John Michael Talbot explains:
Jesus was not a rebel, he was a good Jew and an obedient son of an ancient faith - the faith of Abraham, Moses, and the prophets. All of Jesus’ actions and teachings were based on the law. Although he sometimes seemed to break the law, he always fulfilled the heart of the law, and he supported his action with scripture.
Jesus, the Living Word, appointed living men to be his apostles and preach his word of salvation. They were anointed by the Spirit of the living God at Pentecost and empowered to fulfill their commission. Thus it was that the living God sent a living Word to a living people through the life of Jesus Christ and the apostles. The word is not written in stone, it is written in the life of Christ! "He is the God of the living, not of the dead."
The early church of Acts 2 did not follow scripture alone, it followed "apostolic instruction." From this living apostolic tradition, the Old Testament was interpreted, and the New Testament itself was brought forth. It is because of this living tradition that Paul was able to say, "Owe no debt to anyone except the debt that binds us to love one another. He who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law ... love never wrongs the neighbor, hence love is the fulfillment of the law."
Do we see the scriptures as oppressive laws from the past or as life-giving guidance for the future? Do we seek to "flesh out" the authority of scripture within the authority of the Spirit-filled church? Do we let both the scripture and the church speak to us with God-given authority?
Do the laws of Scripture and the church become complicated and burden some to us, or do we retain the simplicity of love through them all? Remember, Jesus said, "You shall love the Lord your God with your whole heart, with your whole soul, and with your whole mind ... you shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments the whole law is based, and the prophets as well."
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