“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” -Romans 10:4
What Paul means by “Christ is the end of the law” (Χριστὸς τέλος νὀμος) is strikingly profound but simple. He is the telos, the goal, the target at which the law points all men. This is so that righteousness could be made available for everyone who believes.
In contrast to the righteousness the Jews sought to establish by their own works according to the law, Paul is explaining that God had given the law to show man his dire need for God’s perfect, complete, whole righteousness, which can only be attained by faith in the person of Jesus Christ.
This is the ignorance that undermined the zeal of the Jews. This is also the simplicity that so often undermines the pride of the Gentiles. And, it’s why Paul wrote to the church at Corinth, saying,
“For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” -1 Corinthians 1:22–24
Leave a Reply