But it is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the smallest detail of the Law to be done away with.

In our Law Moses commanded that such a woman must be stoned to death. Now, what do you say?"

Then they brought in some men to tell lies about him. "This man," they said, "is always talking against our sacred Temple and the Law of Moses.

"This man," they said, "is trying to persuade people to worship God in a way that is against the law!"

"People of Israel!" they shouted. "Help! This is the man who goes everywhere teaching everyone against the people of Israel, the Law of Moses, and this Temple. And now he has even brought some Gentiles into the Temple and defiled this holy place!"

Does this mean that by this faith we do away with the Law? No, not at all; instead, we uphold the Law.

For Christ has brought the Law to an end, so that everyone who believes is put right with God.

What I mean is that God made a covenant with Abraham and promised to keep it. The Law, which was given four hundred and thirty years later, cannot break that covenant and cancel God's promise.

What, then, was the purpose of the Law? It was added in order to show what wrongdoing is, and it was meant to last until the coming of Abraham's descendant, to whom the promise was made. The Law was handed down by angels, with a man acting as a go-between.

Does this mean that the Law is against God's promises? No, not at all! For if human beings had received a law that could bring life, then everyone could be put right with God by obeying it.

But before the time for faith came, the Law kept us all locked up as prisoners until this coming faith should be revealed.

But Jesus answered him, "Let it be so for now. For in this way we shall do all that God requires." So John agreed.

You do not want sacrifices and offerings; you do not ask for animals burned whole on the altar or for sacrifices to take away sins. Instead, you have given me ears to hear you,

How I love to do your will, my God! I keep your teaching in my heart."

The LORD is a God who is eager to save, so he exalted his laws and teachings, and he wanted his people to honor them.

God did this so that the righteous demands of the Law might be fully satisfied in us who live according to the Spirit, and not according to human nature.

But when the right time finally came, God sent his own Son. He came as the son of a human mother and lived under the Jewish Law,

to redeem those who were under the Law, so that we might become God's children.

So let no one make rules about what you eat or drink or about holy days or the New Moon Festival or the Sabbath.

All such things are only a shadow of things in the future; the reality is Christ.

As it is, however, the sacrifices serve year after year to remind people of their sins.

For this reason, when Christ was about to come into the world, he said to God: "You do not want sacrifices and offerings, but you have prepared a body for me.

Then I said, 'Here I am, to do your will, O God, just as it is written of me in the book of the Law.' "

Then he said, "Here I am, O God, to do your will." So God does away with all the old sacrifices and puts the sacrifice of Christ in their place.

Every Jewish priest performs his services every day and offers the same sacrifices many times; but these sacrifices can never take away sins.