The Law of God: What Does the Bible Say?¶
A comprehensive 33-study biblical investigation examining every major text, word, and argument bearing on the moral law, ceremonial law, the Sabbath, and what continues under the New Covenant.
The Question¶
Christians hold differing views on the role of the Old Testament law today. Some argue the moral law (including the Ten Commandments and the Sabbath) continues in full force under the New Covenant. Others argue the entire Mosaic law was abolished at the cross. Rather than assuming either position, this series investigates the biblical evidence from the ground up across 33 studies.
The Approach¶
Each study is a genuine investigation. The agents gathered ALL relevant evidence, presented what each side claims, and let the biblical text speak for itself. No study presupposed its conclusion. Evidence was classified into hierarchical tiers:
- Explicit (E): What the text directly says -- a quote or close paraphrase
- Necessary Implication (N): What unavoidably follows from explicit statements
- Inference (four types):
- I-A (Evidence-Extending): Systematizes E/N items using only the text's own vocabulary
- I-B (Competing-Evidence): Both sides cite E/N support; resolved by Scripture-interprets-Scripture
- I-C (Compatible External): External reasoning that does not contradict E/N
- I-D (Counter-Evidence External): External concepts that require overriding E/N statements
Hierarchy: E > N > I-A > I-B (resolved by SIS) > I-C > I-D
Read the Methodology Skip to the Final Synthesis
The 33 Studies¶
Tier 1 -- Foundations¶
What IS the moral law? Categories, distinctions, and the foundation for everything that follows.
| # | Study | Question |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | What Is God's Moral Law? | What Is God's Moral Law? Basis, Nature, and Scope |
| 02 | The Moral Law Before Sinai | What Evidence Exists for the Moral Law Operating from Creation to Sinai? |
| 03 | Decalogue vs. Later Laws | How Does the Exodus Narrative Distinguish the Decalogue from the Laws Given Afterward? |
| 04 | Ceremonial Laws | What Are the Ceremonial/Ritual Laws and How Do They Differ from the Moral Law? |
| 05 | Civil/Judicial Laws | Civil/Judicial Laws in the Pentateuch and Their Relationship to Moral and Ceremonial Categories |
Tier 2 -- Vocabulary¶
What do the Hebrew law words actually mean?
| # | Study | Question |
|---|---|---|
| 06 | Hebrew Law Vocabulary | What Do Torah, Mitsvah, Choq, Mishpat, Edut, Piqqud, and Chuqqah Mean? |
| 07 | The Law of Moses | What Does "The Law of Moses" Refer To? |
Tier 3 -- Abolished or Established?¶
What happened to the law at the cross, in the covenants, and in the heart?
| # | Study | Question |
|---|---|---|
| 08 | What Was Abolished at the Cross? | What Was Abolished at the Cross? |
| 09 | Old Covenant and New Covenant | What Is the Old Covenant and What Is the New Covenant? |
| 10 | New Covenant and the Moral Law | Does the New Covenant Abolish or Establish the Moral Law? |
| 11 | The Law Written on Hearts | What Specific Law Is "My Law" Written on Hearts in Jeremiah 31:33 / Hebrews 8:10? |
Tier 4 -- Jesus and the Law¶
What did Jesus teach about the law through His words and actions?
| # | Study | Question |
|---|---|---|
| 12 | Matthew 5:17-20 | What Does Jesus Mean by "Not Come to Destroy but to Fulfil" in Matthew 5:17-20? |
| 13 | Jesus and the Sabbath | What Do Jesus's Sabbath Actions and Teachings Reveal About the Sabbath's Continuing Validity? |
| 14 | Jesus's Law Teachings | What Did Jesus Specifically Teach About the Law and Commandments? |
Tier 5 -- Apostolic Teaching¶
What do the apostles teach about the law in Acts, Romans, Galatians, Hebrews, and 2 Corinthians?
| # | Study | Question |
|---|---|---|
| 15 | The Jerusalem Council (Acts 15) | What Did the Jerusalem Council Decide About the Law? |
| 16 | Paul and the Law in Romans | What Does Paul Teach About the Law in Romans? |
| 17 | Paul and the Law in Galatians | What Is Paul Arguing in Galatians Regarding the Law? |
| 18 | Hebrews 8-10 | Hebrews 8-10: Priesthood, Covenant, and Law |
| 19 | 2 Corinthians 3 | 2 Corinthians 3: Were the Ten Commandments 'Done Away'? |
Tier 6 -- NT Vocabulary¶
What do the Greek law terms mean, and how do James and Paul use them?
| # | Study | Question |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | NT Greek Law Vocabulary | NT Greek Law Vocabulary: Nomos, Entole, Dogma, and Related Terms |
| 21 | NT Vocab: Law Categories | How Does NT Vocabulary Distinguish Moral, Ceremonial, and Civil Law? |
| 22 | James and the Law | James and the Law: The Royal Law and the Law of Liberty |
| 23 | The Law of Christ | The "Law of Christ" and Related NT Law Phrases |
Tier 7 -- The Sabbath¶
Is the weekly Sabbath moral or ceremonial? Do the 'shadow' passages abolish it?
| # | Study | Question |
|---|---|---|
| 24 | Weekly vs. Ceremonial Sabbaths | Weekly Sabbath vs. Ceremonial Sabbaths: Are They the Same? |
| 25 | Sabbath: Moral or Ceremonial? | Is the Sabbath Moral or Ceremonial? |
| 26 | Sabbath Shadow Passages | Do Colossians 2:16-17 and Romans 14:5 Abolish the Weekly Sabbath? |
| 27 | Is the Sabbath Still Binding? | Is the Seventh-Day Sabbath Still Binding Today? |
| 32 | Lunar Sabbaths | Does the Bible Tie the Weekly Sabbath to the Lunar Cycle? |
| 33 | Calendar Continuity | Can We Identify Which Day of the Modern Week Is the Biblical Seventh-Day Sabbath? |
Tier 8 -- Synthesis¶
Bringing all the evidence together.
| # | Study | Question |
|---|---|---|
| 28 | Commandments in Revelation | What Commandments Are in Revelation? |
| 29 | What Continues, What Ceased | What Specific Laws Continue and What Specific Laws Ceased? |
| 30 | Romans 10:4 — What Does Telos Mean? | What Does Telos Mean in Romans 10:4? |
| 31 | Comprehensive Synthesis | The Law of God: Comprehensive Synthesis of Studies 1-30 |
What Each Study Contains¶
Every study includes multiple layers of research, all accessible through the navigation:
| File | Contents |
|---|---|
| Simple Conclusion | A plain-language summary of the study's findings -- no technical jargon or evidence tables |
| Conclusion | The final evidence classification with Explicit/Necessary Implication/Inference tables, I-B resolutions, tally, and "What CAN/CANNOT Be Said" |
| Analysis | Verse-by-verse analysis, identified patterns, connections between passages, both-sides arguments |
| Verses | Full KJV text for every passage examined, organized thematically |
| Word Studies | Hebrew and Greek word studies with Strong's numbers, semantic ranges, and parsing |
| Topics | Nave's Topical Bible entries and key research findings |
| Research Scope | The original research question and scope that guided the investigation |
| Raw Data | Nave's topic output, Strong's lookups, Greek/Hebrew parsing, cross-testament parallels, concept context |
Evidence Summary (from Study 31)¶
Study 31 synthesized the evidence from Studies 1-30 on the central question of what continues and what was abolished. The synthesis classified 810 unique evidence items across those studies. Studies 32-33 are supplemental investigations addressing the Sabbath specifically (lunar sabbaths and calendar continuity) and are not part of the moral-law-continues-vs-abolished analysis.
Positional Distribution¶
| Tier | Continues | Abolished | Neutral/Shared | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E (Explicit) | 146 | 0 | 367 | 513 |
| N (Necessary Implication) | 73 | 0 | 72 | 145 |
| I-A (Evidence-Extending) | 63 | 0 | 3 | 66 |
| I-B (Competing-Evidence) | 18 | 22 | 7 | 47 |
| I-C (Compatible External) | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| I-D (Counter-Evidence External) | 0 | 34 | 0 | 34 |
| Total | 301 | 57 | 452 | 810 |
Not a single explicit statement (E-tier) or necessary implication (N-tier) in the entire 810-item evidence base was classified as supporting abolition of the moral law. All 219 E+N positional items support "Continues." The Abolished position's 57 items exist entirely at the inference level (I-B and I-D).