Tuesday, December 10, 2024

Once more: It is not a checklist!

Even if one successfully adhered to all the stipulations of the Torah one could not claim to have fulfilled the expectations of Torah because even though they are stipulations, they are not intended to be comprehensive. It is not a checklist to be marked off—the law is “kept” by order being reflected in every aspect of life. The goal of the Torah is order, not legislation or salvation. Sometimes order is even sustained by violating the stipulations, as Jesus frequently demonstrates concerning the Sabbath. Likewise, even “obeying” the commandments of the Torah did not result in the rich young ruler in Luke 18:18-23 embodying the covenant order. The Torah is a guide to what order looks like, not a checklist that can be followed to attain it.—Walton and Walton, The Lost World of the Torah, 124

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