ZEALOUS FOR THE LAW

 ZEALOUS FOR THE LAW

By Richard P. Joseph

10/24/2026

Anyone who has read my articles knows that I often speak of a theme that runs through the entire New Testament.  Right off the bat John the Baptist outlines the entire theme of the New Testament.  In Matthew chapter 3:1-12 John gives a detailed outline of what the entire New Testament is all about and what was going to happen.  John starts out by calling for repentance, that is because the law could never turn people away from their sin, it only pointed out what sin was.  Then when the representatives of the law came to him, his outline continued.  John was speaking to Jews, not us, and keepers of the law, not the gentiles.  He warned them of an impending judgement and the fact that they were genetically the sons of Abraham was of no consequence.  He said God could raise up the stones to take their place and God did exactly that.  God transferred the covenant from Judaism to the church (the stones).  In other words the covenant was soon going to change hands through the fulfillment of the law.  John gave a time stamp to all of this by saying that the ax was already laid to the root, meaning, it was happening “now”, not later.  And Jesus would be the one doing this whole thing.  But they didn’t listen and clung to the law as their savior.

Jesus warned them that it was the very law that Moses wrote that would condemn them, not him, he was trying to save them.  But the Jews clung to the law to the very end.  In about 58 AD Paul went up to Jerusalem against the advice of several prophets.  When Paul arrived he met with James (the brother of Jesus who was the so called bishop of Jerusalem) and James warned Paul that there is a group of Christians who are zealous for the law that were very concerned that Paul was leading Jews away from the law.  Paul agreed to take a vow and prove he wasn’t teaching Jews to forsake the law.  But that didn’t work.  They concocted false charges against him and had him arrested anyhow.  So much for appeasement.  Ironically, James would be murdered 4 years later and the temple would be leveled even with the ground just 12 years later.  Those that were zealous for a terminally ill law paid a heavy price for not heeding the warning given to them as far back as about 28 AD when John the Baptist laid it all out for them.  The funny part of this is that there are people still today who are zealous for the law.  They are still banking on Israel for their salvation somehow.  The very thing that God rejected has become their cornerstone, not knowing that it only leads to destruction.  These are people who have no understanding of scripture and zero knowledge of history.  They are being led to slaughter by their own pastors.  Just like those that were zealous for the law in the first century, those today share the same fate.  They are one day going to fall for a false messiah only to be slaughtered.  

So, please take my articles as your warning.  Read your bible and stop and think of what you just read.  Think of context.  Clear your head of all you have been taught and start contemplating on what the text is saying.  Then read the historical writings of Josephus and open your eyes.  There is no law or Judaism today.  The Judaism of today is a man made religion just like Islam is.  It has no connection to Christianity or to ancient covenant Judaism.  Jesus released us from the curse of the law and we are now living under his mercy.  Stop being zealous for something that has been destroyed and buried 2,000 years ago or you will be subject to the same fate that they experienced.  But if you haven’t read history then you don’t even know what I am talking about.