"they Have Done Violence To The Law"

Introduction. Just before the Babylonian captivity, when the priests had taken the authority of God’s words lightly, God considered that violence had been done to His law (Zephaniah 3:4). God upholds His words. In fact, He doesn’t uphold the earth with as much respect as He does His words. The earth will pass away, but His words never will (Luke 16:17).

Many believe that since we have a testament of grace, God doesn’t care about law. However, that’s not the case. We’re compelled to follow God’s commandments which comprise the law of Christ (Galatians 5:13-14; 6:2; James 2:8; 1 John 2:8-11; 4:21; Revelation 22:14). People may get frustrated because we’re so meticulous with the interpretation of Scripture, but the New Testament warns me about six ways in which violence can be done to God’s law — and this is why we need to know these.

Violence Is Done When There Is a Failure to Rightly Divide the Law

In 2 Timothy 2:15, Paul told Timothy to “rightly divide” the truth. The idea is to cut straight or handle accurately; i.e. to teach the truth correctly and directly.

Some preachers get mixed up on the difference between the Old Testament and the New Testament.

They try to apply the thief on cross as a valid example of salvation (Hebrews 9:15-17).

They try to bring in Old Testament rituals, such as incense and instrumental music, and apply to New Testament worship.

Some preachers pit personal addresses against general principle.

In John 16:13, Jesus presented the general principle that the Holy Spirit would guide the apostle’s knowledge of truth.

However, preachers use that principle and make it a personal address by telling people to “wait for the Spirit to guide them.”

Some preachers blatantly take verses out of context.

Some make the word “works” in Romans 4:1-5 apply to works of faith, when the context is about meritorious deeds of the law (Romans 3:20, 28).

The contrast is between “works” (no violations of law) and “faith” (trusting obedience). In fact, Romans 4:3 quotes Genesis 15:5 which was spoken after Abraham “obeyed by faith” (Hebrews 11:8-9).

Violence Is Done When There Is a Failure to Declare All of the Law

Paul was determined to declare the whole purpose or counsel of God (Acts 20:20, 27). This meant all of the contents of God’s divine plan.

Can we be declaring the whole purpose of God if we emphasize “faith only” in salvation, but fail to speak of repentance, confession, and baptism?

As someone in a denomination if they would ever tell someone who asked them what to do to be saved what Acts 2:38 or Mark 16:16 says.

I guarantee you that they will say that it might get the wrong idea if they did.

How about when preachers state that giving is required every first day of the week (1 Corinthians 16:2), but neglect the same frequency for the Lord’s Supper (Acts 20:7)?

Violence Is Done When the Law Is Twisted

In 2 Peter 3:16, Peter used the term “twist” metaphorically to denote those who distort or torture language in a false sense.

Peter’s statement in 1 Peter 3:21 gets twisted by those who don’t want baptism essential to salvation.

Some have said baptism doesn’t save, for Peter explicitly says, “not the removal of the filth of the flesh”, meaning that the passing of water over the body doesn’t cleanse anyone.

But Peter teaches that the flood is a figure of the antitype. Baptism is the antitype prefigured by the flood that washed away a sinful world, with the exception of Noah and his family who had faith and then acted when God told him to.

Jesus' statement in Matthew 19:9 gets twisted by those who want to justify unlawful marriages.

Some preachers want to allow divorce and remarriage for any reason including the only one which Jesus gave.

Other preachers want to allow divorce and remarriage under special circumstances, such as “mental divorce.”

Violence Is Done When There Is Adding to or Subtracting From the Law

Revelation 22:18-19 pronounces a curse to all those who add or subtract from the words of the Bible. The word “add” means “to put or lay upon”, while the word “take away” means “to take away, remove, or carry off”.

Nadab and Abihu added strange fire in Leviticus 10:1-2. A small matter in their eyes was a big matter to God, for it made their worship vain (Matthew 15:9). What about adding to the work of the church in the form of social or recreational programs? What about adding to the organization of the church in the form of extra offices and organizational structures?

After Jehoiakim found the law, he cut away what he didn’t want (Jeremiah 36:23). What about taking away things for which we have proper authority? In the past several years, brethren have sought to do away with Bible classes, meeting houses, multiple containers in the Lord’s Supper and women teachers.