(1) If the death of Jesus is sufficient to ohtain salvation, the observance of the Law cannot be essential any longer. Hence, though believing Jews may continue to observe the Law if they will, there is not sufficient ground for compelling Gentiles who turn to God and believe on Jesus to do so also. This recognition of the Gentiles is the first step in the process, and is the position reached at the Council of Jerusalem (Ac 15). The next step was to admit that it was not necessary for be- lieving Jews to observe the Law, when such observ- ance caused them to separate from their Gentile brethren. This step was being taken during the lifetime of !St. Paul (Gal 2^-'^-, 1 Co 9-i). The last step was to condemn all observance of the Law, whether by Jewish or by Gentile believers.
This last step is reflected in the pages of our Epistle. There is, however, this peculiarity about its position : the main stream of Christian thought believed that tlie Mosaic Law had been given by God to the Jews to be literally fulfilled. Our author, however, does not believe that the Law ever was intended to be taken literally ; he says it was uttered in a spiritual sense which the Jews did not understand (x. 9). This error of the Jews was the work of an evil angel (ix. 4; cf. viii. 7) ; the true spiritual interpretation is known to Christians because God circumcised their ears (ix. 4). This spiritual interpretation of the LaAv is nothing more or less than a series of allegories. The scapegoat of the Day of Atonement is the type of Jesus who Avas to sufl'er (ch. vii.). The prescription that certain animals must not be eaten is explained as meaning that one must have no dealings Avith certain kinds of evil persons (ch. x.). If Abraham is said to have circumcised 318 men, the real meaning is Jesus and the Cross, because 'in the number 18, I stands for ten, H for eight. Here thou hast Jesus (IH20T2). And because the cross in the T was to have grace, he saith also three hundred. So he revealeth Jesus in the tAvo letters and in the remaining one the Cross ' (ix. 8 ; cf. his treatment of the Red Heifer of Nu 19 in ch. viii.).
This position is supported by citing the prophetic condemnation of the idea that sacrifice and ritual can be made a substitute for a moral life (chs. ii. and iii.). In dealing Avith circumcision, our author seizes on those passages Avhich speak of a circum- cision of the heart (Jer 4*, Dt 10'«, Jer 9-^), and argues that the Jewish circumcision ' is abolished, for he hath said that a circumcision not of the flesh should be practised' (ix. 4). The six days of creation are in reality 6000 years ; hence the true Sabbath cannot be observed until the coming of the Son of God (ch. xv.). Similarly the building of a material Temple Avas a mistake ; the true Temple is a spiritual Temple — the hearts of those Avith Avhom God dwells (ch. xvi.) ; thus all that is outwardly distinctive of the JcAvish religion is interpreted in a spiritual sense : distinctions of clean and unclean, circumcision, the Sabbath and the Temple.
(2) Another logical consequence of belief in Jesus
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as Messiah will further illustrate the mind of our writer. If the Messiah has indeed come in the per- son of Jesus, then the national religion of the Jews is not destroyed but proved to be the true service of the Living God, and its claim that it had received a direct Divine revelation is not exploded but vindi- cated by God Himself. Every one who believed in Jesus, believed that He came in fulfilment of promises made by God to the Jewish fathers ; hence a Christian believer could not but regard the ancient Jewish Scriptures as the record of a unique revelation and treat them as the very word of God. This, too, is the position of our author ; for, though he regards the literal observance of the Law as having been from the very first a fatal mistake, yet all his proofs of this are drawn from the OT itself and from what he believes to be its true exegesis. ' The Lord has made known to us by His prophets, things past and present.' The words of Scripture he constantly quotes as words spoken from the mouth of God (ii. 4, 5, 7, iii. 1, iv. 8, v. 5, 12, etc. ; cf. iv. 7, 11, v. 4, etc.). Moreover, he uses the Scriptures to explain the mystery of the suffering of the Son of God. ' How did He endure to suffer at the hand of men ? Understand ye. The Prophets receiving grace from Him, prophesied concerning Him' (v. 5, 6, 13, 14; cf. vi. 6, 7, x., xi. ). The OT was his only source of authority in religion ; he does not appeal to any Christian writ- ing, or even to the words of Jesus ; he feels he has fully proved his point if he can show that his doc- trine is grounded in the Jewish Scriptures.
(3) If Jesus was the Messiah, He was clothed with full authority to mould the national religious life according to the will of God. Those who re- fused to believe and obey Him refused to obey and believe God, and by this act of disobedience cut themselves off from the Covenant and the mercies of God. On the other hand, those who did believe God and were obedient to His Messiah, became the true people of God, the New Israel, the present possessors of all the jDrivileges that once be- longed to the Jewish nation, and the recipients of all the Messianic blessings. If the purpose of God in creating the world and in calling Abraham had been fulfilled in Jesus, then it was not for the sake of unbelieving Jews but for the sake of the believers in the Messiah that the world had been created and Abraham called. They are the new People and yet the old, for they have been latent in God's intention since the Ci-eation. Thus the Christians denied to the Jews any share whatever in the glorious herit- age of the Jewish nation, and claimed it entirely for themselves.