09-‘The Law' in ‘The Law of Christ'

We know what ‘law’ is in ‘the law of Moses’, 1 but what about
‘law’ in ‘the law of Christ’ (Gal. 6:2)? 2
‘The law of Moses’ and ‘the law of Christ’ are (in the common
parlance) very different beasts; that is, they are very different
‘entities’, ‘systems’, ‘regimes’. And they are poles apart, not only
in content, but in their whole basis, approach, ethos, outlook,
attitude and mindset. It is all to do with ‘Moses’ and ‘Christ’
(John 1:17). The two laws belong to two distinct, contrasting
ages, and are very different ‘laws’. The law of Moses is a list of
specific rules – the decalogue is ten commandments, after all. The
law of Christ, however, is far wider, far bigger. And I am not
thinking of a hundred commandments instead of ten! (Or, rather,
a thousand commandments instead of the more-than six hundred
in the Mosaic law!) The law of Christ is not a list at all. This is
the point I am striving for. The law of Christ is a principle, an all-
embracing principle. Anything more different to a list of rules,
especially a list of ‘do nots’, would be hard to imagine. Christ’s
law is inflexible, but there is certain flexibility within it. Within
limits, differences of judgment are allowed under Christ (see
Rom. 14:1 – 15:7; Phil. 3:15-16, for instance). This is a
remarkable aspect of the law of Christ. In general, law allows no
room for conscience. In particular, the Mosaic law allows none.
Summarising the essential difference between the two ‘laws’, the
law of Moses and the law of Christ, we are talking about the
difference between precept and principle.