Sermon Breakdown

1. The apostle Paul asks a rhetorical question: Do we then make void the law through faith?
2. He answers: God forbid. Yea, we establish the law.
3. There are two interpretations of what "the law" refers to here:
4. The Old Testament scriptures
5. The Mosaic law (moral and ceremonial law)
6. The second interpretation is more likely based on the context and flow of Paul's argument.
7. The gospel establishes the law in several ways:
8. Jesus perfectly obeyed the law in his life (active obedience)
9. Jesus bore the punishment for our sins demanded by the law (passive obedience)
10. The gospel confirms what the law says about God's holiness and righteousness
11. The gospel confirms what the law says about God's wrath against sin
12. The gospel confirms what the law says about our sin and sinfulness
13. The gospel fulfills the Old Testament types and shadows (sacrifices, priesthood, etc.)
14. The gospel confirms that without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins
15. The gospel gives us a spiritual understanding of the law
16. Wrong views of how the gospel establishes the law:
17. That the gospel enables us to live the law (sanctification, not justification)
18. That Paul was wrong in his view of the atonement
19. That the early church corrupted Paul's teaching, which we now have rediscovered
20. That we must adapt our teaching to suit the modern mindset
21. We must reject these wrong views and hold fast to the truth of propitiation through faith in Christ's blood.