For Christ is the end of the law
The apostle here observes that to them which had they known,
would have regulated their zeal, removed their ignorance and set
them right, in that which they stumbled at, and fell. By the
"law" here, is not meant the ceremonial law, of which, indeed,
they were all very zealous, and of which Christ also was the end
in many respects; he was the final cause of it, or that for the
sake of which it was; it had not been given had it not been for
him; all its institutions, ordinances, and sacrifices, were on
his account: they were all shadows of him, and he the body and
substance of them; he was the end or mark and scope at which they
all aimed; every type looked to him, and every offering directed
the worshipper to him; he was the terminus of it, to whom it was
to reach, and beyond whom it was not to go; it was a schoolmaster
for instruction and direction until Christ came, and no longer.
He was the fulfilling end of it, every thing in it had its
accomplishment in him; and then lastly, he put an end to it, he
disannulled it because of its after weakness and
unprofitableness; he blotted out this hand writing of ordinances,
and entirely abolished this law of commandments; but then Christ
was not the end of this law for righteousness; Christ's obedience
to it is no part of justifying righteousness, especially not to
everyone that believes, not to the Gentiles who never were under
any obligation to observe it: the moral law is here designed, and
when Christ is said to be the end of it, the meaning is not that
he was the end of its being given; for that was to be a rule of
righteousness and life to men, and a ministration of death in
case of disobedience: or that he was the scope of this law,
though the Syriac version renders it (hko) , "the scope" of the law is the Messiah, the
mark at which it aimed, or which it directs persons to; for the
law does not direct to Christ at all, in any way; it requires and
insists upon a perfect righteousness, but gives not the least
hint of the righteousness of Christ, nor does it in any form
direct unto it; by it is the knowledge of sin, but no knowledge
of a Saviour from sin; not the law, but the Gospel directs and
encourages sensible sinners to believe in Christ and be saved; on
the contrary, the law is a killing letter, and the ministration
of condemnation and death; but Christ is either the consuming or
consummating, the destroying or fulfilling end of the law. He is
the destroying end of the law, not as to the nature, being,
matter and substance of it, which is invariable and eternal, and
is not, and cannot be made void by the doctrine of faith; nor as
to the true use of it; but as a covenant of works, as to the
ministry of it by Moses, and as to its curse and condemnation.
Though I rather think the latter is here meant, namely, that
Christ is the fulfilling end of the law, since it is added,
for righteousness:
for the bringing in an everlasting righteousness; a righteousness
justifying in the sight of God; a righteousness sinners wanted,
and could not obtain of themselves, and could never be obtained
but by a perfect fulfilling of the law: this Christ has done
partly by the conformity of his nature, being exactly like that,
and what it requires holy, just, and good; and partly by perfect
obedience of his life to all its precepts; and also by suffering
the penalty of it, death, in the room and stead of all his
people; and so the whole righteousness of the law is fulfilled by
him, and he becomes the end of it, for a justifying righteousness
before God,
to everyone that believes:
not to him that works for life, and in order to obtain a
righteousness of his own; nor to the Jew only, but also to the
Gentile, even to everyone, be who he will, that has faith in
Christ; not that faith is either the matter, cause, or condition
of righteousness, but this righteousness is only revealed unto,
and received by the believer, and can only be pleaded by him, as
his justifying righteousness. Moreover, this phrase is
descriptive of the persons to whom Christ is the end of the law
for righteousness, and suggests that for whomsoever he has
fulfilled the law, in order to bring in for them a justifying
righteousness, faith in consequence is given to them, to receive
and embrace it, and enjoy all the comfort and privileges of it.