JOURNALS

ABSTRACT

Jesus confronted the Pharisees over their legalistic lifestyle; not understanding the mind of God and concentrating on the less important things instead of the important matters of the law. Paul also showed disapproval of the obsessive legalism in his letters to the Galatians and Roman Churches. This paper examined the concepts of law and grace in the letters of Paul, through a comparative study, analyzes the relevance of Law and Grace in Paul’s concept to the contemporary Christianity. The Law as a terminology is derived from the Hebrew word ‚Torah? which connotes God’s legislative code, the commandments of God and his instructions. The Law is good, righteous and holy but man found it difficult to keep. The Jews and the early Church found the law burdensome. Grace is unmerited favour given to an inferior by a superior. No one could attain righteousness by observance of the Law. Through the death and resurrection of Jesus, the Church is no longer under the law but under grace. Righteous living can only be possible through grace. The gospel of Christ is the fulfillment of the Old Testament Scriptures and laws. This work discovered that grace is a necessity in the life of every believer. No matter one’s qualifications, without grace no one can please God.