person of Jesus. Any return to the Law, whether for justification or sanctification, is a regression—an affront to Christ’s sufficiency and a misunderstanding of the age of the Spirit.
Whether the return to bondage of the Law that severs from Christ and falls from grace is through ignorance or deceitfulness the church’s mandate is to hold fast to the freedom in Christ, teaching and living it out in full assurance, resisting all forms of legalism and spiritless principled living (of Mosaic Law or elemental principles that have no power to overcome the flesh), and embodying the Spirit’s fruitful character in all things.
“But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.” — Romans 7:6 (MOUNCE)
Key Doctrinal Takeaway:
Christian liberty is not mere permission; it is freedom from the Law’s condemnation and from sin’s dominion, realized in Christ and empowered by the Spirit for a new way of living—one shaped by love, grace, and the ongoing renewal of God’s people.
Practical Summary Table: Law, Spirit, and Christian Liberty
| Law (Mosaic/Old) | Spirit/New Covenant | Church Teaching Implication |
|---|---|---|
| Written, external code | Indwelling Spirit, internal law | Teach fulfillment in Christ, not legalism |
| Bound to sin, brings death | Brings freedom and life | Emphasize transformation, not ritual observance |
| Divides Jew/Gentile | Unites all in Christ | Foster unity, reject new legal boundary-markers |
| Temporary, now obsolete | Permanent, glorious, effective | Warn against return to Law as righteousness |
| Highlights sin | Empowers righteousness | Model Spirit-led love, not commandments-keeping |
I am continually amazed at the richness of life and revelation in the new testament scripture. I find it odd that many live in Old testament stories and have little understanding in the these deep topics. We pray, Lord, protect your church, let the church live, teach, and celebrate in a unity of faith in knowledge of your Son so to become mature, grant them a spirit of wisdom and revelation in knowing Jesus, so to live in the “new and living way”—which alone produces the fruit of your righteousness and divine nature you desire.