Wednesday, April 26, 2023

Dan Lioy on Romans 10:4

  

Romans 10:4 explains that the Savior is the telos (literally, “end”) of the law for all who trust in Him. One implication is that He is the terminus of “using the law to establish one’s own righteousness.” There are two other interpretive options worth mentioning in connection with this verse. The first is that Jesus somehow brings about the cessation or abolition of the Mosaic law, either historically, existentially, or both. While it is true that the Messiah’s death and resurrection put an end to the civil and ceremonial aspects of the law . . . its universal moral absolutes remain authoritative and applicable for His followers. Also, as previously explained, it is incorrect to suppose that Jesus sought to annul, repeal, or do away with the Mosaic legal code. Accordingly, a secondly interpretive option is preferred, namely; that telos points to Jesus being the culmination (that is, the destination, goal, outcome, and fulfillment) of the law (cf. Matt 5:17). The implication is that all its types and prophecies are realized in Him, its teachings find their most perfect expression in Him, and its demands are most fully satisfied in Him (cf. Gal 3:24). (Dan Lioy, Jesus as Torah in John 1-12 [Eugene, Oreg.: Wipf and Stock, 2007], 35-36)