Given the revitalization of the ancient heresies refuted by the Apostle Paul in Galatians by much of the Hebrew Roots Movement, it behooves us to remember that our ancestors in the faith considered these same issues. They too studied the scriptures, looked to the wisdom of those who had gone before them, and rejected firmly any attempt to impose the yoke of the Mosaic Law upon those called into fellowship by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.
Thankfully, apostles-creed.org has links to the pdf of virtually every Church creedal statement on one webpage, if you are interested in one not listed below, you will probably find it there. {Thus the hyperlinks below are to the Wikipedia pages about the various creeds, for the pdf of the full statements see the link above.}
The Westminster Confession, 1646, was the product of the Puritan movement in England, the forerunner of today's Presbyterian Church, its format was utilized by the Congregationalists in England in 1658 to issue the Savoy Declaration, and then by the Particular Baptists to create the London Baptist Confession of 1689. The two subsequent creedal statements only modified the Westminster when they needed to express disagreement. In the case of the Law of Moses, all three statements are virtually identical, as this branch of Protestantism was entirely unified on this position.
Chapter 19 - Of The Law of God, sections 3-7, from the Savoy Declaration
3. Beside this law, commonly called moral, God was pleased to give to the people of Israel ceremonial laws, containing several typical ordinances; partly of worship, prefiguring Christ, his graces, actions, sufferings and benefits, and partly holding forth divers instructions of moral duties. All which ceremonial laws being appointed only to the time of reformation, are by Jesus Christ the true Messiah and only lawgiver, who was furnished with power from the Father for that end, abrogated and taken away.
Commentary: That the Law of Moses contains moral imperatives that transcend its use in the covenant with the people of Israel, AND ceremonial aspects that are limited to that specific people, place, and time, was recognized and accepted. They also saw in Jesus Christ not only the power to fulfill the Law, but as the Word of God, to bring an end to its era by instituting another.
4. To them also he gave sundry judicial laws, which expired together with the state of that people, not obliging any now by virtue of that institution, their general equity only being still of moral use.
Commentary: Likewise they realized that a theocratic nation built of one ethnic people living in the Ancient Near East would have various civil laws that would no longer apply, excepting any moral principles that could be derived from them.
5. The moral law doth for ever bind all, as well justified persons as others, to the obedience thereof; and that not only in regard of the matter contained in it, but also in respect of the authority of God the Creator, who gave it: neither doth Christ in the gospel any way dissolve, but much strengthen this obligation.
Commentary: This understanding of the limitations of the Law of Moses in the era of the New Covenant with respect to ceremonial and civil law, did not keep our ancestors in the faith from proclaiming the abiding authority of the moral standards from that same Law.
6. Although true believers be not under the law, as a covenant of works, to be thereby justified or condemned; yet it is of great use to them as well as to others, in that, as a rule of life, informing them of the will of God, and their duty, it directs and binds them to walk accordingly; discovering also the sinful pollutions of their nature, hearts and lives; so as examining themselves thereby, they may come to further conviction of, humiliation for, and hatred against sin; together with a clearer sight of the need they have of Christ, and the perfection of his obedience. It is likewise of use to the regenerate, to restrain their corruptions, in that it forbids sin; and the threatenings of it serve to show what even their sins deserve, and what afflictions in this life they may expect for them, although freed from the curse thereof threatened in the law. The promises of it in like manner show them God's approbation of obedience, and what blessings they may expect upon the performance thereof, although not as due to them by the law, as a covenant of works; so as a mans doing good, and refraining from evil, because the law encourageth to the one, and deterreth from the other, is no evidence of his being under the law, and not under grace.
Commentary: In addition, they saw the overall structure of the Law of Moses, with its blessings and curses promised to the people of Israel, to be instructive showing both God's kindness to those who live in righteousness, and anger toward those who indulge in wickedness. The Law, they believed, still has much to teach Christians, without being binding upon them, with the exceptions of its moral imperatives.
7. Neither are the forementioned uses of the law contrary to the grace of the gospel, but do sweetly comply with it; the Spirit of Christ subduing and enabling the will of man to do that freely and cheerfully, which the will of God revealed in the law required to be done.
Commentary: Contrary to the claims of the Hebrew Roots Movement, the Spirit of God was not given at Pentecost to enable Christians to fulfill the entirety of the Mosaic Law, our ancestors saw instead that the Spirit would Christians to "freely and cheerfully" follow the moral commandments and moral principles of the Law, and that alone.
The Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion, 1571, are the historically defining statements with respect to the Reformation for the Church of England (Anglican and Episcopal Churches)
7. Of the Old Testament. The Old Testament is not contrary to the New: for both in the Old and New Testament everlasting life is offered to Mankind by Christ, who is the only Mediator between God and Man, being both God and Man. Wherefore they are not to be heard, which feign that the old Fathers did look only for transitory promises. Although the Law given from God by Moses, as touching Ceremonies and Rites, do not bind Christian men, nor the Civil precepts thereof ought of necessity to be received in any commonwealth; yet notwithstanding, no Christian man whatsoever is free from the obedience of the Commandments which are called Moral.
Commentary: Here the Anglicans and Episcopalians profess that the moral precepts of the Law of Moses are binding upon every Christian, but that both the ceremonial and the civil aspects of the Mosaic Law are not.
The Methodist Movement's creedal statement is called the Articles of Religion, approved in 1784; it maintained the exact verbiage of the Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion, Wesley seeing no need to change any of it.
Article VI—Of the Old Testament
The Old Testament is not contrary to the New; for both in the Old and New Testament everlasting life is offered to mankind by Christ, who is the only Mediator between God and man, being both God and Man. Wherefore they are not to be heard, which who feign that the old fathers did look only for transitory promises. Although the law given from God by Moses as touching ceremonies and rites doth not bind Christians men, nor ought the civil precepts thereof ought of necessity to be received in any commonwealth; yet notwithstanding, no Christian man whatsoever is free from the obedience of the commandments which are called moral.
Commentary: Here also the Methodists profess that the moral precepts of the Law of Moses are binding upon every Christian, but that both the ceremonial and the civil aspects of the Mosaic Law are not.
The Belgic Confession, 1561, is the creedal statement for the Reformed Churches, originally written in French.
Article 25 - The Fulfillment of the Law
We believe that the ceremonies and symbols of the law have ended with the coming of Christ, and that all foreshadowings have come to an end, so that the use of them ought to be abolished among Christians. Yet the truth and substance of these things remain for us in Jesus Christ, in whom they have been fulfilled.
Nevertheless, we continue to use the witness drawn from the law and prophets to confirm us in the gospel and to regulate our lives with full integrity for the glory of God, according to his will.
Commentary: Likewise, the Reformed movement saw an ending of the ceremonial aspects of the Mosaic Law in the advent of Jesus Christ, proclaiming that they should not be in use among Christians, while retaining a respect for the truths to which they pointed.
The Second Helvetic Confession, 1564, was a product of the Swiss Reformed Churches, originally written in Swiss.
Chapter XII, Of the Law of God
WHY THE LAW WAS GIVEN. We teach that this law was not given to men that they might be justified by keeping it, but that rather from what it teaches we may know (our) weakness, sin and condemnation, and, despairing of our strength, might be converted to Christ in faith. For the apostle openly declares: "The law brings wrath," and, "Through the law comes knowledge of sin" (Rom. 4:15; 3:20), and, "If a law had been given which could justify or make alive, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. But the Scripture (that is, the law) has concluded all under sin, that the promise which was of the faith of Jesus might be given to those who believe....Therefore, the law was our schoolmaster unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith" (Gal.3:21 ff.).
THE FLESH DOES NOT FULFIL THE LAW. For no flesh could or can satisfy the law of God and fulfil it, because of the weakness in our flesh which adheres and remains in us until our last breath. For the apostle says again: "God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do: sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin" (Rom. 8:3). Therefore, Christ is the perfecting of the law and our fulfilment of it (Rom. 10:4), who, in order to take away the curse of the law, was make a curse for us (Gal. 3:13). Thus he imparts to us through faith his fulfilment of the law, and his righteousness and obedience are imputed to us.
HOW FAR THE LAW IS ABROGATED. The law of God is therefore abrogated to the extent that it no longer condemns us, nor works wrath in us. For we are under grace and not under the law. Moreover, Christ has fulfilled all the figures of the law. Hence, with the coming of the body, the shadows ceased, so that in Christ we now have the truth and all fulness. But yet we do not on that account contemptuously reject the law. For we remember the words of the Lord when he said: "I have not come to abolish the law and the prophets but to fulfil them" (Matt. 5:17). We know that in the law is delivered to us the patterns of virtues and vices. We know that the written law when explained by the Gospel is useful to the Church, and that therefore its reading is not to be banished from the Church. For although Moses' face was covered with a veil, yet the apostle says that the veil has been taken away and abolished by Christ.
Commentary: Once more we see the balance on the part of our ancestors in the faith between their understanding that the Law of Moses has been abrogated (repealed, rescinded, nullified) by the work of Jesus Christ, and the desire to learn from the moral principles contained within it.
In the end, one of the remarkable things about these various creeds coming from movements within Protestantism that contain strong disagreements about important theological issues, is how uniform these statements are regarding how the Church should understand the Law of Moses. They disagree about baptism, communion, church structure, the role of the government with respect to the Church, and a host of other topics, but NOT about the Law of Moses. Each and every one saw it is abrogated by Jesus Christ, none believed that the Law was in any way incumbent upon Christians in either its ceremonial or civil aspects, and all still retained respect for the teaching ability of the Law's moral principles which where revealed retained the force of commands from God. On this issue, our ancestors in the faith speak with one unified voice: The Law of Moses is NOT normative for followers of Jesus Christ.
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