The concept of the law's authority over a person is a significant theme in the Bible, particularly in the context of the Old and New Testaments. The law, as given by God, serves as a moral and spiritual guide for His people, establishing standards of righteousness and justice.

Old Testament Context

In the Old Testament, the law is primarily associated with the Mosaic Law, which includes the Ten Commandments and various ceremonial, civil, and moral laws given to the Israelites. The law was delivered to Moses on Mount Sinai and is detailed in the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. It was intended to set Israel apart as a holy nation and to guide them in their relationship with God and with one another.

The authority of the law is evident in passages such as Deuteronomy 6:1-2 : "These are the commandments and statutes and ordinances that the LORD your God has instructed me to teach you to follow in the land that you are about to enter and possess, so that you and your children and grandchildren may fear the LORD your God all the days of your lives by keeping all His statutes and commandments that I give you, and so that your days may be prolonged."

The law was not only a set of rules but also a covenant between God and His people, as seen in Exodus 19:5-6 : "Now if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, you will be My treasured possession out of all the nations—for the whole earth is Mine. And unto Me you shall be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation."

New Testament Context

In the New Testament, the authority of the law is reinterpreted in light of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jesus Himself affirmed the importance of the law, stating in Matthew 5:17-18 : "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not a single jot, not a stroke of a pen, will disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished."

The Apostle Paul further elaborates on the law's authority and its limitations in relation to grace and faith. In Romans 7:1-6 , Paul explains that the law has authority over a person only as long as they live, using the analogy of marriage to illustrate how believers are released from the law through Christ: "Do you not know, brothers, for I am speaking to those who know the law, that the law has authority over a man only as long as he lives? For instance, a married woman is bound by law to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is released from the law of marriage."

Paul emphasizes that believers are no longer under the law's condemnation because they have died to the law through the body of Christ, allowing them to serve in the new way of the Spirit. This is further explained in Galatians 3:24-25 : "So the law became our guardian to lead us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian."

The Role of the Law for Believers

While the law's authority in terms of condemnation is nullified for those in Christ, its moral and ethical teachings continue to guide believers. The law reveals the character of God and His standards for holiness, which are fulfilled in the life of a believer through the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:3-4 states: "For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful man, as an offering for sin. He thus condemned sin in the flesh, so that the righteous standard of the law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit."

In summary, the law's authority over a person is a complex interplay of divine command, covenant relationship, and the transformative power of grace through Jesus Christ. It serves as both a guide and a guardian, leading believers to a deeper understanding of God's will and their identity in Christ.