Paul's View of the Law In

TWO difficult verses for understanding Paul's view of the law are Rom 10:4-5. Rom 10:4, for example, has often been used to posit an absolute discontinuity between law and gospel since Paul says here that "Christ is the end [te<loj] of the law." Others, however, claim that to read such discontinuity into the verse is unwarranted, and they argue that Paul is asserting that "Christ is the goal of the law." In this latter view, faith in Christ is the goal to which the law points, and there is a fundamental harmony between the gospel and the OT law. Although Rom 10:5 has not been as significant in the history of interpretation as Rom 10:4, the meaning of this verse has been the subject of increasing debate in recent years. Since these two verses are important for determining Paul's stance toward the OT law, it is my goal to examine various interpretations of Rom 10:4-5 and to defend the interpretation which is the most credible.