The Narrow Path Ministries

Paidion wrote:

JMM, you wrote:Paul was not without the law of God with the understanding of the law of Christ differing in no point from what the law of God is all about.

Hmmmm... I think I mentioned previously that the law of Christ is found in the "Sermon on the Mount," Matthew 5, 6, and 7.

Jesus completed that talk with these words:

24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.
26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.
27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

If the law of Christ, given in Jesus' talk "differs in no point from the law of God", then why did Jesus bother giving his instruction? Why didn't He simply say,
"Everyone then who knows the law of God and does it, will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock..., etc."? Instead, He contrasted "what was said to those of oldtime (the law of Moses, understood to be the law of God) with the law that He (Jesus) gave them. Here is just one example from many in Matthew 5:

38 "You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’
39 "But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.
40 "If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also.
41 "And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.
42 "Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.