Thanks for your diligent work on this, Brother George. You have presented some very thought provoking doctrine. And I can see how that fits. You know what I mean when I say this: often we have years of believing a certain thing and stand our ground to the end. As I grow older in person and in the Christ...I realize my "stupidity" and need to continually grow in the Christian life.
First, I do agree that the law is referring to "all" not just the Ten Commandments. However, here are some more questions if you don't mind. I understand the word "without" the law applying to the Gentiles. But if we {the Gentiles} are "without" the law, what does it matter if we are "not under" the law? What I mean is how could we be accountable for violating something we are not under? We are measured by the righteous standard of God's law, right?
What was the Gentile "under" if not the law? Of course, I've never believed the Gentile was/is "under the law" in the same way the Jew is under the law but I have always believed [perhaps erroneously] that we [Gentiles] are under the law as a schoolmaster/teacher which brought us to Christ.
If not the "Law" then what? What was the "schoolmaster" for us Gentiles that clearly revealed we were sinners [violators of God's perfect and holy standard] and must be born again of the Spirit in order to be justified? What was the schoolmaster that brought us to Christ?
You know, when I received Christ, Brother George, I knew I was a dirty rotten sinner without someone teaching me the laws of God? But are we [humankind] "under the law" in the sense of conscience?
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