The Road Traveled

In N.T. Wright’s book, Surprised by Scripture, he writes about how Christ came to fulfill the law and how this changes the interpretation of the Old Testament for Christians. “When travelers sail across a vast ocean and finally arrive on the distant shore, they leave the ship behind and continue over land, not because the ship was no good, or because their voyage had been misguided, but precisely because both ship and voyage had accomplished their purpose. During the new, dry-land stage of their journey, the travelers remain—and in this illustration must never forget that they remain—the people who made that voyage in that ship…the best example of line of thought [is in] Galatians 3: 22–29, where Paul argues that God gave the Mosaic law for a specific purpose which has now come to fruition, whereupon that law must be put aside, in terms of its task of defining the community, not because it was a bad thing but because it was a good thing whose task is now accomplished. But, as the whole letter indicates, the people of God renewed through Jesus and the Spirit can never and must never forget the road by which they had traveled.” – N.T. Wright

The Temple built by Solomon was where God dwelled and now, because of Christ’s death and resurrection, he dwells in us. So it is with the law—we were once bound to it but now that Christ has fulfilled it we are free to walk in his grace.

 

Source: https://www.amazon.com/Surprised-Scripture-Engaging-Contemporary-Issues/dp/0062230549