How does Leviticus 18:5 relate to the concept of salvation by faith versus works? Text of Leviticus 18:5 “Keep My statutes and ordinances; a person will live if he does them. I am the LORD.” Immediate Context within Leviticus Leviticus 18 opens with a call to reject Egyptian and Canaanite practices and to “walk in” God’s statutes. Verse 5 states the principle that covenantal obedience brings “life.” In Moses’ setting this “life” was primarily covenant blessing in the land (cf. Leviticus 18:24–30), yet the promise carried eschatological weight because “life” is God’s own gift and presence (cf. Genesis 2:7; Deuteronomy 30:19–20). Covenantal Function: Life for Perfect Obedience Leviticus 18:5 articulates the heart of the Mosaic covenant: perfect, comprehensive obedience equals life. The surrounding sacrificial system immediately reveals Israel’s inability to meet that standard. Day-after-day offerings (Leviticus 1–7) acknowledge sin, foreshadowing the need for a flawless Substitute (Leviticus 16). Thus Leviticus simultaneously sets forth the righteous requirement and exposes human incapacity. Canonical Echoes: Ezekiel, Romans, Galatians Ezekiel 20:11 recites the verse to indict Israel’s failure. Paul cites it twice: • Romans 10:5—“For concerning the righteousness that is by the law, Moses writes: ‘The man who does these things will live by them.’” • Galatians 3:12—“The law is not based on faith; ‘the man who does these things will live by them.’” Paul contrasts law-righteousness (doing) with faith-righteousness (believing). By inserting Leviticus 18:5 into this antithesis, he affirms its original condition: unbroken obedience is required; therefore, another way—faith in Christ’s atoning work—is necessary. Pauline Interpretation: Law versus Faith In Galatians 3:10–14, Paul connects Leviticus 18:5 to Deuteronomy 27:26 (“Cursed is everyone who does not…”) to show that the law, though good, functions as a curse for lawbreakers. Christ “redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us” (Galatians 3:13). Thus salvation is “by grace…through faith” (Ephesians 2:8-9), not by achieving the Levitical standard. Perfect obedience remains theoretically salvific; practically, it is impossible post-Fall (Romans 3:23). Biblical Theology: Law as Tutor to Christ Galatians 3:24 terms the law a paidagōgos leading us to Christ. Leviticus 18:5 magnifies God’s holiness and mankind’s deficiency. The sacrificial blood sprinkled on the mercy seat (Leviticus 16:14-15) points ahead to Christ’s blood (Hebrews 9:11-14). Therefore, Levitical “life” is ultimately realized in resurrection life given through the Messiah (John 5:24; 1 Corinthians 15:22). Jesus the Fulfillment of the Law and Life Jesus claims, “I have come not to abolish the Law but to fulfill it” (Matthew 5:17). He alone perfectly meets Leviticus 18:5, meriting life. At the cross the righteousness that His obedience earned is imputed to believers (2 Corinthians 5:21). His bodily resurrection, attested by multiple early eyewitness sources (1 Corinthians 15:3-8; cited in 4Q521; Josephus, Antiquities 18.3.3), vindicates His fulfillment and provides the eternal “life” promised. Salvation by Grace Illustrated in Leviticus Even within Leviticus, grace precedes law. God begins, “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt” (Leviticus 18:2). Deliverance (grace) comes first, commands follow. The pattern anticipates New-Covenant salvation: redemption accomplished by God, obedience rendered as grateful response (Romans 12:1). Works as Fruit of Faith, Not Basis James 2:17–26 explains that faith without works is dead. Works are evidential, not meritorious. True faith, having received life through Christ, now delights in the statutes of God (Psalm 119:32). Thus Leviticus 18:5, when read through the Gospel, becomes the lifestyle of the redeemed, not their ladder to heaven. Consistency of Manuscript Evidence Leviticus 18 is preserved in the Dead Sea Scroll fragment 4QLevd (c. 150 BC) with wording identical to the Masoretic Text underlying the. The Samaritan Pentateuch and Septuagint share the same concept, demonstrating textual stability. Early Christian citations by Justin Martyr (Dialogue 92) confirm the verse’s transmission into the second century. Historical and Archaeological Corroboration The Sinai covenant setting coheres with Late Bronze Age material culture found at Timna and Kadesh-barnea. The Ketef Hinnom silver scrolls (7th century BC) contain priestly benedictions (Numbers 6:24-26), corroborating the Pentateuch’s ancient circulation. Such finds lend historical weight to Levitical legislation and, by extension, to the theological framework Paul expounds. Philosophical and Behavioral Insights From a behavioral-science standpoint, moral law functions as both guide and mirror. Empirical studies on moral injury and guilt (e.g., Litz & Kerig, 2019) show that transgression produces internal dissonance, echoing Romans 2:15’s “law written on hearts.” The universal failure to live up to an objective standard psychologically primes mankind for grace, aligning with Leviticus 18:5’s unachievable ideal. Practical Implications for the Believer 1. Assurance rests not in performance but in the finished work of Christ. 2. Obedience follows as proof of new life (1 John 2:3). 3. Evangelistically, Leviticus 18:5 exposes the futility of self-salvation and opens the door to present Christ as the only One who “did” and therefore grants life. Answer Summary Leviticus 18:5 promises life for flawless obedience, establishing the standard that the law demands. Scripture consistently shows humanity’s inability to meet that standard, thereby directing us to salvation by faith in the perfectly obedient, crucified, and risen Christ. Works remain the validating fruit of that faith, never the root of acceptance with God. |
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