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Question 5

The lesson carefully distinguishes “works” from circumcision and “works of the law,” defining them as “keeping the commandments of God”; which commandments does the transcript treat as carried over into Christ’s teaching, and how does that reshape what you count as “legalism” versus “obedience”?

Another way to ask: Which of God’s commandments does the lesson say still apply under Christ’s teaching? How does that change what you call “legalism” versus real obedience?

Direct Answer The transcript treats the carried-over commandments as the law’s “eternal moral principles,” echoed in Christ’s teachings—basic moral duties like not murdering, committing adultery, stealing, lying, and honoring parents. That reframes “legalism” away from obeying Christ’s moral commands and toward relying on ritual/boundary markers (like circumcision) as the basis of standing.

Support from Transcript:

“The works… are neither circumcision nor the works of the law.”
“Neither circumcision counts for anything… but keeping the commandments of God.”
Paul is not talking about “ceremonial and ritualistic works… [but] the eternal moral principles of the law that have been brought over into Christ’s teachings.”
Origen: not Sabbaths, new moons, or sacrifices; rather what Gentiles “naturally recognize.”
Examples of natural-law morals: “wrong to commit murder or adultery… steal or lie… should honor father and mother.”
Jesus emphasizes obeying His commandments as love and discipleship.

Discussion Follow-ups When you hear calls to obedience, do you instinctively label them “legalism”? How does the transcript’s distinction between ritual markers and moral commandments challenge that reflex?

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