Old and New Testaments

June 5, 1948

The holy Apostles Paul and Barnabas preached the Gospel for a long time in the great city of Antioch. But some Jews came from Jerusalem and began to tell those who had converted to Christ that they could not be saved unless they kept the law of Moses.

This was a difficult and important question. Paul and Barnabas, fully aware of its importance, immediately went to Jerusalem and put the matter to the apostles.

And the first Council, the Council of the Apostles, gathered to answer this question: whether Christians should observe the law of Moses or not.

There was considerable debate at the Council.

"After a long deliberation, Peter arose, and said to them, 'Men, brethren! you know that God from the first days chose me from among us, that out of my mouth the Gentiles might hear the word of the Gospel and believe; and God, the Knower of Hearts, gave them a testimony, giving them the Holy Spirit, as he did to us; and He made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith. Why then do you now tempt God, wishing to put a yoke on the necks of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we could bear?" (Acts 15:7-10).

This speech of the holy Apostle Peter made a deep impression on the assembly. They ceased to argue and listened in deep silence to the story of Paul and Barnabas about the miracles that God had performed during their preaching among the Gentiles. The holy Apostle James stood up and resolved the dispute with these simple words: "I do not think to make it difficult for those who turn to God from among the Gentiles, but to write to them, that they should abstain from things defiled by idols, from fornication, from what is strangled, and from blood, and that they should not do to others what they would not do unto themselves" (Acts 15:19-20).

The whole council accepted this wise decision and sent Paul and Barnabas, and Silas with them, to return to Antioch to announce this decision to the Christians there and to calm their doubts about the obligation of circumcision, the obligation to fulfill the law of Moses.

This was a great event, but those who diligently read and know the Gospel can recall the words of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, as if contradicting this decree of the Apostolic Council: "Do not think that I have come to destroy the law or the prophets: I have not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Until heaven and earth pass away, not one jot or one tittle shall pass away from the law, until all things are fulfilled" (Matt. 5:17-18).

It is as if the Lord fully and wholly affirms the commandments of the Old Testament. He says that he did not come to break the law, but to fulfill it. You should know that in the Slavic language the word "fulfill" has two meanings: the first is what is in the Russian language, and the second is "to complete". Of course, the words of Christ are true, that He came to fulfill the whole law; are certainly true, for He has fully fulfilled this law.

He was accused by the scribes and Pharisees of breaking the Sabbath law, and you know how forcefully He denied this accusation. He called Himself Lord of the Sabbath (Matt. 12:8, Mk. 2:28, Lk. 6:5) and explained what they did not understand: the deep spiritual meaning of the commandment about the Sabbath; He explained that the law forbids on the Sabbath day to engage in worldly affairs, all kinds of work, but does not and cannot forbid doing works of mercy.

He pointed out that the scribes themselves were lawbreakers when they pulled out a sheep that had fallen into a pit or well on the Sabbath; that their priests transgressed the law when they circumcised an eight-day-old child on the Sabbath. He made clear to them what they did not understand, and He Himself followed the law of Moses completely, for He said of Himself, "Which of you shall convict Me of unrighteousness?" (John 8:46.)

He was sinless, as the apostles also testify. He was the only one of the Jews who fully fulfilled all the commandments of Moses, for those who themselves defended this law did not fulfill it at all; they only considered the law inviolable, and they themselves violated it. Thus, the Lord Jesus Christ fulfilled all the law and committed no sin. For the law of Moses was given so that, according to the word of God, men should be holy, even as their Father in heaven is holy (Lev. 11:44-45, 1 Pet. 1:15-16).