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Related Existing Studies

Summary of Prior Law-Series Findings Relevant to This Study

law-04 (Ceremonial Laws)

  • Classified circumcision as a ceremonial law delivered through Moses
  • Acts 15:10 identified as Peter calling circumcision + law-of-Moses requirement a "yoke"
  • 1 Cor 7:19 dismisses circumcision while affirming commandments of God
  • Shadow/type vocabulary (skia, typos) applied exclusively to ceremonial system, never to the Decalogue

law-07 (Law of Moses)

  • "The law of Moses" refers to comprehensive Pentateuchal legislation
  • When specific content is identified, it is ceremonial (7x), civil (3x), curses (2x), or literary (2x)
  • Acts 15:5 classified: circumcision singled out alongside "the law of Moses" with two infinitives joined by te

law-08 (Abolished at Cross)

  • None of the seven NT abolition passages names the Decalogue as abolished
  • The vocabulary dogma (G1378) is used in the two primary abolition texts and is never used for the Decalogue
  • Acts 15:28-29 releases Gentiles from circumcision and ceremonial law but retains moral prohibition (fornication)

law-09 (Old Covenant / New Covenant)

  • The old covenant's weakness was the people, not the law
  • The new covenant writes the SAME law on hearts
  • Five differences between covenants: location, power, mediator, basis, forgiveness -- none is a change in the law's content

law-10 (New Covenant and Law)

  • New covenant passages consistently describe God's pre-existing moral law being written on hearts by the Spirit
  • Possessive pronouns ("MY law," "MY laws") identify the content as God's existing law

law-11 (Written on Hearts)

  • Identifies the Decalogue as the law written on hearts

law-13 (Jesus and Sabbath)

  • Luke uses identical Greek (kata to eiothos) for both Jesus' sabbath synagogue custom (Luke 4:16) and Paul's (Acts 17:2)
  • Sabbath-keeping "remaineth" (sabbatismos, Heb 4:9)

law-14 (Jesus' Law Teachings)

  • No passage records Jesus abolishing any moral commandment
  • He affirms, deepens, and defends the moral law throughout

Relevance to Current Study

These prior studies provide context for understanding: 1. What "the law of Moses" meant in Acts 15:5 (law-07) 2. What Peter's "yoke" refers to (law-04: the ceremonial/Mosaic system as soteriological requirement) 3. The significance of dogma vocabulary in Acts 16:4 / Eph 2:15 / Col 2:14 (law-08) 4. Whether the new covenant abolishes or establishes the moral law (law-09, law-10) 5. The sabbath synagogue customs referenced in Acts 15:21 (law-13)