by setting aside the Law with its commandments, expressed, as they were, in definite decrees. His design was to unite the two sections of humanity in Himself so as to form one new man,
All who are depending upon their own obedience to the Law are under a curse, for it is written, »Cursed is every one who does not remain faithful to all the precepts of the Law, and practise them.«
Dependent on Him, the whole body –its various parts closely fitting and firmly adhering to one another– grows by the aid of every contributory link, with power proportioned to the need of each individual part, so as to build itself up in a spirit of love.
The bond, with its requirements, which was in force against us and was hostile to us, He cancelled, and cleared it out of the way, nailing it to His Cross.
If you have died with Christ and have escaped from the world's rudimentary notions, why, as though your life still belonged to the world, do you submit to such precepts as
In that new creation there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free man, but Christ is everything and is in all of us.
and let the peace which Christ gives settle all questionings in your hearts, to which peace indeed you were called as belonging to His one Body; and be thankful.
By using the words, »a new Covenant,« He has made the first one obsolete; but whatever is decaying and showing signs of old age is not far from disappearing altogether.
It was needful therefore that the copies of the things in Heaven should be cleansed in this way, but that the heavenly things themselves should be cleansed with more costly sacrifices.