First Timothy 1:8-11

From the New International Version:

We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. We also know that law is made not for the righteous but for the lawbreakers and the rebels, the ungodly and the sinful, the unholy and the irreligious; for those who kill their fathers and mothers, for murderers, for adulterers and perverts, for slave traders and liars and perjurers - and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine that conforms to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.

Commentary

Paul had previously identified the false teachers in the Ephesian church as self styled teachers of the law, but he wanted Timothy to know that this did not mean the law was bad. In fact, quite the opposite was true. The law is good if applied to the correct parties and the correct parties are not the righteous, but the wicked.

The law was intended for law breakers of all kinds and as you can see the list goes on and on. Why is it for law breakers? Because the law reveals sin. If there is no law, then there is no sin. So the presence of law reveals and convicts people of their sin.

These self appointed teachers of the law, by Paul's logic then, were preaching to the choir. The law does not apply to the church, but to those outside the church - sinners without faith that do not know Christ.

Questions

1. So, what is the purpose of the law? Who is it for?
2. Who are the righteous?
3. Why is the church righteous? What makes us that way?
4. So then, are Christians under the law?
5. Does this mean that the law is not useful to Christians?
6. If the law does not apply to us, does this mean that we can do whatever we want to do?
7. Paul concludes his comments here by saying that the test of sound doctrine is conformity to the gospel - a gospel that had been entrusted to him by God. So...in what sense are we all entrusted with the gospel?